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Indian Express
a day ago
- Automotive
- Indian Express
K-shaped market: Small cars in slow lane as first-time buyers seek premium SUVs
AMID DWINDLING CAR sales at the entry level, the market is witnessing a remarkable transformation as it sees a sharp uptrend in favour of premium models at the mid-level segment and above. Hyundai Creta, a premium feature-laden mid-segment SUV with prices starting at Rs 11 lakh-plus, has emerged as the country's top selling car in June 2025. With Maruti's Ertiga, a Multi-Utility Vehicle, the two accounted for almost two-thirds of all cars sold in the month. What is also remarkable is that nearly one in three Creta buyers is a first-time car owner. Officials in Hyundai said the contribution of first-time buyers in Creta's customer base has gone up sharply to 29 per cent in 2024 from just 12 per cent in 2020. The car market has had a mixed year in 2024-25. While it hit a new sales peak at 4.3 million, the growth was sluggish at just around 3 per cent, primarily due to the continuously declining sales of entry level cars. But other interesting trends unfolded during the year: in terms of powertrains, CNG overtook diesel for the first time ever. The rural share crossed 40 per cent, again a new high. While sports utility vehicles or SUVs continue to lead, the fastest growing segment was the MPVs (Multi-Purpose Vehicles), with rural or suburban sales accounting for a major chunk. Hatchbacks accounted for less than a quarter of the market, a new low. Hatchbacks and sedans put together, was less than a third of the market, and utility vehicles (SUVs, MPVs and vans combined) account for nearly 70 per cent. First-time buyers are picking the more expensive SUV or MUV. But the industry is divided on who exactly is a first-time buyer – individual who buys her or his first car or a family getting its first car? These are not the same. In Creta's case, it is both, with monthly income ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh. What is certain though is a clear move towards premiumisation. According to Tarun Garg, Whole-time Director & Chief Operating Officer, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the contribution of high-end features like ADAS-enabled cars increased almost six times to account for 15 per cent of Hyundai's overall sales in 2024. Also, 50 per cent of all cars Hyundai sells is equipped with a sunroof. 'Furthermore, we are introducing high demand premium features in lower variants across models facilitating a wider audience to get a taste of advanced technology-led mobility features,' Garg said. But in case of the UV segment, customers are said to be largely opting for base variants or those just above the base, primarily reflecting the propensity to eke out maximum bang for the buck. The entry-level car segment is in a bad shape, primarily due to two factors: higher price tag of Rs 4 lakh-plus due to better safety norms including six airbags, and sluggish income growth in the lower end of consumer base. The bigger problem is that an entry-level car costs nearly four times the prices of a scooter or motorcycle. Slowing consumption growth is a trend that seems to be getting entrenched, despite some signs of recovery in rural areas. While real wage growth for rural agricultural and non-agricultural workers is providing some support to overall consumption growth, in the urban areas, new demand is simply not picking up to the levels seen in the post-Covid phase. As a result, corporates are seeing their performance tapering off, especially in urban centres. Over the past decade, sales of small cars have steadily declined, and in recent years, more and more consumers are opting for the more expensive mid-segment cars. This could reflect rising aspirations of first-time buyers, but also erosion of purchasing power at the lower end of the consumer pyramid. Car companies are figuring it out. According to industry data, sales performance of entry-level cars priced below Rs 5 lakh – a crucial indicator of demand in the economy given that this segment largely attracts first-time buyers – is dire. This segment used to account for nearly a million units a decade ago – 9,34,538 to be precise in FY16. It has since declined to just 25,402 units in FY25. The Maruti Suzuki Alto, for instance, sold more than 18,700 units in June 2019, and was the best-selling then. In June 2025, the Alto and S-Presso combined sold a little over 6,000 units. Creta, a mid-segment car, on the other hand ranked number in the charts selling 15,786 units in June this year. Despite being the top-selling car, its June sales were less than the average monthly sale of 16,239 in the last financial year. A veteran industry executive said this is 'clearly a K-shaped curve in car buying habits in India'. In April-June 2025, passenger vehicle sales declined 1.4 per cent over the same quarter last year, and passenger car sales declined by more than 11 per cent in the same period. As such, not only is the expected graduation in a growing economy from two to four wheelers not happening, the