The Indian market got six new cars last week. On the Car and Bike show this week, we bring you our first take on the Tata Safari Storme and Manza along with the SsangYong Rexton. Also, we take a closer look at Maruti Suzuki's new Alto 800 and the new impressive colours on the Ford Figo.
Here is the full transcript of the show. See the video of the full show here.
Siddharth Vinayak Patankar: What an action-packed week it's been; lots and lots and lots of new launches, practically one every day of the last one week; not surprising, given that Diwali is just around the corner. This is CNB. I'm Siddharth Vinayak Patankar. Here is one of those new launches, the Club Class Indigo Manza. In fact, they've said the Indigo part has gone, it's just Manza. They're calling it that now. So you've got the update coming in from Tata Motors.
Speaking of updates you also have the Ford Figo, now looking a little bit refreshed, so we'll talk about that. And then, of course, there was the Automatic Brio. We showed it to you on the program already, but it's officially launched now. So we'll run you through those prices. The big one, the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800, also arrived this week. And that's the car space.
The SUV space also excited us. Storming in finally after making us wait for days and days, you've got the Tata Safari Storme, the new generation of the Safari. There's lots that's been anticipated about this car, isn't it? And so, we've got those details for you on the program this week. And that's not where it ended, because the sixth new launch was, again, an SUV.
Arch-rival Mahindra drives in its SsangYong brand to the Indian market. You knew that was going to happen, we showed you the Rexton last week, but now we show you the one that's been assembled right here in India, with very attractive pricing, might I add, from Mahindra.
MAHINDRA REXTON
SsangYong is finally here. Mahindra's premium SUV brand from Korea debuts with the Rexton. The latest generation Rexton is certainly stylish, well-proportioned and very much like the previous generation Mercedes-Benz M-Class that it was loosely based on. It looks contemporary and modern.
On the inside, too, the styling isn't keeping with trends prevalent today. But, while the colors and the plastics are pleasing, there are certain carryovers, like this summer/winter switch and even the transmission, which looks slightly dated. The Rexton is available in two variants, auto and manual with the same 2.7-liter diesel engine. And the prices? Well, they're the clincher. Just under Rs 18 lakh for the manual and just under Rs 20 lakh for auto transmission variant.
Pawan Goenka (President - Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra): This is a new segment for us compared to the last three major launches that we have done. It's not just one more product in our segment. We have gone beyond our normal offering. XUV took us to the Rs 13- to 14-lakh price point. Quanto took us to the Rs 6- to 6.5-lakh price point, and now we're coming here in Rs 18- to 20-lakh price point. It's a premium high-end SUV segment, something that we have not tested yet; where we don't have a product.
We're very happy that we're able to bring Rexton from our partner SsangYong into India at a price that I think is, justifiably we can say, a good value price. Here, we have clearly worked even harder. Being a lower volume product makes it a little bit easier compared to a 4000 volume product for us. Of course, we will not be selling it in all markets either, and therefore, the number of dealerships, where we have to concentrate and ensure that they do the right thing, is lower, and therefore a little easier to manage.
We are starting only in two cities right now. We'll extend to seven or eight cities before Diwali and then we will take a pause and see where all we go with it. So we have obviously done a lot of work to ensure that we give the differentiated experience to the consumer. That is the key; if we're not able to give (good consumer experience), then no matter how good the product is, no matter how good the pricing is; it will all be nullified by poor experience. So we are very, very conscious of that and working very hard at it.
TATA SAFARI STORME
Siddharth Vinayak Patankar: So Rexton looks pretty attractive, not to fear, more details-- and more detailed review, if you will, on the program next week. Back to the Tata Safari Storme, at the time when this vehicle was first shown to us at the Auto Expo, everybody cried bloody murder and said that what is Tata trying to do? This looks just like the old Safari. It's supposed to be a new generation. Why are you carrying body panels from the old car onto this one?
The logic says Tata is doing so, because the car has a cult following, so why mess with something which people loved so dearly? The logic works, because, of course, Mini did that when the new Cooper generation came out. We've seen that with Suzuki and the Swift.
