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Originally Posted by Fountainheader Aarggh! You are getting it wrong out here. The very simple reason that the Alto/800/WagonR have been clocking terrific sales figures is .. because they are tremendously VFM. At the end of the day, India is still a land of the middle-class. And I dont see anything wrong with MSIL relaunching the Alto engine in a new package. People do look out for change, and if there is the same wine in a new bottle, for a regular alcoholic, it doesnt make too much of a difference.
And for all the "Non-Losers", dont we have options ranging from the 1.3 Swift to the 6-liter Rolls Royce ? |
OK, let me clarify.
I certainly don't consider VFM buyers as losers, being a VFM person myself. And I certainly have nothing against an 800cc or 1100 cc engine per se. In fact I am a big fan of the Nano.
By loser what I mean is buying any antiquated crap just because it is a Maruti. Unlike Hyundai or even others like GM or Ford, Maruti (till the Swift, at least) has consistently palmed off the lowest-end and most oudated stuff to Indian customers while at the same time claiming it to be high tech! The multiple versions of all-new Zen (that turned out to be ugly cosmetic changes) and the fanfare around the launching of the 'Zen Estilo' (only launched in India because Suzuki had stopped making that version of MR Wagon and had no use for it's dies and stampings, come to mind. The Wagon R and Alto share the same rubbery gearbox and both the engines, while reliable are outdated and frankly not good enough, even at it's price point, what with the spark and santro being several leagues ahead.
Buying a car is an emotional decision and the feel-good factor comes in to play along with others like practicality etc, regardless of whether you are buying your first car or upgrading from a C to E class. I personally would feel much better going with a car (and company) that is offering me the latest they have to offer and at least offering a powertrain on par with what they offer in the same car in other geographies. Especially when my country is the largest and most profitable market for said company, which is milking is for whatever we are worth.
I had an experience in a Maruti showroom, where I was comparing a competitor's car which was clearly ahead on 4-5 technical parameters, while still a little cheaper than the Maruti car in question. Instead of trying to say something technically to justify the Maruti, all he could come up with was 'But saar, its a Maruti, so its worth the extra money'. I had to think to myself if I was indeed in a Maruti showroom and not a Ferrari or Bentley showroom to justify such snobbery.
If Maruti launches the A-Star in other markets with an all-aluminum EuroV engine (as they will have to), but sticks with the same Wagon R engine and gearbox in India it can definitely be considered step-motherly treatment of Indian consumers. And I only say that because Maruti doesnt have a good record in that regard in the past.
Hence in that context what I mean by loser was people who are queuing up to buy outdated crap just because 'it is a Maruti'. |