India First Half 2018: Maruti above 50%, Dzire to end 13-year Alto reign

The Maruti Dzire has snapped control of the Indian market away from the Alto.

* See the Top 25 All-brands and Top 110 models by clicking on the title *

The Indian market storms into the First Half of 2018 all guns blazing with a stunning 13.2% year-on-year uplift to a record 1.725.887 units, even edging past the previous half year record of 1.701.531 established in H2 2017. Note these figures don’t include Light Commercials. Before screams of “India is the new China” get too loud, let’s point out that the Indian First Half 2018 volume is equivalent to an average month of sales in China. Local behemoth Maruti-Suzuki brilliantly outpace the market with a 18% gain leading to its first ever H1 share above the symbolic 50% mark at 51.1%, breaking its all-time records for volume (163.434) and share (55%) in April. In contrast Hyundai (+9%) and Mahindra (+7%) are worryingly weak in the remainder of the podium.

The Tata Nexon is the best-selling new launch in India, helping the brand up 47%.

Below, Tata posts by far the largest gain in the Top 10 with a 47% surge enabling the Indian marque to overtake Honda (-5%) for 4th place overall. Toyota (+23%) and Ford (+15%) also advance faster than the market, whereas Renault (-25%), Volkswagen (-17%) and Datsun (-2%) retract. Jeep launches and directly lands at #11 with over 11.100 units of the Compass having found a new home, an excellent score given its price-tag. Further down, most premium brands are estimated to grow at a vastly quicker rate than the market based on Q1 official results: Porsche (+112%), BMW (+73%), Mercedes (+58%), Volvo (+42%), Jaguar Land Rover (+37%) impress but Audi (-16%) disappoints. In the naughty corner: Fiat (-85%) and Hindustan-Mitsubishi (-79%).

The Vitara Brezza (+22%) makes it 6 Marutis in the Top 6 for the first time in history.

Over in the models aisle, we are witnessing a once-in-a-decade event: a best-seller changeover, something that has not happened in India since 2005. The Maruti Alto (+1%), annual Indian leader for the past 13 consecutive years, cannot seriously pretend at the throne anymore after the Maruti Dzire snapped the top spot no less than 9 times in the past 11 months. Propelled up 74% by a new generation, the Dzire looks set for first ever annual win in 2018. The Swift, whose new generation launched much later than the DZire, is up 20% but down one spot on a year ago while the Maruti Baleno soars 42% to #4, overtaking the Maruti Wagon R (+4%). The Vitara Brezza (+22%) makes it 6 Marutis in the Top 6 for the first time in history.

The Hyundai Verna is lifted up 6-fold by the new generation.

The Hyundai Elite i20 (+4%) passes the Grand i10 (-10%) as the leader of “the rest” (read non-Maruti models), however the Creta (+18%) helped by a mid-life facelift, was the best-selling Hyundai for the first time in May and broke its volume record two months in a row at the tail end of the Semester. The Maruti Celerio (#10) means the Indian Top 10 remains a Maruti/Hyundai affair, something that could change by the time 2018 comes to an end given the smashing success of the new generation Honda Amaze (+49%) back inside the monthly Top 10 in June and for the first time in almost 3 years. Further down, notice the Hyundai Verna (+492%), Maruti S-Cross (+102%), Tata Tiago (+53%), Tata Tigor (+47%), Honda WR-V (+36%), Ford Ecosport (+29%) and Toyota Innova Crysta (+25%) all posting solid gains. The Tata Nexon (#22) is by far the most popular recent launch in India over the period, distancing the Jeep Compass (#36), Ford Freestyle (#42) and Toyota Yaris (#44).

Previous post: India June 2018: Hyundai Creta, Tata Tiago, Honda Amaze amaze, market up 38%

One year ago: India First Half 2017: Top 5 is 100% Maruti in record market up 8%

Full H1 2018 Top 25 All-brands and Top 110 models vs. Full H1 2017 figures below.