India is the fourth largest automobile market in the world. Around three million cars are sold in India annually. The Indian automobile market is developing and we as consumers are becoming more aware of what leading automakers are offering in the global market. Some carmakers, in order to save costs & keep pricing competitive avoid bringing the latest products and technologies to the country. Some cases are justified whereas some cases are just not acceptable. Outdated products are still being sold in the country. Moreover, there are some products that have either failed or are failing in the Indian car market. Keeping these in mind, we have compiled a list of five cars that you should avoid buying in India.
Renault Duster has not received any major updates ever since its first introduction back in 2012. We still get the first-generation Duster in the country whereas most foreign markets now get the second-generation Duster. Indian customers do miss out on some features and a fresh design. Moreover, with the all-wheel-drive option now out, the Duster does miss out on some power-packed elements. This makes it a car to avoid.
Although the Volkswagen Polo is still considered a premium offering in the country, its 1.0-litre MPi engine is a big miss in the market today. This particular engine makes just 75bhp & 95Nm of torque yet feels a bit overpriced. Not just this, but Polo has not received a generation change in the country as well. We still get the fifth generation whereas the seventh generation is available in European markets. These points make it a car to avoid in the market today.
The sedan segment is dominated by Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and Honda City which are less expensive when compared to the Toyota Yaris. No doubt the Toyota Yaris is a good product, but it feels overpriced when compared to other options available in the market. Also, a lack of competitive features brings down its value-for-money quotient.
You would not expect the Skoda Octavia to be on this list but we have got our reasons. This sedan sits at a premium price range. As of now, only two variants of the Octavia are being offered. The first variant comes in at Rs 30.91 lakh (on-road, Mumbai). The top variant is priced at Rs 34.43 lakh. However, add in a few lakhs more and you would get the most premium sedan from Skoda, the Superb. Skoda Superb starts at Rs 38.03 lakh. Skoda Superb makes more sense when considering a premium sedan.
Honda Jazz is another no-updates-yet-overpriced case. The Jazz was last updated in 2020 with a BS6 compliant engine. The car is priced at a range wherein you can easily buy a sedan. Also, you could buy a hatchback with better safety features and mileage at an affordable price range when compared to Honda Jazz. To top this, the Jazz now misses on features like Magic Seats, etc. that once made it a lucrative option.
These are the cars to avoid in India. If you have car buying doubts click here to ask! Get the lowest price for car insurance here. For more such content stay subscribed to MotorOctane Youtube, Google News Facebook and Twitter. Also, follow us on Flipboard and Reddit where we have a discussion community.