Tata Punch and its rise to the top of the sales charts | Deep Drive Podcast Ep.23 | Autocar India

Summary

The podcast discusses Tata Motors' Punch, which has overtaken Maruti's WagonR as India's best-selling car in the first half of 2024. The Punch's success is attributed to its design, safety ratings, and appeal to first-time buyers. It offers various powertrain options, including CNG and EV, and is competitively priced. The conversation highlights Tata's strategy, the Indian car buyer's evolving preferences, and the importance of design and safety in the market.

Takeaways

• 🚗 The Tata Punch has overtaken the Maruti WagonR to become India's bestselling car in the first half of 2024.
• 🔍 There was internal debate at Tata Motors whether the Punch should be an SUV or a wagon fighter, with the SUV concept ultimately prevailing.
• 🌟 The Punch's success is attributed to its design, safety ratings, and appeal to first-time car buyers, with 70% of buyers being new to car ownership.
• 🚀 Tata Motors' strategy of offering multiple powertrain options, including CNG and electric variants, has broadened the Punch's appeal.
• 💡 The Punch's design, which includes a robust stance and high ground clearance, differentiates it from competitors like the Maruti WagonR.
• 🔧 Tata Motors has played up the safety aspect of the Punch, leveraging its GNCAP and NCAP ratings to attract buyers.
• 🌐 The 'Vocal for Local' campaign associated with the Punch has resonated with Indian consumers, enhancing its market position.
• 💰 Pricing has been a key factor in the Punch's success, with competitive pricing strategies making it an attractive option in the micro SUV segment.
• 🛠️ Tata Motors has acknowledged service and reliability issues due to high sales volumes and is working to address these challenges.
• 🔩 The X4 platform, which underpins the Punch, has been recognized for its potential, with Tata Motors expected to utilize it for future models.

Q & A

What was the debate within Tata Motors regarding the Punch?

There was an internal debate at Tata Motors about whether the Punch should be an SUV or a wagon fighter to compete with the Maruti Wagon R.

What role did safety ratings play in the success of the Tata Punch?

Safety ratings, such as the GNCAP and NCAP ratings, worked in the Punch's favor, helping to bust myths about its safety and contributing to its success.

How did the Tata Punch perform in terms of sales in the first half of 2024?

In the first half of 2024, the Tata Punch sold about 99,000 units, surpassing the Maruti Wagon R and becoming the best-selling car in India for that period.

What was the original concept of the Tata Punch during its development?

The original concept of the Tata Punch was to be a wagon fighter, but after much debate, it was decided to be an SUV, which eventually became a compact SUV.

Why did Tata Motors decide to go with the SUV design for the Punch?

Tata Motors decided to go with the SUV design for the Punch because it offered a better stance, robustness, and appeal to Indian consumers, differentiating it from competitors like the Maruti Wagon R.

What was the significance of the Tata Punch's success over the Maruti Wagon R?

The success of the Tata Punch over the Maruti Wagon R was significant because it marked the first time a non-Maruti vehicle topped the sales charts in India, indicating a shift in consumer preference and a testament to Tata's product strategy.

How did the Tata Punch's design appeal to first-time car buyers?

The Tata Punch appealed to first-time car buyers with its compact dimensions, high seating position, and a design that offered a sense of status and image, which were important to this customer segment.

What was the impact of the Tata Punch's CNG variant on its sales?

The CNG variant of the Tata Punch contributed significantly to its sales, with about 33% of Punch sales being CNG models, making it an aspirational choice for buyers looking for fuel-efficient options.

How did the Tata Punch's pricing strategy contribute to its success?

The Tata Punch's pricing strategy was competitive, offering the vehicle at a lower cost compared to other subcompact SUVs, which made it an attractive option for buyers and contributed to its high sales volume.

What was the Tata Motors' approach to the development of the X4 platform for the Punch?

Tata Motors developed the X4 platform from scratch, focusing on safety, design, and functionality. The platform was intended to underpin multiple models, including the Punch and the Altroz, and was developed with no international partner involvement.

