[saviouravenger]

Awesome review for this vehicle.

Went on a trip to Bhutan from Visakhapatnam in June 2013 in a 2012 Aria. Amazing experience. Excellent blacktop highway all the way till Kharagpur. Decided not to go anywhere close to Kolkata for fear of daytime traffic & instead took the route to Farakka via Bankura & Raniganj - big mistake as terrible roads all the way till Siliguri. They were genuine lunar craters instead of roads. Add to this some challenging road conditions in Bhutan. But this vehicle was amazing. No matter the road condition or the steep gradient inclines in the hills of Bhutan, it took 5 of us with luggage in comfort all the way there and back. Excellent fuel economy, perfect highway manners, amazing ground clearance and exemplary performance over broken roads, well appointed & comfortable interiors. Left us wondering why it was not outselling the Innova.

A no brainer purchase for most people in this segment.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by saviouravenger

Awesome review for this vehicle.

Went on a trip to Bhutan from Visakhapatnam in June 2013 in a 2012 Aria. Amazing experience....No matter the road condition or the steep gradient inclines in the hills of Bhutan, it took 5 of us with luggage in comfort all the way there and back. Excellent fuel economy, perfect highway manners, amazing ground clearance and exemplary performance over broken roads, well appointed & comfortable interiors. Left us wondering why it was not outselling the Innova.

A no brainer purchase for most people in this segment.

You need to give us a good travelogue and pictures with the details of the drive!

[damodar]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

3) The base variant of Aria (Pure LX) retails at 10.13 Lacs whereas the base variant of XUV (W4) retails at 10.61 Lacs. But for INR 48000 more, you get a 6 speed transmission, dual Airbags, ABS with EBD, projector headlights, etc.

The base pure LX retails for less than 10 lacs throughout India please check the Aria website. Projector headlamps are available on this variant.This variant has reclining and sliding middle row seat which W4 Xuv 500 lacks.

4) The middle variant of the XUV (W6) is cheaper than the Aria's middle variant (Pleasure) by INR 63000 and still the XUV gets more features like ABS with EBD, static bending headlamps, reverse sensors, automatic headlights and wipers, Automatic HVAC, cruise control, etc.

The middle version xuv W6 retails for 11.91 lac ex showroom Delhi cheaper than Aria pleasure by 15000 rupees.This variant of Aria has ABS EBD and rear parking sensors as standard.

5) When we compare the top end variants, both cars are almost neck to neck. Where the Aria has an advantage of giving a premium Harmon Kardon music system, the XUV offers Hill hold and Hill descent control and cornering lights. But point to consider is that the top end variant of XUV (W8 4x4) is cheaper than the Aria Pride 4x4 by INR 91000. What's more, XUV gives the option of the W8 4x2 which is cheaper than the Aria by INR 195000.

Xuv (W8 4x4) costs less by only 30000 rs but lacks reverse camera. The W8 4x2 variant is cheaper by 1.3 lacs not 1.95 lacs.

In addtion the new 2014 Aria come with a 150 bhp engine with a wider torque curve.Also 100000 km 3 year warranty is standard.

Note from Mod : Please do not quote and respond with bold inlines. It is astheticaly not easily readable. Please avoid in future. Thanks

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by damodar

The base pure LX retails for less than 10 lacs throughout India please check the Aria website. Projector headlamps are available on this variant.This variant has reclining and sliding middle row seat which W4 Xuv 500 lacks.

I have taken the prices from the website of TATA. I cant really understand that if a vehicle's ex-showroom price is INR 10.13 Las, how can the on-road price be less than 10 Lacs? Are you taking about the massive discounts?

I have taken the prices from -

http://www.tataaria.com/4x2-price

If sliding middle row is more important than dual airbags, ABS and EBD, then Aria is the default choice! I would say - XUV has an umbrella holder!

The middle version xuv W6 retails for 11.91 lac ex showroom Delhi cheaper than Aria pleasure by 15000 rupees.

I live in Mumbai. And I have clearly stated in my post that all prices are ex-showroom MUMBAI!

Xuv (W8 4x4) costs less by only 30000 rs but lacks reverse camera. The W8 4x2 variant is cheaper by 1.3 lacs not 1.95 lacs.

Reverse camera is an optional extra for a measly Rs. 4500/-. About the price, my answer remains the same as above.

