HARRIER IN A HARE RACE !

 

Crazy For Cars

By Apurva Rai

What a co-incidence! Tata Motors is launching its premium and expensive Sports Utility Vehicle, Harrier,  in the same year when it has announced to withdraw its longest serving rupee one lakh people's car, Nano.

There could not be better new year gift in 2019 for Tata Motors than the launch of it premium SUV Harrier. The luxurious SUV was long awaited by those crazy for cars as they had been following every news or picture leaks that were doing the rounds on internet. With the launch of Harrier Tata Motors has proved that an indigenous company too is capable of manufacturing and marketing a premium product in such a segment of automobile world where many foreign giants are struggling to keep themselves afloat. Not a mean achievement by any means for an automobile company which is our very own and has grown as a tough competitors from abroad who are seen as biggies in the auto world.

The launching of Tata Harrier was announced on January 23 even though the bookings had begun a couple of weeks of ago. 

ABOUT HARRIER 
The SUV segment has registered fastest growth in the Indian automobile industry in recent years and Tata's have done proud to the nation by developing and bringing indigenous technology to give a tough time to some top foreign brands. 

 
To catch the SUV segment the Tata's had launched Nexon in 2018 and the compact vehicle has brought many laurels for the company.

To capture yet another premium segment the company has now rolled out the Harrier in 2019. To quote Tata Motors CEO and MD Butschek, Harrier will turn out to be a 'game changer' in the Indian automobile market. Says Mayank Pareek, president of passenger vehicle business unit, "The all new Harrier is our most premium offering yet and will attract aspiring buyers. Harrier is a testament of our continued efforts to deliver global products. So you are getting a JLR product at Indian price."

The spirit of Tata Motors is appreciable as they have always strived to give you what was hitherto beyond your reach. A large section of our society could just dream of a Jaguar but never dare to buy. Tata's have made it possible now just the way they had made the common man's dream of owning a car come true by launching Nano about a decade ago.

The luxury vehicle is based on the remarkable Jaguar Land Rover D8 Omega Arc platform. Harrier rides into India with a

powerful 2.0 litre Fiat Multijet diesel engine which also drives Jeep Compass in India. The vehicles brings with it several luxury features making them 'affordable' for Indian car lovers. 

The Harrier is a five-seater SUV and is made available in four variants-- XE, XM, XT and XZ. The price range starts from Rs 12.69 lakhs for XE and goes upto 16.25 lakhs for the top of the line XZ model. As for dimensions the SUV is 4,598mm in length (longest among rivals), 1,894mm in width, 1,706mm height, has a ground clearance of 205mm (highest), 2,741mm of wheelbase and a boot space of 425 litres.  It weighs 1675kg, which is 91kg more than its closest rival Jeep Compass. The vehicle is being manufactured at Pune facility of the company.

Does not sound very bad if it truly carries the Jaguar spirit. Company has big hopes from the vehicle which is looks attractive, muscular, powerful besides being comfortable and a solid promise to give the passenger a unique driving experience which, according to the company, is 'Above All'.

TOUGH COMPETITORS ON ROAD

Several SUVs in the premium segment are already present on the Indian road and it is not going to be an easy ride for the

Harrier. 
 When compared with its engine closest rival to Harrier is Jeep Compass, an American brand of high repute. Both vehicles have same machine under their bonnet though Compass is costlier than its Indian counterpart.

Harrier is being compared to several other SUVs doing well in the Indian market. I put them in to separate categories-- those having less than 2.0L engine and other with 2.0 L or bigger engine.

Those falling in smaller than 2.0L engine are Hyundai Creta, Renault Duster, Nissan Kicks, Mahindra Marazzo and Ford Ecosport. Vehicles with 2.0L engine or bigger one are Jeep Compass, Mahindra XUV 5OO, Mahindra Scorpio, Toyota Innova, Honda CRV, smaller version of Ford Endeavour and Tata's own Safari. Prices of all these vehicles vary according to the features they offer. 

The rivals to Harrier are strong players, well established, full of power, features, good looks and brimming with confidence. It would certainly not be an easy job for Tata Motors to find a place in the market and to convince the customer to change his mind. Harrier may bring immediate cheers for the company executives but the question is will Harrier become a long-term player in the Indian automobile market or rise on popularity graph? 

