Monthly Archives: October 2009

SUV Are IN

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The latest trend that has caught all Indians in frenzy is ‘Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs)’.

Of late we have witnesses a number of SUVs being launched in India. A couple of weeks back, India graced the Land Rover Freelander 2 and the facelifted Nissan X-Trail. The year 2009 welcomed numerous SUVs like the Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q5, BMW X3, X5 and X6, Toyota Land Cruiser and Fortuner, Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover, Volkswagen Touareg, Volvo XC90 and many more.

There have been relaunches of certain SUVs with a facelift as well such as the 2010 Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, 2010 Audi Q7, new Mercedes M-Class and 2010 Ford Endeavour etc.

The premium SUVs are priced in the range between Rs 15-60 Lakh and they command a market of 12,000-14,000 units annually in India. Some prominent players in this segment are the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Mitsubishi Pajero, Outlander and Montero, Audi Q5, Mercedes M-Class, BMW X3, X5 and X6, Toyota Land Cruiser and Fortuner and Porsche Cayenne. The Ford Endeavour has maintained its leadership in the SUV market.

India is all set to greet more SUVs in near future. As a result, car buyers, especially SUV lovers, will find themselves spoilt for choice in the coming months. The Skoda Yeti, Volkswagen Tiguan, Audi Q3, Nissan Murano, diesel versions of Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, Porsche Cayenne, Hyundai Santa Fe and a new unnamed SUV from Ford as well as a low-cost SUV from Premier Auto are in the line-up to debut in India.

But why SUVs?

Well, the first and the foremost reason is that SUVs are made for Indian roads. SUVs have amazing off-roading capacity. Let us explain to give you a clear picture. Indian roads have poor stretches and this is disconcerting and uncomfortable in a car. SUVs have a high ground clearance and as a result centre of gravity and mass move up as well giving the passenger a comfortable ride. SUVs are also more open to abuse. Air pressure on average is checked less often.

Moreover, SUVs are tough and can carry plenty of loads. In fact, an SUV can be termed as a private taxi as it can ferry all your family and friends as well as pets and there is still room for luggage. So, an SUV is extremely spacious and can make long drives with family and friends comfortable and convenient without any compromise.

In India, it has become a prestigious issue to own an SUV. The vehicle also imparts a huge road presence and is the king of all cars.

The SUV craze will continue for time in India till it is replaced by an automobile better than an SUV. The SUVs have to stand against the test of time to prove their might for their presence. Even if, SUVs are being replaced, we’ll always herald, “Long Live the SUV”.
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Jazz Will Soon be AT

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The Patience is worth the wait. One would not crib for a Honda Jazz automatic anymore. Honda has brought an end to this by announcing a new automatic variant of Jazz. Well, there is still a long time to go before the company will actually launch it, till then we will just ponder on the thoughts of the new car. But, if you think to buy a Jazz and you will wait for the automatic version to get launched.

Then, you can very much do that, but only if you have the patience and profound admiration for the model. After all you could be one such customer, who can go to such an extent to own a Jazz. And no one would laugh at you for doing so as Jazz is one among the cars that rocked the Indian roads.

The new Jazz is expected to get launched only in 2010. And as we do not have a specific date to mention we would like to put it as, sometime next year. It is also expected that the car will not have any other new features except for the automatic transmission.

The Honda Jazz is priced at the higher end that ranges between Rs. 6.98 and Rs.7.33. And the new automatic version of the car might cost you extra thousands. This is a presumption, as the price has not been announced officially. Currently, the Jazz is available in three variants such as Base, Mode and Active.

This is for sure superior thinking from Honda. And the company will benefit the sales of the Jazz. Jazz will now join the legion of Honda’s automatic cars in India, the other AT cars from Honda being CR-V, Civic, City, and Accord.
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Chevrolet Launches Cruze

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The Diwali gift from Chevrolet stable, Cruze, has been made available in the Indian market from today. Launched just days before Diwali, there isn’t anything to think deep about why the Chevrolet has been launched at this period. And this clearly depicts GM’s deep yearning to maintain a stable position in the Indian car market.

