W.o.r.l.d..o.f..W.h.e.e.l.z

Maruti Suzuki introduces all new Swift hatchback

2011-08-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

Maruti Suzuki India Limited, India's largest car manufacturer unveiled its much awaited sportier and stylish car, the all new 'Swift'.

The new Swift offers best in class acceleration, high power to weight ratio and much improved fuel efficiency. With over 140 new features, many for the first time ever in an entry level variant, the new Swift is set to once again redefine "premium compact" car segment, a segment that Swift had itself created.

The new Swift is built on an all new platform and is longer and wider than its predecessor.

Maruti Suzuki engineers have adopted several new weight reduction techniques for an enhanced power to weight ratio in the new Swift. As a result, while new Swift delivers a power-packed and sportier drive, it also offers more kilometers to every drop of fuel: 6 per cent more in diesel and 4 per cent more in the petrol version. In addition, the Company has introduced the VVT engine technology in all petrol variants of the new Swift. The highly acclaimed DDiS engine powers the diesel variant of the new Swift.

Maruti Suzuki and its suppliers have invested over Rs. 550 Crore to make the new Swift more vibrant and sportier. The next generation Swift comes with a localization level of over 95 per cent.

The Swift is iconic and special in many ways. It entered the Indian car market and became a segment reference point, a blockbuster, by selling over 600,000 units in 6 years making it by far the highest selling car in the premium compact segment.

Maruti Suzuki is confident that with the new Swift the company will further strengthen and expand its position in the premium hatchback segment.

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Shinzo Nakanishi, Managing Director and CEO, Maruti Suzuki said, "We have launched the new Swift at a time when there was significant demand for the outgoing model. In keeping with the Swift's iconic status, we had to ensure that the brand continues to offer the latest and the best in terms of features, design, performance and aspiration. I am confident that the new Swift will create new benchmarks with its improved fuel efficiency, stylish & sportier looks and high performance."

Toyota's MUV Innova Crysta limited edition launched

2011-07-22T22:02:00.003-07:00

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. has finally declared the preamble of the all new Toyota Innova Crysta Limited Edition, counting to the sumptuousness and top place of the vehicle. The new Innova Crysta has been derived from the word “Crystal” which reflects the premium picture of the car. Planned to offer inimitability with selective luxury characteristics, the Innova Crysta comes in Super White body paint with matchless relieve and style. The Innova Crysta focus on the current VX Grade 2.5 L Diesel variant and is presented in Euor III and Euro IV as reported. The Toyota Innova review can set a base for the consumers to distinguish the difference between Toyota Innova Crysta and its other competitors. Lets find out what advanced features are equipped in this new car.

The new Toyota Innova Crysta will come studded with smoked alloy wheels which is classy Smoked Alloy Wheels gives a sporty look, attractive body gaphics with crystal, the leather seat covers present a spotless uniform look. Despite from this the new Toyota Innova also carries the double tone feature that adds more luxurious feel, back upper cover spoiler which dons stylish design and gives flawless look to the back, dark wood panel that comes equipped with excellent finish adds a touch of uniqueness to the inte part of the car, muffler cutter gives a unique appearance at the back and floor mats to make the interior more attractive.

Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director Marketing, TKM, asserted that the Innova has been their trustworthy brand in India and has been a market leader since launch. Sandeep added that they launched the Innova in the year 2005. An MUV that entered with a sedan like experience, the Innova modified the sector by creating a center of attention for its MUV segment and also the passenger car segment. The Innova has made new landmarks in terms of space, covering, engine and highway driving. Since then the Innova sales haven’t dimmed down and the Innova maintained to be a most wanted family vehicle of variety in its segment.
The Toyota Innova price is set at Rs 13,12,570 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) and will be available at all Toyota dealerships. The is hoped to be appealing for the buyers. We hope that Innova review will be a good source for the consumers to decide whether which car they have to buy.

New HUMMER... HX concept

2011-07-22T22:02:00.001-07:00

The Hummer HX is a two-door off-road concept compact SUV that was revealed at the 2008 North American International Auto Show by General Motors.

Design: The objective of the HX was to position the Hummer brand into a smaller and cheaper market segment. Development of the vehicle, dubbed H4, began in 2004 and the new model was to be Jeep Wrangler sized.

The 2008 HX show car was smaller than both the H2 and H3. It was powered by a 3.6 L (220 cu in) V6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The HX shared with other Hummers a body-on-frame design, with front and rear independent suspensions, four-wheel-disc brakes, and full-time four-wheel drive.

The HX was shown with a slant-back configuration, wearing a desert-inspired matte olive paint scheme, and featured removable doors with exposed hinge pins and removable composite fender flares that are attached with quarter-turn quick-release fasteners.

The exterior's matte olive color was also applied to the interior's largely sheet metal-covered panels. The floor was a rubberized material. The HX seats four, with a pair of bucket-type seats in the second row. The removable rear seats allow cargo room. The console included a compartment for phones and MP3 players with no conventional radio, only integrated speakers and a connector for digital players or similar devices.

Three designers who were new to General Motors, Robert Jablonski, Kang Min-young, a South Korea native, and David Rojas, a native of Peru, participated in the development of the Hummer HX.

The 5 most-selling hatchbacks in India.

2011-07-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

Car sales data of June suggest a slowdown in almost every segment but there are still some that have maintained sales and the title of being the most popular cars in India.

Sale of petrol cars suffered the most with the price of petrol going through the roof. Diesel cars were also hit after the government raised its price also.

Brand value, good features, good after sales and spares, reasonable prices, value for money and last but not the least good mileage made these cars more popular than the rest. While some of these hatchbacks have been around for years, a few were recent additions.

Maruti Swift

Maruti Swift, an A2 segment car, along with other hatchbacks like Maruti Alto, Maruti Wagon-R, Maruti Zen, Maruti Ritz and Maruti A-Star reached a sales figure of 52,599 in June this year a growth of 2.3 per cent over June 2010.

The reasons why Maruti Swift ropes in good sales figures compared to other cars such as Ford Figo, Volkswagen Polo, Tata Indica and Chevrolet Beat are its brand value, track record and value for money besides mileage.

Maruti Swift was launched in January 2009.

Its image got a boost thanks to its 85bhp engine with turbocharger, which gave a mileage of 12.8kmpl in the city and 16.6 kmpl on the highways.

The Maruti Swift price ranges between Rs 409,000 and Rs 556,000 ex showroom in New Delhi.

Volkswagen Polo

Launched in May 2010, the Volkswagen Polo is now over a year old and is available in both petrol and diesel variants in the price range of Rs 457,000 to Rs 706,000.

The Volkswagen Polo petrol returns a mileage of 17.0 kmpl just less than Liva and Nissan Micra that delivers a mileage of 18kmpl.

Polo's strengths lie in its awesome looks, interiors and brand value.

Polo clicked a sales figure of 2,679 units in June out of a total of 5,397 Volkswagen cars sold in India in June this year.

Ford Figo

Introduced in February 2010, Ford Figo has touched a year-over-year growth of 53 per cent in June and recently reached 100,000 sales mark.

Good space, powerful engine, large boot and a big car drive feel has considerably pushed Figo sales in India.

The diesel version undoubtedly delivers unmatched performance.

Ford Figo petrol price ranges between Rs 359,000 to Rs 462,000 while the diesel version starts at Rs 493,000 ex showroom.

Figo is in competition with the newly launched Toyota Etios Liva, Maruti Swift, Volkswagen Polo, Maruti Ritz, Fiat Punto and Tata Indica primarily.

Ford as a brand has the highest backing for Figo in terms of sales.

Besides, its after sale service, and spares network are also considerably good.

Toyota Etios Liva

Liva, the 'Lively and Live Life to the fullest' car brings the 'Q' Class experience from Etios and offers QDR standard - Quality, Durability and Reliability at a price range of Rs 399,000 to Rs 600,000.

Launched on June 27 the 79bhp Liva returns a mileage of 18.31 kmpl as per ARAI.

Liva also comes with a 3-year, 100,000-kilometers conditional warranty.

Toyota is also thinking of bringing in a diesel variant of Liva in the coming months. Toyota's brand value besides spacious interiors and looks of Liva are its plus points.

The diesel variant is highly anticipated to further the sales of Liva.

Tata Indica Vista

Tata cars are next to Maruti or perhaps the first preference in terms of diesel cars.

Known for its sturdy nature and long life just like Maruti cars, Tata Indica Vista is a new avatar of Tata Indica.

New body style, new interiors, larger boot are some of the changes made to Indica to make it Vista.

The Vista Aqua has a new 1.3L Quadrajet Fiat engine that churns out 75 PS and delivers 18 kmpl on the highways.

Some users have in fact reported 22 kmpl mileage.

With the improved engine and new platform, the Vista has gained importance and is as maintenance free as any other car contrary to Tata Indica that needs frequent maintenance checks.

Hyundai to roll-out new cars in mid and premium car segment in India

2011-06-03T22:28:00.000-07:00

The Indian unit of the leading Korean car maker Hyundai has said that it will launch a number of new cars across all segments in the Indian market. By rolling-out a series of new cars in the mid and full size car segment, the company aims to change its present image of a small car maker.

With the aim of strengthening its positing in the entry level sedan segment, the company rolled-out a new version of its Verna sedan in India. The car has been priced in the range of Rs 6.99 lakh and Rs 10.75 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

The company has explained that in order to become a complete player in the Indian market, it will launch new models in mid and premium size segment.

Speaking to the reporters, Hyundai Motor Corporation’s President and CEO S S Yang said, "HMIL is very important for Hyundai Motor Company (HMC). HMIL has kept pace with the growth in the Indian market and we'll offer a full line of products here." He added that the Indian market is a priority for the company and Hyundai has supported this market through technology and new models.

Hyundai has a range of cars in its India portfolio including hatchbacks like Santro Xing, i10 and i20, and sedans like Verna and Sonata Transform, and sports utility vehicle Tucson.

Mahindra & Mahindra begins trial production of mini-Xylo

2011-06-03T22:26:00.000-07:00

Small is beautiful, seems to be the new mantra for India's largest utility vehicle manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra. M&M is all set to launch a mini version of its popular car -- Xylo. The trial production has already begun. The car will be launched in the next two months and is likely to be rolled out of company's new plant at Chakan.

A diesel mini-Xylo is expected to be priced around Rs 5 lakh, making it an attractive option for customers buying premium hatchbacks like Maruti Suzuki Swift, Hyundai's i20 or mid-segment sedans like Tata Motors Indigo. Experts also believe that a more fuel efficient diesel sports utility vehicle (SUV) will be much in demand at a time when petrol price hikes are burning a hole in a car owner's pocket. When contacted, M&M declined to comment. M&M's stock on the Bombay Stock Exchange was down 0.10 per cent at Rs 672.45 from previous close.

Speaking on the potential of such a mini-SUV, Automotive Dealers Association of Maharashtra chairman Sandeep Kumar Bafna said, "It's the package which will be of the essence – for example if a company can come out with a mini SUV wherein the price is Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh and it is a diesel product with excellent gearbox, engine and performance. For customers, a mini SUV is something that a person can use as an office going car as well as a weekend car."

Currently most 5-seater SUVs like Suzuki's Vitara are priced above Rs 18 lakhs, which many cannot afford. Even Xylo priced around Rs 8 lakhs is out of reach for many customers. A mini-Xylo could become a volume driver for M&M especially when the Xylo faces stiff competition from the popular Toyota Innova in that segment.

Commenting on the sales outlook for this year, M&M's automotive division CEO Rajesh Jejurikar said, "We have a strong portfolio of brands and we have a lot of products in the pipeline to be launched over the next 12 to 18 months. We are sure we will have a good year."

It also makes strategic sense for M&M to launch a mini-SUV as it wants to leverage its strengths in the utility vehicle market. The company is also expected to launch a global-SUV priced above Xylo later this year. In the second quarter of next year, the company will bring cars like Korando and Rexton to India from Korea's Ssangyong Motor after completing market feasibility studies. M&M completed the acquisition of Ssangyong in March this year and will work closely with Ssangyong for new product development and penetrating international markets.

On a green drive

2011-04-15T03:46:00.001-07:00

April 22 is Earth Day. Simply observing it isn't enough. Be a part of the green movement by going in for an environment-friendly vehicle.

Over the years, we have experienced how unpredictable the climate has become. Summers are hotter, when it rains — it pours, and winters are, to put it mildly, bizarre.

Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, water vapour, and methane — trap the sun's heat and light in the earth's atmosphere, causing temperatures to soar. There are other contributors to this damage but we'd have to admit, albeit grudgingly that automobiles are to blame too, despite their unquestionable utility value and the fact that we can't live without them. So what's the solution?

Well, governments, automobile manufacturers and researchers are already striving to make our vehicles green. Air pollution legislations are getting stringent, there is an increased focus on green fuels and green cars, and the idea of cars that emit water as the only emission does not appear far-fetched now. Manufacturers are also working to produce cars in the most energy efficient manner possible.

As motorists, we need to get our act together and be part of the solution. The time is ripe for a green revolution on wheels. If you're looking to buy a green car, we've compiled a list of cars to make that decision easier. You'd be surprised by the many green car options. We have omitted a few since it runs too long.

April 22 is Earth Day. Simply observing it isn't enough anymore. It's time for action.

Hyundai i10 CNG

Hyundai wants to make its i10 appeal to as many buyers as possible, eco-conscious customers being part of that list. Little wonder why a CNG kit is offered as an option on the car. The CNG kit adds Rs. 55,000 to the price of the petrol model that starts at Rs. 3.54 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Buyers will like its city-friendly dimensions and cheerful interiors. Good fuel economy in petrol mode and low running costs in CNG mode make the i10 CNG an excellent eco-friendly buy.

Maruti Suzuki Alto Green

The Alto Green is the CNG variant of the hugely successful Alto. The hatchback features Maruti's intelligent-Gas Port injection (i-GPi) technology that promises more power and better fuel efficiency than retro-fitted CNG kits. The Alto Green is powered by a 796cc engine that produces 38.8bhp in CNG mode. Extremely low running costs make this a great buy for those on a tight budget. The Alto Green is available from Rs. 2.78 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Toyota Innova CNG

Toyota's ever-popular Innova can now be had with a CNG kit. Offered as an optional on the 2-litre petrol eight-seater model, the CNG kit adds Rs. 1 lakh to the base price of Rs. 8.95 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The 12kg CNG cylinder tank is housed behind the third row seats and this limits luggage space. However, if a large, good quality and inexpensive-to-run people-carrier is what you need, the Innova CNG is the answer. At present, the Innova CNG is only available in Mumbai and Delhi-NCR region.

Chevrolet Beat LPG

Here's one way to beat rising petrol prices. Chevrolet has recently launched the LPG version of the Beat hatchback. Powered by a 1.2-litre Smartech engine, the Beat LPG comes with a 28-litre LPG cylinder in addition to its 35-litre petrol tank. Chevrolet claims this Beat can cover 349km on one tank of LPG, and with combined fuel usage, it can stretch its legs till 1,000km. Prices start at Rs. 4.11 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Tata Indica eV2 LPG

Tata Motors has recently updated the Indica hatchback, now called the Indica eV2. Mild exterior and interior tweaks have revamped this decade-old car. The Indica continues to sell with an LPG option. Power is courtesy a 1.2-litre engine that develops 61.8bhp. The Indica eV2 LPG is a high-value product being big on space and low on price. It sells for Rs. 3.3 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Mahindra Scorpio micro hybrid

Mahindra's flagship SUV has made it to our green list thanks to its innovative Start/Stop technology. The engine cuts off when the car is idling. Sadly, this switches the AC off as well, leaving only the blower on. A handy switch de-activates the system for those hot summer days. Big and green, the Scorpio Hybrid is available Rs. 10.36 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and upwards.

Toyota Prius

The Prius is that dollop of salad you take onto the plate after gorging on all those fried starters. Arguably the world's most famous hybrid, the Prius might just be that evolutionary pivot Darwin was harping about. Its electric motor works at crawling speeds and keeps emissions to a minimum. And 136bhp from its petrol engine means it is not found wanting for power. An ideal green car. Pity it costs an exorbitant Rs. 27 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Mahindra REVA i

The Mahindra REVA i is the sole electric vehicle sold in India. Zero emissions make it the greenest car here. While the styling may not appeal to all, it can be called cute. The i comes with a lead acid battery which the company claims gives it a range of 80km per charge. A simple wall socket is needed to juice up the battery that takes 2.5 hours for an 85 per cent charge with a full charge taking eight hours. Pricing starts at Rs. 2.85 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). It's worth noting that the all-new Reva NXR and NXG cars with more powerful batteries are being readied for launch.

Aston Martin Arrives in India

2011-04-15T03:38:00.001-07:00

Aston Martin joins Ferrari S.p.A, Maserati S.p.A and Volkswagen AG's Bugatti and Lamborghini units in India with the U.K.-based company Friday launching three models for the country's sports car enthusiasts.

"India represents a new opportunity for us," said Michael van der Sande, chief commercial officer at Aston Martin.

The company will sell the V8 Vantage, priced at 15.50 million rupees, the Rapide at 21.5 million rupees and the One-77 for 200 million rupees in Asia's third-largest economy that has already prompted Daimler AG, BMW AG, Audi AG, Bentley and Jaguar to introduce luxury cars for India's rising number of millionaires and billionaires.

"A decision to bring the Aston Martin brand to India is driven by a strong level of interest and enthusiasm from potential customers in an emerging luxury market."

Aston Martin on Friday starts a dealership in Mumbai and will open a second dealership in New Delhi by the end of May.

Expanding sales in India and China have provided global auto makers new market opportunities with business in Europe and the U.S.--their primary markets--stagnating.

Aston Martin was in 2007 sold to Kuwait's Investment Dar Co. K.S.C. and Adeem Investment by its erstwhile owner Ford Motor Co.

Hyundai to Introduce New Models in India

2011-04-15T03:36:00.000-07:00

Hyundai Motor Co. will introduce two new vehicles in India each year until 2014 in a bid to retain its position as the second-largest car maker in Asia's third-biggest automotive market amid stiff competition from recent entrants Volkswagen AG, Nissan Motor Co. and others.

"We will have new products in all segments," Arvind Saxena, director of sales and marketing at Hyundai Motor India Ltd., told Dow Jones Newswires in a recent interview. "New products play a vital role in boosting sales."

Hyundai will soon start selling an upgraded version of its mid-sized sedan Verna as part of this product introduction plan, he added.

The company also makes small cars Santro, i10 and i20 and sedans Accent and Sonata at its factory near the southern port city of Chennai and imports and markets the Santa Fe sport-utility vehicle.

Global auto makers are queueing up to take advantage of the robust Indian economy and rising personal incomes that have helped boost demand for new two-wheelers, cars and sport-utility vehicles.

Volkswagen, Ford Motor Co., Nissan Motor, Renault SA, Toyota Motor Corp. and others have either introduced small cars or plan to do so in the near future to cater to the record-growing demand.

New car local sales jumped 30% in the financial year ended March 31--the fastest in more than a decade--to 1.98 million vehicles.

But newer entrants are challenging the dominance of older, more established auto makers including that of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. and Hyundai. The two have already lost some market share in the past year because of increased competition.

"Going forward, we are confident that we would retain our market share. New models will help us in doing so," Mr. Saxena said.

Market share of the local unit of Suzuki Motor Corp in India fell to 48.7% in the year through March from 50.1% a year earlier, while Hyundai's share stood at 18.1% from the 20.6% it held a year earlier, according to data from industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

Hyundai Motor India aims to sell at least 400,000 cars and SUVs locally in 2011, up 12% from last year's 356,717 vehicles. Still, the sales growth will be nearly half of last year's 23% rise as increasing interest costs and rising prices of raw materials such as steel, aluminum and natural rubber will likely dent demand, Mr. Saxena said.

"There would be a moderation in the whole industry. We will also grow at a similar pace," he said.

Hyundai Motor India plans to raise prices of all its vehicle models between 1% and 1.5% by Saturday due to higher commodity prices, Mr. Saxena said, marking the company's second price since January due to higher input costs.

Hyundai follows Maruti, Tata Motors Ltd., Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd., Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd. and others that have all raised prices twice in 2011.

Also, exports of Hyundai--India's largest vehicle exporter--are expected to fall 11% in 2011 to 220,000 vehicles owing to weak demand for small cars in Europe.

The auto maker sells 'made-in-India' small cars to 118 countries globally and its i10 small car is made exclusively in India for the global market.

Toyota hopes to fill Tazz void with new Aygo

2011-03-11T23:11:00.001-08:00

Toyota has returned to the booming small-car market.

The departure of the popular Tazz has long left the country’s best-selling vehicle brand without a contender in the small-car market, and this just as South African showrooms witnessed a serious shift in buying behaviour, with smaller cars gaining ground rapidly.

