Big is beautiful

In fact there's very little sports in SUV. Still higher up on the sports utility vehicle value chain, BMW is clear that its SUVs, sorry, SAVs aka Sports Activity Vehicles, are not positioned in the traditional mould. According to a BMW spokesperson; although the BMW X3, X5 and now X6 have off-road capabilities, their designed perception is not about a rowdy, off-roader driving through mud and dirt. The X3 is just like the BMW 5 Series - premium car and premium clientele.

Sure, these mean machines can take on the road not oft taken, but today SUVs in India are certainly more comfortable on paved roads. If anything it's symbolic of a romantic vision of adventures leading into the wild, say carmakers. Take Tata Safari Dicor's 'Reclaim Your Life' campaign; no concrete roads in sight, instead it's the young city guy, wild outdoors and the car perched on what looks like Tolkien's picture of the mountains of Gondor. Within its large frame the SUV carries a certain charm appealing to office bound city dwellers romanticizing about the off-road experience. "It's simply a mindset. They might not be the very outdoorsy kind, however, they think they are. And that is primarily why people buy the SUV," says Jnaneswar Sen, VP, marketing, Honda Siel Cars India.