Monthly Archives: June 2009

New Audi Q5 gets Top Safety Scores

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The Audi Q5 has won the top safety pick award for 2009 from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States. The IIHS is a premier body that monitors safety ratings for cars and it has stated that the compact SUV Q5 has received highest crash test ratings. The Q5 posted highest ratings for side impact, offset frontal, and rear impact tests.

To qualify for the best ratings, it is required that cars fare well on front, side and rear tests and also be equipped with electronic stability control. All Audi cars in India come with this equipment as standard feature.

The Audi Q5 goes beyond the requirement and comes equipped with some great driver assistance safety systems such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Side Assist and Lane Assist, Electronic Stabilization Program, and advanced anti-lock brakes.

The new Audi Q5 launched in India last week and since the model is almost the same as that sold in the Unites States, it too will come with the same amount of safety as guaranteed by IIHS’s safety ratings.
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Volvo XC60 SUV Coming soon

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Volvo is all set to enhance its product portfolio with a new crossover SUV in the Indian market. Branded as the little brother of the Volvo XC90 SUV, the upcoming Volvo XC60 goes up against the BMW X3 and the recently launched Audi Q5. The stunning SUV will be on sale around September this year.

The crossover structure gives XC60 a completely fresh look which is appealing to the eyes. The urban nature of its exterior targets the elite customers who are active in the Page-3 circuit. The new SUV joins the exciting line of Volvo cars after the C70 convertible, S80 sedan, and XC90 SUV and is part of Volvo’s proposed plan to bring six models into the country.

Designed by Steve Mattin, the design director at Volvo Car Corporation, the XC60 shares the same diesel engine as that on the S80 and XC90 sold in India. Though a petrol variant is available, the company will focus on its diesel version in India.

Too keep with Volvo’s tradition of unparalleled safety in cars, the new XC60 focuses even on the minutest of details with respect to safety. The extensive array of advanced safety features on the XC60 includes whiplash protection, traction control, roll stability control, intelligent driver information system, anti-skid system, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, adaptive seatbelts, and collision warning with brake support.

The price of Volvo XC60 is expected to be anywhere between Rs 27 and 32 Lakh in India, placing it above the Nissan X-Trail but below the Mitsubishi Montero.
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India will Experience a Car Glut in 2009

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Going by the number of new car launches in India, it seems that the domestic car market is insulated from the impact of global economic recession. By the end of the year there will be 50 new cars in India, both domestic as well as foreign brands, plying on Indian roads.

The year 2009 started off with the launch of the Mahindra Xylo and it has been a riot of new car launches since then and the market is waiting for more. Xylo was followed by the Fiat Linea and small-car Maruti Suzuki Ritz. The latest entrants are Honda Jazz, the LPG version of Chevrolet Spark, Chevrolet Aveo U-VA Techno, and Audi Q5 SUV.

But wait! Have you spared some space for the one lakh Nano cars that are believed to be delivered next month?

International car manufacturers turn their focus to India as the markets in U.S., Japan, and Europe are reeling under the pressure of economic slowdown. They find solace only in the developing economies of India and China to tide over the current gloom, which prompts them to pour in more and more models. Little wonder then that the beleaguered General Motors eyes India as one of its key markets.

The domestic car manufacturers on the contrary experienced a dip in sales last year and to compensate for the revenue deficit, they pound on the market aggressively with new models. GM India, a subsidiary of General Motors has already launched a new variant of Chevrolet Aveo U-VA called Techno apart from the LPG variant of Spark. They have more in the pipeline. Chevrolet’s mini-car Cruze will hit roads in September and an upgraded version of Captiva along with GM Cruise sedan are also set to sneak into the market in 2009.

From the Hyundai stable, we can expect an SUV in the form of Santa Fe and the discontinued Elantra will be replaced by Hyundai Avante sedan. All these are apart from the i-Series cars that are also set to launch. Fiat too has upped its ante with hatchback Grande Punto and Bravo Sedan.

Tata Indicruz, a crossover vehicle and new version of Indigo range built on the platform of Indica Vista will join the race, while Volkswagen’s new plant near Pune will soon roll out the Skoda Yeti, Skoda Roomster, and Fabia’s Combi Wagon variant.

Renault’s joint venture with Nissan will also see a few new launches in the form of Megane hatchback and Sandero sedan from the Renault stable and Micra hatchback and Murano SUV from Nissan’s portfolio.

Though these are good signs for the Indian car industry, too many choices will in all probability spoil desi customers.

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Maruti and Suzuki Seek More Car Markets after Europe

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Maruti Suzuki’s car exports are already basking under the glory of having driven to Europe and are now aiming towards other global car markets. The focus is currently on African and Latin American markets for its star product the Maruti Suzuki A-Star. The A-star is sold as the Alto in Europe and has been very popular there.

The A-Star was primarily created by Maruti Suzuki as an export product and the company has received encouraging response to the car in overseas markets. Indian car exports amounted to nearly 16,000 units of the A-star alone in the months of April and May. The company plans to ship 70,000 units of A-star to Europe in this fiscal year.

