Tata Prima - Luxury Sedan

isldhn · 19th May 2009, 15:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by prashanthyr

I feel the Prima looks a bit too similar to the current generation Opel Insignia (introduced in Europe circa Sep 08). Views?

Nopes. IMO it has got a different stance all together than the opel. Cosmetic similarities maybe there but the rake of the C pillar,the bulbous boot are totally different.

marlinspike · 19th May 2009, 15:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by shortbread

It actually does have a lot of similarities,
Heres the strange part, If Tata does need a luxury car a segment or two above the Prima, the Insignia will be a perfect fit. For one the similar looks will make it look like a part of the same family. Also now its pretty evident that GM's European operations (Opel, Vauxhall.. et all) will end up in the hands of Fiat, Mr.Tata could have the Insignia assembled here and slap on a Tata badge (honestly not the best street cred. for a 10+ lac car, but will anyday do better than saying Opel on it).
Yes I know, my imagination's on overtime today!!

Prima itself looks like an upto 10 L Sedan if not a 10 L plus sedan.

It will be really nice and do the brand a lot of good if they get it to the market sooner and redo their existing cars in that design philosophy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hillram

Tata Prima definitely looks stellar.If JLR comes thru to Tata,they can even pick up few JLR text books and redo Prima wiht out infringing the patents fo JLR.
Ratan tata Jai ho !!!!!!!!!!

If Tata owns the patents where does the question of infringing comes into picture.
Sonata Gold did not have problems when it stole the design ques from jag. why should Tata the actual owner have issues with using them.

ram_hyundai · 19th May 2009, 15:43

This is a good design for that matter,but the question is whether TATA will bring it in this form to india.Most of the concepts end up not living to the situation whenever its launched.If it is put on the roads in this form then maybe the outlook to TATA cars would change totally.
ram

BEEM3R · 19th May 2009, 15:52

Guys I think the design similarities are only there because of the general design direction new cars are going into. Its like the Bangle Butt on BMWs. We later saw them on everything from Leanas, Swift Desires to S Class Mercs. Every new idea if accepted gets adopted by various manufacturers leading to new design directions, in the long run allowing us to distinguish cars from the 60s, 70s, 90s, 2000s and so on. The Jag XF itself looks like a Lexus GS in certain angles, previous Lexus LSs have resembled W140 Mercs. LEDs that appeared first on Audis are now on Lambos, Mercs, Porsches and so on.

This is a great effort on Tatas side. If it does or does not see the light of day is debatable, but with Tata trying to make an impression on worldwide markets and car makers I think it is highly likely they will attempt to push a quality product especially in the higher C segment. If the Koreans can upmarket Hyundais slowly and steadily Im sure Tata can as well. Their ownerships and collaborations with Jaguar-LR and even FIAT will help them quality wise. Ive seen a steady progression in quality of Tata cars even though they always compete in VFM segments. They handle like boats but hopefully their new alliances help with that. Like someone else said if Tata was like a Chery automotive we as Indians would be genuinely embarased to say thats a homegrown brand. But who doesn't take pride in an Indian company owning Jaguar-Land Rover. In India we like mocking Tatas but abroad most Indians I know love pointing to Jags and Range Rovers and calling them Tatas.

Ive owned only two Tata vehicles so far, one an Estate in the mid 90s and breifly the first of the Indicas in 99-2000. I absolutely swore against Tata at the time, but I definitely cant wait for them to prove me wrong.

loving_alaap · 19th May 2009, 15:53

Rocking look,

Must be a civic / corolla category.

But as usual, TATA might place in a ANHC range!!

pranava999 · 19th May 2009, 15:55

I hope it's not positioned as a Luxury car under the TATA badge. TATA's build quality, fit and finish is definitely not luxury standard. End of the day it's a TATA and I think an Ideal price range would be 8-9lakhs and positioned as an exec sedan.Must say design wise it's not too bad and shares a few design elements from other cars, but that seems to be common off late across the board! Seems like designers are running out of some freshness quotient.

vinaydas · 19th May 2009, 15:58

imo all tata's are crude and the same will be with the prima.
well what they need to do is create a new platform for their automobiles with a better logo(firstly and most importantly) ,employ professionals to do the job and drastically improve service and mostly make their cars reliable unlike the current tata's. Well its a complete revamp. In the current scenario the JLR deal was nothing but a huge liablity ,Tata gained nothing but fame for short amount of time. This is what i feel
I highly doubt whether the finished product(if the prima comes into production) will be of high quality.
we might see different coloured bumpers to cut costs on base models!!!
about pricing
If tata even dare's to sell it anybit higher than the top end safari this car will probably flop.

amulu10 · 19th May 2009, 16:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinaydas

imo all tata's are crude and the same will be with the prima.
.

i dono why half the posts in the thread are like this!for the god's sake the car isnt even out yet and we have people saying that the car will fail blah blah!.

this is like saying that a child will be be born a thief just because his father happens to be one.!

let the product launch and then talk about the broken dashboard or poor plastic if there are any at all.

ps:the car could very well have a fiat heart so no question about it being crude!

