12 January,2009 03:25 PM IST | | Shlok Kumar
Wheel deal: Some of the beauties displayed at the Bangalore International Automotive Expo 2009 pics/Madhusudan Maney
Auto expo attracts more window-shoppers than buyers
It wasn't just snazzy bikes and slick cars that had visitors at the Bangalore International Automotive Expo 2009 gawking. It was the price tags, too.
The expo had visitors, but business wasn't so hot.
"We received plenty of enquiries but managed to sell no cars," said Mohammed Zumail, sales advisor at the Toyota stall.
Recession to blame
"I attribute this to the economic recession. People just don't have the money," he explained.
Cherian was planning to buy an SUV from Nissan. "The price is too high and I am also concerned about the environment. We just can't go on polluting with gas-guzzling monsters. The environment is a concern for all my friends who are thinking of buying a car," he said.
Suraj Gowda of Shahwar Nissan explained why the prices were high at his stall.u00a0u00a0
"Nissan, unlike other Japanese automakers, imports the whole car from Japan. Hence the steep price for the Teana and X-Trail models. Thankfully, our elite clientele abides," he said.u00a0
Hemanth Kumar, at the Suzuki stall displaying the popular Hayabusa and Intruder bikes, explained the pricing, "These bikes are marvels of engineering. They are designed and made in Japan. The Rs-14 lakh-plus price tag cannot be relaxed for either bike," he said.u00a0
In fact, this reporter saw no auto vendor offering any discount, not even on their flagship products.
The basic model of the eco-friendly Reva was on offer for Rs 3.59 lakh.u00a0
Spot booking
Leather car-upholstery brand Marvin offered a 15 per cent discount on spot booking.u00a0
"We have several segments, starting from Rs 10,000 for synthetic leather to Rs 50,000-plus for genuine Italian leather. We see strong demand for our synthetic variants. Of course, in times of economic recession, our premium segment sees little demand," said Madhusudan of Marvin.u00a0
What did seem to sell were, in fact, tool boxes for Rs 350 at the International Tool Company stall.u00a0u00a0
Nick Pinder, head of the Indian operations of the UK-based company said, "Our products are standard in garages across the globe. We have been manufacturing products here for the last three years and are now catering to the Indian market. Our sales have so far been quite good".
Special stalls
The Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited stall had a solar-powered vehicle outside. A hand-written bill saying 'Petrol Bunks will go dry. This is evergreen electric auto' was on it.
Greenpeace International had a stall at the expo too. There was a list of 'to dos' to reduce fuel consumption and lead a 'greener' life.
Students of RV Engineering College had a stall showcasing their Garuda Supermileage Project. "We used engine parts from different bikes to make this prototype. The concept vehicle can travel 500 km onu00a0 one litre of petrol," said Bharat Sharma, team captain. The team plans to take it to the International Automotive Competition in Michigan, US.