The new car model from Maruti Suzuki is already exported from India to European countries like France, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Germany. It is powered by the new K-series engine which meets the next generation emission norms as well.

The small car is exclusively manufactured in India for Suzuki’s markets worldwide. Maruti will now sell it in over 50 of Suzuki’s markets where it has sales and distribution networks. This means that Suzuki has begun transferring its small car manufacturing responsibilities to Maruti while it concentrates on its other products. Between the two companies, the small car market in the world could literally become their forte and Maruti Suzuki’s future looks extremely bright.
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Honda Jazz set to Re-define Hatchback Segment

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When Honda Jazz launched on Wednesday, it was called a segment defining car by a senior Honda official. The spacious new small car which is based on the platform of the popular Honda City sedan is one of the most expensive hatchbacks in India. The above Rs 7 Lakh car is all set to re-define the way small cars are perceived in the country.

If the highly priced Jazz sees success, it will open the door for many more super hatches to roll into the small car market. By setting the stage for more new expensive small car models, the Jazz will become a pioneer of the premium small car segment in India. Three other premium small cars are set to follow the Jazz – Volkswagen Polo, Hyundai i30, and Renault Sandero.

All these vehicles are priced between Rs 6 Lakh and Rs 8 Lakh and are slightly larger than the typical small cars on Indian roads. These premium hatchbacks come loaded with plenty of modern technological advancements such as advanced airbags, climate control systems, and high quality audio systems. For long, these features have been restricted only to premium sedans. The Honda Jazz bundles it all within its compact structure.

It remains to be seen if the new extension to the small car segment will go down well with Indian car buyers. At the high price of Honda Jazz, how many will sacrifice sedan comfort for a spacious and feature-packed hatchback? Existing small car owners may consider upgrading to a more premium small car such as the Jazz. Internationally, these premium hatchbacks have been a success but the Indian market has proved very dicey to even the most experienced car manufacturers.
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Bleak Future for Car Components Exporters

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The financial turmoil at the Detroit three – GM, Ford, and Chrysler – coupled with economic slump have dealt a double blow to India’s auto parts makers and exporters. A recent report says that Indian car components exports, that touched $3.6 billion in 2007-08, are estimated to be near flat in 2008-09.

India’s component makers had been enjoying brisk business over the last decade owing to high-end competition and rising costs of raw materials in the US and European markets. General Motors and Ford Motors had to slash costs to survive in the market which came as a blessing for Indian component exporters. Now, with General Motors and Chrysler going bust, desi car parts manufacturers foresee a bleak future for the industry.

The U.S. market’s sourcing Indian car components accounts to 27% of the market in that country, of which 70% are for “Tier 1″ companies. The European market, which comprises 33% of ACMA’s exports, is also down but doing better than the U.S.

Indian auto parts maker Amtek Auto Ltd. witnessed a slump of 30-40% in sales last fiscal. The company which recorded a $650-million business in 2007-08 could only muster around $450 million this time. The company, that has big names like Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, Cummins, BMW and Toyota as their clients, feels that the market will remain dormant for some more time.

Other players in the field voice similar concern. Rico Auto Industries that exports engine components to Ford, GM, Caterpillar, BMW and Cummins, saw their exports dipping by 7 per cent. Executives at Sona Koyo Steering Systems, which supplies steering systems to cars and off-highway vehicles, too feel that the market will remain sluggish.

Despite all these negativities, experts say that Indian exporters do have room for growth. However, they predict that the growth projection will be way below the targets.
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Vintage Cars Race Again for Title

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For more than a decade, car racing has become one of the premier sports of the world. The thrill of pushing vehicles to the limits and gauging the endurance of human beings is a passion followed by many. The popularity of Grand Prix, Formula One racing, World Rally, Dakar Rally, and Le Mans Race have been extremely popular with people.

Here’s one race that is completely different from any of the above mentioned car races – the 36th Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Race. It is an event that serves to showcase the top vintage cars and people from the start of motorsports to the present day. The vintage car racing event is a spectacle of a different kind.

It is set to be held at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca racing track on August 14-16, 2009. This year, the event will honour Porsche for its storied racing heritage. Former Porsche drivers Brian Redman and Vic Elford have led Porsche to many titles in the 70s with the legendary Porsche 917 race car. It is expected that other legendary Porsche race cars – the 1969 Porsche 911 S, 1974 Porsche RSR, and the famous Porsche 917 will race along with 150 other Porches at the event.

Over 450 participants and 30,000 spectators are expected to gather at the event to witness track runs by the some of the world’s most exotic and historic racing machines. The cars will race in 15 different race groups over the three day motorsport event.