Well, it seems that the effort and thinking has really paid off, and would you be surprised to know that the car has already got a surprising number of 1,100 units being pre-booked. And it really appears to be a matter of surprise as to what would have driven the customers to trust Chevrolet so much as that they would book a car even before they see it thoroughly.

Hope the company can safeguard the belief of the customers and grow up to meet their expectations. Aren’t you keen to know about the car, how it looks and what are the features? The Chevrolet Cruze will be available in two variants and shares its engine with Chevrolet Captiva. The two variants of Cruze, LT and LTZ, will be both powered by a diesel engine.

The Chevrolet Cruze will be available in a 2.0-litre diesel engine and has a 5-speed manual transmission. It is built on the GM’s global Delta 2 platform. As always expected, Chevrolet has not launched the petrol variant.

The company had decided to launch the petrol monitoring the acceptance of the model in India. And as the primary response seems to be more than expected, it is expected that the petrol versions will soon be followed. The upcoming hatchback from Chevrolet, Beat, will share its platform with Cruze.

Apart from the spacious and alluring interiors and great styling the car also has airbags and ABS, well-laid instrument cluster, multi-information display unit, rain sensing wipers, funky interiors, and keyless entry and start. And the car also has an attractive fuel efficiency of 18.3 kilometres per litre.

The car is aggressively priced between Rs 10.99 and Rs 12.45 (Ex-showroom Delhi).
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BMW Z4 Zooms in India

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Time to rejoice Beamer fans! The Z4 is here!!!

Today, BMW has unleashed the ultimate driving machine Z4 in India. The 6-inline engine on the Z4 has a capacity of 2993cc. With the help of the twin turbos, the roadster can produce 306 bhp and can sprint 100 km/h in under 5.5 seconds. The Z4 can also go on to an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.

The BMW Z4 will be imported as a CBU in India and will stand against the the Audi TT, Mercedes-Benz SLK, Porsche Boxster and the soon to be launched Nissan 370Z in the country.

With the launch of the Z4, BMW has made its debut in the roadster segment in India. The Z4 is offers a pure driving experience that sets the pulse racing, resulting in an unforgettable roadster experience that none of its rivals can match. The Z4 can be termed as “Modern, Emotional and Authentic.”

The BMW Z4 is powerful and stylish. It is the only vehicle in this segment to combine classic roadster proportions with a seating position close to the rear axle, rear-wheel drive and a fully-automatic retractable hardtop. Driving with the roof rolled up, the Z4 can give an exhilarating experience with the sunshine and the wind rushing by and driving with the hardtop closed the Z4 will make you feel the comfort of a Premium Sports Coupe.

BMW offers a host of colours to choose the Z4 from Alpine White, Black Sapphire, Deep Sea Blue, Orion Silver, Space Grey and Titanium Silver. The new BMW Z4 is available in the petrol variant – BMW Z4 sDrive35i – and will be available across India at an ex-showroom price of Rs 59,00,000 (Ex-showroom, New Delhi).

The German luxury car maker BMW has revealed that it aims to be the number one luxury car marker in India. The company is currently competing neck-to-neck with Mercedes-Benz for the first position in the Indian luxury-car market.
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Hummer in Safe Hands

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Finally, a sigh of relief for the Hummer fans, and the company, General Motors, is now successful in selling off its all-time favourite model. There were many who thought that Hummer would have a destiny similar to that of Penske-Saturn, which collapsed last week.

But now the future of Hummer seems to be bright with General Motors signing sale agreement with China’s Tengzhong. Even though there still are matters that need to settled, such as securing the final financing and passing regulatory approval, at least for the time being, things seem to have settled down.

Formally known as Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Corp., Tengzhong is a Chinese firm. And it has been months since the company is trying to buy out the Hummer. Tengzhong also has plans for the Hummer, it might operate the headquarters of Hummer near Detroit.

