India’s Ten Most Exported Cars

Snapshot – India’s is becoming a leading destination for car makers looking to exports cars from here. The country’s advantage of skilled and cost effective labour, stable political and economic regimes and high quality manufacturing set up has been leveraged by multiple car makers to go big on the exports front. By exporting cars from India, automakers stand to gain big profits due to the country’s twin advantages of low cost and high quality manufacturing while India gains valuable foreign exchange and employment opportunities for its burgeoning youth population. Today, we bring to you India’s ten most exported cars. 

Hyundai i10

Hyundai is India’s leading exporter and it is only fitting that one of its cars is the country’s most exported car. The i10 hatchback is India’s most exported car. The i10 that is exported out of India is similar to the version sold here. The i10 exported out of India is petrol powered and is available in manual and automatic gearboxes. Over the last fiscal year, Hyundai exported 109,078 units of the i10.

Nissan Micra

A market dud in India, the Nissan Micra is one car whose export numbers outnumber is domestic sales. Nissan has made India a major export base, and the Japanese car maker’s Oragadam factory exports more cars than it sells here. Select variants of the Micra exported from India feature a more powerful 1.2 liter, supercharged petrol engine. Nissan India exported 78,383 units of the Micra.

Hyundai i20

Another Hyundai hatchback, the i20 B+ segmenter, finds itself as a top exported car. Like the i10, the i20 is a global car model that Hyundai sells in markets across the globe. The i20 exported out of India is mainly the petrol version of the car. The i20’s five star NCAP safety rating is a reason why the car is fit to be sold in many developed car markets. Hyundai India exported 59,789 units of the i20.

Maruti Suzuki A-Star

Another dud-selling car that is a big success on the exports front is the Maruti Suzuki A-Star. The automaker’s parent Suzuki, sells the A-Star under a variety of names in developed markets, where the A-Star is known as the Suzuki Celerio/Nissan Pixo/Suzuki Alto. The A-Star exported out of India is petrol power. Maruti Suzuki managed to export 45,193 units of the A-Star in the 12 months between April’13 and March ’14.

Nissan Sunny

The Nissan Sunny was the Japanese automaker’s best selling product until the arrival of the Terrano SUV. Relegated to second place in Nissan India’s domestic sales, the Sunny C-Segment sedan holds the same position for Nissan in the export tally as well. The spacious sedan is exported to many countries across the world, where it is sold as the Almera. Nissan India exported 37,730 units of the Sunny.

Volkswagen Vento

Volkswagen isn’t doing well in India. To offset its poor performance here, the German automaker is betting big on exports from India. The Vento is Volkswagen’s most exported cars, with the petrol powered variant being the main focus when it comes to the export market. Volkswagen also sells the Vento in diesel guise, in India. The car maker exported 32,017 units of the Vento, a number that is more than the car’s Indian sales over the same period.

Hyundai Accent

Hyundai has discontinued the Accent C-Segment sedan in India. However, the car maker continues to produce the car at its Sriperumbudur factory, off Chennai, in order to cater to export markets in developing countries in Africa and Latin America. The Accent that is exported out of India features a 1.5 liter petrol engine. The car has been replaced by the Xcent compact sedan in India. Hyundai exported 29,107 units of the Accent.

Ford Figo

The Ford Figo hatchback is one of the most successful cars for the American automaker’s Indian division domestically. The hatchback is also Ford India’s most exported car, with the automaker clocking 28,304 units on the exports front. Ford India exports the Figo with more powerful 1.4 liter and 1.6 liter Duratec petrol engines even though the India=spec variant makes do with an underpowered 1.2 liter petrol motor. Ford also offers the peppier 1.4 liter diesel engine on the Figo sold here.

Maruti Alto

India’s best selling car is only the ninth most exported model. Maruti Suzuki exported 20,858 units of the Alto over the last fiscal year. The Alto is exported mainly to African and Latin American markets, which have developing economies. A budget car built at a price, reliability and fuel efficiency are the major draws of the Alto. The car abysmal safety standards mean that India’s best seller is a no-go for developed car markets.

Hyundai Eon

The fourth Hyundai in India’s 10 most exported cars list, the Eon hatchback is an entry-level car similar to the Alto in terms of pricing and positioning. The car exported from India is similar to the one sold here. An 814-3 cylinder petrol engine powers the Eon in markets around the world, which like the Maruti Alto’s are developing car markets. Hyundai exported 19,296 units of the Eon.