At the end of the race, Rolex will hold its award winning Motor Sports history display “Moments in Time” which honours singular outstanding achievements of six different cars and their drivers throughout the history of formula one and other car races.
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Micro Hybrid – A Step Towards Mahindra’s Hybrid Dreams

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The Mahindra Scorpio ‘mighty muscular’ hides a lot of surprises under its canopy. One of these is the Micro Hybrid technology that works in conjunction with its mHawk engine to make the SUV more environment-friendly. Mahindra has gone to great lengths to promote this new technology as a champion of environmental conservation by burning less fuel and producing lesser emissions.

The Micro Hybrid setup is an advanced and path breaking technology. As the term “hybrid” denotes, though the Mahindra Scorpio is not exactly a hybrid, the SUV is capable of switching into standby mode at certain intervals during running to burn less fuel. The co-relation to Hybrid technology is that Hybrid engines switch between two different types of fuels or modes of operation to achieve better utilization of primary fuel.

Mahindra’s Micro Hybrid technology intelligently switches the Scorpio’s engine into idle mode when not required so that fuel can be conserved. It restarts the engine when the clutch pedal is stepped on or gear is engaged back from neutral. The revolutionary technology is ideal for heavy city traffic conditions. Mahindra is confident that this novel technology saves around 5% of fuel.

Lately, Mahindra has been focusing increasingly on Greener Concepts such as Bio-Diesel and Hybrid-electric technologies and has been conducting various types of research on cost-effective hybrid cars. With the new Mahindra Scorpio with Micro Hybrid technology, it has achieved compliance with the latest Bharat Stage IV emission norms in the country. Micro Hybrid is just the start of Mahindra’s “hybrid dreams” and the Scorpio is a step towards Mahindra’s adding its own hybrid cars on Indian roads.
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India is Taxiing in Luxury

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Incredible India! The Ministry of Tourism spends crores of rupees on advertisements highlighting the exotic nature of the country to woo foreign tourists. The nation boasts of a rich heritage and ethnic luxury and is now growing at a brisk pace in almost every sector be it technology or corporate business. It’s leading the world on almost all fronts. These factors make it a hotspot for foreign nationals who make trips to India sits either at regular intervals or at least once in their lifetimes.

The rise of the IT industry and the corresponding BPO/KPO boom has warranted a great influx of foreign delegates to attend conferences, trade shows, and to discuss business proposals. Their transport requirements are of a different level and need to be met with higher standards. It is here that hotels and attached travel agencies have gone an extra mile with services such as luxury taxis and renting cars.

The changing scenario has revolutionized the concept of taxi service in the country where mostly Ambassadors and Premier Padminis plied our roads about a decade ago. Now, big car brands have waltzed in and world class luxury cars are doing the job of our “erstwhile taxis”.

It’s exciting to watch Mercedes-Benz S320s, E220s, and even the new S500s & Viano Vans ploughing Indian roads with yellow-coloured number plates. The long list of Indian limousines also includes cars from BMW, Audi, Porsche, and others. Also, businesses and institutions with lower budgets have settled for lower luxury with cars such as the Toyota Camry, Nissan Teana, Skoda Laura & Superb, and Honda Accord to name a few. Also, our usual taxi-walas have had to upgrade their skills to fit into this newly formed business of luxury taxi-cabs in India. English-speaking chauffeurs are a worthy mention in every travel catalogue offered to foreign tourists.

The trend of luxury taxis was until recently limited only to the better developed countries in the world. As such, it’s truly a treat to watch India taxiing in luxury.
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New Toyota Land Cruiser Packs More in a Small Package

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Apart from its reputation as the big bad boy of the SUV world, the new Toyota Land Cruiser in India is also big on features. With a price tag of around Rs 85 Lakh, it is also ranks among the expensive cars in India and is no simpleton when it comes to richness of interior and exterior.

The Land Cruiser comes with a large 4.5-litre V8 diesel engine that generates a massive 282 bhp of power. It is capable of achieving top speeds of upto 200 km/h. The SUV has fantastic off-road ability as well as on-road dynamics.

In the interior, it is loaded with plenty of latest equipment that includes 6-disc DVD changer that works with a 14-speaker JBL audio system. It also comes with a four zone air conditioning system that comes with a total of 28 air outlets (including rear a/c vents). Driver’s seat adjustment is highly personalized through memory settings. Plus, both front seats are power adjustable. A cool box comes standard to keep beverages cool on long trips.

For safety, the Toyota Land Cruiser comes with a total of 10 airbags at every area of the cabin. Its multi-terrain anti-lock braking system with electronic brakeforce distribution technology and excellent crawl control system help negotiate challenging terrain and driving conditions easily. Hill start assist system and vehicle stability assist offer superior control while driving uphill or downhill. Electronic stability control is an important safety feature on a car. Negotiating corners and reversing the car are made safe by clearance and sonar sensors on the SUV.

The new Land Cruiser is extremely well-suited for all weather conditions in India. The new SUV is far different from Toyota’s existing city-oriented SUV in the Indian market called the Land Cruiser Prado. The new Land Cruiser is much more sophisticated and better equipped to handle rough terrain. Also, it costs twice as much as the Prado.
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