What can I say, the day has arrived. Of course, 116% import duty still intact, the foray of major manufacturers into the Indian automobile market is stunning. I'd like to say, "Who'd've thunk it?" and I do.
India now has a market for all the ultra-exclusive examples. Bentley and Lamborghini brought house first, followed by Bugatti, all thanks to Volkswagen; and now Aston Martin, Koenigsegg and Ferrari are barging in. Ferrari has been testing the waters far too long now. Just bring it already.. AMG is established, as is M. Brabus and Hamann have quietly been seeping in as well. And just look at the choices you have if you're looking to spend upwards of 3 crore on a car. You have everything from a Lamborghini Murcielago, Merc SL Black and Aston Rapide to an Armored Range Rover, Phantom or even the mighty Bugatti Veyron, which tops out even that farmhouse investment at about 22 crore on the road (!!)
Some thoughts now. First, as I recall, the Land Rover Discovery. Sure. It looks like someone put a cardboard cabin on the back of a pickup. But it will whoop the Merc ML left, right, centre, over and above.. The Fortuner is huge for it's price, and is only selling because it's a "new launch" from Toyota. However, if it were me, a 20 year old horrifically underpowered engine in an 11 year old design with wooden brakes is not to my liking, thanks. SUVs nowadays are a far cry from say the Jeep, the Defender, and of course, the Humvee.
Hummer, what a time to go on sabbatical (as I'd like to think). In a market where big, obnoxious cars, some as useless as the Fortuner, sell to the rural-minded on sheer size, Hummer (or Hammer as it is popularly known to the less-read) would have been the ideal car, not just for them, but also for the afficionados alike.
Thank God for the Thar then.
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