Are Indian Car Designs Simply Overdone?

[caruns]

Don't you feel some Indian vehicles are over designed??.

OK, just some personal feelings: I use to be much passionate of automobile designs from my childhood days. Always used to watch each and every details of automobiles very keenly and used to kept a good knowledge on that as a youngster (not much on the technical part). But my fate was to become something else which don't have anything to deal with designs. fine. still kept that passion at the core of my heart and used the leisure times to watch automobiles and designs.

OK that's much about passion. Now talking about the current scenario in Indian automobile industry (only mentioning Indian companies), the quality of the products are good/even better. All Indian companies are making good engines, good suspension, good platforms and good manufacturing facilities. Then why we are not able to keep a good looking Indian vehicle?. Take the case of any foreign companies, they are producing very superb (design) products which got good market in India. Why Indian companies are not trying to make good designs?

Take the case of Maruti suzuki, all the cars are sold well in India backed by a good company response. But u take the designs most of them are designed by suzuki designers. Only Indians are doing adding or redesigning the boot (which ultimately becomes ugly).

Tata: they say that the 'designs are made in India', but at least some knows that the designs are 'made in Italy'. I personally felt safari and sierra designs were good but are they designed here?. Why they are not bringing a small SUV with the exterior design of Xenon for 8 lacks?. Check out the modified xenon which I made using MS Paint (below). I feel it can kill foreign designs such as renault duster if it packed with a good engine of tata.

Mahindra: They are making quality products. Superb in thier technical side but what about the designs?.
Xylo: ultimately changed its uglier nose still is it a better looking SUV? nope. Compare it with foreign designed SUV's. it got a bulky look both inside (It makes me more frustrated when I compare with the interior of ford fusion, a 10 year old car/muv. How superb it was!)and outside. Feels disproportionate.
XUV: over designed and killed an otherwise superb looking SUV. Check out the pic below. I made some simple 5 changes which made it very beautiful. Check out for the 5 changes.
Verito: logan-A love it/hate it design. I loved it any way. But once mahindra got it, they added an ugly front grill .
Bolero: Ok OK design.

Premier: no need to mention.

Force: Got good engines but again a looser here. they could have made good designs and put that merc engine.

Don't you feel Indian designers should be more keen on designing or on the final renderings?

These are just mu personal opinion and want to hear from my fellow TAI-ans.

Mods: the original pics are taken from other forum/net for editing. Is there any copyright issue?.

 

[autosafari]

Re: Indian automobile designs

Don't you feel some Indian vehicles are over designed??.

There is a confusion here.

Don't take design in its literary meaning.

Assume that you mean't "styling" here.

Design of a car include its mechanicals also. So Indian cars are not over designed but German cars are - They are over specified most of the times.

Tata: they say that the 'designs are made in India', but at least some knows that the designs are 'made in Italy'. I personally felt safari and sierra designs were good but are they designed here?.

Safari and Sierra are designed or styled in India.

People may not wan't to believe but the bland looking, written off, cabie Indica is the first TATA car in which styling is done in Italy. (I.D.E.A of Italy)

Now TATA owns majority stake in an Italian design house PININFARINA

Mahindra: They are making quality products. Superb in thier technical side but what about the designs?.
Xylo: ultimately changed its uglier nose still is it a better looking SUV? nope. Compare it with foreign designed SUV's.
XUV: over designed and killed an otherwise superb looking SUV. Check out the pic below.

Looks are subjective.
Look at some French cars

Force: Got good engines but again a looser here. they could have made good designs and put that merc engine.

There is not much Indian in Force1. It is chinese

 

[Raja]

Re: Indian automobile designs

I saw the new xylo at Mumbai airport they have kept it for display and for the first time I liked it . But to just give some company to tata the xylo also had a good finger deep panel gap at the left side of the bonnet , I still don't understand why can't m&m and tata figure this out I mean is it so hard to make the vehicle look perfect ? I agree that mahindra does go a little over board in desgin but the xylo looked really good .

 

[raj_5004]

Re: Indian automobile designs

What you are saying is right. Indians do go overboard when designing vehicles. By Indians, I mean Mahindra. TATA does not design it in house.

The best designs are from Italians - Fiat, Maserati, Lambo.

Even the Japs make boring designs, I dont find anything exciting in Toyotas, Hondas, Nissans, etc. Mitsubishi is an exception.

Germans are great... they know how to make cars. Proportionate & stylish & exudes class.

Americans, well. They can make decent cars, huge cars.

 

[caruns]

Re: Indian automobile designs

There is a confusion here.

Don't take design in its literary meaning.

Assume that you mean't "styling" here.

Design of a car include its mechanicals also. So Indian cars are not over designed but German cars are - They are over specified most of the times.




Safari and Sierra are designed or styled in India.