In addtion the new 2014 Aria come with a 150 bhp engine with a wider torque curve.Also 100000 km 3 year warranty is standard.

More importantly, XUV has more torque than the Aria. A 10 bhp advantage in horsepower wont really matter since the Aria is much more heavier.

Also, even XUV has a 3 year standard warranty since day one.

Regards.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

I have taken the prices from the website of TATA. I cant really understand that if a vehicle's ex-showroom price is INR 10.13 Las, how can the on-road price be less than 10 Lacs? Are you taking about the massive discounts?

I have taken the prices from -

http://www.tataaria.com/4x2-price

If sliding middle row is more important than dual airbags, ABS and EBD, then Aria is the default choice! I would say - XUV has an umbrella holder!



I live in Mumbai. And I have clearly stated in my post that all prices are ex-showroom MUMBAI!

Reverse camera is an optional extra for a measly Rs. 4500/-. About the price, my answer remains the same as above.


More importantly, XUV has more torque than the Aria. A 10 bhp advantage in horsepower wont really matter since the Aria is much more heavier.

Also, even XUV has a 3 year standard warranty since day one.

Regards.

I certainly agree with your view more than that of @damodar. Considering the points being used for comparison, XUV certainly makes the better proposition no doubt. On a different note though, I think these two aren't directly comparable vehicles per say.

The XUV is a monocoque softroader SUV with well packaged & compact dimensions. A monocoque with car-like suspension setup inherently reduces costs which get passed on to the customer as a low price product & this is where M&M certainly hit the bull's eye with the XUV.

Aria on the other hand is an XL sized body-on frame vehicle. The body-on frame setup, overall space inside (micro kichenette size boot remains even with all 3 rows in use), driving dynamics put it in a different category altogether. Its better compared with the likes of the Innova rather than the XUV. And from this point of view, the Aria suddenly makes a good picture financially & technologically too.

Still, I'll still say its overpriced & Tata lost the plot in identifying the target audience for it at the very launch. Once the pricing goes wrong & you are sitting with customers who paid 17 lakhs for a car, there is no turning back & the game is over.

They made it a premium vehicle loaded with gizmos & priced it on par (& even over) with the innova. How many customers would pick an Innova over an XUV for personal use today? Very few I think. So - the competition ended up being with XUV & similar vehicles. With its specifications & dimensions, the XUV hits a sweet spot for the urban customer.

Then to price it down TML had to show that they were also removing features from the ARIA. (Otherwise existing Pride 4x4 customers would stop buying even Tata Salt.) That resulted in an XL, powerful & versatile PEOPLE MOVER priced slightly higher than XUV, but with practically NO gizmos on the electronic or safety side to show off. Game over really. Would a customer buy a claimed "premium" vehicle which doesnt even have ABS / good music system just because it can fit 5 large suitcases? No.

They should've let the ARIA be in it's own league & used a refreshed Safari to take on other "normal" SUVs. And Deja Vu!! The Safari has dual wishbone suspension as the only plus point to show against an endless list of features of others - on paper. Both Safari & ARIA are excellent off road performers with exceptionally tough platform. But did they want to sell 10 off roaders or a million visibly premium cars I don't know. And probably they didn't either...

[damodar]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

I have taken the prices from the website of TATA. I cant really understand that if a vehicle's ex-showroom price is INR 10.13 Las, how can the on-road price be less than 10 Lacs? Are you taking about the massive discounts?

I have taken the prices from -

http://www.tataaria.com/4x2-price

If sliding middle row is more important than dual airbags, ABS and EBD, then Aria is the default choice! I would say - XUV has an umbrella holder!



I live in Mumbai. And I have clearly stated in my post that all prices are ex-showroom MUMBAI!

Reverse camera is an optional extra for a measly Rs. 4500/-. About the price, my answer remains the same as above.


More importantly, XUV has more torque than the Aria. A 10 bhp advantage in horsepower wont really matter since the Aria is much more heavier.

.

Where did i say on-road price of less than 10 Lacs? My qoute was "The base pure LX retails for less than 10 lacs throughout India please check the Aria website".I too looked at ex showroom Delhi,Chennai,Bangalore prices from the respective websites before qouting them.

Xuv develops 330 Nm @1600-2800rpm and ARIA 320 Nm @1500-3000rpm so a test drive of the 2014 model ARIA will reveal improvements if any in driveability.

