The Automotive India Car Of The Year 2017: Your Voice. Your Choice.

[Akash1886]

as on 4th Jan 2018; 6:50am

Nexon - 41
Compass - 29
Hexagon - 20

The Nexon is truly doing a remarkable job in here. Another VFM product there from TML. A product like this which is an absolutely new product has clicked with the buyers is an excellent feat. The segment of Nexon is an extremely competitive one and TML reading the requirements of the buyers quite well have provided the best possible product as I see. As for the Hexa, TML's re-entry in this segment has been commendable. Hexa so far based on the production numbers has been doing a reasonably good job and the level of accepting the new products from TML among the buyers seems very assuring. The momentum of TML and their good products should continue in future too. The Impact Design and better technologies in their products have played a big role making their products worthy. Apart from that, A good product from the brand needs an equally good marketing strategy too which TML has put very well in place. As TML is making efforts to enhance the customer service experience, I feel, they are on the right path to be seen as a well packaged brand in near future.

The Jeep Compass is though a competitive product but the brand Jeep in India hasn't been able to strike the chord among buyers and honestly at present I see Jeep as a 1 product old brand. Jeep has to work very hard to prove it's worth in one of the most volatile auto market i.e India. Reading about the price increase of Compass by FCA, I felt they have taken a hurried step. In India, brands like Hyundai, TML, Honda, MSIL can afford to raise their prices and in some cases even charge a premium on their products because they all are well established in Indian market (Passenger Vehicle & Fleet Business) but Jeep with just 1 product making it's way to our market should have retained the old prices till this FY. People are yet to experience the after sales part of the FCA and so far apart from Compass, Jeep has had a dry run in India. In the short span of time since the introduction of Compass, the FCA has had a very average response in respect to the aftersales and services.

Regards

Akash

 

[kunal Singh]

Voted for the skoda kodiaq. It's is a great car/SUV solid build attention to detail specially the "simply clever" features provided by skoda. Nowhere do we see any cost cutting and is easily on par with expensive germans costing twice as much. Superb safety features, tall order of highway manners and super smooth DSG make the whole package mouth watering. The only fly in the ointment is the ASS but the same problem is present with the germans as well as jeep.

P.S.-Great to see two tata cars in the top three thus proving TML has come a long way from where it was 5 years back great job tata keep rocking and I would have loved to see the octavia VRS in this list as well any clue as to why was it not included?

 

[Pradeepkumarmr]

I have voted for Tata Nexon. I think it's truly a world class product from Tata offering at great price. It has great looks ( hate it or love it), great build quality, good features.
More then anything else Tata is putting great efforts with its new vehicle launches compared to any other manufacturer starting from zest, bolt, Tiago, tigor, hexa and nexon.

 

[vijay_968]

Top 5, as on 4th Jan 2018; 6:50am
Nexon - 41
Compass - 29
Hexa - 20
Verna - 14
Dzire - 06

Top 5, as on 6th Jan 2018; 10:00am

Nexon - 48
Compass - 31
Hexa - 22
Verna - 17
Dzire - 09

They have gained "7, 2, 2, 3 and 3 votes", respectively, since my quoted post on 04-Jan-2018. Nexon leading in THIS too

TAI COTY-2015 and TAI COTY-2016 polls had 334 and 403 Votes respectively. As of NOW, the "total Number of Voters for TAI COTY-2017, is 146". Friends, I feel these number are less, with so many TAIgers logging in daily. TAI COTY and these machines deserve MORE votes. PLEASE...

 

[NM9488]

My Vote goes to Maruti Suzuki Dzire as it tick almost all boxes which are Important while choosing Car of the year. It got good Fuel Efficiency, It is a Value For Money car, It got good if not the best Looks and Design, Yes in Safety and Security department it is still lacking but there is ABS & Airbags in this car so it tick this department as well, It is a Comfortable and Feature packed vehicle in the segment, It got same Engine and Performance as older one but still Maruti managed to upgrade some of the bits here. No need to say anything about Brand image and after-sales support of Maruti in India.

Though I know Dzire won't be a winner here but still sales no are evident for who is the real winner in India.

 

[kkn13]

Jeep Compass is gaining this much traction among enthusiasts and I'm happy to see that. It has got the support of 'Jeep' brand with it. I wonder how many would have treated Compass like today if it was a 'FIAT' branded car.

Not true
Dealerships are the same and have FIAT branding
The underpinning platform is FIAT 500L platform not JEEP
The engines are FIAT Multijet and MultiAir

All this is open knowledge, so people are aware its a FIAT with JEEP badge

 

[SilverEyez]

TAI COTY-2015 and TAI COTY-2016 polls had 334 and 403 Votes respectively. As of NOW, the "total Number of Voters for TAI COTY-2017, is 146". Friends, I feel these number are less, with so many TAIgers logging in daily. TAI COTY and these machines deserve MORE votes. PLEASE...

