Tata Launches Aria Facelift With 'Image Corrections'


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The Tata Aria is a stunning example that is a sort of metaphor to how far Tata has come as a car manufacturer as well as how easily a new concept can be misunderstood.

Tata tried to sell the Aria as a crossover. A crossover is popularly an SUV that has been built which mechanical parts from a smaller car. However Tata Motors presented their version of a crossover that actually combined the proficiencies of a sedan and an MPV. The result was forgettable, to say the least.

In the last two years the Aria has never shown signs of picking up. Usually a new concept takes time to break the ice with customers, but the Aria was a problem child right from the start.

However all hope is not lost. Tata managed to bring the Nano back to life after the initial scare where fewer than 600 units were retailed in a month. Though the Nano is not even close to where it should have been, the question of whether the Nano will or will not survive is largely behind them.
Tata is now trying to play a turnaround specialist for the Aria, which is selling in feeble numbers, albeit heavy discounts and offers.

Speaking to DNA newspaper, Karl-Heinz Servos, project director, joint projects, Engineering Research Centre at Tata Motors, said “It’s a solid car. First it needs a few image corrections. We will do something quick which will change the perception. We need to relaunch the car. If it continues the way it is currently, then it is not good for the company.”

Servos added that the Aria could have come ahead of time and hence the product could have been misunderstood. Tata had launched and discontinued the Sierra, a mini SUV in today’s context, which was another product that came ahead of time. If relaunched now, the wouldn’t the script be vastly different?

The first comparison that India made with the Aria was to the Toyota Innova, which is the segment leader, and is perceived as a premium family van. Tata positioned the similarly-shaped Aria above the Innova and fed it with many features, and met with failure. What are they going to differently to CPR the Aria back to life? Is a cosmetic makeover, a new marketing campaign and price repositioning enough to break this dry run of sales?

[Source - DNAIndia.com / IndianAutosBlog.com]
 
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Re: Tata planning to re-launch Aria with image corrections .

I think more than image correction , cost correction is required.
 
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Re: Tata planning to re-launch Aria with image corrections .

Image correction is required the most. Cost corrections are already there. In order to notice the price revision re launch is essential...
 
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Re: Tata planning to re-launch Aria with image corrections .

Guys, being true it's not just image problem with Aria.
As per my personal observations, Aria is already having the image of a premium vehicle and nearly everyone who knows about this car, knows that it's pricier than Safari.
Only issue is with the brand image, weather you people agree or not but the issue is not with the vehicle or it's quality. Everything is quite up to the mark but the problem is with the badge. Tata needs to change it's image from a truck and taxi maker to a car maker. before that Aria won't sell at least in its current avatar.
Else if they want it to sell, then they need to downgrade it and bring it in direct competition with Innova only. The price, the quality, the features..all rivaling the Innova. Simple it is, the vehicle is considered to be competing Innova, in fact ACI once published a shootout of Aria vs Innova and declared Innova as the winner overall. NOW TELL ME IF ANYONE WILL BUY AN INNOVA RIVAL FOR 3-4-5 LACS MORE THAN WHAT THEY PAY FOR INNOVA??? People run away looking at the price, c'mon yaar an XUV offers a lot more at a lower price and if I can spend 20 lac for Aria then why not spend 10-15% more and go for a Fortuner. Vehicle has an image, vehicle is okay but problem is with the badge..the badge isn't able to justify the price of the vehicle. Replace this badge with the Japanese 'T' badge and see the numbers.
Rest Tata's marketing strategy is also fantastic, half of the India don't even know if Tata makes any other car above Safari.
 
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Re: Tata planning to re-launch Aria with image corrections .

In addition to all the views, I felt one thing about Aria, when you look from straight front, it just looks like,Vista,Manza, this needs to be corrected and best example is Storm which look completely different from old Safari.

I don't they need to change their badge, what they call it apart from being called TATA ??

They need to be very careful while introducing such a premium vehicle with such a price where it should be just niggle free and fit and finish also to be top class[:)]
 
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Re: Tata planning to re-launch Aria with image corrections .