The management of the company is gung ho with the launch of Harrier and is patting its back. The premium SUV might take a good start and show some quick results as well since it has received a good number of initial bookings too. 

MANY DRAWBACKS

The Harrier has embarked on a journey that is full of rough road as of day. 

First thing first. Even though the company claims to be offering a Jaguar experience at Indian price the truth is entirely different. Jaguar is Jaguar and Harrier is a different product with a hint of features borrowed from Jaguar to please the passengers. Both the vehicles are poles apart. Still one should appreciate the company's endeavour to give the rider a feel of his dream car. 

A major hurdle in the success is certainly going to absence of petrol engine in Harrier. Many people do not prefer diesel engines for various reasons and even the environmentalists keep raising slogans against it. Diesel engine is dying in India slowly. Many companies bring petrol version of their vehicle simultaneously but in the case of Harrier Tata Motors have not done so. Let us see when their mind changes!

Harrier is much talked-about SUV today and that is the challenge in itself. The company will have to make sure that the popularity of this premium SUV does fade away like most other Tata cars. It is a harsh fact that most of Tata passenger vehicles were forgotten after a few years of their launch. At least, this is what second opinion feels based on its observations.

POOR POPULARITY

A flashback gives a clear picture of the great hype that Tata cars created at the time of their launch but many of us do not even remember them, leave alone their sightings on road. Regrettably, not even a single model from Tata Motors has kept its name alive for even one decade except the Nano. On the other hand, there are vehicles from other players which are on Indian roads for decades and have made a place for them, like for example, Maruti Alto, Maruti Wagon R, Mahindra Scorpio, Hyundai Santro, Hyundai Verna and Honda City. These vehicles live in the hearts of people and have earned their trust. 

Tata Motors has launched many cars in more than a decade but almost all of them have gone into oblivion other than the Nano. Can you recall the hype generated by hatchback Tata Indica which was soon followed by Indica Vista, a compact sedan Indigo ECS and the big Manza and Indigo Marina. Indica did very well as a taxi but people largely did not buy it for personal use. This perplexed the Tata Motors as it earned the reputation of being a taxi-producing company. 

To reverse the taxi image Tata's developed a new 1.2L Revotron/ Revotorque engine, both in petrol and diesel versions respectively. Then came a new range of vehicles with the new engine like the hatchback Bolt and compact sedan Zest. Again both couldn't do well and the company further fine-tuned the engine to fit it in a range of fresh fleet-- hatchback Tiago, compact sedan Tigor and the compact SUV Nexon. Of these Tiago has brought some smiles and the Nexon is making Tata Motors proud of their product. 

That's not all. Tata had many other vehicles  but their names are almost forgotten. To recall I must mention Tata Safari, the successful SUV now almost lost. Then there was Sumo which mostly served as taxi. A refined version Sumo Gold  was also launched but this too failed to perform. We had also seen the launch of Tata Aria which proved to be an disappointment. This MUV (Multi Utility Vehicle) was rechristened as Hexa which has done comparatively better but there is no reason to feel happy about it too. 

NANO COMES, NANO GOES

The management had the challenge of reversing its taxi image and the turnaround came when Ratan Tata, owner, announced a 'people's car' at the price of a mid-range bike. Thus came the Nano, the rupee one lakh people's car. Nano generated a massive hysteria perhaps never seen India after the Maruti 800. It would not be wrong to say that Nano stole much more headlines than M-800 and became a talk of the town. 

The Nano was first showcased at the Ninth Auto Expo at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. I still remember I had taken leave from my office and had gone to the bi-annual automobile fair where Ratan Tata drove in a white Nano on the stage and the massive crowd gathered there to have a glimpse was overwhelmed. The dream of owning a car for the common man seemed to come alive with a price tag of rupee one lakh. 

The four-door, four-seater car with 0.6L engine placed on its rear is the simplest of the passenger vehicle that Tata Motors have so far produced. But unlike their other much hyped bigger vehicles this one performed best and is there on the roads for almost a decade.

Sadly, the situation has changed today as people do not want 'people's car' anymore. Seeing a drop in bookings the company has announced to stop its production this year itself. Ironically, Nano is being withdrawn in the same year when company is launching it premium SUV, Harrier; a top of the line vehicle arrives with big hopes and another with bottom of the line vehicle with a beautiful and successful history departs.

