Team-BHP > What Car? > Hatchbacks


Reply
  Search this Thread
94,581 views
Old 12th October 2011, 14:36   #106
BHPian
 
Tommie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 255
Thanked: 51 Times
Re: Automatic small car options?

@supremeBaleno,

Yes, cut production for all the non selling petrol models and start manufacturing Diesel and Automatic what market demands. There is no point in creating petrol cars and selling at a huge discount. What kind of profitable model is that?

People are ready to pay extra for diesel cars and for automatic. Nearly 80% of the the most recent car buying pattern of the people whom I know is automatic. Most of these people used to have manual transmission cars and they are selling them and buying automatic cars. What else do I need to tell you?

They currently have only no option for a hatchback. No Sedan diesel automatic car below Rs. 12Lakh range. The option starts from Verna Diesel, Cruz, Skoda, VW Jetta...and on...

Last edited by Tommie : 12th October 2011 at 14:40.
Tommie is offline  
Old 12th October 2011, 14:40   #107
Senior - BHPian
 
fx45's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: mumbai
Posts: 1,823
Thanked: 384 Times
Re: Automatic small car options?

Can anyone suggest a Used Automatic hatch/saloon for my cousin, Budget: Rs 2 lakh?
I know the budget is a bit small but that's what he can manage
fx45 is offline  
Old 12th October 2011, 14:54   #108
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,286
Thanked: 1,011 Times
Re: Automatic small car options?

Quote:
Originally Posted by supremeBaleno View Post
@Tommie, as it is manufacturers are unable to keep pace with the demand for diesels. So do you think it makes any business-need for them to add a line for AT-diesels ? Not to mention the fact that diesels already are sold at a premium to the petrol model and adding an AT would mean having the price go even higher.
But there are people who will be willing to shell out more for Auto's convenience. Not everyone makes a highway run every other day or on the hills or races around with anyone and everyone. Most of our lives are stuck in city traffic, with speeds hardly going beyond 50-60 etc (In fact lot of times we are in 10-20 kmph range only.) The engines in many small cars (like Brio, Jazz, Swift, Polo 1.6 etc) are good enough to provide an acceptable driving experience even with an auto trans I think.

In any case car makers can cut down on useless features like cruise control, sun/moonroof, ACC (how much inconvinient is it to really turn a knob?), even music system etc to cut down costs. The 20-30k difference is totally worth it for the convenience of an auto tranny.

An AC, power steering, ABS, Airbags and an Auto Tranny. thats my wish list (in no particular order of preference) for my next car.
joslicx is offline  
Old 13th October 2011, 10:16   #109
BHPian
 
Tommie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 255
Thanked: 51 Times
Re: Automatic small car options?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tommie View Post
India needs Diesel Automatic cars more than petrol automatic as of now.

Any car manufacturers reading this real big business case that could change their annual results?

Open your eyes to the all new world of diesel automatic transmission. I hope Fiat, Toyota, Ford, GM, Tata, Maruti and Mahindra are reading this. No one wants petrol automatic transmission which delivers 40% less fuel efficiency like the i10 or an A-star that people cannot sit properly.
Tommie is offline  
Old 15th October 2011, 16:36   #110
KPS
Distinguished - BHPian
 
KPS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 2,755
Thanked: 11,499 Times
Re: Automatic small car options?

Quote:
Originally Posted by fx45 View Post
Can anyone suggest a Used Automatic hatch/saloon for my cousin, Budget: Rs 2 lakh?
I know the budget is a bit small but that's what he can manage
At this price you could get a 2002+ model Alto AX or Wagon R AX or Santro Zip Drive Auto or Esteem AX. All these cars have out of production for quite some time and finding one would be very difficult.

Cheers

KPS
KPS is offline  
Old 15th October 2011, 17:18   #111
Senior - BHPian
 
fx45's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: mumbai
Posts: 1,823
Thanked: 384 Times
Re: Automatic small car options?

I am avoiding Maruti Automatics as they are 3speed, drove the Wagon R Ax recently and its too slow in everything.

Dont think they made Alto in automatic tranny for India.

The only option remains Santro or the Santro Xing. Lets see
fx45 is offline  
Old 28th October 2011, 13:44   #112
Newbie
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: goa
Posts: 7
Thanked: 7 Times
Re: Automatic small car options?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ST7677 View Post
Sure, Well look at the usage figures of Auto cars and women drivers and you will understand!
With women, they generally can't get around with clutch and gear funda (specially when they are tensed) and they don't care about the pickup.

I am talking about our country - where fuel is 6 times costlier than US and there is absolutely dearth of powerful cars. An automatic car is less FE and the transmission sucks more power, so you are left with a fuel guzzler dud automatic car. How many men want that?


Of course things are changing, now we have slowly started to get better auto transmissions and slightly more powerful (in high end cars), even there except for DSG automatic sales are dismal (read nobody wants to pay for it), but then this is a small car thread!

