[TorqMaster]

I think the Aria was a flop. Flywheel issues, parts failing, etc etc. the Hexa which was based on it with cosmetic changes (of course, with increased parts quality) was a reasonable success. Even now, i see folks longing to buy a Hexa automatic if only it was on sale.

[guru_max]

When it first launched, the first gen figo was not exactly successful but when the market suddenly turned towards diesels, the remarkable 1.4 TDCi really gave the car an advantage and it reached upto sales of 8000 units per month. Of course, as anything with Ford, they couldn't really capitalize on this and the new gen figo just faded away.

[bj96]

When WagonR was first launched, circa 2000, in India, it wasn't popular. Maruti, I remember, used to call it the original "Tall Boy" with a MAV (Multi Activity Vehicle) badging at the rear to counter gen-1 Hyundai Santro which was then the reigning king. WagonR came with 16-bit MPFI "Hypertech" engine while Santro was still 8-bit ECU.

Zen (not the Estillo) and M800 were the kings under Maruti stable. It was in mid 2002, I bought my WagonR Vxi which was about 25k cheaper than Zen MPFI on road in Pune. My friends tried hard to persuade me to pick the Zen instead of the type-1 WagonR citing the model is not successful and maybe discontinued by MSIL anytime. But, my heart was fixated on the latter and as the reality turns out, in just about 6-7y from the launch, WagonR went on to become the highest selling "premium" small car in the country dethroning Zen which was taken off the shelf only to be relaunched as Estillo (failed again) until that too faded into oblivion.

WagonR moniker is still going strong years after .

Nostalgic picture of my original Tall Boy and my girl who is in her late teens now .

Cheers,
-BJ

[jeeva]

The Mahindra Armada when it was launched with the IDI XD4.9P engine was not really a hit. Then came around the Armada Grand with the XD3P engine, power steering, disc brakes, and the works, which again didn't take off the sales charts. Everything changed when they relaunched the same package with the NGCS chassis, IFS, and the frugal MDI3200 DI engine (lovingly called the DI engine), and called it the Bolero! The rest is history.

Based on the same platform, they had the Marshal, Commander, Utiliti, Bolero Pickup, and a hell lot of permutations and combinations to cater to every damn market in this country. The fact remains that each product born out of the Bolero project ruled the roost. To this day, there is no product offering that can beat the Bolero pick-up in terms of frugality, robust mechanicals, and VFM.

[pannags]

Actually, this would be OT, because I'm talking about a car that flopped but should have been a bestseller for what it offered.

The FIAT Avventura featured a tank-like build, brilliant driving dynamics, class-leading ground clearance, superb safety and kit, apart from stunning looks.


Pic Source: FIAT India pic gallery.

Along with the MJD, they also offered the "powered by Abarth" TJET option, but I guess the rather complicated tailgate, spare wheel housing, and cramped ABC pedals were destined to send it straight to oblivion.

One of the taglines, ironically, said, Boring is dead. Adventure comes calling. Boring, it wasn't. Dead, sure as hell.

[Plymouth_Fury]

Can TATA Aria to TATA Hexa be considered as a turn around. I think TATA Hexa was much popular and loved than Aria, which essentially I think is the same car. Personally I too like the Hexa looks than that of Aria. TATA, I believe introduced more features and color options when they launched Hexa.

[girishglg]

We can remember our very humble Maruti van here. Yes before it became a big success, it was not as popular as it's other 800cc sibling, the one and only M800.

Maruti had to actually sell the car with some push and renaming it as the Omni and lo behold there was no looking back from then on. People started believing that it could also be a good alternative for private use as a family vehicle. Must be one of the very early turnaround stories in our auto industry.

[Lowflyer23]

My addition to this thread would be the original Indica. From what I have read, people weren't willing to move away from the Marutis and Santros but the cabby market really loved the practicality and comfort of Indica. The car then started doing decent number after a couple of years.

Originally Posted by GTO

The Altroz started off slow, yet is a rockstar today with its expanded engine lineup.