Ankoor · 19th May 2009, 16:53

The rare end looks awesome, din't like the front though.

Can't wait to see the interiors...

FourWheelDrift · 19th May 2009, 19:20

While a lot of t-bhpians have commented on the styling of the Prima, I'd like to speculate on it's size.

Does anyone have a feel for the size of the Prima shown in Geneva ?

The only publicised number, appears to be the wheelbase, at 2.7m.

The car appears fairly large in photographs taken at the Show. My guess would be it's a shade smaller than the new Superb, which is 4.838m length, 2.761m wheelbase.

If this were true, this car would be larger than the Civic (~4.5m length, 2.7m wheelbase) and Corolla Altis (~4.5m length, 2.6m wheelbase).

Also (and I think I'm really stretching here), in that case, it would be a good candidate to sit on the Jaguar X-Type platform (length 4.672m, wheelbase 2.710m).

Borrowing / upgrading an older platform is not a bad thing, considering the highly rated new Jaguar XF sits on it's predecessor's (S-Type) platform.

The X-Type's platform is an upgraded all-wheel-drive version of the previous generation Mondeo's.

But all of this would put the Prima into a size, price band, and segment which would be at odds with the TATA brand name (as we know it today).

So, I'm back to wondering where (size, price point, segment, competition) the Prima fits ?

Your speculatation is most welcome ...

Cheers,

FourWheelDrift

Gagan.js · 19th May 2009, 19:23

Looks hot, parts are similar to some luxury cars but what the heck, if sonata can do it, why not this

I see it more in like the 15-18L range

vinaydas · 19th May 2009, 19:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by amulu10

i dono why half the posts in the thread are like this!for the god's sake the car isnt even out yet and we have people saying that the car will fail blah blah!.

this is like saying that a child will be be born a thief just because his father happens to be one.!

let the product launch and then talk about the broken dashboard or poor plastic if there are any at all.

ps:the car could very well have a fiat heart so no question about it being crude!

i was referring to the present vehicles in the tata lineup and according to me all of them are pretty crude.
Cannot comment on a concept vehicle though

salilpawar1 · 19th May 2009, 23:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinaydas

i was referring to the present vehicles in the tata lineup and according to me all of them are pretty crude.
Cannot comment on a concept vehicle though

You mean the Vista and Xenon, too?

shortbread · 20th May 2009, 02:56

The Vista I have to agree is a pretty good vehicle and is arguably as good if not better than the Swift in the build quality stakes.
The Xenon i will have to disagree, similar to the Grande a lot of effort went into the product but Tata severely failed with fit and finish, the quality of the interiors is appalling.
Strangely these are not deficiencies that cannot be addressed, agreed Tata is getting better, but they have to stop the trial & error policy at the customers expense.
Upcoming models like the Xover, Prima etc..etc... are very appealing concepts in their own right rather than just promising to be VFM. They have a lot of flair compared to the otherwise dull offerings in their respective segments, just like the Xenon. All they need to do is to get it right from day one and they will definitely have winners in their hands.

vinaydas · 20th May 2009, 08:39

xenon is definitely crude the interiors are pathetic its more of a workhorse. how dare tata sells it as a luxury/niche product.Cant say much about the vista i have not personally sat in one.

