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Indian Car Brands Fading? Why Buyers Fear Honda, Nissan & Renault in 2026 | PODCAST- EPISODE 7

Acko Drive

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Are India’s favorite car brands really on the way out? After Ford, Chevrolet, and Fiat exited,
car buyers in India have developed what we call exit trauma. Every time a brand misses an
ad campaign or isn’t in the top 5, people worry: Are they next?

In this episode of Which Car Should I Buy, Siddharth Vinayak Patankar breaks it all down:
● Why cars like the Honda Jazz, Renault Duster, Jeep Compass, and Nissan Micra
struggled despite being capable.
● Whether today’s models like the Nissan Magnite, Honda Amaze, and Renault
Kiger are actually solid buys.
● How service networks, resale concerns, and lack of future launches affect your
buying decision in 2025.

If you’re considering a new car in India and worried about brand exits, this video will help you
separate fact from fear.

Jump to your preferred chapter:
00:00 - 1:54 - Introduction
1:54 - 3:02 - Trust Issues
3:02 - 5:37 - Trivia 1
5:37 - 6:20 - Citroen
6:20 - 6:28 - Trivia 2
6:28 - 7:22 - Jeep
7:22 - 8:50 - Renault
8:50 - 9:28 - New Renault Duster?
9:28 - 11:38 - Nissan
11:38 - 13:28 - Trivia 3
13:28 - 15:40 - Future plans
15:40 - 15:56 - Trivia 4
15:56 - 17:20 - Final Thoughts
17:20 - 24:26 - Your Questions Answered

If you found this video interesting, Watch our other episodes in the Which Car Should
I Buy Series:

Ep 1: WHY ARE SUVs SO POPULAR IN INDIA? | WHICH CAR SHOULD
SUV Mania in India | Which One Should You ...

Ep. 2: SPECIAL EDITIONS CARS & VARIANTS WORTH THE HYPE?
Should You Buy Special Edition Cars In 202...

Ep. 3: SAFETY RATINGS FOR CARS LIKE BNCAP AND THEIR IMPACT!
SAFETY RATINGS FOR CARS LIKE BNCAP AND THE...

Ep.4: ARE HATCHBACKS STILL WORTH BUYING IN INDIA?
Are Hatchbacks Still Worth Buying In 2026 ...

Ep.5: INDIA'S BEST KEPT SECRET CARS IN 2025
INDIA'S BEST KEPT SECRET CARS IN 2025 | WH...

Ep: 6: RARE EARTH MAGNETS SHORTAGE AND IMPACT ON INDIAN EV CAR INDUSTRY
RARE EARTH MAGNETS SHORTAGE AND IMPACT ON ...

Also watch our Renault Duster 2025 - ACKO Drive Exclusive Review: Renault Duster 2025 - ACKO Drive Exclusive...

One platform, all your car needs. Buy, sell, exchange, or service your car effortlessly with ACKO Drive, and get the best value every time. https://tinyurl.com/ps2zd7ua

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20 Comments

@ackodrive Creator 11 months ago Pinned

Buying, selling, exchanging, or servicing — whatever your car needs, ACKO Drive has you covered with unbeatable deals: https://tinyurl.com/ps2zd7ua

@IHE87 1 year ago

You forgot Mitsubishi ran without any announcement leaving behind lancer and pajero owners in limbo.

@ravikumardoraisamy6466 1 year ago

Peugeot is the first French car that came to India in 90s way before Renault & Citroën.

@mish6568 1 year ago

Nissan Magnite is so successful that they are being manufactured in India and even exported to South Africa, Australia and other countries from India.

@abhijitchatterjee7786 1 year ago

I have owned a Nissan Sunny for 9 years and had an amazing experience. It was super spacious, I used to car pool with my colleagues in Mumbai and they used to love the comfort. Anyone who saw the boot used to say "wow!". Even after 9 years it had no body vibration and no major technical issue. Upgraded to Honda elevate last year and loving it till now. I always prefer Japanese brands for the reliability they offer considering the Indian conditions

@debjitbhowmick-p6z 1 year ago

Renault DUSTER and BIGSTER can change the whole game in Indian market if they provide what customer really wants. They should really look into these two cars.