Outlines

00:00

🚗 Tata Punch's Success Over Maruti WagonR

The paragraph discusses the internal debate at Tata Motors regarding whether the Punch should be an SUV or a wagon fighter. It highlights the safety ratings and the impact on Tata's learning and myth-busting. The success of the Tata Punch in overtaking the Maruti WagonR as the best-selling car in India is emphasized, with a focus on the historical dominance of Maruti and the significance of the Punch's achievement. The paragraph also touches on the design and strategy behind the Punch's conception, including the influence of Maruti's former president and the decision to pursue the SUV route.

05:00

🛠️ The Evolution and Design Strategy of Tata Punch

This section delves into the design evolution of the Tata Punch, starting as a hatchback and transforming into a functional model with maximum interior space. It discusses the decision-making process at Tata Motors, the financial investment in developing the concept, and the final decision to go with an SUV design. The paragraph also contrasts the Punch's design and market strategy with that of the Maruti WagonR and other competitors, emphasizing the Punch's robustness, design, and appeal to first-time car buyers.

10:02

🔥 The Punch's Market Performance and Variants

The paragraph focuses on the market performance of the Tata Punch, its various powertrain options including CNG and electric variants, and how these have contributed to its success. It discusses the design and functionality of the CNG system, the appeal of the EV variant for city driving, and the strategic approach of Tata Motors in offering multiple variants to cater to different customer segments. The paragraph also touches on the production and service challenges faced by Tata due to the high volume of sales.

15:03

🏆 The Punch's Reliability and Market Impact

This section discusses the reliability of the Tata Punch, particularly the ICE version, and how it compares to other models in terms of service and reliability. It also addresses the impact of the Punch's high sales volume on Tata's service capacity and the company's efforts to address these challenges. The paragraph further explores the Punch's design appeal, its safety ratings, and the strategic use of the 'vocal for local' campaign, reflecting on the evolving preferences of Indian car buyers and the Punch's role in meeting those aspirations.

20:05

🌐 Tata Motors' Competitive Strategy and Future Prospects

The paragraph examines Tata Motors' competitive strategy with the Punch, including pricing, variant offerings, and the impact on other models like the Nexon. It discusses the cannibalization of sales within the Tata portfolio and the company's approach to maintaining a competitive edge. The paragraph also speculates on future product plans for Tata Motors, the potential for more electrification, and the long-term prospects of the X4 platform that underpins the Punch and the Altroz.

25:09

🔚 Wrapping Up the Discussion on Tata Punch

In the concluding paragraph, the hosts summarize the discussion on the Tata Punch's success, emphasizing the company's achievements as a young carmaker taking on global players without partnerships. They highlight the Punch's significance as a testament to Indian engineering and ingenuity. The paragraph ends with a note on where to listen to the podcast and a tease for the next week's session.

Keywords

💡Punch

The Tata Punch is a compact SUV that has become a significant topic in the script due to its recent success in the Indian automotive market. It has overtaken the long-standing market leader, the Maruti WagonR, in sales. The Punch's success is attributed to its design, safety ratings, and the appeal it holds for first-time car buyers. The vehicle is described as having a robust stance, high ground clearance, and a design that resonates with the Indian consumer's aspirations for a compact SUV.

💡WagonR

The Maruti WagonR is a popular hatchback car in India, known for its affordability and reliability. Historically, it has been a top-selling vehicle in the Indian market for decades. However, as mentioned in the script, the Tata Punch has recently surpassed the WagonR in sales, marking a significant shift in the market dynamics. The WagonR is used as a benchmark to illustrate the Punch's success.

💡SUV

SUV stands for Sports Utility Vehicle, a type of automobile that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with off-road capabilities. In the context of the script, the Tata Punch is referred to as a compact SUV, highlighting its appeal to consumers looking for a vehicle with the robustness and higher seating position typical of SUVs, but in a smaller, city-friendly package.

💡Hatchback

A hatchback is a type of car with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to the cargo area, as opposed to a trunk lid. The script discusses the Tata Punch's origins, where it was initially conceived as a hatchback fighter, competing directly with the Maruti WagonR. However, Tata Motors later decided to position the Punch as an SUV, which has proven to be a successful strategy.

