Monthly Archives: June 2009

Honda Jazz is finally here

14

New Honda Jazz Cars In India

The latest hatchback Honda Jazz has finally arrived. It is the second costliest hatchback in the country after the Fiat 500. The Jazz is the first small car from the Honda stable and is available in three variants – Jazz Base, Jazz Mode, and top-end Jazz Active.

The new car is powered by a India specific 1.2-litre i-VTEC engine which delivers 89 bhp of power and 110 Nm of peak torque. The revolutionary “Made for India” powertrain offers enhanced power output and low fuel consumption. The Jazz delivers an impressive fuel economy of 16.1 km/l on average, as certified by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). The engine is also E10 compatible and designed to meet Bharat Stage IV emission levels.

The Jazz is a perfect combination of compact design and spacious interiors. The Jazz is built on the Honda City platform. This helps it offer loads of space in both front and rear rows. The exterior combines large angular headlights and its forward hood commands respect. Standard features of Honda Jazz include integrated CD/MP3 audio system with auxiliary input, steering wheel mounted audio controls, automatic volume control by car speed, titanium seat fabric color, and air conditioner with heater. The car comes with unique magic seats that enhance usage of rear space behind the front seats.

The top-end ‘Active’ variant is sportier than the other variants as it comes with features such as sport pedals, body coloured front grille, fog lamps, and a spoiler at the top of the tailgate.

All variants of the Jazz pack the same amount of safety features irrespective of whether it’s a base variant or top-end variant. Features include dual front SRS airbags, ABS with brake assist system, Electronic Brake-force Distribution technology, G-CON (G-Force Control Technology) car body, and engine immobilizer.

The new Honda Jazz is all set to re-define the hatchback segment in India. The Jazz Basic is priced at Rs 6.98 Lakh, Jazz Mode at Rs 7.28 Lakh, and Jazz Active at Rs 7.63 Lakh. All mentioned prices are ex-showroom Delhi.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

Jaguar XF Revives Past Glory

Reply

Fate has a queer way of doling out success and failure. While Ford was in possession of Jaguar and Land Rover for over five years, it continued to face losses from these two car brands year after year. It was forced to finally sell off these entities to Tata Motors. Around the time of the sale, Jaguar was a loss making company and Land Rover could be seen in more favourable light.

But within a year of the sale, tables have turned and Jaguar has picked up well and is expected to become profitable very soon. On the other hand, Land Rover has lost its edge over sibling Jaguar and has been sucking up revenues. Fuel-guzzling SUVs went out of style with the spurt in fuel prices. Land Rover sales dipped. Contrary to this, Jaguar’s new XF Sedan was a clear deviation from conservative design and this change has been working for Jaguar.

The XF was well received in all its markets. People loved its sporty long flowing design and appreciated it new range of engines. They were made by Ford and Tata has been reaping the rewards.

A new 515 bhp 5.0-litre V8 engine replaced the long standing 4.2-litre V8 of the XF. The engine also offered enhanced torque of 625 Nm. The XF helped put Jaguar sales back on track and it has sold 65,000 units in a single year. This was far ahead of the numbers foreseen by Ford when Jaguar was in its possession.

The new XF challenged the Audi RS6, BMW M5, and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. Now Jaguar is bringing the revolutionary XF to India this year to treat Indian car buyers to a rare combination of history, speed, and world class engineering.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

How Maruti and Honda Stay on Top

4

Amidst the nagging economic gloom, positive news from the Indian car market provides us with something to cheer about. According to the figures released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), car sales in India continued an upward swing for the fifth consecutive month. Passenger cars registered a 2.48 per cent growth in May taking total sales to 1,13,490 units as against 1,10,745 units sold in the same month last year.

This time too Maruti Suzuki and Honda have come out on top as saviours of the car market to help it stay in positive territory. Maruti Suzuki registered 9.71 percent increase in May sales and Honda posted a rise of 11.01 percent.

Though that’s all good, the overall car sales declined 19% last month, the worst drop in 5 years. Industry experts cry hoarse over meek rate of lending by banks and downturn for the bleak situation. They demand greater government intervention in the form of easy financing, cut in interest rates, and rationalisation of excise duty for a quick revival.

One wonders how Maruti and Honda could manage to keep afloat during such trying times where other players like Hyundai and Tata bit the dust with dip in sales. On close scrutiny, it can be seen that Maruti’s “one component, one gram” policy has worked well. This policy helps them cut down on costs and improve a car’s fuel efficiency and performance, making it a “paisa wasool” (value for money) car.

