[noopster]

Originally Posted by julupani

Would you want a 40lakh rupee car from a bus manufacturer????

That's a little unfair. Volvo is a world-renowned automotive brand and most buyers in this segment would be aware of their cars and the rock solid safety reputation they have cultivated in Europe and the US.

What has Volvo done in terms of creating brand awareness in the Indian market? A lot of people are not even aware what models they have on sale in India. Even me- I had to watch 3 Idiots to know that the Volvo SUV- whatever it's called, all their names sound alike, maybe that's another reason they don't sell!- and that tooI initially thought it was an import!

[Swanand Inamdar]

Originally Posted by julupani

I think the existing brand image of Volvo works against them and not for them, as I mentioned in a previous post.

Would you want a 40lakh rupee car from a bus manufacturer????

Dont you think its harsh to term Volvo as a "bus manufacturer"?
Agreed, that the image in India is predominantly that of a bus maker, but that is not what the company is all about.

Going by that logic, why would people buy cars from Tata's? Were'nt they known as truck manufacturers also? See what they have given to the world now!

To answer your question, YES i would love to buy a Volvo, provided i had 40Lacs to spare

EDIT: Back to back posts from Noop and I.

[julupani]

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

Dont you think its harsh to term Volvo as a "bus manufacturer"?
Agreed, that the image in India is predominantly that of a bus maker, but that is not what the company is all about.

Going by that logic, why would people buy cars from Tata's? Were'nt they known as truck manufacturers also? See what they have given to the world now!

To answer your question, YES i would love to buy a Volvo, provided i had 40Lacs to spare

EDIT: Back to back posts from Noop and I.

You, Noop and I know that there is a lot more to Volvo than buses. But does the public at large is the question. Even I would'nt really mind a Volvo, but the question is not you and me, but the rest of the car buying public in general.

[GTO]

*Update*

BMW added to the opening post.

Originally Posted by GTO

BMW

3 Series : 195
5 Series : 264
6 Series : 3
7 Series : 23
GT : 4
X1 : 190
X5 : 8
X6 : 18
Z4 : 2

[asr245]

Originally Posted by GTO

*UPDATE* The S60s aren't going anywhere. Predictably, no one wants a 5 kpl 304 BHP sedan priced at 43 lakhs. Too bad, because it is one heck of a car.

I used to have a 5kmpl car (a 1992 Honda Prelude Auto) about 10 years ago. Petrol wasn't cheap even then and I drove about 16000 kms in the 7 months I owned it. Loved it. I surely would want one if I had the money.

Originally Posted by julupani

I think the existing brand image of Volvo works against them and not for them, as I mentioned in a previous post.

Would you want a 40lakh rupee car from a bus manufacturer????

I think starting with a clean slate, like it would be for SAAB and Subaru, would be better. For Subaru, it would be easier, as they will be able to build on their rallying heritage.

I guess you are unaware that Mercedes, Hyundai, Toyota all manufacture buses. And who among the general public is aware of Subaru (or it's rally pedigree) and Saab? Volvo should be advertising more and of course open a few more dealerships.

[julupani]

Originally Posted by asr245

I guess you are unaware that Mercedes, Hyundai, Toyota all manufacture buses. And who among the general public is aware of Subaru (or it's rally pedigree) and Saab? Volvo should be advertising more and of course open a few more dealerships.

I am more than aware, that Mercedes, Hyundai, Toyota, Renault, FIAT etc have large commercial vehicle divisions.

But the question here is one of brand image.

Citing another example in India, lest their trucks be saddled with the image of their cars in India, Daimler AG which owns the Mercedes Benz Trucks brand (among others like Freightliner and Mitsubishi Fuso), instead of using that brand in India, has resorted to a completely new brand name of Bharat Benz for its trucks.

As for Subaru and SAAB, like I said they have the advantage of starting from a clean slate, and will thus be able to build an image for themselves, without having to de-construct an existing image. Subaru would thus use its rallying heritage, and SAAB probably it's aircraft heritage to build a brand image in India.

Of course, I am not saying Volvo has an impossible task to build a brand image for cars, but that would require them to launch a massive campaign. Also the thing which they are famous for is neither glamorous, nor is it something which is "hot" in India. I am talking about automotive safety, of course.