💡CNG

CNG stands for Compressed Natural Gas, which is a fuel alternative to gasoline. The script mentions that the Tata Punch offers a CNG variant, which has been well-received by the market. The CNG option is seen as an economical choice for buyers, and Tata's approach to CNG integration is praised for being seamless and user-friendly compared to competitors.

💡GNCAP

GNCAP stands for Global New Car Assessment Programme, an organization that assesses the safety of vehicles. The script highlights the Tata Punch's safety ratings by GNCAP as a selling point. The high safety ratings have contributed to the Punch's appeal, as safety is a significant consideration for car buyers.

💡First-time buyers

The script emphasizes that a significant portion of Tata Punch buyers are first-time car owners. This demographic is crucial for the automotive market, as their preferences and requirements can influence the design and features of vehicles. The Punch's appeal to first-time buyers is attributed to its compact size, affordability, and the status associated with owning an SUV.

💡Design

Design is a central theme in the script, with the Tata Punch's design being a key factor in its success. The Punch's design is described as robust, with a strong aesthetic appeal that is neither too loud nor too subtle. It is also mentioned that the Punch's design has aged gracefully, which is a testament to the designers' foresight and understanding of consumer preferences.

💡Platform

In the automotive industry, a platform refers to the underlying architecture that a vehicle is built upon. The script discusses the X4 Alpha platform developed by Tata Motors, which underpins the Punch and the Altroz. The platform's development was a significant investment for Tata, and its success with the Punch indicates the platform's effectiveness in delivering competitive products.

💡Safety

Safety is a critical aspect of vehicle design and a key consideration for consumers. The script mentions that the Tata Punch's safety features, including its GNCAP ratings, have been instrumental in its market success. Safety features can include airbags, stability control, and structural integrity, all of which contribute to a vehicle's ability to protect occupants in the event of a crash.

Highlights

Internal company debate on whether the Tata Punch should be an SUV or a wagon fighter.

Tata Punch's safety ratings, including GNCAP and NCAP, which have helped bust myths about the brand.

Tata Motors' strategy to compete directly with Maruti in the sub-four meter car segment.

Historic comparison of Tata's attempt to overtake Maruti in sales volumes in 2002.

Tata Punch's sales numbers surpassing 19,000 cars a month in 2024.

Tata's decision to develop the Punch on the X4 Alpha platform alongside the Altroz.

The Punch's original conception as a wagon fighter and the shift to an SUV.

Tata Motors' investment in the Punch's development, including spending on clay models.

The design and stance of the Tata Punch that differentiates it from competitors like Maruti.

The Tata Punch's appeal to first-time car buyers and its compact dimensions.

Tata Motors' strategy with multiple powertrain options for the Punch, including CNG and EV.

The success of the Tata Punch EV as an urban electric vehicle.

Tata Motors' approach to CNG technology, including a unified ECU for seamless fuel switching.

The Tata Punch's reliability and service challenges due to high sales volumes.

The Tata Punch's pricing strategy and its competitive positioning in the market.

The Tata Punch's design evolution and its impact on Indian car buyers' preferences.

Tata Motors' focus on local engineering and the X4 platform's potential for future models.

Transcripts

[Music]