former's growth itself is stalling. The two-wheeler segment sales dropped 6.2 per cent to 46.74 lakh units in April-June 2025, pulled down by motorcycles and mopeds. When juxtaposed, suggests a dwindling of purchasing power at the lower and middle-class segments In the cars' segment, it is the utility vehicles, which are not exactly entry level, or affordable, cars for a majority of Indians, that are saving the auto sector from a complete meltdown, a trend highlighted by the likes of the Creta and Ertiga being among the top sellers in June, accounting for nearly 66 per cent of all cars sold. According to data collected by the NGO People Research on India's Consumer Economy – which some carmakers refer to internally – car penetration in Indian households that have a yearly income of less than Rs 4 lakh reduced to 1.4 per cent in FY20, from 1.9 per cent in FY16. Car penetration in households that earn between Rs 4 lakh to Rs 7 lakh annually also reduced to 8.3 per cent from 12.1 per cent in the same time period. Families with incomes of less than Rs 4 lakh and between Rs 4 lakh and Rs 7 lakh are said to make up for around 80 per cent of all Indian households. Though FY20 was the latest data available with a carmaker, they said the trend has not changed in the subsequent years. Soumyarendra Barik is Special Correspondent with The Indian Express and reports on the intersection of technology, policy and society. With over five years of newsroom experience, he has reported on issues of gig workers' rights, privacy, India's prevalent digital divide and a range of other policy interventions that impact big tech companies. He once also tailed a food delivery worker for over 12 hours to quantify the amount of money they make, and the pain they go through while doing so. In his free time, he likes to nerd about watches, Formula 1 and football. ... Read More Anil Sasi is National Business Editor with the Indian Express and writes on business and finance issues. He has worked with The Hindu Business Line and Business Standard and is an alumnus of Delhi University. ... Read More
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
‘Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most
A new report has found Aussie drivers are increasingly disabling safety systems found in modern cars which are designed to prevent serious crashes. An analysis by insurance company AAMI Insurance found a surprising one in five drivers admitted to turning these safety features off. It comes as new claims data, analysing more than 480,000 claims, from AAMI found nose to tail crashes were the most common, with afternoons being the worst time of day. AAMI Motor Prevention Manager Mary Kennedy, says modern safety systems are designed to protect road users and encourages Aussies to embrace new technologies instead of turning them off. 'In-car safety features aren't just gadgets, they're designed to help protect us and make our roads safer,' Mary said. 'Many of the safety features drivers are turning off, like collision warning and automatic emergency braking, are really effective at preventing these types of crashing, along with many others, including reversing into another vehicle or object such as a trolley or bollard.' Of those Australians who confessed to disabling in-car safety driving features, the overwhelming majority, 69 per cent, cited that they found the systems 'annoying', 'distracting', or 'too sensitive'. Additionally, 23 per cent of drivers believed they 'don't need' in-car safety features, while 13 per cent expressed concerns that they just 'don't trust' them. The most commonly dialled-down or turned-off safety features were lane departure warning and lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, parking assist, automatic emergency braking, and forward collision warning (see table below). This trend is particularly concerning, given that more than half of Australian drivers (59 per cent) agree that safety features improve road safety and reduce the severity and frequency of accidents. AAMI's claims data further supports this, showing that ADAS-enabled vehicles are less likely to be involved in an accident when compared to vehicles without this technology. When asked readers earlier this year whether modern cars are becoming too annoying and complicated, 94 per cent of the 10,102 voters agreed. Arthur, one commenter, said 'Lane keeping is useless on Aussie regional and rural roads. Your try to stay out of potholes and trucks squeezes you and the car jerks you back into the trenches.' While another user said 'Modern cars are intrusive and annoying.' Mary Kennedy is strongly urging drivers to keep Advanced Driver Assistance Systems activated in cars that support it and to adapt to the evolving changes in modern cars. 'Drivers should understand and use these safety features to enhance their own awareness, reduce the risk of human error, and avoid getting into an accident in the first place,' Mary said. 'We know through our claims data that Friday continues to be the worst day of the week, and afternoons are the most dangerous time on our roads.'
