Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap!

GTO · 29th October 2018, 17:27

Okay, now I'm seriously starting to get angry. Earlier this month, there was the features thread, and now this.

Very frankly, looking at the pics, website, press release & brochure, I would've thought they are proper alloy wheels too. I have no problem with such clever plastic wheel caps - they are indeed clever. But why call something "DurAlloy wheels" when they are NOT alloy wheels

. This is gross misleading of the customer.

Thanks to Gautam Jain for sending this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

These wheel caps cost ₹4500 for a set of 4. Pics credit to Arun Barathi, a clearly disappointed customer:

Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap!-image1.jpeg

Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap!-image3.jpeg

Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap!-image4.jpeg

Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap!-image5.jpeg

Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap!-image6.jpeg

Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap!-image7.jpeg

Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap!-image8.jpeg

saket77 · 29th October 2018, 17:34

That is cunning and deceptive.

I also doubt this new steel wheel may not be as strong as normal steel rims, unless this is made of some special alloy that Tata is marketing. If that's the case, then further elaboration of this 'DurAlloy' must be there in the product brochure. If not, then this wheel may be prone to bending; more than conventional steel rims.

R2D2 · 29th October 2018, 17:38

Ah, Tata Motors! You're at it again? This is what I found about Duralloy here

Quote:

Duralloy are a range of subtle, neutral solid colours including the Colorbond® steel standard colour range, delivered with warranty grade advanced durable polyester thermosetting powder.

It is ideal for use:

On pre-treated architectural grade aluminium
On mild steel, bright/semi bright steel, black steel and blue steel
In mild exterior conditions
In general interior conditions
In environments greater than 100m from the high tide mark
On the following interior and exterior projects:

I may be wrong but to put it in a nutshell the dudes at Tata Motors have designed a STEEL wheel coated with a thermo-plastic powder. And they sell it as a 'Duralloy' wheel. Nice try Tata! Your word-play is possibly blown.

GTO · 29th October 2018, 17:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by saket77

That is cunning and deceptive.

If me & you - as diehard petrolheads - can be had by this deception, what is to say for the layman? It is so easy to fool him. I genuinely thought the car had alloy wheels at the time of launch.

This is just plain disappointing from a company most of us hold in very high regards.

@ Tata Motors: Please leave such cheap tricks to smaller, unscrupulous manufacturers. We expect better of you.

a4anurag · 29th October 2018, 17:41

Wow.

This takes it a new level altogether.

https://youtu.be/liJSPe6vMgI

Someone should try this ("DurAlloy Wheel" on the Hydraulic Press) and find how strong it is.

R-Six · 29th October 2018, 17:43

This is completely unethical and absurd! Since there was a lot of hype on this launch on our forum, I remember discussing about this DurAlloy thingy at length.

It would have been okay if Tata did not emphasize this as a new feature. What makes it different than a regular steel wheel? I mean, come on Tata, you could have done better. This is not a base variant car that you had to stoop down to this trick to allure customers.

Feeling sad for those who fell for this marketing tactic.

On one side, Tata is doing an impressive job with their latest offerings and its features and on the other side, they are coming up with such cheap tactics that can put off any prospective customer of yours. Until the official response from the Tata team to that tweet, I don’t think Tata ever admitted or announced that this so called DurAlloy is a “steel wheel” with smart wheel caps. Shame.

arunphilip · 29th October 2018, 17:49

Tata are definitely trying to play off the presence of the word "alloy" in DurAlloy to make it appear like it is something it is not.

Legally, it might be valid, as long as they don't claim it is an alloy wheel, which it is not. The few screen shots in the first post also don't refer to any claims from Tata that it is an alloy wheel, in the sense we motorheads know and love.

However, legal nuances are irrelevant, what matters is perception. And when it comes to perception, it is not a nice thing to do something similar to a bait-and-switch.

The better-informed buyers would have noted something amiss when they got 4 DurAlloys for 4500, which is in line with the price of steel rims and wheel caps, and noticeably cheaper than a set of alloy wheels (which often retail for a single alloy at that price). Others would have just thought they got a great deal :-(

This reminds me of the first time I heard of "art leather" to describe a seat/sofa material. Only a little later did I realize it stood for artificial leather.

The timing of this is poor - this is happening at the same time Tata have made what is arguably one of the most committed attempts at a mass-market hot hatch/sedan for India. The guys in Tata's JTP division should go and knock a few heads at the Tiago accessories division; this is not the time to be bringing such negative attention to them.

GrandTourer · 29th October 2018, 17:57

Tata Motors at it again... Seriously?

And what do they provide over the top of the range XZ?
Cosmetics like dual tone this and contrast colour that. Heck, the XZ even gets proper alloys. So Tata is charging a premium of 28k to paint mirrors, and contrast stitching, etc. And to remove the alloy and put a fake one in. :banghead:
Disappointed to say the least

Dr.Naren · 29th October 2018, 18:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

Very frankly, looking at the pics, website, press release & brochure, I would've thought they are proper alloy wheels too. I have no problem with such clever plastic wheel caps - they are indeed clever. But why call something "DurAlloy wheels" when they are NOT alloy wheels

. This is gross misleading of the customer.