there was a lot of debate internally

going on within the company should the

punch be an SUV or should it be a wagon

AR Fighter the other thing that has also

worked in the Punch's favor safety you

know the gnap rating and you know the

bat encap rating punch actually has

taught us a lot of lessons uh you know

and actually busted a lot of myths

another card that they are playing very

well in fact literally is a slal card

printed on the back it says vocal for

local absolutely taken maruti head on on

its own turf it's a sub for meter car

it's really gone into the lion's den and

uh you know it's it's it's it's come out

come out

fighting Welcome to our weekly doors of

all things Automotive our deep Drive

podcast powered by kotak Mahindra Prime

I'm Horas sorabji and I'm sis Berto and

Horas you've got a very interesting

topic today uh something about Tata

finally taking on uh the Big Wigs marui

right I I think it's you know it's all

about the punch overtaking uh the Wagar

and becoming the bestselling car in

India I think it really is a big deal

because you know historically for

decades uh maruti has I mean just by

Sher virtue of its volumes has kind of

ruled the top 10 charts quite a bit but

we've been seeing a bit of a ShakeOut

over there but never have we seen

anything other than a maruti at the top

at the top and for the first time really

we've seen the punch uh really take that

spot uh and hang on to it and uh for

let's say the first 6 months of 2024 uh

we've seen the numbers

0 punches sold for the first 6 months

about a lak

99,000 Wagar and in some months the

punch even doing

19,000 cars a month now that's amazing

because if you go back to the time when

the punch was launched I think in around

21 or so it was launched in 21 I think

tataa as a whole was doing about 20

25,000 units so it really speaks volumes

of not only the punch as a product but

tataa Motors how it's really kind of

ballooned and and come of age it's a

real success story of an Indian brand

and an Indian product which has you know

been at the top well maruti also is very

Indian but uh you know this is really a

homegrown indigenous product

uh you know let's say uh that's really

punched above his weight and you know

before we get into it I want to give a

little bit of a an anecdote that in 2002

I think it was July 2002 the indiea came

within a whisker of beating the maruti

800 at that time as the bestselling car

but there were some issues in the tataa

factory and they couldn't do it uh you

know uh to be honest so you mean

production issues production issues yeah

they came up I think they were just 400

units less at that time uh it was I

think

8,900 units for the 800 and just 8,500

or something for the Indie Car those

were the numbers then the bestselling

car was is that so it also tells you how

we moved on in terms of volume and how

we've grown as a market as well but yeah

the indiaa came within a whisker of

toppling the 800 was really a big deal

but then I think 800 cut prices and you

know it just ran away again so tataa

could never manage that but now over 20

years later uh you know Tata has done it

the Wagar

has been beaten by the punch punch has

really beaten the and ironically oras

you got a very interesting story here I

mean not just have they beaten marudi

they beat the Wagar with the punch but

it's a car that it was originally

intended to take on correct now that is

a very interesting story so let's rewind

back to you know when the punch was

being conceived it was way back in

2014 actually so it's really taken a

long time at that time the uh tat Motors

X4 Alpha platform was being developed

and typically you know to kind of uh you

know what they say bookend the platform

you can't just do one model you have to

do multiple models two models at least

to kind of you know get the uh scale out

of the platform and and justify the

investment so they had the alos which

was going and uh the punch uh both being

developed at the same time but the punch

came a year later maybe even more than a

year later than the alra

and why was that because there was a lot

of debate internally going on within the

company should the punch be an SUV or

should it be a Wagar fighter now to be

honest at that time the president was

mang parik who was from maruti and he

was pushing hard for it to be a Wagar

saying that you know Wagar so popular

let's just follow that formula people

really don't care about the styling uh

that sort of thing and you know that was

the way to go or like like another tall

boy like a santro exactly another tall

boy in fact it was was originally

conceived with a Max of 14 and wheels

today the punch is 16 clearly a

hatchback it was a hatchback with

maximum interior space you know while

the Altos was a sporty racy kind of uh

you know let's say hatchback this was a

more functional hatchback uh I think

luckily sense prevailed and I think um

at that time it was when they were going

back and forth and they lost a whole

year in this process you know deciding

what the concept should be just which

direction I think they spent even maybe

a 50 CRS and just doing multiple clay

models or let's say whatever the pound

about four4 million pounds at that time

so it was it was crazy I think this was

what was being debated uh thank God more

