Porsche India Launches Porsche Cayenne in Mumbai

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

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

BMW Z4 To Be Launched In India In October

BMW will be launching its two-seater convertible roadster Z4 in India in October this year.

“The vehicle will be a brand shaper for us in India, we will launch it in October,” Peter Kronschnabl, president of BMW India, told The Telegraph on the sidelines of the SIAM convention in New Delhi.

BMW has plans to sell about 30-40 units of the car annually. The Z4 is priced between Rs. 50 lakh and Rs. 60 lakh.

The new Z4 sports car comes with a 3-litre diesel engine and was launched in Europe in December 2008. The new edition will come with a folding hard roof.

Despite adding to the weight of the car, this feature has increased its appeal. Performance parameters include a top speed of 250 kph and a 0-100 kph rev-up in 5.8 seconds.

BMW India, which is a subsidiary of Germany’s BMW Group, will launch a petrol variant of its 7-series cars with a six-cylinder engine by September.

“Last year, we sold 2,908 units and this year we are confident of crossing 3,000 on the back of new cars and a robust demand for our products,” Kronschnabl said.

The company plans to increase its capacity by 2011. BMW’s current portfolio in India comprises cars from the 3 series, 5 series, 6 series, 7 series, X6, X5 and X3.

BMW Z4 To Be Launched In India In October

BMW will be launching its two-seater convertible roadster Z4 in India in October this year. “The vehicle will be a brand shaper for us in India, we will launch it in October,” Peter Kronschnabl, president of BMW India, told The Telegraph on the sidelines of the SIAM convention in New Delhi. BMW has plans to sell about 30-40 units of the car annually. The Z4 is priced between Rs. 50 lakh and Rs. 60 lakh. The new Z4 sports car comes with a 3-litre diesel engine and was launched in Europe in December 2008. The new edition will come with a folding hard roof. Despite adding to the weight of the car, this feature has increased its appeal. Performance parameters include a top speed of 250 kph and a 0-100 kph rev-up in 5.8 seconds. BMW India, which is a subsidiary of Germany’s BMW Group, will launch a petrol variant of its 7-series cars with a six-cylinder engine by September. “Last year, we sold 2,908 units and this year we are confident of crossing 3,000 on the back of new cars and a robust demand for our products,” Kronschnabl said. The company plans to increase its capacity by 2011. BMW’s current portfolio in India comprises cars from the 3 series, 5 series, 6 series, 7 series, X6, X5 and X3.

BMW zips past Mercedes in India's luxury car market

For the first time ever, luxury marque Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, better known as BMW, has overtaken arch rival Mercedes Benz in terms of sales in India, taking the fight for supremacy in the luxury car segment to a new level.

BMW sold 270 cars and sports utility vehicles (SUV) or three times the total number of cars sold by Mercedes Benz, which stood at 89 units in January. Officials from both the companies say that 2009 will be the year, which would clearly define whether the generational domination of the three pointed star will be lost to BMW.

While announcing the launch of the X6 model (a luxury SUV) Peter Kronschnabl, president, BMW India said, "We were able to take the lead in January thanks to the success of the 3 and 5-Series. Around April we will get a clearer picture of market demand and will be in a better position to predict on following months."

Although sales in 2008 at 2,908 units was the best for BMW so far in India, it was still 24.5 per cent short of Mercedes tally of 3,621 units.

However, in the current financial year BMW has sold 994 units of the 5 and 6 Series sedans as compared to 490 units sold during the same period the previous year. Both models are in the range of Rs 40 lakh to Rs 85.5 lakh.

Meanwhile, Mercedes saw a rise of only 9 per cent in sales of the E Class at 883 units as against 810 units in the same period.

"Our customers are not that different from our competitors but the key to our success lies in the fact that we have been able to create the environment at our dealerships, service points, buying experience, which is on par with our global standards. Most of our 3-Series customers are young professional", added Kronschnabl.

The company launched three models in one month (January) including the new 7-Series, new 3-Series and the diesel variant of X3. The new luxury SUV X6, launched today is priced at Rs 65.9 lakh for the diesel variant and Rs 82.9 lakh for the petrol model.