+1 to that, I saw a HUGE number of them on our recent journey to hometown (particularly near Alwar and Dharuhera). The Altroz has found acceptance even in rural India which makes me believe people are either becoming more aware about safety or the striking looks of the car are the reason.

Originally Posted by pannags

Actually, this would be OT, because I'm talking about a car that flopped but should have been a bestseller for what it offered.

The FIAT Avventura featured a tank-like build, brilliant driving dynamics, class-leading ground clearance, superb safety and kit, apart from stunning looks.

The Avventura never stood a chance, it was priced too close to the EcoSport which was all the rage back then. Moreover Fiat after sales and service didn't have a very good reputation.

[iamahunter]

I am not very very sure of this but I think when the Swift was initially launched, it was not very well received. This is somewhere around 2005.

Come 2007, Maruti introduced the 1.3 DDIS and it was an instant hit with the Indian market, rest is history. I too had mine in 2011, the facelift model.

Later, the Dzire was also termed as a very non-balanced car with a big disproportionate boot, but it too was selling like hot cake, thanks to the success of the Swift.

Both these cars were never available of the shelf.

[saikishor]

The Tata Harrier perfectly fits the bill for this thread. I even remember in the 2019 Team BHP COTY thread, the sales response for the Harrier was described as dangerously close to being marked as a flop. But post the 2020 update, the tides have turned and the car has been selling in solid numbers since then.

[jigar1791@gmail]

How about SX4 ---> Ciaz?

When the SX4 was launched in '07 (IIRC), it did create some buzz backed up by smart marketing, riding high on it's massive GC and MSIL's reliability. Pitted directly against the might Honda City, it was positioned as an SUV disguised as a Sedan.
Initially, it was declared a hit, but over time, sales drizzled down, facelifts couldn't review and the CNG model as well was not accepted well by the market.

In '14, MSIL launched the Ciaz with all the learnings from SX4's failures going into Ciaz, and the result was an overnight success. Ciaz has also dethroned City as the highest selling C2 Sedan for a couple of years, until the onslaught of pesudo-SUVs/CSUVs killing the C2 sedan market.


Regards,
Jigar Shah

[samee_arian]

An idea came to mind while going through some of the posts. Is there a thread for automobiles/bikes that were endorsed by popular personalities (actors/sportsperson) but the products flopped royally.

Some examples that I can quote here:
- Force One - Big B
- Versa - Big B with his baby B
- Mahindra Centuro/Pentero first generation - Amir Khan

[funkykar]

The Tata Nano could have been the best car that could make a turnaround if it had the right leadership. Let's not forget their own marketing of cheapest car (well lobbied by competition), fire incident, the pathetic exhaust note matching an autorickshaw killed and buried it big time. Leaving that aside, the Nano still looks great and cute. Could have been ideal for an entry-level automatic in the busy streets of India, where Automatic is becoming a necessity. It could have been a perfect candidate for an electric version delivering out-of-the-world mileage per charge.

Fiat Palio Adventure is one other car I could think of. If it was relaunched well with the Multijet diesel engine (the well-known National Diesel engine until BS6 came), could have decimated competition of cross overs.

[anubhav3110]

From the two-wheeled brotherhood, RE Himalayan comes to my mind. In fact, the kind of initial niggles it witnessed initially and the way the model ramped up to current levels of refinement (BS6 is quite good) - leading to demand (in India and Abroad) is in my opinion one of the best brand turnaround.

[fazayal]

Originally Posted by samee_arian

An idea came to mind while going through some of the posts. Is there a thread for automobiles/bikes that were endorsed by popular personalities (actors/sportsperson) but the products flopped royally.

Some examples that I can quote here:
- Force One - Big B
- Versa - Big B with his baby B
- Mahindra Centuro/Pentero first generation - Amir Khan

Chevrolet Aveo and Aveo UVA - Saif Ali Khan
Kinetic Boss - Kapil Dev
Fiat Palio - Sachin Tendulkar
Mahindra Verito - Jimmy Shergill
Ranbir Kapoor - Nissan Micra
Ranbir Kapoor - Renault Captur
Varun Dhawan - KUV100
Hrithik Roshan - Tata Tigor

Few I can think of.