Tata Motors they went the punch way and

you know at that time we have to hand it

actually to even Cyrus mystery I think

who took that final call and saying no

let's go the SUV way and finally the

punch is what it is and a classic

example of tat Motors getting it right

on maruti's St where so many others have

failed I mean for me uh you know one

glaring let's say example or comparison

which one can make is with mahindra's

kuv 100 exactly probably one of the

ugliest Vehicles I've seen you know

really very move probably from there but

yes and uh it it just didn't work at all

uh you know and U in fact then mindra

also realized that wasn't their space

and they exited from that altoe but

tataa Motors you know went in there uh

with this clever formula of an absolute

sturdy uh looking SUV it had all the SUV

qes which others didn't have the high

bnet very good styling very well

proportioned and I think it was the

design uh the stance that robustness of

the vehicle that really kind of uh you

know gave it an edge over others in

which it was competing and

differentiated it from uh you know let's

say uh you know the maruti over there so

really it's absolutely taken maruti

headon on its own tur it's a sub for

meter car it's really gone into the

lion's den and uh you know it's it's

it's come out absolutely no and for me

also Horas it's it's so interesting

because technically you you had the

santro which was a competitor to the

Wagar uh you know we know what happened

to the santro they tried to make a

comeback with the santro the same brand

name that didn't catch on as well like

you said Mahindra tried with the kuv and

interestingly the kuv was that formula

saying that you know we are going to

bring a of gun to a sword fight so let's

not come in with another tall boy hatch

Mahindra you know I I mean I remember

talking to a lot of their their people

they were saying that we going to but

what was it is it a bird is it a plane

kuv you you never knew that so so they

thought it was an SUV you know the

tagline the young SUV that was spent by

by by by by you know a company uh which

which kind of I think were forced down

that thing of it's got to be an SUV but

like you said it was so confusing you

didn't know what it was I think design

really U you know did it in it was a

quasy hatchback it didn't have the right

proportions and I think again you know

clearly an example of how design is

really a differentiator exactly and I

think uh what's interesting is that uh

it also tells you a lot about the uh

punch buyer which sometimes even we tend

to miss uh you know I think from what we

understand a lot of them are first-time

buyers originally it was 50% now what I

understand is 70% of punch buyers are

firsttime buyers so you know we were

skeptical about the engine let's be

honest tataa Motors don't have the best

petrol engines and you know we've said

it lacks Punch Yeah we it said it lacks

punch but obviously that didn't make too

much of a difference because for the

first time buyer you know it's got

enough punch and uh what he wants is

that status that image that high seating

position um it originally they had a lot

of appeal in smaller metros roads are

bad they are congested uh the small

compact Dimensions actually played to

the Punch's uh you know appeal U yes it

doesn't have the best space at the back

but it's got a fair minimum it is

cramped at the back and you know clearly

again it goes to show that you don't

necessarily in this category have to

have the biggest back seat you just have

to have the minimum amount of space and

it works so spunch actually has taught

us a lot of lessons uh you know and

actually busted a lot of myths I'll be

honest some of our own myths which we

enthusias think you know there's no

turbo there's hasn't got that punch you

know and that sort of thing but honestly

um it's really not uh you know kind of

you know made a difference but I think

also SES uh uh it's not just the petrol

engine but the other derivatives uh

which have really given the punch uh you

know the volumes and just 50% or 51% of

it are now ice engin the rest are all CG

and and and E

and uh so that's also I think a very

smart strategy of tataa Motors to

enhance the punches appeal with multiple

power exactly I think even the CG is

better than the wagon yeah absolutely uh

almost the the CNG accounts are about

33% of their their sales you know from

from the pun sales and Wagar yes as you

said it they have CG too but you know I

think tata's execution for the C was was

brilliant for one we know the dual

cylinder uh you know it's a very clever

idea the dual cylinder the dual cylinder

sort of um instead of having one big

cylinder take up all your boot space two

little small guys below brilliant you

know I think this sometimes the simplest

ideas which you think why why didn't

somebody think of that so I think that

played in very well secondly even

something as simple as the ECU so on

tataa on the on the punch CNG they have

one ECU you know it's like a unified ECU

taking care of the engine whether it's

running on CNG or on petrol and

switching between the two so it's more

seamless better integration whereas on

the wagon AR it's a dual ECU so when you

switch fuel modes you're actually

