[MihirC]

Originally Posted by Soumya_Ramesh

Yesterday i saw a manza upfront, somehow the exteriors dint even please me an inch. I wonder why i get always disappointed whenver i see a new TATA release. They are just playing around Indica design bit too much. It looks like an assembly of just flat panels. I feel TATA's main objective is just to keep the price under wraps. I will not be surprised if MANZA goes the India and Logan way, tagged with only yellow boards. Most TATA vehicles have become just mode to ferry people from point A to point B and nothing beyond that. No offence meant to TATA but for an auto enthusiast they are not really en excitement.

@Soumya- Tata cars are meant for the common man who desires to have his own mode of transport in the maximum comfort/ space which can be ofered at a minimum price.The excitement for the "enthusiasts" costs a certain premium. For auto enthusiasts, the enthusiast can shell out anywhere from 2.5 lakhs more for the fiesta 1.6 (which doesent have airbags and other few safety features etc compared to manza) to twice the amount of Manza Aura+ i.e. 14-15 lakhs and get a Skoda Laura /Civic so on and so forth. Its all about how much a person is willing to spend for his car, hell there are loads of people who are enthusiasts and dont care about spending 2 crores -8 crores for lambos/maseratis/ferraris/Austins and veyrons

This is the car by which Tata is attempting to break the mould and give a product which does not just transport a person from A-B but do that with style comfort safety and other add on features.

[rki2007]

The only prayer that i have is that the Manza should not be taxi segmented one.The vista was not one of the taxi segment because still the indica/indicab is available,but the Indigo LX/LS is dis continued and instead theManza is introduced.
The operators mostly prefer the IndigoLX/LS only and not the existing Indigo XL or Indigo CS.That is making me worry about the future prospects of Manza.

[gomzi]

Originally Posted by rki2007

The only prayer that i have is that the Manza should not be taxi segmented one.The vista was not one of the taxi segment because still the indica/indicab is available,but the Indigo LX/LS is dis continued and instead theManza is introduced.
The operators mostly prefer the IndigoLX/LS only and not the existing Indigo XL or Indigo CS.That is making me worry about the future prospects of Manza.

This is not to pick on you, but I do not understand why people are so worried if a Tata car model - Manza in this case - is used as a Taxi too? Image? I cannot think of any other reason.

A good car is a good car, i'd go for it if I was in the market for one and liked the Manza. The more a car sells (taxi or not) the lower will be the cost of spares and maintenance. The more a car sells it just means it is pressing the right buttons for its target market. The more a car sells, the better are its long term prospects with regards to continuing availability of spares and technical help.

The Indica and previous Indigo did a few things very well which is why taxi operators preferred it and why a lot of individual owners love it.

Bit OT here, but i'm really curious to know this.

Disclaimer: My dad owns an Indigo CS.

[Soumya_Ramesh]

Originally Posted by MihirC

@Soumya- Tata cars are meant for the common man who desires to have his own mode of transport in the maximum comfort/ space which can be ofered at a minimum price.The excitement for the "enthusiasts" costs a certain premium. For auto enthusiasts, the enthusiast can shell out anywhere from 2.5 lakhs more for the fiesta 1.6 (which doesent have airbags and other few safety features etc compared to manza) to twice the amount of Manza Aura+ i.e. 14-15 lakhs and get a Skoda Laura /Civic so on and so forth. Its all about how much a person is willing to spend for his car, hell there are loads of people who are enthusiasts and dont care about spending 2 crores -8 crores for lambos/maseratis/ferraris/Austins and veyrons

This is the car by which Tata is attempting to break the mould and give a product which does not just transport a person from A-B but do that with style comfort safety and other add on features.

Yeah everyone will agree that TATA is filling a vacuum which might have been ignored by lot of other players(may be intentiaonally) and with NANO assembly lines in full fury they are going to notch up monthly numbers which would have never imagined by any other players. But these goodies comes with a cost to buyer. I cannot imagine with such high production, how they are going to strain their already crumbled after sales infrastructure. They are trying to create a space in commodity market and not niche market. Their brand image will only just revolve around price tag and nothing more. They can never be a global player, they can at best cater to the streets of cuba and India and no further than that.

[vjoy3]

Originally Posted by gomzi

This is not to pick on you, but I do not understand why people are so worried if a Tata car model - Manza in this case - is used as a Taxi too? Image? I cannot think of any other reason.

A good car is a good car, i'd go for it if I was in the market for one and liked the Manza. The more a car sells (taxi or not) the lower will be the cost of spares and maintenance. The more a car sells it just means it is pressing the right buttons for its target market. The more a car sells, the better are its long term prospects with regards to continuing availability of spares and technical help.

The Indica and previous Indigo did a few things very well which is why taxi operators preferred it and why a lot of individual owners love it.

Bit OT here, but i'm really curious to know this.

Disclaimer: My dad owns an Indigo CS.

on the brighter side, if the car is adopted by Taxi segment, then every repair shop in even small towns will learn to repair and even find jugad for issues which may come handy if your vehicle happens to breakdown in a remote place.

Vijay

[trrk]

Hi,

Originally Posted by Hudson

I would really appreciate if someone can give me emailids of some senior people of tata motors, so that I can mail them my concerns.

I could not find any email adresses, but you can try the following:

Pune Area Office

Tata Motors Ltd.
City Mall, 1st Floor, Ganesh Khind Road,4
Near Pune University, Pune - 411 007

Phone: 25513378 / 79

[karanraheja]

Originally Posted by rki2007

The only prayer that i have is that the Manza should not be taxi segmented one.The vista was not one of the taxi segment because still the indica/indicab is available,but the Indigo LX/LS is dis continued and instead theManza is introduced.
The operators mostly prefer the IndigoLX/LS only and not the existing Indigo XL or Indigo CS.That is making me worry about the future prospects of Manza.

