[gshanky]

Tata Aria 4x2 Review added here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ve-review.html




Did TML realise already that ARIA needs a 4X2 variant to increase the sales numbers?

Do our TML insiders know of any additional details?

The source is at - Tata Aria caught testing | Goa On Wheels

[harimakesh]

Good move to offer 4x2 with a matching MUV price will surely help Aria sales volume go up.

What Tata needs to do if more volume of Aria sales is a justful price correction of 2-3 lakhs across all existing Aria models.

[sidindica]

Even I suspect. Recently on my trip to Pune I too caught two arias testing outside the Tata Plant. The silver one has a 4 by 4 badging whereas the sardania red had no badging whatsoever. Could be some routine testing also..

[KALINGA]

Yes , This is expected from TATA.
Otherwise on this price tag TATA can not expect big sales number.

Common TATA ...
Give us a 4X2 ARIA with ABS and front two AIRBAG at 8.5 lac EX.
If they limit this range of price then ARIA must eat some pie of INNOVA.

================================================== ====

EDIT :-

"Or may be Tata gearing to launch the Tata Aria in Europe, and doing the final rounds of testing as the company has announced its plan to launch the Aria in Europe at the Geneva motor show."

From the above link :-

http://goaonwheels.com/2011/03/08/ta...aught-testing/

[VW2010]

Give us a 4X2 ARIA with ABS and front two AIRBAG at 8.5 lac EX.

This will never happen. The 4*2 will be at the best two lakh cheaper than the 4*4 across all variants.

16L for the top end 4*2 is what i guess would be pricing.

The common mans view that paying 18L for a Tata product needs to get to the top management of Tata. Or they just want to get into our heads and say, "looks we have our own luxury segment".

[Diesel9999]

Originally Posted by VW2010

This will never happen. The 4*2 will be at the best two lakh cheaper than the 4*4 across all variants.

16L for the top end 4*2 is what i guess would be pricing.

The common mans view that paying 18L for a Tata product needs to get to the top management of Tata. Or they just want to get into our heads and say, "looks we have our own luxury segment".

If TATA can position the base 4*2 for 11 lakhs ex-showroom, Toyota will have a fight on its hands and I would love to see that fight. The Innova has been running away without serious competition for way too long.

[princey]

It so appears that considering the low numbers the Aria has been selling, that TATA has seriously mis-priced the Aria. Hopefully, if at all Tata is considering to bring out an Aria 4X2 version, they will price it sensibly in the 10-14 Lac range.

[teamveevee]

Originally Posted by Diesel9999

If TATA can position the base 4*2 for 11 lakhs ex-showroom, Toyota will have a fight on its hands and I would love to see that fight. The Innova has been running away without serious competition for way too long.

This may not happen, 1. TM made Aria mainly for the export market. If not Erope, they will be start selling Aria in Africa. They do not want the "Taxi" tag attached to an export model. 2. Current sales nos, do not warrant a price correction yet. There are quite few takers for Aria at the current price levels.

[Diesel9999]

Originally Posted by teamveevee

This may not happen, 1. TM made Aria mainly for the export market. If not Erope, they will be start selling Aria in Africa. They do not want the "Taxi" tag attached to an export model. 2. Current sales nos, do not warrant a price correction yet. There are quite few takers for Aria at the current price levels.

The "taxi tag" concept may not be very relevant here. Innova is used for taxi service but it has never had the "taxi stigma" attached to it like for the Indica. Same is the case for BMW's 5series and Merc's E class in Europe and Singapore. These two cars do duty as taxis there, but that stigma has never affected them.

If a product is sufficiently sophisticated and of a high quality,this 'taxi tag' concept does not arise.

Aria has been doing decent numbers, I agree.But in the 11 lakhs range for a 4*2 model, it will take the fight to the Innova in much larger numbers and that is something TATA must do. If not for anything, to change the perception of the company in this segment.

As more and more people experience the Aria, they will realize that TATA is not a taxi car maker but a truly commendable automotive manufacturer.