Found an old thread on Team BHP itself discussing about these wheels

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-...ke-alloys.html (Structure Wheels - Steelies that look like alloys!)

The Brutailer · 29th October 2018, 18:04

As fraudulent as it might be, I'm impressed by the smart marketing by Tata. Great way to cheat a customer by giving sub-par accesories and branding them as premium. By now I've realised that if a product/technology has a fancy name, it means they are just bluffing the customer.

I had very high hopes on Tata ever since they launched the Tiago. Unfortunately, the impression is getting lower day by day.

Cheap, but a smart trick. Till the time it spreads on Team-BHP.

theexperthand · 29th October 2018, 18:26

My Oh My! This was totally uncalled for and Tata should have shown the decency of calling a steel wheel a steel wheel.

An alloy is something the general public value a lot and cheating them by giving a plastic wheel cap and calling it Duralloy - imagine the pain it causes to the owner when he\she actually finds out that they have been duped.

Small acts like this will erode the goodwill Tata is so painstakingly putting back - I hope good sense prevails and Tata either recalls it or correct the terminology and call it a steel wheel.

Shame on you Tata, we expect much better from you.

--Anoop

SmartCat · 29th October 2018, 18:26

Well, from metallurgical point of view, steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. So you can't take them to court for marketing steel wheels as alloy wheels!

audioholic · 29th October 2018, 18:30

I wonder how strong these wheels might be. Compared to the rigidity we get in an alloy(which will allow thinner spokes) steel rims can bend easier. Those four huge eyelets in the wheel can be potential spots for bends. The earlier steel rims I had in my car had a few bends even though I never knew of hitting any pothole or kerb hard. Not saying alloy rims dont bend, but they take a greater force to do so and moreover might even break at that force rather than bend.
Good job by the product manager, but bad job by marketing to not clearly state what the rim was instead of branding them as Duralloy or whatever. Since this is not a huge setback, I am hoping Tata will replace them with proper alloy wheels to pacify customers.

saket77 · 29th October 2018, 18:46

Had that been not marketed as it is currently by Tata motors, I would have called that smart. But calling them alloy certainly amounts to deception. I don't see any line in the brochure even implying indirectly that it is not a regular alloy wheel that people know.
Poor marketing. I am sure that was not something Tata craved for just at the time of launch of JTP twins.

Rshrey22 · 29th October 2018, 18:50

The question is How much money did they save by designing such rim and wheel caps? Alloys wheels are not that expensive and such insipid cost cutting really shows what the company is up to!

In the name of heavy built cars, this is what they are offering and slowly deleting features from their models (Hexa recently lost roof rails etc.) and now this!

How can we trust a brand which is so hell bent in cost cutting that it has to give a fancy name to steel rims with wheel caps??

29th October 2018, 17:27	#1
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 71,780 Thanked: 322,446 Times View My Garage	Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap! Okay, now I'm seriously starting to get angry. Earlier this month, there was the features thread, and now this. Very frankly, looking at the pics, website, press release & brochure, I would've thought they are proper alloy wheels too. I have no problem with such clever plastic wheel caps - they are indeed clever. But why call something "DurAlloy wheels" when they are NOT alloy wheels . This is gross misleading of the customer. Thanks to Gautam Jain for sending this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page! These wheel caps cost ₹4500 for a set of 4. Pics credit to Arun Barathi, a clearly disappointed customer: Last edited by GTO : 29th October 2018 at 17:43.
	(117) Thanks

29th October 2018, 17:34	#2
saket77 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: India Posts: 4,842 Thanked: 14,761 Times	Re: Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap! That is cunning and deceptive. I also doubt this new steel wheel may not be as strong as normal steel rims, unless this is made of some special alloy that Tata is marketing. If that's the case, then further elaboration of this 'DurAlloy' must be there in the product brochure. If not, then this wheel may be prone to bending; more than conventional steel rims.
	(27) Thanks

29th October 2018, 17:43	#6
R-Six BHPian Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 681 Thanked: 1,778 Times	Re: Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap! This is completely unethical and absurd! Since there was a lot of hype on this launch on our forum, I remember discussing about this DurAlloy thingy at length. It would have been okay if Tata did not emphasize this as a new feature. What makes it different than a regular steel wheel? I mean, come on Tata, you could have done better. This is not a base variant car that you had to stoop down to this trick to allure customers. Feeling sad for those who fell for this marketing tactic. On one side, Tata is doing an impressive job with their latest offerings and its features and on the other side, they are coming up with such cheap tactics that can put off any prospective customer of yours. Until the official response from the Tata team to that tweet, I don’t think Tata ever admitted or announced that this so called DurAlloy is a “steel wheel” with smart wheel caps. Shame.
	(9) Thanks