I Agree with your point Vijay.
this award is completely people's choice award, more TAI-gers should vote.

 

[jagrover]

Not true
Dealerships are the same and have FIAT branding
The underpinning platform is FIAT 500L platform not JEEP
The engines are FIAT Multijet and MultiAir

All this is open knowledge, so people are aware its a FIAT with JEEP badge

Yeah. Just put the FIAT badge then and see what happens..!

 

[kkn13]

Yeah. Just put the FIAT badge then and see what happens..!

Nothing will happen
FIAT's issue isnt the product, its after sales , poor seating position in Linea and Punto and outdated products that didnt get updates
Matters didnt help when they were still offering 2015 stock in 2017
The Jeep branding doesnt matter, the fact that Tata and chevrolet cars(with equal stigma attached to the badges) outsold Fiat's own offerings , all with the same 1.3 MJD engine shows that badge value has no play here
Its simply a matter of offering VFM with a proper up to date product
Nexon,Hexa, Compass, Ecosport are proof of that

The Linea and Punto were a hit until they stopped receiving updates and Tata's shared after sales didnt help
The second , Fiat broke off the JV and launched the Compass, they did the right move

Saying the Compass wouldnt sell well if branded as FIAT is akin to saying Nexa cars wouldnt sell if badged Maruti Suzuki
Synonymous brands dont mean one will sell better than the other, this is not an VW vs Skoda vs Audi situation wherein after sales network etc are different despite underlying cars being similar

 

[Akash1886]

Saying the Compass wouldnt sell well if branded as FIAT is akin to saying Nexa cars wouldnt sell if badged Maruti Suzuki
Synonymous brands dont mean one will sell better than the other, this is not an VW vs Skoda vs Audi situation wherein after sales network etc are different despite underlying cars being similar

Nexa is not a car manufacturing brand rather just a 'modernized' selling outlet. It sells Suzuki cars which do not get the MS badge. As an example, Ciaz dipped in sales at one point when being sold by regular MSIL outlets but regained once it entered the Nexa outlet and on the other hand the S-Cross, first offering of Suzuki to India, sold exclusively at Nexa for 1st time, couldn't hold on to the competition and even today it can't give the expected sales performance even after MSIL's backing etc. So it does boils down to the product's own merit too. As for the after sales, it cant be denied that presently, in comparison to each option mentioned here, Jeep has the lowest spread of after sales outlets. FIAT in itself doesn't have a wide service network so it becomes even more difficult for the Jeep customers to pick and choose the right service center. Mopar which was thought of as the ASC network brand for the Jeep isn't really prominent at present in India. I feel, the big issue about the Jeep Compass is the availability of after sales outlets along with rectifying the unethical practices which have happened in the short span for Jeep in India. Jeep Compass is a competitive product but combining it with the after sales experience, I feel, Jeep India needs to work fast and hard on that and as far as differentiating of the ASC network (several brands in one parent brand) is concerned, one can't expect FIAT dealers to service Jeep cars and vice-versa & same goes for VW, Skoda, Audi. So, to judge a product as successful in the market, along with the product's merit, the associated infrastructure of the brand is equally important to be present which in case of Jeep India is at present mostly missing.

--Akash

 

[kkn13]

Ciaz sales dipped because of GST removing subsidy on the SHVS system .....

S Cross didnt sell because of high pricing, quirky looks and availability of better cars such as Duster and Creta for the same price range

I agree about Jeep not having infrastructure but I blame them for choosing Tata as their JV partner and after sales network, it backfired and in the process , Fiat got a bad name and the obvious issues I mentioned previously led to their decline until the Compass and their plans for export using India as a base

IMHO Mahindra would have been a better partner for Jeep

Brand doesnt matter when ASC, Dealers etc are all the same for the two daughter brands- Fiat and Jeep
They could slap Fiat branding on Compass and itd still sell equally well

I dont think Tata, VW, Skoda are much better in terms of "ethical practices" or ASC either compared to Jeep/FCA. Lesser complaints regarding fit and finish, part failures so far mean Jeep is on the right track

Also Jeep, FIAT, Abarth are all serviced and sold in the same centres.....

