Monthly Archives: June 2009

Honda Fest Puts Limelight on Jazz

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Honda Siel Cars India successfully organized their celebrated customer interaction programme ‘Honda Fest’ across all its 65 dealerships in India. This is the second such programme, after a similar function was held last year to mark the launch of the new Honda City. The latest Honda fest was focused on the new kid in the block Honda Jazz. Test drives on all the three variants (Base, Mode, Active) of the Jazz was available for the customers.

Honda Fest, which had been organised in the third weekend of June, was a treat to the Honda customers as they could test drive all the cars in the Honda Portfolio. With entertainment being the main theme coinciding with the showcasing of the Honda Jazz, recreational programmes such as pupet show was organised for the kids. All India music, dance, quiz and painting competitions were also held during the occasion and the results of these competitions would be announced by Honda Siel Cars later in the year.

Honda Siel Cars along with their dealerships sent out invitations to customers and corporate companies across the country to come and participate in the festival. Honda Motors is the only company organizing such customer interaction events, particularly around the time of every new car from their stable is launched. It is an unique initiative by the car manufacturer to increase awareness about their products among consumers.

Honda has been conducting similar fests in its other markets such as Japan, Germany and Italy. Honda officials feel that such fests would encourage customers to walk in to dealerships with a positive approach. It is an initiative worth emulating by other car manufacturers in India.

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Maruti to Re-Launch Grand Vitara

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Maruti Suzuki India is all set to re-launch its high end Grand Vitara SUV with a new powerful engine.

The new Grand Vitara will feature a 2.4 litre engine and will be called the GV 2.4 in India. It is expected to hit the markets next month. Currently the Grand Vitara is fitted with the 120 bhp, 2.0 litre inline-4 cylinder engine. The details of the power output are not yet revealed.

The sales of the 5-seater SUV has been on a downward swing ever since the economic slowdown started in 2008. Despite the SUV market size being 25,000 units per annum, sales of Grand Vitara has been less than satisfactory.

Almost all of Maruti Suzuki’s small cars are doing well in the Indian car market. It has eight small cars, one MPV, a mid-size sedan SX4, and two SUVs Gypsy and Grand Vitara. The pricing of the new Grand Vitara has not been revealed although the previous model carried a price tag of Rs 13.80 lakh.

Despite its decent performance, the SUV has not matched up with record sales like its smaller siblings. By re-launching the SUV, the manufacture wants to highlight that the car stills exists.

Auto analysts are skeptical about the sales of the re-launched SUV and keeping their guesses close to their heart. Maruti Suzuki’s Grand Vitara has been rivaled by Chevrolet Captiva, and Hyundai Tucson. These SUV’s are doing extremely well in the Indian car market.

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World’s Smallest Car debuts at Ripley’s

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Peel P50, which weighs about 68 kgs and has a top speed of 64 kmph is arguably the smallest car in the world. This car which was officially recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the smallest car ever to go into production, was displayed at Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum in Times Square, New York.

Designed as a city car for Ripley’s by the London-based Peel Engineering Company, this one seater car was advertised as capable of seating “one adult and a shopping bag”. The $ 25,000 Peel Trident is a battery-operated car featuring one door on its left side, single windscreen wiper and one headlight.

The Peel Trident uses a 49 cc DKW engine which runs for about 480 km per charge. It is equipped with a three-speed manual transmission with no reverse gear. Therefore, turning in a confined area can only be achieved by pushing, or lifting the car using the handle on the rear and physically pulling it round!

The Peel Engineering Company had made about two hundred gas-powered cars in the 1960s but never hit the road. Only one prototype, the Peel P55 Saloon Scooter survived the time machine. The Peel P50 which has a single wheel at the front and two at the rear and is road-legal in the UK as a “three-wheeler” and in Finland, it is being classified as a moped.

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A Mileage Tag On Car

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Indian automobile adage of “Mileage Kya Hai” could not be more apt with the Power secretary of India himself endorsing it. The car manufacturers would have to stick to the mandatory labelling for automobiles for energy efficiency by August !!!

The power department of India, certifying the energy efficiency claims of automobile makers would help the consumer to make the right choice when buying a vehicle. The tall claims of many auto makers on the mileage of their vehicles per litre now would be tagged. Looks like Indian consumer is finally getting his due.

Car buyers would not know the exact mileage figures of their vehicle until they has driven the vehicle for some months after purchasing it. Moreover, cars meant for the Indian market are not tested in Indian urban road conditions. So, there is always a difference in the figures shown in the label and customers’ experience.

