Chapters- 0:00 - Introduction 1:55 - Choice in India vs markets abroad 5:14 - Sedans choice shrinking 7:05 - Budget hatchbacks 7:20 - Why don't we have more brands? 10:30 - Impact of new regulations 21:55 - Carmakers that left India 23:30 - EVs will increase choice 26:00 - Why buyers and carmakers love SUVs 27:00 - No estates in India 28:40 - Hot hatches 29:12 - Cross hatchbacks 30:00 - Chinese carmakers will bring choice 31:20 - The heyday of choice is gone 33:58 - MPV segment 35:11 - Carmakers don't have an appetite for risk 36:37 - The brands we'd love to see
I can listen to Hormazd whole day , as a car enthusiast he is just music to my ears. Clearly way above the other car journalists in a huge way. His knowledge and experience in this field is unmatchable.
This single podcast series is exponentially better than the sum of videos from all those TH-camrs who don't even read the car brochure properly and start shouting things like 'Door thud is not great, its not a safe car bro'
Can Supreme Court explain on how much money was paid to them by auto makers makers to put a vehicle rule of 10 and 15 years even for private middle class car buyer who can only buy a car only once in their lifetime.. by the time they reach their retirement age, they will not be offered finance for car buying…. Supreme Court sucks and deserves a kick on their back…
@@meetadi4u there.has not been a reduction of pollution ever since thousands of cars are taken away, want to reduce pollution, then just stop registration for private diesel vehicles. Diesel should only be used in buses , trucks and tractor, or generator. My petrol car has only run 25000 kms in 10 years , so what pollution has it done ? But due to major players like TATA and Mahindra are into diesel vehicles and suv , they have implemented in all the cars ..
It's not the citizens, but rather government, cause it's diversity for normal cars not supercars, etc included, for eg :- Even Pakistan market has better car diversity for ppl's car brand than India in most cases.
Simple reason, high import duties for any new brand to enter and be competitive. Unless they setup their manufacturing in India, they can’t compete locally. Which leaves us with few brands and few mass market models.
Thanks for putting this out there. I genuinely thought I was the only one who felt this. Been looking for a small sedan lately, but I can only see a Hyundai Aura and Honda Amaze. Both of which are nice, but not well proportioned in my opinion. I miss the days where we had the Ikon, Lancer, City, Aveo etc etc. There's not much choice for sedans under 8 lacs.
If you don't mind looking at pre owned cars , do consider good condition petrol Honda city, you will never regret your decision, You will get very good sedan in your budget.
i have been watching Autocar India since 2015 but i must say this particular podcast series has quickly gone on to become my very favourite in all of TH-cam. so many new insights, perspectives, arguments and industry practices to learn! thank you so much, hormazd, sergius and ketan.
I have been reading autocar india since childhood and Hormazd was the editor for most of the articles back then! Now I am 37. Hope you now understand the depth and breadth of knowledge Hormazd possesses!
Almost all MPVs below Innova would function much better as Wagon than have a forceful useless third row only good for kids. Unfortunately in a poor overpopulated country, we don’t have as much luggage as we have people. In west, you have people going golf, camping, skiing and all these requires big boot space. Whereas we have overpopulation and too poor to afford these hobbies so we get MPVs
The truth is average ticket value in india is still 8-10 lakh which is around 10k dollars and American and European countries barebone car starts at atleast 20k dollars. So why would they come here?
Simple money, u r missing the fact that companies develop their products according to market (they don't develop something first and then expect it to succeed), which means there can be different products for different Markets. A simple example is low capacity bikes developed especially for developing markets by companies like BMW, triumph, HD, KTM. As a company u just can't wait for consumers to earn enough to afford ur vehicle if u can provide a low cost option with compromises.
Awesome podcast & rightly pointed out sub 4 meter rule is stopping many cars to launch & also stopping global brands to come to India. Government should kick out the sub 4 meter rule and also not heavily tax car manufacturers. Volkswagen can bring SEAT , Fiat should be back. MAZDA , OpelVauxhall, Peugeot, and there many others brands that can come in India if the complicated tax structure gets eased out 💯🤘🏻👌🏼🚗
UK and South Africa doesn't have diabolical taxes for imported cars, that's why they have more models. The idea of putting heavy taxes on imported cars by our government is to push them to make in India. That may be useful for us in long term but we are devoid of choices at the moment.
Same is happening with mobile phones Businesses love monopoly and love to play on brand bias, because that's the easiest way to lure people to buy rather than innovating Customers are impacted most Anywhere there is monopoly, there is a big problem
Seriously, you were band on. I drive Ford Figo 1.5 TDCI and if I plan to switch similar car. Literlly I don't find any comparable options. I don't know what to choose next.
I can listen Hormazd Sorabjee Sir all day I remember getting autocar magazine back in 2012 when I was in standard 9 now I own a City 5th gen which i bought in 2022 so much experience he has into automobile and probably only car expert i can trust in India. ❤
@@hormazdsorabjee6448Sir please make podcast on diesel engines and share your thoughts about past good diesel engines like ford 1.5 tdci etc and suggest present good diesel engines, practical problems about dpf,def,adblue and future of diesel in India. Waiting for coming Sunday podcast.😊
losing Ford and Chevy for nothing is a big blow. If we could have held on to make things friendly for them, till the next economic downturn Mahindra would have had their pick of whom to takeover.