Currently, Maruti 800 weighs 650 kg and a 2kg weight reduction could bring down the cost of the model. The company has asked its vendors to reduce the weight of each component by one gram. The “one-gram” theory has helped them reduce cost of production thereby fighting the sullen car market more effectively. Honda too is bringing out its new model Jazz with reduced weight.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

Skoda to Bring New Octavia this Year

1

SkodaAuto India is bringing in specific changes to its popular model Skoda Octavia to suit Indian conditions better. The Octavia has completed 8 successful years in the Indian car market and continues to be a strong contender in the premium sedan segment.

Rumours suggest that Skoda is considering rolling out the new Octavia on a completely new platform and launch it by the end of this year. It will be the second major launch from Skoda after the new Laura was introduced in May 2009. The Czech car manufacturer is currently drawing up specifications and designs using Indian engineers at its plant in Pune. Attention is being paid to its design, which has been one of Skoda’s merits. The company hopes to make it a tailor made car for India.

Currently, Skoda trails just behind Honda Motors in the Indian premium car segment. The new Skoda Octavia might just put Skoda in the lead. Apart from this, the company also has plans to introduce a new small car to join the Skoda Fabia in the hatchback segment. All the new cars from Skoda will be specifically designed keeping Indian conditions in mind. As part of this strategy, Skoda hopes to have its models spread across all segments.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

The Stylish Fiat Grande Punto

Reply

New Fiat Grande Punto Cars In India

The association of Fiat with the Indian car market and is becoming increasingly admirable by the day. Through the ups and downs in the market, this relation is slowly becoming stronger as Fiat continues to build trust with the Indian public through its successful joint venture with Tata Motors. True to this, Fiat is gifting another chance to car lovers in the country to get more cozy and comfortable behind the steering wheel – launch of Fiat Grande Punto. The elegantly designed and captivatingly sporty Fiat Grande Punto is all set to steal the show after its launch this month. The three important ‘C’s of a car can be fastened to the car – Comfort, Class, and Captivating style.

The launch of the majestic Fiat Linea has already created excitement in the car industry and now the Punto is all set to impress. The new car will reveal itself in two variants – Dynamic and Sport. Equipped with the features like Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Remote Central Locking, Power Windows, Audio system, and Sunroof, the beautiful new car comes with price tags of Rs 5 Lakh and above.

The Punto carries 2 different engines under its hood – 1.3 litre JTD diesel and 1.4 litre petrol. Both engines deliver good performance and fuel economy. A Dualogic transmission goes along with both engines. The car is high on safety and is well equipped to ensure it. This curvy beauty is set to covet the Numero Uno position in the hearts of people and will join the soon to be formed list of famous five models from Fiat in India.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

GM India is there for you

2
General Motors has finally revealed the price to expect for its new small car to be launched by the end of this year. The new car based on GM’s concept car Beat will be priced at around Rs 4 Lakh. Not much else is known about it yet.

While it’s true that General Motors has filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S., its Indian arm – GM India – is going full swing with new model launches and is poised to take competition head on in the Indian car market. The Indian subsidiary is not affected by the state of its parent company in the U.S. and is launching new cars models and variants for existing cars.

Chevrolet’s success in India is seen in the recent launch of the LPG variant of Chevrolet Spark and a new variant of Aveo U-VA called ‘techno’. Also to be launched soon are the premium sedan Chevrolet Cruze in September and the new mini car by the end of this year. The Indian setup of GM has set a target of five new car launches for the year 2009 even as the parent company undergoes transformation as a government owned entity.

The new car launches signify that the company is hale and hearty and looking forward to a healthy growth just like the other car manufacturers in the country. GM India is well stocked with spare parts and has a well laid out business plan to be extremely profitable this year.

To convince Indian buyers that there’s absolutely nothing to worry about, GM India has launched a campaign “There for you, There for India”. It has invested billions of dollars in constructing production plants at Talegaon in Maharashtra and is still focused on its target of achieving 10 percent market share by the end of 2010.

GM India is self sufficient and independent of the operation of its parent company in the U.S. It is also able to manage and raise revenues on its own strength. As GM U.S. is being restructured by the American government, GM India is going from strength to strength. It also plans to export small cars manufactured in India to GMs overseas markets. All these moves speak of a highly evolved strategy to continue its successful operations in the country. GM India is on the safe side and is here to stay for a long time.
    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

BMW Returns to Beat Mercedes-Benz

2
Ever since their arrival to the Indian car market, German luxury car manufacturers have locked horns with each other to grab a share of the lucrative market. This time, BMW has gone one up in the battle of titans by beating Mercedes-Benz in sales. BMW sold 466 cars compared to Mercedes’ 371 in the month of May.

Despite economic recession and slowdown in the auto industry, the market has remained profitable for luxury car manufacturers which have posted handsome sales figures over the past few months. BMW’s surging success can be attributed to lacklustre performance of Mercedes-Benz when it comes to new car launches. Though the latter has introduced renewed and refreshed versions of its top selling car models, no new models have been brought in over the last six months. Compare that with BMW’s four new model launches this year the innovative X6 sports activity coupe, Z4 roadster, and the very expensive upgraded 7 Series.