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Premium products add to the vibe in Indian homes
There is no stopping the premiumisation wave in India, right from televisions to smartphones to cars, even as overall sales remain sluggish with the long-awaited recovery in the mass-market segment yet to kick in. The contribution of premium refrigerators, washing machines and televisions in the overall sales of these consumer durables has surged by up to five percentage points year-on-year in the January to April period, according to data from researcher NielsenIQ . For instance, 4K televisions of 55-inch screen size and above accounted for 41% of all TV sales in the first four months of 2025, up from 38% a year earlier. Likewise, the share of front-loading washing machines of 8 kg and above capacity rose to 16% from 11% and that of side-by-side refrigerators from 9% to 10% during the same period, NielsenIQ data showed. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Indonesia: New Container Houses (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search ads Search Now Undo In smartphones, according to Counterpoint Research data, the total market fell by 2% year-on-year during January to May this year while the ultra-premium '45,000-plus segment grew 20% and the premium '30,000-plus segment grew 2%. The trend is pushing up the average selling price (ASP) across product categories. For smartphones, "the ASP will cross $300 for the first time this year to about $308 ('26,000-plus) compared to $296 ('25,000) last year," said Prachir Singh, senior research analyst at Counterpoint. Live Events To be sure, the overall electronics and car markets have been under stress this year as low- and middle-income consumers continue to hold back buying entry-to-mid segment products due to low wage growth and inflation in daily lives. As a result, the share of sub-'10 lakh cars in overall passenger vehicle sales has fallen to its lowest ever of 51.4% in the January-May period, according to researcher Jato Dynamics. Sub-'10 lakh cars had accounted for 53.4% of sales in the first 5 months of 2024. Consumers are willing to pay more for features, safety, and technology," said Ravi Bhatia, president of Jato Dynamics. He said increased adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) will accelerate this trend. In electronics, too, NielsenIQ India head of customer success (tech and durables) Anant Jain said the industry has seen a rise in price growth this year, driven by premiumisation across key categories. The car market has seen a marginal fall this calendar year, while electronic sales have declined over 10% due to a decade-low sales of cooling products like refrigerators and air-conditioners this summer. Consumer finance, meanwhile, continues to push higher sales of premium products , industry executives said. Tarun Garg, whole-time director and COO at Hyundai Motor India , said the share of high-end features like ADAS-enabled vehicles in its sales has increased over 5 times to 15% in 2024 from 2.8% in 2023, while "one out of every two cars that we sell now is equipped with a sunroof." Cars priced '10 lakh-plus accounted for 49% of the carmaker's sales in India so far this year, up from 47% in 2024 and 25% in 2020. Marketers are hopeful of a rebound in mass segments in the coming months as inflation has come under control, allowing the central bank to cut interest rates by one percentage point so far this year, and the government has reduced income tax rates for a wide section of taxpayers from this fiscal. Above-normal monsoon rains and lower lending rates augur well for a recovery, experts said.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Swift Navigation Sets New Standard for RTK Positioning with Continuous 2-Centimeter Accuracy Across Western Europe
High-Accuracy Offering Leverages Swift's Proprietary Atmospheric Model and Carrier-Grade Network to Unlock Consumer Robots and Digital Mapping at Scale Skylark Nx RTK Coverage SAN FRANCISCO, April 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Swift Navigation, the leader in centimeter-accurate positioning for vehicle autonomy, robotics, and precision logistics, today announced that its Skylark® Precise Positioning Service now delivers continuous 2-centimeter accuracy across all of Western Europe. The enhanced offering commercially launched today enables companies to deploy reliable, affordable consumer robots and digital mapping solutions at scale. Autonomous robots and field mapping applications require precise and reliable positioning to operate safely and efficiently—but traditional RTK solutions often fall short. Robotics manufacturers are forced to deploy local base stations or rely on fragmented networks, which introduce coverage gaps, handoff issues, and inconsistent performance, delivering suboptimal user experiences. Similarly, field teams in utilities and construction need survey-grade accuracy without the burden and high cost of using professional-grade survey equipment. Skylark addresses these challenges by delivering seamless accuracy across vast geographic areas—eliminating the need to manage base stations or switch between multiple providers. Unlike conventional RTK networks that rely on isolated base stations or basic interpolation, Skylark uses a proprietary atmospheric model that dynamically compensates for ionospheric and tropospheric effects in real time. Its carrier-grade network—operated by mobile network providers as critical infrastructure—ensures unmatched availability and reliability across entire regions. 'For too long, RTK coverage has been fragmented and unreliable, forcing users to deploy their own base stations or switch between multiple providers plagued by frequent outages,' said Holger Ippach, Executive Vice President of Product & Marketing at Swift Navigation. 