[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Tata has better business ethics and I would guess the support would be good for a number of years.

As a Tata owner I find this statement interesting!

Few Tigor owner were offered to have Tiago's grill as they didn't have stock. This was when Tigor was doing steady 2000+ units.

One guy in our Pan India group told us that they removed his Headunit and replaced with faulty ones.

P.S: Such statements can't be verified, but these were straight from the owners.

[Reinhard]

Slightly OT. It seems fairly certain that the Hexa will be axed & The Buzzard will become the next flagship model for Tata.
Businesswise it makes complete sense. It would be fairly confusing if they launched a LandRover based Buzzard and kept their previous flagship HEXA alongside it. Might end up being negative for the Buzzard's "status".
So those with an MBA degree will agree with this strategy. Those with interest in mechanical and automotive engineering would protest, like I will.

The most important thing now for Tata (once again & most likely to be not done properly) is to load up the upcoming car correctly and in tune with the ecosystem.
Its going to be a premium car. Just pricing it competitively will not cut the ice anymore. They have learnt it since Indica V2 with absolutely every car they launched so far. They need to check what the Fortuner, Endeavor and especially Mahindra Alturas G4 are offering.

My gut feeling is its going to land up in a territory somewhere between Creta/XUV500 and Furtuner/Alturas G4.

And as usual with neither here nor there pricing as well as feature list - people will either buy the cheaper ones that tick their boxes OR spend even more to buy the more premium offerings.

How in heaven's name is Tata going to break their jinx about their flagship models who knows!

[padmrajravi]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Businesswise it makes complete sense. It would be fairly confusing if they launched a LandRover based Buzzard and kept their previous flagship HEXA alongside it. Might end up being negative for the Buzzard's "status".
So those with an MBA degree will agree with this strategy. Those with interest in mechanical and automotive engineering would protest, like I will.

Correct. It makes sense when you think about it from a business perspective. In fact , unless that 7 seater Harrier comes with AT and 4x4 from get go , it would look inferior in the showroom if placed next to a Hexa. And that is TMLs biggest problem when it comes to Hexa. I think that 7 seater is not coming with 4x4 Auto from launch. It cannot compete with the space and comfort proposition anyway with that dismal third row. And a top end Hexa will destroy the whole land rover DNA angle if placed next to it.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

As a Tata owner I find this statement interesting!

Few Tigor owner were offered to have Tiago's grill as they didn't have stock. This was when Tigor was doing steady 2000+ units.

One guy in our Pan India group told us that they removed his Headunit and replaced with faulty ones.

P.S: Such statements can't be verified, but these were straight from the owners.

Dealership experience can leave a lot to be desired, no doubt, some were worse than the others. I used to talk to Tata customer service to help sort out my issues and they were very helpful. Their products too are VFM & Safe, some bits are well made in comparison to their competition.

The first Indica I saw on the road was a crashed one, It crashed into a truck on a slope that very often has gravel on the road. The driver was able to get out easily by opening the doors freely, it did not get jammed although the front clip was pretty much crushed. This is a big deal back in those days.

I know about the gravel on that road because a Mk1 Innova that belonged to my then boss crashed into a bus on the same spot, driver blamed ABS for it.

[busydrive]

I think many of us in this forum saw this coming. I don't agree that Hexa cannot be made new crash test worthy from pedestrian safety point, if Thar and Bolero can be made! BS6 engine risk was there when this product was launched and Tata knew it might come but they took the risk and positioned it an SUV vs the previous Aria incarnation. And it was not only sheet metal changes, the car was upgraded inside out and we all can see how competent it is. It is a good buy even today.
Now with Buzzard / Casini - it makes sense from positioning point to pull the plug on Hexa and add ensure this new car can take the competition head on with respect to quality and features.
Engineering costs being recovered - not very sure but Tata can do it by keeping an active support line for Hexa. Spares and support can give their dealers a good business on the Hexa line for years. Tata - if you are reading this message DO NOT brand a new car as Hexa and keep the brand running in terms of support and spares. This way you can also do well on your investment and keep the customer base happy.
Who knows in future there might be an opportunity to launch an all new car as Hexa!

[jailbird_fynix]

Spy shots of the upcoming 7-seater. (Source)

[Reinhard]

There are plenty of spy shots coming of the Buzzard & Altroz. What I'm failing to understand is - why is Tata camouflaging these 2 cars so much from the exterior given that they are already revealed in production guise in the Geneva auto show? I'm really confused. I can understand the attempts at hiding the dashboard and interiors as those are not yet fully known & good for some excitement generation & surprise at official launch in the market.

The exteriors are fully known. Its funny to then still wrap them; even inserting dummy ballasts in the wrap to hide the real shape.

[SpideyBoy]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

There are plenty of spy shots coming of the Buzzard & Altroz. What I'm failing to understand is - why is Tata camouflaging these 2 cars so much from the exterior given that they are already revealed in production guise in the Geneva auto show? I'm really confused. I can understand the attempts at hiding the dashboard and interiors as those are not yet fully known & good for some excitement generation & surprise at official launch in the market.