Mercedes-Benz also failed to effectively combat BMW’s innovative marketing strategies like zero percent schemes, loyalty programs, and exchange programs.

Though Audi’s car sales aren’t far behind in the race to conquer the Indian car market, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are almost head to head. BMW started off in the lead at the start of the year but then lost out to Mercedes-Benz in subsequent months. After the brief lull, BMW has taken the lead again with astounding sales last month.
    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

GM India Proves a Point with Chevrolet U-VA Techno

3
The much-awaited Chevrolet Aveo U-VA Techno has joined the colourful spectrum of Chevy vehicles after its launch last week. The new variant is apace with international taste with its sporty rear spoiler and new body-coloured door handles and outside mirrors. It has been designed by the Italdesign Giugiaro Studio which is a pioneer in innovative motor car design.

With this new addition to the Chevrolet stable, GM India, a subsidiary of the bankrupt General Motors, wants to announce to the world, rather on a high note, that all is well in India.

“Bada Dil Badi Car”, as the company calls it, is one of the most spacious cars in its class and is directly pitted against the Maruti Suzuki Swift, Skoda Fabia, Ford Fusion, and Hyundai i20. The bright grey interior colour scheme makes it look even more spacious and 60:40 spilt folding rear seats offer plenty of space inside the cabin.

A bold chrome-finished grille at the front, full wheel covers, and body-coloured tailgate handle provide the new member of the Chevrolet family an aesthetic appeal and premium feel. The comfort and convenience factor might have run deeper in the mind of the car’s designers as they have mounted a 4-speaker 2-DIN music system with MP3 player, antenna, and USB port.

The Chevrolet U-VA Techno also comes with new features like reverse warning system, remote keyless entry, and anti-theft alarm. The new spicy variant of Aveo U-VA is priced at Rs 4.36 Lakh (Ex-Showroom Delhi).
    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

Gender has Nothing to do with Driving Skills

3
Sarika Sehrawat proved that car racing is not a male-only sport when she won the Raid de Himalaya Car Rally in 2006. Taking a cue from her and other successful female drivers before her, many women have ventured into the male-dominated sport even opting for it as a career. Still the world repeats the frequently asked question – Who are better drivers, men or women?

As in every field, male hegemony runs deep in the psyche of mankind especially when it comes to manoeuvring wheeled rides. It is as if like an unwritten theory, though contentious, that fellow passengers and others who share the road with them feel comfortable and confident when they see gentleman at the steering wheel rather than a woman negotiating hairpin bends and busy city roads.

However, modern day women in general and feminists in particular will not tolerate such a notion and are willing to fight it out tooth and nail to dispel it. They will point out an umpteen number of instances where men have faltered and women have turned out to be more responsible drivers. Almost always, they’re right.

In most of the fatal crashes reported, we see that men have more driver involvement than women. But that’s just because they drive more than women. Here’s a finding that balances thing out – As per a finding, per 10 Lakh miles travelled, women are 12% more likely to crash than men.

Till date, no study has really proved that driving skills vary with gender. Each gender is at risk just the same due to its own unique set of characteristics. While men tend to take more risks to invite trouble, women invite just as much by being over conscious about accidents. Men even let their egos control the driving and often tend to rate their driving ability higher than women. Both men and women can be offered different sets tips for safe driving based on their individuality. After all, defensive driving is an art.

To conclude, there’s no category like a good male driver or a female driver as the classification depends entirely on how you define a “better” driver. Only practice makes a man (woman as well) perfect.
    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

Renault Sandero Stepway to be launched in India

13

French car manufacturer Renault is no more an unfamiliar name to the Indian motorist. Their joint venture with Mahindra has proven extremely successful after the launch of the Mahindra-Renault Logan mid-size sedan in April 2007. The team now has plans of launching more models to build on the success on the Logan in the Indian car market and the Renault Sandero Stepway SUV is first in queue. The car was initially designed for Brazilian roads and is currently being readied for India.

Two basic qualities of the compact Sandero make it a good “urban sport” vehicle – roominess and robustness. It carries a 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine similar to the one on the Logan and comes with stylish bumpers and grille, chrome-finished exhaust pipe, cozy and spacious interiors with seating capacity of five adults, and roof rails. The high-set position of the driver’s seat is an exclusive feature which makes driving extremely comfortable especially for women. It not only helps short drivers by aiding them in seeing the road better but also gives them a feeling of superiority in any urban road condition.

The Sandero Stepway is expected to be priced at around Rs 5 Lakh. Unlike other Renault cars, this revolutionary SUV is all set to invade the mid-size SUV segment and repeat the success of the Logan.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post