Team-BHP > The Indian Car Scene


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Old 6th March 2010, 13:02   #16
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Cars like Civic, Corolla, Camry and Accord still come with steel rims abroad for base versions. Atleast here they come standard with alloys.
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Old 6th March 2010, 13:12   #17
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Civic and Corolla are still offered with steel radials for the base versions in India as well. However, Camry and Accord have alloys as standard.
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Old 6th March 2010, 14:45   #18
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Honda and Toyota are premium brands in India, not abroad!

the alloys are not standard in some cars just to keep the damn cost down for people who shout at the top of their voice to give us indians cheaper cars!

have money buy your own alloy!
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Old 7th March 2010, 02:15   #19
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I guess it is kind of a better thing not to have company fitted alloys because the after market has a wide range of styles which practically no company can offer. Moreover the trend keeps on changing and i don't think any one would offer different sizes and styles of wheels for the same car.
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Old 8th March 2010, 13:10   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Live To Jive View Post
That's like saying the only the Ambassador is suitable for Indian roads.
No. That is not what I meant. It is simple. As a consumer, steel wheels are easier and cheaper to replace than alloys.

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Originally Posted by Live To Jive View Post
Come on times have changed. Alloys can be used on all sorts of roads. And in case you the roads you drive on are bad you can always "Upgrade" from OEM alloys to Aftermarket Steel Rims. Or maybe the the manufacturers can offer steel rims as optional extras for those who don't want alloys.
Correct me if I am wrong here - The number of people opting for steel wheels should be higher that those who opt for Alloy wheels, which is why steel wheels come as standard and alloys as optional.

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I will just take one manufacturer to offer alloys as standard across the range and others will be forced to follow.
I doubt it. Why would anyone want to rock the pricing boat? Offering alloys as standard will have a direct upward impact on the car price, which IMO is not a wise thing to do in this cut throat car market.
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Old 8th March 2010, 20:42   #21
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I've seen how the engineers & purchase departments are at loggerheads to save 300 rupees. And we are talking about 10,000 rupee (and upward) alloy wheels here! From their POV, Rs. 300 x 1,00,000 cars a year = Rs. 3 Crore. From a single part alone!! Now, consider that the average car has 8000 - 10000 parts.......who can blame manufacturers for trying to cut costs in a market where VFM is everything?

Remember, the Indian market, especially this side of 10 lakhs, is very price sensitive. Search on the forum itself for instances of how a 10,000 rupee difference broke many a potential deal.
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Old 8th March 2010, 23:45   #22
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Why didn't the same logic work for the 2 wheelers alloys?

I think it just needs one manufacturer to offer alloys as part of the standard equipment for others to follow suit.

Economics of scale will bring down the cost of the alloys significantly. Imagine if a hatch like the Polo comes with alloys as standard.

Won't other manufacturers think twice before giving steel rims in their cars?

Just like how the air conditioner, the power steering, etc became standard on cars, it won't be long before alloys, abs, airbags, other ''Optional'' addons will become standard on cars.

PS: Come to think of it, every bike has a button start now!
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Old 9th March 2010, 08:58   #23
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It is all about volume. 2 wheelers got volume so they can bring alloy wheels and button start.
Volumes are rising in Indian car market also, it will take some time but it will happen. It is just a matter of time.

If we see the sub 6 lac category, the competition is cut throat so to increase the sales somebody may offer it and if that model became successful then the trend will continue.
Remember pulsar is a success.
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Old 9th March 2010, 11:24   #24
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Alloys are not standard in cars in any market, whether its US/UK/Europe/ Japan. The simple explanation is to have a product with different variants across various price points to for various categories of customers.

I for one wouldn't lik eto have alloys in my SUV as they will be out of shape in 3 months.

Rather than alloy wheels, I hope that both side ORVM and ABS becomes standard across all cars/variants. That would be actually beneficial to the public as well and not just a cosmetic upgrade.
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Old 9th March 2010, 12:17   #25
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i dont agree with the cost arguement

Its the converse in fact. its a revenue enhancement tactic. Basically, the gross profitability of any car to the manufacturer will increase as you buy the higher end variants

So the manufacturer basically wants to encourage you to buy the higher spec version by keeping as many of the goodies stacked in there.

Bikes have alloys as standard, because there isnt much scope for a higer spec or a lower spec variant (thanks to most products being mass market).
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Old 9th March 2010, 12:41   #26
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Everything boils down to cost. It is much cheaper for alloys on a bike than it is for a car.

They try to put products that result in an optimaly reasonable cost. Same reason why they dont put K&N stock replacement filters or fog lamps when they can actully do so. But every simple small factor adds to the expenses
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Old 9th March 2010, 13:03   #27
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You cannot fit tubeless tires if there are no alloys, and cost difference of alloy vs wire wheels for 2 wheels is much less than cost difference for 5 wheels of car.
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Old 10th March 2010, 00:39   #28
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i think it is the cost...to reduce that, the car makers opt for rims. i case of bikes, there are less no. of variants & the price gap is lesser compared to car variants.

also the 2 wheeler market in india is very sensitive. a small change here & there will drive the entire market(alloys-everyone uses them, pulsar type instrument cluster-each bike has it etc.) whereas in case of 4 wheelers that is not possible.
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Old 10th March 2010, 08:14   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by acidkill View Post
Its the converse in fact. its a revenue enhancement tactic. Basically, the gross profitability of any car to the manufacturer will increase as you buy the higher end variants

So the manufacturer basically wants to encourage you to buy the higher spec version by keeping as many of the goodies stacked in there.

Bikes have alloys as standard, because there isnt much scope for a higer spec or a lower spec variant (thanks to most products being mass market).
Very right. Same funda used for ABS & Airbags. If you want them them buy the top variant with lot of stuff which you may not want.
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Old 11th March 2010, 05:03   #30
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Very right. Same funda used for ABS & Airbags. If you want them them buy the top variant with lot of stuff which you may not want.
The only reason why ABS and airbags are fitted in Europe is the law. If they would get away with it in Europe they would sell cars with wooden benches and without wind screen.

And steelies aren't that bad. Most of them are considerably lighter than alloys, which doesn't only reduce unsprung weight, but also helps acceleration.
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