Along with government regulations, there is a point that you missed. Indians want everything but with low price. That is why only the manufacturers who offered more features and service at comparatively low price are doing good in Indian car market.
Although some of you may disagree, the honorable minister of roads and transportation is behaving in an autocratic manner, aware that the automobile industry is susceptible to being suppressed by taxes, goods and services taxes, and other measures. Indeed, it isn't kind how quickly they are passing automobile laws and having them approved by parliament without considering the needs of our nation's citizens,Now with a new Automobile sector killer norm in the name of BS7
its not his problem if people are reproducing like cockroaches and hence adding more cars ,we are just not as big as USA we dont have space,if BJP brings a 1 child law they will lose the next elections,hence they are making things so expensive that having 2 children will be impossible in the near future,it is a genius move by the way.
I agree, everything is business rather than quality of life, and securing the future of future generations, these self glorifying netas have short sighted goals.
@@deepsaurabh7579 mean the way they are representing themselves is really dangerous and I am saying this from average,common man's perspective.So many laws right from that scrappage policy,in the end it is going against people of this country,its affecting them.After house the car is most important asset,rather it's a dream and the government is killing that dream.
It's just that who has the upper hand kind of thing. Europe was leading the emission norms now India wants to put a foot ahead. But , the thing is our own government vehicles are still like bs2 ones . Can't phaseout the government vehicles but can put rules like odd even , 10 year rule , green tax irony.
Said the truth Sub 4 meter category mandatory by govt for tax saving made global car makers keep away from launching new cars in india. This is fir maruti and hyundai.
What a quality podcast it is. Autocar redefining the auto journalism in India,thanks for this topic. IMO kind of value proposition Indian customer looks only large volume can reduce the overall production cost. Survival of the fittest ia perfect caption for the same
Hello .. I work for Isuzu MENA we import huge volume form India for Saudi Arabia the greatest challenge is quality of supplier .. still need to go a long way on quality
It really hurts when we see so many interesting models in the international auto shows, global websites of OEM companies....whereas in India Govt. is sleeping, busy with their politics only and one upmanship over emissions competing with European countries...poor decision making, poor thought process
We have a partnership with SAIC and JSW, which should help MG update its EV lineup while assisting JSW in gathering knowledge and intelligence about the technology and either replicating it or developing something original along those lines. I agree that we should have more such ventures which can help the Indian Automotive Industry to develop and advance and the market to grow.
We deserve international models with every single features thats sold abroad at similar price range..Its sad to see our auto industry policies & regulations are depriving our citizens of international lifestyle, quality products & choices ….. unfortunately similar impact is seen in our healthcare, education & hospitality sectors too…. I am not against supporting Indian companies but somewhere we should create healthy competition.
The Indian automotive market is experiencing a significant transformation, with the traditional sedan market shrinking while SUVs and compact SUVs are increasingly dominating the roads. This shift towards larger vehicles may not be ideal, and congestion on already crowded streets. The growing preference for SUVs over sedans reflects changing consumer preferences. In your magazine itself it shows that while the pages of the car price list have grown due to an expanded portfolio within certain brands, the overall variety of brands to choose from remains limited.
Absolutely loved the podcast - Regulations in India have come at the cost of consumer welfare! Great that you guys picked this topic - would be great to discuss some other regulations as well - like the sub 4 meter one - I am sure there are other such regulations that kill the appeal of manufacturing in Indian market.
Nice to know AUTOCAR saying it loud and clear....there is hardly any choice in India when it comes to safe, reliable, suitable car in Indian car market....this is all due to half-hazard policy by Govt. of India....sudden shifts, no clear longterm policy, no vision for automotive industry, there should be a roadmap for next 50 years....clear and un-changing....policy changes should be swift, digestible to normal middle class Indian families rather than just catering to their own needs / thinks / whims and fancies.....big let down by Govt. of India...policy makers....all lobbying, no thoughts, no brain behind Govt's illogical moves....i just hate it...this sub-four meter rule really killed lot of choices...
Brilliant! if I have to summarise how good the podcast. I do not have as much access these days to Autocar or other auto magazines and the podcast comes at the right time. What is fascinating the most are the inside stories on brands and their India journey. For example, Honda being my favorite brand, I was clueless as to why they have reduced to just three models in India and Hormazd enlightened us on the real reason for their intents/market challenges etc. Wish the brands are also watching the show which can be aptly the mouth piece of Indian car consumers and act accordingly.
Hormazd ji ,thank you for giving us such deep insights in the Indian automobile industry vis a vis customer choices etc,. You deserve a lifetime achievement award for decades of painstakingly feeding us with fair and factual information all throughout. Govt of India should institute one such award and give him due honour for guiding millions to make right choices . Thanks Hormazd/ Autocar India.
I drive a 2015 Fiat Linea(MJD) Elegant, and recently, I was in the market for a new sedan. However, with limited options that didn't quite meet my expectations or spark excitement, I decided to stick with my current car, and I'm glad I did.
Good stuff!! I myself felt a severe lack of choice, when it comes to engines. I think pulling the plug on diesel has been a huge set back to the average buyer! Somehow in this post BS6 world, it seems very difficult to find the right balanced engine which gives performance without majorly compromising on efficiency. Case in point the Brezza diesel vs Brezza petrol.
