Dec, 06 2019 (WTN): Tata Motors may not be having a very good time with its car sales figures, but it has high hopes from the upcoming Altroz premium hatchback to be sold from showrooms in a couple of months, for which the dealers have already started accepting bookings.
Tata cars, apart from the Nexon, haven’t done too encouragingly in the last few months. The Safari Storme, the Hexa, Zest, Bolt, Tigor – all have got lukewarm response from the people. The Tiago notched some good numbers in the recent past, but ran out its shelf life soon. The NRG pepped up version of the Tiago was launched with some cosmetic additions to recapture the market but even it was not able to make much noise.
Earlier too the Manza, Nano, Grande and Aria could not reach respectable numbers and their productions were closed after a brief outing. But the premium hatchback space is different; it is not so crowded as the budget/economy hatch segment or even the sedan segment. Here Tata Motors has a chance to make the cut. The Rs 6L to 9L bracket is covered majorly by the Maruti Nexa Baleno and the Hyundai i20. Both have been close rivals and best sellers for the last almost three years.
The third competitor Honda’s Jazz is far behind in the race. If the Tatas can fit into the slot between the Baleno and the i20, it can be game. For that it will have to set the right price point, may be undercutting the Baleno and the i20 by a few thousand bucks, improve its customer satisfaction index through better after sales attention and load their cars with richer features than the competition is offering or even beyond.
The Baleno and the i20 are so well kitted and their driving dynamics are so well sorted that it is very difficult to dislodge them from their positions. The Baleno is selling around 16,000 cars a month with the i20 closely following in the 14,000 range. The excellent customer service and after sales facilities Maruti and Hyundai give is something the Tatas must learn because its erratic service is well known in the driving circles.
Moreover, there is also an image lag the Tatas suffer because for generations they have been known for producing commercial vehicles like trucks and buses. Even today, they sell more cars for commercial use than private vehicles. Despite their cars being very comfortable and spacious, when it comes to fit and finish as well as overall refinement like engine smoothness and noise and vibration levels, they don’t come close to their Japanese or Korean counterparts.
Over the years the company has improved a lot, taking customer feedback seriously and focusing at the right places and the Nexon is an example of a brilliant product. The Altorz is also expected to be in the same league or even better as new elements in design and technology are continuously being incorporated by automobile companies to keep buyer interests up. At 3990 mm, the Altroz is almost as long as the Baleno (3995 mm), wider (1755 mm) than all of the rest in the category and has a boot that is a whopping 340 litres. The 1.2 litre 3-cylinder port will produce 86 horses and 113 NM torque, while a turbo petrol generating 102 bhps may also be on cards. The diesel mill will be powered by a 1.5 litre 4-cylinder turbocharged engine good for 90 horses and a torque of 200 NM.
The car is likely to weigh above 1035 kgs, which is way more than the ultra-light hartect platform of Maruti, which in turn may affect acceleration and fuel efficiency, but one area where Tatas undoubtedly excel is the comfort and solidity of their cars. Here the Altroz will win hands down. Let’s wait and watch how India takes to it!- Window To News
Tata cars, apart from the Nexon, haven’t done too encouragingly in the last few months. The Safari Storme, the Hexa, Zest, Bolt, Tigor – all have got lukewarm response from the people. The Tiago notched some good numbers in the recent past, but ran out its shelf life soon. The NRG pepped up version of the Tiago was launched with some cosmetic additions to recapture the market but even it was not able to make much noise.
Earlier too the Manza, Nano, Grande and Aria could not reach respectable numbers and their productions were closed after a brief outing. But the premium hatchback space is different; it is not so crowded as the budget/economy hatch segment or even the sedan segment. Here Tata Motors has a chance to make the cut. The Rs 6L to 9L bracket is covered majorly by the Maruti Nexa Baleno and the Hyundai i20. Both have been close rivals and best sellers for the last almost three years.
The third competitor Honda’s Jazz is far behind in the race. If the Tatas can fit into the slot between the Baleno and the i20, it can be game. For that it will have to set the right price point, may be undercutting the Baleno and the i20 by a few thousand bucks, improve its customer satisfaction index through better after sales attention and load their cars with richer features than the competition is offering or even beyond.
The Baleno and the i20 are so well kitted and their driving dynamics are so well sorted that it is very difficult to dislodge them from their positions. The Baleno is selling around 16,000 cars a month with the i20 closely following in the 14,000 range. The excellent customer service and after sales facilities Maruti and Hyundai give is something the Tatas must learn because its erratic service is well known in the driving circles.
Moreover, there is also an image lag the Tatas suffer because for generations they have been known for producing commercial vehicles like trucks and buses. Even today, they sell more cars for commercial use than private vehicles. Despite their cars being very comfortable and spacious, when it comes to fit and finish as well as overall refinement like engine smoothness and noise and vibration levels, they don’t come close to their Japanese or Korean counterparts.
Over the years the company has improved a lot, taking customer feedback seriously and focusing at the right places and the Nexon is an example of a brilliant product. The Altorz is also expected to be in the same league or even better as new elements in design and technology are continuously being incorporated by automobile companies to keep buyer interests up. At 3990 mm, the Altroz is almost as long as the Baleno (3995 mm), wider (1755 mm) than all of the rest in the category and has a boot that is a whopping 340 litres. The 1.2 litre 3-cylinder port will produce 86 horses and 113 NM torque, while a turbo petrol generating 102 bhps may also be on cards. The diesel mill will be powered by a 1.5 litre 4-cylinder turbocharged engine good for 90 horses and a torque of 200 NM.
The car is likely to weigh above 1035 kgs, which is way more than the ultra-light hartect platform of Maruti, which in turn may affect acceleration and fuel efficiency, but one area where Tatas undoubtedly excel is the comfort and solidity of their cars. Here the Altroz will win hands down. Let’s wait and watch how India takes to it!- Window To News
