Is the Aria Crossover the biggest flop in Tata Motors’ relatively short history of passenger cars?
Tata Motors showcased its most expensive product ever in the passenger car space, the Aria Crossover, at the 2010 Indian Auto Expo. Many months later, the crossover was launched in India, however with a factor that set it apart from rest of Tata’s products. The Aria was launched at an ex-showroom Delhi price range of INR 12.9 to 15.5 lakhs. At this price, it made the Aria the most expensive Tata passenger car ever built, thus positioning it at a segment that Tata had never existed before. The price though had a very uncharacteristic feature of Tata, of that of not being value-for-money.
2012 Tata Aria Crossover
While Tata Motors initially justified the pricing strategy of being consonant with the premium positioning of the product, a Tata car commanding a price close to INR 20 lakhs(for the top end variant of the Aria in cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad) was something that was unheard of. Long perceived as a budget car maker, the Tata Aria, for all its premium-ness had a tough time in justifying the higher cost as the brand value of Tata’s cars simply have some way to go before competing with the likes of Hondas and Toyotas of this world, leave alone the Volkswagens and the Skodas.
To cut a long story short, the Tata Aria bombed at the hustings, and quite badly at that despite being the best built Tata car ever to roll out of the passenger car division at Pimpri, off Pune. The Aria was painstakingly developed with good interiors, reasonable fit and finish levels(for a Tata), copious interior space, safe styling and many inputs from engineers straight from Jaguar-Land Rover. Despite all this, the crossover simply failed to take off, with Tata Motors finally launching a cut price version a year later to spur sales into a higher gear. Has it worked?
Hell no, is the answer, straight and simple. Far from becoming a better seller with the advent of the cut price 2 wheel drive variant, the Aria has gone on to clock lower lows each passing month, after a small spurt coming close on the heels of the cut price variant. When we reported about the Tata Aria’s sales hitting an all time low about half a year ago, we assumed that the bottom was reached and the only way up for the Aria, is well, up. However, the crossover has stunned us for the last three months’ sales figures. April: 63 units May: 67 units June:17 units. Now, that brings us back to the original question, Is the Aria Crossover the biggest flop in Tata Motors’ relatively short history of passenger cars? An answer for this question should be out in another six months. Watch this space.
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4 Responses to “Is the Aria Crossover the biggest flop in Tata Motors’ relatively short history of passenger cars?”
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honestly, Safari, Nano and Xenon are the best looking vehicles that Tata has built to date. Aria is one of those ugly looking vehicles. How did they think they can sell Aria for more than 10 lacs?
Tata Aria does have the best technology from Jaguars and Land Rovers in it ingrained and cannot be denied.
Pricing wise, now its competitive with introduction of 4X2 along with 4X4 versions.
Branding it as flop, is not a fair statement to make, as its class is different but being compared with not its likes. We also need to look at other brands like Skoda Yati or an Outlander or Santafie… As to what’s their market share is to an Aria.
My views on what’s the gap and what needs to be done..
Aria needs to have a very strong eye catching Advertisement drive. And must be done extensively building on the key features it has, to have a lasting impression on viewers. Create an impression of being a Class in its own and “need” to posses it. Catchy lines like “Aria a Lion that Roars” On Road / Off Road!!!
Tata Aria should be upgraded.. reduction in weight.. reduction in features.. reduction in price.. and some great graphic strikers and paint jobs.. Panel gaps should be reduced..
With that Indica Vista look it had to be a flop. Sad because technically it's quite an advanced vehicle. The rear wheel drive and the extra weight also does not help.