Here's some recommendations for any new OEMs who want to crack indian market and be the leader in next 20 years with minimum investment 1. Start with 2 EVs (Nexon and Creta class) with range of 500km. 2. Invest in setting up very reliable highspeed charger network atleast every 200kms on all major highways(start with major ones). This should be your major investment. Long journeys on EVs should be a common thing. Offer first year free charging. Your customers should be bragging about their long distance journeys in EV on social media. 3. Need not have car dealerships. Make sales online. Offer "at home" sales, testdrives. 4. Need not have service centers. Mobile service "at home", EVs are easily serviceable. 5. Make few "experience centers" to promote brand (look at Nio in China) 6. Core strengths should be Reliability, Efficiency, Features. If you do all the above, you will be the leader in 10-20y. Most of the above points are what made Tesla super successful, they had this conviction a decade ago. OEMs don't have conviction to stick to one plan.
The main problem is margin per car. As long as margin is low, it doesn't make sense for companies to keep bringing new models. It order to cope up with margin, companies are going with model focussed on large volume which comes with lesser models.
Well analysed presentation. India has to move on in terms of 4.0 metre barrier. There are plenty of models but many are unavailable. This situation has to change. Many good brands like Mazda, Suburu, SEAT can enter and should enter.
thank you for pointing out that cars sold now are generally much safer than cars made 20 years ago. On being spoilt for choice,lest we forget,the Indian market gets the best equipment from Suzuki. For instance no other market gets a Ciaz with the k15b and the 48v mild hybrid.
With due respect Sorabjee Sir I was used to be a permanent subscriber and used to subscribe Autocar magazine,the very first magazine got introduce to me was by my baba after that very moment it was a head turner or turning point in my life that I have decided that I ll completely invest myself along with my time in full fledge into Auto 🌍
Another superb Podcast by Hormazd. Loved the topic & entire content to the fullest. The real problem with global brands failing are too many. Unless these brands develop India specific Cars they will not succeed. Incase Maruti, Hyundai, Toyota, Kia & our homegrown Tata, Mahindra Car Co's ...... are successful. Then these global players are to be blamed for their failures & decline in Sales no. Would say *Nachna nahi aata toh Aangan tehda*
being price sensitive is not a flaw, every market should be like that. India is not a market for brands who look at India as a part time market, its for the brand who really want to Invest time and energy. Brand Like Honda, Nisan and some of europian brand can optimise there supply chain for indian market, they focus on China and Thiland and look a India as BTW market. Just keeps the lights on.
Great podcast! Station wagons models are very much relevant in Europe but sadly got nowhere here. Also about major brands missing from here, we don't really have typical Japanese cars. Toyota don't really have their global portfolio here, Suzuki making Desi cars and Honda struggling badly. It would be lovely to have brands operating here like Mazda or Subaru.
Fiat Punto, Linea and Abarth punto was lost due to the BS6 emission and not safety, coz it only demanded parking sensors as standard , abs and 2 airbags which the cars complied, but engine couldn’t.
Great topic of discussion. Its sad that we have so less options. Its also sad that many international brands are not present here and local carmakers make cheap and badly designed cars. Its a sad situation for buyers.
This is the one thing I absolutely hate about the Indian car market. No enough brands, not enough options and regulations to deter anyone from outside to come into this country to start selling their cars. We as consumers are missing out on a lot of great cars.
Looking for MPV segment to grow... Wish Mahendra and Tata come up with good MPV's which look good and also foor good safety and more importantly petrol engine
Hi, Please make a podcast about the future of Nissan in India- maybe for next week. The launch of XTrail at 50 lakhs ex showroom doesn't infuse enthusiasm.
@autocareindia1 why VW discontinued Polo. It was good car for young Generation. May be just do more facelift with same sub 4 meters norms. Was Polo discontinued due to BS6 norms ?
The Polo lasted in India for more than a decade (2010-2022?) and it did really well even when it was way past its design globally. VW clearly cannot get the new gen Polo here since it would not make sense to invest money on customising the new polo as per the sub4 meter rule, which would involve hell lot of costing and VW wouldn’t want to risk it in India.
Hormazd Sorabjee is one of the best minds in the Indian automobile industry and I never miss a chance to hear him. but for this particular episode I didn't quite get premise or the argument. While I totally agree with SUV grabbing the full market, I personally love sedans the way they drive. SUVs are like having the worse of both and the worse part being that these are either pseudo SUV or not in the category at all. While using UK as a benchmark is quite odd, they might have many models in the market but a majority of them are also not 'mass market' and then they don't have any home brands either. But then that is a different market all together. Similarly, why blame regulations for reduced choice, do we really want options that are dangerous and lethal. You make the point that regulations have raised the level of all models, even ones which are considered 'not safe' now are far better than even the better ones 5 years back. Similarly, the sub 4 meter is an non existing, car makers can easily work around it like they have been. The 'Kai' segment in the Japanese market is such great example. Indian market is certainly not for beginners and most European and American brands have hot had the strategy nor the ability to learn or the stomach to stay. While we can hope more brands are able to establish themselves keeping hopes on the Chinese is not a good idea, just look what they are set to do in the European market. Many of the European brands would be fighting for survival in their home markets.