Fuel efficiency standards are like certificates that guarantee a fixed range of kilometers per liter of fuel which applies for both petrol and diesel. With the new rule, the government will test all cars under newly formed norms.

Fuel efficiency exercise is mandatory in USA, Japan, UK and many other western European countries. From the block of emerging economies China has already brought in these norms and now India is bringing such laws. According to a study, even if the fuel efficiency is improved by half from the current mileage, it will save the government $36 billion by 2030, in all sectors.

Tagging the fuel efficiency is also a motive behind energy conservation vouches the Government. We certainly go by that. Amen!!!

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GM to back only Chevy in India

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The Motown Meltdown in the US is finally showing its ugly face here in India. General Motors India (GMI) has decided to market only the Chevrolet brand of cars in India. General Motors had earlier made attempt to sell its Opel brand of cars in India only to see the Indian customers dislike for the pricing of the Opel cars and was soon discontinued in the late 90’s. The first GM models to enter India were Opel Astra,Opel Corsa and Opel Vectra even before other GM subsidiaries could make a dent in the Indian Market.

Even as the U.S. parent company General Motors has filed for bankruptcy and is likely to restrict itself to four major brands Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC. The effects of the global economic felt by the GM parent company has also been felt here in India. However, the effects are only restricted to the number of GM cars in India. Currently, the Chevrolet portfolio includes six cars all of which are doing good in the country. In fact, Chevrolet has been able to survive the bankruptcy application by the parent company.

Auto Analysts say that General Motors is trying to play safe by restricting itself to Chevrolet Brand of cars in India. All the cars are positioned in the high volume segments, which will continue to attract high revenue. This policy seems to be in tune with its target to grab 10 per cent of the market share by 2010. Going by the market reports, it will not be far when the brand Chevrolet will be behind Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motors, which hold the top positions in passenger car market.

By making this announcement General Motors, U.S. has also drawn curtains to all speculation that the luxury Cadillac cars would come to India someday.

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Premium Cars to run on CNG, LPG

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You don’t have to sport that ‘Did I just see that’ look on your face when you see a premium sedan car running on cheaper gas fuels like CNG and LPG, because that is what would be happening henceforth.

These low cost fuels, forte of the compact cars like M800, Chevrolet Spark and Hyundai Santro, soon would be used by the premium sedan cars like Toyota Corolla, Maruti SX4, Skoda Octavia and Chevrolet Aveo. It is said that these fuels slash running cost by half.

It is expected that Skoda Auto, which has already launched the CNG versions of Octavia in Spain and other European markets is likely to introduce the same in India soon. Skoda calls it the Greenline technology as it uses 10 percent less fuel than other traditional 1.9 TDI models.

It has been learnt that Toyota Kirloskar Motors, the Indian subsidiary of the world’s premier auto manufacturer Toyota Motors, is testing Corolla for the CNG version. Also General Motors is planning on bringing out the CNG version of its sedan Chevrolet Aveo.

These auto manufacturers were amazed to see sales of Hyundai Accent CNG zooming past its petrol sibling. It has helped revive the model which was on the brink of extinction in India. Sales have picked up in cities where CNG is available, such as in Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad.

Apart from this, car manufacturers are also worried that sales of mid-size cars have declined drastically. They expect car sales to climb up with the cheaper fuel versions. Besides focusing on CNG and LPG versions, they have also been following up on alternative fuels too. Besides, the central government has stressed on the need of hybrid for eco-friendly for transportation during the Common Wealth Games in Ne Delhi in 2011.

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A Peppier Mercedes Benz CLS in the Making

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The charismatic Mercedes Benz CLS is all set to get grander with its new Grand Edition. Style, performance and safety has been the mantra of this edition.

The Mercedes Benz CLS Grand Edition will now boast 18″ AMG 5 spoke alloy wheels with a Titanium Grey finish and elegant front grille louvers. It will also flaunt headlamps in Palladium silver matt finish and floor mats with Grand Edition Badging.

The power in the CLS Grand edition has been upgraded to 48 bhp which takes the overall power of the CLS 350 CDI V6 to 272 bhp and the result is an increase in the torque of the car with which 0-62 mph can be achieved in 6.5 seconds, an improvement of half a second, without any compromise to the combined fuel consumption of 15.8 kmpl or CO2 emissions of 215 g/km.

