It’s good news for all race enthusiasts. The MRF Formula 1600 race car is here. India’s catching up fast with developed nations. Indians have been proving their gut for speed here and abroad. Narain Karthikeyan has been doing us proud with his successive victories.

The launch of the race car here is truly fodder for excitement. Budding race car enthusiasts can now train in a genuine race car. The MRF Formula 1600 is manufactured by British-based motorsports firm Elan Motorsports Technologies (EMI) and is currently priced at Rs.15 lakh. It will be powered by a 155 bhp 1.6-liter 16-valve Ford Duratec engine which is currently used across the world in small race cars. The lightweight engine enables better throttle for the car.

The car will undergo critical tests during February for power and performance after which it will be assembled in the country and released to the public. It’s expected to be ready before the coming year’s Indian National Racing Championship where MRF plans to launch 10 of these in the event.

Tata Motors is well ahead of the rest in a race to capture the market. But the reputed auto giant seems unfulfilled when it comes to design and safety on its models and not without reason.

Take a look at the Tata Sumo. The vehicle has a strong chassis and a good powertrain that’s probably picked up from Tata’s truck line-up. However, inspite of recent model remakes, it retains its tin-box image.

Another model which received a new look recently is the Indica. Besides being reliable and economical, the car has catered to passenger convenience to a good extent. Yet the styling still looks pretty dated and reminds one of cars that ruled the roads a decade ago. Tata should work toward seeing off the current taxi-wala image of these indigeneous models.

Article submitted by Kishore Nandan

All Fiat fans who were forced to opt for other cars have a reason to cheer. Fiat is back! This time with newer and even better models.

We hear that the decade old Ranjangaon plant near Pune is finally humming with activity as the Italian car major is pushing through a major expansion programme.

This will be a decisive comeback for Fiat. In the next 2 years, Fiat wants to roll out seven new cars from its global portfolio. New releases will include Fiat’s European best seller – the 2-door Cinquecento, the much read about sedan Linea and even the world famous Ferrari.

The Fiat service network that used to be about a decade ago is now non-existent. The company will revamp its sales and service network entirely. This move should certainly get the crowd going.

Reports suggest that the Pune plant is presently making two versions of the Palio and come February, a third version will be added. The new Palio will be powered by the highly acclaimed 1.3 Multijet engine which currently does duty in the award winning Maruti Swift DDiS. We expect a price tag of around Rs 4.5 lakh on the new model.

Roads are the same but dreams are growing bigger in size and in number. So is global warming! The Indian passenger car market is set to see a hundred potential models at the upcoming Auto Expo in Delhi and many of them are slated to rollout in and soon after 2008.

This is what we’d call getting everything on a platter! From Tata’s ultra cheap car to the all new Mercedes C-Class and from Skoda’s Fabia to BMW’s M5 – all are set to lock many gazes at the auto show. All in all, India will have about 60 new variants to flaunt on its roads by the end of 2008. Great news for car lovers good and the Indian auto market.

A lot to worry about on the environmental scene and the growing rate of accidents and traffic jams. How much more can our roads take? Effective plans need to be tabled much before the cars roll out.

Article submitted by Vignesh Madhusudhan

Earlier it was car manufacturers who announced an increase in price and now the government announces a hike in fuel prices at the start of the coming year. This, when the news of Tata’s new super-mileage small car was just sinking in.

The reason for this increase in fuel prices is said to be a result of huge losses incurred by public sector oil firms here. Whatever the reason, it’s finally the common man who takes the brunt of it all. As usual, the price hike has been labeled a ‘moderate’ increase.

What does the future hold for the auto world? Well! With fuel prices pushing upward at this rate, we’re sure the day of bullock carts and bicycles are just a few pages away in the calendar. We are glad Honda’s bringing a hybrid car to India. Seeing the tiny Maini Reva ply our roads cheers us up even more.

Recent reports in the Western press about Tata motors’ prospective takeover of the Land Rover and Jaguar brands have raised a few disturbing questions. News analysis and blogs seem perturbed by Tata’s bid for the iconic British brands. The Western media raises the phantom issue of brand image dilution at the hands of the Tata’s; a car manufacturer they associate with the world’s cheapest car – the infamous one-lakh car. Their premise is that the image of the big brands that Tata is eyeing may take a beating as a result of this.

Does the argument hold water? Another question is whether Western car enthusiasts are really so baffled by the change of ownership that they would overlook the survival of Land Rover and Jaguar. Yet another question is, why such discomfiture on the part of some journalists and bloggers? Do people really have so much idle time as to waste it on such issues? Are vested interests in act here? If not the common people, then who’s writing such obnoxious stuff? The answers to these questions deliver a clearer picture of the situation.