However, in my view, the Safari is an aging vehicle. It's been around for more than a decade, so it needed something flamboyant, something to just come in and shake up the market, like what Mahindra did with the XUV 500.
Of course, in hindsight, Tata would have loved to do something similar. But the decision had been taken a few years before, because development, remember, takes some time. It's kind of squarish looking now and, of course, it's a little bit wider than the earlier car. That's emphasized by all the chrome upfront, the Storme badging. And, again, I would have liked to see a little bit more metal, little more of a chrome look, even on the plasticky looking grill. So that's something that can be done, when it comes to future variants, facelifts, etcetera.
Along the side, like I said, of course, it's a carryover. So you can see that old Safari in there. In the back, again, you get a hint of the old Safari; but here's where it looks fairly fresh like the face, because they've tried to go a little bit Land Roverish, if you will. This use of plastic in the back breaks the monotony of that door; it kind of works. I'm not sure that the color works for me. But on certain paint shades, it's going to look nice.
The way the badging has been done looks pretty smart. Safari becoming really tiny, Storme front and center. Maybe like the Manza. Indigo will disappear and so, here Safari might disappear a few years down the line or a few months down the line. We'll wait and see what happens. I have, of course, much more to tell you in terms of how the vehicle drives. This is my first impression on the program today. We'll do that in just a bit.
But the other vehicle which we showed you on the program last week is the Alto 800 from Maruti Suzuki. The prices are now here. So let's quickly take you through that and also, tell you a little bit more about where it sits in the Indian car market.
So the new Alto 800 from Maruti Suzuki has once again proclaimed a new place in the mostly one-sided battle of the big volumes. We showed you our first impressions of the new Alto 800 last week. While on one level the Alto 800 will naturally continue the legacy of the car that it's replacing and so most likely remain the undisputed highest selling car, the new launch still raises some pertinent questions about what consumers want in this space. And while you can rightly compare the entry versions of the new Alto 800 to the Tata Nano and even the Chevrolet Spark, the real rival in absolute terms is this car. The Hyundai Eon was indeed designed to take on the Alto. Renault Nissan is working on a similar rival, Honda is too, but Hyundai has definitely got there first. The Eon hasn't been a best-seller like the bigger i10 or the Santro, but it has certainly upped the ante.
MARUTI ALTO 800 VS HYUNDAI EON
Siddharth Vinayak Patankar: It's along the sides that it reminds you of the old Alto, but, of course, otherwise the looks are completely different. And last week my colleague, Bala, was very kind when he said the looks are inspired, I want to come out and say it, the looks are very much like the Ford Figo. It's like somebody took a Figo and squished it from the sides. The headlamp going upwards and this big feature upfront--the big mouth--very much Ford's kinetic styling. And, in fact, a bit of the bumper reminds you of Hyundai's fluidic styling too, isn't it?
The Eon - that is going to be the big rival. It's when the Eon came to the market that the old 800 Alto started to look really, really dated. So, full marks for styling to Hyundai, with its fluidic sculpture. On the 800 Alto, somehow some of the looks a little bit forced. However, it's the pricing that's going to play the crucial role. And so let's quickly check out the new prices on the Alto 800.
PRICING
And this is where Maruti always trumps the competition, isn't it? The prices have surprised many though we were very clear after driving the car that Maruti has gone after aggressive prices and volumes on this one. And so it is staggering to see that instead of going up, prices have marginally dipped.
Now compare to the Eon and it is certainly looking just as pricey as it did, when it came into the marketing last year, pretty much variant for variant.
Compare yet again to the aging Santro, a superior car by class, and yet the consumer will see far more value in the Alto 800. But trump card or not the prices predetermine Maruti's success with the revised Alto 800 and the company has been able to do this by keeping essentially the same platform but changing the top hat, improving drivability, and to some extent, the interiors on the Alto.
The Eon on the other hand looks almost plushed by comparison. The interiors have a better quality look and feel and the seats are contoured, comfortable and more substantial.
