[pk_del]

Nice thread.

But I feel its a a very partial thread targeting only TATA Motors when other car manufacturers are also slowly and 'slyly' deleting the features.

I am a current Hexa owner and I am very much hurt by this thread where team members are targeting one automotive manufacturer without any fault of theirs.

I am not sure how many are owners of their new products, TML has been been very proactive in supporting their customers and are trying their very best to resolve issues quickly.

This particular thread is not doing them any good. On one side we promote unbiased opinion and other side we are allowing this thread to demean one particular manufacturer when all other manufacturer are also following the same practices.

-PK

PS: I am not associated with TML but I am well wisher of our local manufacturers

[r0nit7]

This is inexcusable

I remember going for a Ford Ecosport Test-Drive and the TD vehicle had a cooled glove-box, front armrest and some other stuff which I don't remember now - features which were not even available on the top-spec variant at the time, and I felt very disappointed. Even the SA was slightly ashamed.

Now the Tata dealerships would have the same TD vehicles from around an year back, well at least most of them. Does Tata have the brand leverage to tell people that certain features which are part of those TD vehicles have now been removed. Some other brands might even get away with it, but Tata - simply NO.

Such negative publicity is never welcome, especially on a forum like ours - but more so in the case of Tata who are in the middle of marketing their 2.0 revival and launch of a premium product like Harrier. This is nearsightedness from Tata and even with all these shenanigans, they simply cannot make up for the losses that JLR is incurring world-wide. So why dupe your home market when you've worked so hard to re-earn some goodwill. Again, completely inexcusable!

[GTO]

Originally Posted by pk_del

I am a current Hexa owner and I am very much hurt by this thread where team members are targeting one automotive manufacturer without any fault of theirs.

Please don't be hurt - this is objective feedback to a manufacturer on making things better for customers. If you were to buy a Hexa today, would you want one with or without the missing features? The answer is obvious.

[RevJ]

Pointing fingers at manufactures for omitting or adding any feature is not right, in my point of view, that too Tata. Past years they have shelled out some good cars and gained some traction in Indian market. Their cars are good, value for money and comes with good warranty plans too.

If we create threads for omission of feature of every vehicles, this will just become a rant for attention. Information is always good, pointing fingers and passing out-right judgement is not diplomatic. A honest shout out from a forum watcher.

[Motard_Blr]

Maruti is the king of cost cutting in India. Obviously they have the advantage of volumes. Not so obviously, they have honed their supply chain over the years that a big cost saving comes from efficiency that is the result of careful planning, quality control, reduced waste, etc.

However, Maruti cars have never been known for being feature-rich. Most Marutis at the lower end are basically 4 wheels, a powertrain and the body. A few years ago they shamelessly advertised "provision for fog lamps" as a feature in the wagon R!

TML has an ex-Maruti guy steering the sales and maybe some of that Maruti attitude carried over. It's a very difficult balancing act between cost and features and TML risks alienating buyers. I just hope that these cost-cutting measures are only aimed at features rather than quality, durability and refinement. Tata is not (yet) known any of the latter and it would be a shame if they shoot themselves in the foot.

[Theyota]

Input prices (especially commodities) have gone up significantly for all of industry. If they transfer all of the cost increase to customer, the market size will shrink further. If they do not transfer the cost increase, they will not make money. They are here to make money not blow up money like our government or Air India. It is fully ethical practice to cut costs in all industries. They are selling you what they are showing you when you go to buy a car in their retail outlet.

There is nothing sly about it. What makes you think like that is beyond my thoughts.

[captain.torque]

I think I have a solution for this!

Now, this might seem a bit far fetched but nevertheless hear me out.

Those of us who DON'T intend to buy a new car, take some time out on any day of the week, be it a lazy Sunday or a mid-week office bunk and call up the nearest Tata dealership.

Book a test drive of the Hexa/Tiago/Tigor (the cars in which the features have been deleted).

During the drive, ask the dealership guy about the features of the car and when he is done mention those that are no longer available. Insist that you booked the test drive as you were specifically lured by the missing bells and whistles and don't forget to frown

Before bidding goodbye, tell the person that you would have "seriously considered" the car if Tata hadn't deleted the said features.

I think this will be the most effective and swift way of sending feedback to Tata.

[amoghchaphalkar]

Originally Posted by Theyota

What makes you think like that is beyond my thoughts.

I can't speak for others, but the feeling that I get after reading posts of many owners is that they are feeling cheated. That alone justifies the title.

