[octane_100]

Correct me if I am wrong when I say that the COTY award is not necessarily for the best car of the year. It is more for a car which is most relevant to today's market and the one which has shook up the segment by bringing in tremendous value to the table.



Now for the other argument, we have strong badges in the competition in the new Swift, Ertiga, Amaze and Santro which are all crowd favourites and from more popular brands. Then there is the CRV too which has its own fan following. So no way this year's competition was weak!



However, going by the current trends a case can be made out on the fact that 63.03% of the people did not vote for Marazzo!!

[ashlil]

I did not vote this year, since none of the cars really appealed to me.

Marazzo seems way overpriced when I compare it with Ertiga. Its price will be its kryptonite, I think. Ertiga is so much better in comparison. I wonder why bhpians preferred Marazzo to Ertiga.

[JediKnight]

Originally Posted by harishpr

+1.

Mahindra Marazzo as COTY 2018 - What a Joke!

Yes, I respect the voting process and the verdict. However, i cannot digest the fact that Marazzo is 'THE' Best Car of the Year!

Why don't we seek votes 'class wise' ? Comparing Marazzo with Volvo is like

You may not like a car, but calling COTY 2018 a joke implies you actually have no regard for the voting process or the verdict.
Just saying "i respect" does not mean anything.

[GrandTourer]

Originally Posted by harishpr

Why don't we seek votes 'class wise' ? Comparing Marazzo with Volvo is like

Please read the first post of the thread. The point is not to have COTY for every category. The auto magazines are already doing it. What you got to see is that Marazzo punches more weight than any other car in it's category, which appeals to a lot of people here.

Just as an example, If the Volvo brought something special that it's segment didn't to make it stand out, I'm sure it would have won the TBHP COTY.

[Sebring]

We were at a roadside cafe, and I couldn't help but admire the distinctive front of the Marazzo, COTY 2018. The car looks great from all angles!

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Guys, there's a reason we have a seperate 2018 Enthusiast's cars thread on Team Bhp. Linking it here incase anyone missed.

Let's not mix it up with COTY, neither dilute our own choice of a COTY trying to pull it down just because it may not be sportiest choice in town.

[gururajrv]

Like CD mentioned above, it wouldn’t be right to pull down or question the credibility or the choice of the users in the forum itself for the COTY. When Anand Mahindra himself calls it a honour to receive this award from TBHP, which is a testimony to the forum depicting the status maintained in the minds of the manufacturers, it’s in the best interest we accept and move on instead of creating a contest within ourselves here.

Kindly treat this choice with utmost respect and let’s hope to have more cars listed for 2019 COTY as GTO advised, 2018 to be a dry year in terms of launches in cars segment.

[ac 427]

How far is Team-bhp's COTY from reality?

That is the question that is troubling me.

I don't have a problem with the Marazzo being the COTY, but do what the 'informed' audience i.e - the team-bhp audience have a pulse on the market? Does our choice reflect the larger buying populations choice? Or is this just another 'Pseudo Enthusiasts COTY' thread.

Let the below stats answer.
Mahindra Marazzo sales
Oct - 3810
Nov - 3387

Innova numbers:
Oct - 6700
Nov - 5425

I haven't seen the December numbers yet. P.s: request to update if anyone has the numbers.

IMHO - if the car is being brand a COTY - the least it should be doing is blazing the competition in its own category.

cheers,
ac

[lurker]

COTY in Team BHP lexicon perhaps means revolutionary product that even started a segment of its own. A segment buster product that has breakthrough manufacturing standards and passenger satisfaction in using the product. The desirability of the product in eyes of potential owners. None of the above contradict with Innova selling in high numbers and mahindra doing half those numbers. Innova is a franchise that is now two decades old, it will have it's own robust fan following and it has already been COTY on many polls when it was launched and during crsyta facelift.

So let us not confuse between successful products like Innova, Ertiga, Brezza and a newly launched product that will establish slowly like Marazzo

[Zappo]

Originally Posted by ac 427

Let the below stats answer.
Mahindra Marazzo sales
Oct - 3810
Nov - 3387

Innova numbers:
Oct - 6700
Nov - 5425


IMHO - if the car is being brand a COTY - the least it should be doing is blazing the competition in its own category.

cheers,
ac

I don't know what kind of a logic is this. By your definition then People Mover category will never see another COTY till Innova ceases its market grip? By similar logic, most Marutis are their segment leaders and thus there will be no COTY in those categories as well? Or, for that matter, just because Activas are top sellers in scooters by a huge margin year after year, for decade plus hence there will be no other scooter of the year?

