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.

Toyota to roll out small car 'Etios' in December

Toyota Kirloskar Motors has announced clearly that its small car ‘Etios’ will be launched in December 2010. Toyota organized a boot camp for its Fortuner SUV owners. During the occasion, Deputy MD Mr. Sandeep Singh of Toyota Kirloskar Motors announced that the new facility for the new car ‘Etios’ will be completed soon and hence the production will start a little ahead of December. Etios will be launched in this December and the sales will start in January 2011.

Buzz up!
Toyota has poured in a huge sum of Rs. 3,200 crore to set up a new factory to produce the small car Etios which has an initial capacity of 70,000 cars per annum. The new plant at Bidadi, near Bangalore and also adjacent to Toyota’s mother plant in India, can be extended to produce as much as 2 lakh cars per annum in the next two years. Toyota Etios is expected to be priced at Rs. 5 lakh and above.

Like Hyundai and Ford, Toyota is also planning to export its small car “Etios” to overseas market. Innova is Toyota's bestselling vehicle, with 48,000 units sold every annum, followed by Altis with 13,000 and Fortuner with 9,000. With the launch of Etios, Toyota is expecting that its sales will increase double fold in 2011.

Pre-delivery Inspection & Check List

You are obviously excited about the delivery of your new car, but WAIT! Many have paid a huge price for the resultant haste, and its best to take some necessary precautions before driving away in your new machine.

We enlists all that you should check for as a part of the pre-delivery inspection:

Before Registration:

We recommend visiting the dealerships stockyard and checking your car prior to registration. Once it is registered in your name, there is little you can do. Check the car manufacturing month/year, especially when buying in the first quarter of any year. Fiat India was notorious for selling cars that have been manufactured up to 18 months earlier. Ascertain that the year of manufacture is current. Best way is to ask the dealer for the "Form 22" certificate (issued by the manufacturer). You will find the engine / chassis numbers on this certificate, while the month / year of manufacture are on the "road-worthiness" certificate (part of Form 22).
If the odometer is disconnected, in all probability, the allocated car has been used as a test-drive vehicle. Also check for any repair jobs / body damage; damage to some cars is inevitable in transit and most repair work is glaringly obvious.

IMPORTANT : Check the tax calculations on the dealership invoice. Overcharging for RTO / octroi / lifetime taxes is a popular scam at many Indian dealerships. Pay only the actual charges due to the authorities and not a rupee more.

Preparations:
1. Confirm: the date of delivery with your dealership. It is best to go there only after the car has been prepared and is ready. If you have a preference for a particular day / time (for auspicious reasons), inform the sales person.
2. Daylight: We recommend accepting delivery in broad daylight, since the dark can conceal a lot. You may also not get good service in the evening since dealership personnel are in a hurry to wrap the day up.
3. Documentation: Ascertain that you carry any required documentation with you. This may include forms, receipts etc.
4. Payments: If any payment formalities are to be completed, carry along the relevant PDC’s / Cash / Credit Cards.
5. Third Person: It’s always a good idea to take a relative / friend along for suggestions, observations and comments.
6. Memories: Take a camera along.
7. Music: Carry a CD / cassette if your car is equipped with a stereo.
8. Gift: Take a token gift along for the sales guy.

At the Showroom:
1. Be Courteous: Don’t bully around. It’s a nice happy moment and the sales staff is as excited as you are. Treat them with respect, and you will get better service.
2. Get a Demo - Part of the salesperson's job is to acquaint you with your new car's features and how each one operates. Ask him to demonstrate the car fully, and top to bottom, in order to understand how everything works on the vehicle.
3. Visit the Service Department: We recommend meeting the service manager and getting familiar with the service center facilities.

Final Inspection:
1. Check the car again: A lot could have happened between the pre-registration inspection and today. It’s best to walk around the car and ascertain that the car is super clean! Look for any signs of repair work / damage such as paint difference, dents etc. Even the interiors should be squeaky clean.
2. Check that all lights and electric accessories are working fine.
3. Confirm that all the accessories you ordered are fitted on the car.
4. Check that the spare wheel is fresh. And that all related tools (spanner, jack etc.) are present. Are there wheel locks? If so, ensure that the lug key is there in the car.
5. Misc : Wipers, floor matting, first-aid kit & hazard sign.
6. What is the mileage on your car? It should not be more than a 100 km (or in the whereabouts) for most brands.
7. Ensure that there is enough fuel in the car. At least to get you to the nearest petrol pump.
8. Somehow, most new cars are delivered with over-inflated tyres by the showroom. Check the tyre pressure and make the necessary adjustments.