I don't they need to change their badge, what they call it apart from being called TATA ??
Buddy there are two different things:
  • Badge engineering.
  • Brand image makeover.
Badge engineering: Simple it is, same car but different badge like Vento and Rapid, Sunny and Scala etc. This goes to a different brand and this is not possible for Aria.

Brand image makeover: The best example here will be M&M.
In 1998 it was a jeep maker and today it is the SUV king of India. In last three years you can notice that M&M has been very aggressive in changing their image to a new generation SUV maker by providing latest and high-tech features, that too without burning a very big hole in the pocket of buyers. Take Micro hybrid, mHawk, automatic transmission, tyre pressure sensors and a lot more. This has helped them change their image...and they have succeeded in doing so. This is the same reason XUV got that dream start which Tata wanted.
In other words, Tata needs to work more on its brand image not on it's products. Products are already upto the mark, image is not, after sales is not..
 
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Re: Tata planning to re-launch Aria with image corrections .

@Vipul

I don't think I should learn brand image lessons from you as I am in the same field for past 15 years are so. So I understand what you talk about, but are really bookish and will never work in real market !!

No badge engineering is required for Aria, They have mainly failed because of their 4P,7P strategy which is again a strategy management stuff, if you understand it well and good if not no problem, read about it !!

It is very surprising that to read something "SUV King of India" do you dream so [confused] about M&M. To be very frank and with my own observation here in Hyderabad
I do not see so many XUVs or MHawks on the road, instead there are more Innova's, Safaris,Fortuners & Dusters, last but not least SUMO&Boleros all other SUVs see or high end stuff like Audi,BMW,Merc on the road here. So it is just a inner feeling of people that M&M has already become a king in India in SUVs which is not in real.
 
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Re: Tata planning to re-launch Aria with image corrections .

@Vipul

I don't think I should learn brand image lessons from you as I am in the same field for past 15 years are so. So I understand what you talk about, but are really bookish and will never work in real market !!
Hmm, right you are sir. Sorry for trying to bang with your huge experience. Hehe, against your 15 years I don't have of even 15 months!!
Bookish knowledge[lol], hehe sirji I just hate books and hence bookish knowledge is something alien for me.

No badge engineering is required for Aria, They have mainly failed because of their 4P,7P strategy which is again a strategy management stuff, if you understand it well and good if not no problem, read about it !!
Sir, being true I really don't know what is 4p and 7p. Maybe my lack of experience or bookish knowledge. Kindly provide it to me so that I can read it.

It is very surprising that to read something "SUV King of India" do you dream so [confused] about M&M. To be very frank and with my own observation here in Hyderabad
I do not see so many XUVs or MHawks on the road, instead there are more Innova's, Safaris,Fortuners & Dusters, last but not least SUMO&Boleros all other SUVs see or high end stuff like Audi,BMW,Merc on the road here. So it is just a inner feeling of people that M&M has already become a king in India in SUVs which is not in real.
Sir, weather it is Hyderabad or Delhi..Innovas are more on the roads.
Go to Punjab, there are more Safaris than you can see anywhere in India.
But issue is that India is made up of 28 states, not one Hyderabad or Punjab or Delhi or UP.

Well, I have declared M&M the SUV kind not on the basis of any of my subjective views but on the basis of sales figures. Mahindra sells more SUVs than any other company in India and no doubt it's the Mahindra which is now ruling the SUV market of India. If you look at Bolero alone then the sales figures say that monthly sales of Bolero alone are above twice the sales of all the Tata SUVs.
Tata makes more hardcore SUVs as compared to Mahindra, no doubt. A Scorpio can't even touch a Safari on or off the road but sales figures still favor Scorpio. Though I don't have the experience like you bt I am saying what market says.

Mahindra SUVs sell because Mahindra exclusively makes them(forget the forgotten Verito) and exclusivity brings fame and no doubt, Mahindra has earned it, quite well. Mahindra has an image of good and rugged SUV maker, but since you are more experienced than me then instead of telling anything(in fact I am not qualified to tell anything to you) I am asking you to tell me what image Tata has in the mind of buyers? Why it is so that people think that Tata can't make premium cars?
 