According to industry experts the market for luxury cars expanded at a much faster rate than anticipated in 2008, however due to the on-going economic crisis the growth will be subdued this year.

Despite this luxury car makers are confident that the market will grow to 9,500 units by the end of next year from 7,500 units sold last year.

Sales for BMW began to show an upsurge ever since the company started local assembly of the 3-Series and 5-Series sedan in the Chennai plant from March 2007, thus making it substantially cheaper than their imported counterparts.

Mercedes Benz, meanwhile has decided to postpone the launch of the all-new E Class due to some technical glitches. Sources say that the launch is hampered due a delay in converting the model into a right-hand drive vehicle for markets like India.

BMW however, will go ahead with one more launch, which company officials say will not be a sedan, perhaps by the middle of this year.

Both companies have made special arrangements for financing their cars through tie-ups with banks and also through in-house financing arms. Although BMW has withdrawn the zero per cent interest rate offer, officials say that the company is working on different concepts along with the dealers.

Audi to drive in R8 at Rs 1.17 cr

German luxury car maker Audi will launch its sports car 'R8' in India this November, with a price tag of Rs 1.17 crore, even as the company gears up to clock an overall sales of around 1,000 cars in the country this year.

The sports luxury car will be an addition to the company's line of luxury sedans, including the A4, A6, A8, TT Coupe, and SUV Q7.

"The (R8) cost will be over crore...Rs 1.17 crore," Vice-President Marketing Audi (India) Martin Birkner said here.

Asked how many R8s Audi was planning to sell in India, he said the company has received orders for 15 units already, which would be delivered this year.

Bullish on the fast growing luxury-car market in India, Audi has already posted a 200 per cent growth this year from that of last year.

"The whole segment is growing and we are growing even faster than the segment. We will sell this year about 1,000 cars in India," he said, adding 350 units were sold last year.

Birkner said Audi's A4, which it has started assembling in India, has a major contribution to the speedy growth and added, "we will try to get more production to India to meet the demand for this product." The company had, earlier, said it planned to produce 11,000 units of A4 by 2015 in India.

2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

If you have a lot of money and a bit of taste, the 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage is worth consideration as an alternative to the Best Sports Car Ever.



You can see this Porsche strategy in the 2009 V8 Vantage, a beautiful two-seat coupe and roadster that's quickly becoming an iconic luxury sports car design.



Like Porsche with the 911, Aston won't be updating the Vantage with facelifts every few years. The '09 V8 Vantage looks exactly like the '08 V8 Vantage, save for new 19-in. wheel designs and some interior tweaks.

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.

Lamborghini sees India as big market for future

Iconic Italian sports car maker Lamborghini has big expectations from India and has identified it as a “big market for the future”. In India since 2006, the company is now working on expansion plans and is confident that the rapid economic growth and new-emerging billionaires would make India one of its strong markets in the coming years.

“India is a big market for the future for Lamborghini. It is a big country and the attitude of buyers is now changing and they are becoming more open to buying ultra luxury high-style brands like ours,” says Enrico Maffeo, global director of sales and customer service for Lamborghini, told TOI.



Lamorghini, famous for its raging bull logo, sells the Gallardo and the Murcielago sports cars in India that are also available in their various variants like the lightweight Gallardo Superleggera and the convertible Gallardo Spyder, all of which retail for a hefty Rs 3 crore-plus.



Maffeo, a regular visitor to India, said high price was not much of a deterrent for their target customers who choose a Lamborghini for its exquisite design, high-profile branding and uncompromising performance. The company, which currently retails in India through its only dealership Exclusive Motors of Delhi, hopes to sell ten of its famed cars here this year. “Our business is not that much about volume. It is more of brands and desirability. Our plan is to create brand awareness, and the sales will follow,” he said.

Maffeo said as the company expands in India, Lamborghini would also increase its distribution network here. “We plan to have a new dealership in Mumbai next year and follow it up with one in Hyderabad in 2010,” he said.

