[pkk077]

Originally Posted by SmartCat

Look at the sales consistency (4 digits every single month) of each model - enough to give Tata Motors a place in the podium (3rd place after Maruti & Hyundai)

Possibly this is also because of the renewed focus on safety aspect of the cars. Hope TATA continues to build 5* rated cars while maintaining its podium place. That will surely make other manufacturers bring their focus back to safety from gizmos. Win win for customers.

[volkman10]

Retail numbers in January: Maruti, Hyundai log in higher retail numbers.

Registrations of vehicles made by both automakers were higher amid sustained demand, especially from rural markets

Maruti and Hyundai, which together account for more than 70% of the passenger vehicle market, have been helped also by a low inventory build-up in the industry, as both were able to tackle supply issues better than most others

Mahindra & Mahindra has reportedly raked in low retail numbers.

Link

[batladanny]

Originally Posted by GTO

There is a saying in the auto industry "there is no problem that a really good car cannot solve". So true. Just look at the Nissan Magnite and what it did for a brand that has been lying in coma in the ICU for 5 years.

And 4 good cars sure seem to have solved Tata Motors' problems, with another competent one (Safari) or two (Hornbill) on the way.

I would modify that a bit by saying that "there is no problem that a good aspirational car cannot solve"

Being stylish, feature-loaded and in line with the trends (currently: SUV+sunroof+touchscreen) seems just as if not more important than being mechanically sorted.

[ArTigor]

Tata:- Tata has all guns blazing right now, let alone the hot products like Nexon, Tiago and Altroz, even a slow mover like Tigor has gained momentum in terms of sales. This is a testimony to the fact that to sell good products you have to first draw crowds into your showroom. The current publicity on safety and design of Tata products can be seen paying off here.
It would be interesting to see the numbers of Nexon EV separately, as spotting multiple Nexon EV's have become a common sight in Navi Mumbai. In fact last week I took a trip to Pune and was surprised to encounter 3 Nexon EV's at different intervals on the Expressway, all occupied by families.
Maruti(Nexa):- Apart from Baleno, which has grown into a strong sub brand itself, and to some extent XL6 the other two Nexa products i.e. Ciaz and S-Cross both competent products are really lagging in sales. Surprisingly a product like Ignis which is overpriced has stabilized at around 3800-4000 units.
Ford:- Competent engines, well engineered cars, good platforms and satisfactory aftersales yet Ford is struggling with every model, is it the dated looks to blame?
Mahindra:- 7500 dispatches for what is almost a 20 year old model, only Bolero can do this(obviously the Omni was a different legend). The rural crowd trust this workhorse blindly. My relatives in native place have added 3 Bolero's in the last 2 years, they did not even talk about anything else before the purchase. Is there anything that can ever challenge the Bolero?
Toyota:- Toyota is like that kid who is asking his siblings and friends to complete his assignments for submission just to stay afloat, but in the long term there is no value addition and upliftment of him as a person. Toyota today comprises of 50% Maruti, yes they are selling 11k vehicles yet very sad! Look at the palette Toyota has in our neighboring countries to understand how ridiculous is their approach in India.

[PrasannaDhana]

It's amazing how Tata has turned tables. From a pitiful sorrowful taxi manufacturer making unreliable, unappealing cars to one of the most all round car manufacturers now.

In my opinion, Tata has managed to achieve what Maruti could not. Changing people's perception about the brand. Maruti still remains the cheap car brand, while Tata has evolved to selling two thousand units of 20 lakh rupees Harriers every month. I have noticed quite a few very conservative rich people who never looked past Honda and Toyota who are now very warmly open to Tata dealerships during their car purchase.

And how many of us would have even thought about Tata car 5 years ago, when we were planning a sophisticated premium hatchback or a entry level hatch or a Compact SUV or a large SUV?

Tata just hit sixer in all the segments, despite the mess they always make with first batch QC/ feature & engine options / auto transmission misses etc.

I just wish they had a nice, safe, gorgeous 110 bhp 260 Nm diesel C2 sedan in their line up.