Hyundai, Kia Motors, Tata and Mahindra are lobbying UP government not to offer incentives for hybrid cars, saying the move - set to help rivals Toyota and Maruti Suzuki - would hit targets on adopting electric cars and investment plans.
Very informative podcast, thank you! You mentioned it would be a topic for another day, and it would be really interesting to know the history of the sub 4m rule and the motivations of our policymakers when they made it. Would also love to know your opinion on whether it is still relevant now.
@ARPU for each market may be an important metric. Also ARPU in the portfolio. One reason why Suzuki scored in cars is because globally it's a small car firm.
An interesting point raised in the discussion was that emission regulations are detrimental to low-volume cars. As a Honda enthusiast, I have a question: Honda used the same L series 1.2-liter 4-cylinder engine in the Amaze, Jazz, and WR-V. Why did they discontinue the Jazz and WR-V while keeping the Amaze?
Prefer to hear the Autocar India Deep Drive Podcast? Listen on: Spotify: spoti.fi/44re4Z5 Apple Podcast: apple.co/4dm563o Amazon Music: amzn.to/4blq94k
Sir, Very excellent discussion. Secondly, according to today's TOI report Ford is contemplating to enter India again. Thirdly, do you think that in the coming 5-7 years other brands like Honda, Volkswagen and the Skoda will also leave the country and is it ok to purchase their Cars seeing their depleting sales figures?
I disagree that there is an entry barrier, the issue is with competitiveness. Companies like Ford, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi or any other brand that left, the issue with them was they were not able to offer an up to date product that could compete
Govt Taxation in India is another spoiler for the new entrants. Cars are suddenly become more and more expensive. SIAM is simply not lobbying enough or they are working just for few in the game.
In 1990 we have even India made sport car but now like car market saturate like mobile market typical design, however seven seater and SUV both with hybrid version would be compulsion till certain period for private and sedan would be fleet obivious choice
I was pleasantly surprised when the Virtus was introduced ….its a proper sedan esp the Gt ….so much so that the local vw dealer here is selling it only in grey to discourage buyers as the taigun is stuck 😂
Car brands have to change keeping Indians in mind. Indians won't change just because you have a car brand which makes only specific types of cars. That is why some manufacturers fail to capture Indian markets.
SUVs succeed in India because of high ground clearance and the ability for the driver to see the road ahead and anticipate the potholes. Our road infrastructure in India is bad. Whether highway or city. And this necessitates the practicality of an SUV coupled with its people mover capability.
Nothing to do with that specially in urban areas. People just love SUV it’s gives them a sense of big car. Infact the same is the situation in USA and now even Europe is moving toward that gradually.
Still saying EV will increase is questionable. EV will never outperform the ICE engines in India. EV are mainly marketed for the rich not for the common man.
Its not marketed for Rich people.Everyone can afford it. Its mainly targeted and purchased as a second car. We only dream of buying 1 very good car and buying a second and maintaining it is out of our bounds
![[TH] 2024 PMSL SEA Finals D1 | Fall | ยิงต้องโหด ให้เหมือนโกรธกันมาก่อน](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OnTdfGySmds/mqdefault.jpg)
Chapters-
0:00 - Introduction
1:55 - Choice in India vs markets abroad
5:14 - Sedans choice shrinking
7:05 - Budget hatchbacks
7:20 - Why don't we have more brands?
10:30 - Impact of new regulations
21:55 - Carmakers that left India
23:30 - EVs will increase choice
26:00 - Why buyers and carmakers love SUVs
27:00 - No estates in India
28:40 - Hot hatches
29:12 - Cross hatchbacks
30:00 - Chinese carmakers will bring choice
31:20 - The heyday of choice is gone
33:58 - MPV segment
35:11 - Carmakers don't have an appetite for risk
36:37 - The brands we'd love to see
I can listen to Hormazd whole day , as a car enthusiast he is just music to my ears. Clearly way above the other car journalists in a huge way. His knowledge and experience in this field is unmatchable.
🙏
True 😊
The way he explains is just phenomenal 😍
True
Absolutely!
True that bro
Finally, someone is talking about issues in sub 4m policy. And yeah, most of the cars are pseudo SUVs. Basically, raised Hatchs!
Someone said it!
Will you consider 3xo as SUV
@@monztrluvryeah it's common sense though
This single podcast series is exponentially better than the sum of videos from all those TH-camrs who don't even read the car brochure properly and start shouting things like 'Door thud is not great, its not a safe car bro'
Can Supreme Court explain on how much money was paid to them by auto makers makers to put a vehicle rule of 10 and 15 years even for private middle class car buyer who can only buy a car only once in their lifetime.. by the time they reach their retirement age, they will not be offered finance for car buying…. Supreme Court sucks and deserves a kick on their back…
You can always bribe and increase the Life by 5 years after u complete 15 yrs
Absolutely correct
Do you need air to breathe in future or not . I understand India’s public infrastructure sucks but in 10-15 years time it will be better
When a car is bought, your claim on being Middle Class is over .
@@meetadi4u there.has not been a reduction of pollution ever since thousands of cars are taken away, want to reduce pollution, then just stop registration for private diesel vehicles. Diesel should only be used in buses , trucks and tractor, or generator. My petrol car has only run 25000 kms in 10 years , so what pollution has it done ? But due to major players like TATA and Mahindra are into diesel vehicles and suv , they have implemented in all the cars ..
