Conclusion
When a brand makes a product that costs lakhs of rupees, trust and image are very important. And building that trust is, and should be the major goal of these new entrants. Take the Endeavour-Fortuner situation for example. The number of fans for the current generation Endeavour and Fortuner is neck and neck, if not, a bit more on the Endeavour’s side. But the sales numbers would tell you a very different story. Although the Endeavour has a better fanbase, when it comes to putting their hard-earned money, people tend to pick the more conservative option available. And the Fortuner seems to have kindled that feeling better.
That feeling of reliability can make or break a company’s success in our market. The factor of brand image I mentioned before was one of the main conspirators to GM’s absence in India. Speaking of which, Chevrolet probably will not be coming back, as they left this market with a bitter taste in their mouth, and also because SAIC, owner of MG backed 7% of GM’s investments in India. I doubt they would be willing to do that again considering they are already present in the market.
But at the end of the day, its all about preference. This topic is very subjective. If you are a person who likes to experiment and wants to be the early bird, buying a car from a new brand is the way to go. If otherwise, then going for a long established brand would give you the peace of mind you are looking for.