Sliding and reclining middle row seat is available in all variants of the ARIA like in Innova rather than than XUV. For carrying 7 people with luggage it's ARIA vs Innova please go through the autocarindia`s long term report to see what i am hinting at http://www.autocarindia.com/auto-rev...t-301138.aspx.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Still, I'll still say its overpriced & Tata lost the plot in identifying the target audience for it at the very launch. Once the pricing goes wrong & you are sitting with customers who paid 17 lakhs for a car, there is no turning back & the game is over.

+100 to whatever you have said.

This is exactly what I meant and you have summed it up really well.

Originally Posted by damodar

I too looked at ex showroom Delhi,Chennai,Bangalore prices from the respective websites before qouting them.

Sure sir, but since I live in Mumbai, I checked Mumbai prices. And that is what my observations were based on. And that is why I mentioned that in my post very specifically, since I cannot compare prices of every city in India.

Xuv develops 330 Nm @1600-2800rpm and ARIA 320 Nm @1500-3000rpm so a test drive of the 2014 model ARIA will reveal improvements if any in driveability.

Oh, I would love to drive the new Aria. But I did not raise any questions about the Aria's driving experience in the first place! All I talked about was features and relative pricing.

Sliding and reclining middle row seat is available in all variants of the ARIA like in Innova rather than than XUV.

+10 to that.

[rrsteer]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

They should've let the ARIA be in it's own league & used a refreshed Safari to take on other "normal" SUVs. And Deja Vu!! The Safari has dual wishbone suspension as the only plus point to show against an endless list of features of others - on paper. Both Safari & ARIA are excellent off road performers with exceptionally tough platform. But did they want to sell 10 off roaders or a million visibly premium cars I don't know. And probably they didn't either...

Nice point of view and it indeed makes sense. My view from 100kms above is that Tata Motors should withdraw the Safari and Aria from the market. This is in no way a statement against the capability of these vehicles. But it is a reality that these vehicles are laggards, and Aria especially is a resounding flop. These brands, tend to weigh down on how Tata Motors is perceived by customers. (atleast thats my opinion and I admittedly have a soft corner for Tata Motor)

Instead, Tata should come out with a SUV based on Aria mechanicals, pump it up with features, bestow it with a premium image and position it in the 12l to 18l price band. Basically a competent alternative to Fortuner at a fraction of it's price. And this price band has a dearth of SUVs.

Safari has huge brand appeal. But its like Sushmita Sen - who is found as attractive by everyone, and indeed she is and has a lot of substance, - but sadly not many bought tickets for her movies. In my opinion the Safari brand should be laid to rest and should be replaced by a product which is on the same lines as Duster, but maybe more purposeful and cheaper.

[lifebuoy]

Originally Posted by rrsteer

But it is a reality that these vehicles are laggards, and Aria especially is a resounding flop. These brands, tend to weigh down on how Tata Motors is perceived by customers.

Instead, Tata should come out with a SUV based on Aria mechanicals, pump it up with features, bestow it with a premium image and position it in the 12l to 18l price band. Basically a competent alternative to Fortuner at a fraction of it's price. And this price band has a dearth of SUVs.

Safari has huge brand appeal. But its like Sushmita Sen - who is found as attractive by everyone, and indeed she is and has a lot of substance, - but sadly not many bought tickets for her movies. In my opinion the Safari brand should be laid to rest and should be replaced by a product which is on the same lines as Duster, but maybe more purposeful and cheaper.

As friend Reinhard has put it, it was the pricing that has resulted in the ARIA not registering on the sales charts. In my opinion, the ARIA has plain Jane looks, does not "look" an SUV, which lost its appeal to the urban junta who latched on to the likes of the XUV and the Duster, which are "me too SUVs". Ask the off roader, the taxi guy, the forest officer, the armed forces chap (not the show off kinds), they will reimburse the ladder frame chassis benefits on our poor road conditions aplenty. Reliability and robustness come by design, not by puffed up exteriors and fancy gizmos. A good example is the Land rover family - plain staid boxy looks, yet with robust underpinnings. Consider the M&M Scorpio, Xylo, Bolero, Quanto ... they all fall in the same league of the Safari, the Storme, Sumo & Grande.

The recent thread about the Duster's wheel running off will endorse what I mean - robustness and fail safe by design, not as an added feature or strengthened later on.

Last but not the least, if the Safari is like Sushmita Sen, then the XUV / Duster is like Sunny Leone - lots of oomph and appeal, but thats where the story ends. (and that's what keeps the movie tickets selling !)

