Back from the brink

Sales are looking up for what was once India’s worst selling car. The Logan, now renamed Verito, sold 7,096 units in the first six months of 2011—a 160% jump over the same period last year. The compact sedan came to India in 2007 under a Mahindra-Renault joint venture that fell through. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has priced the Verito in a segment with no compact sedans, says Abdul Majeed, auto practice leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers. Sales picked up after prices were cut by upto Rs 65,000 across variants, the look tweaked, and the car renamed. Rajesh Jejurikar, M&M’s CEO—automotive division, says a smaller version is in the works. Meanwhile, Hindustan Motors’ Ambassador is the lowest selling, with 1,724 units in the first half of 2011.