Documentation:
Read the paperwork! Don't take anybody's word for anything. Make sure all the blanks in the contract are filled in.
1. Invoice. (Check that the Chassis and Engine number of the car matches with the Invoice and / or Challan).
2. Sales certificate.
3. All payment receipts.
4. Registration book or temporary certificate (Some States). Is your name spelt correctly? Are the car chassis / engine number matching with the actual? Is the number plate made in accordance with the number on the registration book?
5. Insurance: Ensure that coverage is valid and active.
6. Original PUC certificate. This is valid for one year.
7. Owners Manual.
8. Duplicate Keys.
9. Original warranty with all relevant dealership stamps.
10. Extended Warranty (If opted for).
11. Warranty of third party items such as battery, tyres etc.
12. Roadside assistance Contact details.
13. Business cards of dealership and service personnel.

Say Thanks to everyone and leave!

Hummer Vs Knight

Hummer was a marque of trucks sold by General Motors that marketed three vehicles: the original Hummer H1 based on the military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, or Humvee), along with the Hummer H2 and the Hummer H3 — based on other, smaller civilian-market vehicles.



The brand was not transferred to Motors Liquidation Company as part of the GM bankruptcy; instead, it was retained by GM in order to investigate selling the brand.

Chinese automaker Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company announced in 2009 that it would acquire the Hummer brand, pending government approvals. However, the Chinese industrial equipment maker withdrew its bid after failing to win approval from Chinese regulators. According to Reuters, the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China rejected the deal on February 24, 2010, but a spokesperson for ministry denies that it rejected the application that has been stalled for eight months.



At the end of February 2010, General Motors announced it would begin dismantling the Hummer brand. Two days later, the automaker announced it had been approached with new offers for the brand after the deal with Sichuan Tengzhong could not be completed.[5] However, by April 2010, any sale of the brand became unlikely as inventory depleted and dealerships began shutting down. After filling a rental car fleet order, the last Hummer H3 rolled off line at Shreveport on 24 May 2010.



Hummer H1

The Hummer H1 is a civilian off-road vehicle based on the M998 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (or Humvee), which was created by AM General. The vehicle was produced from 1992 through 2006, and was the first of what became the Hummer line. It was initially known only as the "Hummer", however in 1999 in a joint venture between General Motors and AM General, GM began marketing the Hummer H2, which was built on a GM SUV chassis. It was at this point that the original Hummer was given the H1 designation. For collectors, the most desirable model is the H1 Alpha, produced in the final model year of 2006. It had the most powerful engine and the best fuel mileage of the H1 vehicles. Overall, the H1 was a very limited production vehicle.



"Originally designed strictly for military use, this absolutely massive four-wheel-drive utility vehicle earned its 15 minutes of fame as a civilian conveyance when it became the ride of choice among Hollywood celebrities and professional athletes. Boasting 16 inches (40 cm) of ground clearance as well as super-aggressive approach and departure angles, the Humvee could clamber over a 22-inch (56 cm) high obstacle, handle a 60 percent grade and wade through up to 30 inches (76 cm) of water".




Hummer Vs Knight

KNIGHT XV

The KNIGHT XV is the world's most secure, ultra-luxurious, biofuel powered SUV which was introduced to the automotive marketplace in November 2008. The KNIGHT XV is a $489,000 (US) handcrafted vehicle built by the Toronto-based company, Conquest Vehicles.





Vehicle Highlights Include:

- V10, 6.8-litre engine and sits on a super duty Ford modified platform chassis.
- 400 hp and 498-ft lbs of torque.
- Interior appointments include: Wilton Wool luxury carpeting; Andrew Muirhead leather; 6-way electric leather boardroom-style seating; Tandem sunroof glass with privacy shades; Personal side-mounted lap top trays; LED cabin lighting; Alpine AM, FM, CD, DVD navigation and Bluetooth equipment; TV Monitors; Night vision and rear op camera system and Playstation 3 (PS3).
- The cabin has a 283-cubic-foot interior which is larger than the interior of most SUV’s on the road today and can comfortably seat six professional basketball players.
- The KNIGHT-XV™ is built using ballistic hardened steel making it fully armoured including ballistic fiberglass fenders and bumper, and up to 64 mm. (2.5 inches) transparent armor (glass).
-The vehicle's armouring level varies based on each client’s specific requirements.
- The KNIGHT XV™ is 240” in length, 98” in width with a ground clearance of 14” and stands at 100”. Its wheelbase is 141” and has an armoured curb weight of approximately 12,000 pounds.
- The KNIGHT XV holds 40 gallons of fuel and sits on four, LT40X13.50R20 Mickey Thompson Baja Radial ATZ tires with ballistic run flats.
- The KNIGHT XV's 20-inch rims are custom designed and engineered using a solid piece of forged 6061 aluminum.
- The KNIGHT XV™ contains an E-85 Ethanol conversion system (Flex Fuel) with California emission certification, thereby making it certified in all 50 States.











About Conquest Vehicles: Conquest Vehicles Inc., specializes in the design and manufacturing of ultra-luxurious, fully armoured, handcrafted sport utility vehicles. The company, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, is comprised of the automotive industry’s most respected talent whose award-winning experience in engineering, fabrication, design, armouring and customization combine to create one-of-a-kind SUV’s unrivaled and unmatched in today’s automotive marketplace.