Honda City sales grew 111 percent YoY in Jan 21 commanding 44% of the executive sedan list in India
With compact SUV sales booking in the country, sedan sales are on the decline. Though mid size sedans have posted a YoY growth, their total numbers sold are a small fraction of the total SUVs sold in the same price range. A mid size sedan may not match equitably with a compact SUV in terms of ride, handling and stability but it does excel in manoeuvrability when compared to any other body type.
Mid size sedan segment saw sales of 8,403 units in Jan 21, 57 percent higher as compared to sales of 5,355 units in Jan 20. Always seen as a mark of luxury, the executive sedan list was commanded by the likes of the Honda City, Hyundai Verna and Maruti Ciaz in top three spots, with City and Verna sales growing 111 percent and 106 percent respectively YoY.
Honda City sales up 111 percent YoY
At No. 1 was the Honda City, contributing 44 percent to total sales of 8,400 units sold in Jan 21. Sales of the Honda City surged 111 percent YoY, to 3,667 units as against 1,734 units sold in Jan 20. Honda sells both the 4th gen City and the new 5th gen City together in the market. The sales numbers include both the generations of City sedans sold in India.
The 5th gen Honda City was launched in India in July 2020 where it is currently on sale along with its 4th gen counterpart. The City has seen cumulative sales of 21,826 units in CY 2020 and the company claims that this particular model has contributed to a segment that has surged 10 percent from July-Dec 2020. Honda also commenced export of the City to new left hand drive markets adding to company’s export volumes.
At No. 2, Hyundai Verna was another much sought after executive sedan with sales increase of 109 percent YoY. Sales in Jan 21 stood at 2,000 units, up from 957 units sold in the same month of the previous year. The newly launched Hyundai Verna has a waiting period of four to six weeks commanding attention due to its new design language, feature rich cabin and a powerful engine lineup.
Maruti Suzuki saw its Ciaz executive sedan at No.3 with this executive sedan registering strong sales in Jan 21. Sales stood at 1,347 units in the past month, up 61 percent over sales of 835 units sold in Jan 20.
Taking MoM sales into account, the Ciaz has also noted a 6.06 percent increase as against 1,270 units sold in Dec 20. Till Feb 2020, the Ciaz was available with a diesel engine option as well, indicating that sales have increased despite now being offered exclusively with a petrol powertrain.
Rapid, Yaris, Vento
Lower down the order in the list of best-selling executive sedans were the Skoda Rapid, Toyota Yaris and VW Vento. Each of these models posted de-growth in the past month with sales not exceeding the 1,000 unit mark. Rapid sales dipped 7 percent to 757 units, while the Yaris saw only 412 units sold in the past month, down 43 percent as against 725 units sold in Jan 20 Sales of the VW Vento also dipped 12 percent in Jan 21 to 220 units, down from 250 units sold in Jan 20.