Given dwindling players like Renault-Nissan etc means Jeep has a fresh opportunity to fill the gap as Ford and Tata have been doing off late

Should be interesting to see what the future holds but for now, I see Ford and FCA/Jeep on the way to a full comeback to their initial glory days since they seem to have learned from past mistakes and not going down the Chevy way which was company politics at fault imho
I feel these are more deserving brands than VW,Skoda which have had multiple chances over the years and havent upped their game except with 1-2 niche products

 

[Akash1886]

Ciaz sales dipped because of GST removing subsidy on the SHVS system

A correction, CIAZ firstly entered Nexa in April 2017 and it was the Govt's FAME policy under which the subsidy for CIAZ & Ertiga were removed. GST came in July 01-2017.

I agree about Jeep not having infrastructure but I blame them for choosing Tata as their JV partner and after sales network, it backfired and in the process

That's an incorrect logic. Whether it is a JV or an outright purchase of another brand, the operations, policies and management of both brands are different. Example, If I compare VW Tiguan Vs Skoda Kodiaq (both of them being the contenders for the 2017 COTY here) then Kodiaq has done far better in comparison to Tiguan. Now the dismal performance of Tiguan can't be attributed to Skoda. It is for the VW management to take look into it and make necessary amendments. If Tata's Hexa is selling less than 2K units a months then should TML blame Jaguar for that? And most importantly, not to forget, even today, it's the TML facility in Rajangaon which is shared by FCA for manufacturing the Compass.

IMHO Mahindra would have been a better partner for Jeep

Mahindra had the Ssangyong brand in their kitty and we all know how far it went and what was the outcome. Now, M&M is bringing the Ssangyong based SUVs back under it's name just to see how well the market in India would re-accept them.

They could slap Fiat branding on Compass and itd still sell equally well

I seriously doubt this because FIAT hasn't been able to make their own cars fly of the shelves. Their Abarth branded cars did not create much interest either. They went into huge inventory of unsold cars and the production of Abarth was closed as well for reasonable time. I don't think re-branding the Jeep Compass as FIAT would make it a success no matter even if the platform has underpinning of FIAT. Do you think if Tiguan is re-branded as a Skoda SUV, it would still be able to out-pace the Kodiaq in comparison?

I dont think Tata, VW, Skoda are much better in terms of "ethical practices" or ASC either compared to Jeep/FCA. Lesser complaints regarding fit and finish, part failures so far mean Jeep is on the right track

Firstly, TML is still much better than the Skoda & VW ASC Network and many of the dealers of Skoda are facing financial crisis. Secondly, even if these 3 have had issues in ASC then still, their ASC network spread is much bigger than FCA/Jeep in India so people can pick and choose a better ASC. As for the complaints, it is 1st product only from Jeep in India which has been able to sell and it is too soon to judge this brand as successful. People probably shifted from regular brands to Jeep thinking they may provide better after sales but so far the experiences as shared haven't been very assuring either. Regarding the part failures, this can happen in any brand and any car whether 10 Lac rupee car or 1Cr Car. What matters is how forthcoming and willing is the brand to support the client and rectify them.

Also Jeep, FIAT, Abarth are all serviced and sold in the same centres

If that is so then what for was the Mopar brand considered by Jeep India when they launched the Jeep Compass in India? Secondly, Jeep has got separate showrooms in many parts of India to sell their products. Landmark Jeep being the chain catering to Delhi-NCR.

I see Ford and FCA/Jeep on the way to a full comeback to their initial glory days since they seem to have learned from past mistakes

Ford is a far more stable brand in India than Chevy. For Ford, I can believe that they'll further improve and enhance in our market but it is very early for us to assume anything in respect to Jeep in India considering that Jeep's all previous offering except the Compass have had dry days.

--Akash

 

[kkn13]

A correction, CIAZ firstly entered Nexa in April 2017 and it was the Govt's FAME policy under which the subsidy for CIAZ & Ertiga were removed. GST came in July 01-2017.

That's an incorrect logic. Whether it is a JV or an outright purchase of another brand, the operations, policies and management of both brands are different. Example, If I compare VW Tiguan Vs Skoda Kodiaq (both of them being the contenders for the 2017 COTY here) then Kodiaq has done far better in comparison to Tiguan. Now the dismal performance of Tiguan can't be attributed to Skoda. It is for the VW management to take look into it and make necessary amendments. If Tata's Hexa is selling less than 2K units a months then should TML blame Jaguar for that? And most importantly, not to forget, even today, it's the TML facility in Rajangaon which is shared by FCA for manufacturing the Compass.

Mahindra had the Ssangyong brand in their kitty and we all know how far it went and what was the outcome. Now, M&M is bringing the Ssangyong based SUVs back under it's name just to see how well the market in India would re-accept them.