In fact, new car sales in the A-segment grew by 81% in 2010 compared with 2009, with the sub-B segment up 94% over the same period, this while the overall passenger car market grew by a ‘mere’ 30,6% in comparison. (The A- and sub-B segments refer to smaller, more affordable cars.)

Importers and other local manufacturers have been benefitting from Toyota’s absence in this market space, but the local arm of the Japanese brand has finally produced an answer to the growing popularity of cars such as the i10 and the Spark, with the launch of the Aygo.

Pricing for the five-door urban run-around starts at R109 900, which includes power steering, air-conditioning, ABS brakes, driver and passenger airbags, and an immobiliser and alarm. For R10 000 more, buyers get front electric windows, side airbags, a radio/CD player, remote central locking and alloy wheels.

A bottom-of-the-range, three-door Aygo, also to be imported from the same Czech plant, is to follow in the third quarter of the year.

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) Aygo product planner Reché van Niekerk says accessories include a bluetooth kit, coloured centre cluster covers, an iPad integration kit, as well as front fog lamps, all aimed at accommodating the youth market, which is the Aygo's target market. (A secondary market is women looking for a zippy shop, drop and collect vehicle.)

The Aygo is priced lower than the Yaris Zen, but don’t expect the Zen to be around forever.

TSAM sales and marketing senior VP Calvyn Hamman says this lower-priced version of the Yaris was only an interim strategy until the launch of the new-look Yaris, as Toyota “had nothing in the smaller car market”.

TSAM now also plans to bring the larger-than-Yaris, but low-priced, made-in-India Toyota Etios to South Africa later this year as it works to strengthen its hand in the affordable car segment.

“We are doing everything to have the right line-up for the South African market,” says Hamman.

NEW, BUT FAMILIAR

Aygo – a play on the words ‘I go’ – may look familiar to some, as the Aygo, Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1 are all based on the same platform.

The Aygo has been around on the global markets for around five years-plus already. Why only bring it to South Africa now?

“When we considered launching it, it was hard. We had other priorities. We were focussed on keeping our local plant running,” explains Hamman.

TSAM produces the Corolla, Hilux and Fortuner models locally.

The profitability of small cars is also not nearly the same as those vehicles higher up the specification level, adds Hamman.

However, now that there has been a serious upswing in the market for small cars, Toyota has decided to bring the Aygo to South Africa, with the promise that the current model still has around three years life in it before it will be rejuvenated.

“People are also now more willing to sacrifice space for a lower price and better fuel economy, so we suddenly have volume potential in this [small car] market,” notes TSA marketing and planning VP Glenn Crompton.

He hopes to sell 300 Aygos a month.

If the petrol price continues to soar as it is currently doing, Crompton may just see this happen, as the 67 kg, one-litre VVT-i engine, which has clinched several engine of the year awards, sips only 4,6 l of petrol every 100 km, while offering a respectable 50 kW of power, and 93 Nm of torque at 3 600 rpm, powering a car which weighs in at a low 830 kg.

Top speed is 157 km/h, and reaching 100 km/h from a stationary position will take 14,2 seconds.

The Aygo’s turning circle is a tight 4,7 m.

The small car is exempt from carbon tax, as it comes in well below government’s tax limit, at 105 g/km carbon dioxide emissions.

The Aygo comes standard with a four-year, 60 000 km service plan.

Van Niekerk expects the A-segment, in which the Aygo competes, to make up 8% of the passenger car market in 2011.

Will you spend Rs20 crore on Aston Martin?

2011-03-11T23:10:00.000-08:00

Aston Martin announced that they will be entering India which is the one of the fastest growing markets for automobile in the world. The will be launching three new models in this country. Aston Martin, a British luxury sports car manufacturer joins the growing list of Lamborghini, Bugatti, Maseratti and Ferrari who have started selling their products in India to a big section of sports car enthusiasts.

Aston Martin’s chief commercial officer, Michael van der Sande, said that India is a new opportunity for them. This automobile company will be offering V8 Vantage which costs 15.5 million Indian rupees or USD $348,341, One-77 which costs 200 million rupees or $4.5 million and Rapide which costs 21.5 million rupees or $483,146.

Lalit Choudhary from Performance Cars, the official dealership for Aston Martin in Mumbai said that India is a big market and it is growing rapidly. Hence it cannot be ignored. Aston Martin is a very expensive car brand and over their past history of 97 years, they have sold just 5,000 cars to the richest in Asia, United States and Europe. This company is expecting to see one quarter or their cars to the Middle Eastern and Asian countries over the next 5 years.

Donnelly refused to reveal any details about the number of cars they are planning to sell. A second dealership will be opened at New Delhi by May. A lot of automobile makers are looking at Chinese and Indian markets to see their products as their Europe and US opportunities have started to dry up.

Aston Martin was a company found in 1914 and the inclusion of showroom in Mumbai increases the global dealership network to 134 dealers in 42 countries.

Fiat to launch Linea automatic soon

2011-03-11T22:18:00.000-08:00

Fiat Linea is soon going to be launched in two new versions namely 1.6 MJD diesel and automatic transmission with a price range of 10 lakh rupees. The launch will be probably in the end of May or early June.

In order to increase the demand of the car, Fiat India will add the Linea with new engine and automatic transmissions.The 1.6 MJD diesel engine known for its fuel efficiency delivers a power of 105bhp and a torque of 300Nm.

The DuaLogic gearbox contains a small, light actuator unit that automatically operates the clutch and move the gears.It is actually a sequential manual gearbox which automatically slows down the speed of the vehicle and it mainly helps in adjusting the downshifts.

The main attractive feature of Linea is its stunning Italian design.In addition to that,its handling,ride and performance makes it one of the most fascinating cars favoured by many people.

Piaggio to launch 2 verions of NT3: a three-seater car in India

2011-02-26T02:55:00.001-08:00

Piaggio Vehicles has been the pioneer of 3-wheeler goods transportation in India since 1999 and today is among the top in its category. With global standards in vehicle performance and customer service, it has revolutionized the 3 wheeler cargo segment in India. This well established company is all set to bring its new car named NT3 a three-seater car. The 2.4 meter long car is expected to have a 200 cc and a 300 cc engine option, in addition to a hybrid and electric variant as well.

The NT3 car is expected to have a maximum speed of 80 km p/h with the 300 cc engine and 60 km p/h with the 200 cc engine. The car is expected by 2012.

These cars are developed for markets like India, Vietnam and some areas of South-East Asia because as informed by Ravi Chopra, chairman and managing director, Piaggio Vehicles, said, “The demand for small cars will be large in the densely populated countries and cities”.

Company is planning to put in good money as investment in Vietnam & India to expand manufacturing and sales activities in these regions. In India, the company will be putting in Euro 90 million to finance growth in both the commercial vehicles and the two-wheeler businesses. The company will be launching Vespa brand of scooter in the first quarter of 2012.

With an aggregate market share of 41% in the three wheeler industry and 64% in the three wheeler cargo segment in 2010, Piaggio has firmly established its position as an undisputed leader in the three wheeler domestic market. Today the company offers a range of passenger and cargo vehicles already and with NT3 company is hoping to increase its market share and sales in coming future.

Volkswagen India to bring 7th generation Passat by March

2011-02-26T02:52:00.001-08:00

Volkswagen has recently stated to bring its much awaited 7th generation 1.8 TSI (Petrol) Passat, which was wrapped off in 2010 Paris Motor Show, to India. This long awaited new model has got sharper treatment in its lines alike its other Scirocco inspired models like Jetta, Vento and Polo.

The new grille has been beautified with loads of chrome, whereas the daytime LED lights on outer corners make it quite catchy. The rear of the vehicle too has been worked out well - the taillight too is LED and adorned angularly to give sharper lines to the new age Passat as compared to existing one.

The vehicle has been priced at Rs 19.20 Lakh (Ex-showroom, New Delhi). Mr. Neeraj Garag, Member of Board and Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars (Group Sales), Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd said “The Passat TSI is well refined and not only will provide superior driving experience but also decrease fuel consumption and lower emissions.”

On the other end, Volkswagen is setting itself to launch new version Jetta 2.0L TDI too in India, around the same time at a cost of 15.92 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Mr. Lutz Kothe, Market Head, Volkswagen said about their production plans of both the vehicles, “We have no plan to localize the Jetta or Passat but we will continue to assemble them in India, India is the fastest-growing market in the luxury car segment and we will continue to grow here”

He also added, “We are gradually ramping up production at our Chakan Facility in Maharashtra to cater to the increasing demand. The Polo (White Color) has been more in demand in the market.”

Riding on economic prosperity, car sales zoom

2011-02-26T02:51:00.002-08:00

One of the most revealing indicators for economic prosperity of a country is the growth of the automobile sector, specially the sales of cars. Booming car sales thus conclusively indicate that the Indian economy is doing well.

Fourteen players in the car industry together sold 19.83 lakh cars in the financial year 2010-11, a whopping 30 per cent more than 15.28 lakh cars sold in the previous financial year. Surely the Rs 100,000 crore Indian car has found a place in the world map by becoming the fastest growing in the whole world.

“The impressive growth witnessed by the auto sector appears primarily to be driven by the strong revival of demand spurred by ongoing growth momentum of the economy,” said Society of Indian Automobile Manufactures (SIAM) Senior Director Sugato Sen. “The growth rate would have been still better had there been no global slowdown.”

Agreed Toyota Kirloskar Motors Deputy MD Shekhar Viswanathan “Rapidly rising disposable income of Indian middle class is fuelling the growth of the car industry.”
Though the industry did extremely well, same was not true for every one. While aggressive new players ate away market share from the incumbent players, some old ones actually slowed down.

The market leader, Maruti Suzuki India with 49 per cent market share pushed up its car sales by 26 per cent to 9,66,447 in 2010-11, the second largest Hyundai Motor India grew 14 per cent. Tata Motors which sharply revived sales of country’s smallest car Nano, sold 2,56,202 cars, 27 per cent more than the previous year. Ford India and General Motors too did well. (See table)

But there were a few laggards. Honda Siel Cars sold 58,951 cars, 3.87 per cent lower than previous year, Fiat India’s sales was down 15 per cent and Hindustan Motors dropped 20 per cent.

Action speaks

Mixed fortunes among the car manufacturers in 2010-11 also demonstrated the fact that those who were more active in terms of new launches and refreshments did better than those who were not. Maruti Suzuki, for example, re-launched all its old models with much superior K-series engine. Maruti now has this new petrol engine in Alto, Ritz, A-Star, Zen Estilo, Wagon R and in Swift. The new K-series engine not only provides much better mileage than the earlier engine but also generates more power to the car.

“The primary factors that helped us to boost our sales is introduction of new fuel efficient K-Series engines in virtually all the models. Result of intensive in-house research and development efforts, this engine boosted the image of our cars,” Maruti Suzuki India Chief General Manager (Marketing) Shashank Srivastava said. “It helped us keeping ahead of our competitors and has considerably improved our portfolio in the auto market.” Maruti also introduced a diesel version of its sedan SX4 and also launched a luxury sedan Kizashi. Hyundai too introduced a more fuel efficient Kapa engine for its small cars.

New launches and refreshment also helped others. Hyundai launched new i10 and new Verna, Ford India’s Figo, Nissan Motor India’s Micra, Vokswagen’s Polo, Toyota’s Etios and Skoda Auto India’s Fabia are a few good examples of how excitement created with new models helped them sell more.

During the fiscal, Tata Motors launched the all-new Tata Indica eV2, Tata Indica Vista Drivetech4, Tata Indigo e-CS, new Tata Manza, Tata Venture and the Tata Aria. Said Viswanathan of Toyota, “There is a huge excitement for our new car Etios and we have 5 months waiting period for it.

Now that we have started the second shift in the new plant our monthly production has gone up to 6,900. Hopefully we will be able to clear the backlog soon.” According to SIAM President Pawan Goenka the passenger vehicle segment saw 24 new launches and 40 refreshed versions in 2010-11.

Small is big

The other interesting feature of the Indian car market is that although there were several hyped up launches of big and expensive sedans, the small car segment continued to rule Indian roads in 2010-11. Small and compact cars accounted for 78 per cent of industry’s total sales. In the A1 segment, Tatas revamped their entire strategy on Nano which led to its sales zooming to 70,432 in 2010-11, more than double of 30,350 it sold in the previous year.

To arrest the sagging sales of Nano, Tata Motors changed the earlier plant to sell Nano only through pre-booking to open sales about six months ago. As open sales began the company created the necessary sales, marketing and finance infrastructure. In addition to 617 odd regular sales outlets the company set up Special Nano Access Points (as of now about 210 across the country) where customers can experience, test-drive of the car.

To build consumers’ confidence the company unleashed huge advertising campaigns through print and television media and also offered a 4-year or 60,000-km (whichever is earlier) manufacturer’s warranty. The company also tied up with 28 banks and non-banking finance companies to offer loans up to 90 per cent of the value at easy rates.

“The impact of these initiatives can be seen in the progressively growing monthly sales of Nano-- from 5,784 in December 2010 to 8,707 in March,” said Tata Motors Vice President R Ramakrishnan. As the company’s plant at Sanand, Gujarat, reaching almost the full capacity, Tatas may soon have to build another plant for Nano, said Ramakrishnan.
Speedy sales growth of Ford Figo, Nissan Micra, Chevrolet Spark and Beat, Hyundai i10, Maruti Alto and Swift also point to the fact that small and compact cars are in great demand. No wonder Toyota is planning to launch a hatchback small car Liva and Honda a small car Brio around June this year. To complement its offerings GM will soon launch Beat with a one litre diesel engine. Said GM India Director Marketing P Balendran, “We have done very well in 2010-11 as our two small cars Spark and Beat together sold around 72,000 and Cruze has seen good pick up in demand.”

Exports stagnate

Another interesting trend is that India is slowly but steadily emerging as a export hub for cars. The country exported 447,403 cars in 2010-11, almost same as previous year. Hyundai Motors which exports i10 and i20 from its plant in Chennai exported 2.33 lakh cars, Maruti exported 1.36 lakh cars and the new player Nissan India exported 55,000 cars. With the demand pick up in the European market, exports of cars from India in the current year are expected to be much higher.

Growth to slow down

The boom story in 2010-11, however, may not be repeated in the current financial, fears car makers. Both Balendran and Viswanathan feel that car sales growth in the current year may slow down to around 15 to 17 per cent as against 30 per cent growth last year.

Reasons are several: hike in interest rates, increase in commodity prices (steel, copper, plastics), overall inflation in the economy lowering the disposable income, rising wage cost and above all very high prices of petrol and diesel. “Current year scenario is not as rosy as it was last year. Costs have gone up for almost everything, but there is a limit to which we can pass on the cost.”

Balendran of GM thinks that apart from all round increase in cost, steep and frequent rise in interest rates will severely affect customers’ ability to take loans. “This is big problem as 85 per cent of cars in India are bought with loans” he said.

India car sales soar 30 percent in 2010-11

2011-02-26T02:51:00.001-08:00

Indian passenger car sales soared by 30 percent in the past year, the most in over a decade, but surging raw material costs will put the brakes on further growth, an industry body said Friday.

Car sales grew to 1.98 million units in the just-ended fiscal year to March 2011 from 1.53 million the previous year, spurred by cheap loans and new model launches, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said.

"We have ended the year on a reasonably high note. We have reached a very strong base," SIAM president Pawan Goenka told reporters.

India is the second-fastest growing auto market in the world after China.

But Goenka said growth would slow to 16 or 18 percent this year due to rising commodity prices and costlier loans resulting from a tighter monetary policy aimed at curbing inflation.

The percentage gain in car sales in the year to March 2011 was the highest since 2000 when car sales soared 60 percent, SIAM said.

The sustained expansion of the Indian market in the face of saturated markets in the West has turned the country into a battleground for global vehicle manufacturers.

Ford, Renault-Nissan, General Motors and Volkswagen have all launched new models in India recently.

Sales of Japanese-controlled Maruti Suzuki, India's car market leader, jumped by 26.24 percent to 966,447 units last year from a year earlier, while sales of rival South Korea's Hyundai Motor increased by 13.95 percent to 358,904 units.

In March, passenger car sales in Asia's third-largest economy climbed by 24.37 percent to 194,199 units from the same month a year earlier, SIAM said.

Sales of commercial vehicles - seen as an important barometer of economic health - climbed by 15.35 percent to 77,688 units from a year ago, the auto group said.

Total sales of vehicles across categories grew by 19.42 percent in March to 1,465,909 units from the same month a year earlier.

Domestic car sales hit record high in February

2011-02-26T02:35:00.001-08:00

Car sales in India hit a record monthly high of 1.89 lakh units in February as customers advanced purchases in anticipation the government may hike excise duty in the Budget. Sales were also driven by rising disposable income with the middle-class , easy availability of loans, and a pick up in new product launches.

Car sales rose by 23% in February compared with a year earlier, data released by industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) showed Wednesday. The February sales number is higher than the record 1.84 lakh cars sold in January.

The Budget for 2011-12 , however, left excise duty unchanged at 10-22 % for different segments of cars, contrary to an expectation of a 2% hike. "Car prices have not increased much despite rise in global commodities prices like steel and rubber . Also, customers are enjoying flexible financing options. In future , however, we expect higher base of 2010 to moderate growth rate," SIAM Director General Vishnu Mathur said. Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest carmaker, reported 19.8% year-on-year growth in sales in February to 101,543 units.

"There was more demand in the market than what we could supply as we faced severe scarcity for our highrunning models like Alto and WagonR," a senior official from Maruti said. Hyundai sales grew 5.3%, while Tata Motors car sales grew 14% during the month. Two-wheeler sales in February grew 22% to a record 10.22 lakh units. The growth in the segment was primarily driven by market leader Hero Honda that posted 24% increase in sales to 4.62 lakh units last month. Sales of trucks and buses grew 11% in February to 64,057 units led by Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland , and Eicher Motors.

India's total domestic vehicle sales in the current fiscal year is expected to grow 26-27 % year-onyear , higher than SIAM's earlier estimate of 18%, said Mathur. However, rising interest rates on auto loans and spiraling global commodities prices, including crude oil, are concerns for the sector going forward.

Toyota defers Liva launch till June to clear Etios backlog

2011-01-13T03:16:00.001-08:00

The world's largest carmaker Toyota have postponed by two months introducing the hatchback version of its sedan Etios in India to June as it tries to clear order backlog of the recently launched car.

The company, which is present in India through a joint venture with the Kirloskar Group, will be doubling its output at the Bangalore facility to a minimum of 5,000 units every month from April for the Etios sedan.

"We have received very good response for the Etios. We are doubling the production of the car by starting the second shift from April," Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) Deputy Managing Director (Marketing) Sandeep Singh told PTI.

Etios' waiting period is 4-6 months and TKM has decided to fulfill its commitment to existing customers first.

"Hence, to clear the order backlog, we have decided to postpone the launch of Liva by about two months," Singh said.

The company had launched the Etios in December last year and had announced its plans to introduce the small car Liva with a 1.2 litre petrol engine in April 2011.

As part of the new plan, the company will now enhance Etios output to a minimum of 5,000 units from the existing about 2,500 units per month, Singh said.

TKM has so far received about 26,500 booking orders for the Etios since its launch and the company has delivered only about 5,000 units, he added.

The company has invested Rs 3,200 crore to set up its second manufacturing facility in the country with an installed capacity of 70,000 units per annum to roll out the Etios. It has launched the car with a 1.5 litre petrol engine.

The Japanese auto major had launched Etios with a price tag of Rs 4.96 lakh-Rs 6.86 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). It has been pitched against other entry-level sedans such as Maruti DZiRE, Mahindra Logan and Fiat Linea.

At the time of the launch, Singh had said the company was targeting to sell 70,000 units of Etios, including the hatchback, in 2011.

When asked about its sports utility vehicle Fortuner, Singh said: "We had started the booking again in January and so far received about 4,000 orders. The waiting period for the vehicle is 3-4 months now."

The company's first facility at the same location has a production capacity of about 80,000 units per annum.

On the impact of rising commodity prices, he said: "We are under pressure. We will review the prices of our products by March-end."

TKM currently manufactures models like multi utility vehicle Innova, premium sedan Corolla Altis and SUV Fortuner in India. It also sells sedan Camry, SUVs Prado and Land Cruiser and hybrid car Prius in the country as fully imported vehicles.

Goodyear launches Assurance Fuel Max in India

2011-01-13T01:19:00.007-08:00

Goodyear India announced the launch of its latest tyre from its award-winning Assurance line, the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max with Fuel Saving technology that provides 4% more fuel efficiency and 15% longer mileage than conventional tyre technology. With safety at the heart of all Goodyear tyres, the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max is reinforced with the same DuPont™ Kevlar® overlay - a material that is five times stronger than steel - that made its predecessor so successful.

