Quote:
Originally Posted by New_Kid_Jay but as someone who studies cars, it's easy to see the problems even without a TD. |
Welcome to TeamBHP Jay!
Though you are a part of other enthusiast forums, thank you for putting the effort and doing us a favour by jumping aboard this forum
I am curious, since you say you study cars. Help me understand, because anyone who is a member of this forum, became approved to be one because they study cars too. Or do you mean you are academically/professionally into dissecting automobile engineering?
If you are an academic/professional who research automobiles, we would be grateful and lucky enough to understand your points as to why Spresso disgusts you, and what inference you have made to conclude Spresso to be a technically inferior product, so much that Maruti is doing a blasphemy to Indian car buyer?
But if your study of cars is similar to plenty others in this forum, which goes by pure common sense, these are the points that anyone would come up with, as reasons why they dislike Spresso:
1. Looks
2. Proportions that makes it an aerodynamic disaster - high CoG, smaller tyres - a lot of chance for a roll over, or at least, increased body roll- inferior handling characteristics around corners
3. Lack of 5* safety - wafer thin panels, Maruti's infamous structurally unstable platform
Now let me shed some of my understanding about the segment Spresso is placed in.
A segment, which currently consists of
Maruti Alto, K10, Spresso
Renault Kwid
Hyundai Santro
Datsun Redigo
Tata tiago
Tell me which of these is a
1. Aerodynamically efficient
2. Breathtakingly beautiful
3. Safe
Gorgeous Kwid/ premium Santro look good but are unsafe (GNCAP says). Redigo is going to be an orphan without an A.S.S. Tiago is pretty, built strong (doesn't mean it is safe, ex- Strongly built nano, scored 0 stars), and the petrol engine isn't as accomplished as the Maruti's, and Tata A.S.S and QC are something people would rather avoid.
Who is an A segment buyer?
Someone graduating from a two wheeler, with a very limited budget, who wants something that can seat 4. He isn't ready to spend much on service and spares. He isn't ready for breakdowns and niggles. He isn't taking it to Buddh or MMRT to burn the rubber. He wants something that is cheap to acquire and run, can work flawlessly for years to come and has a pretty strong A.S.S backing it up.
This is why Maruti wins the cheap A/B segment game. You cannot expect Maruti to give you a car with European looks and build, Japanese reliability, Italian handling characteristics, Korean features at a 4 lakh OTR price. Well, none of the automobile manufacturers provide such a car. We need to blame all companies if we have to. It is not that Maruti is demanding a Skoda money and giving us a Maruti.
Maruti is doing what any business entity does. Gauge the customer need, satisfy it and make profit out of it. Simple! I am no ways related to Maruti nor am I it's fanboy. I support Spresso here because it does what it intends to do. It completely satisfies a first time car buying non-enthusiast who finds it beautiful and doesn't care about what others think of him driving one.
Maruti doesn't care about enthusiasts. Those who proclaim to be enthusiasts can save up enough money to buy enthusiast cars(definitely nothing from A segment) or go the pre-owned route.
Just lashing out on an entry level car just for its looks and handling characteristics is absurd. If you believe tall boy structures are life threatening, say hi to so many people like me, who have been throwing 2 tonne, tall, aerodynamic blunders like the Safari/Scorpio around corners for decades now. We are all alive and well
