As the year reaches its end in some days, a recap of the vehicles launched in 2015 explains over 30 launches that include facelifts. Some of the vehicle did really well in sales terms, while some failed to find takers for different reasons. We found the top three launches in 2015 that flopped.
Datsun Go+
Nissan's low-cost brand Datsun launched affordable offering Datsun Go+ MPV on 15 January. The Go+ MPV debuted with a price tag in the range of Rs 3.79-4.61 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Go+ is powered by a 1.2-litre engine developing 67bhp and peak torque of 104Nm coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox. The MPV also returns a fuel efficiency of 20.62kmpl.
However, the cheap-car image seemed to have an adverse effect on the MPV. According to a report in Autoportal, Nissan sold just 703 units of the MPV in November 2015. Nissan India's sales are consistently on the decline on a month-on-month basis.
Tata Bolt
Tata Motors launched the Bolt hatchback on 22 January with a price tag of Rs 4.44-6.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The petrol variant of Bolt gets a 1.2-litre Revotron turbo-charged engine, tuned to generate 84bhp at 5,000rpm and a torque of 140Nm of 1,750-3,500rpm. The diesel model packs a 1.3-litre Quadrajet motor that can generate 73bhp and peak torque of 190Nm.
Its similarity to the old Indica hatchback is widely regarded as the main reason for its poor sales. Discounts started right from the second month after launch, and even then Bolt failed to fetch volumes for Tata Motors.
Renault Lodgy
French auto-maker Renault pulled the wraps off its Lodgy MPV in India on 9 April. Powered by a 1.5-litre K9K diesel engine, which has two states of tunes — 85PS and 110PS — the Renault Lodgy MPV is available in seven variants: four in 85PS and three in 110PS. The MPV is priced at Rs 8.19-11.79 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi.
Before launch, the MPV was considered the biggest rival of Toyota Innova. It started well, with 2,032 units sold in April. However, sales dropped after the honeymoon period and the company only sold 443 unit in November 2015. The lack of a vast service network is considered one of the reasons for the drop in sales.
