Tata Merlin - Safari replacement? *UPDATE* Uncovered Pics on Pg 90

[sarcar]

It was recently announced that Carl-Peter Forster has exited TML. Carl-Peter was believed to be one of the driving forces behind Merlin; especially sticking to his guns about not letting a Merlin roll-out before all the niggles had been fixed.

[julupani]

Pretty short stint as Global CEO.He will continue to be a board member though.

Let's see who Tata bring in to replace him. Or whether they just let Ralf Speth and P M Telang keep going separately.

OT: Odd day for the Global CEO to resign, on the day of what is arguably a very important day for Tata Motors. Today also happens to be the day one of Land Rover's most anticipated launches has occurred, that of the Range Rover Evoque.

[n.devdath]

A few points that would sum up the discussion IMO:

1. The Safari is a potent platform, even after 13 years of its inception.
2. One of the areas it needs great deal of improvement is the interiors and we expect the Merlin to address them.
3. The Safari, owing to its generous dimensions and spot on ergonomics, if added with a few more features like the ones mentioned by our Italian friend mpescatori, can transform itself into a potent overlanding/touring vehicle and can be a bigger success not only in Europe but also in India.
However, these changes would come at a cost, a cost which TML would probably not want to invest in the Safari since they have an all new platform/vehicle coming up and the volumes of sale might not justify this investment at this moment.

4. A good vehicle sells everywhere and NO market deserves a sub standard vehicle for whatever reasons. Just because TML is an Indian Co, they cannot thrust a sub standard vehicle on us.
Had this philosophy worked, the Safari would have been the top selling SUV in the country.

Now, lets get back to the Merlin.

[PAVAN KADAM]

Note from Mod : You have been warned earlier. Do NOT post biased messages. And keep the NEGATIVITY out of the forum. You need to WATCH your tone & the language you used on this forum.

[julupani]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

Latest Update, as per a known source. The Merlin launch is on hold due to 2 factors, the main guy in-charge has quit. Secondly TATA's are holding on to the FINISHED and Long TESTED, WONDERFUL Product named Merlin only for M&M to launch their Xuv, Favy Duh blo

But for anyone who can take a trip to Concorde Motors Bangalore, The Merlin is in their yard, covered but without camouflage.

I seriously dont think departure of somebody who was one of the few who managed a 27billion dollar company operating in almost every country in the world would depend on a person like the Global CEO so much as to delay the launch of a product.

He may have been a big driving force but I doubt he was alone, especially in a company as large as Tata Motors.

As for the delay of launch because of M&M, that does make sense. If they feel confident enough that their product is better, it is a good idea to delay the launch.

It is also a good idea to delay the launch, so as to prevent a situation where they will sharing free media space.

[shortbread]

I think Tata is playing the waiting game to find out the XUVs pricing. Being based on an existing platform/vehicle and not something fully grounds up Tata will have the cost advantage. The big question is by how much?!

I think both manufacturers have a feeling that their new launches will be neck to neck, exciting times ahead for customers.

[neel385]

(Good to see the senior boys finally reaching some sort of impasse!)

Waiting for the M&M launch might just backfire in case their product is not as bad or as pricey as TML is hoping for. Why can't TATA take the fight to M&M rather than wait for them to lay down their cards! ( That way a lot of us will not have to bear the agony of this wait any longer )

[himanshugoswami]

AS per my info, straight from an ERC guy who is very senior in the dev team of the Merlin and now onto the new Safari, the Merlin was never positioned or benchmarked against the W201. Their benchmark has been the Fortuner and they are confident of a very competitive product at about half the price.

Whatever the case, the Merlin shows a lot of promise and I for one am sure it will be a cracker. And I have a sneaking suspicion I will regret not waiting for the Merlin or somehow not streching my budget.....because the Merlin will almost certainly be around 12 L OTR for the ABS equipped version.

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by himanshugoswami

AS per my info, straight from an ERC guy who is very senior in the dev team of the Merlin and now onto the new Safari, the Merlin was never positioned or benchmarked against the W201. Their benchmark has been the Fortuner and they are confident of a very competitive product at about half the price.

Whatever the case, the Merlin shows a lot of promise and I for one am sure it will be a cracker. And I have a sneaking suspicion I will regret not waiting for the Merlin or somehow not streching my budget.....because the Merlin will almost certainly be around 12 L OTR for the ABS equipped version.

