[iceman7]

While the Compass seems very likely to take the Crown this year, our voting statistics show something very interesting - 2 car manufacturers, who were till very recently struggling with Passenger Car Sales and with brand reputation issues, have taken a whopping 76% of the votes. This despite the fact that Maruti and Hyundai have a few contenders in the list.

Question for all - Do you think this reflects a slow change in the direction our car market is moving and our acceptability of products outside the comfort zone of Maruti, Hyundai, and Toyota?

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by iceman7

....Do you think this reflects a slow change in the direction our car market is moving and our acceptability of products outside the comfort zone of Maruti, Hyundai, and Toyota?

While one would hope this is true and we can finally have some international quality products for the inflated prices we pay, the sales charts tell a different story.

How a customer votes on a poll, and how he votes with his wallet are two entirely different things in India, and the majority still buys tried & tested.

Maruti won't care when the monthly sales ranking looks like a Maruti brochure. Hyundai stripped the i20 of several features and still manage to sell well, the i10 skips ABS on most variants. Toyota is sitting on a backlog of people willing to hand over ~25L for an Innova while tiny neighbor Sri Lanka is getting some world-class products.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by iceman7

Question for all - Do you think this reflects a slow change in the direction our car market is moving and our acceptability of products outside the comfort zone of Maruti, Hyundai, and Toyota?

Maruti, Hyundai, Toyota and Honda have never won the award in Team Bhp.

In general, we the enthusiasts think different as compared to the mass market.

[Varun_HexaGuy]

It's Compass for us BHPians all the way! Talks a lot about the vehicle. The runner-up is none other than the Hexa. It's a lot for the car and I'm personally happy for it. I don't care even if it sales around 1,000 pieces per month. Then, the second runner-up is again from the Tata and it's the Nexon and trust me Tata's really working hard and have almost got rid of their old image and are on a complete revamp and I wish them all the best and IMO the best is yet to come!

[ayankm]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

In general, we the enthusiasts think different as compared to the mass market.

I would disagree with that to some extent because there is a huge difference in our mindsets when we are buying a car vis-a-vis when we are voting.

Tata Hexa & Nexon have got around 700 votes together. However, will we able to find even half of that number in this forum who own any one of these cars?
We do recognize the fact Tata & Jeep are making far superior cars, but when the time comes to buy one we still will buy a Maruti or a Hyundai.

[RaghuVis]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Maruti, Hyundai, Toyota and Honda have never won the award in Team Bhp.

In general, we the enthusiasts think different as compared to the mass market.

I think times are changing. There is a definite change in perception in the past couple of years.

2016 COTY Tiago --Doing very good business.
2015 COTY Kwid --Biggest shaker in recent times and superhit
2014 COTY Zest -- An Exception
2013 COTY Ecosport --Doing very good business even after 5 years.
2012 COTY Duster --Introduced the SUV Craze and was a big hit
As you can see, in the last 5 years, Team-BHP COTY has failed to connect with masses only once.

Coming to Whether they were best-sellers in their segment:
1) Duster started a new segment so that's Strike 1.
2) Ecosport also started a new segment and was biggest seller for 3.5 years until Brezza came so that's Strike 2.
3) Kwid made a huge challenge to Alto so much so that it prompted MSIL chairman to applaud publicly that it was indeed a good strike. So that's Strike 3.
4) Agreed that Tiago although a blockbuster for TATA is not able to beat the numbers of Wagon R or Celerio, its segment rivals. But TATA has 550 dealerships to 1100 MSIL ones. so numerically its a Strike 4.
Again 4:1 Strike rate with respect to sales figures for our selection.

Every year, the gap between a successful car and a enthusiast's pick although huge is getting smaller. Change in perception is never immediate but gradual and a bit irritatingly slow. But we are definitely moving forward.

[srinath34]

Confused between the Hexa and Compass as one is people mover with a big butch look and the other is an American (half-Italian maybe) head turner with India friendly approach.

Finally decided to vote for the Compass as this is a car that will for sure revive the FCA presence in India after dismal performances from the group after the Palio season.

Its mini-Cherokee looks also attracts the ABCDs (American Born Confused Desi) of the country who look for some firangi tadka

[46TheDoctor]

The cars that i found to be top contenders in my mind:

Volvo XC60: Offers phenomenal levels of quality making it something that i might buy in the near future; but, being from the luxury segment there is very little Value For Money proposition just like other cars from the segment. So, doesnt get my vote for Car Of The Year.

Jeep Compass: Great car with great looks and specs but still we can not call it an alternative for German Trio primarily because of lack of important features like 4x4 AT in diesel and some desirable features like panaromic sunroof. So, doesnt get my vote till these options are available.