Only reason I could think of is these test mules have been running camouflaged since beginning even before the reveal and they are least bothered to remove it. Also, since the test mules aren't handled well and run on all sorts of terrains out in the mud one may not really like what they see even if it's undisguised, maybe? It is almost same case with many other cars these days.

[prakash_ajp]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

As a Tata owner I find this statement interesting!

Few Tigor owner were offered to have Tiago's grill as they didn't have stock. This was when Tigor was doing steady 2000+ units.

One guy in our Pan India group told us that they removed his Headunit and replaced with faulty ones.

P.S: Such statements can't be verified, but these were straight from the owners.

I actually agree with that statement from Kosfactor and I think that's the general perception too. We should not mix that with (a) Tata dealers having good ethics and (b) Tata being a very successful automotive company.

I will also go as far to say that most car dealers are unscrupulous and do not have high values. Case in point being the Maruti car that came back from the service without being touched. While some manufacturers being able to rein them in, Tata appears to have somewhat struggled.

[yd_gli]

Sad! That's the only expression I have for this. If nothing else, TML should've upgraded the Hexa to prove to their customers (current and potential) that they stand behind their products and don't abandon them when a new product hits the market. This has been going on since the Sierra days and they still haven't realized. If a homegrown OEM like Mahindra can stand behind its Scorpio/Thar why can't TML? They should've re-positioned the Hexa as an alternative to the Crysta and by throwing their weight behind it, the cautious and uncertain customer would've reacted accordingly.
The customization kits (Tuff, Lux and Expedition) that they showcased during launch were drool worthy especially the blacked out one. I never saw a single one of these in the wild. So many lost opportunities.
Not all decisions must be taken based on sales volumes or line capacities. Some products need to be continued/developed to showcase a company's culture/commitment/technology or simply as a mark of thanks to all the people who have put their trust in TML products. The possibility of them offering a 170HP Harrier just a year after initial customers put down 18-20 lakhs for a 140HP one is going to result in a lot of aggravation for the early adopters again.
TML has no halo product in their lineup now and with so many cult names (Sierra, Safari, Hexa) discarded they have put all their eggs in the Harrier basket and that product does not invoke the same emotion (at least for me).

I might still buy a Hexa (used or new) once the discounts set in. It is a super product ruined by an indifferent management.

[locusjag]

I think the Hexa, with its 2.2 tonnes dry weight was a millstone around TML's neck (I'm talking about the CAFE norms). The Harrier weights 1.6 tonnes dry; maybe the Buzzard will weigh in at a tamer 1.8 tonnes? It won't be a slim supermodel, but it won't be a white elephant like the Hexa at 2+ tonnes either!

[N33raj]

Originally Posted by AkMar

I presume you are talking of your Hexa here.

Yes i call the Hexa the elephant; there is an Endeavour that is called the woolly mammoth and there is a Creta that is called the donkey.

Originally Posted by GTO

I completely agree with AkMar!
The Hexa is a very competent MPV.

Originally Posted by krishnakarthik1

I think anyone who bought a Hexa knew this would happen at some point of time and its no surprise.
Don't sell the car in a hurry.
We never know how many potential customers might come shopping for more reliable used Hexas. Keep calm and drive the Hexa for now!

Originally Posted by Steeroid

PM me, please. May consider buying if you’re desperate to sell.

Gentlemen! What i wrote yesterday was due to a combination of a slightly unproductive workday combined with a traffic jam on the way back to office. The first thing i do when there is some time off is read TBHP and this news comes up. So i simply put to words what i thought at that moment!

I was fully aware of what i was getting into the day i signed on the dotted line and got the elephant home but i did not expect it to be so soon. I was still hoping for the 4x4 + Auto GB combination but this news is proof that Tata is not bothered and the Harrier is the way forward; no i am not getting one of those.

My father is the primary user of the elephant now and when i broke the news to him that Hexa is now end of life (EOL), he simply shrugged "so?". He likes it very much and he has a driver to take him around. Hence no sale or any such funny business in the near future.

[maven]

Awesome. You build and end up with the best car in your stable and couple of years later dump it. Makes a lot of sense, TATA. With this I now have a 4 off 4 when it comes to owning subsequently discontinued cars.

If people from TATA read this thread, I say this to you: going forward I am not taking any cars from you even if you give them out free. That includes JLR models.

[AirbusCapt]

Whatever they do, unless Tata refine that crappy fiat engine in the Harrier, that thing won't sell well. Regarding stopping Hexa, they are reducing their monthly sales by about 600/800 units a month. The most foolish company, who wants to kill a product just to launch a new one. As if they are the only players in the market.

[abhi7013]

Originally Posted by yd_gli

ruined by an indifferent management.

Totally totally agree with everything you've written. Products like the Safari, Hexa etc don't deserve a management like TATA. I really pity the product team. I always have this feeling that there is this old traditional guy sitting in a senior TML marketing position, ignorant to market dynamics and coming up with decade old designs and campaigns with half hearted attempts in marketing the cars.
There's a world of difference between the ads produced by KIA, MG, etc when you compare them with TATA.

As for discontinuing products, i was more disappointed when they chose to axe safari than now, when they do the same with Hexa. Kudos to Mahindra for matching their strategies with the mentality of their buyers. Live young, live free was and is the best campaign for me till now!