But just when it looks to expand and grow in India, it also faces competition from rival like Ferrari. Alarmingly, Ferrari may get assistance from domestic heavyweight Tata Motors, the joint venture partner of Ferrari owner Fiat, when it decides to come to India. Maffeo said any new brand had to go step-by-step in any market. “And don’t forget. We are part of the Volkswagon group that already has presence in India through brands like Volkswagon, Skoda, Audi and Bentley.”

Hyundai launches "Kappa Challenge"

Hyundai Motor India, the second largest passenger car maker and the largest exporter of cars from India in a first-of-its-kind initiative has thrown open the 'Kappa Challenge' - a unique concept to touch, feel, drive and experience the all new powerful i10 equipped with Kappa engine to all its existing and potential customers. Set to prove the supremacy of Kappa engine as compared to its competitors in its category, the 'Kappa Challenge' will start from 23 August, 2008 across 10 different cities in India.

One of the first event to be organized at Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai on the 23 - 24 August, the challenge is open to all the existing and potential customers. The participants will go head-to-head completing a set of challenges and also driving other cars to find out which is the better car of the lot.

Throughout the session the participants will be test driving the i10 Kappa and the competitor cars in different driving and parking conditions and will be assessed on their driving and parking skills. All the participants will be handed out an assured gift apart from the grand prize of an i10 Kappa to be won through lucky draw.

The 'Kappa Challenge' will also offer several other interesting options to choose from such as Special Finance Scheme counter, Product Demonstration & Sales counter, Used Car counter, Accessories zone and Children's fun-filled zone. The customers will also have the advantage of availing the benefits of Always Around activity of getting their cars cleaned-up, polished and basic mechanical inspection done at the venue itself.

Speaking on the occasion, Arvind Saxena, Sr VP, Marketing & Sales, HMIL, said, "Our new i10 with the Kappa engine is the best in its class today with more power, less fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions. We have created this event to provide an opportunity to all our existing and potential customers to find out for themselves about the superior features and driveability of the i10 and compare it to other cars in this class. We as manufacturers might be absolutely convinced about our product but it is very important for us to instil the same level of confidence in our potential customers as well. We are convinced that anyone who takes the challenge will go away convinced that the i10 is the best product in its category."

The Kappa i10 was launched in three variants the Magna, Sportz and the Asta with all top end features like the sunroof, 2-Din audio system, a unique red pack for the Sportz interiors and some class leading safety features like anti-lock braking system (ABS) and dual airbags. The new Kappa i10 is also available with an automatic transmission and it is sold along with the existing Epsilon 1.1 litre engine variant and is available in a range of 10 colours.

Audi to launch sports car R8

GERMAN luxury car manufacturer Audi would launch its acclaimed sports car R8 in India in October- November as it seeks to build the brand in the Indian market, a top official of Audi India said.



“ We will launch R8 in October- November in the last quarter. We already have the first order ( in India),” Audi India vice president, marketing, Martin Birkner said in Bangalore.



Audi sold 350 cars in India in the calendar year 2007 and has a target to nearly triple that number, mainly driven by sales of A4 sedan that was launched in India this month.

“ As we target sales of 1,000 cars in India by the end of this year, the new Audi A4 will be a crucial product to help us achieve this goal,” Birkner said. Audi, which commenced business activities in India in 2007, is keen to build the brand here, where the luxury car market has seen rapid growth, particularly in the April- June quarter.

“ We have more or less launched the brand in India last year. We have to build up the brand and we would like to push the brand ( in India),” Birkner said.



Audi’s model range in India comprises A8, Q7, A6, A4 and TT. Birkner said Audi expects to sell 1,000 units of A4 within a year of its launch, indicating that the sedan would be a main driver of growth for the company in the near term.

Prices of the new Audi A4 start at Rs 29 lakh ( ex- showroom Mumbai without CST, transportation) The company sold 470 cars in the January- June period of 2008 and with Audi, A4 will definitely cross the 1,000- mark.

Audi builds its A6 model at its Aurangabad assembly plant and plans to do the same with A4, which is currently being imported and would be completed by October.