5 Car Manufacturers That Left India Too Soon

Ford’s exit from India has left us stunned. While we did anticipate this, the confirmation that came in yesterday still made our hearts sink. This inevitably made us look back on other brands that used to have a strong presence in India a while back. Here’s a list of 5 Car Manufacturers that left India too soon.

1. Mitsubishi

Japanese automaker entered the Indian market in the year 1998 after it collaborated with Hindustan Motors. HM was responsible for manufacturing/assembly of Mitsubishi cars for the Indian market. Mitsubishi has given India some major iconic cars like the Lancer, Cedia and the Pajero. Even to this day, a modified Lancer with a tall spoiler will turn more heads than a Mercedes or a BMW.

2. Opel

Opel tried to bring in the German qualities in the India market, a little too soon. Back in early 2000’s Indians just weren’t ready to pay Rs.10 Lakhs for a car. However Opel did have some great products like the Corsa and the Astra. Opel had to shut operations in India in 2006 for multiple reasons, poor service being one of them. Moreover, there were cheaper options coming in like the Maruti Zen, Swift, etc.

3. Fiat

Fiat is one of the most renowned brands in the world. Their engines are being used in multiple cars across the globe and in India too. India’s favorite SUVs; the Harrier, MG Hector, Safari and the Jeep Compass, all use a Fiat sourced 2L diesel engine. Fiat had some amazing cars in India like the Uno, Punto, the crazy 150HP hot hatch Punto Abarth, the Linea amongst others. Fiat shut its operations in India in 2019, which we think was definitely too early.

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4. Chevrolet

Chevrolet was one brand that left India very sneakily, even the General Motors employees hadn’t seen this coming. After years of depreciating sales and constant service issues, GM finally pulled the plugs on Chevy in India. 2 Chevrolet cars that will always have a place in our hearts are the Cruze, Tavera and the AWD Captiva.

5. Daewoo

Daewoo had a strong presence in India in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. The Cielo and the Matiz were their 2 best selling cars here. However, due to financial constraints Daewoo had to sell majority of its stake to General Motors in 2001. After only 7 years in the India market, Daewoo Cars was shut down.