NEVER SAY DIE SPIRIT

With the launch of Harrier there is no reason why Tata's should not smile and pat their back; after all they have brought and international level product at 'Indian price'. This is not the time to rue why their cars came and went, why they did not last long like several others. This is the time when company has raised the bars for its challengers, has put up new standards in the market, has come up with innovations and fresh technology which nobody ever thought of. Past is past, present is here and the future is in their hands.

Tata Motors has proved one thing ever since it ventured into passenger car segment that the company is a serious player in the market, never going to relax, always striving for innovations and other manufacturers should not treat it lightly. Tata Motors has brought name and fame for the country and has many admirers who take pride in buying 'made in India' or 'make in India' product.

Harrier is, no doubt, an international class SUV packed with features which no other car manufacturer ever thought of bringing in and at a price which is very lucrative.

Tata Motors has never fallen short on people's aspirations and, therefore, Second Opinion feels that the company should now focus on three points-- profitability, popularity and credibility. The success of Tiago and Nexon has given every reason to smile and this is the time to refresh its image and earn credibility, work for popularity and, in return, earn profits.

Hats off to Tata Motors and best wishes on the launch of spectacular SUV called Harrier.

Feverish About Mela

By APURVA RAI

Regrettably recreational and entertainment events are scarce in our society even though ours is a culturally rich nation. The modern-day society has also evolved in such a way where there is not much place for fairs, shows and events, particularly highlighting Indian traditions and culture.

Modernity has brought in multiplex culture and it is fashionable to visit them if you want to be known as an upwardly mobile person. Still, do you get the desired happiness or you go there with your family and make it your day. As far as my information goes a large number of people still do not go to watch a movie in a multiplex with their families; first it is very unaffordable and second we rarely have a cinema that stands up to the expectations and liking of all family members.

Yet another gift of modern-day society are shopping malls. Metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi/NCR, Hyderabad etc have some very plush malls with superb air conditioning and high class shops which display goods and articles that you cannot afford to buy easily and just stand outside with eyes wide open and saying 'wow, next time I will buy this dress on my birthday'. Hanging around inside a mall has become a favourite past time among urbanites because there is no entry fee and you can be there as long as you wish. Secondly, the malls pamper your desires and elevate your ambitions. Just grab a softy and occupy a seat in the food court or walk around for free window shopping in air conditioned environs. Several hours gone and your spirits are on top of the world.

What else other than a movie in a multiplex or a visit to the shopping mall? Well, you have a few theatre, dance and drama shows, music concerts, painting exhibitions etc but once again the entry tickets are expensive here too. As an exception, you have some shows where you can obtain an invite but that does not come always. All these have a select audience which is, by and large, financially well off and does not mind spending an extra buck for an evening of entertainment.

In such a scenario the middle class section, striving to strike a balance between the wallet and a good taste, is hit hard.  Watching a movie with the entire family is exorbitant. Sometimes the husband-wife watch a movie of their choice together and sometimes the children go with their friends and spend some pocket money in a film or food court or both. This is how happiness is derived  in most our middle class families and they are able to maintain a 'standard of living' as well. 

Strangely and for unknown reasons the culture of street music, street dancing, street plays or public display of paintings has not taken off in India though we have imitated the West up to the hilt. The middle class person is, thus, deprived of an easy, effective, appealing, tasteful and pocket-friendly medium of collective entertainment. We get 'very busy' in meeting social and family obligations or just confine ourselves within the boundaries of our home and spend time talking on phone, watching soaps or reality shows or fiddling with the keyboard of our laptops. There are very few of us who have developed or pursue some kind of indoor hobby like music, singing, cooking, sewing, embroidery, gardening etc; so this recreational activity is also ruled out. So what to eat and what to wear largely keeps us engaged during weekends.

The Dussehra festivities have concluded in most of north India and preparations are underway to celebrate Deepavali-- the festival of lights and happiness. The biggest attraction of these festivities is staging of Ramlila-- the biggest socio-cultural event that takes place in every city of north India, big or small, and attracts huge crowd for both, religious and entertainment reasons. It is perhaps the only known public stage show where, by and large, there is no entry ticket and more importantly there should not be one.

