Does Brand Value Matters?

[codename47]

I was discussing this with my friend yesterday, but could not come to a final verdict.

I was of the opinion that japanese companies like toyota & honda fleece indians in the name of quality & reliability. Indians pay a lot more than the apt price of the car, just for the brand image associated with the jap cars. i feel 14 lakhs for a corolla, 16 lakhs for a civic, 9 lakhs for a jazz & 10 lakhs for the ANHC is simply ridiculous!

Unfortunately Indians pay a lot more then us here for these Japanese cars.
Safety ratings and crash tests on these cars do count as well.
But Wait up! Safety in India? People in India don't really wear seat belts do they.

I agree the other bit too as they buy cars to SHOW OFF their richies!

I would personally get a Mahindra scorpio or a Safari over a CRV or a any other SUV ! Not because they are Indian but because they are MADE for Indian roads and maintenance is cheap.

I am not sure about the build quality though! any faults?

 

[powerpacked]

It is true that Global auto manufacturers are ripping Indians like anything.
By keeping higher value of their products .By dumping outdated products in India. By ignoring Indian customer.
Few Questions for which I am searching hard.
Why we have accepted Toyota corolla as status symbol though it’s famous Taxi around the globe
Why we are bound to consider Indica as taxi (vista too) just it’s from TATA .
Why Hyundai and Mercedes Benz and few others have started exporting cars and parts from India.


According to me this is the brand value of India.
Indians are far better in quality and cost when it comes to manufacturing of automobiles.
Indians are extreme crazy when it comes to buying of car that too from foreign brand.
Indians will pay any price to your outdated cars and will not complain for getting neglected in terms of service.
Till today kind of message we have passed to global auto.

Well for Does Brand Value Matters? I would say wake up India wake up

 

[AMG]

Look at our very own Royal Enfield.

Arent they ripping us?

Charging 1 Lakh + for a sub-standard product.

 

[powerpacked]

Enfield India is owned by Eicher motors
Royal Enfield India is still manufacturing in India and is being sold in India and is also being exported to Europe as well as America and Australia.

If it is a sub standard product then I would have sold it on the day I bought it.
Mine is 72 model originally used by Indian army for 20 odd years.

 

[AMG]

It is miles behind the modern bikes.

 

[verna]

It is true that Global auto manufacturers are ripping Indians like anything.
By keeping higher value of their products .By dumping outdated products in India. By ignoring Indian customer.
Few Questions for which I am searching hard.
Why we have accepted Toyota corolla as status symbol though it’s famous Taxi around the globe
Why we are bound to consider Indica as taxi (vista too) just it’s from TATA .
Why Hyundai and Mercedes Benz and few others have started exporting cars and parts from India.


According to me this is the brand value of India.
Indians are far better in quality and cost when it comes to manufacturing of automobiles.
Indians are extreme crazy when it comes to buying of car that too from foreign brand.
Indians will pay any price to your outdated cars and will not complain for getting neglected in terms of service.
Till today kind of message we have passed to global auto.

Well for Does Brand Value Matters? I would say wake up India wake up

True my friend, Very Very True.
-Pajero SFX sold in India is an outdated pajero (older generation sold around the world 10+years ago)
-Skoda Octavia about which Indians go crazy was an outdated car(older generation...)
-No such car such as Skoda Laura exists (its the new generation Octavia which is available for dirt-cheap in foreign countries and indians have to pay almost 20 lakh INR)
-Toyota Qualis over which Indians went ga-ga for a few years was a model which was stopped almost world over and then introduced in India !!!

And all the cars for which we pay a hefty sum in India are the stripped down versions of the variants sold abroad. (stripped of engine power,performance,features,emission norms,safety norms etc etc.)

STILL , 90/100 INDIANS WILL GO FOR FOREIGN CARS (I'M NOT SAYING I'M AN EXCEPTION). BUT WE SHOULD THINK FOR OUR AUTO-COMPANIES AND THEY SHOULD TAKE THIS ISSUE UP THEMSELVES TOO

 

[verna]

It is miles behind the modern bikes.

maybe behind a Harley Davidson which starts from 5 lakh INR to 35 lakh INR but compare it to modern Indian cruisers (Bajaj Avenger, Yamaha Enticer which is already off the shelf).

Isn't it miles ahead ??

Royal enfield starts from 60K to 1.15 lakhs INR
Value for money bike, sturdy, macho and lasts really really really long.

 

[AMG]

Honda Stunner Fi version

India: 80 K
UK: 2500 Pounds (2 lakh)

 

[verna]

Honda Stunner Fi version

India: 80 K
UK: 2500 Pounds (2 lakh)

2500 GBP is less than 2 lakh INR, infact it is ~ 1,78,803 INR.
And you can't compare Honda Stunner with a Royal Enfield. Stunner is not a cruiser nor is it a racing bike !
Anyway, we are going off the point from the discussion.
Its not about comparison between 2 bikes, the discussion is about "BRAND VALUE"

 

[AMG]

Somebody here said Japanese are looting India.
This post was in response to those.

