VW Polo to be seen in India by 2010

The Volkswagen Polo is expected to be in the Indian car market by the end of next year. Indians have been long expecting the launch of this supermini car. But the wait just a little longer.

It has been reported three years back that the car will be available to the Indian car customers by 2009 and it will be competing against the Maruti Swift, Hyundai Getz and Tata Indica. But when the promised time has just arrived the wait is extended by another one year and the car will have a new set of rivals in the Indian market by the end of 2010.

Let us hope that the wait will finally end this year. The bookings have already begun in Europe for this fifth-generation of Polo. For the European customers, the Polo is a very familiar model and a much loved one also. But for us Indians, we have to wait until Volkswagen plans to deliver this cute hatchback to our shores by sometime in 2010.

For the Indian car customers, there will be modifications in the car so that it will meet their needs the best. But from the master car builder it will be surely some great features, as the Indian customers also have now learned the trick of not getting settled for what has been offered but asking for more.

The exteriors of the car will match its siblings the Volkswagen Jetta and Passat, but mocks at the more serious look of these models with the dual indicators, which gives the car a sportier look. As for the engine options, the base model of the car will be available in a 1.2-litre petrol and there will be a more powerful engine option of 1.2 TSI petrol motor.

The price is expected to be between 4 lakh and 7 lakh which looks quite tempting, but wait and see, what this long wait has in store.

Ford India to market new fuel-efficient vehicles

Ford India has announced plans to market a new line of fuel-efficient vehicles.

The cars, which will be available for sale in 2010, are fueled by compressed natural gas and liquified petroleum.

Ford India currently distributes Ikon, Fusion and Fiesta cars, as well as the Endeavor sports-utility vehicle. However, the worldwide economic recession caused sales to plummet by 22.5 per cent from April-September 2008. Nevertheless, the company still managed to ship a total of 4,062 cars and SUVs during the troubled period.

"The credit crunch and the lack of confidence has affected [us] in the short-term," admitted Michael Boneham, president of Ford India. According to Boneham, the company expected 2009 to be a tough year for the industry with a single-digit growth (rate). However, the optimistic president projected that sales would increase when Ford launched its fuel-efficient small car in 2010.

Ford will undoubtedly face stiff competition from a number of companies vying to dominate the lucrative Indian automotive market. For example, Toyota is reportedly developing a new fuel-efficient vehicle expected to retail at $5,000. In addition, Tata is slated to launch its affordable $2,500 Nano sometime in the near future.

Nissan to launch supermini March in India by 2010

Thanks to the Singur imbroglio and the shifting of the plant site to Sanand in Gujarat, by the time the Nano hits the road in India, its competitors will be much closer to launcing on their versions of small cars.

One such rival is Japanese automobile company Nissan Motor, which plans to launch a supermini, March, in India. According to Nissan the March will hit Indian roads by March 2010 or just 12 months after the Nano's launch.

Speaking to the press Nissan Motor India managing director Shouhei Kimura, ''The small, next-generation car 'March' will be launched in India by 2010 in the 'A' segment category. The car would be manufactured at the company's plant situated at Oragadam in Tamil Nadu, though initially the car would be rolled out from the company's Thailand facility followed by India.

He said the development of an 'A' platform is one of various initiatives taken as part of Nissan's new five year business plan the GT 2012.

Kimura said, ''We would have a total of nine Nissan models by the year 2012 in the Indian market and this car would be one of the new models."

The compny says the March would have a local content of 80 per cent. Kimura said India is one of the five leading competitive countries for manufacturing and exporting the car from Nissan's global manufacturing network.

Last week the company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ennore Port in Tamil Nadu from where the company would export cars. (See: Nissan to be first automaker to export from Ennore Port)

Kimura said that by 2011 Nissan would be exporting around 110,000 units, which would include this new model. Primarily the exports would cater to European markets from the second half of 2010.

Nissan also proposes to widen its dealership network in order to sell higher numbers in the country. ''We would increase our dealership network from the present 5 to 55 by 2012," Kimura said.

Kimura declined to comment on the timing of rolling out of the car from the other three countries. He also did not announce the number of cars to be rolled out saying it is too early to say.




The Nissan 'March'

The Nissan March supermini is being produced by Nissan since 1982. Since 1992 the car has also been made in Europe, the US and the UK. Outside Asia mainly in Europe and US it is known as the Nissan Micra. The last time the company gave the March a facelift was in late 2007. The next model is expected to be launched worldwide in 2009.

Starting with the K10 model in 1982 successive March models have been code named K11, K12 and so on.

The March / Micra K10 first went on sale the UK in 1983, and met with instant success. In 1990 the March was the eleventh most popular new car in the UK with having sold 50,000 units. It was a popular choice due to its ease of driving, solid build and durable mechanical components.

The second incarnation of the March / Micra was launched in 1992, production baing in Britain and at its Washington plant rather than in Japan. Like its predecessor, it remained a very popular car thanks to its fuel economy. However, it was available with a limited range of engines: 1.0 and 1.3 petrol units.

The car received a facelift in 2000 which saw the 1.3l engine being replaced with a 1.4 unit. This upgrade, after a previous makeover in 1998, enhanced the car's appeal and it was still fairly popular on the launch of its successor in December 2002.



The third generation model of the March / Micra was made at the Sunderland in the UK. It had a wider range of engines, including Renault-sourced 1.2 petrol and 1.5 direct-injection diesel powerplants, and offered an improved driving experience. This stylish, all-new Micra helped Nissan bolster its market share in the supermini space. The March has been among the best-selling 10 cars in Britain among private buyers for virtually all of its production life.

