Indian PPers: Please answer questions regarding Tata Nano and other brands

[Slog]

1) Despite its low price point why was it unable to penetrate the Indian car market? Due to low price did it have a stigma attached as a 'poor man's car?'

2) In 2012 (and in the years around it) its sales were still relatively decent but have totally dipped since then? Why isthat so?

3) What is the general opinion regarding Nano and Tata Motors cars?

4) What are the major successful Tata Motors cars currently in terms of sales and popularity? How are they perceived?

5) In the long term did Tata end up benefiting from the publicity gained through Nano? Was it a well known brand before it?

Thanks in advance

 

[Slog]

[MENTION=132715]Varun[/MENTION] [MENTION=76058]cricketjoshila[/MENTION] [MENTION=139108]Sachin136[/MENTION] [MENTION=137142]JaDed[/MENTION] [MENTION=142162]Napa[/MENTION] [MENTION=134408]Sidilicious[/MENTION] [MENTION=133135]kaayal[/MENTION] [MENTION=140459]SandyB[/MENTION] and others

 

[kaayal]

If i am given a choice, i will buy a Maruthi Alto or a Renault Kwid instead of a Nano (after saving a bit more money).

I don't find Nano safe at all.......just my personal opinion.

 

[Slog]

If i am given a choice, i will buy a Maruthi Alto or a Renault Kwid instead of a Nano (after saving a bit more money).

I don't find Nano safe at all.......just my personal opinion.

What do you think of other cars by Tata Motors?

Would you buy their sedans? (Tiago for eg)

 

[sazz]

1) Tata nano was projected as 1 lac INR rupees car in the begning, but the actual cost was close to 2.5 lacs INR rupees(For top end varient). Add 50K more and you will get Maruti Suzuki Alto(India's most sold car).

2) I think reason (1) and TATA's poor sales and services.

3) Nano is a good secondary car for city riding, but in general tata cars lack good after sales service.

4) I think major successful cars were TATA Sumo, TATA Indica.

5) TATA in India is successful in commercial and passenger vehicles rather than light vehicles.

 

[Slog]

1) Tata nano was projected as 1 lac INR rupees car in the begning, but the actual cost was close to 2.5 lacs INR rupees(For top end varient). Add 50K more and you will get Maruti Suzuki Alto(India's most sold car).

2) I think reason (1) and TATA's poor sales and services.

3) Nano is a good secondary car for city riding, but in general tata cars lack good after sales service.

4) I think major successful cars were TATA Sumo, TATA Indica.

5) TATA in India is successful in commercial and passenger vehicles rather than light vehicles.

Thanks

Would you say the launch of Nano and the massive publicity it got allowed Tata Motors to become a household name compared to earlier?

Lets say was it a good marketing exercise in that sense?

Was tata motors as well know as now, lets say in 2004?

 

[kaayal]

What do you think of other cars by Tata Motors?

Would you buy their sedans? (Tiago for eg)

Heard Tiago is good but still i won't buy it. I don't trust them for some reason. I am biased to Maruthi and other foreign car companies...

 

[R0H1T]

Nano was a good 10 years too late. If it were sold in place of Indica in the 90's then it;d likely have been the best seller of the last decade. Also Nano is much safer than most Maruti cars, I say this because my father's worked in the auto industry for 35+ years. Marutis are generally the least safe cars on road, they have a very soft shell as compared to their competitors. Though Nano is probably the least safe Tata car out there, it's better than the erstwhile 800 & I;d argue even the Altos. I can probably look at some crash tests. but I don;t recall if the lower end models of other manufacturers (except Tata) have been rated recently or not.

Lastly people look at Nano as something cheap, not of high quality, even though they were sold at a loss for many years. A 1 lakh car would have been the best seller in 800's days, not now when people buy SUV, MUV, high end cars for fun, basically people love to show off & Nano doesn;t fit the bill of many in that sense.