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Re: Tata planning to re-launch Aria with image corrections .

With the company consistently dishing out lemons with their older aria, i am not sure if that image makeover is going to help a lot.
PS: this is a generalised statement, please do not ask me for proofs of my statements. There is google and various forums to help you see all the details since everything is well documented.
 
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Re: Tata planning to re-launch Aria with image corrections .

Forget about pride Tata (not the model), plonk in the sumo gold engine and introduce it as a people mover (assuming that the 3rd row is good enough to seat a couple) and might as well sell like a Xylo. I would seriously consider buying one if they did so-after waiting for an year ofcourse.
 
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Re: Tata planning to re-launch Aria with image corrections .

Here are some of the things which they need to do in order to regain sales:

1. Launch Aria with much aggressive,flat SUVish face.Indians love SUVs,so why not make Aria look more SUVish,after all perception is final reality.[lol]


2. Major price correction required.They need to launch Pride 4x4 at the same price as XUV W8 AWD and also launch a 4x2 variant of Pride at W8 4X2 price.


3. 6 speed manual and auto gear-box which will allow the engine to pump some extra power would be welcome.


4. And finally they need to show some ads on television[frustration]
 
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Re: Tata Planning To Relaunch Aria With 'Image Corrections'

@Vipul

I said the word experience only at the Brand image point. So do not take that much pain to use it everywhere in the post[:)] I do read between the lines ok.

Regarding Hyderabad or Chandigarh. OK there are some thing called Metro cities like Delhi,Mumbai,Chennai,Kolkata, the after the bigger cities are Bangalore and Hyderabad. So Hyderabad is surely a different cosmopolitan bigger city than Chandigarh and Lucknow by population and also by vehicles. Hope you understood what I want to convey

I want to talk about Aria here, hence I just replied to your M&M post and do not want to lead the thread further OT !!
 
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Re: Tata Planning To Relaunch Aria With 'Image Corrections'

Front & rear design change. Long tail lamp must be changed & a rear spoiler.
Don't know what to change in the side profile.
2.2l varicor in the storme.
Beige black combo interiors.
Little changes in the interiors especially the sumo like glove box design.
Better instrument console.
IMO for the current purpose market it as a people mover.
Fit and finish same as or better than storme.
Price revision always needed.
 
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Re: Tata Planning To Relaunch Aria With 'Image Corrections'

Front & rear design change. Long tail lamp must be changed & a rear spoiler.
Don't know what to change in the side profile.
2.2l varicor in the storme.
Beige black combo interiors.
Little changes in the interiors especially the sumo like glove box design.
Better instrument console.
IMO for the current purpose market it as a people mover.
Fit and finish same as or better than storme.
Price revision always needed.
2 young guys age 24-25 from tata motors had come my home last month for precisely the same reason , they wanted a feedback about aria .
Questions asked were do you think auto transmission is a must ? , would you like a Harman kardon music system , do think roof rails are must ? And any other suggestions , I had given my feedback that aria needs a complete redesign and more then a crossover it must look like a smashing dashing SUV , and a good price correction across the models.
As per them aria will be re- launched by late 2013.
 
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Tata Aria Dec Launch

Upgraded version of Tata Aria will be launched in December this year as per reports.

Kolkata, Nov 16 (IANS) :

Tata Motors is planning to launch an upgraded version of its utility vehicle Aria by December this year, a company official said Friday.
"It was scheduled to be launched next year, but it will be launched nationally very soon, may be in a month or two. Might be December this year," Kumar Priyesh, Tata Motors' regional manager, East, told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of Manza, a club class sedan, in the city.
Launched in 2010, Aria has not been able to make its mark in the otherwise growing domestic utility vehicle market.

The company will roll out its newly launched Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) Safari Storme in the eastern region by this fiscal end.
Priyesh said in the utility vehicle segment, the company enjoys around 10 percent market share nationally.

In West Bengal, the company has 25 percent market share in utility vehicle and with the launching of upgraded models of Aria and Storme, Priyesh said it could go up by about five percent to ten percent by March, 2013.

Tata Motor's upgraded Aria likely by December
 

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