The FOE Survey clearly indicates that recession hasn’t got much to do with the declining sales of vehicles belonging in this segment, as buyers are looking for reliability and after-sales service more than anything. But could it mean that automobile manufacturers are going to focus on these things from now on to get their sales up again, probably not! Other important factors include the easy availability of spare parts, brand loyalty, product quality, low CPK, longevity of a product, performance, value for money, dealer network and the driver’s comfort.