Hyundai Universe Bus spotted in Chennai; Is it a missed opportunity?

Unlike the passenger car segment which has just grown beyond imagination resulting in the presence of very best of brands in the Indian market, the commercial vehicle sector is still in the nascent stages of development. It is more so when it comes to buses, which, by the way, forms an arterial mode of transport for people across the country. If not for the entry of Volvo, we would probably still be traveling in poorly-maintained and rickety buses operated by our State Transport Undertakings. The Swedish bus-maker entered the scene all of a sudden and changed the landscape of high-end public transport in India once and for all. In fact, it took almost a decade for another global player, this time the world's largest bus-maker Mercedes-Benz, to even try and challenge the monopoly of Volvo in our country.

While the Indian giants Tata and Ashok Leyland didn't had the expertise and experience in making high-end buses to compete with Volvo, other well established global brands like Scania and MAN neither had the presence nor the image to join the fray. But, we had always felt that one particular manufacturer which had all the above and some more just did not leverage its strengths. It has been manufacturing and selling high-end buses in its home country and elsewhere for many years, it had the presence (a huge one at that) in India and its brand image and awareness is amongst the best in the country. If you are lost wondering, we are talking about none other than the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai. The recent spotting of this Universe Express Noble coach of Hyundai in Chennai reignited this thought to us.

Chennai being the hub of Hyundai, it is quite normal to see unique vehicles that are not sold in India roaming around the city roads for transporting the company executives. We have seen models as varied as the previous generation Avante (Elantra), the H800 van and the premium Azera sedan doing official duty. Another such vehicle is the Hyundai Universe bus that you see in this post. Primarily used for transporting the delegates visiting the company, the Universe bus is catching the attention of the public like no other. As is evident from the pictures, the Universe is quite a 'looker' with a sleek and stylish design that can comfortably hold its own against Volvo and Mercedes-Benz. With even the base variants getting Hyundai's 11-liter Powertec engine and feature-loaded, ultra-luxurious interiors, the Universe is no slouch in power and comfort either.

So, with all things looking just right, what stopped Hyundai from making a splash in the bus segment with this model? Agreed, there is this failed joint-venture with Caparo for manufacturing previous generation Aero buses that didn't go beyond the announcement stage, but that has got more to do with Caparo's instability rather than something related to Hyundai itself. With all the primary infrastructure in place, it wouldn't have cost Hyundai much time and money in setting up a new facility for making these buses. This then is definitely an opportunity lost by the South Korean giant. With roads getting better day by day and more and more people preferring to travel by road, the demand in the luxury intercity transport sector is only going to grow further. And the Universe fits the bill perfectly for being a strong contender in that segment.

Will Hyundai make up it's mind on time to be a part of this segment when it matters? Will we get to see the aggressive 2012 Universe that has just been face-lifted on our roads? Only Seoul would have the answers.

Spotted #4: Lamborghini Gallardo

For us automobile enthusiasts, spotting an exotic car on our roads will always remain something special. That happened to me yesterday evening when I was driving in Anna Salai, an arterial road in Chennai. All of a sudden, people around started behaving abnormally. Gentlemen and ladies from MTC buses peeped out of their windows and pillion riders in two-wheelers stood up and looked at something.

Since all eyes converged on some damn thing in front of my car, I thought there was an accident a few feet ahead. Only when the auto-rickshaw that was obstructing my view cleared the way, I noticed that those reactions were all for this stunning Lamborghini Gallardo that was standing in all its pristine glory. As this was the first time I saw a Lamborghini so close on public roads, I didn't take my eyes off it for some time.

It was truly a sight to behold seeing the Lambo and the Bajaj RE auto-rickshaw, the two things automotive that comes to our mind immediately when we think of the color yellow, standing adjacent to each other. I have to admit that it was painful to see the owner of the Lambo carefully negotiating the messy peak-hour traffic. Imagine how painful it would have been for him doing that instead of ripping across open freeways.

What do I call this weird three-wheeler? EDIT: It's a Bajaj PTV

Look at what I saw in Pune a couple of days back. Jostling for space among the ‘big’ cars and ‘huge’ auto-rickshaws, this tiny cute thingy was attracting stares from everybody around. Going by the adjectives that I gave for cars and auto-rickshaws, you would have guessed the size of this. Yes, it was just about half the size of an auto-rickshaw. Luckily, the attached snap also has a Bajaj RE auto-rickshaw, from which this seems to be conceived.



