Mumbai: Sluggish sales and high dealer inventory have not stopped carmakers from gearing up for a major product offensive in the upcoming festival season. As many as 20 new passenger vehicle models — including 12 entirely new offerings — are set to hit Indian roads by October end, with automakers pinning their hopes on the launches reinvigorating the market.
SUVs will lead the charge, in line with the consumer demand trend, with 13 models data collated by automotive analytics firm Jato Dynamics show.
Tata Motors, Nissan, Citroen, Mahindra & Mahindra, MG Motors, Kia, Hyundai, Volkswagen (VW) and luxury carmakers Mercedes-Benz and BMW are among those set to launch new SUV models in the next three months.
New sedans from Maruti Suzuki and Mercedes-Benz, MPVs from MG and Kia, and a cabriolet from Mercedes-Benz are also in the pipeline.
Automakers are building up inventory in anticipation of good festival demand in spite of a slowdown in sales since the start of this fiscal year and average inventory holding at dealerships rising to 62-65 days, almost double of the average of 30-35 days.
The industry is clearly expecting robust retail sales in the festive season from September to November not only to liquidate stocks but also to account for increased dispatches in the coming months, trade insiders said.
Usually, the spike in festive sales starts from Kerala with Onam and moves to Maharashtra with Ganesh Chaturthi and then to northern and eastern parts of the country with Dussehra, Durga Puja and Diwali.
“We are creating an additional 3,000-4,000 capacity per month for the five-door Thar over and above the total capacity that we have planned,” Rajesh Jejurikar, executive director and CEO (auto and farm sector) at M&M, recently said at its quarterly earnings call.
Mahindra plans to launch the five-door Thar Roxx on Independence Day.
Jejurikar acknowledged that there will be some cannibalisation between three and four door versions of the Thar due to overlapping price points. This has been factored in while creating capacities, he said.
Multiple powertrains
While Thar Roxx will have both petrol and diesel engine options, most of the new models will offer multiple powertrain options, including petrol, diesel, hybrid, and electric as manufacturers cater to various consumer preferences and regulatory requirements.
Tata Motors, which dominates the electric vehicle (EV) space, will offer its new coupe SUV, the Curvv in ICE (internal combustion engine) and EV variants in line with its strong multi-powertrain strategy. The EV version will be available first, soon to be followed by petrol and diesel counterparts.
“We have repeatedly disrupted the category through innovative designs that deliver great road presence as well as functionality,” said Shailesh Chandra, managing director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles.
MG Windsor, Volkswagen ID.4 and Kia EV9, too, will offer electric powertrains, indicating a growing focus on electrification in the Indian market.
“The range of propulsion technology options and smart technologies are reshaping the industry, influencing consumer behaviour and product development,” said Ravi Bhatia, president of Jato Dynamics. “Manufacturers are focusing on innovation to meet evolving consumer preferences in this dynamic and growing market,” he said.
The industry is also witnessing a trend of consumers trading up, with younger buyers showing increased interest in premium vehicles. This shift is set to boost the profits of manufacturers, Bhatia said.
PV launches between August to October 2024
Source: Jato Dynamics