Yet another attraction of Ramlila is the local roadside flea market that springs alongside the show. Though children are more excited even the elders wait for the mela, as we all call it, where colourful bow and arrow, small shiny swords, clay or plastic toys and lots of food and snacks attract attention. Brightly lit and very well illuminated entertainment activities like magic shows, photo shoot in makeshift studios, seesaw, giant wheel rides and rifle shooting and much more go on to create an atmosphere of fun, happiness and entertainment. 

In practical terms the nine-day complete show brings with it employment opportunity for hundreds of people and also provides business platform opportunities for local vendors. It would definitely be silly to talk of standard and quality of production as such these things rarely carry any meaning on such occasions.

Right from my childhood days till date, when I have already spent over five decades of my life, I wait for Navratra when Ramlila is staged and the mela is organised. I have been a regular to the mela while I was growing and lived with my parents in north Delhi's Shakti Nagar locality. Luck favoured me when we shifted to Noida in National Capita Region (NCR) after my father raised a small house for us even though I was a grown up youth by now.

Which builder gives spare chunk of land?

Ramlila Ground, adjacent to Noida Stadium and just a walking distance behind my home is perhaps the only multi-purpose open space where Ramlila event is annual affair. Besides this the ground also serves as space to organise numerous events, fairs, shows or exhibitions. During Navratras the Ramlila Ground turns into home to a large event, with a rural hint. I see a thousands of people thronging to the place covering long distance and staying in fast upcoming plush societies or townships where luxurious living is the keyword to modernity your life is a style statement. Builder apartments, as they are famous, are home to new age living with many facilities like a gym, spa, jogging track, swimming pool, golf course, colourful fountains and much more but never provide even a single inch of space to follow your traditions and open air cultural events. The builders are not even shy selling the greenery and openness but fall short of describing the size of single chunk of land they spare for the residents. This is called an age of commercialisation and traditions do not fetch revenues.

Then Ramlila Ground, falling at the crossing of sectors 12 and 22 in Noida is a single large piece of land-- undeveloped, uneven, congested, noisy and over-occupied during fairs where you can find people rubbing shoulders with one another. Still, I wait for the whole year for the ten-day Ramlila Mela which is distinctly different and draws my fancy more than any city mall or the glitters of a township.

The entry to the mela is free and people start gathering here from five in the evening. I have never failed to visit the event even once in the last three decades of my stay in Noida. Reaching here I find not only the commonest of common man visiting the place but there are people from upper middle class too. Of course, such people will abstain from this dusty, crowded and rustic place who believe in show off culture and have mere bookish or half knowledge about the ground realities of our country. 

The mela has makeshift shops lined up from one corner to another displaying and selling local stuff of all kind. There are small vendors who display and sell their goods on the ground to make small gains. Besides this there are lots of food stalls selling all kinds of desi stuff or even the localised version of everyone's favourite chowmein or burgers. No one can ever match the rock bottom prices though hygeine is an issue one can raise issues about. Yet the food stalls are fully occupied and do a brisk business.

Time changes quickly; in my childhood days we bought small, colourful, hand-painted clay toys but now they are replaced by the ones made of plastic. While there is a ban on use of plastic bags but toys are sold without any questions asked. Anyway toys are toys and we all love them. I used to buy some for my son when he was a kid but now that he has grown up and lives abroad I still find a reason or two to buy a few, particularly for the children of our domestic help. I have a firm belief that even if a small purchase is made from these poor, street vendors it not only gives you a strong and happy feeling of satisfaction that you have helped someone who is working hard even at late hours to bring joy in his family.

Ramlila Mela in Noida is replete with rural flavour, fervour, clamour and ambience. While there is no nautanki, the stage drama of yesteryears prevalent in rural India you have all other ingredients like a small magic show, culture show, bike stunt in 'Maut ka Kuan' or the death well, a very indigenous or more appropriately a makeshift desi photo studio to welcome you. These are the things that are on the wane in modern malls or luxurious townships. Various events are held in the malls too but all that is commercial venture and in no way supports our traditions, poor artisans, small vendors or fast disappearing folk art or music.

The festivities conclude after ten days of extravaganza. People return to their homes, food stalls disappear, shopkeepers pack up and the Ramlila Ground once again looks like a barren piece of land or gets ready for some other public exhibition.

I am also back home with lots of happy memories. But my wait begins for the next year when yet another chapter of the mela will bring back my childhood , the excitement, enthusiasm and energy for life and make me feel young. Every year the mela come and, for me, every year its like yesterday once more.

NOTE
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