[Everlearner]

Rather than making a spare tyre optional, govt should make a full size spare type mandatory. That will help in proper 5 wheel rotation and a safety measure in case of a puncture/tyre damage. What they need to innovate is on finding ways to make tyre change easier which will help many people who struggle to change a tyre

[speedmiester]

First full size spare tyres were replaced with space savers and not with tyre repair kit.

I for one will never go for any long drives without a proper spare tyre. Though I keep a tyre inflator and puncture repair kit, having a full sized spare tyre is critical for my peace of mind.

[Reinhard]

Just another one in the potential long list of cars thanks to this rather unnecessary regulation change by the transport ministry. Our roads warrant the availability of spare tyre. Agreed that majority of spare tyres never see the light of day during the entire life of a car. But it should still be there.

This said - I feel its now another step towards a dual purposing of the pit in which the spare tyre usually rests. I suspect the Tigor-Tiago CNG will come with a CNG tank shaped like a spare wheel - using the same space. This will mean fully usable boot space in a CNG car - and that will be a big differentiator.

[vshankarhere]

Tata had made these changes in the month of Feb if am not wrong. The spare tyre is still offered in all the variants. While 13" spare was available in lower variants and 14" spare offered in the higher variants, it has been standardized as 13" spare across all the variants and an inflator and puncture sealant (tyre repair kit) has been added as part of the standard kit. Tata should get a pat on the back rather than howls and cries

[GT007]

Well this is a really good gesture from TATA's just hope they are not putting an axe to the spare tire. I sincerely hope other car makers too start providing these service kits just only hope these inflators are of good quality and should not take a lifetime to fill up a flat tire to full.

[Indian2003]

Spare tyres have been missing from cars in Europe for over 10 years. I have a Continental puncture kit in my car. I got it from a 2006 VW Touran that was totalled. The liquid is fitted to the tyre valve and the bottle squeezed.

The liquid has a shelf life of a few years and must be replaced even if not used.

[torquecurve]

Originally Posted by audioholic

In Tatas product development life cycle, the cost cutting or optimization part seems to happen after the car is in the market. Either that specific team is too slow or they are in their own world. After the car is launched, they will take a look at the finished product and realise "Hey these ICE buttons are costing so much of money, can be removed", "Spare tyre can be removed and we shall provide a repair kit". "This feature is too expensive, lets remove it".

While these things arent totally unacceptable to me, what is funny to me is that the cost optimization could have been done much earlier in the development process. Especially stuff like removing buttons etc. There was no need to develop them in the first place if it was later to be removed.

In Manufacturing most companies have a 'Continuous Improvement' philosophy.
Allow me to quote a software example - Almost all of us use Excel, most people use it with a mouse and keyboard and depend upon the formula suggestion to put the formula data. However, many power users like me prefer to use keyboard shortcuts which are a lot faster and in some cases become second nature. Now, after so many years, someone at MS, came up with the brilliant idea of 'changing' the shortcuts! Luckily, we can still revert to the older method but you get the drift of what I am trying to say here.

In Manufacturing a lot of decisions are not just driven by costs but also by legislation, ergonomics etc.

Most kids today wouldn't be able to even drive a Sumo, Bolero or equivalent without a power steering, forget changing a rear mounted tyre. The other day, I saw a group of youngsters stranded by the side of the road with a puncture to their Innova. When I asked if they needed help they said they called for roadside assistance - to change a tyre!. I took it upon myself to show them how it is done and how easy it is. But for sure, these kids will appreciate this 'pump plus sealant' combo - hopefully!.

Tata is finally doing some things that companies like MS have mastered - a common parts bin being one of them. A wiring harness for example, can be easily shared by multiple cars / platforms, so can stuff like power window switches, tyres (rims), brakes, etc.

Tata now just needs to invest in a TPMS, Tyre pump and Sealant - across the range!

[gkveda]

Why can't they provide an engine repair kit and a mechanic to repair the issues and niggles along with every car sold? That way, they can save on maintaining service network and ASCs across the country.

Seriously, I don't understand why they think so narrow minded to save few bucks. Can a tire repair kit be a substitute for spare tire?

If the news is really true, I have no doubts that, one day the first paragraph that is written here on a lighter note, will become a reality.

[jithin23]

First Ford and now Tata!

The senior executives of these companies must drive on a NH 300km away from a big town at midnight and if they face a puncture or a tyre cut/blast, I want to see how they handle the situation and then they can come up with these antics.

The roads have improved in India but they are far from completely safe and flawless. When manufacturers can come up with India specific features, I think even they can give a spare tyre(which anyway is included in the ex-factory price)

[400notout]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Agreed that majority of spare tyres never see the light of day during the entire life of a car.

Yup, in my 13 years of driving, never used the spare. I have changed the tyre set on my Spark 3 times, but the spare remained in the boot in same state till I sold it at 1 lakh plus kms. And out of this one was a tyre burst due to bad roads close to my home. However I realized that only after parking. Same with 50k kms of the 2006 City.

Originally Posted by Reinhard

But it should still be there.

