Why Not Tata Cars For Personal Use?

[sambit_mech]

I am starting this thread to pour in ideas from TAI members to understand why Tata Motors is failing even with many VFM cars in-place.

1. Historically, Tata Indica ruined HM Ambassador - still successful in taxi segment.
2. Less than 4m Sedan - Concept of Tata Motors - Yes I'm talking about Tata Indigo. Then Swift Desire ruined Indigo sales.
3. Tata Indica Vista - Good car, Fiat's engine and gearbox - still couldn't meet expected sales target.
3. Tata Manza real VFM sedan - still couldn't meet expected sales target. I own one.
4. Tata Nano - Marketing mistake of placing it as World's chepest car and nobody like to hear that (s)he is driving a cheap car!
5. Tata Aria - Real good car - But pricey, in a sense not VFM, wastage of money.
6. Tata Sumo - Good car but nobody owns for personal use. When I thought between Tata Manza and Tata Sumo, I couldn't buy Tata Sumo due to the stigma of owning a call-center cab! - added thanks to Anshuman's feedback!

Why are taxi operators still preferring Tata cars? Must be they are VFM, lots of space and comfort, car never gets halted in the middle of road, less costly to buy and maintain. Tata diesel should see huge volume the since most of the peple are preferring diesel to petrol for personal use now-a-days.

I know Tata dealers are not from any civilized society, they are from jungle and hence ASS will treat you somewhere between fleet-operator and a car-owner if you own a Tata car for personal use. But when I could save lots of money by buying/keeping Tata car, I chose to deal with those janglees.

Tata car niggles should not put someone off since they can be fixed with less cost when one visits ASS.

Does it mean that people prefer to spend much more just to get rid of a few niggles, Tata brand?

I personally feel that if it were Toyota Indica, Toyota Indigo, Toyota Indica Vista, Toyota Manza or even Toyota Aria with same prices and may be with same niggles, they would still have been hot-selling.

I hope it's not acceptable an accptable statement that Tata cars are seemed to be taxis. Then I see so many Toyota Innova, Swift Desire (with "Same Fare" poster) but they are equally successful in personal car segment.

Please discuss why you won't buy a Tata car for personal use. Yes, you won't, not why you will since most of the people won't prefer to own a Tata car for personal use.

 

[anshuman8]

Sambit, you missed a very important vehicle in TATA Motors line up which changed their fortunes. That is TATA Sumo.
I remember when militancy was high in NE states in mid 90s, all business owners swictched from Luxury Sedans to White Tata Sumos.

 

[pravin1987]

We have nearly 11 cars in my apartment. none of are tata cars. most of my relatives and freinds never liked any tata car saying that

1.tata is a truck company.
2.some say that they have high maintenance costs.
3.some say tata is for commercial market only.
4.some say the cars are poorly built and has worst designs.

so i was the last one when upgrading from maruthi 800. none of them recommended any tata cars. when i was about to buy a new car, the first suggestion was a car from maruti,toyota,hyundai.

when i got my safari, the reaction was why did you spend 4 lakhs on a brand that's has poor reliability and high maintenance costs. one of my friend who own a polo even said tata cars is the worst in the country. no offence mean to tata car owners(including me). but once i took him for a 100 kilometre ride, at least his opinion changed.

i think the image of tata cars are portrayed in such a way that one say it's bad.

 

[karthick raja]

One word - BRAND image. Most of the people recognise Tata as a cab/truck manufacturing company despite their VFM offerings. I personally hate Tata for its quality even though their prices are very attractive. But, Tata is improving significantly over time and now it needs to build their brand image and nothing else.

 

[vikyjoshi]

Well Tata carries a Truck image and that has been associated right from the day 1 of thier foray into the car market.

Even today, they are still termed as truck makers. What has happened is they make big cars and that too has worked against them (though I personally love the interior space they offer) People are accustomed to compact , coffin like space in likes of maruti. roomier cabin gives an impression of being a truck and unaable to drive in city. eg: people prefer innova but feel storme is VERY BIG, infact storme is wider by just 20cms and longer by 10 cms.

Innovas and Xylos are being used as taxi but people have no issue in buying them for personal use.

So basically my conclusion is
1. we indian have affinity for opting for Foreign make cars and no matter what they offer, we slavishly accept it.
2. If its an indian brand we expect the world from it and if its not that way, we simply reject it.

 

[Gurrala74]

I have only sentence to say about this in 2014 automobile era, it is just because a mind set problem of people thinking that TATA is meant for taxis, TATA means a company of trucks. Other wise there is no other reason except(A.S.S. spoiling the story at times) not going for TATA cars.

They are very well built and true VFM cars

 

[generalmax]

I have only sentence to say about this in 2014 automobile era, it is just because a mind set problem of people thinking that TATA is meant for taxis, TATA means a company of trucks. Other wise there is no other reason except(A.S.S. spoiling the story at times) not going for TATA cars.

They are very well built and true VFM cars

Agree completely to the above statement.

