Monthly Archives: September 2009

China behind India in Car Exports

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The cars from China are the best in the industry but it should not come as a surprise that the Indian cars are outselling them. And remembering the booming demand for the Indian cars in the American market, it will not be a wild guess to mention that the Indian car market has a reason to celebrate, not only because it was able to beat China in the race to sell more cars, but also because Indian car market seems to have little affected by the economic slowdown and it was even able to shrug off any signs of it and emerge out of the soaring condition with utmost strength.

The hard-to-digest fact is that India has exported more cars, around 2.30 lakh, between January and July this year, while China has exported only 1.65 lakh. The numbers are still growing and the reason could be many.

The Indian domestic mark is less than 20 per cent of the car market of China, to be very precise just 19 per cent, and it is very surprising and at the same time welcoming to see the rise in acceptance for the Indian cars in the global market.

A few of the many reasons that have constituted for this great change is the ever-young small car market in the country, which is accepted worldwide for its class, reliability and of course a price tag that is much cheaper than many others. The labour charge is also comparatively less in the country. When the small car market has worked favourably for the growth of export in the country, the big car market, which was hit hard by the recession, has worked against China, which deals most with the cars from this segment.
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Car Sales Supersedes Production

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With the festive season on the threshold, most of the car makers in India are increasing their production by recruiting a batch of new employees. But some of the car makers are yet to up their production scale. Many car makers are now rolling out more cars than their monthly average, expecting immense sales in the months of September and October.

But luxury car makers like BMW India and Mercedes-Benz India manufactured less cars last month compared to the same month last year. In fact, BMW’s production decreased by 8 per cent to 224 units while Mercedes-Benz made almost 80 per cent less cars at just 91 units in August. Of late, we have seen that BMW has edged out Mercedes-Benz which has been ruling the luxury car segment in India. It has been revealed that Mercedes-Benz has been considering on commercial vehicle business to generate growth and also is busy renovating the E-Class, which is the company’s biggest selling model in India.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor, the Indian arm of Toyota Motor Corporation, manufactured 10.67 per cent less at just 4,831 units in August in spite of getting very good order bookings for the Fortuner. SkodaAuto India reported almost halving of production in comparison with August 2008. The most evident reason for this could be the sales of the Fabia continue to remain below expectations since its launch in January 2008. The maker of the mighty Ambassador, the Lancer, the Cedia and the Outlander in India, Hindustan Motors, produced only 716 cars which show a decline of over 2 per cent.

Moreover, General Motors with its Chevrolet brand also made almost 5 per cent less cars at 5,109 units last month. We have Mahindra Renault India, which makes the mid-size sedan Logan, has manufactured only a fraction of what it did last year because of the car’s low sales. It made only 785 units in August, a decline of almost 38 per cent. But, Tata Motors showed a modest 3.41 per cent increase in its overall production of Commercial Vehicles (CVs) and passenger vehicles.

However, the overall production of vehicles, showed a healthy growth of 15.27 per cent at 11,33,839 units last month. On the sales front, the good run continued for passenger cars with domestic sales growing a healthy 25.59 per cent at 1,20,669 units.

The Indian car industry has been witnessing a boom during the festive season over the ages. Car makers generally ramp their production this time of the year to meet the demands of the customers. The Indian car market is growing steadily and in near future it will surely knock out China and emerge as the largest car market in the world.
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In the Process of Defining a Small Car…

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There is a good chance that your will become a small car very soon. To make matters more clear removing the cloud of confusion in the first sentence, here is a further explanation to it. The Japanese car makers Toyota and Honda Motors are the two that are looking for a change in the way India will define a small car.

The companies are asking the Indian government to “Change the criteria of classifying a small car”. And there is a good reason for this which will not only benefit the two companies but all the car makers in the country; and the better reason is that in India small cars have lower tax rates.

But will the two be able to change the mind of the Indian government into thinking different about small cars and classify a different set of cars as small cars taking into consideration the new criteria such as the emission norms, fuel efficiency, and passenger safety and not the engine capacity, which has been for a long time, the defining factor.

This request raised by the Toyota and Honda has invited different opinions. Many are of the same opinion that the government should stop defining a car as small just by considering the fuel and engine capacity.