@mathotmijajo3981 9 months ago

I own Renault product now I'm planning again to go for new duster

@anoopkjaina 1 year ago

I own Nissan Magnite..pretty good product

@varunskumar9426 1 year ago

I was not a big fan of Hinda. But it was until we bought a 5th gen City. Now I totally love it. Superbly engineered

@MrDebranjandutta 1 year ago

I had a Fiat palio stile, and loved it. Had tears in my eyes when they towed her away cos no insurance company would insure her after 15 years. Went EV (Tata punch)as a replacement

@LDS-u4y 1 year ago

I own a Nissan Kicks. An excellent car with great driving dynamic, with not so many useless features.
Now waiting for RENAULT DUSTER (No, not NISSAN Variant)!

@EternalDharmarth 1 year ago

The problem with most of the brands like, Renault, Nissan is that with such limited portfolio general public thinks that the brand is planning to leave . So the sales number keeps dropping.... finally they had to leave..

@ChitlurNVishwanath-y8z 1 year ago

The big draw back for honda company to sell jazz was, released only 1 model without variants in 2009. The cost was about 8 lakhs
During that time other company cars were available from 3 to 5 lakhs. The software companies starting time and 8 lakhs was a big investment. Now people buy cars costing more than 25 to 40 lakhs..

@pratikindia27 1 year ago

I have Renault Duster AWD Diesel. Nothing comes closer in its affordable territory for that capability. Even new Duster can't.. without Diesel & AWD absence with Hybrid.. it's a beautiful car that I'm willing to hold on to!

@joshihemant2568 1 year ago (edited)

1) General Motors, collaborated with C.K. Birla group in Bharat, a 50:50 venture & braught Opel car, in Gujarat!!🎉
2) First French car manufacturer, was Puegot, who collaborated with PAL in Mumbai!! In 1980's!!
I liked the subject!! The company's you discussed are really Big players!!
New duster looks promising!! I understand, it has a four cylinder 1.6 litre hybrid Engine!! If they come with that engine, Renault scores, well with competition ( three cylinder 1.5/1.2 litre)!! Yes!! Looks interesting hybrid!!

@satyabratadhala4220 1 year ago (edited)

I recently purchased the 3rd-generation Honda Amaze in Pune. The car itself is excellent in terms of comfort, safety, and mileage in its segment. However, my experience with the dealership was quite disappointing. The staff seemed disinterested in selling the vehicle and lacked basic customer engagement. There were several issues: delays in vehicle delivery, poor communication after booking, and a general lack of responsiveness. Even reaching out to Honda’s customer care didn’t help—they showed little concern for resolving queries. What’s more concerning is that this doesn’t appear to be an isolated case, but rather a pattern across multiple Honda dealerships. Got to know from many of my friends. I believe it's time for Honda to seriously look into improving its dealership experience and customer support if it wants to retain loyal buyers

@lookwhoistalking2001 1 year ago

Own Nissan Micra, Fiat Punto Grande, Fiat Linea, Nissan Magnite, Citroen C3 Aircross. All good cars but problems with way the companies deal with customers

@SurendranNambiath 1 year ago

I purchased the Citroen Basalt Max AT for my wife on her birthday. Been driving it from April - yes, I do the bulk of the driving... It is such a refreshingly comfortable car - the 'Flying Carpet' ride is genuinely good! The 1.2 L Turbo Engine with 115 HP and 205 NM Torque is also very peppy and happy to be revved. It is an engine that has won several awards and is exported in Lakhs from India.
I recommend the Citroen Basalt to anyone who is not insistent on a Sunroof, high tech features (ADAS included), Stop-Start Button, Keyless Entry, Ventilated Seats - even Cruise Control. If you do not need any of these features, then it is difficult to find a better value for money Coupe SUV than the Citroen Basalt! I am having a great time with it, especially on the highways. In the city, a longish car is always a bit of a pain to drive and find a parking space for...