If you like driving, stick shift is so much fun, be it city or country side. Unless you are looking for a point A to B solution, in which case you might as well buy a manual transmission and hire a driver - you can even read a newspaper in the back seat
SIX times more that US?? Far as I know, the lowest rate in the US (say in North Carolina) is $ 2.75 per gal today (3.8 lit = I us gal) so that about 34-35 rs. for 1 litre in US compared to about 62 rs in India. Definitely not six times more - unless your're comparing it based on incomes, in which case it'll be much , much more than 6 times (average salary in US is 1.6 lacs Rs per month compared to Indias 5500 Rs per month...!)
But yes, generally we Indians are being shafted by the car makers, with active help from a willing government, overpriced cars often DOUBLE or more in price than overseas.... a BMW X3 costs 17 lacs in the US WITH a 6 cyl engine compared to 44 lac in India for the smaller engine. And this is just one of countless examples. AND the have the temerity to charge us a premium for the automatic, thats salt in the wounds man..in the US the stick shifts is generally reserved for the premium cars. Sigh. Got to go now...trying to migrate to you know where.
skinhead is offline  
Old 28th October 2011, 14:33   #113
Senior - BHPian
 
supremeBaleno's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Chennai / Kochi
Posts: 5,545
Thanked: 2,693 Times
Re: Automatic small car options?

^^^Well, even in the US, ATs come at a premium compared to stick-shift car of the same model. Eg. when my American colleague took us out to lunch, I was surprised to see that his Jetta had stick-shift. On asking the reason, he said that he saved ~1500$ due to opting for stick-shift and he does not find it cumbersome to drive MT cars. So, that figure lines up with the premium charged for ATs here too.
supremeBaleno is offline  
Old 28th October 2011, 16:47   #114
Distinguished - BHPian
 
RavenAvi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Flying Around
Posts: 6,663
Thanked: 47,505 Times
Re: Automatic small car options?

Quote:
Originally Posted by fx45 View Post
Can anyone suggest a Used Automatic hatch/saloon for my cousin, Budget: Rs 2 lakh?
I know the budget is a bit small but that's what he can manage
If you can stretch your budget a bit you can get a pre-owned Hyundai i10 AT at a pretty affordable price.

For e.g. - Used 2009 Hyundai i10 Magna 1.2 AT (D304281) for sale in Mumbai - CarWale
RavenAvi is offline  
Old 29th October 2011, 00:10   #115
Senior - BHPian
 
fx45's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: mumbai
Posts: 1,823
Thanked: 384 Times
Re: Automatic small car options?

Thanks for that; my cousin bought a used Honda City AT for 1.75 lakh although I am yet to checkout the car as he is in HYD.
fx45 is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 29th October 2011, 11:10   #116
Distinguished - BHPian
 
RavenAvi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Flying Around
Posts: 6,663
Thanked: 47,505 Times
Re: Automatic small car options?

Quote:
Originally Posted by fx45 View Post
Thanks for that; my cousin bought a used Honda City AT for 1.75 lakh although I am yet to checkout the car as he is in HYD.
That is a great deal. What is the year of manufacture? If it's a sparingly used City AT, it's a mind-blowing deal IMO.

Hope you find something similar as well.
RavenAvi is offline  
Old 29th October 2011, 13:43   #117
Senior - BHPian
 
fx45's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: mumbai
Posts: 1,823
Thanked: 384 Times
Re: Automatic small car options?

He's got a 2002 model car, with 68k km on the odo single owner car. So deal seams fair isnt it.
fx45 is offline  
Old 1st November 2011, 17:41   #118
BHPian
 
Cheiron's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 29
Thanked: 6 Times
Re: Automatic small car options?

with @skinhead

Fuel costs are lower in the US. However, cost differential for same car/model has quite a bit to do with taxation, transportation and spreading the costs of adapting a LHD vehicle to RHD over a smaller scale in India for luxury models.
Cheiron is offline  
Old 7th November 2011, 14:02   #119
Newbie
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: goa
Posts: 7
Thanked: 7 Times
Re: Automatic small car options?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheiron View Post
with @skinhead

Fuel costs are lower in the US. However, cost differential for same car/model has quite a bit to do with taxation, transportation and spreading the costs of adapting a LHD vehicle to RHD over a smaller scale in India for luxury models.
Thanks cheiron - but I don't think the cost can be OVER double for converting LHD to RHD...?? c'mon, there are lots of right hand markets like UK, Australia where the price is comparable to USA (for models imported from other countries). Or vice versa. Example: the BMW X3 (made in the US), 17 TO 20 lacs in USA, ditto in the UK. Range Rover Evoque, 20 Lac onwards in the UK - where they are made - ditto is the estimated price in the US when launched. Yes, taxes do kill us, the government happily kow-towing to the dikats of the Indian auto industry , protecting home grown junk cars AND making a profit from the taxes, win win for them, lose lose for us poor consumers. And the manufacturers too who have a huge margin going the 'sell less for more" than sell more for less' route. Ah well...back to my immigration status checking...!
PS: Did you know that practically any consumer AND food items are considerably cheaper in the US than India? Not just petrol...even basmati rice (same brand cost less in US than Mumbai) Want some immigration tips??
skinhead is offline  
Old 13th November 2011, 10:36   #120
BHPian
 
flyingkolors's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 219
Thanked: 66 Times
Re: Automatic small car options?

I am looking for second car for wifey. And looking for an AT for the notorious Bangalore traffic. I am really surprised to know that we just have two options. A-star and i10? i20 AT is astronomically high. Sad to learn that Honda doesnt have plans to bring Brio AT to India.

Any other options at all?
flyingkolors is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks