Hyundai - A Journey Through The Years

     

 Hyundai Motors has been a customer favourite for many years, not only in India but the world over. Unknown to most, the meaning of the Hyundai logo is a handshake between the company (Hyundai) and the customer. The handshake symbolizes the bond of unshakeable trust. What a customer wants in a car is simple; an affordable, reliable, practical car with the latest technology. This is what Hyundai has been delivering this consistently for the past 49 years!  Lets have a look at the timeline of Hyundai Motor Company and find out as to what this great company has achieved over the years.

Nissan - Celebrating 83 Years

The beginnings of  the Nissan Motor Company Limited can be traced way back to 1911. Masujiro Hashimoto founded the Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works on 1^st July, 1911 in Japan. It was the first automobile manufacturing company of Japan. In 1914 the company produced its first car, the DAT (acronym for the surnames of the company investors). In 1925 the company changed its name to DAT Motors, in addition to trucks in also produced DAT and Datsun passenger cars. However, a large majority of its output were trucks due to a non-existent market for passenger cars at that time. In 1926, DAT Motors merged with Osaka-based Jitsuyo Jidosha Company Limited, the new company moved headquarters to Yokohama. In 1928, Yoshisuke Aikawa founded the holding company Nihon Sangyo. The name Nissan originated in the 1930s as an abbreviation for Nihon Sangyo. In 1933, DAT-Jitsuyo Jidosha was merged into Tobata Casting As Tobata Casting was a Nissan company; this was the beginning of Nissan’s automobile manufacturing.

    In 1934, the company was renamed to Nissan Motor Company, and was 100% owned by Nihon Sangyo. With its Yokohama plant complete in 1935, 44 Datsuns were shipped to Asia, Central and South America. American engineer William Gorham played a key role in bringing cutting-edge technology and furthering technological innovations at Nissan. In 1952, Nissan entered into a legal agreement with Austin Motor Company, UK to assemble and sell Austin cars in Japan. The agreement also gave Nissan the rights to use Austin patents, which Nissan used to develop its own line of engines for Datsun. Nissan realized an opportunity for the small car markets, and decided to globally expand their Datsun small car line for markets such as Australia and the USA. They first showcased cars at the 1958 Los Angeles Auto Show. The company formed a US subsidiary, Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A based in California.  Nissan continued to improve their cars with the latest technological advancements and a stylish, sporty design. Famous Nissan cars at the time were the Datsun Fairlady Roadster, Datsun 240Z, 510 , the race winning 411 Series. In 1966, Nissan merged with the Prince Motor Company, this led to Nissan bringing more upmarket cars like the Skyline & Gloria.

   By 1970, Nissan had become one of the largest automobile exporters in the world. In the wake of the 1973 oil crisis the demand for high-quality small economical cars grew. To meet growing demand, Nissan opened plants in Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan and USA. Nissan faced financial difficulties in 1999. It entered into an alliance with Renault of France. The Renault-Nissan alliance was a first of its kind global alliance between a Japanese and a French company. Carlos Ghosn was named the CEO of Nissan in 2001. The ‘Nissan Revival Plan’ under the tutelage of Ghosn saw the company bounce back to making profits, the performance of Nissan has shocked the leading economists of the world. Considered to be one of the most spectacular turnarounds in corporate history   In 2005, Nissan entered India through its subsidiary, Nissan Motor India Private Limited. Along with Renault invested close to $990 million to set up its Chennai plant.

   Globally Nissan along with its subsidiaries namely Datsun, Infiniti has a very strong product portfolio. Cars such as Altima, Serana, Skyline and the legendary Nissan GT-R have been adored by customers throughout. The Nissan GT-R  holds the distinction of being one of the finest supercars in recent history. Made in-house the car nicknamed as ‘Godzilla’ is world renowned for its extraordinary handling and driving dynamics, also for its 3.8 L turbo petrol V6 engine producing 570bhp. Nissan is by far the most successful automobile manufacturer with respect to Electric Vehicles (EVs). Nissan introduced its first battery operated electric vehicle the Nissan Altra at the Los Angeles International Auto Show, 1997. In 2010, Nissan introduced the LEAF, the first mass-market EV offering. It soon became the best-selling highway-capable EV of all time. As of September, 2016 over 240,000 LEAFs have been sold worldwide.

Nissan may not be as strong a presence as its Japanese peers Honda & Toyota, but it is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Being the 6^th largest car manufacturer in the world,  it has a great scope for growth especially in emerging markets such as India. Today it is celebrating 83 years as a company and we certainly hope Nissan will continue to be delivering to customers for many more years to come! 

                   Volvo S90 : Redefining ‘Practical Luxury

The influence of German cars has been a very big factor, in the Indian market. We, must agree that the German manufacturers do offer another dimension to the Indian car buyer. Brands such as Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai etc. have always done well and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. No car is perfect and with the preferences and fancies of the Indian customer changing at a very rapid pace the Germans have garnered a very strong fan base in India.

