TELCO
(presently known as Tata Motors) is no longer perceived as a truck manufacturer
in India, thanks to the huge success of India’s first indigenously developed
car “Indica”. The year 1998 was a transformation for Tata Motors and all the
credit goes to the then Chairman of the company Mr. Ratan Tata. Tata Motors
ruled the B segment with Indica selling like hot cakes. The aerodynamic design
& class leading fuel efficiency put the Indica into a different league,
which the company will always cherish.
Nearly two
decades after entering the passenger car segment, Tata Motors seems to have
come to a place where it started. None of its cars are selling well, be it Nano
or the Bolt or the much hyped Zest compact sedan. However Tiago which was
recently launched has kept the hopes alive for the company. Tata Motors has put
in its heart and soul in Tiago to deliver more car per car, the slogan Indica
carried. An astonishing price tag of Rs. 3.20 lakh for base petrol variant
makes Tiago stand out of the segment. The neat design, good fuel efficiency and
quality interiors are the USP of Tiago.
Tata
Motors might have saved money in developing Bolt and Zest, as they are built or
rather redesigned on the Vista but the overall image of Tata Motors stands
questionable. A company which was once ruling the segment now is trying to
bring in cars with just cosmetic changes and selling it with a different name.
Indian car market is more matured now and Tata cars have to compete with some
quality products from International players. The upcoming Hexa is also
basically the old aria with cosmetic changes and new name. Though Tata Motors
is bullish on the Hexa success, it might not compete against the market leaders
just like the Bold and Zest did. An old wine in new bottle will certainly not
bring success and Tata Motors has to understand this first.
The
newly appointed CEO Mr. Guenter Butschek also
thinks as we do. He intends to have a vehicle in each segment for the company
to bounce back and to have a new product delivered rather than making changes
to the current models and sell with different names. So Tata Motors will bring in
new products in the coming years and try to reclaim the lost glory. Hope to see
some exiting products from Tata Motors.
Posts
