As mentioned earlier, rebadging refers to the cars that a manufacturer takes from another manufacturer and then sells them as its own. This badge engineering mainly happens when large brands decide to improve efficiencies and optimize sales volumes by rebadging and selling a vehicle that is retailed by another brand or even any of its in-house brands. Surely you would think that generally car manufacturers make their cars instead of copying some other brands. Then what is the point of taking another manufacturer's car and slapping a different badge on the front? Why are they going through all this trouble of rebadging the vehicle?
The primary purpose behind rebadging any car is solely for finances. It costs a huge chunk of money to design, develop and build a car. Taking another car and sticking your badge can be cost-effective, even if you account for minor tweaks and additions/subtractions. A car is not sold only by its stylish looks; performance means more than anything. So the brand which already has recognition for its performance and reliability can get sold under a different name; all of these factors make sense while rebadging a car. Here are some of the top rebadged cars sold under different names in diverse global markets.
The Contessa is considered as one of the best cars that the company ever made. It is from the luxury sedan-based Vauxhall VX series of 1976. It got the position of a premium luxury car for those who wanted something beyond the regular Ambassadors. The car opened its gate with many features like power windows, the two-spoke HM trademark steering wheel, and many other novelties at the time. However, HM wanted a lot more; after the Contessa, the rebadged version, called the Vauxhall VX again launched in India back in 1984.
MG Motor in India launched its very first car, Hector, in June 2019. This MG Hector is basically the rebadged car Baojun 530, a car owned by SAIC. First sold in China, the Baojun 530 had a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with high power output. While in Indonesia, the MG Hector is sold as the Wuling Almaz.
PAL or Premier Automobiles Limited, is famous for the Padmini. This manufacturer also tried to launch some other cars to attract customers. That car was Premier's version, i.e. the Fiat 124, which sold globally. Later, in India, it was sold under the brand name of the Premier 118NE. This car was famous for its refined engine and slickest gearbox of the time. The square-shaped engine was smooth while revving.
For people who loved the Premier series, it is hard for them to forget that brand. After the Padmini, this car manufacturer decided to take on modern cars by offering the Premier Rio. The Rio was the first SUV in the Indian market. However, the Rio was based on the Zotye 2008, a Chinese car. This Zotye was the copy of the Daihatsu Terios in Japan. The Terios had an excellent name globally, while the Rio failed in India.
If you want to buy the safest car, then the Mahindra XUV300 should be your first choice. It had a 5-star rating for adult occupancy while it earned a 4-star rating for child occupancy globally. Mahindra also acquired a significant stake in the case of the SsangYong Tivoli. This is the reason behind selling the SsangYong Tivoli under the brand of the XUV300.
India has a growing automobile market, and people are willing to splurge on their favourite cars. That is why the manufacturers are trying to enter into the rebadging zones. Their ultimate point is to fast-track future development, making products more economically viable and scaling up overall profits as a result.
