Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Honda Amaze, More: Can New Sedan Launches Rev Up Sales In India's SUV-Loving Market?

The compact SUV segment especially has been the most popular one and has completely overtaken the sedan segment in terms of sales

Sedans still have a firm grip on the market with luxury segment buyers still demanding them

Source : Somnath Chatterjee

Amongst an avalanche of new SUV launches, this year has seen a steady influx of new sedans. At the volume end of the segment, it has been the Maruti Suzuki Dzire and the new Honda Amaze which have given buyers more options in the sub Rs 15 lakh space. Typically, sedan sales have slowed down considerably over the past few years, with the buyer shifting to SUVs. The compact SUV segment especially has been the most popular one and has completely overtaken the sedan segment in terms of sales. However, the launch of the new Dzire and Amaze have brought back some spotlight on SUVs. These two provide a sedan option in the mass market segment while being a rival to sub compact SUVs. Crucially, these sedans bring in more fuel efficiency over similarly priced SUVs.

At the other end of the spectrum, sedans still have a firm grip on the market with luxury segment buyers still demanding sedans. This year has seen many new luxury sedans but it was the new BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class which dominated the headlines. Both are strong sellers, with the E-Class being the best-selling luxury car of all time for Mercedes-Benz. For BMW, the move to a long wheelbase version also meant that it was tapping into a new segment while also showcasing the importance of our market. Other sedan launches also include the Camry from Toyota which has just been launched in a new avatar as well. While SUVs continue to be the most popular segment, sedans have seen a revival this year.