[ValarMorghulis]

Maruti Vitara Brezza still sells 10k units every month despite having:
1. Only a petrol engine
2. Ancient 4 gear TC
3. Spartan interiors

I wonder how much will it sell if and when MS decides to :
1. Plonk a 1.5L BS6 diesel along with the petrol engine
2. Get a 6/7 gear CVT/ TC or DCT
3. Improve the interiors a bit

Will it then kill the other C-SUVs? I mean who wouldn't want a reliable, good car, with a responsive ASS and that 1.5L engine!

What stops MS from doing so?

[bipinbn]

Originally Posted by ValarMorghulis

Maruti Vitara Brezza still sells 10k units every month despite having:

What stops MS from doing so?

I think that 10k units selling is what stops them from pushing good stuff. People overlook every other folly they make and reward them for their strong points which is good ASS and reliability. So they cash on it month on month, years on years,phew.

[OrangeCar]

January YoY retail data from FADA.

It is a drop in all categories of vehicles.

FADA reasons the cause as below -
1. Non availability of vehicles due to scarcity of semiconductors.
2. Fading pent up demand.
3. Price hikes.
4. No festivities.

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by pkk077

...Hope TATA continues to build 5* rated cars while maintaining its podium place. That will surely make other manufacturers bring their focus back to safety from gizmos. Win win for customers.

As long as their cash registers keep ringing, they won't bother. Call them complacent or whatever. That's how they are. Speaking of Tata, even they could have done better had they (a) thrown in a proper AT in Nexon, Altroz (b) launched a Creta/Seltos rival and (c) upped the EV game where they have a headstart, like launch EV variant of every car you make. Initial sales number maybe small but as fuel prices head towards 150 or whatever, EV would be the only way out, even notwithstanding the out-of-town trip handicaps.

Biggest surprise of automotive sector in India is absence of Creta/Seltos rivals and incompetence or unwillingness of the competitors to even make an effort to launch a car in a segment which consistently sells upwards of 20,000 copies a month. It's almost like someone on behalf of Koreans threatened them to leave these two cars alone. Only Renault had a rival, Duster, but look where it is now. As soon as it was hit in 2013, Renault went to sleep over it and their stubborn refusal to bring the 2017 European version has seen Duster where it is now, in the pits. The zeal Renault is showing now in bringing in new models is somehow not seen in updating Duster, which lends credence to my jest-full theory. The lesser said about Honda/Toyota the better. I guess, by 2025, only Maruti, Koreans, Tata and Mahindra would remain in the game. Others would be reduced to insignificant also-rans.

[niranjanprabhu]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

It's amazing how Tata has turned tables. From a pitiful sorrowful taxi manufacturer making unreliable, unappealing cars to one of the most all round car manufacturers now.

In my opinion, Tata has managed to achieve what Maruti could not. Changing people's perception about the brand. Maruti still remains the cheap car brand, while Tata has evolved to selling two thousand units of 20 lakh rupees Harriers every month. I have noticed quite a few very conservative rich people who never looked past Honda and Toyota who are now very warmly open to Tata dealerships during their car purchase.

And how many of us would have even thought about Tata car 5 years ago, when we were planning a sophisticated premium hatchback or a entry level hatch or a Compact SUV or a large SUV?

Tata just hit sixer in all the segments, despite the mess they always make with first batch QC/ feature & engine options / auto transmission misses etc.

I just wish they had a nice, safe, gorgeous 110 bhp 260 Nm diesel C2 sedan in their line up.

The only issue I see with Tata is that they have invested very poorly in their engines and gear boxes (auto) over the years. A group like this can easily work to bring in a reliable 6 speed TQ across the board. Instead they have chosen a risky tech like the DCT engaging 2 vendors who will say different parts of this unit. This is what I read about the new DCT that the Altroz will get. Its my sincere hope against all hopes that Tatas wont mess this up. It will be sometime before they can start selling a consistent 50k numbers month on month. Their headstart in the EV segment may hold them good in order to achieve this

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by bipinbn

I think that 10k units selling is what stops them from pushing good stuff. People overlook every other folly they make and reward them for their strong points which is good ASS and reliability. So they cash on it month on month, years on years,phew.

