5 Cars that Came And Dominated The Segment Leaders At That Time

Change is permanent! One day you are on the top, the next day someone else. This has been the case with many cars in the Indian automotive sector. A well-settled position has either been challenged or taken away. Let’s take a look at 5 such cars that came and posed a real danger to the then segment leaders.

1. Maruti Suzuki 800

   

   The king of the Indian roads, Maruti Suzuki 800 came to our shores when HM Ambassador and Premier Padmini were dominating the market. Maruti Suzuki offered their first offering, the 800, a car that has been a brand in itself. What it came with was a new design, fuel-efficient engine, and more features to offer. Not only did the 800 dominated the segment, but can also be credited to the decline in popularity of the two Indian carmakers.
   A face-off: Maruti 800 vs Suzuki Mehran: An Indo-Pak Duel

2. Toyota Fortuner

   

   The true American blue SUV, Endeavour came to our shores in the early 2000s. No one to compete, the Ford SUV was enjoying the dominance. But then came the Toyota Fortuner in 2009. And suddenly, the brand that was dominating the MPV segment took on the SUV segment too. A powerful engine, dominating looks and Toyota’s promise of quality made it the best selling SUV in no time. And things have been the same for a long time now.

3. Honda Amaze

   

   The Swift was given a boot and the Dzire was born. The compact SUV segment remained dominated by the Dzire since then. Hyundai tried with the Xcent, Tata with the Indigo and so on, many tried to take on the goliath in the subcompact sedan segment. And then came the Honda Amaze. And for the first time, Swift Dzire was facing good competition. Although the Amaze was not able to take away the top spot, it did make a dent in the sales of Maruti Suzuki Swift.

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4. Maruti Suzuki Ciaz

   

   Another entrant from India’s largest carmaker on the list, the Ciaz. A segment that witnessed the war between the Honda City and the Hyundai Verna had another entrant, the Ciaz. Maruti Suzuki tried twice before the Ciaz, first with the SX4 and then with the Kizashi. Yet none was able to take on the two sedans. But in 2014, the Ciaz entered the market and took over the sweet spot. And Ciaz is a safe sedan for sure, as it scored a 4-star rating at the ASEAN NCAP crash test.

5. Kia Seltos

   

   Hyundai paved the way for Kia in India knowing the fact that the new entrant will surely pose a threat to its own cars. And it did. Kia Seltos came and took on its sibling, the Hyundai Creta, one of the best selling compact SUVs in India. Indians for sure are inclined towards a new thing, be it a car or something else. And Kia Seltos came in offering a plethora of features, starting from the air purifier. Although the recent Global NCAP crash testing might have shown that the Seltos is on the average side.

Take a look: How the Kia Seltos took India by storm? An Insight!

So this is a list of 5 cars that took on the segment by the storm. There are many more, I have saved them for the next parts. Do let us know in the comments section below about what you think about the cars listed above. Or you can also suggest some more for the next part. Stay tuned.