As far as the Tatas are concerned, their business credentials are solid. Tata is not just a business conglomerate but a business house that has contributed immensely to the making of modern India. Tatas belong to a generation of conscientious businessmen; a generation of yore who believed in giving back to society from what they got. The Indian Institute of Science and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research stand testimony to their benevolence. In India, the Tatas are clearly seen as ‘businessmen with professionalism’. The conglomerate has always been led by a visionary businessman, be it the founder Jamshedji or the current leader Ratanji. Tata’s business success is a story of India’s rising economic strength.

It’s not the question of Tatas winning or losing the bid for Jaguar and Land Rover. They have won many a time and have also lost on a few occasions. The outcome of the bid is by no means a standard to gauge the Indian car maker. It will not mean the world if they win and will definitely not be the end of the road if they lose. But, is there anyone else who has stepped up to the task at hand? Only a handful of companies have actually filed for the bid and now only two remain in the race, one of them being a private equity entity – EquityOne.

In this case, what’s really disturbing is the scale of dissemination of such ideology. Would Western car buyers really want to know who made the car they are driving or where it came from? The current views are clearly an indication of restlessness and a result of the propagation of an old belief system pertaining to developing countries. Be what it may, Asia is truly rising.

Article submitted by Krishnaraj Shastri

Lost for direction! Don’t know where you are going or want to go? The MapmyIndia navigation system is here to take a good care of your traveling. It will make your travel easy, safe and a fun. Enter any destination across India, and the Navigator will guide you turn by turn with graphic instructions supported by voice prompts. It also searches for points of interest along the way, such as the nearest petrol pump or ATM when you need them most.

This smart and sleek GPS gadget uses information provided by satellites to determine your current location. The portable gadget can either be mounted on the windshield or on the dashboard while driving or be carried on person while seated in the backseat. This GPS-based in-car navigation device was recently introduced into the Indian market by leading navigable map data provider MapmyIndia.

The device is available in two hardware models, Delphi Nav 200 and AMAX 06GP5A. Both the models come with inbuilt GPS, 3.5” colour touch-screen and Samsung 400 MHz processor with additional multimedia features to play movies, music, photos, games, etc. So, no more asking for routes or directions, your navigator is right here to help you out!

Hyundai is considering another facelift for its flagship brand Sonata Embera. Sonata was well-received by Indian car enthusiasts on its introduction in July 2001.

But by 2006, it started feeling the heat of competition from other international car models and its sales graph went south. Doing what most car manufacturers do in such a crisis, Hyundai bounced back with a larger and better-looking ‘Sonata Embera’.

In order to win a larger clientele, Hyundai equipped the Embera with a diesel engine and offered an automatic transmission option. Although the tactics augmented the car’s appeal, they fell flat on sales expectations. Seeing the model’s success in other markets, adamant Hyundai does not seem ready to phase it out.

Actually, Sonata’s performance has never been doubted. If cars were to sell on the basis of performance, Sonata would have raked in a lot of moolah for Hyundai. Its low price and unique look have the potential to make endear it to car buyers.

A little bird has told that the new Embera could appear anytime in 2008, whereas the present market scenario suggests its launch sometime in 2009. Yet the speculations finally rest with Hyundai.

Bosch, formerly Mico Bosch, is likely to supply fuel-injection systems for the Bajaj-Renault sub-$3,000 small car. The German auto component maker also supplies similar systems for Tata’s small car and Bajaj’s motorcycles. The small car being built by the Bajaj Auto and French automaker Renault jointly is likely to hit the road in early 2010.

Bosch is planning to invest Rs. 850 crore in India to increase the production of petrol systems, electronic control units and ABS systems. By 2010, it plans to produce 15 lakh starters and 20 lakh alternators in India, compared to about 5 lakh of each in 2006. The company aims to generate low-cost vehicle equipment sales to the tune of 1 billion Euros by 2010. This is a fast growing segment in India. The global growth of low-cost components is projected to be at 6% by 2015, while in India it will be in double figures.

The component major has decided to change its name to Bosch from Motor Industries Company (MICO), in which it holds nearly 70% stake. Nevertheless, the well-established ‘Mico’ brand will be retained in the automotive aftermarket.

Toyota Innova, India’s most preferred Multi Purpose Vehicle, is all set to get a facelift soon. The sporty looking Innova is on the roads everywhere in the country. It’s been the most preferred choice for cabs and is very popular with large families. Its competitive pricing has done it wonders.

Toyota wants to give the Indian public an even better looking Innova. The slightly re-designed Innova could be on the market by 2008.

The second generation Innova will undergo several minor changes. The focus will be on bumpers, headlights and taillights. On the inside, the model could add a new climate control system and parking sensors. With the new Innova speculated to be larger than its predecessor, parking sensors could be just what the people would want for a long car such as this.

Toyota’s idea of a facelift for the Innova could be to get a better hold over the MPV segment. With news of the Mercedes-Benz Viano hitting the market soon, we aren’t too surprised. Price is definitely not something Toyota would worry about with the Viano.