[TROOPER]

We are a day away from ringing in 2020.

Electric cars and connected tech have taken over the auto industry with a storm in the last couple years of this decade. And I feel the next decade could be the final one where we get to enjoy our ICEs to their fullest. If not so, it would definitely be a transitional one.

For this decade gone by, we've had some interesting and memorable developments. Kia and MG bringing in feature loaded cars, Tata's resurgence w.r.t. to design and attention to safety. Maruti still wearing the crown as King of the Indian market, Mahindra starting the decade with a bang with the XUV 500, Hyundai breaking into the premium club, Renault making efforts with the Kwid and Triber. SUVs storming the world market. Tesla ushering in the electric era and giving the European giants a run for their money and so on.

But the recent comments by Honda CEO Takahiro Hachigo on electric cars and Mitsubishi's pre BS6 cameo also made me and wonder about all the automobile goof ups of the decade and how auto manufactures at times take their customers for granted.


Would like all Bhpians to add what they consider the flash of genius or colossal goof up moments by the auto industry be it with respect to tech, innovation, product placement or marketing for the decade gone by.


Here's my short but critical take on automobile players in India as to where they stand at the end of this decade.

Maruti: Customers need safe cars?

Tata: Do customers need an AT & features?

Hyundai: AT owners need those extra airbags?

Kia (grinning at Tata & Hyundai): Yes

Toyota: Why would Indians want anything other than the Innova and Fortuner?

Skoda: After sales and service? What's that?

Volkswagen: Skoda, can you please take over?

Nissan: What are we even doing over here?

Mahindra: Ford, marry me.

Ford: Fine. But I won't take care of your cheetahs and sharks!

MG (with a Benedict Cumberbatch mask on): Oh! There was internet in India before we arrived? (Still thinks there’s no Google/Wikipedia)

Honda CEO: Are there really customers who want fully-electric vehicles?

Mitsubishi (last minute cameo): Dear Mr.Gadkari, can you please extend the BS6 deadline?

[libranof1987]

This thread has been discussing the same, may not necessarily be within this decade.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4721793 (Which manufacturers made you happy...and which disappointed you?)

[Shreyans_Jain]

Two genius moments of this decade by Maruti Suzuki, one by Mahindra.

1. When Maruti Suzuki passed off its trick alternator as hybrid tech. Suddenly, SHVS became the word of the day. I’ve heard women who otherwise have zero interest in all things automotive point to the Ciaz and say the car is hybrid. That’s marketing! Such was the deception that even rival companies and auto journalists didn’t rip MSIL apart for misleading the nation. They fooled the public, they fooled the government, enjoyed subsides and laughed their way to the bank.

2. When they launched AMT tech. Let’s face it, automated manuals suck. They are jerky, they are prone to judder, they are particularly dumb and are for a good reason limited to commercial and mining vehicles the world over. Maruti Suzuki didn’t have any good automatic transmission in its kitty, only their decades old 4speed torque converter. Enter Celerio with AMT. Had this tech been launched by any other manufacturer except MSIL, it would have died on day 1 and we would have never heard of it again. Again, blind trust on Maruti made this successful and suddenly, everyone wanted a piece of this new Maruti automatic.

3. The government in its infinite wisdom suddenly decided that all vehicles whose ground clearance is above 170mm will be classified as SUVs and will be taxed higher. Mahindra’s entire portfolio was affected. Solution? A eureka moment by a designer who mounted a tiny little contraption under the differential, thus bringing the official GC down from 210mm to 165mm!! Indian ingenuity at its absolute best, a 10 rupee solution to the problem! This harebrained regulation meant that cars like Honda Civic were being categorized as SUVs while the likes of Scorpio and XUV weren’t. Mahindra deployed this across their portfolio and remained unaffected.

[TROOPER]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

This thread has been discussing the same, may not necessarily be within this decade.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4721793 (Which manufacturers made you happy...and which disappointed you?)

I am aware of that thread. I feel it's more of a personal take. Also my "short but critical take" part looks similar, wrote it on a lighter note. Would request Bhpians to consider it limited to my post.

I started this thread for Bhpians to pin point actions of manufacturers that brought change for good or worse for the industry, themselves or the customers.

Request Mods to take appropriate action.

[anjan_c2007]

My take on some automobile companies :-
Maruti : You crowded the B segment with multiple launches. You must now crowd the mini SUV segment because that's where the action is. Shameful to say that you scored ZERO stars at the earliest NCAP crash tests. Crores of Indians use your cars and a ZERO makes these crores of passengers unsafe. Maybe you are adding stars due to mandatory compulsions, but what about the millions of cars sold ?

