While the Indian executive passenger car segment shrank by 28 percent in 2013-14, the Hyundai Elantra, launched in July 2012, topped the rankings with sales of 4,347 units as against 4,556 units in the nine-month year-earlier period.

In 2013, Honda Cars India pulled the plug on the Civic, thus taking out a powerful rival that saw sales of 17,000 units alone in the first year of the Civic’s launch in 2006. The Corolla then took the lead thanks to hassle-free ownership and the powerful brand touched sales of over 5,000 units in 2012-13.

Cars that have lost out heavily are the Chevrolet Cruze that totted up 1,812 units, just 60 percent of its 2012-13 tally of 3,994 units. Ditto for the Volkswagen Passat, whose sales have halved from 955 units in 2012-13 to 421 units in 2013-14.

Recently, Renault India launched a refresh of the Fluence sedan that it had displayed at the Auto Expo in February. The car comes with a host of exteriors changes but retains the diesel motor under the hood. The new Skoda Octavia, since its October launch, has got more sales than the Fluence and Passat combined.