The demand of the small cars in the country is really do the magic and that could be the reason why these companies want the Indian government to think new. It is expected that if the governments nods at changing the defining criterion then there will be a huge shuffle in the Indian car industry.
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Ford Comes With a New Endeavour

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New Ford Endeavour
Now Ford India has a new Endeavour. The refreshed Endeavour comes in a new avatar with a wide array of contemporary features.

The new Ford Endeavour comes with both automatic and manual transmission variants and will be launched across the country in a phased manner. Bookings for the new SUV from Ford have started from today in the north and the west regions with launches scheduled in the south and east markets in the next few weeks.

The new Ford Endeavour can boast of many new design cues. The robust Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) displays a major overhaul in the front fascia with a multi-bar chrome grille and chrome-accented lower grille combining with wraparound headlamps, in an effort to create a distinctive style. The facelifted Endeavour will set new benchmarks in its segment with its contemporary new design look.

The revamped grille appears in stylish horizontal bars that seem to float in the grille opening with the Ford logo in the middle and the top edge of the grille features a wide header bar with the Endeavour embossed boldly into its surface. The side mirrors of the new Ford Endeavour are full of functionality and style. The mirrors are clothed in a matte black with chrome with power folding convenience and turn indicator repeater lamps with a puddle lamp feature, which illuminates the ground around the door of the vehicle as the driver approaches the SUV and unlocks its doors by remote control. The SUV from Ford India stable stands on new 16-inch alloy wheels which are fitted with 245/70R16 tyres.

In the interior, the new Endeavour is spacious and comfy. It can seat seven persons on the ergonomically crafted leather seats. The door panels of the Endeavour come in premium material that reveal a distinctive chrome scuff plate with illuminated Endeavour branding on opening.

The new Ford Endeavour comes with two new engines. The 2.5 Litre Duratorq TDCi with Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) engine is coupled with 5 speed manual transmission that generates 141 bhp. The 3.0 Litre Duratorq TDCi with Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) engine is mated to a 5 speed automatic transmission gearbox that can deliver a powerful 154 bhp and features an electronic shift-on-the-fly system for the convenient selection of 2WD or 4WD mode. Both the turbocharged engine provides outstanding torque output plus impressive levels of smoothness and refinement.

The Endeavour has established itself as an undisputable leader in the premium SUV segment. The 2.5L 4X2 manual transmission variant is available at Rs. 15,99,000 variant (Ex-Showroom, New Delhi) and the 3.0L 4X4 automatic transmission edition comes at Rs. 17,99,000 (Ex-Showroom, New Delhi).
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Grand Vitara to Get a Diesel Variant Soon

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It seems like Maruti Suzuki has mastered the art of reading the mass psyche. India’s leading car manufacturer surely knows to put bring in the right things at the right time like no other car manufacturer.

We are here speaking about the new Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara which was launched in July amidst much fan-fare, the company’s luxury SUV will soon come with a new heart. The new Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara comes only as a petrol variant in India and elsewhere. But this stylish SUV will be getting a heart transplant and a change of blood in it. Confused? Read below for more info.

Beaming in pride with the success of its revolutionary K-series engines and the new series of DDiS diesel engines, Suzuki Motor Corporation has plonked the new diesel engine in its new Grand Vitara. The diesel variant will have the revolutionary 1.9 DDiS engine. The reloaded Grand Vitara was launched with the new 1.9 DDiS engine in the UK and it is on its way to the Indian sub-continent. How cool is that?

The powerful and torquey engine option puts the revised Grand Vitara in a league of world class diesel off-roaders with colossal 300Nm of torque right from 2000rpm and 127bhp of power available from 3750rpm.

The existing Grand Vitara is powered by Grand Vitara is powered by a 163 bhp 2.4-liter VVT petrol engine. A diesel variant for the Grand Vitara will lure more customers in and will make it a lucrative product in Maruti Suzuki’s current line-up.

A powerful diesel engine like the 1.9 DDiS coupled to the 4×4 system will certainly give the new Grand Vitara an outstanding off-roading capacity and the massive 300Nm of torque means that the Grand Vitara can gladly take on any rough terrain.

The Indian car market will surely welcome the diesel variant of the SUV, Grand Vitara. Of course we will.
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Americans Dream More of Green Cars

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Pulling itself slowly out of the economic slowdown and its after effects, the American market has a new American dream. In fact they are thinking along the safest way for a better tomorrow.