Designed for family cars in the mid and premium markets, consumers who are looking for value for money and safety can now achieve maximum fuel efficiency and maximum protection with this new tyre.

"In the current environment where the rising fuel costs are a huge concern, Fuel Max technology is designed to improve fuel consumption without compromising on mileage or performance," said Rajeev Anand, Chairman & Managing Director, Goodyear India Limited.

"India is a unique country with a very different terrain, which requires maximum safety while maneuvering the vehicle on the road. Assurance Fuel Max offers critical safety features such as a strong grip, puncture resistance, blow out resistance, shorter braking distance and anti-skid, making it the perfect choice for everyday city driving as well as the long distance weekend road trips.", Mr. Anand added.

Moving forward towards commitment for safer and environment friendly driving, Goodyear collaborated with NGO Grow-Tress to plant more than 3,000 trees coinciding with the launch of Assurance Fuel Max in India. These were planted on behalf of retailers and media participating in the activity and also end users endorsing Assurance Fuel Max tyres.

More Fuel Efficiency and Longer Tread Life

One of the ways to reduce fuel consumption is to decrease some of the frictions while it drives. Rolling resistance or rolling friction, is the resistance that occurs when a tyre rolls on a flat surface. The greater the resistance, the greater the energy required to keep the tyre rolling. Up to 20 per cent of a car's fuel consumption is due to the tyres. Therefore a decrease in tyre rolling friction leads to a reduction in fuel consumption.

The new Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max features an advanced full silica compound which reduces the friction between the tyre's rubber molecules and provides high resistance to abrasion, resulting in reduced fuel consumption and a longer tread life.

Additionally, the tyre is built with a hard base under the tread, which reduces deformation in the crown area and heat build-up, contributing to higher fuel efficiency. The tyre also features even pressure distribution which helps reduce frictional energy caused by abrasion and heat at the tread surface, reducing the rate of wear.

In tests evaluated by TÜV SÜD Automotive GmbH as a technical witness partner, results showed that Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max is 4% more fuel efficient than the company's previous generation of tyre technology where the tread compound is carbon based. This test was conducted in Mireval, France using Citroen C4 1.6l on size 195/65 R15 versus Goodyear Ducaro GA (test report number 76243002-1, May 2010).

In addition, based on internal tests conducted by Goodyear Innovation Center* Luxembourg, Assurance Fuel Max has 15% longer tread life versus the previous technology (Goodyear Ducaro GA). Actual fuel savings and tread life may vary according to other factors including environment, road, vehicle conditions, vehicle model, and driving habits, etc.

Fuel Saving Example

New Assurance Fuel Max's fuel efficiency improvement can lead to 160L of fuel savings. For example: If a 1.6L car has an average fuel consumption rate of 10L/100km, is fitted with Assurance Fuel Max on size 195/65R15 91V and travels a distance of 40,000 km, the potential fuel savings can be calculated as follows:

40,000 km (distance traveled) x 10L/100 km (fuel consumption rate) x 4% (fuel saving rate) =160 L (potential fuel savings)

Maximum Protection against Road Hazards

A layer DuPont™ Kevlar®, a lightweight material which is five times stronger than steel, reinforces Assurance Fuel Max for added durability and protection against road hazards like potholes. This material is the same cutting-edge technology used in protective applications like bulletproof vests, industrial gloves and hoses.

Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max is also built with two plies in the sidewalls of the tyre for increased durability and protection against dangerous road hazards.

A Comfortable and Quiet Ride

The tyre is designed with a four pitch sequence and high centerline block angles that helps to facilitate a smooth and quiet contact with the road.

Shorter Braking and Grip on Wet and Dry Roads

Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max is constructed with unique three dimensional waffle blades in the tread to enable improved lateral interlocking power while providing maximized circumferential decoupling. This technology delivers better braking and grip on both wet and dry surfaces.

For maximum wet-traction, the tread has also been designed with four uninterrupted circumferential grooves, which provide room in the footprint for the tyre to absorb and repel water, ensuring better aquaplaning resistance on wet roads.

Maruti won't give up its position easily

2011-01-13T01:19:00.005-08:00

Maruti Suzuki, the country’s largest automaker, has drawn up an aggressive strategy to retain its 45-50 per cent share of India’s rapidly burgeoning car market that is expected to hit 5 million units by 2015, from the current 2 million. The blueprint includes upgrades or possible new models in the compact segment and a multi-utility vehicle (MUV).

The Japanese giant will also consider increasing its capacity, which could mean a new plant or expansion of existing units, after its ongoing expansion to 500,000 vehicles is completed in phases.
The possible compact launches are part of Maruti Suzuki’s effort to protect its dominance of a segment that is increasingly under attack from leading global players like Toyota, Ford, General Motors and Honda. With the R3 MUV — a six-seat concept vehicle showcased at the Auto Expo last year — the company wants to make its presence felt in a growing segment where it is virtually non-existent.

In an interview recently, Maruti Suzuki Managing Director Shinzo Nakanishi said: “The A2 (compact) segment constitutes 60 per cent of all cars sold in the domestic market. We do not see this ratio changing in the next five years, but many new players are coming in. We have to strengthen our position in this segment, where we already have seven models.” He said Maruti Suzuki would like at least two new models in this segment by 2015.

Nakanishi said the SUV-MUV market constitutes 12 per cent of overall sales, but that Maruti Suzuki has a negligible share with the Gypsy. “This is another area we would like to focus on. We had shown the R3 as a concept car and we are conducting market research to see whether we can introduce it as an MUV. The other important thing is to have diesel engine-powered SUVs,” he said.

However, Nakanishi admitted that to retain its 45-50 per cent share of the domestic market, Maruti Suzuki’s existing capacity would prove inadequate.

“Our enhanced capacity would suffice until 2013-14. But if the market maintains the high-growth momentum we have seen so far, we will have to consider adding further capacity,” he said.

Maruti Suzuki expects its 2010-11 production figure to cross 1.25 million units with capacity that has been enhanced through reengineering. It will add capacity for another 500,000 units, half of it by October this year instead of the original plan of early 2012. Nakanishi hopes that with these measures, Maruti Suzuki will be able to manufacture around 1.85 million cars by 2013. He said a decision on further capacity enhancement would have to be taken if Maruti Suzuki wants to retain its marketshare.

Nakanishi said he also sees an increasingly key role for the research & development centre in India, which has about 1,000 engineers. “We expect the R&D centre to utilise car platforms developed in Japan to develop full-body capability for the Indian market. Engines developed in Japan could be calibrated to Indian requirements at the facility here,” Nakanishi added.

He also said that nothing has yet been finalised with Volkswagen, which has picked up a 20 per cent stake in Japanese parent company Suzuki, in terms of a common programme. “We are talking, but it is difficult. It already has the Polo, which is its small car, in India and in Europe. So, we are competitors in both markets. We do not know what shape the discussions will finally take,” said Nakanishi.

Honda launches the all new Accord

2011-01-13T01:19:00.003-08:00

Honda Siel Cars India launched the new Honda Accord with new features. The Accord on the exterior gets a new Chrome accentuated front grille, rear chrome garnish and new front bumper adds to the charm of the Accord. The Sunroof now comes as standard across the Accord range.

The new feature list also includes steering mounted cruise control system with one-touch op which enhance the looks of the car. The inside wooden panel makes it look even more exquisite. The Accord now comes with an improved audio system for improved usability & readability and a Jackknife key have also been added to the Accord.

Honda Accord is equipped with Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) to assist the driver in maintaining control during cornering, acceleration and sudden maneuvers. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Takashi Nagai, President & CEO, Honda Siel Cars India Ltd., said "Honda Accord has been one of the most successful premium sedans in its category with over 25000 units sold since its launch in India setting new standards in exclusivity, comfort and safety. Our belief in constantly upgrading our products based on customer feedback prompted this launch of an upgraded version of the Accord with unique styling in combination with luxurious features."

The Honda Accord is available in 2.4L and 3.5L V6 engine and comes with a 5-speed Manual Transmission and 5-speed Automatic transmission with Paddle shift. The Automatic Transmission has Shift Holding System which avoids unnecessary gear shifting on winding roads and helps in hassle free drive.

The 3.5L V6 engine features an advanced Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system that switches between six-, four-, and three-cylinder combustion depending on the driving conditions and thereby delivering maximum power of 275 PS during six cylinder operation and impressive fuel economy in VCM mode while cruising. The new alloy wheels of the Accord V6 enhance the looks of the car even more.

The Honda Accord is equipped with six airbags, including side curtain air bags, Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body and G-Force Control Technology (G-CON) for enhanced safety of the vehicle occupants during a collision. Honda Accord V6 3.5L and Honda Accord 2.4L also have a provision for Bluetooth connectivity and customers can buy it as a Honda Genuine Accessory.

The variants are priced as below:
Accord 2.4 MT – Rs.19.60 lakh
Accord 2.4 AT – Rs.20.36 lakh
Accord 3.5 V6 – Rs.25.41 lakh

LONG WAITING LIST- In queue for Etios? Toyota may offer you Liva

2011-01-13T01:19:00.001-08:00

Faced with a deluge of bookings for its new sedan Etios, Toyota is considering a unique offering for those in queue by giving them the option to shift to the company’s compact car, Liva, which debuts in March. Alternatively, the company is also considering to marginally increase the production of Etios to accommodate the rush.

According to sources, Toyota is worried that the seven to eight months’ waiting period for Etios may prompt customers to shift to rival brands. So, it is working on a plan to offer those with Etios bookings the option to go for the compact Liva, though details are still being worked out. It is not yet clear whether these people will get a priority in the delivery of the 1200cc petrol-engine Liva, which is likely to be priced around Rs 4 lakh.

The company hopes this move will ensure that the customers will stay within the Toyota fold, while getting an option to cut down on their waiting periods. The Etios, deliveries for which started earlier this month, has been a runaway success for the company and it has so far received bookings over 18,500 units.

When contacted, Toyota Kirloskar deputy MD (sales & marketing) Sandeep Singh said, “We are looking at various options, and a concrete plan is yet to be firmed up.” Singh, however, agreed that the company was looking at increasing the production of Etios from the plant near Bangalore, which has come up with an investment of Rs 3200 crore. Toyota plans to manufacture about 70,000 units from this plant between the Etios sedan and its compact version Liva in the first year. “Our manufacturing team is looking at this and a decision on enhancing production will be taken towards the end of February. However, if it happens, the increment in production may not be a major one. Whatever happens will be through improved efficiency and tweaking things here and there,” Singh said.

The company is gradually ramping up numbers at its plant and will start secondshift operations there. At full steam, the plant can churn out 200,000 units annually, though reaching this capacity will take time.

The Etios and the Liva are the two most ambitious products from Toyota’s stable to boost its share in the fastgrowing Indian car market. The company currently has a low single-digit share and has said it wants a 10% share to “occupy a mindshare of the average car buyer”. It has set a target to sell about 300,000-350,000 units by 2015.

Buying Used Cars

2011-01-13T01:17:00.000-08:00

The demand for cars has dramatically increased over the past few years. Everyone needs a car, but most people cannot afford to purchase a brand new car.

If you are also tight on budget, then buying a used car will not be a bad deal. A used car is more economical than a new car. If you are planning to buy a used car, then you will have to do a lot of research. Otherwise you might be sold a defective or faulty car. There are car dealers who sell used cars that are in a good condition. You can also take along a mechanic or a used car expert with you when you are going to see the used car that is up for sale. The mechanic will tell you the condition of the car and whether it is a good idea to buy the car or not. He will also be able to find out any hidden damages or faults in the car.
You can get a good used car for the smallest amount of money.

Private sellers often advertise their cars in newspapers. You can check your newspaper to find a used car on sale in your locality. You might even be able to find a used car in a really good condition for a reasonable price. You can also approach a used car dealer, who thoroughly assesses the car before putting it for sale. Still, it is advisable to check the reputation of the car dealer before making a deal. You can also browse the Internet and find cheap used cars online. Though you cannot touch or see the cars online, you can compare and examine the cars. The best part is that you don't have to go anywhere for the purpose. There are many websites displaying used cars for sale.

You can also buy a used car through a public auction. Usually, these car auctions are arranged by the police or government institutions and are the ones that they had seized through repossession or confiscation. They sell cars that were seized from car owners who were unable to repay their loan amounts.
People tend to buy the cheapest used car, and end up paying out more on the repairs. Nowadays, most car dealers conduct thorough tests on the used car before putting it for sale. These dealers also offer warranty to assure the quality of the used car. These warranties may range from a period of 6 months to one year. The condition of the used cars depends on the usage of the car and its maintenance by its previous owner. You must look for the used car that is best used by its previous owner.

Used cars rarely come with the warranty of the original manufacturer. So, used cars certified by car dealers are a good option. By buying a certified used car, you can be satisfied that the car you are buying has been thoroughly inspected and is in condition to be given an extended warranty. These certified used cars also come with benefits like low loan rate, roadside assistance, free maintenance like oil changes and shuttle services.

You can also buy a used car from a used car sale. In these sales, you have a variety of used cars that are up n display. You can find different models of cars, compare them and consider their prices. You also get a chance to examine the condition of the car in these sale centres.

What to Look For When Buying a Used Car

2011-01-06T21:07:00.005-08:00

Buying a used car can be tricky as you will have to consider lots of factors - it is therefore imperative that you know what you're looking for.

Trust is often a big issue when buying a used car, especially if you are buying privately. When viewing a car you will need to ensure that you check the vehicle over thoroughly. Here are a few tips to help make sure you buy a used car that won't give you too many problems.

1. Before viewing a car you should do some background research so you know the current 'going rate' of that particular car - you don't want to pay too much. You should also remember that when buying from a motor trader you have more rights than you do when you buy privately. It is therefore essential that you follow the tips outlined below.

2. If the car you are looking to buy is under three years old then it should have done around 25,000-30,000 miles, anything with a lower mileage is a good buy.
If it has done more miles then you know that the car has been driven hard which may have an adverse affect on the engine.

3. It is important that you inspect the bodywork to spot any blemishes. It is therefore a good idea to do this is daylight. You should look out for signs of rust as this indicated corrosion - rust is more likely to occur on cars over 5 years old. If you spot rust along the lower door sills, front wing or the bottom of the door alarm bells should ring. Rust shows that the metal is weakened and will require a lot of welding attention to put right. You should also look for signs of crash repairs - this is often shown by ripples in the paintwork.

4. Never buy a car without test driving it yourself. Make sure you are insured to drive it and then take it out on a drive.

If possible take it along a motorway, somewhere with twisting roads...and make sure you check reverse. This will give you a good feel of how the car drives. You will also be able to see whether the gears are sticky, the car pulls to one side or whether the clutch is stiff.

5. Finally, check that the mileage corresponds to the general wear and tear of the car. Also have a quick check of the condition of the engine - a dirty engine suggests that the car hasn't been looked after properly!

Private Seller Or Used Car Dealer Is Better To Purchase 2nd Hand Cars?

2011-01-06T21:07:00.003-08:00

Having your own car is fairly joyable, however how to buy one is not easy. Although the reccession is basically over, its fallout still remains to some extent. Having considered this, a lot of people have decided to buy a second hand from either a private seller or used car dealer instead of a brand new car.

But therein lies the choice for many people - do you go for the used car dealer or the private seller?

This article discusses some of the issues that might come up when making this decision. Both have certain advantages and disadvantages, and carefully looking at these will help you come to a conclusion about which to go for.When you roll up to a used car dealer you are often confronted with a wide range of cars to choose from.

And that's one of the main advantages to buying from a used car dealer - the fact that you can find a wide range of vehicles in one place. This also means you can seek the advice of the salesperson in order to determine more clearly if a given car meets your requirements and those of your family members.

Many people choose a used car dealer because they can sometimes provide some attractive offers - such as free roadside assistance services and similar attractive offers. But one of the main reasons car buyers opt for a used car dealer is the fact that they provide a warranty of some kind. This can be the clincher for many people.

Compare the warranty situation with what people get when they buy from a private seller - there is invariably no warranty. Any spoken agreement as regards the quality of the car and how the seller would accept a return are of course very difficult to prove - often impossible.

But on the plus side, private sellers often sell their cars for a lower price than their used car dealer counterparts.

This is because, in most cases, the private seller will have lower overheads than the used car dealer. It may also be because they wish to make a fast sale - which can be good and can be bad (for example if the car is of lower quality than they suggest).

There are clear pros and cons to both second hand car buying options - and it is worth taking your time when deciding which to go for.

Maruti Suzuki to launch Kizashi in January

2011-01-06T21:07:00.001-08:00

MARUTI SUZUKI India Ltd is all set to launch its much awaited D-segment car Kizashi, a sedan by the end of January. Pronounced ‘Kee-Zah-Shee' which in Japanese means ‘something great is coming', it is an executive sedan to be launched in the third week of January 2011.

Kizashi is set to take on Honda Accord and Skoda Superb, Toyota's Corolla and Camry , Honda's Civic and Accord in features and pricing.This will be the first car by Maruti Suzuki catering to high-end customers entering into a segment where an average of 1,000 cars are sold every month.

Maruti will launch its first luxury car on January 28, 2011. Kizashi will be the first of the several new launches the company is planning in 2011 including a updated version of Swift and Dzire and a small SUV.

Sources indicate that the pricing is expected to be around Rs 18-20 lakhs, some other says it will cost around Rs. 11-12 Lakhs.The company is expecting upto 250 cars to be sold per month. Kizashi will have a 2.4 litre petrol engine, and will come in both manual and automatic versions.

Maruti recently raised its sales forecast for the current fiscal ,and said it expects to sell 31% more cars compared with the 10,18,365 cars it did in last year. Maruti currently produces 1,10,000 lakh cars a month, as compared to 84,000 per month last fiscal.

Launched first in 2007, Kizashi is already running successfully in Europe.The Kizashi version to be launched in India is a new model developed in 2010.So when are you grabbing one for you.

New Fiat Linea Car Features and prices

2011-01-05T03:34:00.001-08:00

The new Fiat Linea is a very vibrant mode car which is fitted with the finest of technologies and quality all in the best of the class. This car is one of the greatest instances of Italian style. The interiors of the car reflect it to be best in offering the comfort and ease. Fiat Linea car are presently available in five different variants such as Active, Dynamic, Dynamic Pack, Emotion and Emotion Pack.

All these variants are available with both petrol and diesel engine option. New Fiat Linea Car Features are like sensors, AC, audio player and moreover it is also accompanied with special features like safety features with the help of Dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and provides you safe and secure drive.

New Fiat Linea Car comes with a lot of comfort features that make everyone inside the car feel at home.

The new Fiat
Linea is not an ordinary sedan, it has designed so pleasingly. The new Fiat Linea car is just amazing and gives the Italian styling in Indian norms. The heart of the car means engine is perfectly crafted. It is accompanied with the new age and advanced T-Jet engine and revolutionary Multijet and Fire engines, thoughtful safety features which make the new Fiat Linea car truly admirable.

The all new Fiat Linea T Jet car is loaded with a 1.4L turbo charged petrol engine and churns out 114 PS at 5000 rpm and a maximum torque of 207Nm at 2200 rpm onwards. Acceleration and pick up of the car are just mind blowing, with Fiat Linea T Jet zooming from 0-100 kmph in 11.14 seconds and reaching to a top speed of 186 kmph.

Let's talk about the new Fiat Linea car features and prices.
Some valuable features are tilt steering with mounted audio and Blue & Me controls, Driver seat height adjust, all four auto down power windows, remote tailgate open, manual HVAC, Remote key less entry, rear armrest with glove box and cup holder, rear AC vents, integrated MP3/CD and FM player, Blue &Me with USB port, etc. New Fiat Linea Car price in Delhi is Rs. 9, 29,334 and New Fiat Linea Car price in Mumbai is Rs. 9, 19,334. The price of this car is varying according to the dealer's location.

Top Car Launches in 2010

2010-12-29T23:56:00.001-08:00

2010 has been a remarkable year for not just carmakers but car buyers too. With a flood of launches, Indian buyers had more than what they could take, in terms of new cars. Nevertheless, car manufacturers kept bringing new and advanced looks and technology in the cars to lure the Indian buyers towards them.
Lets have a look at what the car industry brought in, what was a memorable year, 2010

Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen, the premium automobile company truly understands the sentiments attached with wedding season in India. The German auto manufacturer has rightly catered the marriage season in India by launching an ad campaign and woven Volkswagen Beetle beautifully in it.

Chevrolet Beat
The beautiful car from world’s largest auto manufacturer, General Motors, spiced up the year 2010 with its beauty performance and excellence. The Chevrolet Beat was launched on 4th Jan 2010 and was priced between Rs 3,49,994 - Rs 4,15,486 with availability in three exciting petrol variants. The choice of colors makes the model more interesting on road. The premium hatchback offers mileage of 14.5kmpl in city and 18.6kmpl on highway.