switching ecus too uh you know and and

then there's also this thing where uh

you know Tata very proudly saying sort

of you know as you use it as a marketing

thing saying start on CG mode you know

you don't have to have petrol always as

you know on on on Wagar and it's made CG

aspirational which I think maroti has

not done with wag I mean the fact is you

still have to queue up that's quite

issue that that you can't get away with

you know I keep seeing these long CNG

qes so that is but it has made you know

uh CNG a lot more yeah absolutely they

they've not limited it to lower variants

you you can get a well speec CNG uh you

know and like I was saying the the Wagar

they will say that you can start it but

it's called Force CNG start right so

very clearly telling you that you know

this not the ideal way to start the CNG

in a Wagar whereas uh on on on a punch

brochure it says start in CNG mode so I

think the CNG execution on the punch was

a lot better than with wagonr and and

then I think there's the eeve I mean

punch eeve I think I just drove

to just just to get a a feel of it for

this podcast and I I think honestly I

was just thinking as a city EV actually

there's nothing better uh because uh

firstly it's compact U it really takes

the potholes well I mean this is Monsoon

time you find lots of creators around

got a superb ride it's got enough punch

you know what the petrol doesn't have

it's the best automatic you can get in

fact if you take

the uh automatic with I vers with the

ice version yeah so if you take that I

think that is just some maybe 20 20 22%

or something I'm not sure what that

number is but if you add the EV then

overall automatic jumps about the yeah

the the share jumps I think 36% or

something so uh again it's the best

automatic which is what uh it is and uh

it's just super to drive you know it's

got decent range and it just is probably

an said that is probably the best Urban

EV you can have of course now EVS have

their own issues of charging people

can't find charging at home but that's

more part of the ecosystem than the

product itself true and you know

incident it was another very funny sort

of thing if you when you think about it

here too vagar could have had an Eevee

if you remember they were testing the

exctly yeah that's right vag could have

had an eeve but you know I think again

sery that's a brilliant point and it's

gone back to this whole concept cept of

we don't want to do anything Half Baked

we want to have our own full skateboard

platform yeah they coming out you know

the new one is a full skateboard it's a

global product we want to do it right

that's all very well but at the end of

the day a customer doesn't mind what

Tata is giving so you know you can't

decide what the customer wants I think

that's what maruti did with the EV

thinking that you know the wagon are

would be compromised frankly I think you

know it's they're part of let's say a a

GL Global conglomerate now it's not just

maruti Suzuki it's Toyota everyone so

they don't have that agility and

flexibility of Tata to make certain

decisions uh but I think again as you as

you said uh they got to the market early

you know with uh with it's a sigma

platform it's not just an ice derivative

they've done a lot more they flatten the

floor so I think clearly uh you know I

think uh it's really paid off but I

think one thing which we have to draw

out is that the number of datas being

sold and you know the volume that has

gone up the service and reliability has

become an issue and even with the EVS

with the EVS I think software is uh a

problem I think even in our long-term

test thing we got this high voltage era

which keep popping up I think that's

what tataa motors need to address uh but

from what I understand also out of all

the cars the punch probably because the

ice version is quite simple is the most

reliable of the lot so they according to

tataa Motors they do admit that the

volume has kind of overwhelmed their

service uh you know let's say capacity

uh they are working towards it but out

of all the models the punch is one of

the most reliable and and frankly uh

first time car buyer is probably the

most demanding so I think you know over

there if people are constantly going

back to the punch and you know selling

18 19,000 that is just a phenomenal

volume and if you look at something like

the exra which in many ways does the

punch in so many areas whether it's

space uh whether it's even the engine

but it just hasn't been able to kind of

you know catch the fancy of the buyer as

much as a pun so really I think you know

hats off to tataa motors for just having

the right kind of proof of concept with

the hbx which they had showed at the uh

uh at the auto show and they've just got

that right and I think they've really

understood what consumers want in design

something that's not too loud in your

face something that's pleases everyone

but yet has a very strong aesthetic

appeal exactly yeah and actually only of

the exter and it's you mentioned it it's

actually the closest competitor I would

say to a punch in terms of you know the

sort of Quasi or micro SUV traits uh you

know tall STS uh elevated seating

position uh good ground clearance but

yeah you're right I think punch has been

just like remarkably on the spot but but

