Maruti Suzuki introduces all new Swift hatchback

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.