Nissan Micra
Nissan took a big move in Indian automobile hatchback segment by bringing its all exciting Nissan Micra on 14th July 2010. The company introduced its diesel version on 10th December. Nissan Micra was the first car from Japanese auto makers to be brought to India and was well received in the market due to its look, easy maneuverability. The selling features of Nissan Micra are its turning radius (4.65), Push start and Intelligent key system. The mill of the compact four-wheeler offers mileage of around 14 kmpl in city and 18.06 kmpl on highways.

Volkswagen Vento
The car priced between Rs 7,17,470 - Rs 9,47,170 was launched on 12th August 2010. The all new Volkswagen Vento comes with the same engine as is available in Volkswagen Polo i.e. 1.6 L petrol and diesel engines. The beautiful compact car gives a mileage of 20.54 kmpl on highway and 15.8 kmpl in city. Volkswagen Vento is designed to give direct competition to the market leader Honda City.

Skoda Yeti
The stunning SUV from Skoda was launched on 15th Nov 2010. Skoda Yeti was awarded the SUV of the year and comes with a price tag of Rs 15,40,324* - Rs 16,62,721. The new Skoda vehicle comes in two variants i.e. Ambiente and Elegance. the crossover delivers 17.67 kmpl of mileage. The major competitors for this new car in Indian market are Mahindra Scorpio, Tata Safari, Tata Aria, Maruti Grand Vitara, Ford Endeavour, Toyota Fortuner and Mitsubishi Outlander.

Mahindra Thar
The powerful gypsy made its way on Indian roads on 21st December 2010 with a price tag of Rs 5,99,000 - Rs 5,99,000. Mahindra Thar assures a safe and powerful drive on worst road conditions. The powerful engine offers zipper acceleration and crosses a 100 kms easily in just 13.5 seconds. It offers a top speed of 150 kmph. The contemporary gypsy is given an edgy look with least of curves and delicate lines rather the crease on body are so prominent and bold that it depicts great power.

Toyota Etios
The sizzling luxury made its way in Indian market on 1st December 2010. Toyota Etios sedan is the least priced (Rs 4,96,000 - Rs 6,86,500) model in Toyota’s portfolio. Hugely popular car registered over 12000 bookings within 15 days of launch, making a record. It gives a mileage of 17.6 kmpl on highway and 12 kmpl in city. This makes it a fuel efficient car without compromising on the performance and luxury.

The Etios Sedan is launched in Hyderabad

2010-12-09T22:29:00.000-08:00

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) will increase the localisation of Etios, the B segment sedan which it launched in Hyderabad on Wednesday, once its engine plant in Bangalore gets ready in 2012. As of now, the vehicle is 70 per cent localised and this will go up to 90 per cent in two years.

Also, it will increase its dealer network from seven to ten in Andhra Pradesh in view of the new launch.

Speaking to the media on the launch, TKM executive managing coordinator (sales) Koji Nagata said the sedan would be available in four variants priced between Rs 4.95 lakh and Rs 6.88 lakh ex-showroom Hyderabad.

The company would soon launch a diesel variant of the sedan, he said, adding that there have been 8,000 bookings of the new vehicle which was launched nationally last week. It would take about four or five months to deliver them.

The company also unveiled its hatchback, Etios Liva, which would be launched in April 2011. "This is the small car for us. There are no immediate plans for smaller car than Liva,'' he said.

TKM general manager (sales) Sailesh Shetty said the company was now working out the price hike on its models as the input costs, particularly of steel, have gone up. Inflation and strengthening of the rupee too are factors, he said.

Etios will be made at the second TKM plant in Bangalore, which has an annual production capacity of 70,000 vehicles.

Music maestro AR Rahman has been roped as the brand ambassador for Etios.

Toyota to launch hatchback 'Etios Liva'

2010-12-09T22:23:00.004-08:00

Japanese auto major Toyota will launch compact car 'Etios Liva' by April 2011 to strengthen position in India, where it is a fringe player in the car segment as against its leadership position globally. The company, which is present in India through a joint venture with the Kirloskar Group, said the pricing of the hatchback based on the same platform as its new Etios sedan will be decided after the Union Budget.

It has priced the entry level sedan Etios between Rs 4.96 lakh and Rs 6.86 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). "The launch of Etios sedan will be followed by the hatchback model called Etios Liva. By the end of March next year or April beginning we will launch the car and deliveries will start from April," TKM Deputy Managing Director Marketing Sandeep Singh told reporters here. On the pricing of Etios Liva, he said, "We will take a call after the Budget."

While the Etios sedan is powered by a 1.5 litre petrol engine, the Liva will have 1.2 litre petrol engine. Singh said both the sedan and hatchback put together, TKM plans to sell 70,000 cars in India in 2011. Recently, he said the company aims to sell 1.45 lakh units of all its models next year, from about 73,000 units expected in 2010. TKM sells models such as sedans Toyota Corolla Altis and Camry along with multi utility vehicle Innova.

TKM aims to capture 10 per cent of the Indian car market by 2015, mainly on the back of the Etios family. Overall, 15 lakh cars were sold in the country in 2009-10. Globally, Toyota was the world's largest carmaker in 2010 despite its consolidated sales declining by 4.4 per cent to 7.24 million units from the previous year.

Singh said the TKM could increase the output of Etios depending on customer demand from the current levels of 80,000 units a year. He said that for Etios sedan, TKM has received 3,077 orders within two days of the launch on Wednesday. The deliveries will start from January.

TKM Managing Director Hiroshi Nakagawa said about 70 per cent of the components of Etios are locally sourced. Only critical components like engines and transmissions are imported. "By 2012, we will shift the engine production to India followed by the transmission in 2013," he said, adding after that the localisation level would be 90 per cent.

Maruti All Set To Launch Their First Made In India Car

2010-12-09T22:23:00.003-08:00

Maruti Suzuki India Limited, is the largest car company and automobile manufacturer having near about half of the domestic car market share. Its all time hit models like Maruti 800, Maruti Alto and recent models like Maruti Swift, Wagon-R, DZire are known to all. Now the company is planning to launch its first completely made in India New Cars by 2012 and final design of this model will be released in the first half of next year. Final work on the design and other aspects is in full swing, as reported by a source.

Also according to information this complete made in India Maruti car will be placed along with small car segment like Maruti Alto and company is working really hard to launch this Maruti car by 2012 and to make this car also a grand success.

Maruti Suzuki partial subsidiary of Japanese auto giant Suzuki, is working seriously for the company's future car models and also on its growth programme. To carry on development programme of this Maruti car, company is planning to invest a sum of Rs 1,500 crore at in the next 3-4 years time at Rohtak R&D center which is the only center having equipments and standards comparable other than one in Japan. Main manufacturing plant of Maruti Suzuki is located at Gurgaon and Manesar which have annual capacity of more than 7 lac units. One of the spokesperson without disclosing the information about new car told that Maruti Suzuki India is always eager to satisfy their customers and will always work towards the technological development and better facilities.

Also if reports are to believe Maruti Suzuki India Limited is launching this first made in India model to challenge other competitors like Hyundai Motors and to better companys grip in the domestic market.

And to further adding to it, Hyundai Motors is also engaged in designing and developing a model which will be placed below Hyundai Santro to compete with Maruti Alto. So those who are not interested in buying a car in near future may wait for these models to change their minds and make decision.

Audi planning biggest investment in company history

2010-12-09T22:23:00.001-08:00

Audi is planning the biggest investment programme in the company's history, investing some 11.6 billion euros (about $15 billion) between 2011 and 2015 in new products and hiring around 1,200 experts to bolster electro-mobility and lightweight construction, the carmaker has announced.

Some two thirds of the investment - more than 9.5 billion euros - will be spent on new technologies such as electric and hybrid drive systems such as the Audi R8 e-tron electric sports car which the company plans on selling in late 2012, according to Axel Strotbek, board member of finance.

Several new models are planned for launch in 2011, including the new A6 and the Q5 hybrid, the first full hybrid from the carmaker. The Audi Q3, to be built in Martorell in Spain, will occupy the midsize premium SUV segment for the first time. Some 20 new models are scheduled for launch by the year 2014.

Some five billion euros will be invested at the company's main German production sites in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm.

'In addition to our foreign sites, the German sites will also profit greatly from the Audi brand's good worldwide prospects for growth, especially in China,' Strotbek said.

New BMW 520d Hits Indian Roads

2010-12-09T22:21:00.000-08:00

German car manufacturer BMW is well-known for producing luxury-centric, high-performance vehicles, and can probably be termed as a worldwide leader in first-class car retails. It has now been reported that the company has uncovered its chic new 5 series sedan BMW 520d for Indian consumers which is immediately available for purchase.

The new vehicle is reported to offer best-in-class fuel economy of 18.4 km/ltr which is measured by Automotive Research Association of India for Indian market specifications and is made possible through appropriate execution of ‘Efficient Dynamics’, which simply means getting more for less. Additionally, BMW 520d also integrates light weight construction technology, advanced Electronic Power Steering technology and Brake Energy Regeneration.

Dr. Andreas Schaaf, President, BMW India stated, “The 5 Series is the core model in our product portfolio. The new BMW 5 Series sedan, since its launch in April 2010, has successfully emerged as a leader in the luxury sedan segment in India. The new BMW 520d sets a new benchmark for four cylinder diesel sedans by combining outstanding performance with incomparable fuel efficiency.”

Crafted out with elegant aesthetics, unparalleled comfort and dynamic performance, the new BMW 520d is said to be one of the ‘most desirable modern executive sedan’ in its segment. The car is offered in ten paint finishes, Imperial Blue Brilliant Effect, Alpine White, Sophisto Grey Brilliant Effect, Cashmere Silver, Deep Sea Blue, Havanna, Milano Beige, Space Grey, Titanium Silver as well as Black Sapphire. With individual upholstery designs in Dakota leather available in Cinnamon Brown/Black, Oyster/Black, Oyster/Oyster Dark, Vento Beige and Black shades for the car, interior trims can be furnished in Fine-wood Trim Fineline Anthracite and Fine-wood Trim Ash Grain Brown.

BMW 520d is powered by a two-litre four cylinder turbo diesel engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission which delivers a maximum output of 135 kW/184 hp. Moreover, acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/hr can be attained in 8.1 seconds with top speed of 225 km/h along with which a peak torque of 380 Nm at 1,750 rpm can be achieved that reaches its maximum output at 2,500 rpm.

Produced in the BMW Plant Chennai as CKD (completely knocked-down unit), the new BMW 520d is now available to order from BMW dealerships all throughout India and is priced at Rs. 36,90,000, an ex-showroom price which excludes RTO registration charges, tax, insurance, handling charges, octroi and entry tax.

New Bajaj Pulsar To Launch In India 2011

2010-11-12T21:05:00.000-08:00

Bajaj Pulsar the flagship model of Indias largest premium motorcycle Bajaj Auto intending to re-vamped by the year of 2011. According to sources Bajaj Auto to launch a new version of Pulsar. The Bajaj Pulsar is the most popular bikes series in India which comes with 135cc, 150cc, 180cc, 220cc powerplant. It is expected that new pulsar may be refreshed version of present bikes or fully new model.

Bajaj Pulsar 135
The new upcoming pulsar could very well be a 350cc liquid cooled bike which could feature mono-shocks, futuristic styling, dual discs, and a four-valve engine. After the launch this bike will major competitor of Royal Enfield bikes. All the Pulsar series bikes known for their quick acceleration, performance and eye catchy appearance. On the other hand Discover is the second popular model of Bajaj Auto which also available in 100, 135 and 150cc.

This brand known for fuel efficiency.

Bajaj Pulsar 135
The Bajaj Auto to produce this new pulsar with the technology of KTM which is the new partner. The KTM-Bajaj also to launch 125cc commuter bike in Indian market by the year of 2001. The Bajaj Pulsar 135 getting good response from market and this bike has stepped in the European market with KTM pro-biking.

The worlds first 4-Valve DTS-i technology equipped Baja Pulsar 135 is blessed with the 134.66cc, 4-Stroke, Air-Cooled, 4-Valve, Single Cylinder, SOHC (Single Overhead Camshaft), DTS-i (Digital Twin Spark Ignition) petrol engine with five speed manual transmission gearbox. This powerful and fuel efficient engine of the bike generates maximum power of 13.5PS at 9000rpm and top torque of 11.4Nm at 7500rpm.

Bajaj Pulsar 220
The Bajaj Pulsar 150 is equipped with 4-stroke, Air-Cooled, DTS-i, 149.01cc, powerplant with five speed manual transmission gearbox.
This TEC (Torque Expansion Chamber) technology blessed engine of the bike produces 14.09PS of maximum power at 8500rpm with 12.76Nm of maximum torque at 6500rpm.

Bajaj Pulsar 220
The third version of Bajaj Pulsar 4-stroke, Air-cooled, DTS-i, 178.6cc, engine with five speed manual transmission gearbox. The engine delivers impressive performance which produces 17.02PS of maximum power at 8500rpm with 14.22Nm of maximum torque at 6500rpm.

Bajaj Pulsar 220 which is the high end top variant comes loaded with 4-stroke, Oil-cooled, DTS-i, 220cc, engine with five speed manual transmission gearbox. The excellent performer and quick pick-up generator engine of the bike delivers top power of 21.04PS at 8500rpm and peak torque of 19.12Nm at 7000rpm. This version of Bajaj Pulsar is most popular in Indian bikes market and known for power and performance.

After these excellent performer models of Pulsar the new will be very impressive and different from other which will be first choice of youths.

Honda to showcase small car prototype at Thailand Motor Expo

2010-11-12T21:01:00.000-08:00

Honda Siel Cars India on Tuesday said it will showcase the prototype of its proposed small car at the upcoming Thailand International Motor Expo this month and will launch the vehicle in India in 2011.

Japanese car giant Honda had unveiled the concept of the vehicle at the Delhi Auto Expo this year and said it will be priced below Rs 5 lakh.

In a statement, Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI) said the world premiere of the prototype of the new small-size vehicle will take place at the forthcoming 27th Thailand International Motor Expo 2010, starting November 30.

HSCI, the joint venture between Honda and the Siel Group, further said the proposed small car is "scheduled to be introduced to India and Thailand in 2011".

Based on this prototype, Honda will introduce two versions of the small car, the statement said.

"In India, Honda will introduce a model developed exclusively for the country's growing small car market. In Thailand, Honda will introduce a model that complies with the country's high fuel efficiency standards," it said.

Three superb new SUVs coming to India

2010-10-22T04:38:00.000-07:00

This year has been a year of some great car launches. From hatchbacks to Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), every segment has seen the entry of a new model.

One of the recent entrants in this is the crossover launched by Tata Motors -- Aria.

The SUV and MUV (Multi Utility Vehicle) segment of the country is all set to get many more models in the coming future. Here is a little about three of them:

Mahindra Ssangyong Korando

The acquisition of Korean carmaker Sasangyong by Mahindra had the auto industry abuzz for a long time.

The two companies share special interest in the SUV/MUV segment and it is rumoured that the Mahindra Ssangyong Korando is expected to be in India soon.

The specifications about the new car are still not available, but the fourth generation Korando C is ready to hit the international market once again.

Volvo XC60

The car is expected to come to Indian shores by November 24.

The Volvo XC60 is a contemporary crossover and the company has put all its safety knowledge into making XC60 a very safe car across all categories.

The Volvo XC60 is expected to come in both diesel and petrol variants. The diesel variants include 2.4D 175hp, 2.4 D DRIVe 175hp and D5 AWD, 205hp engines. While there would be two petrol engines -- the 3.2 AWD, 238hp and T6 AWD 285hp.

The Volvo XC60 is claimed to have more energy than any other Volvo and is considered a visual feast. This makes the XC60 the prefect car for those looking for superior design, brand integrity and high-tech content.

BMW X1

The car is being launched in the premium compact segment in the price band of Rs 25 to Rs 30 lakh (Rs 2.5-3 million).

The car is expected to be available in five variants with a diesel engine in both manual and automatic transmission option.

It is expected to come with a 1995cc, 4-cylinder, 16-valve, diesel engine that produces 143bhp of maximum power at 4000rpm with 320Nm of maximum torque at 1750-2500rpm.

The same capacity engine capable of producing 177bhp of maximum power at 4000rpm with 350Nm of maximum torque at 1750-3000rpm would also be available.

The top end variant of the BMW X1 is expected to have the same engine with 204bhp of maximum power at 4400rpm with 400Nm of maximum torque at 2000-2250rpm.

The car also has features such as ABS (Antilock Braking System), EBD (Electronic Brake-Force Distribution), dual front airbags and side ITS head airbags, alarm system with remote control, engine immobilizer, front and rear anti roll bars, central locking, child lock, crash sensor, front and rear fog lamps, halogen headlamps, front and rear seat belts with pre-tensioner, belt force limiter and side impact protection.

New Mercedes Benz CLS

2010-09-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

The old generation Mercedes CLS has made way for the New CLS which is actually a toned down version of the concept. “Seduction Has To Be Flawless”.

The new CLS – the new design icon from Mercedes-Benz

A generation ahead: The CLS-Class created a new vehicle category in 2003 by combining the elegance and expressiveness of a coupé with the comfort and functionality of a sedan. The CLS delighted the public, astounded the competi-tion and created a new style icon: for years the CLS has endured as the only four-door coupé in its class, and since October 2004 it has been the car of choice for approximately 170,000 buyers worldwide. “Customers all over the world benefited from our bold move to launch a completely new vehicle con-cept onto the market”, explains a delighted Dr. Joachim Schmidt, member of the board of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Sales & Marketing. “And with its exciting de-sign, the new edition of the CLS also benefits from the fact that we are a whole generation ahead of the competition with our four-door Coupé.”

Celebrating its world premiere at the Paris motor show (October 2 – 17, 2010), the 2012 CLS-Class will arrive in U.S. dealerships in mid-2011. The 2012 CLS-Class builds on the pioneering role of its predecessor with a fresh new inter-pretation. “The new CLS points the way forward for the future perceptible de-sign idiom of Mercedes-Benz”, explains Professor Gorden Wagener, head of de-sign at Mercedes-Benz. “At the same time it takes its inspiration from the great tradition of stylish, refined sportiness which has always been a feature of Mercedes coupés.”

Exterior: classic Coupé styling with distinctive front

The proportions remain as spectacular as ever: long hood, tightly-styled frame-less side windows and a dynamic roof sweeping back at an angle towards the rear. The four-door Coupé from Mercedes-Benz immediately made its mark in 2003 as a new style icon. Though the proportions are the same, the secondgeneration of this design trendsetter has a completely new look.

What immediately strikes the eye is the innovative front design, which is reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Visually, the radiator grille is not inte-grated into the hood but formed separately. This further highlights the long, sporty hood. The grille is dominated by the large central star, which unites the car with other Mercedes-Benz coupés and also enhances brand identity. The large, elongated dark air inlets with black grilles also add to the vehicle’s ath-letic appearance.

Design brings high-tech features to life

Another distinguishing feature comes in the form of the full LED headlamps, which are the world’s first to offer all of the dynamic light functions using LED technology. This innovation boasts an impressive design – inside they are di-vided into three arrow-shaped layers from top to bottom: the upper layer contains an LED indicator, beneath which is a striking LED side light offers LED low beam functions. The side light can also be seen when the high beam is activated, thereby creating a unique night-time design. The lowest level of the headlamp houses the main beam and nightview functions. A total of 71 LED’s provide an unmistakable appearance as well as a significantly enhanced view of the road compared with previous systems.

The typical CLS outline, with its elegantly long proportions, is the dominating attribute of the new model. The effect of the dynamic, athletic form has been enhanced with a new interplay of lines and surfaces. A unique “dropping line”, which begins above the front wheel-wells and slopes downward towards the rear, represents a new interpretation of a renowned design hallmark of his-toric Mercedes sports cars. A distinctive and muscular sports car-like shoulder line above the rear axle highlights the athletic character of the 2012 CLS. The flared wheel arches resemble the powerful stance of a predator waiting to pounce. The side profile is rounded off with wide wrap-around tail lights featuring LED technology — a linking element to the rear of the vehicle. The shape is empha-sized by the broad shoulder line, which is clearly visible from behind and sup-ports the flat roof. A wide metal insert adds a further visual highlight at the rear.

The interior: design brings quality to life

The interior of the 2012 CLS-Class is also distinguished by a timeless design which combines discreet elegance with innovative details and handcrafted per-fection. The eye-catching cockpit features a wrap-around dashboard sweeping from the driver’s door over the instrument panel support and across to the front passenger door. The central display has also been integrated seamlessly into the upper part of the instrument panel.