COTY can not be based solely on the monthly sales of the car. While that can be an important parameter but there are far more number of things that can swing people's vote. The point is about whether the vehicle in question brings in any kind of a fresh approach towards building something in the category that sets it apart. Whether it excites you in any way? Whether you think it has the capability to raise the bar in future. There can be many such considerations that may make one vote for a particular vehicle.

[Muski]

Originally Posted by ac 427

How far is Team-bhp's COTY from reality?


Mahindra Marazzo sales
Oct - 3810
Nov - 3387

Innova numbers:
Oct - 6700
Nov - 5425

IMHO - if the car is being brand a COTY - the least it should be doing is blazing the competition in its own category.

cheers,
ac

No offence but I feel whenever we make sweeping statements of these kinds, we fall into confirmation bias. This happens because we interpret data to suit our point of view.

An opposite point of view would argue something like this.
If we talk about car of the decade, Innova Crysta is sure going to be one of the top contenders. A 25L car which everyone agrees is far overpriced, which was launched with a very sizable premium over its previous model and still sells more than 7k average monthly is astounding!! The fact that Marazzo in its launch year sells even half of what Innova Crysta does on monthly basis, a product which has 20+ years of reputation behind it right from Quallis days, proves how competent a product Marazzo is.


The reality will be somewhere between the two above view points. Marrazo I believe is a very competent product and no doubt one of the most exciting launches last year.

My humble request is let's not dismiss it just like that.

[1100D]

The Marazzo winning the COTY is actually sending an encouraging message to Mahindra, especially since the New Generation Scorpio is being developed at the same technical design center and is likely to benefit from the competence to get the basics as well as the safety right from the inception.

[ac 427]

Originally Posted by Muski

No offence but I feel whenever we make sweeping statements of these kinds, we fall into confirmation bias. This happens because we interpret data to suit our point of view.


My humble request is let's not dismiss it just like that.

None taken

Yes you are correct. I have taken sales figure as the 'acceptability' of the product. And there by directly co-relating it with the success of the product. Correct or incorrect is a discussion to be had.

My POV is quite simple. I believe that all of us (BHPians) are supposedly known to have a superior understanding of the car (when i say car, i am including everything in it. Brand Bias, Product Bias, Dealer/Service Bias). Hence when we rated the Marazzo as the COTY, ideally it should have won on ground too.

And hence I started my post with the question.
'How far/distant is the BHP COTY to the actual acceptability/success of the car'.

Originally Posted by Zappo

I don't know what kind of a logic is this.


COTY can not be based solely on the monthly sales of the car. While that can be an important parameter but there are far more number of things that can swing people's vote. The point is about whether the vehicle in question brings in any kind of a fresh approach towards building something in the category that sets it apart. Whether it excites you in any way? Whether you think it has the capability to raise the bar in future. There can be many such considerations that may make one vote for a particular vehicle.

The logic was explained in my post, I have re-iterated again for better understanding.

Also I fail to understand what Marazzo has done new? Has if figured out how to seat more people in lesser space? Has it redesigned the way People carriers are? Is it at the least a generation ahead of competition (Ertiga/Innova)? IMHO - the answer for all of the above is NO.

Maybe you know something more than me about the Marazzo

Kindly note, am not disrespecting the public opinion. or Disrespecting the Marazzo.

My question again...at the cost of repeating myself was/is.
'How far/distant is the BHP COTY to the actual acceptability/success of the car'.

Peace & Cheers,
ac

[Aaron:)]

A little late in the day, but here's my 2 cents.

Having voted for the Marazzo, I'm glad it won because it is definitely the most deserving. It's not just capable for a Mahindra, it's a capable car, period.

Cars that deserve a special mention -

- Hyundai Santro: A great city car, would've been perfect it got safety features as standard. Brings quality to the budget segment.

- Honda Amaze: Jack of all trades - Good at everything, exceptional at none, but the Diesel-CVT combo is a masterstroke.

- Maruti Ertiga: A huge step up from the previous generation, a perfect package for the Indian family. Hope it performs decently well in the crash tests.

- Volvo XC40: Easily the sexiest car in its segment.

What I can't fathom is the Swift winning the ICOTY award. It has below par build quality, poor crash safety, and even the FTD factor has been severely diluted. It's not the cheapest car, nor is it the best equipped, and it isn't the best looking either. Give me the previous generation over the current one anyday.

[devilicious]

I'm amazed at Ertiga winning any awards. This MPV is in our office cab fleet and is one of the worst when it comes to legroom space and thigh support at the rear. When would us Indians come out of this Maruti Suzuki fetish?