Monthly Archives: November 2007

Next Mercedes E-Class will be built in India

Well, Benz seems almost tired of importing cars from abroad to India. Mercedes-Benz has really been trying to step it up as an economical-luxurious brand auto maker in India. I am glad Merc has finally decided to assemble the next-generation E-Class at its Pune plant. BMW has chosen, instead, to market its high-end models in India as completely built-up (CBU) imports.

This Merc dream is expected to come true in the year 2010. Almost about nine months after the international debut of the vehicle. We have seen most of the high-end luxury automakers leaning towards importing their cars as completely built imports. The difference here is that Mercedes didn’t want to leak out any sort of possible chances in exploring itself in the Indian market. Mercedes have already proved its success in assembling C-Class, E-Class, and S-Class lines in India

Chasing the prototype is fun. What say BMW?

posted by admin @ Friday, November 30th, 2007 Comments Off links to this post
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Another hit from GM

As said in the previous blog, General Motors is finally getting on the right track. Committed, optimistic, and competitive in India. It seems as though the judges of JD Power Asia Pacific gave a quick inspiration to GM. The archetype swing in Indian automotive is about to happen. General Motors has opened the first car design studio in India.

This week’s episode focuses totally on GM. This first car design studio has a capacity to employ 70 peoples by the end of this year. Also the main focus of GM will be on small car designing. Anyway, GM has caught my interest especially because of its commitment to small car manufacturing in India. It looks like it is deep into the importance of small cars and adding this new studio in Bangalore, General Motors now has a total of 11 such studios across the world.

I am sure many of you are now waiting to hear about the product contributions from the Bangalore design studio. Speculations say by 2012 we can expect some hot little GM vehicles from Bangalore. This is surely a creative way to get people interested in Chevy designs.

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Maruti A-Star Concept to preview in New Delhi Auto Expo

The Maruti Suzuki saga continues. A rising star from Maruti Suzuki is in the news today. The first sketches of Suzuki’s new concept cars, Kizashi and Splash, have already started circulating the Web. Kizashi has churned out enough ‘Wows’ that seals its success in the future. Defining its knack for cranking out some brilliant concepts, Suzuki has added one more name for the future: A Star.

The new A Star will be a compact car set to be unveiled at the ninth edition of Auto Expo in January 2008. A-Star is, in fact, the forerunner of Maruti Suzuki’s global compact car that will be launched in the future. Besides this the A-Star is likely to make its entry in all major auto expos across the world. With its enthusiastically designed new concepts, Maruti will soon join the elite club of concept cars displayed for the first time in India. While the profitable Maruti Suzuki India has been in the spotlight with its top rank in JD Power’s India Customer Satisfaction Index study.

The creator of this splendid concept confirmed that the exported A-Star will come with a Suzuki badge and the domestic market will carry a Maruti badge on the rear. While the other details remain a mystery, we’ll have to wait for the official debut before our “wows” and “ohs”.

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Reva introduces her sibling

India’s first electric vehicle Maini Reva is in the news again. With the eco-friendly characteristics REVA was first launched in India. It is available in three models: A/C, Standard, and Classe.

REVA is currently testing the waters for a convertible model of their car. This means we will be seeing her brother Zephyr (model name) soon on Indian roads. REVA recently made news when it received $ 20 million in funding from various California investors. With more than 180 employees and 6,000 units, REVA is currently available only in this city but the company plans to roll out the car to other parts of the country soon. Zephyr gives the top speed of 65 km/hr and runs on a charge of 80% for 2.5 hours and with 100% charge it runs for 6 hrs.

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GM trios win JD power honors

Why not us! Maybe this would be the reaction of GM when Chevy scored hat-trick at the Initial Quality Study released by automotive research firm JD Power Asia Pacific. In the statistics Chevrolet Spark leads with a score of 127, followed by Aveo, and Optra with 109 and 97 points respectively. Truth on time: that’s what I felt when I heard about this rating. Am sure General Motors is unquestionably on a roll. GM is coming out with some solid stuff that serves the complete needs of a Chevy owner.

Even if Chevrolet cars must not be very well sealed in the Indian market, it has proved its quality in the studies. The JD Power Asia Pacific has ranked Chevy trios based on customer experience after two to six months of ownership. The major factors of the studies are the problems encountered, quality of design and the quality of production. In fact this is the first time three Chevrolet models have ranked highest in their respective segments in the survey. GM’s premium compact car Chevrolet Aveo U-VA and MUV Chevrolet Tavera topped second best in their respective segments.

This is GM, world’s largest auto company by production volume, and now they are selling hotcakes in the Indian auto market.

