Unique Cost Cutting Gimmicks on Cars in India

[amiti]

Re: Cheap Cost Cutting Tricks For Cars in India

In i10, skinny tires and faulty steering rack (yes a measure to cut cost). I also wonder what quality of Airbags and ABS, EBD units are supplied on low end cars in India. As I am 100% sure they won't match for same in western countries.

 

[350Z]

Re: Cheap Cost Cutting Tricks For Cars in India

Earlier i10 Magna used to come with digi-clock but new ones don't offer this now.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[S Class]

Re: Cost Cutting Techniques on Cars in India

Somehow I feel BMW is not cost cutting. The RFT technology is something we have to get used to. Remember when radials came in there was a lot of negative talk about them. Now almost every car comes with radials. Next was tubeless. They are more or less accepted but there are still a few who don't trust them. I think RFT's will be accepted sooner or later.

Few things need to be considered in case of BMW:-

The run flat tyres are not good for India mainly due to:-

* The ride quality is not great,
* The roads don't accept them,
* Even RFTs can go max 80 km. If one drives inter-city, seeing the poor patrolling & road side assistance, this 80 km is far less. Again 80 km is on good roads, if the patch of road is bad, then it may not last even 50 km.
In car vs uv debate, bad roads was one of the main reasons why people opted for uvs.

I have still seen BMW guys replacing their company fitted tyres & putting in spare wheel even when it eats boot space. If BMWs tyres were great, why doesn't Merc uses them ?? Fact is Indian road conditions are not apt for such tyres.

 

[S Class]

Some more

I think cost cutting stuff should be seen segment wise. Not giving air-bags in alto can't be called as cost cutting but no temp indicator is.

Similarly, when Vento didn't give steering mounted controls, it was indeed a cost cutting.

Some cost cutting :-

* In Nissan Micra, the logo is embossed in the steering wheel. How much does it cost to put good monogram on steering like Sunny ?

* Swift giving Zxi with non-alloy spare wheel,

* Several Chevy cars including mid segment ones like Optras have controls like LHD, be it wipers or indicators,

* Such LHD cars horrible part is even the hand-brake lever is towards co-driver side.....maybe it has been given so that if driver falls asleep, the passenger next to him can stop car using hand brake,

* Single reverse light. Some have arrangement on other side too but you need to buy a bulb at additional cost ,

* Giving power window switches in same place rather than on door handles. Older indicas & santro XS had this,

* Providing semi-wheel cover !! Hell, either you provide full wheel cover or don't provide it at all, why semi ?

* No spare wheel like in case of BMW. Merc provides it,

* Internally manual adjustable ORVM. Electric feature can be given in higher models but still sticking out hand to adjust mirror is just so dumb ,

* Rear defogger is missing in several models, not even in higher models. In rains, it is very useful feature,

* No rear wiper even in high end models in case of hatchbacks. In rains, the cars' own water from tyres fall on it, so rear wiper is a must,

* USB out is absent in company fitted audio systems,

* Headlight alignment feature is not there in may cars,

* Cheap quality stickers on cars outer body...why use stickers ?? Even Honda Unicorn,a bike comes with plastic monogram,

* No adjustable headrests. It was there is Santro XS models but absent in i10,

* Fuel cap & boot still needs to be opened with key in some models, remids me of fiat padmini & amby,

* Fog lights are absent even in base models of C segment like Rapid,

* The door rub rims/rails are available in high end models of C segment. Eg. Honda City Exi didn't had this, Gxi had one !!

* Lower end models come with black grills, high end comes with chrome plated !! Same is the case with door handles - black/body colored/chrome plated.

I will not talk about Toyota Etios as even the TVS Rickshaw feels more well built than Etios. Etios is more like a scooter with side car & a roof.

What I feel is in sub 10L, Tata gives the most VFM product & in general, the least VFM is given by Toyota (even XUV 500 beats Innova hands down) & so does Cruze with Altis. Camry has already dissappeared & Fortuner will also be a thing of past.