According to a recent survey conducted in America, American car buyers, in a shift in thought, have plans for a greener tomorrow. It seems that they do not want to make yet another mistake about for which they will regret sometime in the future.

It is of course planning well for a better tomorrow and the car buyers are just reflecting the trend of the days by choosing to buy hybrid cars. Yes, Hybrid Cars certainly seems to be the mantra of the new era, but what else could be done to bring back the ailing nature?

A car buyer need not sacrifice on anything to buy a hybrid car, very soon, the all-knowing car manufacturers will be bundling the car market with hybrid cars with high tech options. But it is true that the car buyers have to wait a little longer before this happens and so a customer who is looking to buy a car in the next few months or perhaps years if stubborn about a hybrid car should settle for the ones that are available in the market currently.

In India too, the hybrid car market is booming. And the only electric car manufacturer of the country Maini Reva is planning to launch its two new models NXR and NXG. It is possible that Indians will also ape the western car market, but for a good cause this time.

Embracing the hybrid cars there are still many thoughts which lingers in the minds of the car buyer which disturbs them deeply. The disturbing factors of reliability, mileage, and the pricing are just a few of them. But the future of the Hybrid cars seems to be robust and this should be what the car manufacturers should be striving for.
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Blue and Green: Frankfurt Motor Show Theme

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Frankfurt Motor show or the International Motor Show (IAA) held at Frankfurt in September of every year draws car enthusiasts and car manufacturers at the same breath.

This year’s IAA is abuzz with the news of Hybrid and electric vehicles taking centre stage in the show. Every major and minor car manufacturers have lined up a slew of these hybrid and electric cars just for the event to paint the automotive world in the colours of Blue and Green.

Making a world debut in the ‘Blue Drive Zone’ is the Hyundai ix-Metro, a new crossover hybrid with CO2 emissions of just 80g/km. The ix-Metro is powered by an inline three-cylinder petrol engine displacing just one-litre. Direct injection, dual CVVT and turbo-charging are all combined with a six-speed dual clutch transmission to make for a highly potent compact package.

Hyundai will also be unveiling the HND-4 ‘Blue-Will’ plug-in hybrid, which promises 40 miles of all-electric range with its parallel hybrid architecture which combines a 1.6-liter four-cylinder gas engine with direct-injection technology to charge a set of lithium-polymer batteries, which in turn provides power to an electric motor to drive the front wheels.

Kia is also showing their latest hybrid offering. Among the models unveiled will be the 2010 Sorento diesel hybrid – powered by a twin-turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder diesel engine mated to an electric motor to provide 161 horsepower. The all-new five- or seven-seater Kia Sorento SUV is longer and lower, with sleeker styling and better aerodynamics.

Kia will also debut a mild-hybrid version of the Kia Cee’d hybrid – the company’s top-selling model in Europe. The vehicle will pair a 1.6-liter four cylinder gas engine running to a hybrid power-train.

While no stranger to hybrid technology, Toyota will be showcasing three new hybrids at the Frankfurt Show including the Lexus LF-Ch, a 5-door hatch back with Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. Few details have been released on this model but more information is expected at the Show. Also from Toyota is the Toyota Auris Hybrid already proven popular in Europe with 400,000 units sold since its launch in 2007.

Not to be left out, given its iconic hybrid status, the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Concept will also be making an appearance in advance of its fleet testing scheduled for early 2010.

Indian electric car manufacturers REVA are ready to launch two new fully electric models the REVA NXG a 4-seat family hatch-back and the REVA NXR, a sporty 2-seater. The 4-seat NXR hatch back will run on Lithium ion batteries that can attain a maximum speed of 104kmph and covers a range of 160 kms when fully charged.

Hyundai will also be unveiling the Hyundai i10 Electric, a production-ready zero emissions vehicle. Powered by a 49kW motor and a 16kWh battery, the i10 Electric promises a driving range of 100 miles and top speed of over 80 mph.

The mass of hybrids and electric vehicles due to be unveiled at Frankfurt clearly conveys the current mind-set of the auto-industry, with a strong emphasis on lower emissions. Even Porsche are jumping on the green bandwagon with the announcement of a hybrid version of the Cayenne due in 2010.