Michigan’s $20.6 million state tax credit has played a great part in persuading the company to take up such a decision. And the company’s fondness to maintain a strong base in the U.S. market can also be stated as a reason for this.

Tengzong will focus on flex fuel E85 capability, diesel and six-speed transmissions. The diesel models are targeted hugely for the markets outside the U.S. Also, Hummer will become pioneer in offering an alternative fuel powertrain in every model it sells. And this the company will attain with the addition of E85 capability to the 2010 H3 and H3T.

Officially, the deal includes the sale of the HUMMER brand, trademark and tradenames and the intellectual property necessary to manufacture vehicles under license. As per the agreement, the existing dealer network will also be given to Tengzhong.

With a possible one year extension through June 2012, Hummer models will be made under contract with General Motors at the Shreveport and Mishawaka plants through June 2011. But the prospects of the company after 2012, is still shrouded in mystery.
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Silver Shines in India Too

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The other day we were talking about the silver car colour mania. Indians also are swept off their feet by this colour.

Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor India have affirmed that the market for them is for whites, silver and other subtle colours. These two Indian car majors have said that 50 per cent of the total sales of the industry are still for the all-time favourites, while red stands at 11-13 per cent. For Maruti, it is all about silver, golden and white. Even Honda says that almost 50 per cent of its sales are off-white and silver.

The red colour signifies premium and prosperity and is winning hearts of the Indian car buyers. It is such a hit that car makers are finding it difficult to meet the delivery dates for red coloured car.

Almost 50 per cent of the orders for the new Skoda Superb are for Rosso Brunello which is a shade of the colour red. And Skoda Auto India is gearing up to meet the huge demand for that colour. The Czech car company is also seeing an increasing demand for black, which till recently was not really preferred by Indians.

Indian car customers symbolize colour with different things. The colour white signifies power, black is considered as ‘evil’ and red as prosperity.

Chocolate and blue colours are some of the contemporary car colours. Moreover, the choice for bright colours can be attributed with the age of car buyers. It is a general belief that the young crowd prefers brighter colours. While, most feel what sells is what is shown in the advertisements.

A large number of the car ads feature bright colour cars. For example, the cars in the ads of Fiat Linea and Grande Punto, Skoda Superb and Honda Jazz come in red. And it has to be mentioned here that that the maximum sales of Linea are for red, courtesy the advertisement showcasing Linea in Flamenco Red, wine red for Fiat India.
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A Land Glider on the Way

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If you are thinking that the Land Glider is a sibling of the British marquee brand Land Rover, then you are wrong!

The Land Glider is in fact the new concept car offering from Japanese Nissan Motor Company. It is an electric car and will not emit carbon dioxide. The Land Glider will make its first public appearance at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show.

If you are a fan of bikes, this is the right car for you!

It is a pedal-driven recreational vehicle which is ultra light-weight. The car has a very narrow body too, just 3.5-feet wide, and can shift its centre of gravity while turning by leaning like a motorcycle. In addition, the Nissan Land Glider features two-in-line seats like a bike!

Moreover, the Land Glider can tilt from side to side, sashaying into curves by up to a 17-degree angle. Aptly named Glider, right?

World’s eighth largest car manufacturer Nissan demonstrated the Land Glider electric vehicle for the 41st Tokyo Motor Show at a Nissan technical design center in Atsugi, near Tokyo, Japan.

The Tokyo Motor Show will take place at at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City for 13 days from October 23rd to November 4th 2009.

The theme of this year’s show is “Fun Driving for Us, Eco Driving for Earth,” expressing the idea of balancing enjoyment and the environment. Along with providing information on cutting-edge technology and products to the world at large, the auto show will seek through various special programs to create as many new automobile and motorcycle enthusiasts as possible.

Besides, the show will feature twenty passenger cars across the globe.
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Hyundai i30 will be Launched by November this Year

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No, this is not yet another car from Hyundai. This is a car that we have been waiting since long. And finally, it will be launched to grace the Indian roads very soon. Hyundai i30 will be available in India by the end of this year. Another couple of months and you can own one for yourself, the latest from the i-series, i10 and i20.

The i30 will be a C-segment premium car that will be available in India in both diesel and petrol versions. It is a without a doubt that one could predict the future of i30 in India. Hyundai will not disappoint its customers and now as the competition in the Indian car industry high, the company would not dare on betting on the car. But it would rather bring out perfect machinery with no compromises made on the features, designing or performance.

The Hyundai i30 will be spotted in a very attractive design. It will have roomy interiors and safety and comfort features including EBS, Steering mounted audio control, iPod direct plug, anti-lock braking system (ABS), airbags (6 airbags in total), electronic stability program (ESP), traction control (TC), electronic brake force distribution (EBD). The five-door premium hatchback is designed by Hyundai’s European team.

The dimensions of the car, 4245 x 1765 x 1480mm (length x width x height), together with a the large wheelbase of 2650mm offers great interior space. It also has 340 liters of boot space with rear seat upright. Even though the company looks very compact, it is packed with the most modern features and will be the most spacious car in its segment available in India. The car is expected to be priced between Rs. 9 lakh and Rs. 12 lakh.

It seems the car makes it easy for us to take decisions about our new car.
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Dhoni Fined for Hummer H2

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Our cricket skipper MS Dhoni will have to face the rage of the law.
The Indian skipper is fined Rs 100 for delay in the registration of his Hummer H2 Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).

It is a rule in India to apply for registration within a week of purchasing the car. The rule applies to all. Dhoni too applied for the registration of his Hummer H2 but has submitted an incomplete form. Dhoni was away at that time on India duty. Paying a fine Rs 100 for an Rs 1 Crore SUV is pittance for Dhoni.

Dhoni accompanied by his teammate R.P. Singh had driven the Hummer from Lucknow to Ranchi on July 30. Besides Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh too owns a Hummer H2, made by US auto giant General Motors.

This is the second time Dhoni has faced penalty in connection with cars or for flouting driving rules. Three years ago, he was fined by a traffic policeman for driving a car with tinted window panes, which is banned in his hometown Ranchi.

Moreover, the skipper is also on a sticky wicket with his Harley-Davidson bike. He is yet to submit a “road worthiness certificate” by the makers of the bike which is necessary to have it registered. Dhoni had opted for a number of his choice, a combination of his lucky number 7. Till now he didn’t get his favourite number on his license plate, but there is a high possibility that he would get it soon. The registration number could not be issued till the road-worthiness certificate was furnished.

But Dhoni could burn a hole in his pocket if he continues to drive around in the numberless luxury muscular bike. He may have to pay Rs 4,500 after the initial fine of Rs 100 for his Hummer H2.

For people like us, this is a huge amount, but not a person like Dhoni, who can own a one-Crore-rupee SUV.
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Indian Plans of Ford

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Now you need not have to predict or guess the plans of the US car maker, Ford Motor, for the Indian car market. The company has already made it public. And it seems that the company has a vivid and fruitful plan that will be beneficial both for the company and the Indian car market.

To start with the company has plans to launch new car in India every 12-18 months. And this, the company thinks will help it to enhance the market share of the company. The company now has a market share of about 2 per cent and the company does not want to remain the same position, but it wants to grow along with the growing Indian car industry.

Now you can do a bit of guess work here as the company has not let out any information about what sort of market share is the company is planning to accomplish in the long run. The company has also set a target of selling over 30,000 units this year, aiming at selling 1,000 units extra this year compared to 2008, where the company was able to sell 29,000 cars.

The company is also a marking an increase in sale on a monthly basis. In the month of September this year, the company was able to send 3,500 cars, a 50 per cent increase on year-on-year basis.

Ford has been exporting car that it has manufactured in India to South Africa. And the company is also planning to work on exporting more cars this year. The company has high hopes on the launch of Ford Figo and the relaunching of Ford Endeavour.
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