1) ABS + EBD
2) Airbags
3) All wheel drive with 4x4 on demand
4) Navigation
5) Most of Aria features integrated.
6) Huge upgrade on Clutch


Overall the feel and look of the Merlin will be Safari'sh undoubtedly, but they have taken it ages ahead in the quality and feel of the interiors...very very similar to the Aria.

Mr Goswami... hold on to your horses... Dont jump the gun too early.

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

But for anyone who can take a trip to Concorde Motors Bangalore, The Merlin is in their yard, covered but without camouflage.

Seriously? Anyone can go take a look at it? I'm game tomorrow, if that's the case.

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

1) ABS + EBD
2) Airbags
3) All wheel drive with 4x4 on demand
4) Navigation
5) Most of Aria features integrated.
6) Huge upgrade on Clutch

If they're improving things on the current Safari, and we already know the expected pricing of the Merlin, stalling for the launch of the XUV 500 doesn't make sense.

What also doesn't make sense is the exit of the CEO stalling the launch, because these would have been pre-planned, barring any issues in the product per other information.

Since you say that the interiors have been brought up to Aria quality, and the vehicle is comparable to the Fortuner at (near) half the price, what is holding up the launch? Apart from QC, that is - I don't want them to skimp on that at all!

[julupani]

Originally Posted by VeluM

If they're improving things on the current Safari, and we already know the expected pricing of the Merlin, stalling for the launch of the XUV 500 doesn't make sense.

What also doesn't make sense is the exit of the CEO stalling the launch, because these would have been pre-planned, barring any issues in the product per other information.

The stalling of launch due to the XUV500 makes sense from the point of view of media attention.

Both the Merlin and XUV500 are important launches for the respective companies, and they dont want their party spoiled by having to compete right from launch time.

Just like Bollywood doesnt release movies during IPL, Tata and M&M dont want to share launch date.

The delay of launch due to departure of the global CEO is complete nonsense. In fact the day he resigned itself was the launch date for another very important product of Tata Motors. The Range Rover Evoque has been launched yesterday only, only hours before Mr. Forster's resignation was announced.

People just see "Dot A" and "Dot B" and think they must be connected, even though the possibilities are innumerable.

[rrsteer]

I too eat that mango daily!

But like some others I too have good connections within M&M, and I can tell you that M&M guys are claiming their effort to be a combination of Alfonoso mango (for some) & Langra aam (my fav) for others (people like me).

Originally Posted by neel385

Waiting for the M&M launch might just backfire in case their product is not as bad or as pricey as TML is hoping for. Why can't TATA take the fight to M&M rather than wait for them to lay down their cards!

I agree. Because on their part the M&M guys are confident of a cracker of a product. Wonder who has what product, so just launch it when you are ready... Oh the word ready. I thought it would have been a smart marketing move to associate any of the upcoming SUV's from either stable to the movie 'Ready'.

Originally Posted by himanshugoswami

AS per my info, straight from an ERC guy who is very senior in the dev team of the Merlin and now onto the new Safari, the Merlin was never positioned or benchmarked against the W201. Their benchmark has been the Fortuner and they are confident of a very competitive product at about half the price.

Every one has to be proud of their work. So your man in ERC is within his right to be very proud of what his team has developed. But, I heard similar bites when Aria was to be launched. Now we own the Aria too. So I am speaking as an owner when I say, Fortuner is in a different class!

I must say here don't get carried away from what insider sources have to comment. Because if I go by that, the M&M engineer who is my neighbour would have me believe that XUV 500 will be responsible for Audi SUV's demise in India! What rubbish I say.

[himanshugoswami]

Just got the news from another fairly reliable source in the TML sales channel. The Merlin is indeed slated for auto expo launch....DAMN!

[shortbread]

Car sales usually slow down after September with people preferring to have their cars registered for the following year, so if not now it will not make sense to launch the car in 2011.

[mpescatori]

Hopefully last post before I'm out of here, I joined to provide some insight and hints to what is desired/expected in the European Market, and get told off by a university student.

I am 51, have had my Safari for 5 years and expect to kit her out in order to do the drive of my life, North Cape to Dakar, sometime in the next few years.
Not now, I'm in the military and will be "busy" for a few years yet.

As for the comparison between the Safari and the Freelander...
Grow up boy! Are you sure you didn't mean to say "Discovery"?
If you are the engineering student you claim to be, read the vehicles' characteristics before sharing your wisdom.

If Merlin proves to be the credible 4x4 it claims to be and a worthy replacement to the Safari, I'll consider it.

Until then, I'll stick to my old 3.0 Safari, or replace it with the Grand Cherokee my wife is insisting on (with the VM 3.0 TDi)

Thank you, and goodbye