How to Get Best Resale Value – Tata Cars

Tata entered the passenger segment in 1991 with the launch of the Tata Sierra. It really took off with the 2nd generation Indica, which boasted of being India’s first truly indigenous car. It pioneered a new segment with the Indigo but couldn’t hold on to the market. The Tata Nano came with a healthy dose of both fanfare and criticism, but proved to be a non starter, which was rather harsh for the vehicle was pretty good. Tata Motors remained relevant with the Sumo and Safari: but cars like the Zest and the impressive Bolt were failures because consumers were not willing to put their trust in a brand perceived as failing.

The automaker lost its place in the industry but bounced back after it acquired Land Rover and Jaguar, using design language and quality standards gleaned from them. The Tiago in 2016, the Tigor and Nexon in 2017, followed by the Harrier and the Altroz helped put the spotlight on Tata Motors again. It launched the Punch in 2021 which has steadily captured market share as well. The IMPACT design language brought in 2016 and subsequently IMPACT 2.0 in 2018 have a lot to do with Tata vehicles being head turners on the road today. Design teams in Italy, UK and India have come up with dynamic flowing lines that have a futuristic look ensuring the cars look distinctive. The focus is on technology rich features engineered to give the highest standards of safety and performance.

We could go on and on about Tata cars, but let’s bring your attention back to the topic in focus. This article is a valuable resource for all owners of Tata cars who are likely to sell their cars a few months or years down the line, as it lists out all the factors that affect a Tata car’s resale value, thus, ensuring that you only get the best price when you finally decide to take the leap.

Factors Affecting Tata Cars Resale Value

Condition

Is your car heavily scratched or dented? Are you servicing the battery and moving parts? Are the tyres run down or bald? Service records, battery maintenance, lack of scratches and dents on your car, timely overhauling and greasing of moving parts contribute to a car’s resale value. Tata Motors did have a perception problem with poor after-sales service and spare part issues. That is now a thing of the past with the company working hard to ensure high customer quality standards and build a reliable PAN-India chain of service centres. You can now look forward to a good resale value with prospective customers understanding that the Tata Motors brand has evolved, and their maintenance and servicing standards are second to none. Please keep your car’s insurance up to date as well.

Odometer Reading

Technological advances, better quality of materials and good design have ensured that the engines will easily give you 250000 Kms and could go even higher. The Revotron petrol engines (India’s first indigenously developed multi point fuel injection engine), the Revotorq diesel engines, the Kryotec diesel, the permanent magnet synchronous motor with Ziptron at the core of its electric vehicles are the beating heart of any Tata car and deliver consistent performance. They are engineered to withstand extreme environments, deliver refined driving experiences, meet stringent emission norms, without compromising on fuel efficiency and sportiness. But the engine life depends on timely overhauling and maintenance, maintaining oil levels, servicing periodically at authorised service centres. The broker you approach or the mechanic you ask to look for a customer to buy your ride might ask you to tamper with the odometer in order to get a better price. Please never go in for meter tampering as that will impact the resale value of your car for the whole of its lifespan.

Number of Owners

The number of owners a vehicle has had is a prospective red flag for buyers and plays a very important role in its valuation. As a rule of thumb, the more owners, the more the resale value slips because the chances of the car being operated roughly goes through the roof. A single owner usually ensures that the car is looked after well while three or more owners will bring an appreciable depreciation in value.

Model Popularity

Tata Motors has ensured that safety norms are standard across all variants and models. Tata was the first brand to concentrate on the safety aspect of its vehicles, and quickly built up a formidable name for itself. A five-star GNCAP rating was first achieved by the Tata Nexon and Tata quickly made it the norm picking up the same rating for the Altroz and the Punch. Even the Tigor and the Tiago scored five stars. Tata even achieved an unprecedented six stars for the Harrier and the Safari. No other manufacturer comes remotely close to matching Tata motors in this aspect. There are no compromises on cabin quality as well. Tata cars come loaded with features and their cabins are upmarket and stylish. Thoughtful features like the Xpress cooling on the Nexon, the ninety degree gullwing doors on the Altroz, the large boot and wider body of the Tiago allowing you to seat three comfortably, the rear bench folding on the Tigor, the luxurious interiors and ADAS on the Harrier and Safari make them great competitors in each segment. You can safely buy the base model without thinking you’re going to be shortchanged. But as with all car manufacturers, the higher variants do come more feature packed.

Age

The value of a car drops as soon as it is driven out of the showroom. Each succeeding year, its value drops further with depreciation. Cars generally lose 40% of their value in 5 years and almost 90% in ten.There was a time when Tata Motors’ vehicles used to lose almost 40% of their value in two years but that is a thing of the past now. The current models fetch good resale prices depending on their condition, kilometres run, maintenance and upkeep. The quality of materials used, fit and finish are well above the norm. Tata Motors equip their vehicles with stand out features and the focus on safety standards enable the cars to command a steady second hand market share.

Accidental Status

It all depends on the severity of the accident. For example, you might have had to replace a crumpled bonnet and shattered windshield after an accident or you might simply have had to replace the front headlights. If the buyer can spot the repairs your car has undertaken, they will definitely look to offer you a lesser price than what you have in mind. It is best to get the vehicle repaired at an authorised service centre with company certified parts. The service centres nowadays are able to restore the car to factory condition should a major accident occur. It is best to be upfront with the buyer in terms of the repairs undertaken and quote a realistic price that should take into account the magnitude of the accident that it has had.

Powertrain, Transmission and Colour

Tata Motors’ lineup of engines with gearbox combos ensure that you get optimum performance and efficiency while being able to withstand extreme conditions. The indigenous Revotorq and Revotron engines are reliable and contribute to the cars driving characteristics in a positive manner. Whether diesel, petrol or CNG, Tata cars have you covered well. They are the leaders in electric cars as well.The automatics on offer are adequate and perform the functions expected of them in a no frills manner.

Colour is a subjective choice. The Tata Nexon is compelling in blue with bronze also selling well. The Altroz draws the eye in gold. Foliage green looks good on the Punch. Tata Motors has tried to give its cars diverse palettes to appeal across the board. But white remains a popular choice with black and silver also selling in high volumes. Your car might get a negligible premium for a colour of choice but its not as if another shade is a deal breaker.

Expected Resale Value of Tata Cars

The resale value of your Tata car obviously depends on the model and variant. The diesel will command a premium over the petrol while the automatic option shades the others. Please refer to the table below to get an approximate idea of the resale value of your car:

Best Time to Sell Your Tata Car

As a rule of thumb, the value of any car depreciates sharply after five years. We would encourage you to start looking for prospective customers after 4.5 years in order to secure the best possible deal for yourself. You should be able to get around 50% of your car’s value easily. Bank financing is also easily available to your prospective customer.

Summary

Tata Cars find a ready market based on their bullet proof reputation for safety which is amply backed up by their GNCAP ratings. The stand-out designs with thoughtful features are the icing on the cake. They are viewed as family friendly cars and also stand out for being completely homegrown, a positive in the second hand car market. If you were to put your pre-loved Tata car on the market today, you’ll have no trouble finding a customer who’ll only be too happy to take it off your hands.