Do Indians really prefer hatchbacks?

So perhaps, choosing to buy a small car it's a viable option, for these cute little hatchbacks are easy to handle, great to drive around and also they do not take up much parking space. Well, this is our opinion but we would not like to pound our opinions on you readers. The ZigWheels team reached out to some of the Indian consumers to find out what drives an Indian to buy a hatch?  Is it the viability, the low running cost, the price factor or the smaller dimensions?

ZigWheels did a survey with the recent hatchback buyers and found as many varied answer as possible. While some vouch on low maintenance and running cost, there are others who find the discounts and freebies most lucrative. Take for example, Shwilik Ghosh, an employee with the R&D division, Hero Honda, who said that "The best part about a hatchback is the low maintenance and running cost. Not only one can afford it easily with the banks giving away loans at easy installments, but it's perfect for the considerably small Indian roads too." Sharing the same concerns, Rituparna Hazarika, a brand manager of an advertising agency in Bangalore, "In a city like Bangalore where every household has more than one car, small car is the best option. Beside fuel economy and low cost of maintenance, it's a great way to travel and you reach faster as compared to bigger cars."

While most people we surveyed vouch for the fact that hatchbacks are the best feasible option when it comes to driving on Indian roads, there were also those who don't agree with this notion at all. Take for example, Shreyas Puri, an Assistant Manager with Vodafone, "Small cars tend to be a little rough around the edges. For me comfort comes first. I would always prefer a bigger car as compared to a small hatchback."  While men have their reasons for buying or not buying a hatchback, the ladies have their own. According to Malabika Sarkar, a journalist with the Financial Express, "Small cars usually give away great discounts, which for me, is the most determining factor."  Shalini Singh, a housewife from Delhi said "When I went to buy my new Spark, the dealer besides giving me cash discounts also offered lot of freebies. Hatches are great when it comes to maneuvering and parking. Besides being easy to handle, these hatchbacks look ?sweet' which perfectly complements my personality." she adds with a smile.

We went on to ask further about the features one would like to see in their hatches and we found that opinions vary here too. While Shreyas says that a good suspension is a must with hatchback, Ankit Bewja, an executive with another telecom company says, "Not all cars do have the option of steering adjustability which should be a ?must' factor for all hatchback across all variants. Everyone varies in their driving style and a steering adjustability would surely add to the drivers' comfort." 

Going further we asked about their opinion on the many new car launches happening especially in the small car segment. Sanjay Pradhan, a Government employee says, "We saw many new car launches happening in the market, the consumers sometimes tend to get confused and finally end up with the older players like Maruti or Hyundai because their credibility has already been established." Voicing a different opinion altogether, Vikram Saluja, a businessman says. "It's a welcome change from the days of only the Ambassador. If you compare the population density of India versus Europe and see the kind of variety available there, I am sure there is more scope for other models in India."

But aren't these launches crowing the Indian roads, we asked them further. Malabika immediately answered back, "Why only blame the hatchbacks? With the increasing number of cars in the market, the Indian roads are flooded with cars of various sizes." Voicing almost the same opinion, Jitu Deka, a doctor by profession says, "As the economy improves and the state of affordability sets in, there will be more and more cars on the road. It's the bigger cars which occupy more space on the road." We got hold of a few other consumers and asked if they want to see more new launches as far as hatchbacks are concerned. Rupam Chalia, a student of Delhi University and an avid auto enthusiastic says, "When it comes to hatchbacks, I would love to see more innovation in terms of design and interior space utility." Shouvik Biswas, a management student in Hyderabad says, "The Indian roads are way too crowded to begin with, so a few more launches don't make much of a difference. In fact this is a good thing as the competition will increase and the manufactures will have to give us more at less price giving the consumers better options"

Finally we asked them, what everybody considers to be one of the important factors while buying a car- Price. We asked a few of them that if given about Rs. 5 lakh to spare, would the consumer prefer a new hatchback or would they consider buying a second hand car? Here also opinion varied. While most of them said a new hatchback is much better option than a second-hand car considering the running cost and maintenance, there are also people who believe otherwise. Chitradeep De, a retail manager prefers big second-hand cars as compared to small hatchbacks. Voicing his opinion he says "Second-hand cars if bought from a reliable source are a definite better deal any day than the smaller hatches as it gives more comfort and safety factor." Rakesh Gupta, a executive with the telecom industry  has his own take on this, "Most cars under Rs. 5 Lakh today offer features that can match up to bigger cars and would suffice most consumers, so I would prefer a small hatch any day as compared to a bigger second-hand car" Echoing the sentiments, Rituraj says. "I would go for a new hatchback any day. Lesser running cost, plus the ease of driving in congested roads make hatchbacks my first choice."