[a4anurag]

Tata Aria Crossover's Price Dropped to Rs 8.95 Lakh

It was in April, 2014 when the company had reduced the price by around Rs 1 lakh, though it didn't help. With now the starting price for the Tata Aria being at Rs 8.95 lakh, it is definitely a lucrative deal.

Since the car had received a mid-life facelift earlier this year, this time it's just the price cut. It continues to feature the 2.2-litre, four-cylinder, VariCor, turbo diesel engine that is capable of churning out a maximum power of 148bhp and 320Nm of torque. This engine is claimed to return a mileage of 15.05Km/l.

SOURCE: http://auto.ndtv.com/news/id-673165

Anurag.

[narayans80]

So this 1 lakh discount is only on the Pure LX variant or all variants?

[m_upreti]

Originally Posted by lifebuoy

As friend Reinhard has put it, it was the pricing that has resulted in the ARIA not registering on the sales charts. In my opinion, the ARIA has plain Jane looks, does not "look" an SUV, which lost its appeal to the urban junta who latched on to the likes of the XUV and the Duster, which are "me too SUVs". Ask the off roader, the taxi guy, the forest officer, the armed forces chap (not the show off kinds), they will reimburse the ladder frame chassis benefits on our poor road conditions aplenty. Reliability and robustness come by design, not by puffed up exteriors and fancy gizmos. A good example is the Land rover family - plain staid boxy looks, yet with robust underpinnings. Consider the M&M Scorpio, Xylo, Bolero, Quanto ... they all fall in the same league of the Safari, the Storme, Sumo & Grande.

In my view the Aria is a confused design, with looks of a MUV and power like a SUV. Tata failed to make it a complete crossover which it was intended to be and coupled with the steep launch price it just got lost in the dust created by the likes of XUV, Duster, Terrano, Duster etc.

[GrammarNazi]

I too was wondering why it isn't doing well and a peek into the query thread of fellow member PrideRed in the "What Car" section will explain, to a large extent, the problem why people hesitate choosing the Aria (even if they appreciate the power/torque, warranty or even AMC).

Its mainly :
1) Resale,
2) Long term reliability,
3) Fit and finish.

Among these, IMO resale isn't very challenging, because competing products like Innova are ending their Product Life Cycle and their resale isn't going to be attractive at all after 4-5 years (since by then there'll be better options whereby it'll be considered terribly underpowered & inefficient). Yet, they could very well formulate an offer like they did last year for the Manza, where they offered 60% resale value after 3(?) years.

The reason 'Reliability' is an important factor is because post sales hassles are seriously un-acceptable anymore, so much so that people are ready to compromise on high power/torque and even Fuel Economy for that aspect. To the current 3yr warranty, IMO an additional 2/3 year extended warranty and default free 5 Year Platinum AMC would do really well in inspiring customer confidence.

(IMO the 1 Lakh discount seriously wasn't as necessary as addressing the above two aspects.)

"Fit & Finish" : Apparently its improved, but not many people have put up reviews confirming the same! People are more likely to come online when they have complaints, so its not at all like numerous ownership reviews are buzzing with people praising the car. Maybe, atleast as a start, TATA Motors should incentivise ownership reviews and travelogues.

Instead of extending the warranty to 3+2yrs and having "Assured resale value" offers like they did for Manza last year, by cutting down the vehicle price they are just (with all due respect) acquiring lower end customers (IMO very many of whom would barely be able to afford running & repairing the vehicle, leave alone being interested in taking up the hassle of legally pursuing them against possible deficiency in services).

This company needs an MD to take a call on addressing such concerns.

[tifosikrishna]

Originally Posted by narayans80

So this 1 lakh discount is only on the Pure LX variant or all variants?

Received quote from Concorde Chennai for the Pleasure variant, they have given a 1 lakh discount without even bargaining. OTR comes to ~13.72L (includes AMC, extended warranty). Looks like another 30k if pushed hard.

[atul.sxna]

BREAKING :: Team-BHP reports that Tata Motors has further reduced Aria's prices making it a "hard-to-ignore" vehicle.

http://www.team-bhp.com/news/tata-ar...kh-thats-cheap

It will be interesting to see how many people go for it now and whether TATA MOTORS can market the vehicle effectively to fully utilize the Diwali season.