 

[Slog]

Nano was a good 10 years too late. If it were sold in place of Indica in the 90's then it;d likely have been the best seller of the last decade. Also Nano is much safer than most Maruti cars, I say this because my father's worked in the auto industry for 35+ years. Marutis are generally the least safe cars on road, they have a very soft shell as compared to their competitors. Though Nano is probably the least safe Tata car out there, it's better than the erstwhile 800 & I;d argue even the Altos. I can probably look at some crash tests. but I don;t recall if the lower end models of other manufacturers (except Tata) have been rated recently or not.

Lastly people look at Nano as something cheap, not of high quality, even though they were sold at a loss for many years. A 1 lakh car would have been the best seller in 800's days, not now when people buy SUV, MUV, high end cars for fun, basically people love to show off & Nano doesn;t fit the bill of many in that sense.

Thanks. Your thoughts on below?

Would you say the launch of Nano and the massive publicity it got allowed Tata Motors to become a household name compared to earlier?

Lets say was it a good marketing exercise in that sense?

Was tata motors as well know as now, lets say in 2004?

 

[R0H1T]

Thanks. Your thoughts on below?

No, Tata is the most recognized brand in India, bar none.

The Nano only diluted the Tata (Motors) brand because people associated it with cheap. As you may well know cheap doesn;t sound good in today;s world, this is partly why Apple's overpriced things (iPhone & Macs) sell like cray.

Tata is the oldest household name in India, Air India was at one point owned by Tata before it was brought under the (socialist) govt led by Congress. They are still IMO the most trusted brand in India, though Reliance might be bigger in terms of domestic business.

 

[sazz]

Thanks

Would you say the launch of Nano and the massive publicity it got allowed Tata Motors to become a household name compared to earlier?

Lets say was it a good marketing exercise in that sense?

Was tata motors as well know as now, lets say in 2004?

I personally don't think that TATA is still a house hold name in India, i think because of the TAXI image that tata cars have in past.

Well before and during its launch TATA nano was continuous in news and so was TATA Motors but TATA motors were unable to take advantage.

 

[GBK_Fan]

1) Despite its low price point why was it unable to penetrate the Indian car market? Due to low price did it have a stigma attached as a 'poor man's car?'

2) In 2012 (and in the years around it) its sales were still relatively decent but have totally dipped since then? Why isthat so?

3) What is the general opinion regarding Nano and Tata Motors cars?

4) What are the major successful Tata Motors cars currently in terms of sales and popularity? How are they perceived?

5) In the long term did Tata end up benefiting from the publicity gained through Nano? Was it a well known brand before it?

Thanks in advance

1. They marketed it as the worlds cheapest car. In India owning a car is a prestige issue, for most first time buyers. This marketing strategy worked against this aspirational value. Then there were a few incidents of the cars catching fire (driver error) which were played up in the media further denting the brand. Tata also had manufacturing difficulties around that period which did not help (read Singur)

They tried to rebrand it as a young hip car, but the old lady had sung

2. Tata is not making a lot of money on these cars. Tata group and Tata motors also has had management changes who (probably) don't see any value in pushing the car

3. Nano is a good car and is a useful 2nd car. As someone who owned it briefly, I like the car, but the car doesn't have a good rep on the street

Tata motors has poor after sales service. Their cars at times have poor quality control and inconsistent panel gaps. Read up team-bhp an auto forum about horror stories on new Tata cars. All this impacts their sales in the mid and top range segment as their cars never end up with the same volume as their competition.

4. The most successful ones are Indica and Sumo which are used mostly by taxis and tourist vehicles. This has negatively impacted the sales on these cars in the passenger vehicle segment. Their other noticeable brands were Safari and Manza. Safari lost out as the facelift took years to come out and when it did had only superficial changes. This provided the chance for Mahindra, another Indian car manufacturer to capture the SUV segment. Manza was Tatas foray into the mid segment, but the buyers here are more quality conscious which hit Tatas sales

5. Tata has been one of the most trusted brands in India. The tata name has boosted the company which still has upto 5% of the market share despite a mediocre marketing strategy and quality control. Nano also was impacted by these 2 departments. Tata took an annoyingly long time to replace the top management and move to a more nimble strategy. They are headed in the right direction now imo

 

[JaDed]

TATA motors was much more bigger before Nano,Imo with not so good sales of Nano and Mahindra and Mahindra becoming huge there has been a massive talent shift,and yes Maruthi ones aren't ideally safe but he'll they have the best after sale service which matters a lot.

