things like this in other countries will be like a step up, right here its a mega step down.

who is going to be the one to announce no power anything, no safety anything, no comfortable anything and stand proudly whilst doing it.

our cars are so well kitted here that people whinge like hell if a car doent get xenon light bulbs.
our tastes have risen to heights that wont tumble back too quickly.
it would be like taking cordials and soft drinks off the market.
Wait……….
Toyota is already selling these sort of vehicles

“Ultra-budget cars are in high demand in booming emerging markets such as India and Brazil, with Nissan-Renault developing a similar offering whilst Tata has already showcased the Nano”.

Not too long ago CA published a thread about Melbourne commuters being encouraged to ride scooters in the city (please correct me if i am wrong) I know i would feel safer with a roof over my head, especially on a rainy day.

Shouldn’t we expect Australia to follow a similar trend in years to come?

I totally agree, but the world is already hung up on false economy. They will probably sell quite a few.

if they spent a bit more and went in at 8 Grand, it would still be half baked.
at least people might excuse it for only being worth 5K, and 5 Grands worth is all you will get

I can honestly say there are a lot of quality traits that people here dont get to see.

All I can say without biased, dollar for dollar, Toyota parts are better quality.. again comparing to the same class. Honda are pretty good too, better in some aspects.

generally Japanese designed parts are better than american designed parts…. europeans are different that they have higher grade parts but are premium priced…

Performance wise, I have to say yes Toyota has been conservative, but thats what the market wants.
Figures dont lie…

Better alternatives ? yes I agree, in terms of features and performance, but you have to realize… for the $$$ you pay, someting is compromised…. quality/performance/features…. majority of the market dont buy performance cars, its a niche market…. features? well Toyota charges an arm and a leg for them, others have them standards… why? to have the advantage over Toyota…. then you have the other thing…

do I drive a toyota? yes, fantastic everyday car that you can rely on for years… heck I still have my early 90s MR2 turbo and I recently ordered replacement parts… took 18 years before it needed to be replaced… and 18 year old parts available!!

I have a weekend warrior in my 350Z, spent $5000 on Nismo kit and $3000 on Volk wheels… just to show that I am committed and aware of performance market… but my point is… Toyota, specifically for Australia… make the cars that sell…. why do you think they became No.1…. they rather make reliability option 1 and sacrifice performance… again its a niche market…

Do they charge excessively?? yes I agree, they charge premium dollars for features…. but they can because there are many who are willing to pay….

How would I know a “good” vehicle from a “crappy” one.. well as stated above, I work in the industry, design vehicles, we engineer them… fortunate enough to access different vehicles in a few countries (major ones) and dollar for dollar… toyotas are “pretty” good….

some can keep on hating, but it wont change the majority of the market’s point of view, it doesnt matter… your 0.001%….. insignificant really…

Also interestingly, the nano is rwd :D

Bret – It wouldn’t surprise me if Toyota are in fact doing that.. getting state gummint and other fleet buyers to accept advanced orders as then they can technically be regarded as a sale thereby maintain their overall lead – proving that the VFACTS sales figures can be manipulated just like the surveys that Toyotas fans refer to all the time

I think these cars would use less fuel not because their mechanics are more efficient, but simply because the lack of safety features and other “luxuries” means they probably weigh only half a tonne each.
So in that sense, they are in fact more green.

However if the specifications prove that they use more fuel then of course I’m wrong.

If they turned around and said they were going to be Biodiesel Hybrids for the masses, I would be shouting their applause form the roof tops. Instead (border line to being out of line) they are showing signs of the Japanese whaling industry (sorry research) by pursuing a market with inferior enviromental controls. Don’t worry I voiced the exact same concerns when the news of the NANO first came out. My concerns would be voiced the same even if my beloved VWAG did the same thing.
As for the borderline racist, how about the fact that you and I and everyone in the developed world is being forced to curb our lifestyle and it’s indulgances in an effort to reduce the Toxic outpouring we have placed upon the earth, and yet we are supposed to accept Multinational corporations allowing the developing countries to make the exact same mistake. Would it not be a better plan to get these developing countries to skip the mistakes we made and go straight for the green? You kind of make India the Green Transport capitol of the world?? That would make me cheer for any Automotive company and would convert me to their product.

The same can be said about any car brand. I have friends who tell me their Commodores are more reliable than Falcon’s and swear by it. In your books, nothing is wrong with that.

Your whole argument is full of baseless rubbish and conjecture. Start with some facts first and you might appear to be more credible in what you say.