GM-Wuling Hong Guang may be launched in India

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

Five Million WagonRs sold worldwide

Suzuki Motor Corporation announced that the total worldwide sales of the tall boy WagonR has reached 5 Million units at the end of February this year. While 5 million units is a huge number, Japan contributed 3,498,000 while Indians and Chinese bought 832,000 and 330,000 WagonRs respectively. Apart from these three countries, 340,000 units were sold in the rest of the world. The Indian sales figure is not even close to the Japanese figure because in Japan, the WagonR has been on sale for four generations while the second generation of the Indian WagonR will be launched on April 23rd. Read the previous article below.

The WagonR has been on sale in various countries (66 to be precise) and has been a very successful model largely because of its practical nature. It has twice won the Automotive Researchers’ and Journalists’ Conference of Japan (RJC) Car of the Year award and has been the top-selling minivehicle in Japan for seven consecutive years.

Maruti will launch the all new WagonR on 23rd April. It is based on the all new 4th Generation Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) WagonRs platform and features all new powertrain and suspension systems. The new WagonR will be powered by the K10B 3-cylinder engine currently doing duty in the A-Star and Estilo. The new engine promises improved performance and a huge improvement in fuel efficiency – ARAI figures are 18.9km/l, just 0.7km/l away from the A-Star. With more outright space than its competition (and siblings), the new model is expected to set benchmarks for the segment in terms of space. It will have a stiffer chassis and tailored blanks are used all over and these specially treated, sandwiched and layered pieces of steel help provide stiffness without adding wasteful bulk. The new WagonR also features an all new subframe that carries the powertrain and suspension. The lower arms are now pivoted on two points on the sub-frame against the single point pivot on the earlier model. This will improve driving dynamics by a large extent while reducing NVH levels to offer a refined drive.

The new WagonR comes loaded with kit right from tilt-steering, ergonomically designed gear knob, electrically operated ORVMs, new HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning system) design, improved rear legroom, storage tray under co-driver’s seat, dual-tone interiors, new steering wheel and lots more.

On the sidelines of holding a sneak preview of the model, Mayank Pareekh, executive officer, Marketing and Sales, MSIL, said, “It’s not a minor change and everything is new in this model. Usually, the company spends around Rs. 40-50 crore on refurbishing any existing model for it to be launched in a new avatar. But in the new WagonR, MSIL had spent more than Rs. 290 crore besides the investment from vendors. A lot of investments have gone into the development of the product to make it an optimal choice for the Indian consumer.” Pareekh said as of now MSIL would only be manufacturing the petrol version of the WagonR which would give more power and fuel efficiency.

He also added that, “The hatchback is India’s No.2 selling car only after Alto and we hope to retain this leadership position with new WagonR.”

Maruti Suzuki’s New K-Series Wagon R To Be Launched On April 23

Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) is all set to introduce a new version of its second-best-selling car, the WagonR. A Rs 290-core investment had been made by the company for the development of its new car which will hit roads through the dealers across India on April 23.

Though the New Maruti WagonR has not yet been displayed on any platform, but a handful group of journalists were given a sneak peek at the car by Maruti.

The K-series WagonR model shows more taller longer and spacious stance than its predecessor. It will feature the newly developed K-10B engine from the popular K-series engines which is also part of the Zen Estilo and the A-Star. The price for the new Maruti WagonR model is still not revealed, though it is expected to be slightly above the previous models price range of Rs 3.30 to 3.50 lakh. The vehicle will be sold in three variants – LX, LXI, VXI.

Mileage is expected to be around 18.9 kmpl under test conditions by MSIL. The car will be features a cable-type transmission, which makes gear-shifting an easier process. The new HVAC design also allows for superior cooling. MSIL will be obtaining 93% of the total car parts for the new WagonR locally, while the rest will be imported from Japan.

MSIL currently only has plans to market the petrol version of the new model. The new Maruti WagonR also has the basic qualities of the previous version, which has sold more than 8.5 lakh units since its launch in 1999. The company hopes to retain the position and in fact do better with with the launch of its new model.

Premier Launches RiO in India

Premier Ltd. is among the oldest auto makers of India. And the company has launched its first ever sport-utility vehicle model. This new mini-SUV will be manufactured with China's Zotye Holding Group. This new kid of Premier is expected to be a tough competition for Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, Scorpio M2Di, and Mahindra Bolero.

This is an auspicious occasion for Premier as RiO, this new SUV of the company, is the beginning of a new phase of the company in India. The once famous company has manufactured the all-time favourite Indian car, Premier Padmini. And now, the company is expecting to repeat the magic.


The 1.5-liter turbo-diesel engine RiO will be imported by Premier from Zotye and will be assembled at its factory in Pune.

Premier RiO is based on the first-generation Daihatsu Terios. And it is powered by Premier’s own engine that is basically a downsized Peugeot TUD5 diesel engine. The 1490cc engine RiO delivers a 65 bhp of peak power.

The company is taking necessary steps so that RiO will meet the new emission norms of the government that will come on effect from April 1, 2010.

It is also expected that the company will start delivering RiO in the month of December. This mini-SUV was expected to launch in the Indian market during Diwali. The growing love for SUVs in the country will truly help in the sales of RiO. During April-September 2009, the sales of SUVs in India rose 3.5%. And it is expected that the demand will still grow because of the rising disposable incomes and the construction of more cross-country highways.




The Rio will be offered in three variants, the EX, which is priced at Rs 5.25 lakh, the DX at Rs 5.50 lakh, and LX at Rs 5.95 lakh, ex-showroom, Pune.