29th October 2018, 17:49	#7
arunphilip Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,013 Thanked: 6,482 Times View My Garage	Re: Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap! Tata are definitely trying to play off the presence of the word "alloy" in DurAlloy to make it appear like it is something it is not. Legally, it might be valid, as long as they don't claim it is an alloy wheel, which it is not. The few screen shots in the first post also don't refer to any claims from Tata that it is an alloy wheel, in the sense we motorheads know and love. However, legal nuances are irrelevant, what matters is perception. And when it comes to perception, it is not a nice thing to do something similar to a bait-and-switch. The better-informed buyers would have noted something amiss when they got 4 DurAlloys for 4500, which is in line with the price of steel rims and wheel caps, and noticeably cheaper than a set of alloy wheels (which often retail for a single alloy at that price). Others would have just thought they got a great deal :-( This reminds me of the first time I heard of "art leather" to describe a seat/sofa material. Only a little later did I realize it stood for artificial leather. The timing of this is poor - this is happening at the same time Tata have made what is arguably one of the most committed attempts at a mass-market hot hatch/sedan for India. The guys in Tata's JTP division should go and knock a few heads at the Tiago accessories division; this is not the time to be bringing such negative attention to them. Last edited by arunphilip : 29th October 2018 at 18:04.
	(28) Thanks

29th October 2018, 17:57	#8
GrandTourer BHPian Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Bangalore Posts: 434 Thanked: 1,499 Times	Tata Motors at it again... Seriously? And what do they provide over the top of the range XZ? Cosmetics like dual tone this and contrast colour that. Heck, the XZ even gets proper alloys. So Tata is charging a premium of 28k to paint mirrors, and contrast stitching, etc. And to remove the alloy and put a fake one in. :banghead: Disappointed to say the least
	(4) Thanks

29th October 2018, 18:04	#10
The Brutailer BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: - Posts: 566 Thanked: 1,437 Times	Re: Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap! As fraudulent as it might be, I'm impressed by the smart marketing by Tata. Great way to cheat a customer by giving sub-par accesories and branding them as premium. By now I've realised that if a product/technology has a fancy name, it means they are just bluffing the customer. I had very high hopes on Tata ever since they launched the Tiago. Unfortunately, the impression is getting lower day by day. Cheap, but a smart trick. Till the time it spreads on Team-BHP.
	(7) Thanks

29th October 2018, 18:26	#11
theexperthand Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,640 Thanked: 2,497 Times View My Garage	Re: Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap! My Oh My! This was totally uncalled for and Tata should have shown the decency of calling a steel wheel a steel wheel. An alloy is something the general public value a lot and cheating them by giving a plastic wheel cap and calling it Duralloy - imagine the pain it causes to the owner when he\she actually finds out that they have been duped. Small acts like this will erode the goodwill Tata is so painstakingly putting back - I hope good sense prevails and Tata either recalls it or correct the terminology and call it a steel wheel. Shame on you Tata, we expect much better from you. --Anoop
	(6) Thanks

29th October 2018, 18:26	#12
SmartCat Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 7,218 Thanked: 52,186 Times View My Garage	Re: Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap! Well, from metallurgical point of view, steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. So you can't take them to court for marketing steel wheels as alloy wheels! Last edited by SmartCat : 29th October 2018 at 18:27.
	(56) Thanks

29th October 2018, 18:30	#13
audioholic Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: BengaLuru Posts: 5,956 Thanked: 21,235 Times	Re: Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap! I wonder how strong these wheels might be. Compared to the rigidity we get in an alloy(which will allow thinner spokes) steel rims can bend easier. Those four huge eyelets in the wheel can be potential spots for bends. The earlier steel rims I had in my car had a few bends even though I never knew of hitting any pothole or kerb hard. Not saying alloy rims dont bend, but they take a greater force to do so and moreover might even break at that force rather than bend. Good job by the product manager, but bad job by marketing to not clearly state what the rim was instead of branding them as Duralloy or whatever. Since this is not a huge setback, I am hoping Tata will replace them with proper alloy wheels to pacify customers.
	(6) Thanks

29th October 2018, 18:46	#14
saket77 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: India Posts: 4,842 Thanked: 14,761 Times	Re: Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap! Had that been not marketed as it is currently by Tata motors, I would have called that smart. But calling them alloy certainly amounts to deception. I don't see any line in the brochure even implying indirectly that it is not a regular alloy wheel that people know. Poor marketing. I am sure that was not something Tata craved for just at the time of launch of JTP twins.
	(6) Thanks

29th October 2018, 18:50	#15
Rshrey22 BHPian Join Date: May 2017 Location: Delhi Posts: 372 Thanked: 729 Times	Re: Tata's "DurAlloy Wheel" is actually a steel rim with a plastic wheel cap! The question is How much money did they save by designing such rim and wheel caps? Alloys wheels are not that expensive and such insipid cost cutting really shows what the company is up to! In the name of heavy built cars, this is what they are offering and slowly deleting features from their models (Hexa recently lost roof rails etc.) and now this! How can we trust a brand which is so hell bent in cost cutting that it has to give a fancy name to steel rims with wheel caps??
	(3) Thanks