People may not wan't to believe but the bland looking, written off, cabie Indica is the first TATA car in which styling is done in Italy. (I.D.E.A of Italy)

Now TATA owns majority stake in an Italian design house PININFARINA






Looks are subjective.
Look at some French cars




There is not much Indian in Force1. It is Chinese

'styling'-Thanks for the clarification .
Pininfarina-I know this that's why I mentioned Italian.
Yes. Force 1 is Chinese. but what about Trax?. I believe Trax got a good engine and technical s but design?. Yes we can understand that it is not for personalized use and meant as a people mover but still it could have been a little more futuristic. are we still in 90's??.

 

[autosafari]

You are right about Trax.

French and Korean automobile stylings are also strange looking.

I agree to you that XUV is overdone.

However, there is silverline in the cloud sometimes.

Safari is styled in India and that is a classic styling.

 

[S Class]

Re: Indian automobile designs

caruns,

I feel it is only M & M which goes over-board while designing vehicles, especially XUV 500. Everytime I see XUV, it is something like normal girl with tonnes of make-up . Beauty has to be natural & not made up. It is therefore I love German cars, simply awesome.

The best designs are from Italians - Fiat, Maserati, Lambo.

Even the Japs make boring designs, I dont find anything exciting in Toyotas, Hondas, Nissans, etc. Mitsubishi is an exception.

Germans are great... they know how to make cars. Proportionate & stylish & exudes class.

Americans, well. They can make decent cars, huge cars.

Italians are good but they are more suited for late night long drives with Latino music playing in background . For regular use, it has to be Germans.

'styling'-Thanks for the clarification .
Pininfarina-I know this that's why I mentioned Italian.
Yes. Force 1 is Chinese. but what about Trax?. I believe Trax got a good engine and technical s but design? Yes we can understand that it is not for personalized use and meant as a people mover but still it could have been a little more futuristic. are we still in 90's??

Apart from Trax, same goes for M & M Commander & Thar, look the same of WW2 Jeep.

 

[caruns]

Re: Indian automobile designs

''Apart from Trax, same goes for M & M Commander & Thar, look the same of WW2 Jeep''-at least Thar got a classic look .

 

[Vivian]

Tata is the expert for over designed cars. I don't know from where they are getting huge chrome plates for their cars. That too like an inverted fishing boat.

 

[Crazy cat]

The only Indian manufacturer that designs their cars in-house is Mahindra. They are still in their learning stage, but they are getting better.

Tata is the expert for over designed cars. I don't know from where they are getting huge chrome plates for their cars. That too like an inverted fishing boat.

I think that is the end result of Indians giving finishing touches to Italian designs.

Safari is styled in India and that is a classic styling.

Safari is styled by Italians, like many Tata cars.

 

[THE XOVER]

Nope Safari,Sumo,Sierra andf Estate all were designed in house by TATA.As auto said Indica was their first Italian/foreign designed car.

 

[caruns]

Don't you think that earlier Tata cars (Tata mobile, Estate and Sierra) were cheap 'cut and paste' of some merc models??.

 

[jalex]

XUV: over designed and killed an otherwise superb looking SUV. Check out the pic below. I made some simple 5 changes which made it very beautiful. Check out for the 5 changes.

I agree with what you have mentioned here. And on the XUV 500- Your changes has made it look brilliant. I too hated the one too many mesh grills on beneath the headlights. It looks ghastly. And yes in my opinion as well, Indian designers sure are appalling at what they do and they know better than anyone else how to spoil an original design. To be frank, I dont see a single original Indian designed vehicle worth dying for out there.

 

[jalex]

but what about Trax?. I believe Trax got a good engine and technical s but design?. Yes we can understand that it is not for personalized use and meant as a people mover but still it could have been a little more futuristic. are we still in 90's??.

You are right about Trax.

The Trax was based on the earlier model of the Mercedes Benz G wagon, It looks like a replica and is not an Indian design.

Nope Safari,Sumo,Sierra andf Estate all were designed in house by TATA.As auto said Indica was their first Italian/foreign designed car.

Don't you think that earlier Tata cars (Tata mobile, Estate and Sierra) were cheap 'cut and paste' of some merc models??.

I'm afraid that the Tata Estate was not that original and was based largely on the Mercedes Benz 300 TE Station wagon. They look almost alike.



Mods: Please please merge post no. 13 & 14 as one.

 

[raj_5004]

^^^ I agree.

Tata Estate was a copy of MB 300 TE, Sumo was a copy of MB G-Wagon, even the tempo TATA 407 was a copy of MB 409D.

The Sierra was basically like a 2 door Sumo with some nice changes. I dont know how they designed the Safari so well. After that all their cars were designed by Italians, which is a good thing.

Mahindras design inhouse but after designing the Commander, Marshall, first gen Bolero & first gen Scorpio, they lost it! Now they are trying to improve by the Scorpio Refresh, Bolero ZLX & New Xylo, but again XUV seems overdone.