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India July 2017: Post-GST triggers all-time record month, Compass lands

The Maruti Baleno is up to #2 in India this month. Picture zigwheels.com 

* See the Top 23 All-brands and Top 86 models by clicking on the title *

As we anticipated last month, the Indian new car market beautifully bounces back now that post-GST implementation prices are known, and are mostly down on the pre-GST period. Total sales surge 15% year-on-year to 296.346 units, a new all-time record volume for India, beating the previous best of 280.597 sales hit last March. The year-to-date tally is now up 9% to 1.820.977, a new record also. India’s leader Maruti-Suzuki continues to seriously impress, growing faster than the market at +22% despite already holding a gargantuan market share. In fact, at 153.298 sales, this is the largest ever monthly volume delivered by Maruti, beating its previous best of 144.281 hit last April, and at 51.7% market share, it is the fifth time in the past nine months that Maruti manages to break the symbolic 50% market share milestone.

The Maruti Vitara Brezza smashes its volume record to above 15.000. Picture overdrive.in 

Maruti monopolises the Top 6 best-selling models which is a record (previous best: Top 5 last November). Interestingly, the sales order of Maruti’s models is progressively changing. If the Alto is up 31% to deliver its largest volume since last September, the Baleno manages a flamboyant 110% year-on-year increase to post a new volume record at 19.153 and snaps the 2nd place for the 2nd time ever after last March. The Wagon R is up 7% to end the month just 48 units off a new volume record and the Vitara Brezza shoots up 49% to smash its volume record at 15.243 (previous best: 12.375 last May) as well as its ranking record at #4 (pb: #6 in July 2016 and May 2017). Previously almost always stuck just behind the Alto, the DZire (-24% due to production issues linked to a steering column recall) and Swift (-1%) are now getting distanced.

Volume record for the Toyota Innova Crysta. Picture quickr.com 

Notice also the Maruti Celerio beating its volume record at 11.087 sales in 9th place. Of note is the 32.860 sales Maruti has achieved through its new, more premium, distribution channel, Nexa, through which the Baleno is available. If it continues that way, Nexa on its own may be able to surpass the sales of Hyundai, #2 brand in India. Speaking of which, Hyundai trails the market growth this month with a slim 4% rise leading to a 14.5% market share, well below its YTD level of 16.3%. The Grand i10 is up just 0.3%, the Elite i20 up 15% and the Creta cup 32% to beat its volume record at 10.556 in 10th place. This means we have ten nameplates selling more tham 10.000 units this month for the second time ever in India along with March 2017.

The WR-V becomes Honda’s best-seller in India in July. 

Mahindra follows the market at +15% with its Bolero up 68% year-on-year but down 5 spots on June to #16, while Toyota makes up for a particularly weak month of June (1.973 sales) by breaking its own monthly volume record at 17.758 units, up 43% year-on-year. Indeed, Toyota models are the ones which saw the steepest price fall post GST and July wholesale volumes show it. Both the Innova Crysta (9.369) and Fortuner (3.444) beat their volume record this month. Honda is up a solid 22% thanks mainly to the success of the WR-V, posting a new volume record this month (4.894) and becoming the brand’s best-seller in India above the City.

The Jeep Compass made-in-India has landed, and it’s a success so far.

Tata is up a weak 10% and its only good news is a new volume record by the Tiago while both the Tigor and Hexa disappoint. The brand is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Nexon crossover to lift its sales. Renault, completely tied to the performance of the Kwid (-25%), drops by the same amount this month. A Kwid sedan should be hitting dealerships yesterday if the French manufacturer wants to return to growth in India. Last but not least, this month we welcome the arrival of the locally-produced Jeep Compass in India, already approaching the 1.000 sales for its first month in market. Priced correctly, the Compass has received very good reviews in the local press and could climb much higher despite technically being a premium vehicle in India.

Previous post: India First Half 2017: Top 5 is 100% Maruti in record market up 8%

Previous month: India June 2017: GST price drop anticipation sinks market down 11%

One year ago: India July 2016: Maruti breaks record, places 7 models in Top 10

Full July 2017 Top 23 All-brands and Top 86 models below.

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