I was shocked and surprised to see this toy-like vehicle moving around comfortably in the hustle and bustle of Pune city traffic. If I had noticed right in the few seconds that I got to see it, it looked like it can accommodate two people. Unlike in two-wheelers, the good thing is that the occupants can remain protected from the elements. But, it was so unusually small that, for a moment, I thought it would go right underneath our buses and trucks.



Jokes apart, this seems to be a nice idea for commuting in thickly congested areas. Imagine how much fuel and space could be saved if this is widely used instead of cars for short commutes inside the city? Don’t ask me about its safety though. Then again, compared to our two-wheelers, this should be more than a match. To whoever conceived this for whatever reason, I just have a message to say - though a little weird, the idea is nice, very nice!



EDIT: Apparently, it seems that the above nice idea is a concept by Bajaj in the 1980's and it was christened 'PTV - Personal Transport Vehicle'. It's quite a feat by Bajaj in that time period to have found out a mobility solution for a small family in our thickly congested cities. For whatsoever reasons, this didn't make it to production which is a pity as this could have easily done what the Tata Nano intended to but couldn't, that is, made a whole lot of families upgrade to a safer and more comfortable mode of transport. Thanks to the popular Team-BHP website for bringing this fact into light. Great going Bajaj, now we know where your R&D abilities came from! 

Spotted #3: Ford GPW (World War II Jeep)

A year and a half is quite a long time by any standards. That's precisely how long back I spotted an interesting automobile on road, something exotic or vintage, which spurred me to chase, snap and post it in my blog.

Today, when I first saw this jeep overtaking our Indica which was cruising at about 70 km/hr along the GQ near Tambaram in Chennai, I dismissed it mistaking it for an old Mahindra Jeep. Only then it dawned on me that its actually a vintage World War II Jeep which should have been made either by Willys or Ford. The jeep had actually went so far by then, it took a couple of minutes for us to get close to it again.

Immediately noticeable was the huge 'Ford' logo embossed in the rear, thus clearing the confusion and giving an hint that it should have been originally manufactured around 1941~42. Apart from the embossed Ford badge, the nine-slotted grille, the indicators and the split front windshield were some of the few noticeable authentic parts left in that vehicle. Most of the other iconic WW II Jeep accesories like the pickaxe and shovel in the left side, jerry can in the rear and one of the side lamps in the wheel arch were not to be found. The fact that it was converted to RHD and the presence of fake parts like the Mahindra taillights spoiled its originality.

However, what surprised me most was the fact that it was moderately well-maintained and comfortably did speeds of about 75 km/hr in the NH. What surprised me least though was, even after so many decades, it still managed to turn heads all along the way. I only wish that it had all the original bits of the Ford GPW so that I could have feasted my eyes even more.

Spotted #2: Porsche Cayenne

First, let's go through the facts in a quick glance. This is the first SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) from an auto manufacturer that has hitherto produced only sports cars. One of the cars that the company makes is the legendary, ultimate 911 in all its iterations (S, Turbo, GT2, GT3RS, etc.). Guessed the maker? Most of you would have and yeah, its "Porsche" and the car in picture is the Cayenne!!!

The Cayenne is based on its successful cousin, the VW Touareg. The launch of Cayenne raised many an eyebrow and was doomed with negative speculations that Porsche would be better off making its sports cars instead of diluting the brand's image with a vehicle like this. Dashing all the speculations, the Cayenne has become a big success and has brought in the much needed volumes and profits for Porsche. Though the car itself cannot be termed as an exotic in any sense, I would still classify it as one because of the badge it wears (Porsche).

Though I have seen quite a few in Chennai, only this one had the destiny to get snapped by my lenses. The snaps are quite old (taken a year back) and I am posting these only for the following reasons - I don't want the results of my hot pursuits on road to go waste (try taking snaps of a very rare car when you spot one on road) and the other is I know people like to see exotic cars in action. Wish to see many such things on Indian roads soon...

Spotted #1: Rolls-Royce Phantom

In my very first post, I had mentioned that I get very excited and scream on seeing an exotic automobile on road. One such instance happened recently when I saw a Rolls-Royce Phantom in Chennai caught in a traffic signal. This is my second instance of spotting a RR Phantom in Chennai, the first time being the incident that I had mentioned in my first post. Luckily this time, I had my friend sitting with me in my bike and we pulled up closer to the car to take some snaps. 



Literally, I understood the meaning of the word Road-Presence that day. The awesome styling and the magnificent road-presence made sure that everybody around craned their necks and glanced at this mobile wonder. Infact, people started moving their vehicles aside and leave way for this car as if they have seen an ambulance with its flashlights and siren on. 



Click on the images to get a bigger picture. Clarity may not be great since these were taken in my mobile phone. Cheers !!!