Siddharth Vinayak Patankar: What's even grabbed me when I started driving this car, feels a lot like the old one. Now that's not very impressive because you know I would have liked to have been surprised or would liked to have something that excited me. The way the steering feels just the overall quality of plastics that I'm seeing here, the lack of very good seat comfort all of that could have been better. Again when you compare to the Eon you will definitely feel it.
The engine noise that's the other big downer for me, why is this sounding so noisy inside the cab, even at lower revs, at lower speeds, again not done, and the interiors won't impress you like the Eon's interiors impress you in terms of color, quality everything. But now we come for the pluses, handling has definitely gone up. And I think it's an improvement over the old car for sure, and again in comparison to the Eon it's going to feel more surefooted this car. And even the cabin's space, even though they are not very different this one gets you a sense of space which is a little bit better than the Eon.
FINAL VERDICT
And that is essentially why we will go back to the earlier point made, the Alto 800 could have and frankly should have been a step up for the consumer. Give Maruti's might, that step up need not have meant to steep the price increase either. If the car looked, felt and drove much better than its predecessor, we think it could have hands down been the standout product of the year and it would have taken the market by storm.
It may still sell in massive numbers but Maruti may have missed a vital opportunity here to take the higher ground on having more modern products than its rivals. But there is still enough in the new Alto 800 to keep buyers interested especially as Diwali approaches and so on sheer brand strength this round still goes to the Maruti Suzuki.
TATA SAFARI STORME
Siddharth Vinayak Patankar: So Maruti does it again with the Alto. I'm driving the Safari Storme now and here is what the difference between the old and the new Safari are very apparent because this is based on the X2 platform which is of course Aria platform, similar drive train but tuned very differently and so as a result of which whether it's the gearing or whether it's the actual engine, you get a very different response and again compared to the old Safari, a world of a difference because what the engineers have done is they have tried to minimize body role, they have of course worked a lot more on the overall structural integrity of this car.
So all the things which you associated as negative on the old Safari, a lot of that has gone away. It handles better, the overall performance is better, the engine feels surer, the gearing is kind of fun. So overall, it's a lot more fun and yet you don't miss the fact that it's not a monocoque simply because it also gives you a little bit more in terms of offroading and everything in the cabin, the materials, the finish, the way you reach things feels a lot more secure and a lot better from a driving point of view.
Siddharth Vinayak Patankar: The last eighteen months car that's been-- perhaps even longer than eighteen months in India. We've seen that there's been a pressure as far as sales every month are concerned and yet the one thing that seems to sort of spark sales or make things a little exciting, if you will, have been your products. That's the other thing we've not seen regularly now from Tata Motors. I know that we're sitting in a week where you've got a new car behind you and you got the Safari Storme, so that's changing perhaps. But do you think that's also what's cost the company in terms of its market position today? Not being able to excite the market enough?
Karl Slym (MD, Tata Motors): Certainly in India apart from festival time, now the only other thing that is going drive sales is something new we can see that in every segment across the industry. So it's important that there doesn't have to be a brand new vehicle every time, but it has to bring the latest and some reason for someone to be excited about getting into that car. But you're right. We know that there has to be an ongoing cycle of bringing something interesting to do that in the market. And whether you're the big player or the small player, then that's still the case that the market is looking for them.
TATA MANZA CLUB CLASS
Siddharth Vinayak Patankar: I'm now driving the updated Manza Club Class. The whole idea is that Tata says it wants to take the experience for the consumer in this space, Club Class. So, it's trying to emphasize the whole luxury offering that the Manza is all about, good space, lots of features, so there aren't any sort of gimmicky changes as far as being a facelift are concerned. There is nothing big that's changed on the outside, a few things, I'll run you through those in a little bit.
On the inside, you do now get Italian leather seats on the top-end versions. You also have a completely new dash plum in black-tone which is also different and it's kind of-- it's kind of carried over from the Aria. A touchscreen music system and navigation and also climate control, so lots of little goodies being thrown in and it kind of pampers you.