you know as you said it's a quasi SUV

I'm not sure about the design is it a

hatch is it an SUV you know punch makes

no bones about it the way it looks the

high Bond correct uh you know the the

chunky we arches going can go up to 16

in Gs uh you know thank God they did

that they didn't stick to 14 which was

originally planned uh it's got a proper

SUV stance I mean you know the other one

really is the ignis which is a neither

here nor there crossover kuv was as we

spoke about completely failed so I think

it all boils down then to you know

getting that sense of aesthetic right

that design right and it also goes to

show how the Indian car buyer is

evolving you know from no longer being

wanting to just be seen in a hatchback

they've become hugely aspirational I

mean if 70% of punch customers are

firsttime buyers it just goes to show

how they've leadth the hatchback and

jumping into a compact SUV exactly and

you know I think or was the other thing

that has also worked in the Punch's

favor and I know you don't particularly

like this maybe area but safety you know

the GN capap rating and you know the B

it has it definitely has I mean I think

honestly my my view on that is is it's

not like the ultimate metric of safety

it's the most it's a very important one

but a lot of other things that determine

safety even in a crash there's so many

things that are not counted whether you

know how cars perform in in in under

rdes or rollovers with GN cap really

don't you know let's say measure over

there it is an important metric but I

think again TARTA motors have played

that card beautifully right you know

it's made out like their car is you know

you shouldn't be riding in anything else

that's unsafe and and conversely you

know maruti have got a bad Spectrum yeah

exactly and and and to be honest you

know their cars are light their cars are

you know not very heavy uh they come

that doesn't help in terms of a crash uh

but I think Tata have really kind of

played this safety card also very well

which has helped too I think overall

it's really their design and the

aspiration the punch kind of you know

evokes that has made it the success that

it is despite may not be having the best

mechanic exactly and or was you know

another card that they are playing very

well in fact literally is a slal card

printed on the back it says vocal for

local you know I think that is also

going with with the with their are favor

you're right I think you know uh again

uh I think the whole world is becoming

less globalized and more National exist

you know and I think you know this kind

of jingoism is quite High whatever you

know we know what's happening

politically all over the world uh so um

and I think yes it has helped and there

is a certain pride in in you know having

something in I mean look all of us when

an Indian company does well we feel good

absolutely and I think what's happened

is that while tataa cars still have a

long way to go in terms of the ultimate

quality or reliability of let's say

Toyota still a huge gap they've achieved

a certain level so I think uh basically

you do get a few niggles but that

somehow is compensated or uh the

customers tend to overlook that with the

other things you get you know great

pricing we've not talked about the

pricing also pricing has been very good

I think on the punch I mean it's um you

look at other let's say Sub sub compact

SUV I don't know what you call this

category micro SUV it's segmented so

much uh let's say a Kyer or a magnite

which are slightly larger going up to

the 4 M envelopes punch is much cheaper

exactly you know I think the fronks also

which is is another quasi SUV is much

cheaper but again you know franx is

again a classic example of uh you know

people wanting that practicality and

space and the look over the performance

I mean 80% of frks or maybe 90% 1.2

natur no one goes for the turbo so tataa

motor sensibly or I said they didn't

need to put a turbo in there and push

the punches price up into this next uh

category I think they also wanted a gap

with the Nexon sadly as far as the Eevee

goes I think the punch Eevee has really

cannibalized Nexon Eevee sales because

the punch Eevee really is a fantastic

product and there has been

cannibalization with the Nexon uh but uh

I think you know it's still in the

family so I think uh I think that's what

you know the the punch has really

achieved is again I keep repeating

myself are just being absolutely true to

concept and the aspirations of the of

the of the carb especially the first

time Cary and you know they' priced it

competitively it's in the the category

of the exter and the ignis uh and and

clearly as a product it stands up as a

much more substantial and robust product

exactly was and interestingly Tata

typically with pricing they've got so

many variants in there in fact we'll try

and fit them up all on the screen

because they've got so many of them so

you've got you know some very very

finely sliced kind of a cake lot of

variant of choose some lot of price

points and interestingly enough and what

I like is they as we know they have

facelifted or rather not facelift they

had the facelift introduced on the

electric version and that's right you I

would have imagine I even thought that

