BHPian Dippy recently shared this with other enthusiasts: The last 30 odd years have been nothing short of a revolution for the Indian auto industry. From a time when we had a choice of a handful of models, you now have every major manufacturer selling cars in India. Not only selling them, but also making them here. Did you ever imagine brands like supercar makers Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, or luxury marques like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Land Rover, and Rolls-Royce would have an official presence in India? I never even thought someone like Toyota or Honda would set up shop here, let alone the brands mentioned above. These cars were also a big thing when someone imported them into India back in the day. However, while we have most major carmakers on our shores, there are still some brands that we don’t have here officially. So, which is that one brand you would want to come to India? For me, it would be Mazda. I’m actually surprised that Mazda never thought of entering India. The company has always made some great cars over the years. We also owned a Mazda 929 in Dubai back in 1982, just like this one: Image source The Mazda 3 sedan seems like a good model to have in India. The 2.5-turbo petrol with 250 BHP could please the enthusiast and the family man at the same time. Price? Maybe in the 40 lakh bracket? The other model I could think of is the Mazda CX-5 SUV. Looks like the perfect size premium SUV for India. Available with both NA and turbo petrol engines along with AWD. The price? Maybe in the ballpark of 50-55 lakh? Images: Mazda USA Mazda has been popular in India over the years as well. I have seen a handful of sedans in the 90s on Indian roads. However, the favourite import has been the Miata sportscar. Lots of them around owned by enthusiasts. It would surely sell well if launched here officially. So coming back to the question. Which car brand do you want to launch here? Here’s what BHPian GTO replied:I’ll go for the brand that has been here, but isn’t anymore = FORD . They build some truly fantastic, competent, fun-to-drive cars (unlike GM). I love the 2025 Endeavour, Mustang, F150 8-cylinder, F150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E, Bronco…and I have loved the cars they had sold in India (Fiesta 1.6S, Endeavour 3.2L, Mustang, Figo 1.5L Petrol & Diesel, EcoSport). Ford had to exit India because of poor management, not a dearth of good cars. This is a company that simply doesn’t do mediocre cars anymore. They have shrunk their model range, but whatever they do, they do it really well. In fact, we can draw a lot of similarities between Ford & Mahindra. I hope Ford comes back to selling cars in India one day. Here’s what BHPian iliketurtles replied:I’m so glad you mentioned Mazda, Dippy. It is 100% the brand I would have mentioned too, for much the same reasons as you have. For too long, the narrative in India’s automotive landscape has been dominated by practicality and price. My hurt grows heavier with each pseudo SUV and crossover that I see dotting our roads. To alleviate that bleakness, Mazda is the answer. There is a growing community of enthusiasts who hunger for something more; a vehicle that speaks to the soul, not just a collection of numbers with ground clearance thrown in for good measure. To that, Miata is the answer. I find that all the fun cars have been sucked out of our ecosystem, and if you want something seriously fun that’s practical (think GTI, VRS, or 330i as a baseline), you have to spend close to 50 lakhs or more. Where are the cheaper, cheerier, fun cars? The joy is being sucked out of our lives. I’m not even talking horsepower or four seats; I’m talking about a feeling. Driving should be something to be savoured, not just a chore to be undertaken. Too many cars treat driving as a point A to point B exercise. To that, I believe Mazda is the answer. What I would give for a simple convertible that’s cheap, cheerful, and doesn’t cost an arm, a leg, and a kidney. And for that, Miata is always the answer. Here’s what BHPian raj_5004 replied:While even I feel that Mazda should enter India, if given only 1 choice -I will choose Peugeot. India is already flooded with a lot of Japanese manufacturers. Mazda surely makes great cars, but if and when they launch here, I fear they will go the “Toyota” route and offer us stripped down versions of their cars & price it at a premium. What Indian market lacks is a quirky and bold car brand. Hence, Peugeot should re-enter India. We have owned a Peugeot 3008 and currently own a Peugeot 408 here in UAE & I feel they would be great on Indian roads due to below reasons: 1. Smashing looks 2. Excellent ride quality 3. Great NVH 4. Fantastic cabin quality 5. Engines – choice of 1.6 turbo petrol with 150 ~ 250 bhp or 1.2 turbo petrol with 100 bhp If Skodas and VWs can sell in decent numbers, I think even the new gen Peugeots can leave a mark.Here’s what BHPian suhaas307 replied:I would have loved to see Alfa Romeo officially in India. It’s one of those “exotic” brands with gorgeous styling + motorsport heritage, and yet, accessible to anyone with pockets deep enough to consider cars from the big three (Mercedes, Audi and BMW). However, the brand itself appears to be in doldrums and on the path to becoming irrelevant, sadly. There appears to be no successor to the Giulia sedan, yet. The MiTo and Giulietta hatchbacks are no longer in production(?), and the SUVs in their portfolio don’t particularly offer anything special. Subaru is another brand I would love to see in India. The badge-engineered Forester, although a great car, was a bit of an eye-wash, unfortunately.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
