I asked my cousin why he bought an Innova petrol.
He said.
1) Diesels were unpopular in the US, and he trusted their judgement better than his own.
2) The petrol engine put out more BHP.
3) His company was anyway covering the running and maintenance costs.
I don't necessarily agree with his point-of-view. And I know he's never redlined his vehicle.
But hey, it's his honest point-of-view.
Nevertheless, it got me thinking about the Indian car buyer and his evolving automobile. A long train of thought, harking back to when the hot hatch from Suzuki ended the Fiat-Herald-Ambassador (FHA) era!
When the first Maruti 800, van and Gypsy came in 1983, all cars were 3-box cars.
The Maruti hatches shepherded the old 3-boxers out.
The Maruti 800 was smaller, more fragile yet more expensive (spares cost a bomb too), compared to the ubiquitous second-hand Fiat.
Offering superior reliability, fit, finish, acceleration and fuel economy, it edged out the 3-box cars.
It wouldn't stall in the rain as often as a Fiat or an Ambassador.
With front disc brakes, brake failure after wading through a flooded road, became a forgotten concept.
And you didn't have to do tinwork and painting every 2-3 years.
A flood of hatches followed -- the Zen, Fiat Uno, Hyundai Santro, Daewoo Matiz and Maruti Wagon-R.
They completely turned the tide of public acceptance in favor of the hatch.
A tide that the Tata Indica rode to stardom.
It was the right product at the right time and more spacious than the baby hatches.
After some initial teething problems, the Indica lingered on to become the mainstay the tourist taxi industry.
Along with big brother Sumo, the Indica continues to this day as the most popular call-center commuter.
Positioned as pricey luxury cars, The Maruti 1000 and Esteem weren't welcomed with open arms, when they debuted.
Unlike the Maruti 800 and Fiat Uno, the Indian psyche wouldn't accept them as mainstream cars.
The arrival of the Cielo, Escort and Astra fixed that. In comparison to them, the little Esteem gained perception of being acceptable and fair-priced. Starting with the nation's capital, Delhi, Indian cities filled up with them.
The Hyundai Accent, Ford Ikon, Daewoo Nexia (the DOHC Cielo), OHC and Lancer were the next wave.
Followed by the Baleno, NHC, Optra, Elantra, Octavia and the drum roll goes on...
In the world of truck-based, non-4x4 station wagon bread-boxes, the Willys-Overland 4-75 gave way to the Mahindra Town and Country Wagonette and the Bajaj-Tempo Matador and Trax country-cadillacs. These in turn paved the way for the slightly more refined Commander, Bolero, Tata Sumo, Toyota Qualis, Mahindra Scorpio and Chevrolet Tavera.
We've come a long way, but the Innova doesn't fit anywhere in the Indian scheme of things.
While the Toyota Qualis minivan was based on the Toyota minitruck, the monocoque Innova minivan is more car like, without the handling, balance and beauty expected of a car that size.
By way of buyer perception, it neither has the ruggedness of the Qualis and Scorpio, nor the sweet beauty of the Lancers, Accents and Balenos with whom it shares its price range.
It is not known for fuel economy. It does not fit the rugged chassis-based rough road station wagon image of the 2-wheel-drive Scorpio and Sumo. Like the proverbial laundryman's dog, it's stuck between a car and a van, alienating both sets of customers.
Marketing hyperbole and film-star brand ambassadors can only do so much. No wonder it's hurrying along to its place in the dusty junkyard of market misfits.
Ram |