India’s tryst with the hatchback started with the Maruti 800 way back in 1983. This practical, genuinely affordable car was not only fun to drive but also kick-started India’s love affair with automobiles. It’s not that cars weren’t available till then but Maruti Suzuki’s easy availability and value-for-money proposition found customers in droves. Other car manufacturers were quick to jump on the bandwagon with models of their own, causing the hatchback segment to emerge as the volume driver for the market. The hatchback’s affordability, easy financing and rugged dependability saw them sell like hot cakes. Its small yet unmistakable shape became a staple on Indian roads even finding its way to the most interior villages. The hatchback has regularly crossed the four million mark for many years in a row and even today has around 35 percent of the overall Indian automotive market share.
Price and Resale Value
Price rules supreme in the minds of budget-conscious Indians, making hatchbacks an irresistible choice, especially for the middle class who are the primary movers of this segment. The entry level hatchback fits their price point, while the value-for-money proposition suits their needs perfectly. For many, upgrading from two-wheelers to hatchbacks is a no-brainer. Though cars right now cannot be called a necessity, they aren’t far from becoming one. For that, they need to find a price that’s affordable to most. The hatchbacks come closest to achieving this goal. It’s the first car a working professional might purchase, it is affordable enough to be given as a gift to newly weds and is accessible to a family on a budget as well. Hatchbacks do not compromise on features either and there are ample shops that offer aftermarket accessories should you wish to glam up your ride or add some extra features to it.
Allied to that, hatchbacks holds onto a good resale value, making it easy to sell when one decides to upgrade to a new vehicle.
Fuel Efficiency
Fuel efficiency rules the roost as far as the frugal car customer is concerned. The mileage they can extract from their ride is a major buying point for most. The hatchbacks score high here because they deliver an unmatchable fuel efficiency. The diminutive size of the hatchback means it has less body weight as compared to cars from other segments so fuel economy remains high. The engines used in hatchbacks are also of a smaller capacity that can maintain a low rate of fuel consumption. These factors ensure that no matter how much the fuel prices fluctuate, you can be sure that you are getting the maximum mileage possible which adds up to a good amount of savings. You might be dwarfed by that big SUV at the fuel pump but you can be sure you will make far less trips to them as compared to the other cars. Your hard earned money will stay where it belongs, in your wallet.
Size
Hatchbacks are surprisingly comfortable and roomy, easily accommodating three adult passengers in the rear seat without them feeling cramped. Conventional wisdom may position the sedan as more spacious but there’s no doubt that the hatchback offers as much space for the rear seat passenger as a mid-size sedan. The newer models even offer a 60:40 rear seat split that ups the luggage space considerably. They’re even built on newer platforms that give you more head and leg room than their predecessors.
Traffic conditions in our cramped and narrow streets are a breeze to manoeuvre in this diminutive car that squeezes into the narrowest of spaces. You can weave in and out of traffic avoiding traffic jams to a large extent. A parking space is always difficult to find in our crowded cities and the big cars tend to struggle a bit. However, the small footprint of the hatchback ensures that you can get into the tightest of parking places easily. Most people also do not own parking garages so they’re forced to park on the sides of the road. The small size of the hatchback ensures that there’s ample space for them to do so without blocking the road.
Maintenance
Buying a car is not the end of the road when it comes to expenses. Maintenance is a recurring cost that every car owner must bear. Therefore, the average monthly cost of maintaining a car is an important consideration for buyers. Hatchbacks have the advantage of lower maintenance costs since they aren’t overly sophisticated machines. Most problems are diagnosed and fixed with minimal fuss and expense. Even major problems will not burn a hole in your wallet if you need to go to the nearest service centre. Also, these cars have a fast turnaround time at service centres so you’ll rarely have to stay without your car for long.
Car for First-time Drivers
The hatchback has good all-round visibility, with steering that’s easy to handle and smooth gear shifts. Its compact size allows for effortless braking and makes negotiating crowded road and pedestrian traffic an easier proposition. The hatchback’s low, stable and planted ride is forgiving of minor driving errors, allowing you to safely focus on the road without worrying too much about the controls. These attributes make the hatchback an ideal car for novice drivers to learn on, with driving schools often using it as their model of choice. This is also because necessary modifications, like a secondary set of brakes for the instructor, can be installed at a very low cost and with minimal hassle. As previously mentioned, the affordable price of hatchbacks makes them the perfect entry level vehicle for first-time drivers. The “L” plates are mainly found on these cars for these reasons. It is also pertinent to mention that dents, scrapes and other damages are easily and inexpensively fixed or replaced.
Why India Loves Hatchbacks Summary
Our crowded city roads are not built to deal with the explosion in the amount of cars that use them. Traffic jams and snarl ups are increasingly commonplace and stressful. The hatchback zips in and out of traffic with ease where a bigger car might be held up. This factor appeals to people who need to commute daily, run to shops to buy stuff or even to drop children off to school. Also, the average Indian automobile customer finds that the hatchback ticks off all the boxes they need. The ability to be within the monetary reach of most, easy financing, spacious accommodation, a decent feature list with the ability to modify the car extensively with aftermarket accessories ensures that the hatchback will remain the primary choice of millions of Indians in the years to come. Any car manufacturer has to have a model in this segment should they look to command visibility in the market.