Tata Hexa: Very good car which has all the important bases covered and has options like diesel AT, safety package and can truly serve as an functional and on some parameters, even much better alternative for Innova, as well as 2wd SUVs in the 20-40 lakh price bracket if you discount the Brand Value. So, my vote goes to Hexa XTA which provides really good Value For Money mobility solution for Rs 20 Lakhs (as i belong to a class who is only quality conscious and not much brand conscious).

[balajisv]

Originally Posted by ayankm

I would disagree with that to some extent because there is a huge difference in our mindsets when we are buying a car vis-a-vis when we are voting.



Tata Hexa & Nexon have got around 700 votes together. However, will we able to find even half of that number in this forum who own any one of these cars?

We do recognize the fact Tata & Jeep are making far superior cars, but when the time comes to buy one we still will buy a Maruti or a Hyundai.

Harsh reality about our people Car buying habits!

But, I am currently running around across different Tata showrooms since 2 weeks. I am looking for a Zest diesel AMT.
Believe me, there are lots of enquirers coming in and yes, it is for Tiago and Nexon.
Tiago has hit it out of the park for Tata! If you see, for December, while Hyundai and Maruti are offering huge discounts on Grand i10 and Celerio respectively, Tata is confidently maintaining just Insurance at 1 rupee Offer for Tiago!

[romeomidhun]

Verna bags ICOTY 2018 award. And here it trails at 5th place! Clearly shows the differences in preferences.

Enthusiasts in this forum voting Compass as the car of the year.
Journalists select Verna as the ICOTY.
Common people buy 25K DZires every month...

[Nav-i-gator]

Originally Posted by romeomidhun

Verna bags ICOTY 2018 award. And here it trails at 5th place! Clearly shows the differences in preferences.

Enthusiasts in this forum voting Compass as the car of the year.
Journalists select Verna as the ICOTY.
Common people buy 25K DZires every month...

Very true.

That's why I voted for Hexa and not for Compass. Although probably the best car (on a no of parameters), if I have 16 Lakhs and am hunting for a car, Hexa scores over Compass. It's bigger, more spacious, have decently good engine, good AT, have relatively better after sales network (at least in coverage).

Compass makes sense if I have a luxury car and a beater city car already with me (and of course loads of money to buy a 3rd lifestyle vehicle too). Compass is a luxurious Thar (in sense of usage/desirability).

P.S. (and ): @GTO, please don't mention your COTY choice (at least not on the first page itself). your choice of car influences a no of voters here (people select and reject cars they are buying basis your advise, this is just a vote!)

[Sebring]

You took the words out of my mouth. That's my appeal to GTO as well. He can vote last, but not sure if it will have the same traction. Anyways, left to him.

I used to think Dzire was toast after Brezza was launched, but 25K units a month is spectacular performance, even by global standards.

Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator

@GTO, please don't mention your COTY choice (at least not on the first page itself).

[Kratos453]

Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator

P.S. (and ): @GTO, please don't mention your COTY choice (at least not on the first page itself). your choice of car influences a no of voters here (people select and reject cars they are buying basis your advise, this is just a vote!)

I voted for Jeep Compass because I felt it is a better car and deserved to be the car of year. GTO has voted Jeep because he felt it is a better car and deserves to be car of the year. And I would have still voted for Jeep Compass even if GTO had not voted. Buying is one thing, voting is another thing. Personally, I feel GTO should be given his choice and freedom to vote at any time.

[romeomidhun]

There always will be a tendency to go with the wind. So, my suggestion is to make the results hidden till the final winner is announced. Then we can see better equilibrium between the votes for the cars.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by romeomidhun

Verna bags ICOTY 2018 award. And here it trails at 5th place!

Seen the amount of money they pumped in recently? Hint: See the sheer number of travelogues and other sponsored content around the Verna, months within the launch.

Anyways, its a good allrounder no doubt.

Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator

P.S. (and ): @GTO, please don't mention your COTY choice (at least not on the first page itself). your choice of car influences a no of voters here (people select and reject cars they are buying basis your advise, this is just a vote!)

He voted on the second page. I'm not sure how many would have scrolled all the way down to second page before voting. Atleast i realized it only later as I clicked my vote shortly after seeing through the options on the first page.

Originally Posted by romeomidhun

There always will be a tendency to go with the wind. So, my suggestion is to make the results hidden till the final winner is announced.

And that leaves room for suspicion whether the results are actually true and unbiased. No such issues here as votes and member names are always clearly seen.