Because in India people buy things which bought by friends and relatives . Wagnor and splendor . They like similar things
Don't tell me if you would buy CF moto out of the Blue. People buy things considering a lot of things like spare parts, service centers.
It's not the citizens, but rather government, cause it's diversity for normal cars not supercars, etc included, for eg :- Even Pakistan market has better car diversity for ppl's car brand than India in most cases.
No. It's always the affordability
Subaru!! Would love to have this brand in India. Loved the Forester when it was launched in India by Chevrolet.
subaru doesnt come in third world country
@@msdadsfsx better checkout indonesia
They are known for reliability issues which doesn't cope well in india expecially when suzuki and toyota set the bar way high
Simple reason, high import duties for any new brand to enter and be competitive. Unless they setup their manufacturing in India, they can’t compete locally. Which leaves us with few brands and few mass market models.
That's right, don't forget the dreadful licence raj.
Thanks for putting this out there. I genuinely thought I was the only one who felt this. Been looking for a small sedan lately, but I can only see a Hyundai Aura and Honda Amaze. Both of which are nice, but not well proportioned in my opinion. I miss the days where we had the Ikon, Lancer, City, Aveo etc etc.
There's not much choice for sedans under 8 lacs.
Amaze is good.
If you don't mind looking at pre owned cars , do consider good condition petrol Honda city, you will never regret your decision,
You will get very good sedan in your budget.
New Dzire and Amaze are due in few months of time...
i have been watching Autocar India since 2015 but i must say this particular podcast series has quickly gone on to become my very favourite in all of TH-cam. so many new insights, perspectives, arguments and industry practices to learn! thank you so much, hormazd, sergius and ketan.
I have been reading autocar india since childhood and Hormazd was the editor for most of the articles back then! Now I am 37. Hope you now understand the depth and breadth of knowledge Hormazd possesses!
Finally some one said this and put forth
India lost wagon concept, which has more boot space and more practicality. Other markets has even fabia and golf in wagon model.
Opel Corsa Swing
Almost all MPVs below Innova would function much better as Wagon than have a forceful useless third row only good for kids.
Unfortunately in a poor overpopulated country, we don’t have as much luggage as we have people.
In west, you have people going golf, camping, skiing and all these requires big boot space.
Whereas we have overpopulation and too poor to afford these hobbies so we get MPVs
Not practical in India and it looks ugly
Agree, may be that has now become a new segment 😅
The main reason for that is the extra tax levied by the government on size and type of the car
Next era of VW and Skoda in automobile industry in India.
I just love them.
The truth is average ticket value in india is still 8-10 lakh which is around 10k dollars and American and European countries barebone car starts at atleast 20k dollars. So why would they come here?
Simple money, u r missing the fact that companies develop their products according to market (they don't develop something first and then expect it to succeed), which means there can be different products for different Markets.
A simple example is low capacity bikes developed especially for developing markets by companies like BMW, triumph, HD, KTM.
As a company u just can't wait for consumers to earn enough to afford ur vehicle if u can provide a low cost option with compromises.
Awesome podcast & rightly pointed out sub 4 meter rule is stopping many cars to launch & also stopping global brands to come to India. Government should kick out the sub 4 meter rule and also not heavily tax car manufacturers. Volkswagen can bring SEAT , Fiat should be back. MAZDA , OpelVauxhall, Peugeot, and there many others brands that can come in India if the complicated tax structure gets eased out 💯🤘🏻👌🏼🚗
Not happening there is a lobby to cater to.
UK and South Africa doesn't have diabolical taxes for imported cars, that's why they have more models. The idea of putting heavy taxes on imported cars by our government is to push them to make in India. That may be useful for us in long term but we are devoid of choices at the moment.
Same is happening with mobile phones
Businesses love monopoly and love to play on brand bias, because that's the easiest way to lure people to buy rather than innovating
Customers are impacted most
Anywhere there is monopoly, there is a big problem
I get u, but the case here is a bit different, not what u're tryna put up.
Seriously, you were band on. I drive Ford Figo 1.5 TDCI and if I plan to switch similar car. Literlly I don't find any comparable options. I don't know what to choose next.
1st world tax & safety norms with 3rd world income and infrastructure. Not surprised with lack of choices
I can listen Hormazd Sorabjee Sir all day I remember getting autocar magazine back in 2012 when I was in standard 9 now I own a City 5th gen which i bought in 2022 so much experience he has into automobile and probably only car expert i can trust in India. ❤
😊🙏
@@hormazdsorabjee6448Sir please make podcast on diesel engines and share your thoughts about past good diesel engines like ford 1.5 tdci etc and suggest present good diesel engines, practical problems about dpf,def,adblue and future of diesel in India. Waiting for coming Sunday podcast.😊
losing Ford and Chevy for nothing is a big blow. If we could have held on to make things friendly for them, till the next economic downturn Mahindra would have had their pick of whom to takeover.
Along with government regulations, there is a point that you missed. Indians want everything but with low price. That is why only the manufacturers who offered more features and service at comparatively low price are doing good in Indian car market.