Moving to where they are just outright dominant…………..the luxury segment! The number of Audis, BMW’s, & Mercedes-Benz cars in India is just huge!! Well, the aforementioned brands have a very big factor and for them, a lack of genuine competition. It goes without saying that BMW, Audi & Mercedes-Benz cars are made with top-notch quality and cutting edge technology that very few brands can match. None of these brands make their cars without compromising on luxury. But do these car manufacturers make their cars from a practical standpoint? That is a point which is debatable. With the Indian luxury car buyer becoming more rich and younger, he is also looking for an option which is practical and does not miss out on luxury. To be honest it is seldom that a luxury car will meet all the criteria of being a practical one as well.

Enter the Volvo S90. The newest kid on the block in the Luxury sedan segment is a car which has been very highly anticipated since a long time. The S90 comes as a direct replacement for the aging S60 sedan. The S60 was a well-rounded package, but failed to see the order book fill as it couldn’t cope up with the Germans. Volvo of late has been removing some very beautifully designed and luxury oriented practical cars. Take the Volvo XC 90 for example, a Swedish masterstroke! It is just huge! It is in every inch a commanding SUV, the design many would argue could be based on the Audi Q7, but we feel it has a different charm and aura of its own. With its fluidic arches and sheer attention to detail is a head turner where ever it goes. The Thor inspired headlamps are just the icing on the cake. Similarly the S90 follows the new design language by Volvo, and boy it is just jaw-dropping, it seems to redefine the essence of beauty in simplicity. When compared to the Volvo S60 of whom the S90 is a replacement, the wheelbase and the car as a whole has grown quite a bit. The S60 was a very elegantly designed car, but the new S90 takes that to a whole different level. The car has a very good and no-nonsense road presence. It is a car that just stands out wherever it goes. This car too gets the iconic Thor inspired headlamps. The interiors are completely redesigned and feel like a shadow of older Volvo cars. The cabin as a whole is luxurious at the same time extremely practical as well. The full touch screen interfaces for the centre console is unique at the same time something which Indian customers have not been accustomed to, which is a very good thing. A 2.0 litre diesel mill does duty on the S90, producing about 190 bhp. Though it is underpowered when compared to the competition it is more than sufficient for city as well as highway duties. Currently the S90 is only available in a diesel variant, Volvo is going to be introducing other engine options to the line-up.

The luxury sedan segment is one which has many dragons. The S90 being the newest dragon to enter the den, is priced really smartly. Another strong point S90 has going for it is being powered by a smaller engine when compared to the rest.

It may not be a performance powerhouse as a BMW or a luxurious chariot as a Mercedes-Benz, but it is as practical as a wise old man, without compromising on luxury. It is still a very long way to go for Volvo to make a dent in the Indian market especially when competing with BMW, Audi & Mercedes-Benz but it is a dark horse in what is to be a very fierce race. Volvo with the S90 could create a niche market within the luxury segment, and has truly redefined the essence of ‘Practical Luxury’.  

THE UPCOMING TOYOTA VIOS

When one thinks of mass-produced cars for day-to-day use, the first brand name that usually comes to mind is Toyota. Quality, durability, efficiency, superb service and an undeniable trust factor are just a few reasons why Toyota has cemented its place in the hearts and minds of people across the world. Industry wide the Japanese giant has set benchmarks in many aspects related to the cars. Toyota entered the Indian market in 1997 via a JV with Pune based Kirloskar Group. It has been a force to be reckoned with ever since. Year on year Toyota has been successfully scaling new heights in the market with unmatched consistency. The beloved Toyota Corolla and the ever reliant work horse, the Toyota Innova have played a very crucial role in helping Toyota make its presence felt in India. Having a presence in quite a few segments of the Indian market, Toyota yet does not have a good foothold in the sedan (C-Segment). Competitors such as Honda, Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki, Volkswagen etc. have taken advantage of that with successful products such as City, Verna and Ciaz respectively.

    Launched in 2010, the Etios is the only offering in the sedan segment for India. When launched was received well and seemed a good package. A reliable, practical vehicle with lots of space; did not pick up the way Toyota would have imagined. An unappealing design, lack of features, lack of modern technology and the overwhelming success of the Honda City, Hyundai Verna led to the Etios going down the pecking order. In another attempt to capture the C-segment market in India, Toyota is going to launch its Vios sedan in 2017. The Toyota Vios goes back to 2002, a product specifically developed for the emerging markets (Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia etc.) was based on the Yaris hatchback, has been very popular especially in the Asia Pacific region. Currently sold globally in its 3^rd generation, it continues the ‘luxury-sport’ design language followed by recent Toyota cars.

