Maruti Suzuki to launch Kizashi in January

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.

Rolls Royce previews its Rs 2.5-crore ‘Ghost’ in India

That Rolls Royce is banking big time on the Indian market, more so with the number of billionaires in the country ever on the increase, is evident from the fact that the British carmaker's still-to-be-launched super-luxury sedan, the 'Ghost,' was previewed in India on Friday!

The most economical of the cars from the well-known maker of the most elite, premium, hand-crafted cars, the Rolls Royce's Ghost will cost Rs 2.5 crore in India.

The company, which currently sells 15-18 units in India, expects its sales in the country to undergo a nearly four-fold increase, to over 75 units, after the next-year launch of the Ghost.

Speaking at the preview of the Ghost, Colin Kelly, Rolls Royce Motor Cars' regional director for Asia-Pacific region, said: "India is one of the fastest wealth growing nations in the world; and we expect to see an over 300% jump in salesin India next year after the launch of Ghost in the second quarter of 2010."

Noting that the built-to-order Ghost will be the Rolls Royce's first new model series' vehicle to detach from the Phantom family, Kelly added that the new drivetrain sedan comprise a 6.6 litre twin- turbo charged V12 engine, as well as a new 8-speed automatic gearbox. The peak power output of the vehicle, which can race from 0-100kmph in 4.9 seconds, will be 563bhp at 5250rpm.

Skoda prepares to thrill with four new models

Czech automobile manufacturer Skoda Auto plans to launch four models next year. It is also setting up a financing outfit.

At present, Skoda sells four models in the country — the hatchback Fabia, and the sedans, Octavia, Laura and Superb. They are priced in the range of Rs 4.8 lakh to Rs 24 lakh.

Next year, there will be the Fabia Sports and Fabia Combi along with new versions of the Laura and Superb.

Skoda has recently launched its compact car, the Fabia, in India. It’s an upmarket hatchback priced between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 7.68 lakh.

The car is available in three engine variants — 1.2 and 1.4 litre petrol and 1.4 litre diesel.

The Fabia Sports will carry a tag of Rs 10 lakh, while the Fabia Combi is expected to be built on parent company Volkswagen’s B6 platform.

Skoda plans to sell 20,000 units in this calendar year against 13,000 last year. It has already sold 9,556 cars in the first six months.

In July, Skoda had raised the prices of all its models. The hikes were in the range of Rs 16,000 to Rs 25,000.

Finance arm

A credit crunch resulting from a tightening of lending norms by financial entities has prompted Skoda to set up the finance arm.

According to Thomas Kuehl, member of board (sales and marketing), Skoda Auto India, “Since 80 per cent of our total sales are financed, the company has decided to launch Skoda Finance in the country. It should be operational by the last quarter of this year.”

Companies such as Bajaj Auto, Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Hero Honda, Mahindra and Mahindra are focusing on non-banking financial companies to help accelerate sales that have been lean in the past few months.

Hero Honda has tied up with Fullerton India, a non-banking finance company, to support purchases on the basis of loans.

Skoda India for increased marketshare in South India

On the sidelines of inaugurating its showroom at Gudavalli in Andhra Pradesh on 20th September'08, Skoda India has said that it is aiming to enhance its marketshare in the southern part of India by opening several such showrooms. It is the third Skoda showroom in the State, after the ones in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. The company has indicated that the number of units sold in South India account for one-third of its overall sales and it believes the new models would help it to shore up its bottomlines.

Mahavir Auto, the sole authorised dealer of Skoda India in the State, opened a 'triple S' showroom to offer sales, service and spare parts for Skoda cars in the coastal region. The dealer has notched up more than 6,000 units of Skoda models in the state. It is widely believed that the Indian arm of the Czech-based company would be setting up a showroom at Vijayawada as there are nearly 1,000 Skoda customers in and around that city.

According to a senior representative of Skoda India, the company which commenced its operations in India in 2001 could capture a 6 per cent market share in the luxury car segment from 4 per cent currently. The latest model, Fabia, was selling well and so far 5,000 cars had been sold, he added. He also pointed out that this was the country's only super hatch car, as of now.

The Czech company, which is part of the Volkswagen Group, came to India in November, 2001 and has a manufacturing facility at Shendra near Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The company aims to launch SUVs, MUVs and a car that would be priced below their Fabia model. Skoda India will also be expanding its dealership across the country. Currently, it has 56 dealerships and by 2009, it will be increased to 75 countrywide.

Skoda Fabia is currently their cheapest offering in the Indian market. They also sell Octavia, Laura and Superb.

Czech Skoda Auto mulls cheap car for Indian market

Czech car giant Skoda Auto is mulling whether to produce a new cheap car aimed at the massive Indian market, its spokesman told the media on Monday.

"It is true, but everything is still at the stage of being under consideration," Jaroslav Cerny said.
The car producer, part of the Volkswagen Group, currently sells three of its main models, the Fabia, Octavia and top of the range Superb, in India, where sales have taken off.

The company sold 9,556 cars in the first six months in India, compared with around 13,000 for the whole of 2007, leading to predictions that total sales for this year could reach around 20,000.

"It is a very promising market for us," Cerny said. He said the manufacturer wants to add another four models for sale in India.

Skoda to introduce 8 new models in India

Auto brand Skoda India will strengthen its position in India by rolling out eight new models in the country in the next five years. Its list of new cars waiting to be launched includes the new Skoda Superb, Skoda Yeti and Roomster.

SKODA INDIA is thinking big for India. In order to strengthen its position in India the company plans to roll out eight new models to India in the next five years.

Skoda made its entry into the Indian market with its popular model Skoda Octavia in the D-segment. It also bags the credit for introducing Pump-Duse technology with its model Skoda Fabia for the first time in India.

Skoda Fabia, a premium hatchback, the most popular and stylish model in India, has created a rave in the Indian auto industry.

The brand is also planning to roll out another small car for the country, which will be cheaper than Fabia.

Every model of Skoda’s model is a success in the country and now Indian users will experience a new model from Skoda every year. The company’s list of new cars waiting to be launched in India includes the new Skoda Superb, which will make its entry in early 2009 and Skoda Yeti from the SUV segment while the Roomster will also hit Indian roads in a couple of years.

Skoda India will also be expanding its dealership across the country. Currently, it has 56 dealerships and by 2009, it will be increased to 75 countrywide.