[tsk1979]

Indica/Palio/Getz have same passenger space as a fusion and cost 50% less.
Fusion was a hatch. A big hatch with slightly bigger boot, but nevertheless a hatch. When people can get a sedan with a boot(associated with prestige) at a lesser price why would they go for it?
And a Ford is not a Honda.

[suman]

Originally Posted by goldie_malhotra

The only thing really helping SX4 to redefine the segment is the pricing. And while price wars are welcome, it may not help the end-user in getting a better car.

You are spot-on about the pricing being the factor. I think its the amount of stuff the top end one is packing in at the price its being offered that will help the public make up their minds.

And, better car, isn't that subjective, how would you define it? Is it mileage, is it comfort or is it outright performance or is it overall VFM?

I'm not saying the SX4 is the best but its giving a lot for that price - Airbags & Audio controls on the Steering are an extra over even the Fiesta 1.6SXI at a price that is not all that much more (for the leather version).

Though I would agree that it will take a while for the segment to be redefined.......

[ballkey]

I've sat in an Indica and Getz,and I dont think they compare with a Fusion. I can understand the sedan == prestige factor, but that doesnt take away the car's capabilities. I'd wager the Skoda Fabia would be launched at Fusion's prices.(when it eventually is launched)

I think it was done in purely by high-priced spares, oddball styling & Ford marketing incompetence. Also, a diesel option could've helped.

[benbsb29]

ballkey, somehow i feel the Fusion lost out mainly due to competition from the Fiesta itself, and i am not referring to the diesel variant. People would rather pay up some more and go for the Fiesta than the Fusion, despite it being a good car.

[GTO]

Yup, we can already see Honda feeling the heat with their recent move : linky.

ABS/Airbags is definitely a welcome move - but does everyone out there on the street understand the benefits of having it?

Of course people will want it. For one, they arent paying a premium for it when you compare it to the NHC pricing. Second, there is a lot of media coverage on accidents lately...and this will only lead to safety climbing up the priority ladder. Lastly, customers are getting more tech-savvy and increasingly aware of different options available. I hear a lot of non-car women also talk about airbags.

@Ballkey : Good point with the Fusion. It sure offered a lot butttttttttttttttt among other things...the positioning killed it.

[suman]

Originally Posted by ballkey

I think it was done in purely by high-priced spares, oddball styling & Ford marketing incompetence.

I would agree - also, as GTO said, positioning was completely out of gear

Originally Posted by benbsb29

ballkey, somehow i feel the Fusion lost out mainly due to competition from the Fiesta itself, and i am not referring to the diesel variant.

The Fusion had been around for a good while before the Fiesta arrived though.........so its not that they wouldn't have had ample opportunity to market it well if they wanted to.

[benbsb29]

Suman, i was referring to the relaunch of the Fusion. If i remember right, the Fiesta also existed then? Forgive me if i am wrong.

I wholeheartedly agree though that it wasnt marketed well.

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

..I wholeheartedly agree though that it wasnt marketed well.

I thought Fusion was well marketed. Ford ran huge campaigns and actually went over-board. In Bangalore I could see Ford marketing Fusion as 'Ideal Car for Bangalore'. I guess they must have run similar campaigns in other cities. Later they had price cuts, discounts.

But the product didn't take off.
It went Maruti Versa way.

[goldie_malhotra]

Originally Posted by GTO

Of course people will want it. For one, they arent paying a premium for it when you compare it to the NHC pricing. Second, there is a lot of media coverage on accidents lately...and this will only lead to safety climbing up the priority ladder. Lastly, customers are getting more tech-savvy and increasingly aware of different options available. I hear a lot of non-car women also talk about airbags.

I agree that the awareness is rising slowly. And its only been after the Swift ZXi was launched - there have been at least 3 cases of well-heeled women going for the ZXi in my office itself. The SX4 can only help provide people with more options where there were none earlier.

But still the general awareness is very low - I think more people are buying the SX4 ZXi trim because all goodies including ABS/airbags are in a single package - try positioning that package as
- all options including leather but minus airbags.
- above plus airbags at 20-50k extra.
Then maybe we'll see half the junta preferring to save the 20-50k.

[suman]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Suman, i was referring to the relaunch of the Fusion. If i remember right, the Fiesta also existed then? Forgive me if i am wrong.

You are absolutely correct, the Fiesta was there when the Fusion was relaunched.

[gopz]

So...after reading a lot of posts here, I can infer that Maruti sets the benchmark for other companies to follow..atleast on the pricing or the features set! If SX4 was not launched with airbags/ABS, Honda would continue to not provide it in their NHC as well! Agree?

[suman]

Originally Posted by gopz

So...after reading a lot of posts here, I can infer that Maruti sets the benchmark for other companies to follow..atleast on the pricing or the features set!

In this particular case I would say so as far as the pricing is concerned - wouldn't you agree? Let us not generalize about all cars - don't forget they burnt their fingers initially with the Baleno

[i_m_anaconda]

If our finance minister reduces the duty on sedans also, i see accelrated growth of the segment and SX4.. etc.. will be cheaper than 8 L.

[spindoc]

yeah, Maruti definitely sets the pricing benchmark in all the segments it is present in. Of course, it can afford to do that with the kind of patronage it enjoys - almost all recent launches have been outright bestsellers and i am sure they are even now worrying about strengthening the supply side rather than about poor demand.

Someone had written earlier about Honda having overpriced the City. Why wouldn't they do that, when they enjoyed segment leader status and people were gobbling up cars off the line? It was a classic case of milking the consumer while they could. Now, with the SX4 in the picture, they have no choice but to improve the price-to-features ratio.

[typeOnegative]

Originally Posted by spindoc

It was a classic case of milking the consumer while they could.

I think that was a counter productive strategy. You can make it big through either premiums or volume. Think what a 6-7L OTR City have done to the C,C+ segment. And don't tell me that it was not achievable. Honda chose the premium route and may have finally been cut down to size. Good for them and for the customers.