Chevrolet flopped for that reason,TATA is down the barrel w.r.t. Maruthi and Hyundai probably the best.

Renault and Ford have done well to penetrate the market in hatchback as well.

Tata except INDICA was mostly known for SUVs ,but Mahindra has taken that market and mini so called SUVs have also done well.

TATA is a great brand but it didn't keep up,Telecom was a disaster and Motors is going down,they need new blood.

 

[Varun]

Tata really erred in their marketing of the Nano. Calling it the "cheapest" car might have been technically accurate, but it's not going to do the actual wheels any favour. They could have used other terms like 'economical' or 'environmentally friendly' but no.

That was the single biggest reason for the Nano's downfall. Now it's little more than a vanity project, as Cyrus Mistry stated after his resignation last year. The Alto is nearly as cheap but didn't use such backfiring gimmicks and is consequently the country's top-selling car.

I don't have a positive view of Tata overall. They know how to make one car: the Indica. The Indigo is its sedan version, the Nano is Indica-lite, and all the others like the Vista/Manza, Bolt/Zest, etc. are rehashes of the same thing over and over again. It's not fooling anybody.

 

[ExpressPacer]

How are cars in India so cheap? Are they not a victim to growing inflation? I just got a Toyota Corolla in 2017 for 18 lac PKR.

 

[Varun]

How are cars in India so cheap? Are they not a victim to growing inflation? I just got a Toyota Corolla in 2017 for 18 lac PKR.

A Toyota Corolla would be equally expensive here in India. It's the hatchbacks which are on the cheaper side.

 

[Smiling Creed]

The thing is Tata Motors earlier never gave any importance to PCV segment, their whole focus was commercial vehicles, things have changed now hence they are focusing on passenger vehicles. They plan to launch two models per year till 2020, that's already in pipeline. Tiago is doing good business.

Tata is one of the most trusted brand in India, no two thoughts about that.

 

[ExpressPacer]

A Toyota Corolla would be equally expensive here in India. It's the hatchbacks which are on the cheaper side.

Oh, I see. So how much does a Toyota Corolla cost in India?

Also, I personally am not a fan of hatchbacks for a few reasons.

1) While they are fuel efficient usually, they aren't safe and in a head on collision, the driver almost always suffers.
2) All these Japanese, Korean and what not brands don't present a lot of reliability. Example: FAW.
3) They aren't exactly very attractive either.

 

[Varun]

Oh, I see. So how much does a Toyota Corolla cost in India?

According to Cardekho, it's pretty pricey regardless of city: https://www.cardekho.com/carmodels/Toyota/Toyota_Corolla_Altis

 

[cricketjoshila]

Thanks

Would you say the launch of Nano and the massive publicity it got allowed Tata Motors to become a household name compared to earlier?

Lets say was it a good marketing exercise in that sense?

Was tata motors as well know as now, lets say in 2004?

I will answer the OP later as it will require more typing.

But TATA are the most recognised brand in India.There would be practically no Indian home which hasnt used a TATA product.

Nano has damaged the TATA brand.

In india a very oft repeated saying is "As rich as Tata Birla".

 

[Reddy]

Nano is just one of the many products from Tata Motor's smaller Passenger car Division, they are much more formidable in Commercial vehicle market. Nano failed primarily because of the branding at the launch time as Poor Man's car while the product was better than Maruti Suzuki Alto.

Now, Even the Tata motors car division has upped the quality significantly which can be seen in new products like:

Tata Hexa : http://hexa.tatamotors.com/

Tata Tiago: http://www.tatatiago.com/

Tata Zest: http://zest.tatamotors.com/

Tata Bolt: http://bolt.tatamotors.com/

Even the older Tata Safari has been significantly updated as "Safari Storme" with the new engine, gearbox and interiors: http://safari.tatamotors.com/storme/


In Passenger Car division Tata Motors has seen off the bad times with inferior product lines and decreasing sales, now the product quality and sales both are increasing, if you look at the market share in car division then they are at 6th place now just below Honda and can easily reach 3rd or 4th place with just one more product with decent sales which may be the upcoming Tata Nexon.