Watch the video of Mercedes Benz CLS here:

The CLS also lives up to its role as a design icon thanks to the innovative nature of the materials used, including a mixture of satin and high-gloss finishes used on the metal surfaces. Highlights also include matte galvanized air vents which ideally compliment a high-gloss-trimmed analogue clock.

Handcrafted perfection is reflected in details such as the stitched seat covers and dashboard. The individual parts of the leather dashboard are sewn to-gether by hand in a process which takes several hours, after which they are fit-ted and upholstered with high-quality padding. Prior to this process, the leather is also heated to preshrink it, so that it will retain its shape even after extreme exposure to direct sunlight.

The particularly exclusive 1.6-millimeter thick semi-aniline premium leather meets the highest standards of both look and feel. The natural pore structure remains intact thanks to a light pigmentation, and the leatherhas an especially warm and soft feel to it. Premium leather requires a very precise manual selection process and therefore a high amount of untreated leather.

The refined interior of the CLS is further reflected in the generous use of high-quality trim elements, located on the instrument panels, center console and door linings. Customers can choose between high-gloss brown burl walnut or high-gloss black ash. The wood has been perfectly fitted around difficult con-tours for a masterful handcrafted finish, and the wood trim has been matched according to grain as part of a sophisticated selection process to create a consistent overall impression.

For an even more progressive look, black piano lacquer or carbon fiber trim elements are also available. Handcrafted as well, up to seven layers are applied and polished for the piano lacquer trim until the high-gloss finish is achieved.

Car Care During the Rains

2010-09-14T04:13:00.000-07:00

It’s been raining cats and dogs and the challenge the monsoons pose to your car is not trivial. The following tips will help you not only keep your car shining and smiling, but also ensure you have a safe and enjoyable drive in the rains.

1. We all know bald tyres drastically reduce your traction on wet roadways and offer little resistance to hydroplaning. Ensure that your tyres’ tread level never falls below 3mm.

2. Get your car polished. Teflon coating protects the car’s panels and metal parts. Even very minor scratches on the car’s body cause rust, so don’t forget to touch up the scratches.

3. Replace your wiper blades regularly. Older vehicles may need to have the whole wiper arm replaced. The arms wear out over time and can’t keep enough pressure to clear the windscreen, even with new blades installed. Use the windshield washer fluid generously as recommended by the manufacturer. Using a blend of water and washer fluid will clean the windscreen more effectively than washing with plain water.

4. Rain water moistens the brake drums which can cause lower braking efficiency. Brake well ahead of your stop and with reduced force when roads are slick. Avoid using your brakes; if possible, take your foot off the accelerator to slow down.

5. It’s very crucial to protect the car’s under-body from rust and the best measure is to give it a coat of anti-rust at an authorised service station or other professional after-market outfit.

6. Fill the battery to the brim and ensure the battery is fully charged. Apply petroleum jelly on the connecting point of the battery so that it remains dry; grease is also advised but it could damage the battery outlet joints.

7. Headlights illuminate the darkened conditions around you and help other drivers to see you coming. So it is important to check all your lights and ensure they’re all in good health. Do not use your high beams; they can reflect off droplets and make it even more difficult for you to see.

8. Ensure your defrosting and air-conditioning units are working properly so that you can de-fog the windows in rainy conditions. Use the de-frost mode with AC ON, in fresh air mode to clear the windscreen of condensation whenever the windscreen gets fogged up.

9. Every car should have a good emergency kit. The kit should meet your individual needs and be equipped with items ranging from spares, torch, fuses, tyre inflators, to safety kits and other items to attract or provide help. You can even keep cigarettes in your emergency kit, but not to relieve stress during an emergency. Rub the tobacco all over your windscreen and it causes water to form droplets and quickly roll off the glass rather than stay there and hinder your vision.

10. Water may sneak into the car’s interior and damage the car mats, flooring, seat covers and even some of the electronic wirings under the carpet. Moreover, it will also create a bad odour. Replace the existing mats, covers and carpets with rubber or plastic ones. It’s also advisable to roll a waterproof electrical tape on the electrical wires to prevent any kind of short circuit in the car. Also buy a waterproof car cover and keep the car covered when not in use.

Improve Your Car’s Fuel Efficiency

2010-09-14T04:10:00.000-07:00

It’s really exasperating to see fuel prices skyrocketing, right? We can only feel helpless in the face of recurring and economy-driven price fluctuations. Seeking measures to improve fuel economy is the only way to combat rising fuel prices. Do not disregard these simple guidelines; each little step can really start adding up to significant savings to your budget.

Check Tyre Pressure

Keeping the tyres well inflated is one of the simplest things you can do to help improve your car’s fuel efficiency. You can improve the mileage by about 3.3 percent if you keep your tyres inflated properly, according to the DOE.

Lighten Your Load

Empty out your boot of unnecessary items. For every extra 45 kg you carry, your fuel efficiency can drop by 1-2% in a typical vehicle.

S-L-O-W D-O-W-N

The faster you drive, the more fuel you use. Driving within the speed limit recommended by the manufacturer helps save fuel. Driving just 5mph over the speed limit can affect fuel economy by up to 23%. Likewise, quick acceleration consumes too much fuel; accelerate slowly and gradually.

Do Fuel Quality/Types/Additives Help Mileage?

Petrol pump attendants often try to convince you to go for ‘Speed petrol’ or ‘X-tra Mile diesel’. But this need not necessarily help improve your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Always use the grade recommended for the vehicle by the manufacturer. Higher octane fuel may not only be a waste of money but may harm the vehicle, as well. However sticking to one brand of fuel is always good for the engine. Know more about Octane Ratings

Tune Your Engine

A well-tuned engine can improve fuel economy by up to 4%. So change your oil and follow your car manufacturer’s recommendation on servicing.

Clean the Air Filters Regularly

Air filters keep impurities from damaging your engine. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve fuel economy by as much as 10%.

Keep the Windows Closed

Driving with your windows open considerably reduces mileage, far more than keeping the AC on while driving along highways. So preferably keep the windows closed and the AC on if you want to keep cool. Of course the air-conditioning decreases fuel efficiency considerably, so use it judiciously. Windows down or A/C on — which is more fuel-efficient?

Clean Spark Plugs

Ensure your spark plugs are in good condition. Renew the plugs and wires at intervals specified by the manufacturer. This will keep all cylinders firing properly resulting in higher efficiency.

Don’t Be a Clutch-Driver

Never keep your foot on the clutch while driving. When you do this, pressure is being placed on your clutch, and it not only reduces mileage, but also wears out the clutch plate, replacing which is not cheap.

Keep the Car in Showroom Condition

It’s always prudent to keep the car in the showroom condition. Remember that any modification to the car, such as broad tyres, diffusers etc., will adversely affect the mileage.

India production to go up by 50 pc next year: Audi

2010-09-10T05:11:00.000-07:00

German luxury car-maker Audi on Friday said it will ramp up its output by 50 per cent in India to about 3,000 units next year, even as it gets ready to enter the used-car business by 2011.

The company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Audi India, is also considering the launch of luxury sedan A7 and will initiate a market study for the same.

"Seeing the demand that we are having for our products, I think that we will have to start the second shift at our plant. Our production from the plant will be exceeding 3,000 units next year," Audi India Head Michael Perschke said.

The company, which currently assembles luxury sedans A4, A6 and sports utility vehicle Q5 at its Aurangabad facility, expects to produce about 2,000 units this year, he added.

Perschke said the company will roll out a new variant of A6 next year from the facility. The plant has an installed production capacity of 6,000 units.

"We will also launch a completely new A8 and a 4.2 litre TDI version of Q7. These two cars will be imported," he added.

When asked if the company is planning to introduce any new model in India, Perschke said: "We are looking very seriously for the A7. We will do a market research and evaluate its demand in the country."

He, however, declined to give any timeframe for launching the vehicle in India.

He said the company expects to sell about 2,700 units this year compared to 1,658 units in 2009.

Asked if Audi India will start a used car business like its rivals, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, Perschke said: "Most probably from next year we will have the pre-owned car business. We already have it in Europe under 'Audi Plus' brand."

He said the company has not yet decided about the branding of the used-car business for India.

Audi India had earlier committed an investment of 30 million euros till 2015. It has already put in about 65 per cent of the amount.

"Every year we are exceeding our own expectations. If the market grows at this rate, then we see all reasons to revise our investment by 2012," Perschke said.

He said the luxury car market in India could cross the 12,000 units mark this year. With a target of about 2,700 units for this year, Audi's share would be about 25 per cent.

The company is also expanding its dealership network to about 20 by next year from the existing 14 outlets, he added.

New MUV's to hit Indian market soon

2010-09-10T05:06:00.000-07:00

As the demand for the crossovers is shooting upwards in the Indian car market, some of the largest car makers of the country including Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Skoda AutoMulti Utility Vehicles or MUV) is the fastest growing segment of passenger vehicles in the Indian market. Although, the year 2010 has been a year of new hatchbacks as an array of new and stylish hatchbacks have been rolled out in the Indian market since the starting of this year. But now the trend seems to be shifting towards crossovers as the industry is witnessing a steep rise in the demand for multi utility vehicles.

A simple example of how successful MUV are is the Toyota Innova which is the best seller in its segment and has been in high demand right since its launch.

The crossovers (MUVs) are basically SUVs built on a chassis of sedan car and thus fulfill all the requirements.

The main factor behind the success of the crossover vehicles is that they can be used in the city, highway and off-road journeys. Thus, the utility of these models fall maximum as compared to an SUV or a sedan.

Speaking of MUV, the country's largest vehicle maker, Tata Motors is all set to launch its much anticipated MUV Tata Aria in the Indian market in the upcoming festive season. The Aria model was showcased in the Delhi International Auto Expo in January 2010. The all new Tata Aria model is expected to sport a 2.2 L, DICOR (Direct Injection Common Rail) engine which is already doing duties in company's popular SUV Tata Safari model. After its launch in the Indian market, the Aria model will be competing with some of the most popular vehicles including the best selling model of this segment Toyota Innova.

Another vehicle that is all set to join the league of crossovers in the country is Maruti's new crossover that has been developed at company's R3 concept. The all new R3 concept was also showcased at the Delhi International Auto Expo January 2010. The model is expected to hit the Indian roads by next year. With this, Skoda, a fully owned subsidiary of Germany based Volkswagen group, is also planning to launch its much awaited.

Skoda Roomster model in the Indian market by year 2011. The German auto giant is also expected to enter into the fastest growing segment by launching a new crossover from Maruti SX4 platform by next year.
are mulling over to launch their respective vehicles in this segment. The segment of crossovers (also known as

Ford Plans 8 New Models to Drive Sales in Growing Indian Market

2010-09-04T04:38:00.000-07:00

Ford Motor Company will launch eight new vehicles in India by the middle of the decade as its plan to rapidly expand its presence in the fast growing market. Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford Asia Pacific and Africa (APA), made the announcement today during a keynote speech titled ‘Managing Growth – Evolving Market Dynamics’ at the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Conference in New Delhi.

“We have big plans for India and for this region,” Hinrichs said. “As we have seen from the spectacular early success of the Ford Figo, more and more Indian consumers appreciate the fuel efficient, economical, high quality, safe, and fun-to-drive vehicles that Ford offers. By the middle of this decade we will introduce eight new vehicles to India from our global platforms, in segments appropriate for this market. This is part of our ‘better plan’ to bring more and more vehicles from our vast global portfolio to India and other markets in Asia Pacific and Africa.”

Hinrichs’ remarks at the SIAM conference focused on strategies for managing change, specifically the impact of rising demand and increasing capacity on the value chain. He elaborated saying that, “Introducing eight new vehicles by the middle of the decade is an ambitious plan that will have tremendous impact on our manufacturing operations, supply chain, dealers and employees. As part of our better plan for India, we are working today to make sure the value chain is ready for the demands we will place on it in the years to come.”

Expanding capacity creates particular challenges for suppliers, which are responsible for a large part of a vehicle, and requires new approaches. Hinrich further explained that by 2012, more than 70% of the vehicles sold under the Ford brand globally will be built off 15 core platforms. By bringing suppliers into the development process earlier we can ultimately generate more profit for the supply chain.

The Figo has already made its impression on the people in India and having already accumulated a fan following, this announcement will make Ford lovers jump with joy. With eight new cars lined up for launch in the next decade, all eyes will be on the bait that Ford India throws out to its customers.

Car industry in India – fastest growing sector in the world

2010-09-04T04:36:00.000-07:00

The Car industry in India has seen a tremendous growth and seems to be the fastest growing sector in the world. This sector has responded with an exponential progress in the number of new models launched in the last few months. The craze for cars amongst people is growing day-by-day. Hence, all the car manufacturers are giving tough competition to each other by opting innovative and unique ideas to capture the market.

India is presently ranked 17th amongst auto car manufacturing countries in the world. Keeping in pace with the ever growing demand for cars, the production of cars has also been high, off late; thanks to a huge export potential and favorable Government policy. Multinational companies have been eyeing at India to set up their manufacturing facilities. According to auto experts and analysts, India is poised to become third largest auto car manufacturing hub in the world by 2020./p>

One of the factors that have characterized the impressive growth of Indian automobile market has been the dramatic and positive changes that have earmarked the Indian car landscape. From old Ambys to a range, color and design of Marutis, Opels, Tatas, Hyundais and Toyotas, the Indian car market is surely something to watch on.

The Indian car market basically thrives on volume, the fact that the market leader Maruti Udyog basically is a small car manufacturer is a testament to this fact. But, slowly the Indian car market is growing with cars such as the honda city, Toyota corolla; international products finding favor with the Indian consumer. Also, products such as the ford fiesta and the new Chevrolet Aveo that have been specifically developed for the Indian market show how important India is today on the world market.

Every car in India is today either custom made for the Indian market or is a niche car, which buyers from all over the world crave. Technologies such as CRDi, ABS, ESP, climate control, adaptive dampers, ride control and so on are making their presence felt in the market today. The average car buyer is now pampered with the latest launches from all over the world and is able to lay his hands on the state of the art cars at rather affordable prices.

In the multi utility vehicle segment, General Motor's Tavera is directly competing with Toyota Innova and Mahindra Scorpio. Tavera has been doing consistently well and has been delivering best in class mileage to its customers.

GM India is now foraying into the premium A-segment cars in India with the Chevrolet Captiva which is all set to hit the road later this year.

Renault to Launch 5 Cars in India

2010-09-04T04:15:00.000-07:00

French car maker Renault's Indian unit will launch five cars between mid-2011 and mid-2013, including small cars in 2012, its India head said on Thursday, to cater to brisk demand in one of the fastest growing automobile markets in the world.

Its small cars will be built on its alliance partner Nissan's platform, Country General Manager Marc Nassif said on the sidelines of an automobiles conference.

The cars produced at its manufacturing unit in Chennai, built jointly with its alliance partner Nissan, will be Renault-branded, Nassif said, adding that they would be competitively priced.

In 2011, the firm intends to introduce its premium vehicle Fluence and the cross-over Koleos.

Separately, Renault-Nissan is working with Indian two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto

Renault, which this year sold off its stake in a joint venture with utility vehicles and tractor maker Mahindra & Mahindra which made the Logan sedan, is all set to storm the compact car market in India on its own.

Nissan, which is 44 percent owned by Renault, has started selling its compact Micra cars since June.

The compact car segment in India, with cars measuring between 3.4 to 4 metres in length, is a rapidly expanding segment constituting more than 70 percent of the total car market.

Though top carmaker Maruti Suzuki still holds sway, global majors such as Toyota, Honda, General Motors, Volkswagen and Ford are eyeing this lucrative sector.

General Motors' Chevrolet Beat and Ford's Figo compact cars have already seen runaway sales so far this year.

Renault's global sourcing from India is expected to rise 40 percent to 50 percent in the current financial year, Nassif said.
to make a low-cost car, which would be designed by Bajaj and launched by end-2012.

Skoda will launch 3 to 5 lakhs Small Cars in India

2010-08-28T03:06:00.000-07:00

In India different types of small cars demand is increasing in day to day life of people. So seeing this demand world's car manufacture companies are very enthusiastic to launch different varieties of small cars. Now Imported Car Company Skoda of Czech Republic has decided to launch small cars in India and its price will very convenient. The price of these cars will be approximately 3 to 5 lakhs. Skoda's this car will be launched on he beginning of 2012 year. Currently company is designing this small car. Although earlier Skoda has lunched its small car Skoda Fabia but this despite being small car Skoda Fabia is equal to the price of Sedan version Cars because Fabia's initial cost is 6 lakhs rupees. So Skoda is determined to launch small cars in range of 3 to 5 lakhs.

While Skoda is going to launch its "Sport Utility Vehicle "Yeti"" in India at the end of this 2010 year. So we are waiting to see this Sport Utility Vehicle Yeti on road. Bing told that this sports utility vehicle Yeti's Ex-showroom price will be near 18 lakhs. Including Yeti Skoda will also going to launch Sedan version of Fabia this year and next year company will launch another new Sedan Car in Indian market.

So Clearly, Car Companies of all over World's eyes set on Indian Car Markets and Indian consumers are getting benefit because of new features and competition. Now people have lots of choices in all categories in all segments. That's not enough because of crucial competition Companies are providing premium car features in small cars.

Last year, Skoda sold 14,800 total cars in India and this year companies target is increase still 20,000 and more.

Mercedes-Benz launches Cabriolet

2010-08-28T03:01:00.000-07:00

German carmaker Mercedes-Benz on Tuesday launched the new E-Class in India, Cabriolet, a four-seater convertible with soft top, priced at Rs. 64.50 lakh. This is Mercedes-Benz's seventh offering within its E-Class range aimed at fast-growing Indian luxury car market.

Cabriolet comes with a 3.5-litre engine that delivers 272 hp of power. It is equipped with ‘Aircap', an automatic wind deflector that can be deployed at the touch of a button to significantly reduce turbulence in the vehicle's interior.

The luxury sedan also offers optimum safety with ‘Attention Assist' drowsiness detection system and ‘Pre-safe' predictive occupant protection and intelligent light system among others.

“The E-Class Cabriolet heralds a new era of open top motoring. The E-Class now offers the Cabriolet in addition to the already present E-Class Saloon and the E-Class Coupe,” said Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director Wilfried Aulbur after unveiling the sedan.

He pointed out that the E-Class had always been a runaway success in the Indian market since it first rolled out in 1995. Till date, the E-Class has sold over 12,700 units, thereby establishing itself as the most popular luxury car in the Indian market. The existing E-Class range in India is priced between Rs. 42 lakh and Rs. 50 lakh. “The new E-Class has broken all records and has already sold 1,268 vehicles between January and July this year.

Top 4 Best Selling Cars in India

2010-08-18T04:40:00.000-07:00

Known devils are better than unknown angels. This thought seems to be very deeply embedded in the Indian car buyers mind. In spite of plenty of new car launches, the tried and tested old models like the Maruti Suzuki Alto, the M800, Hyundai Santro, Mahindra Bolero, Ford Ikon, Hyundai Accent and Tata Indica stay at the top as far as sales figures are considered. Even out of the top four highest-selling models in India, three are a decade old and two belong to Maruti Suzuki. In this article, lets have a look at the top 4 best selling models in India.

Maruti Suzuki Alto

It is very clear that the highest models in the country are still the cheapest cars. For Maruti Suzuki and for India, the Alto happens to be the best seller. A full-service car for so low a price attracts consumers. New cars with new features may have made their entry, but the basic technology made use of still remains the same.

Around 20,000 units of the Alto are sold every month. The impressive sales figures have prompted Maruti Suzuki to bring in a new-generation sibling for the model very soon, and together, the cars are expected to deliver sales of around 3,50,000 units a year.

Maruti Suzuki WagonR

Indias and Maruti Suzukis next best seller is another decade-old model, the WagonR. It has of course been refurbished very recently. The WagonR clocks sales of around 11,000-12,000 units every month. A vibrant yet safe package, the WagonR has been strapped with the best-in-class safety technology while its new peppy colours are full of novelty and vigour to keep you charged up and always ready to go. A reliable and fuel-efficient car, the WagonR suits the Indian car buyer just right.

Theres no doubt that Maruti Suzuki offers cars that are specially designed keeping in mind car buyers in India. Sales figures of Maruti Suzukis oldest model, the M800, prove this fact. In spite of the model being phased out of 13 cities after implementation of the new BS IV norms, it appears as quite a surprise that around 2,000 units of the M800 are still being sold every month. The car has a waiting list in markets like Srinagar in India.

Hyundai Santro

After the Alto and WagonR, the Hyundai Santro happens to be the next best seller. Its been twelve years since the models birth, but still sells nearly 7,000 units every month. If the combined sales of the Santro and the Hyundai i10 are taken into account, the duo clock around 20,000 units a month for the car maker. With the Santro displaying impressive sales numbers, it looks like Hyundai has no plans of phasing out the model despite its age.

