The Hindu Business Line : Car buyers will have more to choose from

Most of the car makers are in the process of finalising plans for launch of new models during this season, as this phase helps in sales volumes going up.

V. Rishi Kumar

Hyderabad, Aug. 19 Buying your first car or the next one, you are in for one of the most exciting phases in the Indian automotive sector. Practically all manufacturers are lining up a slew of models or upgrading existing ones.

Come September, Toyota is set to be first off the block.

It has advertised the launch of Altis, stated to be a replacement for Toyota Corolla, and the festive season is the period to watch out for more models.

While the last few months and more specifically, July has had some impact on the overall volume sales in the country, car makers normally time their new models with the festive season when people generally buy cars coinciding with auspicious days.

The Director General of Society for Indian Automotive Manufacturers (SIAM), Mr Dilip Chenoy, told Business Line that most of the car makers are in the process of finalising plans for launch of new models during this season, as this phase helps in sales volumes going up.

The county’s largest automaker Maruti is all poised to roll out A-Star and Hyundai Motors its new car i20 following on i10’s success.

Tata Motors is expected to bring in a revamped Indica range, with new generation engines and exterior and fresh interiors, Fiat its new sedan Linea and another hatch Punto, Honda possibly with a new City and US automakers GM and Ford with new sedans.

NANO ICING

And, of course, there is the Tata Motors’ much talked about aspirational small car Nano, which has the potential to change the pricing of not just the entry level cars but also others in the A segment. Some say it may even bring in correction in the second hand car market.

Mr. Chenoy said “the July sales have not been very good and in fact sales have shown negative numbers in the passenger car volumes. However, we expect the latter part of this year with new launches to provide upside.”

SOME DRIVERS

The recent meeting of the Finance Minister with public sector banks to bring about some flexibility in home and car financing and the Sixth Pay Commission’s potential kicking up fresh demand from new buyers capped with new launches will bring in the much needed buoyancy, Mr Chenoy said.

While most of the companies keep their new launches closely guarded, recent interaction with companies like General Motors, which is set to commission another major plant, Maruti and Hyundai have all added new capacities, and thereby much more flexibility in launch of new models.

HIKES TEMPORARY?

Most domestic car makers had hiked prices citing growing input costs, the increase in interest rates and its impact on volumes had forced them to offer discounts in even some of the new models.

The key role of the festive season could be gauged by the recent observation of the Managing Director of GM India, Mr. Karl Slym, during his recent interaction with the media in Hyderabad, wherein he mentioned how he learnt the importance of the word ‘auspicious’ for everything they do in India.

If you are set to buy one shortly or are on the look out for something very latest, just as in electronic gadgets, mobile phones, your aspirational car could well be near at hand soon.

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