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Limousines invade Vizag roads

The number of luxury cars has more than doubled in the last one year

PHOTO: K.R. DEEPAK

SMOOTH DRIVE A Mercedes Benz on the move

Honda, Toyota, Ford, Sonata, Chevrolet, Skoda, Lancer... the list of limousines that have virtually invaded Vizag roads seem unending. Not to mention of the few Mercedes that are drawing yearning glances from passers-by.

The tall boys seem to have yielded to their big brothers: the spacious ones which occupy a greater part of the road and the Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV s) like Scorpio, Safari, Innova, Endeavour, Tuscon, Tavera... that can carry the burden of two or three small families without any complaint.

The number of luxury cars has more than doubled in the last one year and this figure is bound to multiply further going by the current trends and the sales of various brands.

The upper middle class and the rich no longer seem to be unduly bothered about the price tag. Comfort is the watchword in people going for the luxury brands.

The luxury cars are more of a status symbol, which the rich choose to flaunt to make a fashion statement in society. The comfort and added safety features on the big cars are a boon during long rides.

These cars are designed to run smoothly even at speeds exceeding 100 kmph and excellent braking ensures safety.

"There are two categories of luxury car owners: those who love to drive their machines and those who wish to relax in the rear seat while a driver takes to the wheel. Those who drive themselves are more bothered about the driving comfort," says Kankatala Mallik of Kankatala Silks.

A keen car enthusiast, he was bowled over by the looks of the new high-end Sonata, which looks like a cross between a Benz and a Jaguar. "The very soft and delicate interiors and the sheer driving comfort have made me go for it," he says.

"Its only drawback is the low mileage but as I hardly do about five km a day, it doesn't pinch my pocket," he adds.

"Comfort, looks and also better mileage go into choosing a sedan. The Internet has brought developments taking place in the automobile industry all over the world onto the computer screen. We prefer to use cars which are on par with world standards," says Uppalapati Raja, proprietor of Tanishq Showroom at Dwarakanagar, who owns a Toyota Corolla.

He feels that German and Japanese cars, which adopt the latest technology, are the best.

"Buyers are basically looking for more space and comfort at a lesser price.

However, they do not seem to be bothered much about the mileage in the luxury segment," says V. Surya, sales manager of Tristar Ford.

"The sales of Ford Ikon this year has doubled as compared to the last financial year. The average sales was about 20 a month last year. Fiesta launched in November last year is doing very well. The luxury SUV Endeavour, priced in the Rs.13 to Rs.15 lakh bracket, is selling only about one or two a month," he says. "Mileage, performance and stability at high speeds are the three main factors that seem to influence buyers. Our cars offer a smooth ride even at high speeds due to their weight," says Pooja, the branch head of Mahavir Auto, authorised dealers of Skoda Octavia.

"Skoda is available in both petrol and diesel variants. The average sales range between eight to 10 a month. There is a slight increase in sales during the last few months," she says.

Says V. Subba Rao, director of Varun Motors, the authorised dealers of Maruti Suzuki: "We are concentrating more on the entry-level and mid-segment cars, where we are the market leaders. Though we have Esteem, Baleno and Versa which are in the high-end category, the growth in their sales is negligible."

"The business people who travel long distances generally prefer a diesel variant.

The diesel cars give better mileage than their petrol counterparts. Only doctors and officials who use their car to travel for work and back home can afford luxury petrol cars. Maruti doesn't manufacture diesel cars," he adds. "The total number of luxury cars which was 294 during 2004-05 has increased to 636 during the last financial year. The total tax collected on these cars in the region has increased from Rs.6.84 crores to Rs.12.40 crores during the corresponding period," says the Deputy Transport Commissioner S. Venkateswara Rao. There are about half-a-dozen Mercedes Benz cars in the metro but most owners prefer not to show them off in public as it would catch unnecessary attention. They use them only for rare occasions and the rest of the time they are confined to the garage fully covered.

Limousines, which were earlier considered the privilege of the rich for use as private vehicles, are now being increasingly used as taxicabs to cater to the needs of tourists who do not compromise on luxury and safety.

B. MADHU GOPAL

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