[octane_100]

Is any one from Toyota on the forum? I am already sold on the RUSH . The 1.4 diesel from Corolla should do the job IMO.

[gshanky]

Originally Posted by octane_100

Is any one from Toyota on the forum? I am already sold on the RUSH . The 1.4 diesel from Corolla should do the job IMO.

I do agree that there is a great opportunity for this vehicle in INDIA. However, the dash and interiors don't impress me.

I really wish there is a way to convert most of our big hatches like i20, vista, jazz, etc. into a utility vehicle - a la SX4.

Could someone share what is involved in changing the drive train from 4x2 to 4x4 and increasing the ground clearance? Is it even possible with after market fitments?

[shankar.balan]

either this or the little Jimny with a the Swift Diesel engine in it.
would make a lot of sense indeed, given our terrible road surfaces and high petrol prices.

Originally Posted by Zero Cool

A new refreshed Gypsy with slightly more modern looks and the 1.3mjd engine might just do wonderfully well and bring in good sales too if priced around 7l.

[HarvinderSekhon]

Suzuki has Jimmy with 1.6.liter diesel in Europe.

[selfdrive]

yes, this is a totally unexplored segment in India with vast potential. Nobody wants to drive a big SUV everyday, this would be a great option

[hollywoodhogan]

all manufacturers are not fools not to recognize the potential of the segment most of you are talking about. such a segment at the price you wish for is not possible to make and sell today ..... period. your wish will either cost 10 lakhs or you can settle for the bolero.

like someone earlier said, "cant have the cake and eat it too"

[DieselFan]

mahindra is coming with a small MUV/crossover -MiniXylo. Will need to observe its acceptable among Indian consumers.

[ajay0612]

Originally Posted by hollywoodhogan

all manufacturers are not fools not to recognize the potential of the segment most of you are talking about. such a segment at the price you wish for is not possible to make and sell today ..... period. your wish will either cost 10 lakhs or you can settle for the bolero.

like someone earlier said, "cant have the cake and eat it too"

The reason is that most of these manufacturers want to follow the beaten trails. Why give the kid a lollipop when he is happy with candy? That is why Maruti is still making hatches which don't have adequate boot (as compared to Punto, Polo, Figo, even Micra). But still they are selling them by lakhs. That is why we still vote for corrupt politicians and no wonder we reap what we sow.
But things change albeit slowly. These fool manufacturers are soon going to launch Mini Xylo, Wuling Vans, Maruti RIII, Toyota Avanza, etc. in 5-7 lakh range.

[hollywoodhogan]

Originally Posted by ajay0612

The reason is that most of these manufacturers want to follow the beaten trails. Why give the kid a lollipop when he is happy with candy? That is why Maruti is still making hatches which don't have adequate boot (as compared to Punto, Polo, Figo, even Micra). But still they are selling them by lakhs. That is why we still vote for corrupt politicians and no wonder we reap what we sow.
But things change albeit slowly. These fool manufacturers are soon going to launch Mini Xylo, Wuling Vans, Maruti RIII, Toyota Avanza, etc. in 5-7 lakh range.

I said "such a segment at the price you wish for is not possible to make and sell today ...... ". i said "today" but tomorrow yeah, there sure is a possibility. the market is not ready today and thats why no one is making such cars at the moment.

[vivekgk]

I think that the reason companies won't introduce inexpensive soft roaders in India is because they are seen as people movers by the majority of the buyers. SUVs are preferred mostly for their presence, and a small SUV simply doesn't have it. But I do feel that if marketed right, small SUVs can create their own niche if not a whole new segment.