[avisidhu]

Originally Posted by Diesel9999

The "taxi tag" concept may not be very relevant here. Innova is used for taxi service but it has never had the "taxi stigma" attached to it like for the Indica. Same is the case for BMW's 5series and Merc's E class in Europe and Singapore. These two cars do duty as taxis there, but that stigma has never affected them.

If a product is sufficiently sophisticated and of a high quality,this 'taxi tag' concept does not arise.

Aria has been doing decent numbers, I agree.But in the 11 lakhs range for a 4*2 model, it will take the fight to the Innova in much larger numbers and that is something TATA must do. If not for anything, to change the perception of the company in this segment.

As more and more people experience the Aria, they will realize that TATA is not a taxi car maker but a truly commendable automotive manufacturer.

+1 to that. Its the quality of the product that matters eventually. Forget the Aria, look at the number of Manza's and Vista's that are being lapped by consumers outside the taxi segment.
Coming back to the topic, a 4X2 Aria if priced in Innova's range will definitely have an impact. But one question that begs to be asked is, has T.A.S.S been sufficiently capable of handling this Machine?

[Diesel9999]

Originally Posted by avisidhu

+1 to that. Its the quality of the product that matters eventually. Forget the Aria, look at the number of Manza's and Vista's that are being lapped by consumers outside the taxi segment.
Coming back to the topic, a 4X2 Aria if priced in Innova's range will definitely have an impact. But one question that begs to be asked is, has T.A.S.S been sufficiently capable of handling this Machine?

That is indeed a very big question mark and it should be answered by one of the Aria owners in our forum. I heard that representatives from all T.A.S. centres were trained by TATA specially for the Aria but I have no way of verifying this.

One bad experience I had in the initial days of the Palio diesel can be illustrated here though.Way back,our family took delivery of one of the very first Palio Diesels in Visakhapatnam and our car started choking under acceleration from Day 4. The service center guys had absolutely no clue as to what was going on.

The reason the service manager gave was "its a very new car and our mechanics are not yet trained for this". Yes, that was the exact same reply he gave me!

[abhi1309]

Aria already has been successful for getting a decent premium image for itself in all these months. The TV commercials are classy as well and everyone knows ARIA is something expensive. Something that XYLO could not do as a people carrier. A rear wheel drive ARIA at 10 lacs with basic frills and safety equipment should do just fine against Innova because as I said, ARIA if not anything else is the only premium product of TATA and people know that and Innova driving people sure do too.

[kapss]

I do not think this is a good idea having read some reports of the Aria not being well planted in a 2WD mode. This was never meant to be a bread and butter vehicle for Tata but more of a showcase vehicle.
I read a remark from GTO earlier that about 6 lacs of the Aria costing were due to the switchable AWD mode. Would it not make sense for Tata to plonk an all time AWD which might reduce cost at the same time maintaining the stability.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by kapss

I do not think this is a good idea having read some reports of the Aria not being well planted in a 2WD mode. This was never meant to be a bread and butter vehicle for Tata but more of a showcase vehicle.
I read a remark from GTO earlier that about 6 lacs of the Aria costing were due to the switchable AWD mode. Would it not make sense for Tata to plonk an all time AWD which might reduce cost at the same time maintaining the stability.

It gives us the choice and control over the drivetrain. And not everyone wants AWD all the time. To me it's just a waste of fuel and more wear on the mechanicals.The switchable AWD works fine.
BTW, a RWD Aria at 10 lacs will definitely sell well and take away sales of the Innova upper G variants and V variant. But 8.5 lacs is a dream and very unlikely to happen.

[kapss]

Originally Posted by DicKy

It gives us the choice and control over the drivetrain. And not everyone wants AWD all the time. To me it's just a waste of fuel and more wear on the mechanicals.The switchable AWD works fine.

The choice will remain since the switchable mode will be present as in the current model but at a price. Someone buying a 12 lac car would be more willing to go for better stability at the cost of higher fuel consumption.