If you talk about Tata brand as a whole then they are a colossus, present is almost every field and almost every household is touched in India by Tata whether it's the Tata Salt or steel or Cars or Buses or High end Jewellary or watches or TCS software or Defence sector etc etc

 

[Syed1]

Nothing in India can beat the Pak Suzuki Mehran. Absolute garbage car whose design hasn't changed in decades (things like AC etc are optional lmao) and still is the most widely sold car at a premium price point.

 

[Reddy]

Nothing in India can beat the Pak Suzuki Mehran. Absolute garbage car whose design hasn't changed in decades (things like AC etc are optional lmao) and still is the most widely sold car at a premium price point.

Just allow the import of cars from India, all the global car brands have set up factories here and the pricing will also be decent for all the smaller cars, it will give a lot of option for Pakistani Middle class and later even lower as cars enter second hand market in few years time.

 

[Napa]

1) Despite its low price point why was it unable to penetrate the Indian car market? Due to low price did it have a stigma attached as a 'poor man's car?'

When Nano was first introduced, there were great expectations that it would be a repeat of the VW Beetle (reliable and affordable). While the entry level car in the West was offered at $7,000, the Nano was supposed to be priced at around $2,000.

Things haven't worked out for Nano, as the two criteria of reliable and affordable haven't been selling points as hoped.

While the quality of Nano is not poor, the competition is very strong. Hyundai operates at a global scale and it brings to India the quality of cars it sells in the US. Suzuki is Japanese, and the Japanese have mastered quality and reliability long ago.

While initially it was thought that the Nano competition would be 50% to 70% more (Rs. 1.5 lakhs compared to Nano's 1 lakh), in reality Nano could not keep its price down to Rs. 1 lakh and it very quickly escalated to Rs. 1.7 lakhs due to raw material costs. In comparison, the Suzuki Alto is just about 10% more expensive.

The reality of the global auto manufacturing business (especially for small cars) in the 21st century is absolutely brutal. There are too many competitors and there isn't a whole lot of fat to be cut. This is not like the 1930s when the VW Beetle brought about a revolution.

2) In 2012 (and in the years around it) its sales were still relatively decent but have totally dipped since then? Why isthat so?

If they don't sell enough units, the losses due to fixed costs will overwhelm them.

3) What is the general opinion regarding Nano and Tata Motors cars?

Generally it is thought that Hyundai and Suzuki quality is better, especially for non-commercial owners. Taxi drivers still prefer Indica and Indigo, maybe due to lower repair costs.

4) What are the major successful Tata Motors cars currently in terms of sales and popularity? How are they perceived?

Probably the Jaguar XJ and Range Rover

5) In the long term did Tata end up benefiting from the publicity gained through Nano? Was it a well known brand before it?

Thanks in advance

Tata has probably been India's biggest brand for a century. Nano was not a positive, maybe a small negative.

 

[jeetu]

Tata made some elementary mistakes regarding Nano. Car is quite a expensive proposition for most Indian buyers A 1.5 lakh+ car is tough sell without guarantee of reliability. Tata just didn't test it enough. A car shorter than Maruti Alto (its biggest competitor) worked against it. Entry level Maruti cars have excellent service and cheap to maintain. Same can't be said about Nano.

 

[R0H1T]

Tata made some elementary mistakes regarding Nano. Car is quite a expensive proposition for most Indian buyers A 1.5 lakh+ car is tough sell without guarantee of reliability. Tata just didn't test it enough. A car shorter than Maruti Alto (its biggest competitor) worked against it. Entry levelMaruti cars have excellent service and cheap to maintain. Same can't be said about Nano.

That's not true, not at all.

Nano has more leg & headroom than Alto, it's also more spacious, except the boot area.

