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S. Muralidhar

The Toyota Camry... for connoisseurs in the premium segment.

BETWEEN 1998-99 and 2002-03, new passenger vehicle registrations grew an average of 15 per cent plus, due largely to the flood of new products in the small car segment. The car market is set for further expansion on the lines of what happened between 1999 and 2001.

Again, as in the previous case, the expansion this time around too is likely to be due to the launch of a number of new cars and utility vehicles in almost all segments of the industry.

Entry level: The dream car for many a two-wheeler owner in the country, the Maruti 800, continues to offer the most value for the average Indian looking for a comfortable and affordable entry-level vehicle. The A segment, monopolised by Maruti Udyog Ltd (MUL), is a clear indicator of the aspirations of the value-conscious Indian. The M-800 notched up a 63 per cent increase in sales volumes during the first quarter of this fiscal on the back of the price cuts effected after the excise duty reduction.

So, for the first-time car-buyer, who has budget constraints and is looking for comfortable transport on four wheels, the M-800 is still the best option. In fact, the car is even more comfortable to drive, thanks to new features such as radial tyres and a five-speed gear-box.

Further, given the good resale potential, an M-800 is still the better choice when compared to more unreliable options in the second-hand car market.

Small cars: The B segment of the passenger car industry is the most crowded, with about eight models and some 80 variants. And more competition is waiting in the wings. Car-makers are hoping to replicate the leapfrogging that A-segment buyers did when a number of new options were offered in the B segment. A similar transmigration is now expected into a new cusp segment between B and C.

The products that may be positioned in this new segment are the Corsa Sail from GM India, the Getz from Hyundai (or the Click, as it is called in Korea), possibly the Suzuki MR Wagon and the much-awaited small car from Toyota.

These may be new car options worth waiting for, especially if the buyer is an entry-level C-segment car aspirant.

For the budget small-car buyer, apart from the existing choice between the Maruti Zen, the Tata Indica and the Hyundai Santro, the only addition later this year may be the Daewoo Matiz in its new avatar as the GM Chevrolet Spark.

Mid-size: The C-segment, mid-size car buyer is going to be flush with choice too. After the Tata Indigo, one of the most popular in this segment, Tata Motors (the erstwhile Tata Engineering) is expected to launch an estate version of the original Indica.

The competition in this segment could hot up if new products in the form of the Ford Focus, the Suzuki Liana and the Hyundai Avante XD land on Indian shores. For the entry-level C-segment car buyer, the best options would be the diesel version of the Tata Indigo and the petrol version of the Maruti Esteem.

For the buyer in this segment who has a heavier wallet, the recently introduced Chevrolet Optra may be a good choice.

D and E segments: These two segments, representing premium and super luxury cars such as the Skoda Octavia, Hyundai Sonata, the new Honda Accord, Ford Mondeo and the luxury brand Mercedes Benz's E-class, have had to face competition from the Opel Vectra, Toyota Camry and the Toyota Corolla.

These two segments will be of interest to the well-heeled, and the buyer's choice is usually governed by his brand preference. Other additions were the C- and S-class sedans from Mercedes Benz and the imported BMWs and Volvos.

MUVs and SUVs: Multi-utility and sports utility vehicles have had a bumper year in 2002-03. As consumer preference for these vehicles has been rising, so have the new models across the entire price spectrum.

Starting from the Tata Sumo, Mahindra Bolero and the newer Mahindra Scorpio, to the top end Mitsubishi Pajero, Suzuki Grand Vitara and Chevrolet Forester, the buyer in this segment too is spoilt for choice. There are more in the pipeline, including the Ford Everest, the Hyundai Terracan and, possibly, the Ssangyong Rexton.

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