 

[codename47]

It is true that Global auto manufacturers are ripping Indians like anything.
By keeping higher value of their products .By dumping outdated products in India. By ignoring Indian customer.
Few Questions for which I am searching hard.
Why we have accepted Toyota corolla as status symbol though it’s famous Taxi around the globe
Why we are bound to consider Indica as taxi (vista too) just it’s from TATA .
Why Hyundai and Mercedes Benz and few others have started exporting cars and parts from India.


According to me this is the brand value of India.
Indians are far better in quality and cost when it comes to manufacturing of automobiles.
Indians are extreme crazy when it comes to buying of car that too from foreign brand.
Indians will pay any price to your outdated cars and will not complain for getting neglected in terms of service.
Till today kind of message we have passed to global auto.

Well for Does Brand Value Matters? I would say wake up India wake up

100% agreed!

Toyota Aurions/Camry/Prius are Taxi in Australia
Chrysler 300C , BMW 7 Series, Mercedes E class are VHA/VHB class Taxi's you can get one from airport to come home will charge you 10 dollar more than normal ride.

So Called Hyundai doesn't sell in Australia along with KIA ! Poor build quality thats what they call it

Skoda and Alfa, people are afraid to buy these brands

 

[Zal]

Dude 95% of taxis in melbourne are ford falcons. Only the other 5% is toyota and chevrolet

 

[codename47]

Dude 95% of taxis in melbourne are ford falcons. Only the other 5% is toyota and chevrolet

I wasn't talking about yellow cabs I was talking about VHA and VHB if you know ?

Ford falcons , holden commodore are in yellow cabs and I've seen some Hyundai i30s, Honda Civic, Toyota Aurion, ford Territory,Toyota camry , Ford fairmont and Holden statesman in yellow cabs .

Platinum service have holden Statesman ( i went last week from city to home )

 

[AMG]

We guys crib too much about non-indian companies giving us a raw deal.

Here is an example:

Remember the Versa/Eeco?

It is now being launched in Japan, and we got it ages back.
Suzuki puts Every (Versa/Eeco) EV van on sale in Japan

 

[drifter]

It is true that Global auto manufacturers are ripping Indians like anything.
By keeping higher value of their products .By dumping outdated products in India. By ignoring Indian customer.
Few Questions for which I am searching hard.
Why we have accepted Toyota corolla as status symbol though it’s famous Taxi around the globe
Why we are bound to consider Indica as taxi (vista too) just it’s from TATA .
Why Hyundai and Mercedes Benz and few others have started exporting cars and parts from India.


According to me this is the brand value of India.
Indians are far better in quality and cost when it comes to manufacturing of automobiles.
Indians are extreme crazy when it comes to buying of car that too from foreign brand.
Indians will pay any price to your outdated cars and will not complain for getting neglected in terms of service.
Till today kind of message we have passed to global auto.

Well for Does Brand Value Matters? I would say wake up India wake up

The way this comes over to me sounds like you want to victimise yourself. Whether you, your fellow Indians or any other person gets ripped off is in their own hands.

Car manufacturers are not a charity. They are in the market to make money.

If you want value for money then buy a Nano. But most people in India sniff at it because it is the cheapest car in the world and does not fit the idea of a status symbol. This attitude is beyond me. I am a German by birth with a base in Mumbai. Currently I do not have a car in India, but when I have one (or more) a Nano is on the list. I have test driven it (and I mean test driven it, which left the deale representative with an unpleasant feeling) and love it. It handles much better than I thought according to the biased reports.

The Nano has got no brand value. Why?

I hate the guts of Mercedes. People rave over them. Very expensive and not all that comfortable. I have done many a times trips of 1600km a day (Vienna London). I had the choice of going in a Mercedes or a Fiat Uno Mk1 (1301cc). I preferred the Uno. It was more fun and more comfortable.

I have got an Alfa 33 16v, which I love to bits for its handling and performance. I also have 4 Fiat Cinquecentos and one Fiat Seicento and get another Seicento this week. All of them are not standard.

With the one that was tuned the highest (at the moment in my workshop for more power) I used to chase BMW 330s down the motorway. I only chase the BMW owner's because of their brand consciousness. They hate to be 'humiliated' by a motorised shopping trolley. Brand over conscious?

Being ripped off is everybody for falling for brand names rather then looking at the value of the goods. But blaming the manufacturers on it and claiming that they rip off the Indians is outright wrong. They only sell what people are willing to buy. And if anyone needs to have an overpriced status symbol then this is a case of ripping oneself off.