 

[Slog]

Thanks for the responses everyone. Really appreciate you all replying
[MENTION=76058]cricketjoshila[/MENTION], waiting for your reply.

One final Qs. Would it be fair to say that the mass publicity TATA Motors got through Nano and the lessons the company learned through it helped it when it launched Tiago and Tigro (?) ? They were able to learn from their mistakes in Nano and market the new products properly this time around?

 

[Reddy]

Thanks for the responses everyone. Really appreciate you all replying
[MENTION=76058]cricketjoshila[/MENTION], waiting for your reply.

One final Qs. Would it be fair to say that the mass publicity TATA Motors got through Nano and the lessons the company learned through it helped it when it launched Tiago and Tigro (?) ? They were able to learn from their mistakes in Nano and market the new products properly this time around?

Bhai kya survey karr rahe ho? Is this your college report or something? That too about Tata in Karachi??

Lessons from Nano marketing failure cannot be applied to newer products like Hexa, Tiago, Tigor, Nexon as these products operate in different segments altogether. Tata is soon going to kill Nano and when they launch a replacement product in the next 2-3 yrs time, that will be the time for applying these lessons.

 

[DW44]

Oh, I see. So how much does a Toyota Corolla cost in India?

Also, I personally am not a fan of hatchbacks for a few reasons.

1) While they are fuel efficient usually, they aren't safe and in a head on collision, the driver almost always suffers.
2) All these Japanese, Korean and what not brands don't present a lot of reliability. Example: FAW.
3) They aren't exactly very attractive either.

Chinese brand that makes extremely crappy vehicles. Of all the examples you could have chosen (Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan, Honda, Kia, Subaru), you chose one that isn't even Japanese or Korean.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Chinese brand that makes extremely crappy vehicles. Of all the examples you could have chosen (Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan, Honda, Kia, Subaru), you chose one that isn't even Japanese or Korean.

Emphasis on 'what not'. There's plenty of Asian countries that make crappy vehicles, I couldn't be bothered to name all of them.

 

[DW44]

Emphasis on 'what not'. There's plenty of Asian countries that make crappy vehicles, I couldn't be bothered to name all of them.

You don't need to name them, just say all Asian countries bar Japan and South Korea. Korea and Japan are the only ones who have a globally competitive automotive sector. Anyway, what I was pointing out was you saying "like Japan and Korea" and then giving a Chinese example. The use of what not there is invalid since Japanese and Korean brands ARE reliable as opposed to the others.

 

[ExpressPacer]

You don't need to name them, just say all Asian countries bar Japan and South Korea. Korea and Japan are the only ones who have a globally competitive automotive sector. Anyway, what I was pointing out was you saying "like Japan and Korea" and then giving a Chinese example. The use of what not there is invalid since Japanese and Korean brands ARE reliable as opposed to the others.

Yeah, you're right. Japanese companies have actually made some really great vehicles. I should've thought more carefully before making that post.

 

[DW44]

Yeah, you're right. Japanese companies have actually made some really great vehicles. I should've thought more carefully before making that post.

Korea too. Hyundais and Kias are as good as any Honda or Toyota.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Korea too. Hyundais and Kias are as good as any Honda or Toyota.

Perhaps. I'm not really a fan of the models Hyundai made available to Pakistan. I owned a Santro in the past and it was a good car to have at the start but broke down suddenly. As for Kia, I couldn't agree more. I was a huge fan of the Kia Spectra, it used to be my dream car but they've disappeared and aren't really interested in Pakistan anymore, I think.

 

[DW44]

Perhaps. I'm not really a fan of the models Hyundai made available to Pakistan. I owned a Santro in the past and it was a good car to have at the start but broke down suddenly. As for Kia, I couldn't agree more. I was a huge fan of the Kia Spectra, it used to be my dream car but they've disappeared and aren't really interested in Pakistan anymore, I think.

The Hyundais and Kias from back when those companies operated in Pakistan were pieces of trash. They only recently developed into world class auto makers, long after exiting Pakistan, but did so in grand fashion. Spectra was no match for it's Japanese competitors but models after 2009-10 are of comparable quality to the Japanese brands. The previous generation Elantra/Sonata were as good as the Civic/Accord and Corolla/Camry.