you know even the ice has got it but

it's not it's not so they still got that

card to play exactly exactly and I think

they they've done it smartly because I

mean you look at uh eeve buyer you look

at the punch ice buyer they're actually

really far apart in in the in the price

you know and the eveve is like the

second car as we know still now okay you

use it as a primary car maybe but people

tend to buy it after having experienced

an automobile absolutely uh so I I think

you know having this distinction in the

style probably is helping it and I hope

Tata don't just you know PL the same

sort of face I know jack up the price

yeah yeah exactly on the no you're right

I think also it goes to show how well

evolved this design this this design is

you know and how it's still very

relevant you know and it it's a design

like a lot of tataa designs which will

you know uh age gracefully uh we've seen

that we've seen that right with the Inda

you know it kind of looks lovely yeah

and and you know we've seen that a lot

of tataa cars but I think um uh again as

you said uh they still got some you know

ammo in the ass exactly I'm hoping again

as an Enthusiast they come up with a

turbo variant just as a hot compact SUV

just a little bit May for the brand

maybe they might do that when they seee

you know as part of a life cycle

enhancement because clearly you know

it's still quite early into its life

cycle yes and I think also you know it's

a it's a good reflection of how capable

their first uh you know all new

architecture on a small car is you know

the X4 or platform it's done very well

in fact one of the reasons why the punch

and the alos to a certain extent had a

pretty long development cycle uh was you

know the first time uh they were kind of

working with this platform it was an all

new platform which was uh you know been

developed in fact this platform was

something that you know even Volkswagen

were impressed with uh but that joint

venture never happened you know they

were looking at doing VW products on

this platform so it's really been a

great platform um I think they had some

teething problems with it but they've

completely sorted it out once the models

came out I think uh earlier you know

they had uh safety they they were had to

make sure it was kind of enhanced to get

a festar safety rating so some

development time went in that but you

know net net you see that time uh you

know it was uh really well worth the

kind of long cycle it was because uh uh

I mean punch really has been I think uh

a remarkable success and the success of

Indian um you know let's say uh

engineering and Ingenuity exactly

exactly absolutely in fact the platform

I would be really excited to see what

what else is going to come on that in

fact or was because like you said we've

got the alros and the punch and that's

about it and frankly I thought they

would do a lot more a lot more quicker

with that you know the the platform but

yes I guess what what you said was right

you know it's taking a while for them to

sort of develop it it's from scratch I

mean and we must remember like when we

say let's say Wagar okay it is uh you

know and also like you said very much an

Indian company maruti in that sense but

they have a lot of platform development

support coming from Suzuki that's right

you know Tata have to do it all here uh

you know there is no International

partner all of the expertise happens in

so I guess it does take some time but

what do you think should first of all do

you have a scoop on what's the next

product on the I think the original plan

was to have just two platforms so You'

have all the small cars including the

Nexon uh and derivatives uh on the uh X4

platform but I think um it's not very

you don't really need to do that I mean

it's it's costly I think uh you know uh

they're still going to be focusing on

the BX so it's worked for them so I

think you know maybe at a much later

stage when there are enough volumes to

justify an all new platform development

that's something they can do uh and you

know so I think right now it's just

going to be these two products on this

platform and uh clearly you know we'll

see more electrification uh coming out

on this platform so in that sense uh I

think but we've got some great volumes

on it you know if you take both alos and

this if that it's really paying off pays

for itself exactly but I think you know

just um kind of U uh you know wrapping

this podcast up uh I think uh uh just to

say that uh it's really been

a fantastic uh you know let's say story

of a company that let's say as a car

maker is really not that old I mean it's

just in 1998 and it's taken on global

players uh it's done it on its own

without any partnership without any

joint venture and that really is uh you

know you got to hand it to tataa Motors

uh that they've kind of managed you know

with their own resources their own

Ingenuity and their understanding of

their consumer have managed to become

the best selling car in India in the

first uh first half of the year at least

yeah first half of the year yeah yeah so

on that note uh we'll end this uh uh

session of deep Drive I hope you enjoyed

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week

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