Last year, the car was re-introduced into the Indian market with a few minor changes like beige interiors and an all-new grille. With this done, Hyundai will not be touching the Santros looks as of now. The car maker feels that the Santro has been selling real well and making changes would increase cost and lead to a subsequent price upgrade.

Tata Indica

The next best selling model in India is the Tata Indica. The car was first rolled out in 1998 and is of nearly the same age as the Hyundai Santro. Ever since its launch, this car has had modifications almost every year. The major changes, however, were done in 2001 with the launch of the Indica V2 and then in the year 2006 with the launch of the Indica V2 Xeta. Two years after that, in 2008 the Tata Indica Vista was born. Around 11,000 units of the Tata Indica roll out of dealerships every month and is Tata Motors largest selling car in India.

Analysts seem to be a little confused about this rather strange Indian phenomenon of old models going strong. It certainly is the credibility and affordability of the older models that works the magic in India.

Maruti Suzuki launches new 1000cc Alto, to take on competitors

2010-08-18T04:28:00.000-07:00

Maruti Suzuki has launched a new version of Alto, with a more powerful engine compared to its existing model. The new version has a 998cc engine, compared to 800cc earlier. It is suppose to provide the highest fuel efficiency among petrol cars in the A2 segment, 20km per litre.

On the exteriors, it has been refreshed to give a distinctive look. The design of headlamps & tail lights is changed. The front and rear bumpers are new. It is 125mm longer than the earlier one. It is designed to be wider and taller too. All these make the car look bigger.

On the interiors, the gears and brake system are superior, giving a better driving experience. There is more leg-room for the rear seat passengers.

The car will be available in lxi and Vxi variants, in 6 colors: Sunlight Copper, Midnight Black, Fire Brick Red, Superior White, Ecru Beige & Silky Silver.

It prices range between Rs 3.03 – 3.16 lakh, ex-showroom, New Delhi, Rs 3.08 lakh – 3.21 lakh, ex-showroom, Bangalore.

On an average 20,000 units of Alto are sold every month. With the increased features provided by the new Alto, the sales figures are sure to go up. The market leaders Hyundai Santro and Chevrolet Spark are sure to face a stiff competition.

Maruti Suzuki has been a market leader in the small car segment, having around 50% of the market share. However, for the first time this has fallen to 47% and Maruti Suzuki is in top gears to regain its market share. Launch of Alto K10 is a beginning step towards this.

AMW Trucks - The Global trucks

2010-08-06T02:13:00.000-07:00

India's first global truck series - 4923 TR and 2523 TP were delivered to the market in 2005. Today, AMW’s product portfolio comprises vehicles in 25, 30 and 49 tonne segments in haulage and fully built vehicles like Tippers, Dumpers, Transit Mixers, etc. AMW has constantly delivered products that increase productivity and profits for our customers and provide the best economic solution for their business.

Today, AMW is part of all major National Highway and other infrastructure projects with the brand capturing a healthy market share of 10% of the addressable market.

AMW’s trucks have also started making their presence felt in markets in Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

AMW trucks, tippers, transit mixers and other Fully Built Vehicles are part of many prestigious road, construction and mining projects in the country.

Fully Built Vehicles
The range includes :
* Cement Bulker
* Rock and Box body tippers
* Steel coil trailers
* Skeleton trailers
* Tip trailers
* Dropdown trailers
* Curtain side trailers

Tata Motors Now Introducing New Vehicles

2010-08-05T05:04:00.000-07:00

Indian automobile giant, Tata Motors is mulling over new fuel efficient cars as well as hybrid cars in emerging markets and also planning to increase the sales of its Jaguar and LandRover cars in India and China.

In India, the company plans to launch a new cross-over vehicle, two new passenger vehicles and a new range of heavy trucks, Tata Motors Chairman Ratan Tata said.

"The current range of vehicles has seen resurgence in demand, and the challenge before the company today is to deliver enough vehicles to meet market demand," said Tata in the firm's annual report.

He said China has emerged as the third-largest global market for Land Rover/Range Rover and "studies are underway to consider options to increase market penetration in China, India and other developing markets."

Tata said the company is also considering widening the range of Jaguar cars by introducing a station wagon, a new entry-level Jaguar, and a new roadster.

China's demand for cars has fuelled a rise in bottom lines of many a car maker, as sales grew almost 48 percent in 2009 to 8.4 million vehicles. In India, total passenger car sales increased by 24.5% to 1.9 million units in the fiscal year ending March.

The company also plans to revamp its entire Range Rover portfolio and promises "the new Range Rover 'EVOQUE' will have be a bold design evolution in sports utility vehicles (SUVs)."

Tata Motors, whose products include the world's cheapest car, Nano, had bought the Britain-based Jaguar and Land Rover brands from Ford in 2008.

Tata Motors posted a 41% growth selling 67,799 vehicles in July 2010 as against 48,054 vehicles in the like period of 2009. This includes the company's export products.

In the domestic market, it logged a 39% growth at 63,558 units which includes both passenger and commercial vehicles as against the 45,599 units sold in the same time last year.

Meanwhile, the company also announced that its holding firm Tata Sons' director R.Gopalakrishnan, will be stepping down from the board.

Gopalakrishnan was a director in group companies like Tata Motors and Tata Power and also held the posts of chairman in Tata AutoComp Systems, and vice chairman in Tata Chemicals, among other important positions.

KAMAZ Commercial Trucks Launched in India

2010-08-05T04:54:00.000-07:00

KAMAZ Group of Companies launched new Commercial Trucks in India.

KVML is a joint venture company between Kamaz Inc. Russia and the Vectra group.

KAMAZ Group of Companies is the largest automobile corporation of the Russian Federation. KAMAZ Inc. ranks one of the leading world heavy truck manufacturer and takes 8th place in the world by production volumes of diesel engines. About 59 thousand people work in departments and associated companies of KAMAZ Inc.

The Vectra Group is a multi-dimensional portfolio of companies that operate in various business domains across the world. The core businesses of the Group are Engineering, Material Handling & Construction Equipment, Automotive and Real Estate, Information Technology & Services sectors. Operations of the Vectra Group are primarily in India and Eastern Europe spanning over 18 companies with 8 manufacturing facilities in 4 countries. In addition Vectra Group has representative offices and/or investments in France, Russia, Singapore and Hungary with the Group’s headquarters in the U.K.

Maruti Suzuki launched New Maruti Alto K10

2010-08-05T04:33:00.000-07:00

Maruti Suzuki has launched its new version, Alto K-Series on the 4th August 2010 in India. The expected price of Alto K-Series is between Rs 3.00 lakh to Rs 3.40 lakh rupees. New Maruti Alto K10 is a new version of small car Alto. Improved mileage and powerful K-Series 1000cc Engine with attractive price are included in Alto K10. LXI & VXI are two variants of Alto K10, which will be available in six colors such as Sunlight Copper, Midnight Black, Fire Brick Red, Ecru Beige, Silky Silver and Superior White.

1-litre K10B engine, which has previously seen on the Maruti Suzuki A-Star, Estilo and the new WagonR, is will be the feature of Alto K10 car. Alto K10 became more powerful with the engine and this engine also offer it a class-beating fuel efficiency figure. For the light and zippy car, the company is claiming an ARAI approved figure of 20.2 kmpl. With new headlamps, a new radiator grille and revised interiors, which impart a sense of modernity to Maruti’s reputed people’s carrier, Alto K10 has also been suitably refreshed on the inside and the outside to distinguish it from its older sibling.

Except for the retuning of suspension and booster assisted braking system, there are not much mechanical changes. New Alto K10 engine is the new stuff but Maruti already uses it in A-star, Estilo and Wagon-R. 68PS of maximum power at 6200rpm and 90Nm of maximum torque at 3500rpm is produced by the K-series under the hood of Alto K10 produces. On the other side, because of the new engine, Alto k10 has gained just 50kgs. Effect is that, Alto K10 reaches 100kmphs in 13.3 seconds as opposed to 17.3 seconds by Alto.

Maruti Alto K10 Models:
* Maruti Alto k10 lxi
* Maruti Alto k10 Vxi

Features of Maruti Alto K10:
* K-series 1000cc engine
* Equipped with Fog light
* Speed meter along with RPM meter
* Attractive tale light
* Same color bumper
* Side new mirror
* Broad bonnet
* The new Alto is 125 mm longer than existing

Maruti Alto K10 Price in India –
Maruti Alto k10 lxi Price – Rs.3.1 lakh (approx)
Maruti Alto k10 Vxi Price – Rs.3.4 lakh (approx)

Maruti to launch five new CNG versions by August

2010-08-05T04:25:00.000-07:00

In a bid to save its threatened market share in the Indian market, auto giant Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) is all set to launch not one or two but as many as five of its portfolio models in CNG version in the second week of August . The company will launch all of these variants simultaneously in a single day. The cars which will be launched in the CNG versions in the Indian market include some of the most popular Maruti cars in India such as, best-selling Maruti Alto, recently launched new Maruti Wagon R, compact hatch Maruti Zen Estilo, multi-purpose vehicle Eeco and entry level sedan Maruti SX4.

It is to be mentioned here that the market share of this largest car maker of India fell to 47.59 percent in the month of June 2010 from 55 percent registered during the same period last year. While the total passenger car sales in the Indian market were 4,33,641 units in the first quarter of this financial year, Maruti India sold as many as 2,06,377 units of its cars during this period. By launching CNG versions of 5 of its popular cars in India, the company will certainly enjoy the first movers advantage as very few cars are available in factory fitted CNG versions in the Indian market so far.

According to Mr Shashank Srivastava, Chief General Manager (Marketing) at MSI, the CNG models will be very important in company’s portfolio. He added that Maruti is the first company to come out with factory-fitted CNG cars and it will have the first mover’s advantage in the market. He added that It is the launch of a technology, not the cars. It is the concept of factory-fitted CNG models.

While briefing to the reporters regarding the launch of new Maruti Alto K-10, Mr Srivastava said that the company is expecting about 25 per cent increase in Alto’s sales after the launch of the new variant — Alto K-10. The Maruti Alto is the best selling car in the Indian market clocking sales of more than 20,000 units per month.

Maruti hikes prices by up to Rs7,500 across segments

2010-08-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

The country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India raised the prices of all its models, expect Alto, by up to Rs7,500, citing a sharp increase in input costs.

The new prices are applicable with immediate effect, the company said.

"Due to a sharp increase in the input costs, Maruti Suzuki India has decided to pass on a part of this cost impact to customers," the company said in a statement.

The price revision, however, will not include its largest selling model Alto, it added.

"The approximate price revision on various models (Ex Showroom, Delhi) ranges between Rs2,000 and Rs7,500. The price increase ranges between 1% and 1.5%," the statement said.

The hike comes on a day when the company reported its best ever domestic monthly sales for July at 90,114 units, a 33.45% increase from 67,528 units in July 2009.

Maruti Suzuki India today reported 29.18% jump in its total sales, including exports, for July at 1,00,857 units. It had sold 78,074 units in the same month last year.

Porsche India Launches Porsche Cayenne in Mumbai

2010-07-30T03:17:00.000-07:00

German sports-car company, Porsche, last week launched the second-generation version of its luxury SUV, the Porsche Cayenne, in India. The new Cayenne comes in five variants, priced between Rs 65.82 lakh and Rs 1.27 crore. One of these is the Cayenne S Hybrid which, at Rs 75.46 lakh, is the most expensive hybrid vehicle in the country. The company has already received 10 orders for the Cayenne Hybrid, out of a total of 70 bookings across variants.

At present, Porsche has 2 showrooms in India, and will open 5 more in Chennai, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kochi and Ahmedabad by the end of 2010. Porsche India Director, Mr Ashish Chordia, told mediapersons that the new Cayenne represented the perfect balance between elegant design and powerful driving dynamics, with much improved efficiency. The Cayenne S Hybrid variant can run 100 km on only 8.2 litres of fuel.

Toyota to roll out small car 'Etios' in December

2010-07-30T03:13:00.000-07:00

Toyota Kirloskar Motors has announced clearly that its small car ‘Etios’ will be launched in December 2010. Toyota organized a boot camp for its Fortuner SUV owners. During the occasion, Deputy MD Mr. Sandeep Singh of Toyota Kirloskar Motors announced that the new facility for the new car ‘Etios’ will be completed soon and hence the production will start a little ahead of December. Etios will be launched in this December and the sales will start in January 2011.

Buzz up!
Toyota has poured in a huge sum of Rs. 3,200 crore to set up a new factory to produce the small car Etios which has an initial capacity of 70,000 cars per annum. The new plant at Bidadi, near Bangalore and also adjacent to Toyota’s mother plant in India, can be extended to produce as much as 2 lakh cars per annum in the next two years. Toyota Etios is expected to be priced at Rs. 5 lakh and above.

Like Hyundai and Ford, Toyota is also planning to export its small car “Etios” to overseas market. Innova is Toyota's bestselling vehicle, with 48,000 units sold every annum, followed by Altis with 13,000 and Fortuner with 9,000. With the launch of Etios, Toyota is expecting that its sales will increase double fold in 2011.

Pre-delivery Inspection & Check List

2010-07-30T03:11:00.000-07:00

You are obviously excited about the delivery of your new car, but WAIT! Many have paid a huge price for the resultant haste, and its best to take some necessary precautions before driving away in your new machine.

We enlists all that you should check for as a part of the pre-delivery inspection:

Before Registration:

We recommend visiting the dealerships stockyard and checking your car prior to registration. Once it is registered in your name, there is little you can do. Check the car manufacturing month/year, especially when buying in the first quarter of any year. Fiat India was notorious for selling cars that have been manufactured up to 18 months earlier. Ascertain that the year of manufacture is current. Best way is to ask the dealer for the "Form 22" certificate (issued by the manufacturer). You will find the engine / chassis numbers on this certificate, while the month / year of manufacture are on the "road-worthiness" certificate (part of Form 22).
If the odometer is disconnected, in all probability, the allocated car has been used as a test-drive vehicle. Also check for any repair jobs / body damage; damage to some cars is inevitable in transit and most repair work is glaringly obvious.

IMPORTANT : Check the tax calculations on the dealership invoice. Overcharging for RTO / octroi / lifetime taxes is a popular scam at many Indian dealerships. Pay only the actual charges due to the authorities and not a rupee more.

Preparations:
1. Confirm: the date of delivery with your dealership. It is best to go there only after the car has been prepared and is ready. If you have a preference for a particular day / time (for auspicious reasons), inform the sales person.
2. Daylight: We recommend accepting delivery in broad daylight, since the dark can conceal a lot. You may also not get good service in the evening since dealership personnel are in a hurry to wrap the day up.
3. Documentation: Ascertain that you carry any required documentation with you. This may include forms, receipts etc.
4. Payments: If any payment formalities are to be completed, carry along the relevant PDC’s / Cash / Credit Cards.
5. Third Person: It’s always a good idea to take a relative / friend along for suggestions, observations and comments.
6. Memories: Take a camera along.
7. Music: Carry a CD / cassette if your car is equipped with a stereo.
8. Gift: Take a token gift along for the sales guy.

At the Showroom:
1. Be Courteous: Don’t bully around. It’s a nice happy moment and the sales staff is as excited as you are. Treat them with respect, and you will get better service.
2. Get a Demo - Part of the salesperson's job is to acquaint you with your new car's features and how each one operates. Ask him to demonstrate the car fully, and top to bottom, in order to understand how everything works on the vehicle.
3. Visit the Service Department: We recommend meeting the service manager and getting familiar with the service center facilities.

Final Inspection:
1. Check the car again: A lot could have happened between the pre-registration inspection and today. It’s best to walk around the car and ascertain that the car is super clean! Look for any signs of repair work / damage such as paint difference, dents etc. Even the interiors should be squeaky clean.
2. Check that all lights and electric accessories are working fine.
3. Confirm that all the accessories you ordered are fitted on the car.
4. Check that the spare wheel is fresh. And that all related tools (spanner, jack etc.) are present. Are there wheel locks? If so, ensure that the lug key is there in the car.
5. Misc : Wipers, floor matting, first-aid kit & hazard sign.
6. What is the mileage on your car? It should not be more than a 100 km (or in the whereabouts) for most brands.
7. Ensure that there is enough fuel in the car. At least to get you to the nearest petrol pump.
8. Somehow, most new cars are delivered with over-inflated tyres by the showroom. Check the tyre pressure and make the necessary adjustments.

Documentation:
Read the paperwork! Don't take anybody's word for anything. Make sure all the blanks in the contract are filled in.
1. Invoice. (Check that the Chassis and Engine number of the car matches with the Invoice and / or Challan).
2. Sales certificate.
3. All payment receipts.
4. Registration book or temporary certificate (Some States). Is your name spelt correctly? Are the car chassis / engine number matching with the actual? Is the number plate made in accordance with the number on the registration book?
5. Insurance: Ensure that coverage is valid and active.
6. Original PUC certificate. This is valid for one year.
7. Owners Manual.
8. Duplicate Keys.
9. Original warranty with all relevant dealership stamps.
10. Extended Warranty (If opted for).
11. Warranty of third party items such as battery, tyres etc.
12. Roadside assistance Contact details.
13. Business cards of dealership and service personnel.

Say Thanks to everyone and leave!

Hummer Vs Knight

2010-07-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

Hummer was a marque of trucks sold by General Motors that marketed three vehicles: the original Hummer H1 based on the military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, or Humvee), along with the Hummer H2 and the Hummer H3 — based on other, smaller civilian-market vehicles.

The brand was not transferred to Motors Liquidation Company as part of the GM bankruptcy; instead, it was retained by GM in order to investigate selling the brand.

Chinese automaker Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company announced in 2009 that it would acquire the Hummer brand, pending government approvals. However, the Chinese industrial equipment maker withdrew its bid after failing to win approval from Chinese regulators. According to Reuters, the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China rejected the deal on February 24, 2010, but a spokesperson for ministry denies that it rejected the application that has been stalled for eight months.

At the end of February 2010, General Motors announced it would begin dismantling the Hummer brand. Two days later, the automaker announced it had been approached with new offers for the brand after the deal with Sichuan Tengzhong could not be completed.[5] However, by April 2010, any sale of the brand became unlikely as inventory depleted and dealerships began shutting down. After filling a rental car fleet order, the last Hummer H3 rolled off line at Shreveport on 24 May 2010.

Hummer H1

The Hummer H1 is a civilian off-road vehicle based on the M998 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (or Humvee), which was created by AM General. The vehicle was produced from 1992 through 2006, and was the first of what became the Hummer line. It was initially known only as the "Hummer", however in 1999 in a joint venture between General Motors and AM General, GM began marketing the Hummer H2, which was built on a GM SUV chassis. It was at this point that the original Hummer was given the H1 designation. For collectors, the most desirable model is the H1 Alpha, produced in the final model year of 2006. It had the most powerful engine and the best fuel mileage of the H1 vehicles. Overall, the H1 was a very limited production vehicle.

"Originally designed strictly for military use, this absolutely massive four-wheel-drive utility vehicle earned its 15 minutes of fame as a civilian conveyance when it became the ride of choice among Hollywood celebrities and professional athletes. Boasting 16 inches (40 cm) of ground clearance as well as super-aggressive approach and departure angles, the Humvee could clamber over a 22-inch (56 cm) high obstacle, handle a 60 percent grade and wade through up to 30 inches (76 cm) of water".

Hummer Vs Knight

KNIGHT XV

The KNIGHT XV is the world's most secure, ultra-luxurious, biofuel powered SUV which was introduced to the automotive marketplace in November 2008. The KNIGHT XV is a $489,000 (US) handcrafted vehicle built by the Toronto-based company, Conquest Vehicles.

Vehicle Highlights Include:

- V10, 6.8-litre engine and sits on a super duty Ford modified platform chassis.
- 400 hp and 498-ft lbs of torque.
- Interior appointments include: Wilton Wool luxury carpeting; Andrew Muirhead leather; 6-way electric leather boardroom-style seating; Tandem sunroof glass with privacy shades; Personal side-mounted lap top trays; LED cabin lighting; Alpine AM, FM, CD, DVD navigation and Bluetooth equipment; TV Monitors; Night vision and rear op camera system and Playstation 3 (PS3).
- The cabin has a 283-cubic-foot interior which is larger than the interior of most SUV’s on the road today and can comfortably seat six professional basketball players.
- The KNIGHT-XV™ is built using ballistic hardened steel making it fully armoured including ballistic fiberglass fenders and bumper, and up to 64 mm. (2.5 inches) transparent armor (glass).
-The vehicle's armouring level varies based on each client’s specific requirements.
- The KNIGHT XV™ is 240” in length, 98” in width with a ground clearance of 14” and stands at 100”. Its wheelbase is 141” and has an armoured curb weight of approximately 12,000 pounds.
- The KNIGHT XV holds 40 gallons of fuel and sits on four, LT40X13.50R20 Mickey Thompson Baja Radial ATZ tires with ballistic run flats.
- The KNIGHT XV's 20-inch rims are custom designed and engineered using a solid piece of forged 6061 aluminum.
- The KNIGHT XV™ contains an E-85 Ethanol conversion system (Flex Fuel) with California emission certification, thereby making it certified in all 50 States.