 

[ExpressPacer]

The Hyundais and Kias from back when those companies operated in Pakistan were pieces of trash. They only recently developed into world class auto makers, long after exiting Pakistan, but did so in grand fashion. Spectra was no match for it's Japanese competitors but models after 2009-10 are of comparable quality to the Japanese brands. The previous generation Elantra/Sonata were as good as the Civic/Accord and Corolla/Camry.

I see. I wasn't really into cars until recently. The best car available in Pakistan that suits my price range as of now is the Corolla and it is so much inferior to what you can get for the same money in some other country.

 

[Syed1]

I see. I wasn't really into cars until recently. The best car available in Pakistan that suits my price range as of now is the Corolla and it is so much inferior to what you can get for the same money in some other country.

I think I had a thread a while back of the Honda Civic in Pakistan and Canada. I compared the same model, engine type, trim etc in both countries. The result was that the Pakistani consumer was paying considerably more than the Canadian for the same car. Keep in mind I didn't adjust price for buying power of each country's citizen, I just did a straight conversion from one currency to another. Also keep in mind that there is a marked difference in the build quality of a new Civic in each country.

Pakistan really needs to rid itself of the Honda, Toyota, Suzuki otherwise these Japanese will keep sucking us dry by selling substandard cars at elevated prices.


Found it: http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...el-earns-Honda-Rs5bn-before-launch&highlight=

 

[ExpressPacer]

I think I had a thread a while back of the Honda Civic in Pakistan and Canada. I compared the same model, engine type, trim etc in both countries. The result was that the Pakistani consumer was paying considerably more than the Canadian for the same car. Keep in mind I didn't adjust price for buying power of each country's citizen, I just did a straight conversion from one currency to another. Also keep in mind that there is a marked difference in the build quality of a new Civic in each country.

Pakistan really needs to rid itself of the Honda, Toyota, Suzuki otherwise these Japanese will keep sucking us dry by selling substandard cars at elevated prices.


Found it: http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...el-earns-Honda-Rs5bn-before-launch&highlight=

Exactly. Audi recently launched A3 for Pakistani's which I think is around 36 hundred thousand. Maybe a small step in the right direction?

 

[Syed1]

Exactly. Audi recently launched A3 for Pakistani's which I think is around 36 hundred thousand. Maybe a small step in the right direction?

That is imported yaar... which drives up the price due to duties etc and makes it out of the reach of the average buyer. Hopefully in a few years these cars are made in Pakistan and can directly compete with the Japanese.

 

[ExpressPacer]

That is imported yaar... which drives up the price due to duties etc and makes it out of the reach of the average buyer. Hopefully in a few years these cars are made in Pakistan and can directly compete with the Japanese.

Acha? Didn't know bro. Really a sad note on the way things are in the automotive industry. I hope one of these hundreds of Pakistani's going to amazing auto-motive engineering schools every year can make use of their abilities and provide us with our own company.

 

[Syed1]

Acha? Didn't know bro. Really a sad note on the way things are in the automotive industry. I hope one of these hundreds of Pakistani's going to amazing auto-motive engineering schools every year can make use of their abilities and provide us with our own company.

Hahaha I see what you did there

 

[ExpressPacer]

Hahaha I see what you did there

JK JK you're good, you're still connected to us

 

[sshakir411]

Exactly. Audi recently launched A3 for Pakistani's which I think is around 36 hundred thousand. Maybe a small step in the right direction?

Audi has had the A3 for a very long time, I think 96. It's evolved from being a small hatch to being a small sedan. It was only available in Europe and North America until 2013 I believe.

 

[SandyB]

[MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION]

1) Despite its low price point why was it unable to penetrate the Indian car market? Due to low price did it have a stigma attached as a 'poor man's car?'

Precisely . Tata's marketing was completely based on the "Cheapest car in the world". This would've sold like hot cakes in the late 90's or early noughties. But when the Nano got launched , the Aspirational "Middle class" of India especially in the the Big and Medium tier cities, no longer saw Small==Cheap. Bigger hatches like the Suzuki (Maruti) Swift , Hyundai I20, Ford Figo or VW Polo came to define the "Small" hatch, and the Nano's 'IMAGE" didn't cut it !