19th May 2009, 15:43	#108
ram_hyundai Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Calicut ,trisur Posts: 2,019 Thanked: 53 Times View My Garage	This is a good design for that matter,but the question is whether TATA will bring it in this form to india.Most of the concepts end up not living to the situation whenever its launched.If it is put on the roads in this form then maybe the outlook to TATA cars would change totally. ram
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 15:52	#109
BEEM3R BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Dubai-Chennai Posts: 311 Thanked: 21 Times	Guys I think the design similarities are only there because of the general design direction new cars are going into. Its like the Bangle Butt on BMWs. We later saw them on everything from Leanas, Swift Desires to S Class Mercs. Every new idea if accepted gets adopted by various manufacturers leading to new design directions, in the long run allowing us to distinguish cars from the 60s, 70s, 90s, 2000s and so on. The Jag XF itself looks like a Lexus GS in certain angles, previous Lexus LSs have resembled W140 Mercs. LEDs that appeared first on Audis are now on Lambos, Mercs, Porsches and so on. This is a great effort on Tatas side. If it does or does not see the light of day is debatable, but with Tata trying to make an impression on worldwide markets and car makers I think it is highly likely they will attempt to push a quality product especially in the higher C segment. If the Koreans can upmarket Hyundais slowly and steadily Im sure Tata can as well. Their ownerships and collaborations with Jaguar-LR and even FIAT will help them quality wise. Ive seen a steady progression in quality of Tata cars even though they always compete in VFM segments. They handle like boats but hopefully their new alliances help with that. Like someone else said if Tata was like a Chery automotive we as Indians would be genuinely embarased to say thats a homegrown brand. But who doesn't take pride in an Indian company owning Jaguar-Land Rover. In India we like mocking Tatas but abroad most Indians I know love pointing to Jags and Range Rovers and calling them Tatas. Ive owned only two Tata vehicles so far, one an Estate in the mid 90s and breifly the first of the Indicas in 99-2000. I absolutely swore against Tata at the time, but I definitely cant wait for them to prove me wrong.
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 15:53	#110
loving_alaap BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 808 Thanked: 9 Times	Rocking look, Must be a civic / corolla category. But as usual, TATA might place in a ANHC range!!
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 15:55	#111
pranava999 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: BANGALORE Posts: 845 Thanked: 23 Times View My Garage	I hope it's not positioned as a Luxury car under the TATA badge. TATA's build quality, fit and finish is definitely not luxury standard. End of the day it's a TATA and I think an Ideal price range would be 8-9lakhs and positioned as an exec sedan.Must say design wise it's not too bad and shares a few design elements from other cars, but that seems to be common off late across the board! Seems like designers are running out of some freshness quotient. Last edited by pranava999 : 19th May 2009 at 15:59.
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 15:58	#112
vinaydas BANNED Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1,399 Thanked: 148 Times	imo all tata's are crude and the same will be with the prima. well what they need to do is create a new platform for their automobiles with a better logo(firstly and most importantly) ,employ professionals to do the job and drastically improve service and mostly make their cars reliable unlike the current tata's. Well its a complete revamp. In the current scenario the JLR deal was nothing but a huge liablity ,Tata gained nothing but fame for short amount of time. This is what i feel I highly doubt whether the finished product(if the prima comes into production) will be of high quality. we might see different coloured bumpers to cut costs on base models!!! about pricing If tata even dare's to sell it anybit higher than the top end safari this car will probably flop.
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 16:53	#114
Ankoor BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Pune / Mumbai Posts: 69 Thanked: 35 Times	The rare end looks awesome, din't like the front though. Can't wait to see the interiors...
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 19:20	#115
FourWheelDrift BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mumbai/PNW Posts: 634 Thanked: 569 Times	While a lot of t-bhpians have commented on the styling of the Prima, I'd like to speculate on it's size. Does anyone have a feel for the size of the Prima shown in Geneva ? The only publicised number, appears to be the wheelbase, at 2.7m. The car appears fairly large in photographs taken at the Show. My guess would be it's a shade smaller than the new Superb, which is 4.838m length, 2.761m wheelbase. If this were true, this car would be larger than the Civic (~4.5m length, 2.7m wheelbase) and Corolla Altis (~4.5m length, 2.6m wheelbase). Also (and I think I'm really stretching here), in that case, it would be a good candidate to sit on the Jaguar X-Type platform (length 4.672m, wheelbase 2.710m). Borrowing / upgrading an older platform is not a bad thing, considering the highly rated new Jaguar XF sits on it's predecessor's (S-Type) platform. The X-Type's platform is an upgraded all-wheel-drive version of the previous generation Mondeo's. But all of this would put the Prima into a size, price band, and segment which would be at odds with the TATA brand name (as we know it today). So, I'm back to wondering where (size, price point, segment, competition) the Prima fits ? Your speculatation is most welcome ... Cheers, FourWheelDrift
	() Thanks

19th May 2009, 19:23	#116
Gagan.js BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 227 Thanked: Once	Looks hot, parts are similar to some luxury cars but what the heck, if sonata can do it, why not this I see it more in like the 15-18L range
	() Thanks

20th May 2009, 02:56	#119
shortbread BANNED Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: KL 7 Posts: 2,658 Thanked: 7,591 Times Infractions: 0/1 (5)	The Vista I have to agree is a pretty good vehicle and is arguably as good if not better than the Swift in the build quality stakes. The Xenon i will have to disagree, similar to the Grande a lot of effort went into the product but Tata severely failed with fit and finish, the quality of the interiors is appalling. Strangely these are not deficiencies that cannot be addressed, agreed Tata is getting better, but they have to stop the trial & error policy at the customers expense. Upcoming models like the Xover, Prima etc..etc... are very appealing concepts in their own right rather than just promising to be VFM. They have a lot of flair compared to the otherwise dull offerings in their respective segments, just like the Xenon. All they need to do is to get it right from day one and they will definitely have winners in their hands.
	() Thanks

20th May 2009, 08:39	#120
vinaydas BANNED Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1,399 Thanked: 148 Times	xenon is definitely crude the interiors are pathetic its more of a workhorse. how dare tata sells it as a luxury/niche product.Cant say much about the vista i have not personally sat in one.
	() Thanks