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Originally Posted by shipnil I think there won't be any change with addition of airbags as I think poor rating was due to unstable bodyshell.
I can understand the common buyers still going for Kia Seltos but a member here is definitely aware of the unsafe product and still recommends is something I don't understand. |
Right on both counts.
Airbags do not add up towards the NCAP score unless 6 airbags are common across ALL variants, including the base ones.
And even then it wouldn't score much higher since it was borderline 3 star to begin with. For that matter, Ertiga has a better GNCAP score than the Seltos. Let that sink in.
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Originally Posted by venkyhere It's totally your call whether to forego a good product because of bad sales experience (which is a one time thing) , and gravitate towards a medicre product which boasts of excellent sales experience (which is again a one time thing). A bit like having authentic tirunelveli halwa from an obscure dark-hole-in-the-wall 'shop' on the street v/s having the same tirunelveli halwa prepared by linen clad chefs from a 5-star hotel. |
I am of the exact same thought. I would rather have a one time bad buying experience and lifetime(give or take) own a good vehicle(which you would drive every day in your life) rather than be wooed by pre-sales charm and give in to a severely mediocre product. As the saying goes, "Good things come to those who wait".
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Originally Posted by rnkgrg Attempting to discredit a criticism with another criticism is a very common logical fallacy. And in this case, only we as the consumers end up losing and not the OEMs.
While I completely agree that Seltos is not a safe product for the price they are charging, it does not discount Mahindra of its responsibility of ensuring quality buying experience.
And while it is definitely not enough, Kia has listened to the customers and responded with standard six airbags in their latest offering. And there's a very high probability that this has been possible, only because we cited the example of the Indian OEMs and called them out.
Hope Mahindra listens to our criticism as well.  |
I believe the original attempt wasn't to discredit a criticism with a criticism. More so to highlight the ephemeral nature of the pre-buying experience with the daily reality of owning the car.
Absolutely agree that it does not absolve Mahindra of giving a decent buying experience. They should work on that front. However I would like to highlight that this experience is highly subjective to city, dealership, and so on. When I went for the TD, they gave me a proper tag like thing, we had access to multiple standing 700s to inspect, we were given water, coffee while we waited for the TD. Yes, we did have to wait, but the wait was well taken care of.
Also, Kia does NOT offer 6 airbags as standard. A feature is called "Standard" only and only when it is available in every single variant of a car. Kia does not offer 6 airbags in the base variant. Seltos has 7 variants and only the very top-most variant offers side airbags.
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Originally Posted by shipnil While I agree with you regarding the the sub par experience you are having with the dealership and Mahindra, hope your definition of product experience / service also includes a decently safe product. Hope you / your friend are proactively urging Kia as well to make Seltos safer for the price they are charging. |
I agree. Better to be patient and get a good car than be charmed by pre-sales stuff and buy an unsafe car.
Overall, I would like to add some thoughts for new car buyers here:
Do not be charmed by pre-sales experience. It is at that point that the company is trying to win a customer. They will try their hardest. This experience does not necessarily reflect the actual quality of a product.
For example:
During a Seltos TD, a dealer rep may show you how the air purifier works, and you may find it interesting. But you will only get such a feature on the upper variants.
However during a XUV700 TD, the dealer rep cannot possibly show you how important a 5 star GNCAP rating is. But, this feature is common across ALL variants, and I am quite sure most will agree that the 5 star is a far more important feature than some paltry air purifier.
Don't go by dealership pizzazz and drama. Research the product, and put a hefty weightage on safety. That safety rating can be the difference between life and death.
And this is especially important when I hear this typical age old line from nearly every driver I've met "But I drive safely". No. It doesn't matter. The streets are filled with idiots. You cannot possibly ignore the danger they pose to you.
I have personally been rear-ended by a mini-bus on the highway at ~70kmph because he completely ignored my turn indicator and just kept pushing his lane. Was I driving unsafely? No. But the other person was. And I still got hit.
Point being, take safety seriously, and be patient. I understand this is frustrating, and unfair. But the world is hit by a silicon shortage like never before.
Even Toyota had to globally cut down their production by 40% over it.
Compared to Toyota worldwide, Mahindra is small fry. So they are obviously going to be hit by the shortage even worse, considering the amount of electronics that go into modern cars, and especially one with ADAS.
Rant over. Peace out.