Wanting to buy a XenonXT, Tata won't let me see one Okay this is something I was always afraid of. This situation. Something I want to buy but I can't because of silly reasons and babu mentality of our country men.
1. On my way to work, I saw one heavily modded Tata Xenon XT. I was smitten. Instantly. It looked straight out of Texas. It has the biggest tires on any car in India, the Geloandar M/T's. The best the off-roading world can offer. Was black and looked fierce.
2. Went to work but could not somehow put my mind in it. I had to check this car out. Googled it heavily and found only European sites detailing its specifications.
3. Found some modded ones and loved it to the core. The thought of a 4WD with 4 seats and a loading bay for the Golden Retriever that I'll have in the future just made me want it more. 140BHP and 320Nm of torque of course helped. I was going crazy. The limited slip differential was something I only had dreamt about.
4. Went downstairs. Started my Fiesta, which is just too middle class for my tastes but expensive for my purchasing capacity. Drive straight to BU Bhandari on Pashan road. WHile parking my eyes eagerly searching for a Xenon parked somewhere so I could get a peek. it wasn't there.
5. Parked my Fiesta hurriedly and almost ran inside to ask the guy for a test drive or a look or anything. The salesman came to me and said, the person who takes care of the Safari and Xenon is not there. I need to come tomorrow. I laughed at brand Tata.
6. Not giving up, I asked for the price list of the Xenon. It read 9.57 lacs On Road for Individual Purchase. My eyes lit up and he even said they will give discounts. This was for 4WD. I got tears in my eyes for want of this truck. I could not control it. He said, if you want to see this vehicle, go to our Wakad Service center. You will find one there.
7. Happy again and paying no attention to time or anything else, I drove to Wakad, another 15kms from where I was. Went straight in and saw a line of Tata and Fiat cars. I asked at the countet if I could have a look at the Xenon. The guy though confused, directed me to the 1st cabin on the right.
8. Asked the person on the table and he was then joined by a smarter english speaking guy who could somehow understand my desperation to see this vehicle. The other villagers could not a bit. They thought I am wasting their and my time. The english dude was in sales and went inside to ask his manager of they could do anything about this situation. A minute later, they couldn't. They just said, it is very difficult for them to show me that vehicle. It is never on display and of I want to buy one, I could just book it and see it later when I recieve it. Funny but true. I am not buying a Tata by not looking at it, however brave I might be in my decisions to buy an impractical car which no one else buys that too in a village herd mentality country where people buy just what the neighbours buy.
9. I was asked to call Pandit Auto on Tilak Road. I was surprised at the reluctance rather the tendency to just let it be kinds you know. Whatever. I started my Fiesta again and googled Tata dealers in Pune. First I called the Pandit Auto delaer somewhere in PCMC. The lady picked up and I asked if they got the Xenon. She said "Sir thats a Mahindra vehicle isn't it?" I said no madam, Not Xylo, I want Xenon. She was embarassed and said okay okay and went in the background checking away. Of course she said No they dont have one.
10. I then called the Tilak Road Pandit Auto and they spoke in English automatically. I said I need to see one and told them they had to help me since they were the last dealers I could contact. The phone was handed over to one Manish and he said it is not possible to show me the car but if it was, he would certainly get back to me. I was amazed at the situation. It has happened to me often, when I ran around town to buy my Nokia E90 before it was launched and the N900 when it was available only in States. This was somewhat similar but not totally. I want a vehicle that is in the market alright but it is a niche vehicle and unfortunately, our market just dishes out i10 after i10 and that is all people know.
11. It has been 3 days and no cals have come for me to show any Xenon XT. It is available in only BS3 but I can still buy it becuase I have an address of outside PMC limits, which will discount the vehicle further. But I want one and I want it in Red. These Tata's and Fiat's, having dealt with them in the past are just too babu'ish to do any game changing in the market. Am I ahead of my time or plain foolissh I don't know but I know I want a vehicle like that and don't want to spend 11.6 lacs on a Scorpio 4WD, just becuase ... the Scorpio does not offer 4WD on lower versions.
12. We need more affordibility and availability in the country for 4WD vehicles. I am done with the Fiesta in 3 years flat and I am looking for a Xenon XT. For 9.57 Lacs OTR Pune for AWD it is my dream to buy one and fitting them with Geolandar M/T's is the another part of that dream. A winch and some mud plunging is what I think about all day. If only Tata's were a little progressive in the lifestyle space and get rid of the illiterate Babu's who are plain slow and bored, they would probably be able to sell a few in India too. |