When you have a taxi market segment ,the use of spurious spares also increases as well as reliability of the car comes down.We can see more tata cars broken down on the car than any other car . Historically TATA had done some blunders .Tata does not do the homework correctly before selling. Tata Indigo first time owners (V1 engine) are the most harassed guys .There are people who still are in out of garages on a weekly basis. Then came V2 engines much better but prone to breakdowns (because of low QC in manufacturing),the eV2 still goes on ,but all Taxi cars .

TATA is having some issues within them like QC and their employee attitude.
From the top to down it had trickled down.
Two of the main business houses in India TATA and Reliance is facing this issue.

 

[sambit_mech]

We can see more tata cars broken down on the car than any other car .

No offense meant. But personally, I have never seen. Also, if breakdowns are too many, how come taxi operators love them?

Historically TATA had done some blunders .Tata does not do the homework correctly before selling. Tata Indigo first time owners (V1 engine) are the most harassed guys .There are people who still are in out of garages on a weekly basis. Then came V2 engines much better but prone to breakdowns (because of low QC in manufacturing),the eV2 still goes on ,but all Taxi cars .

Completely agree, nano on-fire is the best example. Tata Indigo problem you are saying I have seen few taxi drivers complaining the same. But with Fiat engine and gear-box, why is Vista and Manza failing?

TATA is having some issues within them like QC and their employee attitude.
From the top to down it had trickled down.
Two of the main business houses in India TATA and Reliance is facing this issue.

Completely agree. Tata brand issue.

 

[gaddambhargavareddy]

Yes the only biggest major problem with their brand image and tag line of indian company n truck maker. generally we indian people thinks that foreign brand amazing in product quality campare to indian brands thats the main reason most of the people dont prefer tata cars for personal use.

I own TATA Cars since 1999- present iam very happy with cars refinement and maintanance cost of course we faced reliability issues due to missguided mechanics but repair cost is very low campare to revivals resently we done engine overhaul to my INDICA TURBO we just paid 24k for it

 

[tdcarlover]

I own a Tata car-Vista. Have had many comments about 'taxi car'-have tried to convince many that it is VFM-but the poor Sales and ASS keeps me from totally believing the VFM story!

 

[gaddambhargavareddy]

No offense meant. But personally, I have never seen. Also, if breakdowns are too many, how come taxi operators love them?



Completely agree, nano on-fire is the best example. Tata Indigo problem you are saying I have seen few taxi drivers complaining the same. But with Fiat engine and gear-box, why is Vista and Manza failing?



Completely agree. Tata brand issue.

Generally most of the TATA Cars break down in middle of the road due to poor maintanance if we maintain time to time properly means it does not give any problems. the major problem with tata cars are if any issue is obtained then we have rectify immediately otherwise it will be bang for our pockets

Vista/Manza failed due to most of the people dont like its exterior disign

 

[envynicky]

I have a friend of mine who has Tata Dealership with himself. He himself claims that despite all this mess and recent attempts to make things better.. the operation team (making the final delivery to showrooms) and showrooms checking team before delivery are making blunders which is costing the most to Tata's poor Ass reputation

 

[raj_5004]

The only car I would ever buy from the Tata stable is the Storme - simply because that is a better choice when compared to the Scorpio or Force One.

But personally I feel the rest of their cars are bland or outdated -

Nano - Cheapest car in the world? Nah. I would buy a used Santro instead. Or put some more bucks and buy a Eon.

Indica Vista - Hyundai Grand i10 would be a much better car to own.

Manza - How about the Scala instead? Or the Rapid?

Sumo Grande - The new Xylo is a much nicer car.

Aria - LOLZ.

 

[TAUREAN CZAR]

TATA Motors has made it's own injuries and salted themselves. They have made commendable concept products but failed to implement them. They have failed to judge the competitors and ignored to update the products on time and hence allowed the opponents to take over by miles - in typically tortoise and rabbit race style.

Though the concepts were brilliant, execution was hampered and updates didn't come on time. The reason, probably TML bosses thought our VFM status, Indian built and rural penetration was never to be shaken. But the truth was opposite. Though the built still is the best for Indian conditions and rural India still buy a lot of TATAs, rural penetration is being threatened by the Marutis and Hyundais. Now the rural people still love the Indica for the robustness. But they have been turning their face off as they have been seeing the exterior design and dashboard for over 15 years. How many times do you expect to buy the Indica over and over again. Similarly the Vista, Sumo and Safari is on the same song. With no new products on the horizon and other companies penetrating more faster this is bound to happen. But the game for Sumo was really not lost to other players but it's own new sibling the Winger which was more VFM from TML.

Atleast now, TATA has understood this, in 2013, around 15 years after the Indica and Safari was launched in 1998. But now TATA has to be quick and launched new products. But time to churn new products should be short and precise and quality spot on. Also now and attractive products are require to pull back the youth from the competitors. Also the brand which has taken a beating - as a inconsistent quality product, a taxi brand and a truck brand - should be addressed with more youthful and connecting messages.

But I think TATA can pull it off much better than Chevrolet and Ford and I see all of us back with this brand in the next half a decade, as they have got money, resources and also talent to attract us.

 

[jagrover]

1994-Tata Sumo
1998-Indica & Safari
2002-Tata Indigo

2008-Nano,Vista
2009-Manza
2010-Aria

Time gap says it all. Lack of all new products to excite the market has cost them a lot.