[compenn]

Haven't seen a single Logan (Or Logoff as someone earlier said) OTR Delhi yet.

Has some fellow BHPian bought it yet!!?

[HSV]

Originally Posted by danlalan

The car NEEDS TO LOOK GOOD....for it to sell..somehow it looks like a 99' or earlier kinda design..Dosent look to date at all.Nothing absolutely impressive about the car.They need a clio to get back on track...and i dont see that happening soon.

You can add the Megane to that!! That'll surely pick things for them.

[theMAG]

In hindsight, I dont think French designed cars suit the Indian market taste as well as say, Italian or Japanese efforts. As an Indian car consumer, I find Peugeot/Renault/Citroen's cars a bit too unconventional for my liking.

Fine Print: There are exceptions to every rule and PoVs are typically expressed with the majority scenario in mind.

[HSV]

Originally Posted by theMAG

Fine Print: There are exceptions to every rule and PoVs are typically expressed with the majority scenario in mind.

Glad you mention this!!!

[GTO]

Saw a customer logan on worli seaface last evening. Just one word : YUCK! It looks so outdated that it has no right to sell as a "new" car in 2007. My sister - who doesnt know that a Mahindra Logan exists - thought that it was a grey market import from the '80s. Beat that.

[navdeep]

Originally Posted by GTO

My sister - who doesnt know that a Mahindra Logan exists - thought that it was a grey market import from the '80s. Beat that.

I think I should get some time and pay homage (I mean visit) at nearest Mahindra showroom

[swathyd]

It resembles corollas and civics from early 80 s. And also accords from 80 s.

[ashutoshb]

Originally Posted by ggkg

Maruti has done a great job introducing their latest latest engine and model. That's the way to go! And then price it reasonably..

If were are talking about introducing the latest...then Maruti definitely should not top the list. Since the 80s they have given us nothing but 'hand me down' cars. cars who stopped selling elsewhere in the world (latest example being..the MR Wagon aka Zen estilo). Its only now...with the entry of more players in the market..they are bringing in new products like the Swift or SX4. Its 'the only way to go' for them if they want to remain the largest player in this market. Had the competition not been here...then today you and I would still ve been drooling at those new bumpers of the maruti 1000!!

Originally Posted by pogusingh

This vehicle has done extremely well in other countries.

It has not done 'extremely' well in any market, although it has done reasonably well in most markets.

Do remember, though, that this same car is priced much more competetively in those markets, and does provide a certain value for money with respect to other products available.

That is certainly not the case in India.

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by ashutoshb

If were are talking about introducing the latest...then Maruti definitely should not top the list. Since the 80s they have given us nothing but 'hand me down' cars. cars who stopped selling elsewhere in the world (latest example being..the MR Wagon aka Zen estilo). Its only now...with the entry of more players in the market..they are bringing in new products like the Swift or SX4. Its 'the only way to go' for them if they want to remain the largest player in this market. Had the competition not been here...then today you and I would still ve been drooling at those new bumpers of the maruti 1000!!

Let me try and enlighten you on this. From the Maruti 800, to the Gypsy, to the 1000, the Esteem, the Omni, the Baleno, the Wagon R, the Zen, the Grand Vitara, all the Maruti models I have mentioned, were sold in India at the same time as they were sold in the world market. That is to say, they were introduced in India while their world sales were going on. The Estilo is an exception, and I am not sure about the Alto.

In conclusion, one realises that one must not make sweeping statements unless they are backed by proof or correct information.

[ggkg]

Originally Posted by ashutoshb

If were are talking about introducing the latest...then Maruti definitely should not top the list. Since the 80s they have given us nothing but 'hand me down' cars.

I was referring to the SX4. Not about Maruti in general. It may be true that they introduced old models in the past when their only competition was Ambassador, but they have moved with the times. I had criticised them for the Zen Estilo decision in that thread.

Had there been no competition, every firm has an incentive to keep selling old scrap. But the leaders are those that change when times change. Maruti seems to be learning its lessons well.

Look at Hind Motors, still selling the same scrap though given their experience they could have become another Tata Motors if they had applied their mind. Same goes for M&M whose product line 90% of it is old stuff from 50s. Shame is they export this nostalgia stuff to developed markets and spoil India's name for years to come.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

Let me try and enlighten you on this. From the Maruti 800, to the Gypsy, to the 1000, the Esteem, the Omni, the Baleno, the Wagon R, the Zen, the Grand Vitara, all the Maruti models I have mentioned, were sold in India at the same time as they were sold in the world market. That is to say, they were introduced in India while their world sales were going on. The Estilo is an exception, and I am not sure about the Alto.

In conclusion, one realises that one must not make sweeping statements unless they are backed by proof or correct information.

Actually Maruti just forgot to discontinue them at the right time.
Let me also remind you that when hyundai introduced the MPFI santro, and Maruti was sitting in carburettor land, they insisted that MPFI will not work on Indian fuel.
Only when the emission rules came into place, there was a rude shock for Maruti, and they had to go the MPFI way.
Maruti is no saint. Every company sees its bottom line. They were not obligated to give out the latest and the greatest. Infact Esteem is still sold and it is a 10 year+ design, and if you compare body shell and structural stability of the esteem to that of Swift or SX4, the chasis shows its age.

What was the last major launch(a completely new model) by Maruti before Swift?
Maruti has started taking initiative only lately, before that it was all react.
And if you remember the 800 and omni, 20 year old models that they are, still sold. Only when sales fall below a certain margin will Maruti discontinue.

In the end all that matters is bottom line and profits.

[man23ish]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Actually Maruti just forgot to discontinue them at the right time.

What was the last major launch(a completely new model) by Maruti before Swift?

Tsk, very well put,

But the readers would also like to remember that there was a mega tussle between the GOI (Govt. of India) and Suzuki Corp. for the major stake-holding in Maruti Udyog Limited. After Maruti became the numero-uno in the Indian market, Suzuki Corp wanted to be a majority stake holder and they discontinued any new models after the Alto to be launched in India.

As a Result, you would get facelifts on Maruti Vehicles that would embarrass a certain Hindustan Motors. Goes on to prove that there was (and probably still is) a dearth of good automobile designers in the country..

Eventually the GOI relented and gave suzuki the majority stake in the venture, the MPFI story happened only after that..

Talk about business blackmailing by Suzuki Corp..

Sorry for going off-topic.. Lets get back on the Logan Thread..

[typeOnegative]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Actually Maruti just forgot to discontinue them at the right time......In the end all that matters is bottom line and profits.

That's very well put. Maruti (Suzuki) is no saint. Thank god for the competition.

[tsk1979]

Not just competition, Jagdish Khattar too, he is one guy in the Indian Automobile industry.
He turned around Maruti to where it is today.
Sadly Mahindra does not have such a visionary at the helm. After Scorpio, mahindra has grown complacent and there is not much innovation coming out, except in farm division.
But a car is not a tractor. A box of the 80s may do well on a farm, but its not going to do them good in the market.
And as a side not, the new tractors from Mahindra are much better looking than the logan.