About Conquest Vehicles: Conquest Vehicles Inc., specializes in the design and manufacturing of ultra-luxurious, fully armoured, handcrafted sport utility vehicles. The company, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, is comprised of the automotive industry’s most respected talent whose award-winning experience in engineering, fabrication, design, armouring and customization combine to create one-of-a-kind SUV’s unrivaled and unmatched in today’s automotive marketplace.

Volkswagen Vento

2010-07-20T03:50:00.000-07:00

The German Car major, Volkswagen unveiled its much-awaited sedan Volkswagen Vento in India. However, the car will be available to its customers in the last quarter of the year. The company disclosed the specification of the car at the event held for its unveiling but details about price and mileage were kept under wraps. The company official informed that the Volkswagen Vento price would be declared in August, 2010.

Volkswagen Vento Description :

Overall

Volkswagen, the German Car maker is back with a bang, with the all new Volkswagen Vento. Volkswagen Vento is said to be designed to give direct competition to the market leader Honda City. The new executive sedan will hit the Indian roads in the October-December quarter this year, according to the company official. Market leader Honda has dominated the mid size premium sedan segment in India, but with the launch of Volkswagen Vento, the race to take the number one spot in terms of market share will now begin between the two Automotive giants.

Volkswagen Vento is expected to be positioned in the premium category car, same as Volkswagen Polo which is in line with a higher brand value of the company. The company will follow the same strategy for Volkswagen Vento as it does with Volkswagen Polo. Although Volkswagen Vento price will to be disclosed in August, 2010, but the industry sources speculate that it will be priced in the range of Rs 7-9 lacs, giving it a “in your face” competitive to Honda City.

The added advantage that the all new Volkswagen Vento has in comparison to its competitor Honda City is that the former will be available in both petrol and diesel version unlike the latter which is available only in petrol version. The all new Volkswagen Vento will be seen with the same engine as is available in Volkswagen Polo i.e. 1.6 L petrol and diesel engines. While the petrol engine is expected to produce a torque of 105 Ps, the diesel engine will have a thumping torque of 250 NM. Volkswagen Vento will be launched in India with manual and automatic transmission. The petrol version will be equipped with a 6 speed automatic gearbox.

The all new Volkswagen Vento is expected to have the same dynamic exteriors and interiors, as Honda City does. The sleek exterior look of the new Vento that will hit the roads soon, is expected to hog a lot of limelight, all for good reasons, we believe. The Sedan with be loaded with a lot of charismatic effects and looks to appeal to car lovers.

Volkswagen Vento as mentioned above will hit the roads in the October-December quarter of 2010. The car will be manufactured at Volkswagen's new factory at Chakan in Pune. This facility is currently used in the production of Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia. The company has plans to sell around 25000 units every year once the production starts with full swing. The major disadvantage for Volkswagen Vento will be its cost, as the engine and the transmission (which is generally 35-40 % of car's cost) will have to be imported. Volkswagen Vento is expected to have top of its class advanced safety and comfort features that will make this car very different from its competitors.
Volkswagen Vento Models

Volkswagen Vento will be launched in the Indian market with petrol and diesel engine models. The new sedan will be available in the same variant line as the Volkswagen Polo. According to the initial information, the new car will have both Trendline and Highline variants.

Volkswagen Vento Models

Volkswagen Vento will be launched in the Indian market with petrol and diesel engine models. The new sedan will be available in the same variant line as the Volkswagen Polo. According to the initial information, the new car will have both Trendline and Highline variants.

Volkswagen Vento Petrol Trendline : This basic variant comes equipped with 14" steel wheels with full wheel caps, Black exterior door handles and mirrors, Radio preparation with speaker & antenna pre-wiring, 14" steel wheels with full wheel caps, etc.
Volkswagen Vento Petrol Trendline AT: It comes with the same features as Volkswagen Vento Petrol Trendline except automatic transmission gearbox.
Volkswagen Vento Petrol Highline : This variant is comprised of all the standard features of Trendline along with some extra features like ABS, Front Airbags for driver and co-driver, Climatronic automatic air conditioning, Radio with CD player MP3 and four speaker including roof Antenna, Fog light, front & rear , 15” Alloy wheels, etc.
Volkswagen Vento Petrol Highline AT: It comes with similar features as Volkswagen Vento Petrol Highline, the only difference is automatic transmission gearbox.
Volkswagen Vento Diesel Trendline :It comes with the same features as Volkswagen Vento Petrol Trendline except diesel engine.
Volkswagen Vento Diesel Highline : It comes with the same features as Volkswagen Vento Petrol Highline except diesel engine.

Mileage, Average and Fuel Economy

The all new Volkswagen Vento is expected to come in both Petrol and Diesel engine. The all new Vento will be packed with the same engine as Volkswagen Polo. The car will have a 1.6 L engine. The new Volkswagen Vento will be equipped by both 5 Speed Manual Transmission and an automatic gearbox (in the petrol version) and 5 speed manual gearbox (diesel version) for smooth changes and easy shifting of gears. The engine will have a DOHC Valve configuration with 4 valves per cylinder which will make the performance of the car dynamic.

The new Volkswagen Vento promises to offer smoother and faster gear shifts and acceleration in both manual transmission/automatic mode. This engine is anticipated to offer a mileage of 11.2 kmpl in the city and 15.4 kmpl on the highway. So far, the mileage figures are not announced by the company.
Power

Volkswagen Vento will be available in both petrol and diesel engine. Both the engines will be powered by a 1.6 liter DOHC in-line type engine. This In-line type engine with 4 Valves per cylinder offers greater torque and clear emission. Volkswagen Vento will have a 5 Speed Manual and automatic AT (in the petrol version) for easy shifting of gears. The engine will provide smoother and faster gear changes with both manual and automatic gearbox. It is also anticipated that the car will provide an improved fuel economy. This engine will offer idling speed to be lowered without compromising on its high-speed performance. The highly powerful engine of Volkswagen Vento will produce an impressive power of 105 bhp at 5250 rpm and a thumping torque of 153 Nm at 3800 rpm for the petrol engine and 250 Nm at 1500-2500 rpm for the diesel engine.
Colors

The Volkswagen Vento Trendline variant will be available in two exciting colours i.e. candy white and flash red, both being the most sought after colors in the auto world. The car will have body colored outside mirrors, door handles, chrome strip on trunk, chrome finish on front air dam,fog light surrounds and green wedge at top section of windshield.

On the other hand, Highline variant of the Volkswagen Vento will have reflex silver metallic, shadow blue metallic, terra beige metallic and deep Black Pearl. The exterior will be comprised of body colored outside mirrors and door handles, 15” alloy wheels, chrome strip on trunk, paint, metallic and pearl effect, chrome finish on front air dam and fog light surrounds and green wedge at top section of windshield.
Acceleration and Pick Up

It a known fact (well for car enthusiasts !) that the acceleration of a car is greatly dependent on the torque and transmission. Manual Transmission offers greater mileage and acceleration than the Automatic Transmission. The Volkswagen Vento is assumed to be powered by 5 Speed Manual Transmission and automatic gearbox (in the petrol engine variant) to facilitate smoother changes in gears. The engine is expected to offer an impressive acceleration and top speed.

Volkswagen Vento Exteriors
Exterior Appearance

Volkswagen Vento is a stylish luxurious Sedan that offers a distinct sporty look. The secret of its distinct design lies in the combination of a robust appearance with functional details. The exterior design gives the car a smart and an elegant appearance. The classy look of Vento spells sophistication all the way. The design of Volkswagen Vento blends concept car themes and sound aerodynamic principles while conveying the brand’s rally heritage.

The front of the Volkswagen Vento is similar to the Volkswagen Polo design with chrome trimmed front radiator grille that offers a classy and an elegant look. The saloon and the hatch are similar to the B-pillar, except for a different grille and lights, to differentiate it from its hatchback sibling.

The stylish halogen headlight and indicators give extra emphasis to the elegance and luxurious look and provide good and optimum vision on the road, thus offering an uncompromising attention. The squarish rear LED lights (tail lamps) give a very innovative and impressive look and offer stylish contour to the New Volkswagen Vento which perfectly blends with the rear design. The new Volkswagen Vento offers a look similar to that of a sports car, with its unique front end. Alloy wheels provides a very aggressive and sporty look to the car.

The trendline variant of the Volkswagen Vento will come with 14" steel wheels with full wheel caps, chrome inlays in front grille to the left and right of the Volkswagen logo, body coloured bumpers, black exterior door handles and mirrors, Halogen headlights, partially zinc coated body with 6 years anti-rust warranty and rough road package with increased ground clearance whereas the Highline variant will be designed with body colored outside mirrors and door handles, 15” alloy wheels, chrome strip on trunk, paint, metallic and pearl effect, chrome finish on front air dam and fog light surrounds and green wedge at top section of windshield.
Exterior Measurements

Volkswagen Vento is a stylish Sedan with a seating capacity of 5 passengers. Its dimensions guarantee comfortable handling and maneuverability while driving in the city The exterior dimensions of Volkswagen Vento offer ample length and width with excellent height and wheel base.
Volkswagen Vento Interiors
Interior Appearance

The all new Volkswagen Vento is expected to be on roads shortly with amazing and stunning interiors that compliments its exterior. The interior of the car boast sophistication with top of its class luxury features. Spacious interiors of Volkswagen Vento that offer a sense of tranquility even in the busiest of roads is sure to attract car lovers.

The new car is expected to offer higher level of comfort that is unmatched by any other car. Its reflex interiors with fabric upholstery, dashboard will make it look what it should look- elegant all the way !

Other salient features the Volkswagen Vento possesses are: Front doors with storage compartments including a holder for 1 litre bottle, Rear doors with storage compartments, Storage compartment for sunglasses inside the glove box, Fully lined trunk and trunk floor, Trunk illumination, Foldable roof handles with coat hooks (3x), Warning triangle holder, Center console including 2 cupholders, Front centre armrest including cupholder for rear seat, Front center console including 12V outlet, Rear seat backrest, Fixed Gear lever surround, inner door handles and AC vents with chrome, 2 tone anti-glare dashboard, Black & Beige, Sun visors with ticket holder on driver's side, Sun visors with vanity mirror on passenger's side and Livon" fabric upholstery.

Additional interior features in Volkswagen Vento Highline variant include, Co-driver seat adjustable from rear seat for additional leg room, Interior Chrome package, Genuine leather wrapped steering wheel, gear shift knob, hand brake lever and gear shift boot, Rear centre arm rest and “Livon” superior upholstery
Interior Comfort

Volkswagen Vento offers a cocoon of comfort. The car is a class apart from its peers when we talk about the comfort features it carries. Along with style and elegance, the comfort and convenience of the passengers is also taken care of. Volkswagen Vento is expected to be packed with a host of features that ensure, you reach your destination relaxed and in great comfort, something that we all need, at the end of the day.

The power Steering wheel offers a comfortable drive for a of any height, the adjustable steering column, for both reach and rake and comfortable seats ensures a great driving experience. The tailor made innovative engine of Volkswagen Vento gives a high level of driving comfort.

The adjustable driver’s seat offers a suitable driving position with both height and seat adjustments in it, that ensures you reach your destination in sheer comfort. The car is packed with many advanced comfort features to give a pleasant and smooth drive.

The storage section is also taken care of, with the availability of huge boot space wherein you can put in your luggage in case of long distance travel. The front cup holders and the storage compartments in front doors offer greater use of space where you can store bottles or papers, etc.

The comfort features for the Trendline variant of the Volkswagen Vento include AC with rear AC vents, central locking, push type fuel lid opener, centrally lockable, outer rear view mirrors manually adjustable from inside, four power windows with driver side one touch down, Electric trunk opening, Rear defogger, white instrument back-lights, Parking lights, radio preparation with speaker and antenna pre-wiring, Front intermittent wipers, Dust and pollen filter and 14" steel spare wheel.

The Highline variant of the Volkswagen Vento will be equipped with some extra comfort features such as Electrically adjustable outside mirrors, Climatronic automatic air conditioning, Comfort power windows, Height adjustable driver seat, Remote control for central locking, incl 2 keys, Multi function info display including door opening warning, Radio with CD player MP3 and four speaker including roof Antenna and14” steel spare wheel.
Interior Measurements

Volkswagen Vento is a luxurious sedan with a seating capacity of 5 passengers. The car is very spacious from inside and the interior dimensions provide ample area making both the headroom and legroom spacious.
Engine Capacity and Performance

The all new Volkswagen Vento will be available in both petrol and diesel engine options. The car will be equipped with the same engine as that of Volkswagen Polo. It will have 1.6 L engine DOHC in-line petrol engine for both manual and automatic options. The engine is expected to be equipped with 4 valves per cylinder which will offer clear emission and a higher torque. Volkswagen Vento petrol version will have 5 Speed Manual Transmission and automatic gearbox and diesel version will host only 5 speed manual gearbox to enable smooth changes in gears. This engine helps the idling speed to be lowered without compromising the high-speed performance. The officials of the company claimed greater fuel efficiency for the car without mentioning the figures.

The highly powerful petrol engine of Volkswagen Vento will produce an impressive power of 105 ps at 5250 rpm and a thumping torque of 153 Nm at 3800 rpm .The diesel engine of the car churns a top power of 105 ps at 4400 rpm and generates a peak torque of 250 Nm at 1500-2500 rpm.
Wheels

The all new Volkswagen Vento will available with cast aluminum alloy wheels and large size tyres. This big sized tyre are of great help in controlling the car from off-roading. It also reduces the skidding rate in slippery and watery roads. The Volkswagen Vento Trendline will have 14" steel wheels with full wheel caps and a 14" steel spare wheel while the Highline variant will be assembled with 15” alloy wheels and a 14” steel spare wheel.
Braking and Handling

Like all the cars from the Volkswagen stable, Volkswagen Vento, too is packed with a sound braking system. The front wheels of Volkswagen Vento come with Disc Brakes while its rear wheels have drum brakes. A good braking system helps in decelerating the car very quickly. The other advanced features that make the handling of Volkswagen Vento more convenient is ABS (Antilock Brake System) that ensures the prevention of wheel locking in case of sudden braking. Moreover it prevents the vehicle from skidding in case of hard braking at a wet or slippery road.

The suspension too, in the all new Volkswagen Vento will be a very powerful one and is expected to maintain the stability of the car.
Handling and Safety

Safety is a major concern these days with increased number of vehicle on roads. Volkswagen has taken care of this concern with its inbuilt passive and active safeguards in place. Volkswagen Vento is expected to be equipped with a array of advanced safeguards to make the drive comfortable and hassle-free.

The ABS (Anti Lock Braking System) ensures prevention of wheel lock in case of abrupt braking and keeps the car steerable. The availability of Driver’s Airbag and co-passenger airbag in the car is the most important safety measure which offers a cushioning effect to the passenger in case of collision and jerk and also helps in reducing the impact of the collision.

Volkswagen Vento is expected to have front and rear fog lights that help to drive the car in any weather condition. With the presence of fog lamps, the drive becomes easy and safe in bad weather conditions.

Some of the other safety features are Anti theft system with interior surveillance and back up alarm, Height adjustable 3 points front seat belt, 3-point safety belts for rear outboard occupants, lap belt for rear middle occupant, Front headrests and rear headrests, height-adjustable, High mount stop lamp, Day night rear view mirror, Front disc brakes and Electronic immobilizer.
Stereo and Accessories

Volkswagen Vento will be equipped with advanced integrated audio system wherein you can listen to your favorite music with best sound quality using an integrated radio. Also, a sound system for ultimate drive experience will be available in the all new Volkswagen Vento. The Highline variant will have radio with CD player MP3 and four speaker including roof Atenna.

Volkswagen Vento will be accessorised with a powerful Climatronic automatic air conditioning, dust and pollen filter.

GM-Wuling Hong Guang may be launched in India

2010-07-16T05:18:00.000-07:00

The Hong Guang presented by SAIC-GM-Wuling flaunts a well-designed exterior that's truly compact. The relatively small engine changes traditional perceptions of compact business vehicles. It may come with P-TEC 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre engine options as the first business vehicle with an engine displacement under 1.6 litre. The car puts on show a lot of grace with its side body lines flowing smoothly in a simple and acute manner. The dazzling six-inch aluminium alloy wheels add the missing streak of luxury while the carrier on the rear-sloping roof adds to the vehicle's functionality.

The Hong Guang's interior has round interfaces and arcing lines; proof of Chinese design that also gives a spacious feeling. The handy central console is dual-toned with sedan-like instruments. The car has a T-shaped interior layout with a 2+2+3 seating layout. It has been aimed at luring those looking for a business vehicle with exceptional fuel economy, terrific functionality and at an affordable price.

Hong Guang comes with 5 manual gears, power steering and with 7 people seating capacity.

Excluding Headlamp Washer, Xenon Headlamps, ORVM Indicator, GM-Wuling Hong Guang has parts like Trip Meter, Tachometer, Body Color Bumpers.

Though parts like Auto Headlamps, Auto Viper, Buttons / Controls on steering, Sun roof, Rear AC Vent, Leather seats, Remote boot, are missing, GM-Wuling Hong Guang is well furnished with Folding Rear Seats, Tinted glass, Door mirrors, Music system, Driver seat adjustment, Steering adjustment, Rear armset, Rear defogger, Rear Wiper, Remote Fuel Filler, Central locking, Power windows, AC.

Following are present in : Fog lamps,, it doesn’t contain Rear seat belts, ESP, ABS, EBD, Traction control, Parking sensors, Safety Air bags.

Ex-showroom price of GM-Wuling Hong Guang is same in all cities ( Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, New Delhi,) where on road price / cost may change from Mumbai’s which is at Rs. 6,00,000 due to the difference in state tax.

Expected Launch Date: Mid 2011

New Volkswagen Vento Launched In India

2010-07-07T23:51:00.000-07:00

Volkswagen launched its new Volkswagen Vento in India on 6th July, 2010. Due to Volkswagen’s feature of engines, exteriors and interiors or its performance, stylish and elegant looks, it has already become famous. Vento will be available with 1.6 L CRDI Diesel Engine & 1.5 L MPFI Petrol engine options. The car will be available with five speeds manual transmission and automatic transmission. The price of Volkswagen Vento is estimated in range 7 to 9 lakh.

Volkswagen Vento is C-plus segment car and its competitor cars include Honda City, Hyundai Verna and Fiat Linea and Toyota’s upcoming Etios sedan, Maruti Suzuki SX4, and Ford Fiesta.

Neeraj Garg, director of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India said, “The way we were competitive when we launched the hatchback (Polo), similarly, we will be competitive in terms of value proposition and impact segment with the sedan. We are a premium brand with premium products and do not intend to be in the price-sensitive segment.”

Vento is the latest model of VW after VW’s and the successfully launched Passat, Jetta, Touareg, New Beetle, PhaetonPolo hatchback car. The Vento is designed according to requirement of car enthusiasts in the country.

The Car has traditional simple looks but the designers have designed the notchback portion with very satisfying proportions and very attractive. It has six-spoke alloy wheels which added compliment in its looks. It will be available in various colors including Deep Black, Flash Red, Glacier Blue, Silver and Candy White. The car is featured with 5 speed Manual and Automatic Transmission, Automatic Gearbox (Petrol Version), Chrome trimmed front radiator grille, Led light tail lamps, Alloy wheels. Vento is 5 seater car.

Volkswagen Vento Expected Price: Rs. 7-9 lakhs

Specifications of Volkswagen Vento:

Vehicle Summary:

Car Name: Vento
Car Body Type: Sedan
Segment: C+ Segment

Engine specifications:

Engine Type: Petrol
Displacement: 1598cc, 4 Cylinder, 8 Valve
Maximum Power: 105 Bhp (Expected)
Maximum Torque: 158 Nm (Expected)

Fuel and Mileage:

City Mileage: 11.2 kmpl
Highway Mileage: 15.4 kmpl

New Facelifted 2011 Honda Accord To Be Launched In India Soon

2010-07-07T23:49:00.000-07:00

Honda as we all know is one brand which every Indian customer looks up to when he/she considers buying a luxurious sedan or a high end SUV and has gathered a lot of appreciation with highly acclaimed products like the Honda City, Honda Accord and the Honda CR-V.