Besides that, the engine nomenclature has changed. The diesel family is now Q-Jet, not Quadrajet. The petrol family is SF, not Safire, though, of course, the old nomenclature will continue on the Vista range. So, no real mechanical changes either to talk about, a little bit more about the Indigo--well, I shouldn't say Indigo--just Manza in just a bit. But now let's take a look at that updated Ford Figo.
New and improved, the very popular bestselling Ford Figo has been facelifted. We're driving the new Figo by night for a change through the streets of Mumbai. It's the 1.4-liter TDCi that we have and while it is familiar indeed, it along with the 1.2-liter petrol has been tweaked a bit. The idea for Ford engineers was simple enough. A recalibration to ensure quicker initial pickup, something customer feedback suggested was lacking up until now. But the company has been careful not to sacrifice mileage, of course, the diesel certainly felt like it's usual, very sorted said, and yes we certainly noticed that the car's gear change seems smoother now, especially when moving from second to third gear and back. While it wasn't an obvious change in initial pickup, the engines perceptible lag certainly felt reduced.
Siddharth Vinayak Patankar: Now, I have to say, I have, of course, driven through the streets of Mumbai at all sorts of odd hours before, but never with the specific intent of trying to appreciate some of the beautiful spots of the maximum city by night, just like this beautiful building that's over two hundred years old, that's behind me. Now, it's a good spot, of course, to check out what's new with the new Ford Figo. New, of course, only in terms of a makeover because this isn't generation or a model change like that, you look at it and you know that something has definitely changed because the face tends to look a little bit different and that's because it looks a little younger and sportier, I think. Headlamp bulges just a bit, but then you got the new narrow, very sort of compact grill as compared to the earlier Figo, that's really the thing that tells you it's different. The housing for the fog lamp has also gotten a little bit different, a little sportier, if you will, and along the side has been, of course, you know, it's the same old Figo. Coming around to the back and you still know it's the same old Figo, however, the tail lamp treatment is extremely different, so the colors have moved just a bit, the white element is now at the bottom. And, of course, you got this new bright yellow, in fact that's what they call it, bright yellow and there is also something called kinetic blue.
NEW FEATURES
It's also a new alloy wheel pattern. Of course, alloys are only available on the top-end Titanium trim. On the inside, the car gets new seat fabric which is smart and it is blue to match the Riviera Blue dash plastic, again only on the top-end. The previous coral plastic option is now gone. Also new are these audio controls hidden behind the steering, not the most convenient to reach. They're kind of similar to the Renault Fluence or the Duster. And Ford says it has worked on making the car's cabin quieter. Of course, you still get things like iPod connectivity, and the Bluetooth phone function which has been so popular on the Figo. So, it's a smart package and the best part, the prices haven't gone up by much which is what usually happens with any facelift. The petrol starts at Rs 3,85,000 and the diesel at Rs 4,82,000 ex-showroom Delhi. Ford has also shared with us that it has been able to bring down the cost of maintenance and service by 15 per cent on the Figo, and all of this just before Diwali.
Siddharth Vinayak Patankar: No prices for guessing the fact that I like that yellow and the new blue on the Ford Figo. No superficial changes to really talk about as far as the Manza is concerned except you have a new pattern on the alloy wheel and a little bit of chrome smattered down here on the fog lamp housing, that looks kind of elegant, something they call the infinity roof has made an appearance on the top-end versions. Let me explain that to you, the black paint gets you a silver roof and all other paint jobs get you a black glossy roof. Infinity because well the black one especially will look like an ever ending glass, windscreen going up. Now, interesting and people might react positively to that, they might take the car look a little bit more high-end. So, they've packed in plenty for you. We've shown you all these new launches that came into the market, react to all of that, folks, and I, of course, want to know what you think about what's happening in the market as well.
Now, it's going to be an interesting week coming up. Formula One rolls into town yet again.
I will see you next week, please wear your seatbelts; please don't use your cell phones when you're driving.
(This episode of CNB aired on October 20)
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