 

[Vivian]

Re: Cheap Cost Cutting Tricks For Cars in India

Liva has only single reverse light but they provide spare bulbs. For what ? It might be low quality bulbs too :)
The worst thing i hate is the absence of rpm meter. Even a moped is coming with rpm meter then why it is not in cars whether it base variant or top variant.

 

[jalex]

Re: Cheap Cost Cutting Tricks For Cars in India

Liva has only single reverse light but they provide spare bulbs. For what ? It might be low quality bulbs too :)
The worst thing i hate is the absence of rpm meter. Even a moped is coming with rpm meter then why it is not in cars whether it base variant or top variant.

I still have to see a moped with an RPM meter, And its not that important Most people use it just to see the meter go up and down when you hit the pedal.

Regarding bulbs, I lost one of the points in the brake light bulb a week back. My car is a 2006 make. First bulb ever to go bust. And it was a french made Philips bulb. And they say Altos are budget plastic dubbas.

 

[kannan]

Re: Cheap Cost Cutting Tricks For Cars in India

I still have to see a moped with an RPM meter, And its not that important Most people use it just to see the meter go up and down when you hit the pedal.

Regarding bulbs, I lost one of the points in the brake light bulb a week back. My car is a 2006 make. First bulb ever to go bust. And it was a french made Philips bulb. And they say Altos are budget plastic dubbas.

The older maruti cars were fitted with good quality bulbs. my 2001 5speed800 never busted a bulb (the spares for headlights i got are still with me,HALONIX but they look different from what we get from shops now a days).

@jalex, it is sad that people just look at the rpm gauge to see the needle go up and down, when there was no rpm we used to listen to the sound of the engine, i still use this method in my bike to see whether it is straining or not, as i have a bad habit of changing gears in a preemptive manner. but with an rpm meter at hand i find it very useful to keep throttle at minimum.

 

[350Z]

Re: Cheap Cost Cutting Tricks For Cars in India

LHD Controls (Head Light/Indicator/Wipers) on Indian cars. Eg: Figo, Polo etc. Don't they know India is on RHD? Please. This not only a matter of comfort, but also makes us to feel we are owning a Low Cost Car.

To prevent this, both the wipers can be placed on the opposite directions. Just like in Honda Civic.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[Figoian]

Re: Cheap Cost Cutting Tricks For Cars in India

To prevent this, both the wipers can be placed on the opposite directions. Just like in Honda Civic.

Drive Safe,
350Z

350Z: My point was about the control stalks. These cars have Indicator & Light controls on the left side and Wiper controls on the right side.

 

[raman_rg]

Re: Cheap Cost Cutting Tricks For Cars in India

Fluidic verna is not having key lock on the left door.

 

[350Z]

Re: Cheap Cost Cutting Tricks For Cars in India

350Z: My point was about the control stalks. These cars have Indicator & Light controls on the left side and Wiper controls on the right side.

Mistakenly quoted incorrect part. I was referring to this:

Logan has Wipers waving from RHS. Wondering, are those wipers meant for the driver or co-driver? Also, how this car is sold pretty well with such a blunder? My biggest worry is, though I don't own it, how would I tackle any Logan coming opposite during rains.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[S Class]

Re: Cheap Cost Cutting Tricks For Cars in India

Skoda is using Ventos side-glass & windscreen for Rapid.
Saving the engraving cost !!

 

[autosafari]

Re: Cheap Cost Cutting Tricks For Cars in India

Vento with 14" tyre as spare whereas the regular tyres are 15"

 

[Vishwas]

Re: Cheap Cost Cutting Tricks For Cars in India

Vento with 14" tyre as spare whereas the regular tyres are 15"

Is this true! My god this is very cheap for a so called German Engineered car!
Won't this affect the alignment of other wheels never Thought VW was this cheap!

 

[S Class]

Re: Cheap Cost Cutting Tricks For Cars in India

Vento with 14" tyre as spare whereas the regular tyres are 15"

This is so cheap . Infact, giving spare tyre non-alloy looks cheap like Swift, but small tyres ?? This is limit of cheapness. It is better to opt the BMW policy of no spare tyre rather than doing such things.