Hyundai : You retain the # 2 slot in the car segment. The Creta and now the Venue are great hits. Santro relaunched has a mixed reaction from the market. i Series 10 Grand, 20 and all these are well taken by the market. But your great lag behind Maruti needs to be narrowed by capturing at least 30 % of the market.

Mahindra: No matter what you say or what you do, the Bolero and the Scorpio continue to be your bread and butter. Others come and go or stay or just at the bottom.

Tata: Despite a portfolio revamp and disappearance of the older models, buyers still take time to get cosy with your newer launches. Need a marketing and work culture revamp now perhaps !

Toyota: You are doing great with the Innova and the Fortuner. Shows your lacklustre interest in the sedan/ hatch segment. Piggyriding on the Maruti Baleno was not a great move.

Ford: Fog over the horizon and Mahindra tries to lead and escort you to a sunny place. Hopefully, the Mahindra's 2019 Escort service will work better than their Escort service of 1996 !

Renault: Mixes of successes and failures alike. With the Scala/ Pulse out sight for a new buyer, but not officially shelved, you have officially shelved the Lodgy ! It was a very comfortable MPV, but was not selling. Do not depend much upon the success of the dated Duster and the Kwid. Constant upgrades are needed to survive.

Skoda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Datsun, Volkswagen and other smaller players: Enough of the single (Mitsubishi), two and three digit sales every month. Get into the four and five figure sales clubs to stay ensconsed for a longer term.

Fiat: The Punto and the Linea have lately become obscure for the buyers. Good cars they are ,but show lack of marketing skills, lack of good dealer initiative for after sales and so on. Overdependence on brand JEEP now for survival is the motto of Fiat India. Hopefully you will also work out a new strategy and market Fiat cars. Maybe a new retro Fiat 1100 D will beat the JEEP saleswise ! It's high tiime that a retro Fiat 1100 D is launched at a fair price.

MG and Kia : Late comers you are ! But like many blockbuster pop hits going straight to the Top Five or the # 1 in the Billboard charts, people know that you have arrived with a BANG ! Kia, you appear to be a long distance runner. MG , you must get your act right and not deride the hapless customer for whatever reason, even maybe he shows up with an ass !

[nikhilthegunner]

Jeep and FCA
Jeep: I’m gonna introduce a much better version of the Compass and give it an auto. People are gonna love this!
FCA: Great, price it close to a fortuner. Daddy wants to see da money.

BMW: We’ve decided to venture into barbecue grills and have come up with the worlds best marketing scheme, give a car free with it!

Fiat: I’ll introduce the Linea and Punto here, let’s see how we do.
Also Fiat: Meh, I’ll just wind up. No need of making cars anymore. I’ll just ask MSIL to give me money for my engines, that’ll do for me.

Maruti: Here’s an all new 1.5 litre Diesel engine. We’re quite proud of the way this thing performs. Also next year, no diesels for you!

[ani_meher]

Honda:

Here’s the best combination of CVT and diesel, only one in the whole world. BUT, we will provide it only on our cheapest car (Amaze). If we provide it on costlier cars and that increases the sales, we would lose the exclusivity.

Derivatives of same car: Jazz Auto/ WRV with Sunroof. You want Jazz auto with sunroof or WRV with Auto box? No soup for you!

You crib that magic seats of Jazz are not available in automatic one. Well, you just made us remove it even from manual version. Happy now?

Only tiny people allowed in backseat, no adjustable headrests will be provided under any circumstance for sub 4m cars.

Hyundai - mix and match champ

Only Diesel automatic Creta will have 60:40 split rear seats. No other version.

Automatics shall not have 6 airbags at all.

Maruti

By mistake we created one quality car, S cross, but we will forever keep it away from diesel automatic box, when all others, from Ignis to Brezza or Ciao will get automatic in both petrol or diesel.

If your family has 7 people, you do not deserve to get cruise control/ LED headlamps / SUV styling. Buy our taxi version Ertiga.

All manufacturers except Toyota:

Sadly our airbag manufacturer can fit airbags only with useless functions like sunroof. Pay up or shut up!

Toyota after recent flop

Let me join the club guys! I too will remove the airbags from lower version. While we are at it, we will act as a Maruti Baleno reseller too.

Also, soon launching ‘Innova fund’, where your investment will grow along with Innova price at a far greater pace than any other investment.

Ford

Here’s a drastic idea for improving an existing car model. We will remove features one by one! Gone are lumbar adjustment, flat folding seat, under seat storage, cruise control, sync3 unit, leather seats! Soon we will remove engine and steering wheel too.