With features like the Bi-Xenon Light Package in the ‘Grand’ CLS, the visibility has been considerably improved. This sedan fitted with Cornering Light Function is an added safety feature that improves the visibility in the corners by up to 90 percent enabling the driver to see 25 metres further along an extended bend with a radius of 190 metres.

This CLS Grand will be available in five colours including, the fist-time on CLS, Palladium Silver. Car connoisseurs are also spoilt for choice with the introduction of Palladium Silver Matt Paint. This option of paint is not only eye-catching but also highly scratch and dirt-resistant. Initially only 560 units will be launched in the Great Britain by the end of July. How we are waiting for the “Grand Edition” of Mercedes Benz CLS to whiz on our roads.

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One Lakh ‘Allotment Letters’ on Nano from Tata

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A lakh of Tata Nano’s customers will have a reason to rejoice as they soon would be receiving ‘allotment letters’ from Tata Motors. Tata Nano has proved to be a complete people’s car after a majority (70 percent) of the Nano bookings are from the smaller towns.

The ultra cheap car which was launched on March 23rd, received an impressive response with more than two lakh potential customers booking their Nano’s before the bookings closed on April 25th 2009.

According to the computerized random selection procedure, the lucky one lakh customers will drive home their own little wonder on wheels and the rest of the lesser mortals would have to wait for some more time.

Tata Motors, during the launch of Tata Nano, had announced that the cars would initially be given to the customers “at the currently announced price”. But now it seems like the Tata Nano customers would have to shell out a little more than the actual price that Tata Motors had announced.

The first batch of Nanos’ would be rolled out from the Pantnagar plant which currently holds the production capacity of 50,000 cars per annum. This number will be further expanded to 2.5 Lakh units once the new plant at Sanand in Gujarat starts its operation in December.

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A Chief Who Auctions His Ferrari

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Owning a car with a logo of “Prancing Horse” seems like a must do in everybody’s wish list. Anybody loaded with loads of moolah can fit the description provided he goes an extra mile by buying “the” Ferrari of the Ferrari boss himself.

Whew!!! You read that right. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, the Chairman of Ferrari and Fiat is bidding his Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano in an online auction (What gives). The outcome of this auction is going to benefit a charity that provides funding for young researches working on projects involving technological innovation.(So much for the cause of science. Eh?)

This 2006 model Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano is feature laden with the F1 Super Fast gearbox, Rosso Monza exterior paint, charcoal leather interior, carbon-ceramic disc brakes and carbon fiber accents. This car has been a personal transport of di Montezemolo with the total mileage reading at a very low 5,776 km (3,589 miles).

The bidding for the car is currently open until June 29 at 3:00pm GMT. When last heard the highest bid so far was hovering at €180,000 ($250,000).

If you are planning to place your bid, all you have to do is to go to the official website of Ferrari and show your Swiss bank balance (All for the cause of Science) .

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Volvo XC60 To See A September Launch In India

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Swedish auto gaint, Volvo has come up with its newest baby, the XC60. It’s sleek, it’s admirable and its fun. So what’s new you ask? XC60, a crossover, sheds its boxy image and has regained all the perfect curves at the right places unlike its big brother XC90. XC60 offers a different feel and drive compared to its staid brethren. With the newest segment of crossovers invading the market, Volvo XC60 is here to stay, thanks to its youth approach. XC60 is designed to attract the next generation buyers.

XC60 has sweeping headlights on the corners of its upright nose and has slightly flared arches which give it a look of underlying dominance. It has come out of the usual Volvo mould with its captivating interiors. The optional two tone leather upholstered seats, futuristic Centre console embedded with climate control buttons which Volvo likes to term is at as floating console, storage space behind the console for small items and LCD read outs portaying various messages on vehicle functions and a larger display of navigation is so out and out into the future.

Like any luxury crossover SUV, XC60 has plenty of ground clearance to make it adapt to Indian conditions. Just as in other Volvos, the XC60 comes with new safety technologies like the brake assist, hill descent control and even am alter system which send out warnings when it senses if the driver is getting drowsy.

India is gearing itself until September for the launch of this butch vehicle. XC60 might as well decorated with its famed 3.2litre straight-six cylinder petrol engine, which is already installed in XC90 and S80. Indians who have a flair for diesel engines can rejoice as it is in the offing too. But with the absence of all wheel drive option and just a front wheel drive in the XC60, BMW X3 and Audi Q5 have a edge on this great value for moolah SUV.

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