The Premier Rio missed out on it because of the bad quality and archaic drivetrain, and also because it was a Premier. But here's a thought. If you overlook the bad plastics and the Premier brand, what you have is a proven Toyota/Daihatsu chassis/body and a Peugeot diesel engine which was once considered the best in its segment. If the engine had been reworked with a modern common rail top end and a turbo, it would have been great! For the powertrain and features that they offered, the pricing was ridiculous.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by hollywoodhogan

all manufacturers are not fools not to recognize the potential of the segment most of you are talking about. such a segment at the price you wish for is not possible to make and sell today ..... period. your wish will either cost 10 lakhs or you can settle for the bolero.
like someone earlier said, "cant have the cake and eat it too"

you would be surprised how foolish the manufacturers can be with their blinkered view of the market (and focusing on spares costs). would you not crave for normal fat amul butter if only margarine was being provided in the market? or does the average customer just say that the company is not a fool because they have done some research that high salted butter is not good for you? let them provide it and see if it works. and believe me if it works for one, then suddenly every one will forget everything else and start launching crossover SUVs
Allow me to explain with an example of the Scorpio. The VLX retails at about 10L with all the bells and whistles (check the list and tell me how many of these would a car buyer require as basically as seatbelts or airbags). if the scorpio itself had a stripped down version with pnly airbags and abs available, it could retail between 8.5L and 9L. Now if you apply this concept to wholesale production, costs are reduced even further. Apply this to another cheaper SUV, results in lesser price. so a SUV is already available at the 10L price and it isnt the Bolero.
the main point isnt even the cost. it is just that one has to pay more for features which he doesnt really want or use. to use your metaphor, I am looking for bread, but they are providing me with a 3 tiered pastry
None of us are saying they should stop manufacturing fullSUVs, just that there is a demand for crossover SUVs, and there is no supply

[CoolFire]

Yes, manuafacturers at times are blind to the opportunities available. The best example from Indian auto history, though with lesser wheels is the Honda Activa. Every manufacturers had started writing off the scooter segment when Activa came and took the market by storm. And, as is the usual case every one started running after modern scooters.

One other example (hopefully by Toyota) was the runaway sucess of Qualis when it was launched. Manufacturers, like most humans and Corporates are driven by the cliche'd herd mentality.

I would like to believe something is round the corner which can open up this highly potential sector, though the price may be slightly higher than the time when we started this discussion, maybe around 8 Lakhs, but with the quality at least of what is availabe in cars now costing around 6 Lakhs.

[hollywoodhogan]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

to use your metaphor, I am looking for bread, but they are providing me with a 3 tiered pastry
None of us are saying they should stop manufacturing fullSUVs, just that there is a demand for crossover SUVs, and there is no supply

sorry you form a small minority and it not viable for a manufacturer to make bread for few of you, when there are many many ready to buy 3 tiered pastry. when the numbers of buyers of your taste grow sufficiently then am sure several manufacturers will start making bread.

[shankar.balan]

imagine if Ford brings something like this into the system - a nice compact mid size SUV with a powerful Diesel engine and 4WD + all the safety features and trims.
of course expecting it to be priced at 7 lacs maybe asking too much, but such a vehicle could easily slot into the 12-15 lac bracket with a high level of indigenization and local assembly - Ford has the infrastructure now - hope they use it.
considering their success with the Figo - they have proven that they are good at value engineering and providing a decent bang for the buck.

[ajay0612]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

imagine if Ford brings something like this into the system - a nice compact mid size SUV with a powerful Diesel engine and 4WD + all the safety features and trims.
of course expecting it to be priced at 7 lacs maybe asking too much, but such a vehicle could easily slot into the 12-15 lac bracket with a high level of indigenization and local assembly - Ford has the infrastructure now - hope they use it.
considering their success with the Figo - they have proven that they are good at value engineering and providing a decent bang for the buck.

Even if they launch refreshed Fusion (with diesel engine) with sideways child seats in the boot, it would be a roaring success even at Rs 7.00 Lakh price. These manufacturers need to see the writing on the wall before it is too late for many of them.

Fiat could have launched Panda, instead of competing with Tata (already proving to be futile attempt) by launching products with similar engine and functionality.