[Madrasin_selvan]

The extent to which automakers go for Cost Savings is a mystery to many people. I remember having a vivid conversation with a friend who worked in an OEM who had decided to drop a coat hook in the rear grab handle just to save 1$. That’s the amount of effort that goes to save costs.

Another instance I currently see is the chrome on the badges of some OEM Brands are not chrome but plastic with chrome like coating. If the appearance/feel is same between the two and it lasts for the same period cost savings is a no brainer for the OEM.

[shabeermohamed]

The problem is the poor reliability of our local players. It will take at least another 5-10 years for a Tata or Mahindra to reach the kind of reliability and sophistication the Koreans/Japanese provides and till the time there will be demand for both. There will still be customers who prefer a reliable, stress free ownership despite the constant hype (a.k.a awareness drives) on safety and crash tests.

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by varun.petro

Couldn't agree more. Buying Chinese car just seems weird to me. They may be good in electronics but mechanical engineering isn't their expertise.

That was also the claim about the Japanese and Koreans at one point. Some even levelled that criticism against Tata and Mahindra in the last decade.

Truth is, it isn't about engineering expertise anymore. It's more about which brands are cost cutting (hi Hyundai and Kia!) in India and which ones are providing a car that matches international standards. MG appears to be far better than average in this regard.