Although some of you may disagree, the honorable minister of roads and transportation is behaving in an autocratic manner, aware that the automobile industry is susceptible to being suppressed by taxes, goods and services taxes, and other measures. Indeed, it isn't kind how quickly they are passing automobile laws and having them approved by parliament without considering the needs of our nation's citizens,Now with a new Automobile sector killer norm in the name of BS7
its not his problem if people are reproducing like cockroaches and hence adding more cars ,we are just not as big as USA we dont have space,if BJP brings a 1 child law they will lose the next elections,hence they are making things so expensive that having 2 children will be impossible in the near future,it is a genius move by the way.
The philosophy of their entire party centres around fascism and right wing nationalism! So does it surprise you in any way?
I agree, everything is business rather than quality of life, and securing the future of future generations, these self glorifying netas have short sighted goals.
@@deepsaurabh7579 mean the way they are representing themselves is really dangerous and I am saying this from average,common man's perspective.So many laws right from that scrappage policy,in the end it is going against people of this country,its affecting them.After house the car is most important asset,rather it's a dream and the government is killing that dream.
It's just that who has the upper hand kind of thing. Europe was leading the emission norms now India wants to put a foot ahead. But , the thing is our own government vehicles are still like bs2 ones . Can't phaseout the government vehicles but can put rules like odd even , 10 year rule , green tax irony.
Love these podcasts
India misses out on mass market brands brands like GM, Ford, Mazda, Subaru, Mitsubishi.
Said the truth
Sub 4 meter category mandatory by govt for tax saving made global car makers keep away from launching new cars in india.
This is fir maruti and hyundai.
What a quality podcast it is. Autocar redefining the auto journalism in India,thanks for this topic.
IMO kind of value proposition Indian customer looks only large volume can reduce the overall production cost. Survival of the fittest ia perfect caption for the same
Hello .. I work for Isuzu MENA we import huge volume form India for Saudi Arabia the greatest challenge is quality of supplier .. still need to go a long way on quality
It really hurts when we see so many interesting models in the international auto shows, global websites of OEM companies....whereas in India Govt. is sleeping, busy with their politics only and one upmanship over emissions competing with European countries...poor decision making, poor thought process
We have a partnership with SAIC and JSW, which should help MG update its EV lineup while assisting JSW in gathering knowledge and intelligence about the technology and either replicating it or developing something original along those lines.
I agree that we should have more such ventures which can help the Indian Automotive Industry to develop and advance and the market to grow.
We deserve international models with every single features thats sold abroad at similar price range..Its sad to see our auto industry policies & regulations are depriving our citizens of international lifestyle, quality products & choices ….. unfortunately similar impact is seen in our healthcare, education & hospitality sectors too…. I am not against supporting Indian companies but somewhere we should create healthy competition.
The Indian automotive market is experiencing a significant transformation, with the traditional sedan market shrinking while SUVs and compact SUVs are increasingly dominating the roads. This shift towards larger vehicles may not be ideal, and congestion on already crowded streets. The growing preference for SUVs over sedans reflects changing consumer preferences. In your magazine itself it shows that while the pages of the car price list have grown due to an expanded portfolio within certain brands, the overall variety of brands to choose from remains limited.
Absolutely loved the podcast - Regulations in India have come at the cost of consumer welfare! Great that you guys picked this topic - would be great to discuss some other regulations as well - like the sub 4 meter one - I am sure there are other such regulations that kill the appeal of manufacturing in Indian market.
Nice to know AUTOCAR saying it loud and clear....there is hardly any choice in India when it comes to safe, reliable, suitable car in Indian car market....this is all due to half-hazard policy by Govt. of India....sudden shifts, no clear longterm policy, no vision for automotive industry, there should be a roadmap for next 50 years....clear and un-changing....policy changes should be swift, digestible to normal middle class Indian families rather than just catering to their own needs / thinks / whims and fancies.....big let down by Govt. of India...policy makers....all lobbying, no thoughts, no brain behind Govt's illogical moves....i just hate it...this sub-four meter rule really killed lot of choices...
Great podcast, please talk about Mahindra’s future plans.
A ton of thanks to both of you for paying heed to the discussion about cars that exited the market because of new safety and pollution norms. 👍👍
Brilliant! if I have to summarise how good the podcast. I do not have as much access these days to Autocar or other auto magazines and the podcast comes at the right time. What is fascinating the most are the inside stories on brands and their India journey. For example, Honda being my favorite brand, I was clueless as to why they have reduced to just three models in India and Hormazd enlightened us on the real reason for their intents/market challenges etc. Wish the brands are also watching the show which can be aptly the mouth piece of Indian car consumers and act accordingly.
Been thinking my whole life why we have very less car brands in india.thank u autocar india for answering all my questions
But the freestyle was a proper cross, which people didn't lap up in large nos
Every time I listen to Hormazd, it's such a pleasure. He is an institution himself. This series of podcasts is truly amazing.
Started seeing this podcasts 2 weeks ago..but now addicted as car enthusiast!
Thankyou for this podcast keep them coming forever
Hormazd ji ,thank you for giving us such deep insights in the Indian automobile industry vis a vis customer choices etc,. You deserve a lifetime achievement award for decades of painstakingly feeding us with fair and factual information all throughout. Govt of India should institute one such award and give him due honour for guiding millions to make right choices . Thanks Hormazd/ Autocar India.
The opening line is pure gold... Just goes to show the experience and summarising capability.