Not to worry, the Manza would go the Vista way i.e. not targetted to taxi segment. Tata should have kept Indica/ Indigo name for Taxi's and Vista/ Manza for normal buyers. Even the dealers are promoting the Manza name instead of Indigo Manza.

[firstguri]

Originally Posted by rki2007

The only prayer that i have is that the Manza should not be taxi segmented one.The vista was not one of the taxi segment because still the indica/indicab is available,but the Indigo LX/LS is dis continued and instead theManza is introduced.
The operators mostly prefer the IndigoLX/LS only and not the existing Indigo XL or Indigo CS.That is making me worry about the future prospects of Manza.

Whats the big deal even if it used for Taxi market. Go to Germany, you'll find Merc-E class as taxis. So..?

[windiesel]

Originally Posted by gomzi

The Indica and previous Indigo did a few things very well which is why taxi operators preferred it and why a lot of individual owners love it.

+1. Please remember that only those cars which can take a lot of abuse, are solidly built, are very comfortable, and cheap to buy & run, get the approval of Taxi market. Someone mentioned Mercs as Taxis. Mercs (esp E class) have been the darling of Taxi Mkt in the west since ages. ACI carried an article about an Octavia diesel Taxi in Israel which had done many lakh kms. My friend runs a Tour & Taxi service in Delhi and he has not one, but many indicas which have done more than 5 lakh kms and on the avg engines do not require major attentiion before 2 lakh kms.

While anyone can make a car like that, but only TATA CAN DO IT AT THE RIGHT PRICE. That is why its cars click in the Taxi Mkt where the people buy with their heads and not hearts.

In the bargain if TATA manages to put half a smile on the face of a poor enthusiast (like me!), as someone said on this forum, so much the better. If it can't, the heck with it, TATA (esp. the Manza) will still sell as there are a lot of folks out there who want a big comfortable sedan at the price of a premium hatch.

My own 9 yr old indica which has more than a lakh under its belt, still goes like a dream and gives 18kpl in the bargain (w/o AC). That's what puts a BIG SMILE on my face for sure.

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by V-16

...That is quite odd and i think Tata is too big a company to overlook this...

I don't really think its an oversight.
Its similar to how some cars have speedos going to 200 even when their top-speed is 160!

Originally Posted by firstguri

@Ignazio
What are you doing with a Tata pick-up in Turin?

Oh hes doing a lot!! Check it out :
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ex...ata-rally.html

Originally Posted by -NUT-case

...One thing bothering me is the exposed speakers in the boot. Isn't there a risk of damaging them during loading and unloading the boot. Maybe you need to cover it up with a custom box .

This is the way it is on most sedans. Its just more visible here because of the placement and the angle from which the photo is taken.

Plus, the metal basket of the speaker will prevent them from getting damaged if bumped against by luggage.

cya
R

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by Soumya_Ramesh

They are trying to create a space in commodity market and not niche market. Their brand image will only just revolve around price tag and nothing more. They can never be a global player, they can at best cater to the streets of cuba and India and no further than that.

What do you mean by a niche market? If it's just volumes you are talking about, then it makes perfect sense for a young car manufacturer to enter a segment where significant volumes are in play.
The brand image can change over time, look at all Korean and Japanese car makers. When they launched their cars, they were the butt of jokes. I believe that Tata can really go a long way.

Don't carry a chip on your shoulder about Tata purely because they make inexpensive cars. Look at what they are trying to do and the way they are going about it. That my friend, should make you take a less harsher look

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by rki2007

The only prayer that i have is that the Manza should not be taxi segmented one.The vista was not one of the taxi segment because still the indica/indicab is available,but the Indigo LX/LS is dis continued and instead theManza is introduced.
The operators mostly prefer the IndigoLX/LS only and not the existing Indigo XL or Indigo CS.That is making me worry about the future prospects of Manza.

When a ANHC can run as a Taxi in Bangalore, why not Manza. Our company had hired one recently, wonder why Manza should not run.

There are almost all cars running as Taxi, forget about the number of cars run as taxi. So take a call and decide.

[HammerHead]

IMO there is no comparison with TATA car being permitted as TAXI v/s any other car brand/model being TAXI simply because you will find more TATA car's as TAXI on road then the one for personal use! Look at Indica, when you say Indica the first thing that comes to your mind is A White Indica, used by call centers or TAXI operators!

If We see more ANHC's as TAXI and very few as personal cars on road then people will definitely move away from it. It does make a lot of sense when people expect TATA not to sell TATA Indica Vista/Indigo Manza as TAXI.

[gshanky]

Originally Posted by Soumya_Ramesh

Yeah everyone will agree that TATA is filling a vacuum which might have been ignored by lot of other players(may be intentiaonally) and with NANO assembly lines in full fury they are going to notch up monthly numbers which would have never imagined by any other players. But these goodies comes with a cost to buyer. I cannot imagine with such high production, how they are going to strain their already crumbled after sales infrastructure. They are trying to create a space in commodity market and not niche market. Their brand image will only just revolve around price tag and nothing more. They can never be a global player, they can at best cater to the streets of cuba and India and no further than that.

I thought JLR (J & LR) are catering to the niche market. But IMO high volumes are the strongest reason why any manufacturer(least of all TATA) would look to improve the service infrastructure like after sales service, customer support, roadside support, etc.

[rauldsouza]

Manza TD vehicle is unavailable by Tata Motor Dealers in Delhi. they say one will be available only by January. Does any one know if a TD vehicle is available by any dealer in Delhi / NCR area ?