Year 2019 Will Be For Bigger, Safer & Cleaner Cars
Indian buyers are now more inclined towards bigger and premium models.
2019 will surely be an action-packed year for the Indian automobile industry. The car market will witness some significant changes including new safety and emission norms and shift in customers’ preferences. Besides this, there will be range of new models (especially in the SUV segment) along with the entry of a few electric vehicles.
Bigger Cars
Last year, the car buying behavior in India took a significant shift. Now, the customers prefer more premium and bigger cars over the small models. And that’s the reason why the country’s highest selling small car – Maruti Suzuki Alto – slipped down from the top position after 14 years of its existence. Just so you know, the Maruti Dzire was India’s top-selling car in 2018. Considering the poor sales of the small cars, carmakers such as Tata Motors and Honda have decided to discontinue Nano and Brio hatchbacks respectively. Similar to the global markets, Indian buyers are now more inclined towards bigger and premium models. Read – 5 Big Changes Happening In Indian Auto Industry
Safer Cars
Just so you know, the government enforced stringent crash test regulations for all new cars launched after 1st October, 2017. The older models which were already on sale got a grace period of two years that will end on 1st October, 2019. After that, all cars retailed in India will have to meet the strict safety crash test norms. Safety features such airbags, reverse parking sensors, seat-belt reminders, speed alert system and manual override over the central locking system for emergencies will also be mandatory for all cars manufactured after 1st July, 2019. Read – 10 Cars That Will Be Discontinued From India in 2019
Cleaner Cars
The Indian government will also implement the BSVI emission norms from 1st April, 2020. This decision has been taken to reduce pollution and provide cleaner vehicles to buyers. Car manufacturers will not be able to sell cars that won’t meet the future emission standards. While some of them are investing heavily to upgrade their product lineup, a few carmakers will discontinue their select models. Reports suggest that at least 13 cars will be phased out by the end of this year.
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