Its been a while since the brand launched these cars in the Indian market and fortunately brought the face lifted models of the City and the CR-V pretty soon and also launched a completely new 7th generation Accord. But after the new accord in 2008 a long time has passed since the brand made any changes to it, and now after 3 years the all new face-lifted 2011 Honda Accord is all set to hit the market.

Erik Berkman, vice president of Corporate Planning and Logistics for American Honda Motor Co. said,”For 2011, the Honda Accord evolves again with sharpened styling inside and out, fuel economy gains and a broader application of popular features. The Honda Accord is designed to deliver a consistently rewarding ownership experience in the areas that matter most to sedan and coupe drivers.”

The EPA fuel economy of the vehicles has been drastically increased by 2 MPG in the city and 3 MPG ion the highway owing to the changes made to vehicle aerodynamics, engine friction and transmission gear ratios.

The new redesigned alloys give a better appearance and its radius will now fall between 16” – 17” inches. The car looks bolder now and makes its presence more renowned in the crowd and the credit solely goes to the upscale design with new 3 step front grille, front bumper and rear deck lid and features minor changes on the interior as well.

The car will go on sale in the US by 2010 August and we hope that Honda brings it to India soon.

Tata Motors reclaims No 2 spot in domestic car market

2010-07-07T23:46:00.000-07:00

It is by far the country’s largest automaker by revenues. Its dominance in the lucrative commercial vehicle segment is undiminished, despite a flurry of new entrants in the past few years. Is the car segment the next frontier for Tata Motors to conquer?

The company has never been forthcoming on the issue, but the market is buzzing with speculation about an impending battle between Maruti Suzuki — the incumbent — and Tata Motors for the top slot in the fast-growing car market. The speculation has been fuelled by a better-than-expected performance by its car division in June.

Last month, Tata Motors’ passenger vehicle sales in the domestic market jumped 53% year-on-year to nearly 30,000. This makes it India’s second largest carmaker, ahead of Hyundai Motors India. For Tata Motors, growth was led by the success of its recently launched sedan, Indigo Manza, and a big jump in the delivery of Nano. A strong demand for Manza more than doubled the sales of Indigo to 7,500 units last month, becoming a clear leader in the entry sedan segment.

Nano, meanwhile continues to gain traction after inauguration of its green-field manufacturing facility at Sanand, Gujarat. Last month, Nano sales doubled over the previous month and at this rate, the entry-level hatchback could soon emerge as the largest selling car in the Tata stable.

Tata Motors has done well to reclaim the number two spot in the domestic car market but a shot at the top slot looks well-nigh impossible at the current level. Maruti Suzuki is a strong incumbent with the widest model line-up in the industry.

Most importantly, Maruti has a vice-like grip over the bread and butter compact car segment, with a nearly two-thirds market share and a product portfolio to suit any budget. In contrast, Tata Motors continues to lag in the segment with a slow offtake of its Indica range. In the first three months of FY11, sales of Indica range were up just 8%, much below the industry growth rate.

The company’s ambitions have also been hurt by its failure to notch-up higher volumes in the sports utility vehicles(SUV) segment, with a weak response to its newly-launched Sumo Grande. The company’s SUV sales grew a modest 9% in the month of June 2010 and 20% during the first three months of the current fiscal.

Tata Motors can expect a better show in the segment in future, given the impending launch of its new SUV platform.

GM ends alliance with Reva

2010-06-04T22:45:00.000-07:00

Following the M&M-RECC pact, the GM called off its deal with electric car firm and plans to source Volt’s technology from their global electric vehicle.

India’s Mahindra buys Reva majority stake, GM to Develop New India Electric Car, Ends Reva Deal.

Indian car maker Mahindra and Mahindra said on Wednesday it had bought a majority stake in Bangalore-based Reva Electric Car to strengthen its position in the low-emission electric auto market.

Mahindra, India’s largest sports utility vehicle and tractor maker, bought a 55.2 percent stake in Reva, a global leader in producing low-cost electric cars.

The deal includes buying out equity from the promoters of Reva and providing 450 million rupees (9.5 million dollars) in fresh equity, a statement to the Mumbai stock exchange said. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

Reva’s promoters, the Maini family, will hold 31% in Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicle Company while Lon Bell, the co-founder, will hold 11% . Employees with stock options will hold the rest. “We expect that there will be 1.5 million electric cars sold globally. I see no reason why Reva cars will not be 50,000 of that 1.5 million in the next 7 to 10 years; this deal is a part of the larger strategy within the Mahindra group of focusing on sustained mobility,” said Pawan Goenka, president (automotive & farm equipment sectors), Mahindra & Mahindra, who will take over as chairman. Given our expertise in the overall vehicle development, we’ll work closely now with Mahindra Reva to make NXR and NXG a cost competitive and commercially viable product. We have also tied up funds for the first launch for Reva (NXR-NXG).”

GM to Develop New India Electric Car, Ends Reva Deal

Aday after Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd said it was taking a controlling stake in Bangalore-based Reva Electric Car Co., General Motors India (GM) scrapped its partnership with the company being acquired, saying it would make use of its own alternative fuel and propulsion technologies. “We plan to look within the General Motors portfolio for alternate technology vehicles,” said Karl Slym, president and managing director of GM India. Its US parent company is working on launching the Volt, a car that runs on batteries and has a small combustion engine that charges the cells as the car runs, giving it a range of 480km. The car is scheduled to be launched in the fourth quarter of this calendar year. The Reva, which operates solely on batteries, has a range of 80km.

The company is on track to launch light commercial vehicles as well as cars brought from its Chinese partner SAIC Corp. by the end of 2011. The cars will be sold in India under the Chevrolet badge. The three light truck models in the one-tonne range will be manufactured at its plant at Halol in Gujarat. It declined to disclose details on the cars to be launched. GM India is a 50-50 partnership between US-based General Motors Corp. and Shanghai-based SAIC Corp.

Price, Features and Specifications of Tata Indigo e-CS sedan

2010-06-04T22:40:00.000-07:00

Tata Motors proudly launched the Tata Indigo e-CS as ‘World’s most compact sedan’ which is set at a price starting from Rs. 4,08,000 to Rs. 4,88,000 (ex-showroom price in Delhi). The company aims to make a sedan available to those who want to spend money below Rs.5 lac and yet enjoy this vehicle. It is the most fuel efficient sedan launched by Tata till date.

Tata Indigo has undergone a facelift and Tata has also enhanced some of the features to deliver e-CS to the Indian sedan buyers. The company has launched 4 versions of e- CS: Indigo e-CS eLS, Indigo e-CS eGLS, Indigo e-CS eLX and Indigo e–CS eGLX.

Tata Indigo e-CS will be available in 2 engine options namely 1193cc MPFi Petrol which can develop 65Bhp of maximum power with 100Nm of maximum torque and 1396cc CR4 Diesel engine which can develop 70 Bhp of maximum power with 140 Nm of maximum torque. Both the engines are complaint with BS4 emission norms applicable in 13 cities of India. The all new 1.4 litre CR 4 Common Rail Diesel engine offers a mileage of 23.03 kmpl approved by ARAI. This mileage is the highest for any sedan currently available.

The all new Tata Indigo e-CS comes with revamped features that include new headlamps, new orange turn indicators in headlamps, new white alloy wheels, dual tone beige interiors, electric outside rear view mirrors and integrated turn indicators in outside rear view mirrors. The sedan also includes new music system with Bluetooth and aux port, new satin finish front grille, new instrument cluster with chrome rings and latest brown glaze finish for centre console. The company has also cut the overall length to four meters to avail tax benefits of small cars. Tata Motors has successfully made e-CS a complete package to address space and maneuverability demands in the big and congested cities of India.

Tata Indigo e-CS is available in 4 vibrant colors: Sterling Gold, Starlight Blue, Royal Burgundy and Porcelain White. The ex-showroom price in Delhi for the four models is as follows- e-CS e LS is set at Rs. 4,08,000, e-CS e GLS at Rs. 4,28,000, e- CS e LX at Rs. 4,68,000 and e-CS e GLX 4,88,000.

Special edition of Innova launched by Toyota

2010-06-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

Car-maker Toyota Kirloskar Motor on Wednesday launched a special edition of its multi-purpose vehicle Innova, priced at Rs 8.87 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The special edition, of which only 700 units will be sold, has been launched to commemorate the five years since the launch of the MPV in the Indian market, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) said in a statement.

"The Innova has been highly appreciated by our customers and has been the market leader in the MPV segment ever since its launch in 2005. We are focused on constantly upgrading our products based on customer feedback and are now delighted to introduce the all-new edition of the Innova," TKM Deputy Managing Director Sandeep Singh said.

He said the company has sold over 2.26 lakh units of the Innova since its launch in 2005. It is currently available in four variants in a price range of Rs 8.15 lakh to Rs 11.98 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)

The new special edition will be sold at TKM's dealerships between now and September. Fitted with a newly designed bumper, front grill and rear door varnish, the car will be available in one colour, premium super white.

VW to launch Phaeton in June with a price tag of Rs 76.3 lakh, Vento in three months

2010-06-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

The Volkswagen Polo, the German auto major’s offering in the premium hatchback segment, continues to have a waiting period of two-three months, depending on the model and the variant.

This is despite customers paying a deposit of Rs 50,000 on booking. The Chakan plant is ramping up volume, which is approximately 100 cars a day now, for production of the sedan version of the new Polo, called the Vento (which means wind in Portuguese and Italian). Production of this car is expected to begin from July. It will be commercially available later in the year.

Neeraj Garg, member of the board and director cars, Volkswagen India, said they have over 9,000 bookings for the Polo. He said, “A sure sign of the revival in the market is that people are booking the Polo despite having to wait up to three months.”

The diesel variant of the Polo was launched earlier this month. VW India began selling the petrol version of Polo in March. The company will launch its top-of-the-line Phaeton next month with an ex showroom price tag of Rs 76.3 lakh. This will come as VW’s third CBU import, the two others being the Touareg and the new Beetle.

“We have no bookings for the Phaeton since it is in a niche segment,” said Mr Garg. He was speaking to reporters after the formal inauguration of VW’s Pune dealer, Vidyut Motors, its 43rd. VW has dealerships in 37 cities.

VW India president and CEO Joerg Mueller said VW is the only carmaker with a 17 vehicle line up across three brands in the group.

Mr Garg ruled out any cannibalisation of group company Skoda’s Fabia by the Polo hatchback. The entry level Polo is priced lower than Fabia, also a hatchback. Mr Garg said, “The group has a product strategy.. In the market different brands could compete with each other. But there has been no cannibalisation and the brands are not in conflict.”

Nissan Micra gets ready for booking!

2010-06-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

Japanese carmaker Nissan said on Tuesday it will launch its Micra small car in the Indian market in July from a plant in the south co-owned with its French partner Renault.

"We will produce 80,000 units of Micra in the first 12 months beginning in May," Renault Nissan Automotive managing director Akira Sakurai said, according to Dow Jones Newswires.

The Micra was unveiled earlier this year at the Geneva auto show.

The Franco-Japanese carmaking alliance on Tuesday confirmed plans for another small car in the future, with its local partner, motorcycle and scooter manufacturer Bajaj Auto.

"We have room for another product, a small car, with Bajaj. This would be not just for Indian markets but for emerging markets too," Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Renault-Nissan, said.

"The Micra will be competitive in terms of price and features with other Indian cars," Ghosn told media at a press conference in Chennai, where the car will be manufactured.

"To compete in India one must manufacture and source components locally, and meet Indian consumer needs," Ghosn added.

Nissan sold between 200 and 300 cars in India last year, all imported.

India and its 1.2 billion-strong population is a huge draw because of the low number of car owners.

Several automakers including Ford, Toyota and Honda are in the race to launch small cars in India in the next two years, to rival the Tata group's Nano, dubbed the "world's cheapest car" at 100,000 rupees (2,200 dollars).

Just eight per 1,000 Indians own a car, compared with 550 per 1,000 in Germany and 495 in France.

The Indian auto market is forecast to triple over the next decade to six million cars a year from the current two million.

The cars to be put on display across showrooms in India from May 25, will also be available for bookings at the same time.

The car to be produced from India and exported to Europe, Middle East and Asia in designed in keeping in mind the discerning consumer needs of India.

Hyundai to launch one new car model in India every year

2010-05-20T04:28:00.000-07:00

Hyundai Motor India plans to launch a new model every year for the next few years as it seeks to hold its own in a fiercely competitive car market in the country. Besides, it will give a facelift to an existing model every year and also make minor modifications for a model year change.

(Auto makers refresh their line-up with small changes for the new calendar year, which they refer to as model year change.)

Over a buffet dinner at an Indian restaurant in Seoul's shopping district of Itaewon, Mr Han-Woo Park, Managing Director & CEO, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, told a group of visiting Indian journalists last week that this will be the company's strategy to meet competition, from the likes of Ford Figo, Chevrolet Beat, Volkswagen Polo and the new WagonR from Maruti Suzuki, besides the spate of new launches planned.

“I will launch minimum three models a year,” he told the journalists, on a visit sponsored by Hyundai Motor India to some of its parent company's facilities in South Korea.

“I feel that competition will be tough this year,” he said, and added that even in the face of the new launches by competitors so far this year, Hyundai Motor India's market share did not drop. This, he attributed to strong marketing and sales and the product line-up. Last year, the company's average market share was 20.6 per cent. In the January-April 2010 period, this increased to 20.7 per cent.

Hyundai Motor India sells the i10, Santro, i20 (all compact cars), Accent and Verna (sedans), and Sonata, a luxury sedan. It plans to launch the Santa Fe sports utility vehicle later this year.

The recently launched Ford Figo compact car has been reporting good sales numbers, especially the diesel option, which accounts for nearly 70 per cent of the car's sales.

Will he look at a diesel engine option for the i10? Mr Park replied that the company had not thought of this option till now, but might consider it for the new i10, whenever it was launched.

Hyundai Motor India gets 1.1-litre diesel engines from Hyundai Motor Company for the export model i10.

Mr Park was confident of the automobile industry's prospects for this year, with sales expected to grow 10-12 per cent over last year. Hyundai Motor India expected to do slightly better than the industry average.

The company, according to him, will have a stronger rural focus in the coming years. Rural sales accounted for more than a fourth of the company's total sales. From January to April this year, the rural market had grown 27 per cent, with Hyundai's sales growing at about 40 per cent. The company's strategy was to have sales branches in the rural areas to push sales.

When would the company think of expanding capacity? “We will think of it when the domestic sales account for 70-80 per cent of total sales,” said Mr Park. Last year, the domestic and export sales were equally split, with domestic sales growing to 57 per cent this year.

Mr Park was firm in stating that the company would not yield any more ground to a section of the workers which is threatening an agitation.

Last year, he said, the company took back 20 of the dismissed 87 employees. But some of them had agitated against the management, even when they were still serving their probation period. There was demand to take back some more of the dismissed workers.

Mr Park said “we will take a firm stand this time. We will not reinstate even one person.” On humanitarian grounds, the company was trying for an out-of-court settlement. “We have reached a settlement with four persons and are negotiating with a few more,” he said.

The industrial relations scenario was a major issue for the company, he said, and added that it would not be possible to run a large organisation if the company had to repeatedly compromise its stand. Moreover, it would affect the other industrial units in Sriperumbudur area, where Hyundai Motor India's plant is located.

“I don't think reinstatement is the only option for a settlement on humanitarian grounds. An out-of-court settlement is also an option,” said Mr Park.

BMW to launch electric car, MegaCity, in 2013

2010-05-03T03:54:00.000-07:00

When everyone is going green, BMW does not want to be left behind in the race. Yes, we are talking about the latest trend, well known as electric cars, that has become so popular among the global car manufacturers.

BMW will launch a new car in 2013 which will run entirely on electricity. BMW had earlier announced that it will launch its first-ever full electric production vehicle, MegaCity in 2013, which is two years earlier than expected. This car would run primarily on electricity stored in a battery and the MegaCity urban electric vehicle will be built of carbon fibre.

BMW has forged a partnership with the composites expert SGL Group to construct a new plant in Moses Lake, Washington. This plant will produce lightweight carbon-fibre materials for auto industry applications. The total cost of the plant is likely to go beyond $100 million.

Carbon fibre weighs less and hence plays a very important role in reducing a car’s total energy consumption. The MegaCity will be built on carbon fibre which would enhance its green sustainability. It will be sold primarily in over-populated cities.

The firm's "Megacity" car "will be an emission-free city vehicle for metropolitan areas around the world," the Munich-based firm said in a statement.

The MegaCity is expected to be a four-seat, three-door hatchback. All MegaCity cars will run solely on electricity stored in a 16-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack.

BMW has now produced two electric cars so far: the two seat Mini E, which is currently being tested in the US, UK and Europe, and the new Active E Concept which introduced at the last month's Detroit Auto Show.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen, Europe's biggest automaker, is also expected to launch its electric cars in 2013.

Mitsubishi may launch Thai eco-car in India

2010-04-28T02:13:00.000-07:00

Mitsubishi Motors, Japan’s fourth largest carmaker, is looking to grab a slice of the 1.2 million per year Indian small car market and is mulling the launch of a compact family hatchback over the next three to four years.

Although the company has been in India for more than a decade, the absence of a compact car has affected its market share. Mitsubishi is present only in the premium sport utility vehicle (SUV) and upper mid-size sedan segment.

According to sources, the company is planning to bring in the new compact car it is developing for the Thai market under the eco car project banner floated by the government there, aimed at attracting investments into the Southeast Asian country.

The Japanese company, which has a technical tie-up with the C K Birla Group-promoted Hindustan Motors, aims to launch the small car in Thailand in the first half of 2012. This car is built on a entirely new platform and sports a 1.3-litre petrol engine.

The company may have to retune this engine and decrease its capacity in India, to take advantage of the excise duty norms laid out by the government. In India, cars lesser than four metres in length and with engine capacity of not more than 1.2 litres in petrol and 1.5 litres in diesel fall under the lowest tax bracket for passenger vehicles.

When asked, company officials declined to comment.

The small car project was indefinitely put on the back burner by the company last year, as scarcity of funds following the economic meltdown forced it to freeze earlier plans, which included the launch of the compact car in 2011-12 in India.

The plans also included infusion of fresh capital to increase the capacity of the Chennai vehicle plant multi-fold to 1,00,000 units from about 12,000 units annually.

It actively pursued plans of having a ‘world car’ from India for which it was looking at many of its existing small car models. Mitsubishi presently sells the Pajero, Outlander, Montero, Lancer and Cedia in the Rs 7.75 lakh to Rs 38 lakh range.

The development of the eco-car is funded by the Board of Investment of Thailand. A total outlay of Baht 8 billion (Rs 1,100 crore) is earmarked for the project. The project also complies with the condition earlier set by the board, which requires a minimum production capacity of 1,00,000 units per annum.

Nissan Motor Company, Japan’s third largest car producer, was the first company to have developed the eco car when it successfully launched the ‘March’ compact car last month. The same car is slated to hit Indian roads in June but will be renamed Micra.

The eco-car project offers car manufacturers significant corporate tax exemptions for at least five years, provided production reaches 1,00,000 units per year within the five years. Besides, car manufacturers are supposed to meet the Euro-IV norms.

New Exotic Detroit 2010: very aggresive styling

2010-04-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

One of the eye catching displays over at GM is the Buick Regal GS. The Regal is basically the European Opel/Vauxhall Insignia rebadged as a Buick for the US and Chinese market (Buick is a highly regarded marque in China). This GS showcar features a potent performance package – 255 bhp/400 Nm 2.0-litre Ecotec turbo engine with power going to all wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and electronic LSD.

Acceleration from nought to 60 mph (96 km/h) is “less than six seconds”. The Vauxhall Insignia VXR, which has a 320 bhp 2.8-litre Ecotec V6 turbo does the same sprint in 5.8 seconds. The Regal GS features a lowered body and aggresive styling that mimics the VXR, except that it wears Buick’s signature “waterfall grille”. The show car wears 20-inch wheels.

That front HiPerStrut suspension helps reduce torque steer and maintain negative camber during cornering, improving grip and feel while isolating undesirable feedback. The GS features Brembo brakes with cross-drilled rotors, four-piston aluminum calipers and uprated pads. Interactive Drive Control System (IDCS) chassis technology allows the selection of three modes – normal, sport and GS – that change suspension settings, throttle response and steering sensitivity.

Inside, the Regal GS features a full black interior, sport shifter, a suede-covered, flat-bottom steering wheel and Recaro seats with four-way lumbar support and cushion extensions.

Luxury 2010 new ABT Golf VI GTD

2010-04-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

The ABT Golf VI GTD is based on the new Volkswagen Golf TDI which have improved both power and torque to give it 140kW (190hp) and maximum torque of 390Nm. The ABT Golf VI GTD diesel engine could reach 100 km/h in a 7.1 second with a top speed of 230 km/h.