Also the rear engine config and initial quality issues did turn of a lot of buyers.

2) In 2012 (and in the years around it) its sales were still relatively decent but have totally dipped since then? Why isthat so?

Tata kept on pushing on with the Nano, even after the huge losses, because it was Ratan Tata's pet project and something that the company had already invested a lot in. Most of the people who bought it used it as a backup/secondary car, mostly for Women or youngsters , as it was easy to handle in traffic. It never was bought in large quantities by the original target market - The 1st time car buyers or families upgrading from motorcycles.

Even the revisions/facelifts failed to improve the sales and the idea that the car was a total FLOP had gained wide acceptance. So people sort of quit even considering it .

3) What is the general opinion regarding Nano and Tata Motors cars?

Nano :

• Small yet surprisingly spacious and practical for anyone whose used one
• Cheap car image, no-one wants it as their ONLY car
• Poor resale value - mostly a tata thing .
• Perceived concerns regarding cornering stability - due to height and tiny tires
• Engine is in the rear a'la Porsche. But the rear engine is ubiquitous with the AutoRickshaw in India, so people see the Nano as some glorified TukTuk .

Tata :

• Lorries , trucks, buses, military vehicles - Arguably the country's most loved and respected Heavy and medium commercial vehicles manufacturer
• Public transport is ubiquitous with the "T" brand
• Poor image w.r.t reliability , quality, and after sales/service leading to poor resale value
• Paradoxically commands tremendous respect among people for having acquired British brands like Jag and Land Rover and having done a fantastic job maintaining them ! Tata is one of the faces of India Inc's success
• Known to produce big spacious SUVs/MUV (like the original Safari, Sierra and now Hexa) with the trademark "Tata" strengths - Powerful A/C, Incredible ride comfort and acres of interior space .

4) What are the major successful Tata Motors cars currently in terms of sales and popularity? How are they perceived?

In terms of commuter vehicles - Indica , the first Big small hatch , very spacious and loved by cabbies and families alike, huge sales. The sedan version of the same , Indigo -did great sales too, again cabbie favourite. Tata Sumo - Large MUV - again mostly for taxis.

In the present batch - The Tata Tiago hatch is a fantastic car, great quality , interiors and equipment . Sells quite well too , 3000-4000 units per month (for comparison, Maruthi Alto sells (~15000 per month - bestseller, Swift sells 8000-10000 units ) .

Tiago has none of the traditional defects of TATA, a truly world class product, but the brand is way too damaged in peoples perception. Their past 3-4 cars starting with the Indigo manza ( big sedan) , Aria (SUV), Hexa (SUV), Zest (Mini sedan), are all good and reliable quality products.


Most of the UVs and Light and Med heavy vehicles are runaway successes.

5) In the long term did Tata end up benefiting from the publicity gained through Nano? Was it a well known brand before it?

Tata didn't really need any additional popularity from the NANO. You could say, the Nano flopping took the sheen off an otherwise positive impression of the brand (especially the J -LR thing).

It is the truly desi Indian car manufacturer alongside Mahindra and Mahindra. Though mahindra is more known for quality and rugged jeeps and SuVs, TATA more or less dominates the Large/MED commercial vehicles scene.

 

[Specialisttailender]

1) Despite its low price point why was it unable to penetrate the Indian car market? Due to low price did it have a stigma attached as a 'poor man's car?'

2) In 2012 (and in the years around it) its sales were still relatively decent but have totally dipped since then? Why isthat so?

3) What is the general opinion regarding Nano and Tata Motors cars?

4) What are the major successful Tata Motors cars currently in terms of sales and popularity? How are they perceived?

5) In the long term did Tata end up benefiting from the publicity gained through Nano? Was it a well known brand before it?

Thanks in advance

Why do people buy Corolla over Yaris ? Same reason here, for a bit higher price you can buy a much better car.