I seriously doubt this because FIAT hasn't been able to make their own cars fly of the shelves. Their Abarth branded cars did not create much interest either. They went into huge inventory of unsold cars and the production of Abarth was closed as well for reasonable time. I don't think re-branding the Jeep Compass as FIAT would make it a success no matter even if the platform has underpinning of FIAT. Do you think if Tiguan is re-branded as a Skoda SUV, it would still be able to out-pace the Kodiaq in comparison?

Firstly, TML is still much better than the Skoda & VW ASC Network and many of the dealers of Skoda are facing financial crisis. Secondly, even if these 3 have had issues in ASC then still, their ASC network spread is much bigger than FCA/Jeep in India so people can pick and choose a better ASC. As for the complaints, it is 1st product only from Jeep in India which has been able to sell and it is too soon to judge this brand as successful. People probably shifted from regular brands to Jeep thinking they may provide better after sales but so far the experiences as shared haven't been very assuring either. Regarding the part failures, this can happen in any brand and any car whether 10 Lac rupee car or 1Cr Car. What matters is how forthcoming and willing is the brand to support the client and rectify them.

If that is so then what for was the Mopar brand considered by Jeep India when they launched the Jeep Compass in India? Secondly, Jeep has got separate showrooms in many parts of India to sell their products. Landmark Jeep being the chain catering to Delhi-NCR.

Ford is a far more stable brand in India than Chevy. For Ford, I can believe that they'll further improve and enhance in our market but it is very early for us to assume anything in respect to Jeep in India considering that Jeep's all previous offering except the Compass have had dry days.

--Akash

Firstly I dont think you have understood the discussion at al, in fact you are agreeing with my point -
Someone above said Compass is selling only because of Jeep branding and that FIAT branding would have ruined the product
I said it didnt matter if it had FIAT or Jeep branding, it would still get the same response.


Given VW and Skoda and badge engineered but with different features, engine tunes , minor transmission changes, some engine differences with different ASC and dealers, its a totally different story

As for Ciaz, we are talking about the sales dip... which happened after removing SHVS benefits as well as introduction of 2017 City and Verna

Ssangyong failed because Mahindra gave it foster child treatment to push XUV500, poor marketing strategies and ASCs didnt know how to handle Rexton properly because its so different from other Mahindras
Whereas some Mahindra vehicles already have Jeep Willys underpinings
Also Mahindra ASC is far more supportive than Tata from my own experience as well as others in the forums
They actually do the extra bit to iron out issues, XUV500 is proof of that

Abarth is a niche, premium/halo product with poor marketing, high pricing and albeit outdated features and underpinnings, only an enthusiast will understand its true value
Somewhat like Polo GTi , Octavia RS, S Cross 1.6 etc

As for ASC, I wouldnt say Tata is very good, its just that TML cars are easier to work on for FNGs and cheaper and readily available parts compared to VAG
Arguably Tata tarnished FCA's reputation during the shared ASC times
Now things are better on both fronts but then Tata ASC was as scary as VAG

Jeep/FCA made some mistakes and obviously they have understood the formula for success after the Compass
Cars like Renegade and the upcoming sub 4m CUV will seal its fate
If VAG cars sell after obvious cons , why cant Ford,Jeep and Tata ?! Ecosport, Compass and Nexon are far more deserving products on the whole

Oh and since Tiguan and Kodiaq share the same MQB platform and engine etc but with obvious changes, Kodiaq is already outselling Tiguan despite the Skoda ASC stigmas

 

[Akash1886]

Firstly I dont think you have understood the discussion at al, in fact you are agreeing with my point -
Someone above said Compass is selling only because of Jeep branding and that FIAT branding would have ruined the product
I said it didnt matter if it had FIAT or Jeep branding, it would still get the same response.

Probably you missed understanding and reading my point above. Correction!

1) I never agreed to your point of saying that Compass will still sell well if re-branded as Fiat.

2) Refer to my statement re-quoted below from my above post

I don't think re-branding the Jeep Compass as FIAT would make it a success no matter even if the platform has underpinning of FIAT.

3) Refer to my statement number 2 re-quoted below from my above post

I seriously doubt this because FIAT hasn't been able to make their own cars fly of the shelves.

Lastly, Now I can accept your point w.r.t to CIAZ's sales dip. It was not solely & entirely based just because of loosing the SHVS benefits.

The fact for Jeep India remains the long term behavior of their Dealers, Service Outlets & more importantly their future product's acceptability in our market. To judge a brand's success in a market, sales of just a single product can't be the criteria.

--Akash

 

[kkn13]

Well to each their own I guess
I for one, am sold on Jeep and Ford so far
First impression makes a lot of difference imho and they nailed it with their comeback products- Ecosport, Endeavour and Compass