[Lalvaz]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

3. The government in its infinite wisdom suddenly decided that all vehicles whose ground clearance is above 170mm will be classified as SUVs and will be taxed higher. Mahindra’s entire portfolio was affected. Solution? A eureka moment by a designer who mounted a tiny little contraption under the differential, thus bringing the official GC down from 210mm to 165mm!! Indian ingenuity at its absolute best, a 10 rupee solution to the problem! This harebrained regulation meant that cars like Honda Civic were being categorized as SUVs while the likes of Scorpio and XUV weren’t. Mahindra deployed this across their portfolio and remained unaffected.

Are you certain that the Honda Civic is classified as a SUV? I find it incredibly hard to believe this.

[Aditya_Bhp]

Originally Posted by Lalvaz

Are you certain that the Honda Civic is classified as a SUV? I find it incredibly hard to believe this.

No, Civic wasn't an SUV, the SX4 and Corolla were SUVs as per the guidelines but the XUV500 wasn't one.

[2000rpm]

The goof-up of the decade for me was the attitude of the Maruti Top Brass. Their statements were far from what the market leader needs to showcase.

I can see Maruti going down-hill in this decade and expect Hyundai Kia to emerge as the market leader.

[TROOPER]

Originally Posted by ani_meher

Ford
Here’s a drastic idea for improving an existing car model. We will remove features one by one! Gone are lumbar adjustment, flat folding seat, under seat storage, cruise control, sync3 unit, leather seats! Soon we will remove engine and steering wheel too.

Tata pips Ford in this aspect. Deleting features left, right and centre on every model. One of the best goof ups wrt features by any manufacturer, I reckon. They under equip the Harrier. So to make the Harrier look premium, they swing an axe at the Hexa's knees. Case in point, those dual tone options on the Hexa. End of the day, all they have are 2 products on limp mode on the sales charts.

The Harrier could have been the car of the decade in this segment, but I guess Creta/Xuv 500 take the cake.

Hyundai too needs to take a leaf out of Kia's book. And offer their ATs fully kitted.

[srini1785]

I don't know about Genius moments but the biggest Goof up moment is this :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvOFjx8HkbU

Love'em ,hate'em but they don't disappoint.

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

My take on some automobile companies :-

My take continues:-
Some hi-profile misses

Honda :- Your market share is only between 2.5 to 3 % by volume. Pity you, because there was nothing Honda in the Top Twenty best sellers list during November 2019. Pity the City as it only sells about 1500-2000 units/ month these days ! Your YoY downturn was to the extent of 50% as compared to last November (2018).

Once a lesser mortal like Renault can have it's Kwid and Triber in the November 2019 Top 20, but a great surprise "why not Honda?". Amaze shines for you and sells 3000 plus units, but cannot reach the Top 20, as the stakes are higher and the Jazz and BRV, CRV and WRV ain't going nowhere !

Could you not devise a last letter for your model names to emerge lucky like Mahindra has done with the letter "O" for the company to "Jeeto" over competitors ?

Your two wheeler arm HSMI seems to be on the top of the list. But the four wheeler arm needs to get some booster management level doses to move up !

Mercedes Benz, BMW/ Mini, Audi, Jaguar/ Land Rover, Volvo, Maserati, Rolls Royce :- Never mind how many you sell every month or every year. May be in one, two, three and for some with four figures of monthly sales. But the greatest thrills from sales should come to you only while watching any big Bollywood gathering, be it for pleasure, parties, awards and so on or even for sorrowful events. Before the designated commencement time, every few seconds, a lesser or a bigger star arrives in one of your cars and these get parked by the dozens, scores and hundreds later. So who says your cars are not selling ?

(Ferrari and Lamborghini excluded as it's very rare that someone would arrive in one for a big get-together ! )

[manjunathkl]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

Fiat:

..... Maybe a new retro Fiat 1100 D will beat the JEEP saleswise ! It's high tiime that a retro Fiat 1100 D is launched at a fair price.

This was my first thought when they released Fiat500 retro car in India. It made no sense, people have no connection with it. Fiat as a brand was imprinted by Fiat 1100 (premier padmini) only. If they wanted retro, should've been 1100 retro.

To their credit Punto, Linea were great cars at the time of launch, what failed them apart from badASS was the fact the Fiat's reluctance to modify the cars after listening to the feedback from Indian consumers. Indian consumers love light steering (EPS), short turning radius and few other easy modifications. Also, a niggle-free car. One cannot be in a mass-market segment and cater only to enthusiasts. That is a blunder and Fiat learnt it the hard way.

[voldemort]

Honda: Goofed up big time by launching a 35+ Lakh CR-V with a 1.6 liter 118 bhp motor

Pretty sure things might have been different if it had at least 160 bhp.