I go to buy a feature-laden car (based on reviews) and then I realise that what I had seen is not what I am going to get. Also, if you notice: the data on deleted features is coming through unofficial sources (Whatsapp groups, internal sources etc.) or enthusiasts with a keen eye are discovering the omissions. The manufacturer, proactively, is not coming forward nor are the sales executives educating the customers. That, in my opinion, is the concern. There is an air of ”let’s slip this in quietly” about the whole thing.

[doxinboy]

As someone previously mentioned, it will be apt to include all other manufacturers who are removing the features. Targeting TATA alone looks like a biased thread.

That apart, what motivates a manufacturer indulging in these desperate measures is purely economics. There was a case study, if I remember correctly, of an Airlines which removed a leaf of cabbage from their sandwich and the result was a stunning turnaround in profits.

[AdityaDeane]

Someone in the above discussion wanted that we should post the Brochures of these models when they were launched and now, I have a few brochures of Tata Tiago, Tigor, Nexon and Hexa, I am uploading here. Maybe that'll help...

At the time when I had uploaded the DELETED FEATURES in the Hexa post, as can be seen in the Brochure, I had rightly written that Steering Mounted Audio and Phone Controls had not been deleted. But, in the new Brochure with XM+ variant, the base model is devoid of Steering Mounted Audio and Phone Controls, so that was not a mistake on my part!!

[landcruiser123]

I wouldn't single out Tata as this is common among so many brands- Ford and Hyundai are major culprits in the last few years.

But this move will hurt the company as they are finally finding their feet in the market with some good cars. They are in simply no position to take a backward step as they still have to go a long way to earn the trust of many customers.

Case in point: I personally know three people who bought the Innova crysta. They wouldn't even consider Hexa.

[nainan]

What I am not able to wrap my head around is that Mahindra is able to offer feature rich cars at excellent pricing. The Tata group even had a majority of the supply chain also in house so what stops them from having a cost structure equal to if not better than Mahindra. This is an advantage every Indian bike maker uses to thr hilt to launch vehicles loaded with features at affordable prices and good quality.

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by RevJ

Pointing fingers at manufactures for omitting or adding any feature is not right, in my point of view, that too Tata.

And may I know as to why is not right? We have [forum members] have almost always noticed missing features and almost always a thread is out in honor of them. So why should we single out Tata?

IIRC, there is a thread for Hyundai/Ford, there must be for others as well if something of this sort has happened.

If we create threads for omission of feature of every vehicles, this will just become a rant for attention. Information is always good, pointing fingers and passing out-right judgement is not diplomatic.

Who wants to be diplomatic, you/me have paid our hard earned money for that particular car in that variant for all those features. You book the car and what you get during delivery is a car which has been stripped of few features, how would that feel?

And you ask me not to be vocal about it, why?

[aniyo]

I don't think our forum is biased.

Ford has been bashed for many issues including tinkering with the features of Ecosport and Endeavor.

Hyundai has also been called out for feature goof-up for both i20 and Creta. Although Hyundai can get away with it for three reasons,
1. It is an established player in this space and both i20 and Creta are well accepted product.
2. Re-sales of these products is very high compared to TATA so couple of features missing or paying higher up initially is not such a big deal.
3. No competition for both i20 and Creta. In premium hatchback space it is either i20 or Baleno that's it. And in case of Creta there is virtually nothing challenging it right now.

So once you are established you can call the shots but not when people have moved past the baggage of yesteryear and buying TATA again.

Let us not forget, Hyundai built its brand for over a decade with good products and feature rich cars to counter the domination of Maruti. It is just last 2-3 years that they are trying to charge a premium for their products.
Tata needs to follow this else the interest will fizzle out

[JoshMachine]

Quite an interesting thread and it could not have come at a worse time for Tata, especially what with everyone out there ready to make a fast buck in the ongoing festive season.

Clearly, some of these omissions are not-so-properly-thought omissions (like the engine temp indicator omission on Nexon XZ variant as an example).

However, just to be fair to TML, can someone get any views from their so-called "reliable sources" at Tata, as to what really prompted them to resort to such actions?
Economics, or the lack of it, seems to be the answer so far. But it would be interesting to know if there is any other underlying reason.

With Mayank Pareek heading TML's strategic Marketing & Sales function, buyers (and us forum members) surely are disappointed with this "U-Turn" of product innovation from the Tata stable.