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Lotus quickly on its way to India

Wishing for more high performance Sports cars in India? Low, wide, and fast. On Indian roads buyers of high-end high performance cars are almost nil. The few numbers of Lambos and Porsches in India are owned by people who can afford to make their own personal roads to ride these dazzlers.

When Lotus, the British automakers, hinted the possibility of Lotus Elise’s launch in India, I was thinking about the possible drifts it can make in the heart of sports car enthusiasts. Lotus has the design motto “Performance through light weight”. Even if you have never got behind the wheels of a Lotus, you have probably heard of it in Formula 1 races.

Now, the company is looking for a partner to set up showrooms in Mumbai and Delhi. Sport Cars from the Malaysian national carmaker Proton is also expected to debut in India with Lotus. These efforts will keep India expecting even before the first Indian Grand Prix.

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Leyland to launch hybrid commercial vehicles

Ashok Leyland is a big name in the heavy motor vehicle world. However, not many know that it’s Hinduja Group’s Flagship Company too. It plans to launch its next-generation range of hybrid trucks and buses in the upcoming years. The company is developing electronic shift-by-wire transmission technology and electronic-controlled engine management systems to take fuel efficiency to a new level. This move may have been triggered by Tata’s Hydrogen Bus initiative.

According to sources, their aim is to enhance both automotive power and fuel efficiency in the to-be-developed new age vehicles. The electronic shift-by-wire transmission is expected to decrease the fuel consumption by 5 percent. The company is working on both electric battery and bio-fuel modes for its hybrid range of vehicles in India.

Ashok Leyland has been doubling-up its head count at its technical centre in Chennai. It now has over 600 engineers and researchers, up from a mere 100 in 2003. Even in the R&D, it has been pumping in a lot of cash. Small cars and big cars, Indian car makers are not behind the race with their global counterparts; as for quality, we will have to wait and drive!

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New heart for the base Tata Indigo…

Tata Motors is looking to achieve compact dimensions for its current Indigo model. Tata has had to make sheet metal changes to the car, not an easy or cheap option. The Indigo’s extended wheelbase is the same as is the rear suspension, but the bumper and boot have been chopped to fit the four-meter length.

Once Tata qualifies for this sop, it will mean a significant reduction in cost of around eight percent on the car’s ex-factory price. For the Indigo, this could work out to be around a Rs. 30,000 reduction depending on the model and Tata will have to pass on a fair amount of this to buyers, if it is looking to deliver better value. Probably the best part is that the shorter boot section will actually improve the Indigo’s fat-bottom looks.

The Indigo Compact could change the entire dynamics of the entry saloon segment, impacting the Mahindra-Renault Logan, Maruti SX4, and various others.

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Tri-Fuel Hybrid car to Vroooom on Indian roads

Here is another breakthrough in the field of science and technology. India’s first Tri-fuel hybrid car was launched in the capital recently. What’s more, to add to the news, the car has been developed by the students of a Mechanical Automation Branch of Amity School of Engineering and Technology (ASET). It’s their hard work and dedication that made this launch successful.

This mesmerizing beauty runs on Petrol, LPG, and electricity. It serves the purpose of being economical as well as pollution free. The team of 10 students prepared the car with a budget of Rs 2.5 lakh. It can run at a maximum speed of 60 km/h using its internal combustion engine and 42 km/h using its batteries.

A little slow we agree but the mileage balances it out. It has been tested successfully for more than 400 kms on Delhi roads to encounter city conditions. You can drive this small miracle for 35-40 miles on one-litre of petrol while on batteries it can run 80-90 kms on a single charge. This eco-friendly, zero emission, and low maintenance car is just what the Indian roads want. Maybe a manufacturer will pick up the design and have it ready for mass market sale soon.

posted by admin @ Monday, November 26th, 2007 Comments Off links to this post
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Nissan X-trail……..Rocks

Driving an SUV has become a fashion statement. Among the bunch of SUV’s my favorite is the Nissan X-trail. It has been a best seller around the world. Nissan has done the right thing in bringing it to India and especially at the right time when my friend was planning for an SUV. Even if there are many more models compared to what we had a few years ago, there still aren’t enough choices in this segment. It is bound to give some stiff competition to the other SUVs.

SUVs are meant to look imposing and rugged. The X-Trail does look like that to a certain extent. The front may look traditional, but that makes it aggressive. It may not look as modern and sleek as the Honda CR-V, but I am sure this styling definitely gives it a handsome and class look. As you move over to the side, the alloys grab your attention. The performance is better than many lighter and more powerful luxury sedans. It beats ALL its competitors in performance. The ride and handling is too good. But the only setback it has is in terms of pricing and if you don’t mind the price tag then, nothing should stop you from driving this cool car!

Article submitted by Rohit Mishra

posted by admin @ Monday, November 26th, 2007 Comments Off links to this post
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