It's a amazing show for me right now, really waiting for every Saturday for different & very informative about Car's.
Well said Hormazd.... Hats off to the autocar team 😉
Great Analysis. This sort of stuff could come only from the afficionado. Thanks
Great podcast.Have one podcast on Chevrolet stint in india too
FIAT is sorely missed
I drive a 2015 Fiat Linea(MJD) Elegant, and recently, I was in the market for a new sedan. However, with limited options that didn't quite meet my expectations or spark excitement, I decided to stick with my current car, and I'm glad I did.
This podcast was eagerly awaited!
Hands down the best Automotive podcast in india. Keep the episodes coming.
Good stuff!! I myself felt a severe lack of choice, when it comes to engines. I think pulling the plug on diesel has been a huge set back to the average buyer! Somehow in this post BS6 world, it seems very difficult to find the right balanced engine which gives performance without majorly compromising on efficiency. Case in point the Brezza diesel vs Brezza petrol.
Epic to listen to both of you.
I really like the Omni has knee as crumple zone 😂
Here's some recommendations for any new OEMs who want to crack indian market and be the leader in next 20 years with minimum investment
1. Start with 2 EVs (Nexon and Creta class) with range of 500km.
2. Invest in setting up very reliable highspeed charger network atleast every 200kms on all major highways(start with major ones). This should be your major investment. Long journeys on EVs should be a common thing. Offer first year free charging. Your customers should be bragging about their long distance journeys in EV on social media.
3. Need not have car dealerships. Make sales online. Offer "at home" sales, testdrives.
4. Need not have service centers. Mobile service "at home", EVs are easily serviceable.
5. Make few "experience centers" to promote brand (look at Nio in China)
6. Core strengths should be Reliability, Efficiency, Features.
If you do all the above, you will be the leader in 10-20y. Most of the above points are what made Tesla super successful, they had this conviction a decade ago. OEMs don't have conviction to stick to one plan.
The main problem is margin per car. As long as margin is low, it doesn't make sense for companies to keep bringing new models. It order to cope up with margin, companies are going with model focussed on large volume which comes with lesser models.
Well analysed presentation. India has to move on in terms of 4.0 metre barrier. There are plenty of models but many are unavailable. This situation has to change. Many good brands like Mazda, Suburu, SEAT can enter and should enter.
thank you for pointing out that cars sold now are generally much safer than cars made 20 years ago. On being spoilt for choice,lest we forget,the Indian market gets the best equipment from Suzuki. For instance no other market gets a Ciaz with the k15b and the 48v mild hybrid.
With due respect Sorabjee Sir I was used to be a permanent subscriber and used to subscribe Autocar magazine,the very first magazine got introduce to me was by my baba after that very moment it was a head turner or turning point in my life that I have decided that I ll completely invest myself along with my time in full fledge into Auto 🌍
Another superb Podcast by Hormazd. Loved the topic & entire content to the fullest.
The real problem with global brands failing are too many.
Unless these brands develop India specific Cars they will not succeed.
Incase Maruti, Hyundai, Toyota, Kia & our homegrown Tata, Mahindra Car Co's ...... are successful.
Then these global players are to be blamed for their failures & decline in Sales no.
Would say *Nachna nahi aata toh Aangan tehda*
Eagerly waiting for this podcast week on week.. love to hear from Homrmaz sharing deep knowledge and he is finest auto journalist in India.
being price sensitive is not a flaw, every market should be like that.
India is not a market for brands who look at India as a part time market, its for the brand who really want to Invest time and energy.
Brand Like Honda, Nisan and some of europian brand can optimise there supply chain for indian market, they focus on China and Thiland and look a India as BTW market. Just keeps the lights on.
Great podcast! Station wagons models are very much relevant in Europe but sadly got nowhere here. Also about major brands missing from here, we don't really have typical Japanese cars. Toyota don't really have their global portfolio here, Suzuki making Desi cars and Honda struggling badly. It would be lovely to have brands operating here like Mazda or Subaru.
I can listen to these guys all day and any time! Great podcast, great insights.
A special mention to Yaris and SCross, two massively underrated cars which didn't make it past the emission regulation phase!
Fiat Punto, Linea and Abarth punto was lost due to the BS6 emission and not safety, coz it only demanded parking sensors as standard , abs and 2 airbags which the cars complied, but engine couldn’t.
Production stopped in 2019 itself.
@@NikhilOnCars so? Last batch available was of NOV 19.
No one was buying ABARTH punto. Indians don’t like small car which costs 10 lakh.
Toyotas best car VENZA was never launched in INDIA which is a big shame on TOYOTA. Well priced it would have sold like hot cake
Great topic of discussion. Its sad that we have so less options. Its also sad that many international brands are not present here and local carmakers make cheap and badly designed cars. Its a sad situation for buyers.
No 7-seater proper SUV between Fortuner and Q7
Indians need to save new entrants in the car market like citreon. We lost many gems like fiat, Chevrolet etc.. 😢
Absolutely Love This Podcast. Great stuff guys!!❤💯
This is the one thing I absolutely hate about the Indian car market. No enough brands, not enough options and regulations to deter anyone from outside to come into this country to start selling their cars.
We as consumers are missing out on a lot of great cars.
This podcast series so relieving, please keep coming
Can we get an episode on Toyota?