    The word Vios is derived from Latin means ‘to move forward’. Forward is exactly where Toyota will be moving when they launch the Vios for India in 2017. The car has all the necessary ingredients to make for a highly successful recipe in India. For starters its design has evolved leaps and bounds when compared to the Etios currently sold here. To be honest it does resemble the current generation Toyota Corolla quite a bit, but that is not a bad thing as it looks great! Expect the Vios to be powered by the same engines as the Etios, a 1.5L petrol & 1.4L diesel. The gearbox; a 5-speed manual for both petrol as well diesel and an automatic is likely to be introduced. With the Malaysian-spec Vios bearing great resemble to the Toyota Corolla with respect to the interior as well, expect the same to be carried forward to the Indian-spec model as well. Expect it to be fully loaded with safety and comfort features such as Airbags, Climate Control, Infotainment system with USB, AUX, Bluetooth connectivity, Satellite Navigation etc. It would be unjust to forget the one thing which all Toyota cars are known to provide………an abundance of cabin space! Toyota is also looking at the feasibility of launching a Hybrid version of the Vios later on.

   Keeping all this in mind it is safe to assume that the Toyota Vios is a great package for India and can surely give its competitors some stiff competition. With the sedan market already having a lot of players in the market, the re-entry of Toyota makes it an even better proposition for buyers. Indian customers love Toyota! It is a fact that Toyota is well aware of. The Vios seems to tick all the boxes for becoming hugely popular in India. It surely is one of the highly anticipated Toyotas of recent times for India. We are quite confident of the Vios becoming a favourite in India, are you?   

THE RESURGENCE OF TATA MOTORS

Tata Motors has long been a very important and crucial component of the Tata conglomerate. Tata Motors can be broken down into 3 divisions – Passenger Vehicles (PV), Commercial Vehicles (CV) and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). Venturing into the passenger vehicle segment of India in 1991 with the launch of the Tata Sierra, a multi-utility vehicle. This proved to the world India’s capability of creating an indigenous car capable of competing in the market. The Tata Indica launched in 1998, was the game changer for Tata Motors in the domestic market. India’s first fully indigenously manufactured vehicle was initially criticized by the auto enthusiast. The Indica had the correct combination to make it a resounding success – a powerful and frugal engine, a great marketing strategy. The later launched Indica V2 ensured that the Tata Indica was one of the best selling cars in the history of the Indian automobile industry. Over the years Tata Motors has produced many iconic the Tata Sumo; a workhorse passenger utility vehicle, Tata Safari; India’s first off-road worthy SUV. These cars have not only been customer favourites, but have also been Indian made products which have made the nation proud.

     Tata Motors announced itself on the world stage with the acquisition of Jaguar & Land Rover from American giant Ford for about $3.2 Billion in 2008. This move by Tata Motors by to acquire the then ailing luxury brands was seen as very bold and sceptical by the global car industry. Many wondered how could Tata Motors, a company catering to the mass market car buyer; having no experience in the luxury market successfully manage and run two prestigious luxury brands? Tata Motors silenced and shocked critics when JLR started making profits only 3 years after the takeover. Tata may have brilliantly steered the JLR ship through rough waters, but they are facing a struggle keeping the ship afloat in the domestic market. The domestic market being the one which matters to them the most, as it is here where the main bulk of the sales Tata Motors (PV segment) take place. The presence of foreign brands in India such as Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Honda etc. has given Tata a hard time. The Indian market is a very unique and volatile one. With the customer emphasising the importance of technology and quality, most of the players in the Indian market have certainly raised the bar in those aspects. The much anticipated launch of the Tata Nano in 2008, signalled a much awaited change in the ideology of the brand. Launched with very high hopes, the Nano never really materialized into a car every Indian would be able to own.

     Flash forward to 2014, Tata launched the Zest compact sedan. The launch was a closely guarded secret and not many people knew what to expect. But when the curtain was raised, the world was blown away by a completely new and modern Tata product! A refreshing, young and modern design language; new and updated engines, mechanicals, better quality interiors and a feature loaded package. The Zest signalled the dawn of a new age of Tata cars. With a dedicated team of 250 engineers and over 3 years in the making Tata delivered a product fit for the Indian customers. All of a sudden Tata Motors had reinstated that they were not willing to go down without a fight in the Indian domestic market. The folks at Tata have been patient to respond for a long time and have studied the benchmarks set by other manufacturers in the market, having understood them worked upon their strengths and learnt from their mistakes. We must not forget the importance of the JLR acquisition to the resurgence of Tata Motors, what it did was it has given Tata Motors a great wealth of valuable information to cutting edge automobile technology. This is slowly but steadily being integrated horizontally throughout the organization. Let’s take the recently launched Tata Tiago for example, a car where the engineers at JLR helped quite a deal in the development; right from the conceptualization to the finished product. Weighing over a ton, built as a tank, with a 1.0 litre turbo-charged petrol engine in a hatchback – a true driver’s dream! The line-up of the upcoming Tata models – Kite 5 sedan, new Aria, Hexa etc. are also very impressive.

      It is safe to say even though the numbers do not show it, that Tata Motors is on a resurgent path towards forging its name in the ever competitive Indian market. It is something that we as Indian automobile enthusiasts should be proud of.  I for one am eagerly waiting for the day Tata Motors can challenge the likes of Toyota, Honda and other companies in the Indian market. It would be a very proud moment for us to see that day. Would it for you?