We just can’t wait to see the 63rd International Motor Show (IAA) unravel itself on 17th and will run until the 27th of September in Frankfurt.
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Honda Civic Gets A Mid-Life face-lift

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The new Honda 2010 Civic has just been launched. The car comes to the Indian car market with a new interior and exterior. Loaded with the 1.8 L i-VTEC engine, which boasts as the most advanced engine of the segment, the new Honda Civic is available in three variants namely SMT, VMT, and VAT.

The new exterior designs have added on to the sporty look of the car with the curved fog light with garnish, 5 point metallic front grille, newly designed alloy wheel, and restyled front sporty bumper. The restyled dark smokey headlights and crystalline octagonal tail lights betters the stance of the new Civic.

The interiors of the new Civic is designed to excellence with two tone luxury high quality fabric seats with matching fabric on door panels and armrest and full flat floor. The auxiliary Jack in the front seat and audio controls for the backseat gives the machine a more sophisticated feel. In the VMT and VAT variants, the car comes ready with a steering mounted cruise control system.

The fuel economy of the car looks very appreciative with 15.5 kilometre per litre for manual transmission and 13.1 km/l for automatic transmission. The car also has a range of safety features that ensures the complete safety of the passengers with ABS (Anti – Lock braking system) with EBD (Electronic Brake – Force Distribution System) and Brake Assist, pre-tensioner seat belts and Dual SRS airbags.

There are five paint options including Alabaster Silver Metallic, Tafeta White, Polished Metal Metallic, Hebanero Red, and Crystal Black Pearl. The price of the car is not yet revealed by Honda.
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Ford Swears by EcoBoost Engine Tech

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What do you think is the most commemorated word these days in the automobile world, it is nothing else but Green. In fact it is not only the automobile world that is now emphasizing the green technology but the world around has understood the emergency of the situation to go green.

Indian car industry also thinks along the same line and is planning to be more eco friendly than ever, not only to save the earth but to meet the growing customer interests.

More and more customers are now opting eco friendly cars and now it has almost become a trend in the country to use cars that is less harmful to the environment. Another growing demand in the country is that of small cars, and this segment has been aimed at by many major carmakers of the country, where most of them have already announced the launch of their small car.

Ford India is smart enough to combine the both; the company will produce a small car with an eco friendly engine technology. Doesn’t it look like the right mix for the Indian car industry, it certainly does.

Ford is planning to use the EcoBoost engine technology in the new small cars. Though the company has not introduced the EcoBoost engine technology in Indian cars before, it has been used in the compact cars and large trucks in the United States. The new engine, compared to the other diesel and petrol engines, emits less carbon dioxide (CO2) and thus is nature friendly.

Though this is a plan that the company will not implement in the near future, it certainly appears to be a much welcomed thought from the Ford. The company will initially produce the small car with 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines and will come out with the EcoBoost engine technology only later, this must be because that the company needs to monitor the acceptance of its new small car before it is given a costlier heart.
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Vitantonio Liuzzi to Race for Force India

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Vitantonio Liuzzi will occupy the vacant seat at Force India for the rest of the season.

The Force India Formula One Team is happy to have a new driver after Giancarlo Fisichella moved to the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team alongside Kimi Räikkönen.

Fisichella logged Force India’s first point in the Belgium Grand Prix.

The 28 year old Vitantonio Liuzzi will make his Formula One comeback in next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix. He will assume his driving duties of car number 21. Liuzzi has been able to realize the team’s crucial test, reserve driver and development role from the start of the 2008 season.

Vitantonio Liuzzi aka Tonio is delighted to get back into the race car particularly at his home Grand Prix in Monza. Tonio is an ex-Red Bull and Toro Rosso driver and current reserve for the Silverstone team.

Liuzzi steps up to Force India’s race team alongside Adrian Sutil to compete in F1 for the first time since the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix. This is a direct result of Felipe Massa getting injured and Ferrari having to replace test driver Luca Badoer with Giancarlo Fisichella.

Vitantonio Liuzzi made his F1 debut at the San Marino Grand Prix with Red Bull Racing in 2005. He scored a point on this debut although he competed in just three more races that year before making a permanent switch to Toro Rosso in 2006, where he remained for the 2007 season. He has contested 39 Grand Prix and achieved a career-best result of sixth in the rain-lashed 2007 Chinese Grand Prix.

Force India is now in a very competitive position and it needs a driver who can continue this momentum.
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