[srishiva]

Volvo cars and Volvo trucks have been independent of each other for years.

The problem is more with the positioning of the car. They dont fit the sporty segment or luxury segment. The market for pricy cars in India is not huge and unless you are positioned as something specific, its difficult to sell.

[//M]

Originally Posted by GTO

BMW

3 Series : 195
GT : 4
X1 : 190

Wasn't the BMW 5GT a special sedan and was supposed to sell only a 100 units in India? Or did BMW made it as a normal addition to their array of products seeing the demand for the GT?

Also the number of X1's is less than that of 3-series. I totally thought the opposite going by the number of BMW X1's on the road these days. These numbers may change in X1's favor soon though.

[aravind.anand]

Verna has taken its segment by storm in May! Fiesta would storm in by this month hopefully, so this is the segment where maximum action would take place this year I guess. More and more head ache for the Petrol only City!

[S350L-E240]

//M,

The 5-GT for some reason has always been termed as a limited edition car, I believe it is only a marketing gimmick and does not really have any real meaning, also demand is good enough to move a few cars off the floor so they continue selling them. Our local dealer always has one in stock, I still cannot digest that car.

X1 numbers being lower then the 3 is due to the fact that X1 has a huge production gap, and not just India but overall demand for that baby SAV has been quite high across the world and which is why few are available off the shelf, also by end of 2012 we will have the new 3 which would perhaps again take the weight back onto the 3, and in coming months there are some wonderful upgrades planned for the X1 and 7, will not share details here as I have been specified not to but PM me if you need more information.

Regards,

[souravc]

Originally Posted by julupani

I am more than aware, that Mercedes, Hyundai, Toyota, Renault, FIAT etc have large commercial vehicle divisions.

But the question here is one of brand image.


Also the thing which they are famous for is neither glamorous, nor is it something which is "hot" in India. I am talking about automotive safety, of course.

Well said , Volva and Saab are extremely well known for making extremely safe cars and people in Europe do pay a premium for it .

Volvo cars has long been separate from Volvo Commercial Vehicles and Equipments - it was initially a part of Ford Motors and a few years back was bought by a Chinese company, Zhejiang Geely. Is that saddling it down with a "Chinese " image issue ? I guess for someone who pays 43 lakhs for a car it would be important

[julupani]

Originally Posted by souravc

Volvo cars has long been separate from Volvo Commercial Vehicles and Equipments - it was initially a part of Ford Motors and a few years back was bought by a Chinese company, Zhejiang Geely. Is that saddling it down with a "Chinese " image issue ? I guess for someone who pays 43 lakhs for a car it would be important

Volvo car brand is no longer under the Volvo Commercial Vehicles group, but both of them still use the same Volvo sign and branding. Not an issue in Europe, but I think it will be in emerging markets.

As for the chinese ownership issue, I doubt that has any bearing, unless the Chinese owners actually start interfering in a manner that effects the brand image. After all you see JLR hasnt got bogged down by a "Indian" image.

[noopster]

BMW

3 Series : 195
5 Series : 264
6 Series : 3
7 Series : 23
GT : 4
X1 : 190
X5 : 8
X6 : 18
Z4 : 2

Love it that the 5's outsell the 3's. Pure value all the way. If I ever buy a Beemer, it will be a 5 not a 3!

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by S350L-E240

//M,

The 5-GT for some reason has always been termed as a limited edition car, I believe it is only a marketing gimmick and does not really have any real meaning, also demand is good enough to move a few cars off the floor so they continue selling them. Our local dealer always has one in stock, I still cannot digest that car.

I think they started it off as a limited edition with the petrol V8 engine. And after they all sold out quickly, they introduced it with the 3.0 diesel engine which they sell now.

[amtak]

Originally Posted by architect

The only Subaru sold in India so far - the Forrester - was quite a sales flop. Despite being a wonderful vehicle (I've experienced a friend's Forrester first-hand), it's rallying heritage or SAAB brand did nothing to boost sales.

I remember the vehicle very nicely. All I would say is that it was way ahead of its time.