Are Indian Auto Brands Considered Cheap & Downmarket?

[raj_5004]

The title itself explains what i mean to ask. By indian brands, i mean to ask about Mahindra & Tata. Maruti is not considered as almost all its cars are japanese!

This incident happened to me yesterday. I picked up one of my friend in my scorpio & we parked our car in the underground parking of a commercial building. The parking had about 10-12 cars & around 6-8 of them were base model scorpios. the following conversation happened between me & my friend, rohit-

Rohit: this parking is full of scorpios!

Me: yes, all are base models with no wheelcaps. maybe all of them belong to some firm who has it's office in this complex.

R: but why scorpio? are they mad?

M: why? whats wrong?

R: i think a scorpio costs 10 lakhs right. they could have gone for a toyota innova. why opt for a mahindra?

M: whats wrong in a mahindra?

R: Dude, mahindras are not meant to make cars. they should only make trucks.

M: trucks?! mahindra has not been making trucks at all (on a large scale). they used to make tractors initially.

R: yea whatever, then whats that company- oh yea, thats tata...!

M: right!

R: LOL, so you bought a car from a tractor maker?!!! even mahindras should make only that old jeeps (pointing to a mahindra classic parked in a corner) & tractors used in villages.

M: have you ever driven or owned a mahindra or tata?

R: no, i would never ever buy a mahindra or tata. who wants to be seen in them?

(he has a honda city - NHC)

M: then how can you comment on its vehicles?

R: cmon dude, the world knows, tatas & mahindras can make only low quality, unreliable & cheap cars. these indian brands cannot compete with the japs. so its best they stick to their trucks & jeeps. why would a family man buy these cars when you get a honda or toyota for the same price?

M: then why do you see so many tatas & scorpios on the road?

R: what? i have never seen too many scorpios & in tatas, only call centre guys & taxi owners buy indicas. which other car does tata make anyway?

M: LOL, you dont even know which cars tata & mahindra makes?

R: man, whose bothered about them? who cares? i would never ever in my life buy a mahindra or tata, so why should i look at them?

M: sure, i wont challenge your opinions (i dont need to!) but i would still suggest you atleast drive a mahindra or tata first & then comment. i accept they wont have the finesse & quality of your jap cars but then they offer many other things which make it more VFM.

R: LOL, i dont wanna risk my life & waste my money by buying a tata or mahindra! so i dont need to drive such crude vehicles.

M: okay, i wont debate then!

After exiting from the vehicle, he sees the bonnet scoop on my car.

R: dude, whats this? why have you fitted this?

M: its not aftermarket, its standard.

R: LOL, what was mahindra thinking? a bonnet scoop will make it's vehicle powerful?

M: Nopes, but it works, its not a dummy. it feeds air to the intercooler.

R: yea whatever! Measures to fool the indian public, as if this car will go drag racing!

After that, i stopped commenting.

But this made me think, are Indian brands considered so cheap? why are indian cars downgraded? whats so wrong with them? why do indians hate seeing themselves in an indian car?

how many in the real world actually think like my friend? i have some other friends too who after sitting in or driving my car has told me, "i cant believe this is mahindra. i never used to even give the scorpio a glance before. after all, its a mahindra...". now some have been recommending scorpios to others. i have personally met many who have bought the innova without even test driving the scorpio or safari. Now, i do know that the innova is superior to both the SUVs, but not even test driving the SUVs mean you dont even want to consider theindian brands in front of a jap brand.

so does that mean, if i have 11 lakhs... if i buy a innova, i am more "classy" & if i buy a scorpio, i am a "villager"?

 

[maximas007]

Never an Indian brand is cheap. No suv for any chance comes near the stunning looks of scorpio . And for the reliability show your friend your Odo meter which has clocked near 2 lakhs kms and still going well .And if I am not wrong you have one scorpio 1.8 lakhs kms done ?

And at last India is going to be the automobile producing hub for the world and the Indians they hate, had already taken control of many giant global brands .

 

[*Arkin_Young*]

Instead of praising Indian companies for their progress and sangarsh in spite of all the difficulties, he is making fun of them. I'm sure he does not know too much about cars.

Raj, Please PM me his e-mail address.
I wanna ask him, if he wanted an 4*4 for Rs10 lakh, and didn't want a Tata (Safari) nor a Mahindra (Scorp/Bolero), would he buy an Innova and retrofit it with 4WD????:suspect:

 

[Marun]

Nice point you have brought here raj.

I have seen many have this kind of perception about Indian cars. Their thought is absolutely wrong.

Tell your friend that Mahindra is exporting to all African countries since 1980s.