Would love to hear Hormazd’s take on the company
Looking for MPV segment to grow...
Wish Mahendra and Tata come up with good MPV's which look good and also foor good safety and more importantly petrol engine
Hi,
Please make a podcast about the future of Nissan in India- maybe for next week. The launch of XTrail at 50 lakhs ex showroom doesn't infuse enthusiasm.
India is a low margin and high risk market absolutely right sir…
High taxes and cess and stupid laws like sub 4 meter cars etc
@autocareindia1 why VW discontinued Polo. It was good car for young Generation. May be just do more facelift with same sub 4 meters norms.
Was Polo discontinued due to BS6 norms ?
They have already done a podcast on VW where they've mentioned everything
Check it out
Nope less volumes and cost of making them was high it was my favorite car and my first car .Indians don't care abt the quality only mileage
The Polo lasted in India for more than a decade (2010-2022?) and it did really well even when it was way past its design globally. VW clearly cannot get the new gen Polo here since it would not make sense to invest money on customising the new polo as per the sub4 meter rule, which would involve hell lot of costing and VW wouldn’t want to risk it in India.
Hormazd Sorabjee is one of the best minds in the Indian automobile industry and I never miss a chance to hear him.
but for this particular episode I didn't quite get premise or the argument.
While I totally agree with SUV grabbing the full market, I personally love sedans the way they drive. SUVs are like having the worse of both and the worse part being that these are either pseudo SUV or not in the category at all.
While using UK as a benchmark is quite odd, they might have many models in the market but a majority of them are also not 'mass market' and then they don't have any home brands either. But then that is a different market all together.
Similarly, why blame regulations for reduced choice, do we really want options that are dangerous and lethal. You make the point that regulations have raised the level of all models, even ones which are considered 'not safe' now are far better than even the better ones 5 years back.
Similarly, the sub 4 meter is an non existing, car makers can easily work around it like they have been. The 'Kai' segment in the Japanese market is such great example.
Indian market is certainly not for beginners and most European and American brands have hot had the strategy nor the ability to learn or the stomach to stay. While we can hope more brands are able to establish themselves keeping hopes on the Chinese is not a good idea, just look what they are set to do in the European market. Many of the European brands would be fighting for survival in their home markets.
i wonder how will the comet perform in BNCAP. Going by the current pace it will take years to test that.
It will get -5
This has become my go-to podcast
Hyundai, Kia Motors, Tata and Mahindra are lobbying UP government not to offer incentives for hybrid cars, saying the move - set to help rivals Toyota and Maruti Suzuki - would hit targets on adopting electric cars and investment plans.
Very informative podcast, thank you!
You mentioned it would be a topic for another day, and it would be really interesting to know the history of the sub 4m rule and the motivations of our policymakers when they made it. Would also love to know your opinion on whether it is still relevant now.
Great episode, as always!
@ARPU for each market may be an important metric. Also ARPU in the portfolio. One reason why Suzuki scored in cars is because globally it's a small car firm.
An interesting point raised in the discussion was that emission regulations are detrimental to low-volume cars. As a Honda enthusiast, I have a question: Honda used the same L series 1.2-liter 4-cylinder engine in the Amaze, Jazz, and WR-V. Why did they discontinue the Jazz and WR-V while keeping the Amaze?
Each car needs seperate calibration even if engine is same and that is costly
Sales Volume
I can listen to this podcast all day
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Sir,
Very excellent discussion. Secondly, according to today's TOI report Ford is contemplating to enter India again. Thirdly, do you think that in the coming 5-7 years other brands like Honda, Volkswagen and the Skoda will also leave the country and is it ok to purchase their Cars seeing their depleting sales figures?
I disagree that there is an entry barrier, the issue is with competitiveness. Companies like Ford, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi or any other brand that left, the issue with them was they were not able to offer an up to date product that could compete
Govt Taxation in India is another spoiler for the new entrants. Cars are suddenly become more and more expensive.
SIAM is simply not lobbying enough or they are working just for few in the game.
Sergius is back! Thank you!😊
In 1990 we have even India made sport car but now like car market saturate like mobile market typical design, however seven seater and SUV both with hybrid version would be compulsion till certain period for private and sedan would be fleet obivious choice
Very nice podcast. Absolutely loved this series
the best podcast so far.
I was pleasantly surprised when the Virtus was introduced ….its a proper sedan esp the Gt ….so much so that the local vw dealer here is selling it only in grey to discourage buyers as the taigun is stuck 😂
Car brands have to change keeping Indians in mind. Indians won't change just because you have a car brand which makes only specific types of cars. That is why some manufacturers fail to capture Indian markets.
SUVs succeed in India because of high ground clearance and the ability for the driver to see the road ahead and anticipate the potholes. Our road infrastructure in India is bad. Whether highway or city. And this necessitates the practicality of an SUV coupled with its people mover capability.
Nothing to do with that specially in urban areas. People just love SUV it’s gives them a sense of big car. Infact the same is the situation in USA and now even Europe is moving toward that gradually.
Still saying EV will increase is questionable. EV will never outperform the ICE engines in India. EV are mainly marketed for the rich not for the common man.
Its not marketed for Rich people.Everyone can afford it. Its mainly targeted and purchased as a second car. We only dream of buying 1 very good car and buying a second and maintaining it is out of our bounds