'Skylark eliminates these obstacles by delivering uninterrupted coverage across all of Western Europe and beyond, delivering high accuracy wherever it's needed.' Skylark already powers more than 10 million ADAS-enabled and autonomous vehicles worldwide—an achievement announced in July 2024—and is commercially deployed by some of the world's largest commercial fleets and robotics manufacturers. Skylark is available in three variants—Nx RTK, Cx, and Dx—designed to meet varying requirements for accuracy, power consumption, data transmission, and cost. With this latest enhancement, Skylark Nx RTK, the highest-precision option, now delivers continuous 1–2 cm accuracy across 28 countries comprising Western Europe and regional coverage across seven countries in Eastern Europe. Compatible with standard RTK receivers and supported by intuitive portals for credential management, licensing, and usage analytics, Skylark Nx RTK makes it easy to integrate high-precision positioning into existing devices and workflows. For more information about Skylark and its variants, visit: ABOUT SWIFT NAVIGATIONSwift Navigation is a San Francisco–based technology company transforming precise positioning across industries. Its Skylark® Precise Positioning Service delivers real-time, centimeter-accurate positioning at scale, enabling applications in autonomous driving, robotics, precision logistics, and V2X communication. Trusted by leading automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, robotics companies, IoT system integrators, and mobile handset OEMs, Skylark powers more than 10 million ADAS-enabled and autonomous vehicles and devices worldwide. Learn how Swift is building the infrastructure for a safer, more connected future at A photo accompanying this announcement is available at CONTACT: press@ in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Swift Navigation Sets New Standard for RTK Positioning with Continuous 2-Centimeter Accuracy Across Western Europe
High-Accuracy Offering Leverages Swift's Proprietary Atmospheric Model and Carrier-Grade Network to Unlock Consumer Robots and Digital Mapping at Scale Skylark Nx RTK Coverage SAN FRANCISCO, April 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Swift Navigation, the leader in centimeter-accurate positioning for vehicle autonomy, robotics, and precision logistics, today announced that its Skylark® Precise Positioning Service now delivers continuous 2-centimeter accuracy across all of Western Europe. The enhanced offering commercially launched today enables companies to deploy reliable, affordable consumer robots and digital mapping solutions at scale. Autonomous robots and field mapping applications require precise and reliable positioning to operate safely and efficiently—but traditional RTK solutions often fall short. Robotics manufacturers are forced to deploy local base stations or rely on fragmented networks, which introduce coverage gaps, handoff issues, and inconsistent performance, delivering suboptimal user experiences. Similarly, field teams in utilities and construction need survey-grade accuracy without the burden and high cost of using professional-grade survey equipment. Skylark addresses these challenges by delivering seamless accuracy across vast geographic areas—eliminating the need to manage base stations or switch between multiple providers. Unlike conventional RTK networks that rely on isolated base stations or basic interpolation, Skylark uses a proprietary atmospheric model that dynamically compensates for ionospheric and tropospheric effects in real time. Its carrier-grade network—operated by mobile network providers as critical infrastructure—ensures unmatched availability and reliability across entire regions. 'For too long, RTK coverage has been fragmented and unreliable, forcing users to deploy their own base stations or switch between multiple providers plagued by frequent outages,' said Holger Ippach, Executive Vice President of Product & Marketing at Swift Navigation. 'Skylark eliminates these obstacles by delivering uninterrupted coverage across all of Western Europe and beyond, delivering high accuracy wherever it's needed.' Skylark already powers more than 10 million ADAS-enabled and autonomous vehicles worldwide—an achievement announced in July 2024—and is commercially deployed by some of the world's largest commercial fleets and robotics manufacturers. Skylark is available in three variants—Nx RTK, Cx, and Dx—designed to meet varying requirements for accuracy, power consumption, data transmission, and cost. With this latest enhancement, Skylark Nx RTK, the highest-precision option, now delivers continuous 1–2 cm accuracy across 28 countries comprising Western Europe and regional coverage across seven countries in Eastern Europe. Compatible with standard RTK receivers and supported by intuitive portals for credential management, licensing, and usage analytics, Skylark Nx RTK makes it easy to integrate high-precision positioning into existing devices and workflows. For more information about Skylark and its variants, visit: ABOUT SWIFT NAVIGATIONSwift Navigation is a San Francisco–based technology company transforming precise positioning across industries. Its Skylark® Precise Positioning Service delivers real-time, centimeter-accurate positioning at scale, enabling applications in autonomous driving, robotics, precision logistics, and V2X communication. Trusted by leading automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, robotics companies, IoT system integrators, and mobile handset OEMs, Skylark powers more than 10 million ADAS-enabled and autonomous vehicles and devices worldwide. Learn how Swift is building the infrastructure for a safer, more connected future at A photo accompanying this announcement is available at CONTACT: press@ in to access your portfolio