 

[*Arkin_Young*]

Nice point you have brought here raj.

I have seen many have this kind of perception about Indian cars. Their thought is absolutely wrong.

Tell your friend that Mahindra is exporting to all African countries since 1980s.

Yes. Even to this day.
Tata, Mahindra and others must be praised for their efforts .

 

[AMG]

Well, tell your friend that the Land Rover and Jaguar, 2 of the most prestigious brands in the World, are owned by our very own TATA?

And also tell him
Tumne Tata ka namak khaya hai. (Eng Translation: You have eaten tata's salt.)

 

[*Arkin_Young*]

Well, tell your friend that the Land Rover and Jaguar, 2 of the most prestigious brands in the World, are owned by our very own TATA?

And also tell him
Tumne Tata ka namak khaya hai. (Eng Translation: You have eaten tata's salt.)

Very good observation. So he thinks LR and Jg are inferior brands.
Not only salt. Tea, phone, internet, finance and all that. He would have used Mahindra Finance too.
EDIT: Why, even the food he eats would have been produced with the help of MM Tractors and transported in Tata (and maybe Mahindra) HMVs.

Yes, it is a general perception that Tata & MMvehicles are inferior, however-
1.Though several Taxis are from Tata, how is it bad? If Tata wasn't there, I don't think there would be taxis are spacious and cheap to hire as the Indica and Sumo
2. So what if Tata manufactures trucks and MM, tractors? Even Merc manufactures trucks, and Lamborghini started out as a tractor manufacturer.
3. Aren't Tata and Mahindra the only brands to offer diesel 4WDs for less than a million rupees?
4.

 

[raj_5004]

Good to know that not everybody thinks like him !!!

 

[type-r]

Over here when TATA launched the Xenon, the local people really thought it sucked. Although the journalists said it was the best looking pickup truck. But after JLR deal, perceptions have changed drastically. Now a lot of Xenons can be seen. I feel proud when someone is praising our TATA another country. I really feel like saying MERA BHARAT MAHAAN!

 

[*Arkin_Young*]

Over here when TATA launched the Xenon, the local people really thought it sucked. Although the journalists said it was the best looking pickup truck. But after JLR deal, perceptions have changed drastically. Now a lot of Xenons can be seen. I feel proud when someone is praising our TATA another country. I really feel like saying MERA BHARAT MAHAAN!

Yeah.The Xenon is meant to be a winner.. But even if it doesn't sell much in India, it does sell well in other parts of Asia and such.

 

[mukeshus]

Raj how did your friend manage to come with you then?
I never have such thought's , infact i am shocked.
Before deciding for scorpio i had test driven, Innova D-4D, Safari 2.2.
But i was impressed by the way scorpio handled around 150 kmph on NICE road.
Innova was not at all stable at those speed.
I love Scorpio.

 

[*Arkin_Young*]

Raj how did your friend manage to come with you then?
I never have such thought's , infact i am shocked.

Yeah! He was saying things like 'who like the scorpio' while sitting inside our Scorp.

The Scorpio and Safari rock! I love the Innova too, but as an MPV.
Might log off soon.

 

[RSM]

Surprised, I say this is the truth, even I see with most of Indians. Don't we feel proud to say its imported? This is the sad reality. Same thing is with cars also.

This is true that, Tata & Mahindra are yet to catch-up to market leaders. But see how fast they are growing, I won't be surprised that in next decade, one of these would be easily beading for Honda (Honda is deep financial trouble). And they provide so many things to we Indian, we should be proud of.

Actually you know what, the foreigners have more respect (or better say fear) for these Indian brands than most of us.

I am sure, the future is with India, and these brands will lead to make it happen.

I am proud of Tata/Mahindra and similar names/brands.

 

[Akash]

I really feel like laughing when people compare Scorpio with Innova. Both are completely different cars. One is SUV while the latter is an MUV.

And Rajeev, if i would have been in your place i would have told that guy to stay back in the parking lot, find himself an Innova or which ever foriegn brand car he likes and get home in that and not with me. If he cannot praise indian brands, atleast he can shut his mouth.

 

[*Arkin_Young*]

I really feel like laughing when people compare Scorpio with Innova. Both are completely different cars. One is SUV while the latter is an MUV.

And Rajeev, if i would have been in your place i would have told that guy to stay back in the parking lot, find himself an Innova or which ever foriegn brand car he likes and get home in that and not with me. If he cannot praise indian brands, atleast he can shut his mouth.

Exactly. Even if he wanted to find a cab, he would be able to find mostly PP and Tata products, maybe would see a Mahindra(Logan) and finally, after a lot of searching, find a Maruti/Hyundai!