The March / Micra is known for its reliability, excellent build quality, and user friendliness. The K12 model that came out in 1990s received consistently good overall reviews, main criticisms being its lack of headroom and luggage space in the rear. Another criticism that came its way in the UK was from insurance company that rated it as a dangerous car in case of crash in 1988-1995.

However, its safety specification has improved with successive models. The K12 Micra came on top of its class in What Car? magazine's Security Supertest in 2003, passing both entry and driveaway tests and achieving a maximum score for its locking system and immobiliser.

In an independent test, the Micra was found to be more secure that certain BMW and Mercedes models.

In British magazine's What Car?' Reliability Supertest in 2007, Nissan ranked 6th out of 26 manufacturers overall, with the K11 Micra (1998-2002) being its most reliable model.

The next generation Nissan March (W02A) will be unveiled in Feburary 2009. Globally it will be based on a revamped B-platform with a new 1.2-1.3l engine.

It will be built in Japan, UK, Thailand and in Chennai, India in partnership with Nissan shareholder Renault. The company's US plant in Washington will manufacture an entirely new model that will compete in the same market segment as the March/Micra.

Ford sets early 2010 target to launch small car in India

Armed with a $500-mn investment outlay, Ford Motors has set early 2010 as the target to launch a small car in India, start its new engine-making unit and double the assembly line capacity, a top official said here.

The US-based giant will also unveil its refurbished Ikon by next month to expand its range of offerings in the country that includes Fusion, Endeavour and Fiesta, said Michael Boneham, managing director and president of Ford India.

"Ford now has a presence in only 30 percent of India's automobile market segments. We are entering other segments too. These are exciting times," Boneham told IANS at the company's factory at Maramalai Nagar on the outskirts of the Tamil Nadu capital.

"We are also commissioning a new engine manufacturing unit. It will serve both the domestic and global markets. It will have the flexibility to produce diesel and petrol engines. The idea is to go for higher localisation in the months to come."

Speaking about the small car project, the Ford official said it was being designed and developed specifically for India by a global team. "It will meet the needs of Indian conditions - like water wading, air-conditioning and emission standards."



While declining to divulge any further information on the project, Boneham said it will have a sub-1.2-litre engine with a length of no more than four metres to avoid higher taxes. "It will be very, very competitive in that segment."

Ford's first offering here was the "Josh machine" Ikon that rolled out in 1999 from this city, often called the Detroit of India for hosting auto companies like Hyundai, BMW, Mitsubishi, Ashok Leyland, Caterpillar, TVS, Tafe and Same.

Nissan and Daimler are among some global players that have definite plans to set up their units in this city.

Boneham said the company's integrated engine plant for 250,000 units per annum will be its first outside Europe and will make low-displacement engines for cars to be rolled out of its Indian plant for both domestic market and exports.

He said the existing $26-mn diesel engine assembly plant, with a capacity for 50,000 diesel and 10,000 petrol engines for Fiesta and Fusion, would be eventually integrated with the new plant.

The company has the capacity to assemble some 100,000 cars per year at its facility here, which will be doubled to 200,000.

Queried about the future of its tie up with the Indore-based Avtec that supplies 1.6 litre petrol engines, Boneham said: "We will continue to work with them. We will look at sourcing components from Avtec."

He also sought to dispel the perception that the cost of ownership of Ford cars was high compared with those offered by Japanese and South Korean companies, as several factors like fuel efficiency and servicing were also involved.

"As per our study, in some parts we are costlier and in some others we are cheaper. Overall, we are very competitive in this area. We are working to lower component costs further. Our diesel engine is more fuel efficient than many others," he said.

"High localisation is intended to achieve that. We are extremely quality conscious. Today, we can say we are far more satisfied and comfortable with our vendors."

Hyundai aspires to become the No 1 car manufacturer in India

At the 10th anniversary celebration, Hyundai Motor India Ltd's (HMIL) MD & CEO, HS Lheem, said: "We hope to become the no 1 car major. While our current market share in the domestic market stands at 22 per cent, we hope to become the largest car manufacturer in the time to come." Lheem declined to comment on a time-frame towards achieving this goal.

Maruti Suzuki is the market leader by the number of cars it sells in the country annually, and holds a market share of a little less than 40 per cent. HMIL spelt its plans for the future which includes launching at least two new models every year, focussing more on the development, production, and exports of small cars like the "I 10" and soon to be launched "1 20". Parent Hyundai Motors based in Korea has designated India as the small car hub.

IN addition to increasing its production capacity in Chennai, Hyundai plans to raise its current research and development staff strength pegged at 200 to about 800 in 2009.

GM to launch new small car in India in 2009

General Motors Corp plans to launch a new small car in India in the second half of 2009, but has no plans to take on Tata Motor's low-cost Nano, its India head said on Thursday.

It will be a global car meant primarily for emerging markets and will have design inputs from India, Karly Slym said on the sidelines of a news conference.

Annual passenger vehicle sales in India are forecast to expand to more than 2 million units by 2010, with small cars accounting for more than two-thirds of sales.

Hyundai exports i10s to Sudan

HYUNDAI Motor India Ltd ( HMIL) on Wednesday shipped its first consignment of disassembled knocked down ( DKD) cars to Sudan. With an order for more than 2,000 units, the first shipment comprised 96 DKD units of Hyundai’s i10.



The company’s Sriperumbudur plant near Chennai has been nominated by Hyundai Motor Company as its global manufacturing hub for small cars meant for exports. Earlier, the company was exporting its Santro model to Sudan.

H. S. Lheem, Managing Director of HMIL said that Hyundai i10 has achieved over 100,000 units of export orders in record time of less than seven months from diverse countries spanning different continents making it one of the most popular cars to be launched recently.