Thats one psychological block which would be tough to overcome. But come to think of it, Motor cyclists go cross country wthout worrying about a spare . I would have more use of a tyre repair kit and TPMS over a spare. If only they provided an inflator along with it

Originally Posted by Reinhard

This said - I feel its now another step towards a dual purposing of the pit in which the spare tyre usually rests. I suspect the Tigor-Tiago CNG will come with a CNG tank shaped like a spare wheel - using the same space. This will mean fully usable boot space in a CNG car - and that will be a big differentiator.

Thats a very good possibility. That was one cool thing about the Nano. To come to think of it, I was wondering why is Tata taking a year to launch a CNG variant? what is there to test? This arrangement could very well be the reason.

[Raghu M]

On that note, I think the insurance companies can have an add on - 'anywhere puncture assistance' for a small price of course. Many insurance companies in the ME have this as standard. Anyone has a flat tyre, they call the RSA. The disadvantage with India is the size. I don't think a company would take the risk and efforts to reach a car just to fix a flat tyre. These ideas are very interesting. I can remember of an airline that decided to get rid of the paint as it saved a few thousand gallons of fuel during a trip. Just that this particular idea doesn't sound great unless you are chauffeur driven.

[anandhsub]

I always carry a tyre repair kit with me but the few times the tyre got punctured I either filled the air up and went to the nearest puncture shop or if it was completely flat or I had some other urgent work I just used the spare wheel until I could take it for the puncture repair.

I dont see myself using this kit at all. A spare is straightforward to change unlike the skill involved in finding the hole, opening it up to insert the sealant and hoping it has been correctly done.

[GTO]

Guys, there is no way a mass market manufacturer selling volume cars will remove the spare tyre. They themselves know it is impossible to depend on tyre repair kits, not just in the city (try it at midnight) but especially on the highway too. Many times, the tyre damage is too severe for these puncture repair kits to handle, whereas changing to a spare tyre takes just 15 minutes.

The EcoSport was different because it was for just one variant (an experiment I guess) and Ford didn't have any place to keep the spare wheel after they removed it from the tailgate. The poor EcoSport's already small boot would have disappeared if they placed a spare on the boot floor. The Tiago & Tigor have dedicated wheel wells. Even the fools at BMW realised they can't sell cars without spare tyres (runflat tyres notwithstanding) and corrected course accordingly. And these are low volume luxury cars we're talking about that sell in a year what the Tiago / Tigor can do in 1 - 2 months.

I have pinged Tata for a clarification and will update the title accordingly.

Originally Posted by Indian2003

Spare tyres have been missing from cars in Europe for over 10 years.

Europe, USA and other developed markets are different as you can get roadside assistance in 30 - 60 minutes pretty much anywhere in the country, rural areas included. But even then, you will be in trouble if say, you tore the sidewall of your tyre and have to be flat-bedded. A spare is a MUST-HAVE IMHO. The only reason European car manufacturers dropped the spare is to save on weight, costs & get some packaging flexibility by getting rid of the wheel well.

Originally Posted by Raghu M

On that note, I think the insurance companies can have an add on - 'anywhere puncture assistance' for a small price of course.

RSA - whether paid or free - is irrelevant if I end up with a torn tyre in the middle of a Bombay to Goa drive and the assistance is 3 hours away. Plus, it's not like the RSA truck will be able to source my tyre size from Chiplun. A spare tyre is as much a requirement on Indian highways as ABS is.

[VKumar]

Looks like they are providing both. A spare tyre, and a repair kit; maybe they will remove it in future - but they deserve a pat in the back for providing both - if they keep on doing it.

If the boot is full of luggage and the surface is not good enough for jacking up the car, like we have in case of many single and even dual carriageways - where either you park the car or the road and jack it up, or just keep searching for a place with a flat and hard surface to park on the shoulder. In such cases this kit can come handy. I have been carrying a puncture kit and a compressor in my car boot since years. If it's day time and the puncture is repairable - particularly in the front tyres. Just put the car in gear, pull handbrake tight enough, turn the steering wheel, and get the job done - time, and clothes, both are saved!

If they remove the spare tyre altogether?
Then they better provide the tech in tyres that doesn't let puncture happen. If they can't do that too, then it's a foolish step. Night drives can be an issue, women and elderly are not going to love this idea for sure! Changing to spare is even harder, but at least you can get some help. Repairing a puncture looks simple, but is a technical subject. Wrong angle with too much of force and you end up fracturing or severely hurting your arm, this isn't just a simple 'push-in-the-hole-and-fix'! The tyres are made of hard rubber, and we all know from our sporting experiences that how much difference even 5 degree of angle can bring if the force is applied wrong way.

[vshankarhere]

Originally Posted by GTO

Guys, there is no way a mass market manufacturer selling volume cars will remove the spare tyre. They themselves know it is impossible to depend on tyre repair kits, not just in the city (try it at midnight) but especially on the highway too. Many times, the tyre damage is too severe for these puncture repair kits to handle, whereas changing to a spare tyre takes just 15 minutes.

I have pinged Tata for a clarification and will update the title accordingly.

Was able to source a communication on the same. This should settle any doubts regarding the presence or absence of spare tyre.





The spare wheel isn't going anywhere. Additional puncture kit has been added and the spare tyre size standardized as 13" across variants.