Unfair Decade: Capable Cars That Were Snubbed By India!

At ZigWheels, we’ve been fortunate enough to test pretty much every single car that a manufacturer rolled off the assembly line. That means we’ve had the chance to pilot some of the most capable cars in the country, whether the market treated them kindly or not.

And that’s exactly what this piece is all about. Over the past decade, we’ve seen some beautiful cars with recipes that could very well fit the criteria of a best seller. But for reasons ranging from minor to absurd, these cars are seen primarily inside the fancy glass-walled showrooms.

Let’s time travel a bit and run you through the cars that should’ve been bestsellers, but were treated harshly by those buying: 

Ford Fiesta

We’re starting this off with what was arguably the most fun C-segment sedan there was. Ford’s first-generation Fiesta for India was loved by many and went off to a flyer. However, with the second generation, sales fell off the cliff. The global Fiesta hatchback-derived styling didn’t sit well with the buyers. And that was enough to disregard the entire package. 

Sadly, that very package featured a very potent diesel engine (one we love till date), a superlative chassis and solid build quality. It also ticked the basics of cabin and cargo space well. 

The stepchild treatment from the market was enough for Ford to pull the plug on the ‘Fiesta’ marquee altogether. What a sad ending for one of the best-selling nameplates in the world! 

Skoda Yeti

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Spotting a Skoda Yeti in India is about as difficult as spotting the folkloric character itself. This SUV created the space that the Creta, and Seltos today dominate. It was a unique offering for its time, with little to no direct rivals. 

But the styling stuck like the proverbial elaichi (cardamom) in the Biryani. It wasn’t handsome (something that the facelift corrected) and the first impression was enough to keep people at bay. That it had a robust chassis, a torquey diesel and a Haldex 4x4 system under the skin didn’t seem to matter.

The final nail in the coffin came in the form of sub-par service experiences that erstwhile Skoda owners were battling. Sigh! 

Honda Jazz

Honda’s Jazz has practically nothing wrong with it. It’s fuel-efficient, comfortable, ridiculously spacious and is built well too. The petrol motor makes light work of city duties (especially paired with that easy-going CVT), and the diesel munches highway miles like there’s no tomorrow. 

Where it couldn’t stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its contemporaries was in the ‘look at me’ department. In an age where big hatchbacks wanted to wow you with their projector headlamps and diamond-cut wheels, Honda’s Jazz looked too simple. 

Honda also stuck to a rather optimistic price strategy. That the facelift was insipid only created hurdles for the hatchback. 

Renault Lodgy

This particular vehicle is a bit close to us at ZigWheels. We’ve had it in our long-term fleet for the better part of a year now. And, we’re sure there are going to be tears when Renault inevitably asks for the keys again, for this MPV has done practically everything we’ve asked of it, without a hiccup. 

The diesel engine is punchy and does triple-digit speeds all day long while keeping our fuel bills in check. That boxy-shape gives it generous cargo volume that can be increased by taking the third row out completely. And the ride quality is partly the reason why you see such steady, non-shaky motion shots in our photos and videos. 

It did do fairly well initially, but sales fizzled out soon. An outright boxy design and a utilitarian cabin meant the new-age family man preferred to be seen driving an Ertiga instead. 

Tata Hexa 

If there was a textbook on how to extensively give a vehicle a makeover, the Hexa would definitely feature as a chapter. Moving it away from the shadow of the Aria (that tanked horribly) wasn’t an easy task. But it’s safe to say that Tata Motors pulled it off. 

While the basics were retained, the Hexa debuted with more muscle - both on the outside and under the hood. It also went upscale with the quality and features on the inside, and also offered the luxury of captain seats. It’s sheer presence on the road, and that magical ride quality meant the Hexa would be at ease practically anywhere. 

Most couldn’t digest the near Rs 20 lakh price tag when it first came out in 2016. With Toyota’s Innova Crysta within striking distance, the Hexa was forced to trudge along. It never became the blockbuster it could’ve been. 

Ford Figo / Aspire 

Yep, another Ford (actually two more!) on the list. Why the Figo twins didn’t strike the right chord with the Indian car buyer befuddles us. Because once you spend some time with either, you’ll see there’s no reason for them to be snubbed so badly. Both are loads of fun to drive, have a rock-solid build quality and offer a segment-first six airbags. 

Yes, you have to make do with iffy plastic quality in the cabin, and the feature list isn’t dominated by projector this and LED that. Given the price point, however, that’s a trade-off we’d be happy to live with all day.  

Fiat Punto Abarth 

You know a car isn’t selling well when you have discounts of nearly 25 per cent. Yep, you read that right. Earlier this year, Fiat was clearing stock of the Punto Abarth for as low as Rs 7.5 lakh (ex-showroom). A few posts on social media and forums claim to have pushed the discounts higher too.  

This pocket-sized 140 horsepower machine ate its front tyres for breakfast, attacked corners like there’s no tomorrow and made a sweet sound too! While all of this has us enthusiasts welling up, it barely scratched the surface in terms of sales. There are just a handful of these special cars across the country. And that means it’s going to be rare and elusive in the future. If you have one, hold on to it! 

Volkswagen Passat 

In the past decade, we’ve seen two generations of Volkswagen’s Passat. And neither of them got particularly popular with the boardroom-meeting attending fellows. It puzzles us a bit since it’s essentially the same package as Skoda’s Superb that’s a crowd-favourite in this segment. 

Often called a cut-price Audi, the Passat (especially the new one) leaves very little to want. It packs in all the creature comforts you could ask for, rides beautifully and has a proven engine that’s at equal ease commuting and cruising. 

Most Passats went for delicious discounts before being phased out momentarily. A delicious package made even more tempting, we’d say. 

Hyundai Tucson

This soft-roader from Hyundai blends premiumness, practicality and go-anywhere ability in one likeable package. It offers the choice of a silent, laid back petrol motor and a punchy diesel too. There’s four-wheel drive should you feel adventurous. We had loads of fun piloting the Tucson from the meandering mountains of Dharamshala to the salt flats of Kutch back in 2017. And it made us wonder why this nearly faultless package is struggling to find homes. 

It’s proximity to the likes of Toyota’s Fortuner and Ford’s Endeavour - both proven old-school ladder-frame seven-seater SUVs probably had a lot of buyers jump ship. That doesn’t take away from what the Tucson is capable of, though. 

Maruti Suzuki S-Cross 

Yes! There’s a Maruti Suzuki on this list. The S-Cross debuted about the same time as Hyundai’s Creta. And if we were to tell you that the Hyundai managed to sell nearly three times as much as the Maruti, you’d rub your eyes in disbelief. 

In a market that wanted a scaled-down SUV, Maruti got us a crossover. But it had big plans for the S-Cross. It debuted Maruti Suzuki’s premium Nexa chain of showrooms, gave us the delicious 1.6-litre turbo diesel and showed us quality previously unseen in Maruti Suzuki cars. Not many lapped it up, which meant the manufacturer had to slash prices of the 1.6-litre variants by nearly Rs 2 lakh. 

With the facelift, that stonker of an engine was shown the door. Sales have been lukewarm, to say the least, especially by Maruti Suzuki standards. 

That was our list of ten cars that were sadly snubbed by one of the fastest growing automobile markets in the world. Any other cars that come to your mind? Let us know in the comments section below.