Maruti sure knows its customer, If my budget is limited to the base models, I would choose the Brezza LXi over a Nexon XE.

You get all 4 cylinders and a bigger engine, vehicle itself appears bigger, tires are bigger, door handles are body color, remote locking, electronic mirror adjustment, 4 power windows, nice looking stereo with bluetooth etc.

It may not be the cheapest in the segment in comparison to others, but it sure feels VFM even now, we know from past experiences that being cheapest alone isn't going to sell.

[MaserQ]

Originally Posted by SmartCat

Looks like Tata has ruthlessly culled models that did not sell well - no more underperformers like Hexa, Zest, Bolt, Storme etc in the line-up. They essentially have just 4 vehicles on sale now - Tiago/Tigor, Harrier/Safari, Nexon and Altroz

One upside to adversity is that it cuts out the peripheral products and pet projects, thereby freeing up resources and narrowing the focus of the company. Even the Harrier is doing decent numbers now. I see no reason why the Safari and Hornbill cannot replicate this trend. Pratap Bose is undoubtedly the star of the show.

[TechLiveMANA]

With an average of over 12k creta's shipped monthly and a minimum waiting period of 4-6 months, I wonder if there's really a backlog of 60-70k orders that they are unable to clear or is it just a marketing gimmick.

Can't stop wondering why other manufacturers are so reluctant to enter this segment to compete with the Koreans.

[autotranny]

Originally Posted by ValarMorghulis

Maruti Vitara Brezza still sells 10k units every month despite having:
1. Only a petrol engine
2. Ancient 4 gear TC
3. Spartan interiors

I wonder how much will it sell if and when MS decides to :
1. Plonk a 1.5L BS6 diesel along with the petrol engine
2. Get a 6/7 gear CVT/ TC or DCT
3. Improve the interiors a bit

Will it then kill the other C-SUVs? I mean who wouldn't want a reliable, good car, with a responsive ASS and that 1.5L engine!

What stops MS from doing so?

I think the Maruti Brezza will continue to be what it is, i.e. a Middle-Class vehicle, irrespective of what the vehicle actually offers. It is like a car that has no aspirational pull factor beyond a certain section of the society (a conservative, middle class buyer who prefers reliability, FE, certainty and resale value over anything else) - but then again, that's a formula that most Maruti's thrive on and is the biggest market in India.

If you observe rich colonies/ apartments, where German marquees are abundantly found, you will also see that they prefer to have a Hyundai Venue , VW Polo or a Kia Sonnet as a second or third car, for the kids or the ladies. Except the Baleno and formerly the Swift, not many Marutis make it into that list.

[antz.bin]

Originally Posted by TechLiveMANA

With an average of over 12k creta's shipped monthly and a minimum waiting period of 4-6 months, I wonder if there's really a backlog of 60-70k orders that they are unable to clear or is it just a marketing gimmick.

Can't stop wondering why other manufacturers are so reluctant to enter this segment to compete with the Koreans.

I truly wonder why Tatas have left this segment for the Koreans to milk. They have SUVs covering segments below (Nexon, HBX) and above (Harrier, Safari) this segment but nothing to cover the Korean twins.

I feel Tata Motors R&D would have been better served if they had worked on a larger car based on the Alfa-ARC architecture instead of the HBX. As per the documents in public domain, the Alfa Arc architecture supports vehicles upto 4253mm in length (Creta is 4300mm) with a wheelbase of upto 2630mm (Creta/Seltos is 2610mm).

The issue couldn't have been the engines either. They already have 118BHP Petrol engine (from Nexon) which produces more power than the 1.5 NA Petrol Creta/Seltos. The Nexon Diesel engine at 108BHP is also not too far behind the 113 bhp one offered in the Creta/Seltos.

The only bases they cannot cover yet are the more powerful 1.4 Turbo petrol engine and the Automatic Transmissions (both CVT and DCT are offered by the Koreans). But that can always come in at a later date, isn't it?

But maybe they have something blockbuster planned for this segment. Where is the Sierra they had displayed in the Auto Expo?