[foby.sebastian]

Originally Posted by totaloverdoze

we definitely are a dumping ground for example just compare the polo abroad and the one offered in India (headlights and tail lights...)

The current polo can be a victim like first generation fiat Palio in worst case a UNO , will that be the same case for vento? One of my relative took a brand new jetta a year back and it broke down on the maiden trip , it's coolant hose broke , then after we checked some of the parts I have peronally seen it a 2006 dated part on a 2009 model vehicle , then after I posted a thread here , later the dealer was able to identify the car and a person directly from WV gave the explanation for that, it is from that incident I really got the feeling that India is a very good Market to dispose the old inventories , none other than Hyundai dared to launch an international model from India, what's lacking here is that our stringent laws ?

[alabjarus]

Originally Posted by wildon

^^ Take the latest launch example The Ford Figo

Every market gets what it demands, which essentially is defined by the ability of the market to absorb and price points its willing to pay. Car companies too have P&L's and are here to make money. If they feel they can, they set shop in a country. India is price sensitive market and what sells is value products.

Classic example is Quails - Toyota couldn't make enough of it. Market almost wept when they stopped it. For the price it was an excellent product. On the other hand Mitsubishi is launching Evo X at 50 lakhs. One can guess what the off take is going to be.

[anshul_babbar]

We might have all the technologies of the world here, but the only disappointing factor is the Cost/premium automobile companies charge us for the same tech.

A Sonata sells roughly for 10 Lakh rupees in the States and here it costs 16+.
Now I agree that some of it is due to import duties but a major chunk of it is Premium for the technology.

Just my view with a 30 sec analysis, please don't fire me for this. I'm a newbie here

[Simhi]

Friends, what about Indian manufacturers dumping our old technology cars into other markets

Just read this article wherein Maruti M800 is exported to other markets

Maruti's M800 exports surge despite declining domestic demand - The Times of India

[Cartman]

I think yes! The MR-Wagon is what the Estilo is called in its parent country. IIRC, it stopped production in about 2006. Exactly when Zen Estilo production started in India.

I don't understand why India gets a fairly secondary treatment when it comes to driver's cars. Maybe because Indian consumers prioritize fuel economy!

[foby.sebastian]

The above said products were undergoing their final phase in their life cycle when launched here in India, will that be the same case for Santa fe, HMIL was in India for more than 10 years , at the same time Santa fe was also there in production line in sout Korea , if they had plans to launch it as cbu, what made hmil to wait so long?

[Randhawa]

Skoda Octavia with 1.9TDI was sold in India from 2001 onwards while in the rest of the world it was fitted with the engine from Laura and sold from there on.

Where in the world you can still buy the old age Pajero as new when the production of this model was stopped in the rest of the world way back in 2000

Same case for Lancer

[anonymous]

I think right from its inception, Honda is the only company which has been offering same products in India as they do worldwide and this is the reason why H Badge stands out of the class everytime. Though some may say that they charge premium for their products but IMHO, they have the right to do so.

[arin_12]

Note from Mod : You have way too many spelling / grammatical errors in your posts. This greatly reduces the community experience for other forum users. You are hereby instructed to proof-read your posts prior to submission. We also highly recommend spell-checking software.

[SankalpDesai]

A lot has changed since this thread was created but it has still not lost its purpose. There are some manufacturers that believe in 'launching' some products that failed everywhere in our 'growing' market in the name of bringing variants and 'newer' models. This is largely because of the ignorance of us Indians. We are not aware about the world automobile market and hence pick up anything and everything that is thrown at us.

Certainly, there are exceptions. Chevrolet was one company that did a great market research for its mini car - The Beat before launching it in the US and then brought it to India without much delay. It was a winning product that not only got good sales for the company but also gave them the confidence to explore this market. Not to forget the diesel variant.

I personally like the strategy followed by the 3 German luxury car makers. They really know a thing or two about customer relationship management and selling their cars. Indians can now not only buy the latest luxo-barges from these manufacturers but also go to an extent of getting them personalised to a comparable degree like their European and American counterparts.

Never really understood the strategy of companies like Hyundai, Maruti and what-is-the-name-of-that-company...Mitsubishi. Age old models, stickers pasted on the body to create a new variant, monopolistic sales approach and last but not the least - 0 innovation and development. Hyundai is a little better in terms of designs, but can't say the same about the handling of their cars. Sad.

[the VTEC guy]

I voted No. This may have been the truth during the initial stages when the market was opened up for foreign players. Now I think most of the companies are realising and bringing latest models.

[shankar.balan]

Certainly 18 years ago or so this was the case. However it is no longer true because we are considered one of the last growth markets left on earth! Even the notoriously wicked profiteering car manufacturers seem to have realized this fact!

[mempheS.D]

I voted NO.

I would rather agree with the fact that India IS a TESTING ground. Something like a experimenting with a guinea pig or mice. Qualis and Innova are brilliant examples. Etios also partially follows the same line. Toyota definitely gave India what it did not have until then, but we wholeheartedly ACCEPTED it without second thought.

On the contrary, there's Skoda introducing the likes of RAPID which makes no compromise on quality, and definitely a BOLD move by the Czech maker to launch it in India first, and then the rest of the world.

[bullock-Car]

Originally Posted by vishnugnair

I think yes guys .. we get such under rated service and poor technology . stil we have cars like m800, siena's and scorpios ruling the roster. and we pay a forune for these vehicles. the goodd ones r always the out of reach for the majority.

just look at china guys the country we r always compared with. they get so much more and we all the left overs !

Every markets purchasing power is different, in India when M800 was launched, it was great reliability at an affordable price. Considering the average speeds inside city, it is an adequate car for most Indians and also most of the average car owning people still do not travel as much Americans/developed countries on highways.
Though newer technology/features are getting affordable, still India will be price sensitive market for a long time to come.

[suhaas307]

It was, but certainly isn't anymore.

However, having said that, many manufacturers tend to flog particular cars for a period beyond the expiry-date on them. Skoda for example sold the Octavia for a long time, even though it was discontinued in other markets. Cars like the Accent and Ikon have been around for ages, and they are being flogged even though they've gone bad now, and completely stale.

Maruti started this trend by selling several generations of the same car. (800, Alto, Zen)