5 Pre-Booking Champs for 2015

The festive season is on at full swing in India but car demand has been subdued so far. While there have been a fair bit of new car and SUV launches in the country this year, demand has been subdued as the economy is not going great guns yet. There have been a few flashes of brilliance though, cars that have pulled buyers to showrooms, impressing them enough to put down booking money. This story is about those cars – the pre-booking champs of 2015.

Renault Kwid

The Renault Kwid sits in very treacherous territory, one that’s dominated by market leader Maruti Suzuki, whose Alto has been the best selling car of the country for over a decade. Yet the little Renault’s butch looks, super competitive pricing, well appointed interiors and interesting features have won it a large number of fans, many of them who’re converts now. Renault has amassed over 25,000 bookings in under 2 weeks of the Kwid’s launch, and the car’s deliveries haven’t begun yet. If the Kwid continues to pull such numbers, it should set the alarm bells ringing at Gurgaon. Also see – How does the Kwid stack up against the Alto and the Eon

Hyundai Creta

The Creta is India’s best selling SUV currently, and the only such vehicle in the country to bag sales of over 7,000 units in a single month. The Creta has gone where no other SUV has even gone before. The strong pre-booking performance was only the tip of the iceberg. The Creta is now sitting pretty with about 55,000 bookings in just 2 months of launch. Such is the demand from India that Hyundai’s pushed back exports. The South Korean automaker is looking at a busy few months ahead as demand for the Creta has been quite solid. So, what’s making the Creta tick? Here are some answers!

Maruti Suzuki S-Cross

In many ways, the S-Cross is a bold move for Maruti Suzuki. From taking a premium approach with pricing to selling the crossover only through NEXA premium dealerships, Maruti is experimenting big with this crossover. The initial booking demand has been very good, and initial sales have been strong too, especially considering the limited NEXA dealership reach. Maruti managed to bag about 6,000 pre-bookings for the S-Cross in the month prior to the launch. Considering that the S-Cross sells only with diesel engine options, these numbers are quite good. Sales are showing signs of pressure though, for the S-Cross is already being discounted. Also see – How does the S-Cross stack up against the Creta?

Ford Figo Aspire

The Ford Figo Aspire has bagged over 5,000 bookings in just a month of launch. The car stood second best to the Maruti Dzire, ahead of all other compact sedans in India. The car has some class leading bits, which should bring in some sales in the months to come. The 1.5 liter turbo diesel engine that makes 98.5 Bhp and 225 Nm, is the beast in this light car. The Aspire is the best straight line rocket in its segment. 6 airbags on the top-end variant means that the car is a segment leader in safety. It’s great at mileage too, with a 25.83 Kmpl figure. Ford Figo Aspire – What does it offer?

Tata Nano GenX

The Tata Nano GenX bagged 3,000 bookings before its launch, with over 70% of the bookings for the AMT variant. This is an encouraging sign as the car could finally be accepted as an effective commuter by the city hatchback buyer. For Tata Motors, who’s been grappling with an uncertain future for the Nano, the GenX variant’s success will open one more window for the Sanand project to succeed. It’s a sign that the Nano can evolve further. So, the 3,000 pre-bookings are important for both the car and its maker. Also see – Tata Nano GenX in CarToq’s Review