‘We want to disrupt the luxury car segment'

New Indian Express

a day ago

How has been the drive so far, especially on the EV front?
We are standing for technology and safety. Those two factors have been very well-received by our customers. As we look at our next chapter, we realise there are a couple of trends that are shaping the country. One, luxury brands across categories are actually moving at a very fast pace. Secondly, the penetration of new energy vehicles in the luxury segment is much higher than it is in mass brands.
That also presents an opportunity as that segment has not really been disrupted yet. It's been headed by a couple of OEMs all along. We believe that much like in the mass segment, we have been able to create some level of disruption in the luxury space in such a short time.
So, what are your plans for the luxe space?
The first one is the Cyberster (launched on July 25 at Rs 75 lakh apiece), which is a roadster and is a sports car. The second is the M9, our first luxury MPV and it's the longest and the widest in the segment. Both these cars are going to stay true to our brand promise. These two vehicles will have technologies that you have never seen before and are going to have safety features that you have never seen before. And it is going to create experiences that you have never experienced before.
You have seen a runaway success with the Windsor, primarily because of its pricing. Why the switch to luxury now?
The overall luxe car space is about 50,000 units per annum. We are playing in a fairly niche segment, and that is the segment we want to disrupt.
Given your relationship/partnership with the Chinese firm Saic Motor, how good or bad is your rare earth materials position?
We are as impacted or not impacted as anybody else. It impacts not just EVs, but ICE products as well. And it is very important to ensure that as an industry, we work alongside the government and our national body SIAM to have this addressed. Our production is unlikely to be impacted in the immediate future, but we are watching the situation very carefully. Because at this point of time, we have a longer lead time of three-four months of cycle.
What about your partnership with Saic? Is it not an advantage?
I don't think it is a question of advantage or disadvantage. For one, it is a very serious issue. Because it impacts many components, both in ICE and EVs. If someone thinks this is only impacting EVs that is not true. Very importantly the SIAM is working very closely with the government to ensure that this issue does not impact production of all vehicles.