A beemer by the backwaters

Fuelled by a desire to drive home the right impression, Keralites are choosing high-end cars.

It was the year 1983. The big fancy of a small village called Kanjirappilly in Kerala for the newly launched Maruti 800 caught car makers by surprise, prompting them to initiate a survey of the Kerala market, which they hadn't seriously considered a large one till then. 

Three decades later, the craze for cars - and we're not talking hatches - seems to have spread from the sleepy, scenic village in central Kerala to the rest of the state, especially Kochi, where a number of luxury car makers have opened dealerships in the past couple of years. These include super luxury car deals like Maserati and Ferrari. It's not just businessmen who are flaunting hot wheels;IT professionals and doctors constitute a major portion of the buyers. 

"Malayalees see their cars as a signature statement. They want to drive home an impression, literally, " says GPC Nayar, chairman of SCMS Group of Educational Institutions, who drives a Rolls-Royce Ghost. 

Luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW sell between 25 and 35 cars every month in Kochi, say dealers. Jaguar, which opened a showroom in Kochi in 2011, gets at least 10 new customers each month. 

BMW sold around 250 cars in the last fiscal, with most buyers going for the 3 and 4 series priced between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 50 lakh. When it comes to Meredes-Benz, it's the E-class range, priced at Rs 42 lakh to Rs 55 lakh, that speeds out of the showroom faster than the C-class that is tagged at Rs 33 lakh to Rs 36 lakh. 

The luxury automobile segment is - obviously - minuscule in India. Of the 2. 2 million cars sold in the country, the luxury segment - which includes players such as Volvo, BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz - accounts for about 28, 000 units. It's a niche market and Kerala seems to be an important player in it. 

Volvo, for instance, which launched its luxury hatchback V40 Cross Country earlier this week, made Kochi the fourth stop on its countrywide tour, after Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai, its top three markets. "The south has been very good for us for sales, " said Sudeep Narayan, marketing director, Volvo Auto India. "Our focus is on widening our reach here. " The two-litre, five-cylinder engine car, priced at around Rs 30 lakh was launched in Europe last year, and is loaded with safety and comfort features. It's these features that seem to draw a few discerning buyers who say they're looking for comfort, not speed, in a city with bad roads and chaotic traffic. Dr Nechupadam, who recently upgraded from a Chevrolet Optra to a BMW 320D, says, "I got fed up of changing gears every minute. An automatic car means I do not have to do much work. It is more comfortable to drive. " 

For many though, it's all about the image. Celebrity hairstylist Leo Alphons says style gets priority over comfort in his world. Leo is using the Meredes-Benz C220, and has his eyes on a CLS350 that costs Rs 80 lakh. "I love the fact that driving such a car sets me apart from others. Everyone's eyes follow you on the road, " he says. The local availability of cars that were once considered premium brands has fuelled the boom. "Many of these brands are now within the reach of buyers, " says Thomas Muthoot, managing director of Muthoot Pappachan Group, which owns the Jaguar and Land Rover showrooms in Kochi. 

Women too are vrooming down the streets in the Audi Q7 or BMW X6. "It takes very little effort to manoeuvre a luxury sedan on Kochi's chaotic roads. They are built so powerfully that driving becomes a pleasure, " says Diwia Thomas, web content writer and motor rally enthusiast. Many high-end cars are fitted with imported music systems or wider tyres, adding about Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh to the bill. 

It's Kochi's way of telling other cities: 'Eat my dust'.