10 Failed Sedans in India from Big Car Manufacturers

It as not so long ago before these baby SUVs took over the fancy of the car buyer in the country, there were sedans which used to run the streets. All the shot callers in the Indian auto industry used to place their bets on a sedan. The current scenario is such that the sales figures and overall popularity of SUVs in the country have overshadowed the legacy of sedans. Even though cars like the Honda City and Hyundai Verna still enjoy a good share of market dominance in India and are able to even some SUV a run for their money. In the heyday, sedans were a thing of desire, were considered a status symbol and the most popular choice of customers. However, not all sedans bode well for their manufacturers in India over the years. So today we take look at 10 such sedans which failed in the Indian car market.

1. Maruti Suzuki Kizashi

   We got to start this list with the car that you will find on all the “Failed Cars in India” lists. Kizashi is undoubtedly Maruti’s most disappointing venture in India till date. A lot of people remember the Kizashi as Maruti’s debut in the luxury sedan segment which didn’t turn out as Maruti probably anticipated. The Kizashi was a tasteful product and was considered by Maruti as the first luxury sports sedan of India. It had appealing looks and the interior quality was also something ever seen on a Maruti before. The Kizashi came with a 2.4 Litre petrol engine producing 175HP and 230Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed CVT.

   What went wrong?

   The Kizashi came through the CBU route in our country and this made cost more than Rs. 17 Lakh which is a price no one was willing to pay for a car with the Maruti Suzuki badge on its grille. Maruti till date is seen as a brand for economy cars and that reputation has caused the Kizashi as well as the Grand Vitara prior to this, bombed in the Indian car market. A Maruti car at a price point north of Rs. 15 Lakhs never made sense to the Indian Customers.

2. Renault Scala

   

   Born from the Renault-Nissan alliance in India, Renault Scala was the rebadged version of the Nissan Sunny in India. The Scala came with a revised front bumper and grille, Redesigned tail lamps and reworked rear bumper as well so that the customers can tell it apart from the Sunny. Renault Scala came with two engine options, a 1.5-litre XH2 petrol engine making 99HP and 134Nm of torque and also a 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine making 86HP and 200Nm of torque.

   What went wrong?

   Nissan with the Sunny did good numbers in the Indian car market and it was the quintessential “caaaaaaar” as it was touted. However, people didn’t show similar faith in the rebadged Renault Scala and it didn’t see too many takers.

3. Nissan Teana

   

   Nissan came with the Teana back in 2007, a suave executive sedan made for the chauffeur-driver class. Teana was an elegant and very long sedan that came with the performance of a V6 under the hood. Teana had a 2.5-litre V6 engine producing 182HP and 228Nm of torque.

   What went wrong?
   
   Teana didn’t do well in India because it had a girly name? Haa! Just kidding. The reason why the Teana wasn’t able to do well is two-fold. Firstly, it fell prey to the steep pricing on its way over to India through the CBU route. Secondly, it lost the battle to the aces of the executive sedan segment, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Hence, Nissan Teana couldn’t have a lasting impression on the executive sedan market in India. 

4. Hyundai Sonata

   

   The Sonata is Hyundai’s Global offering and the moniker has been around for the company since 1985. In India, we got the Sonata for the first time in 2001 and since then got three generations of the car in India. The last generation Hyundai Sonata in India came with a 2.4-litre petrol engine making 201HP and 225Nm of torque.
   
   What went wrong?
   
   The last generation Sonata was discontinued for India in 2014 on account of poor sales. Hyundai is yet another brand who’s luxury offerings were not received with all enthusiasm in India and Sonata suffered due to the same. 

5. Ford Mondeo

   

   Ford India also tried it’s hand on the executive sedan segment back in 2002 with the Mondeo. It is another globally acclaimed car which didn’t do so hot in India. The Mondeo was mechanically performance-oriented and had great driving dynamics. It also had features which were way ahead of its time. The Mondeo came with a 142HP petrol motor and a 128HP diesel engine as well.
   
   What went wrong?

   Literally, all the capable executive sedans which didn’t do so well in India failed because of the steep pricing because they were a CBU. Ford Mondeo was another such car which couldn’t stand against its competitors like Honda Accord and Toyota Camry due to the hefty price tag despite having such new-age features.

6. Opel Vectra

   

   A German automobile company under an American car giant General Motors, Opel India was not a very successful venture for General Motors in India. The brand got shut down after a snap of 10 years in 2006. The brand had three monikers in India, namely Astra, Corsa and Vectra. Amongst these, the Vectra is the car which most of the people won’t even remember to have ever existed in India. It was a D-segment sedan which was way ahead of its time during its debut in 2003. It had a strong engine capable of churning out a 145HP and 203Nm of torque and go could go past 200km/h mark, a big deal back in the day.

   What went wrong?

   Opel didn’t have a very strong after-sales network and the cars were more expensive than their competition. Also, Indians didn’t show good faith in the brand as well. So, due to a combination of all these reasons the Vectra failed in India and Opel sold only 500 units of the Vectra.

7. Chevrolet Aveo

   

   Another General Motors offering which didn’t leave a mark with the Indian market was the 2006 launched Chevrolet Aveo. It was a conventional C-segment sedan. The Aveo came with two engine options, 1.4-litre and 1.6 -litre petrol engines and had a starting price of Rs. 5.47 lakhs.
   
   What went wrong?

   The biggest reason for the Aveo’s failure in India was that it didn’t have a diesel engine option at a time when a diesel motor was all that people wanted. Cars like the Ford Fiesta with a highly capable diesel engine simply crushed the chances of the Aveo to shine. Other reasons include high-maintenance cost by Chevrolet.

8. Mahindra Renault Logan
   

   

   The Logan was a product of the collective goal of the Mahindra-Renault alliance to make one of the most reliable and affordable cars for India. The Logan came with a 1390cc petrol engine making 75HP and 110Nm of torque. It also came with LPG and CNG variants.

   What went wrong?

   The Logan with practical ergonomics and also with the CNG and LPG options instantly became a fleet car market favourite. Due to its public image of a “taxi”, the general customers refrained themselves to buy it. Also, the car had a very plain boxy look to it which was not specifically appealing to many.

9. Mitsubishi Cedia

   

   The second sedan by the Mitsubishi after the legendary Lancer was the Cedia. Like its elder brother, the Cedia was also performance-oriented and was a fun-to-drive car. It came with a 2.0-litre petrol engine which made 115HP and 175Nm of torque. The car is known to be quick to get up to 180km/h.

   What went wrong?

   Post the Lancer and with the emergence of capable products from indigenous brands, Mitsubishi didn’t witness much popularity in India (except for the Pajero). As a result, despite being such a high-performance car, the Cedia didn’t see a lot of potential takers.

10. Tata Indigo Manza

    

    Indian automaker, Tata Motors came with a more premium version of the Indigo in the shape of the Indigo Manza, in 2010. It was a mid-size sedan with the help of which Tata aspired to take on the likes of Honda City and Hyundai Verna. The Indigo Manza came with a 1.4-litre petrol engine making 88HP and 116Nm of torque. It also came with a 1248cc diesel engine making 88HP and 200Nm of torque.
    
    What went wrong?

    Tata aspired to take on the Honda City and the Hyundai Verna with the Indigo Manza. However, the package on offer with Manza was nowhere near to what those two cars had on offer. The Indigo Manza could only bode well in the fleet car market.

Did we miss out on any sedan which could have been on this list? Let us know in the comments section below.

Also, read 10 Flop SUVs in India from Big Car Makers | From X-Trail to Touareg