Monthly Archives: December 2009

Jaguar XF is the Women’s World Luxury Car of the Year

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Jaguar XFThe first-ever Women’s World Car of the Year awards have been announced from London. The supreme winner, the car that received the greatest number of votes, was the Jaguar XF. Jaguar XF edged out Audi A6 to win the coveted position.

That a luxury car has won the supreme award in the Women’s World Car of the Year is an unexpected result given the ubiquitous ‘shopping basket’ is what many in the car industry consider to be a ‘woman’s’ car. But judges clearly considered the Jaguar XF to be well-constructed, competent, comfortable, a combination of sport and luxury and ideal for women. Judges are women motoring and published writers from around the world.

Volvo XC60 won the Women’s World Family Car of the Year while Honda Accord was awarded as a close runner up in the category. Audi TTS outshined the Mazda MX-5 to win Women’s World Sports Car of the Year award. Volkswagen Golf diesel beat the Ford Fiesta to win the Women’s World Economy Car of the Year award.

The awards were conceived in November last year and stemmed largely from the fact the USA-based World Car of the Year judging panel did not have a single woman judge in 2007. Indeed, the majority of car awards around the world are decided by a vast majority of men yet statistically women will make the final decision in all car purchases in as much as 85% of all sales.

Judging criteria represented the known ‘shopping list’ of women car buyers. This included storage spaces, dashboard friendliness, child friendliness, aesthetic appeal and driveability. There wasn’t the strict requirement to ascertain 0-100 in so many seconds or the Newton metres of torque (horsepower) but judges did, nonetheless, decide how well the car drove. The car’s ‘sex appeal’ was also considered.

Since model specification can differ between countries the decision was made for judges to also consider the overall model range in their voting, rather than one specific model. Cars that qualified had to be sold in at least 10-countries world-wide and available to the marketplace from between September 2008 and September 2009. A shortlist of 21 cars was decided early this year.

Judging was by secret ballot and votes were audited by international accountancy practice, Grant Thornton, from their Auckland, New Zealand, offices. As the voting forms were received it soon became evident that factors such as sex appeal and carbon footprint were assessed more critically and were awarded relatively low scores compared to some other categories.

It is also interesting to note that driveability and comfort rated the highest scores overall.

The judging panel comprised of women auto journalists like that of Caroline Carver from United Kingdom, Regina Chan and Jil McIntosh of Canada, Helene Griffiths of South Africa, LouAnn Hammond of USA, Renuka Kirpalani of India, Sandy Myhre of New Zealand and Liz Swanton of Australia.
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Car Safety Features in Mercedes-Benz

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Mercedes-Benz cars are known for style, sturdy build and reliability. These cars come with safety features with notable exceptions.

Mercedes-Benz cars come with six driver and passenger airbags,4-wheel anti-lock braking system, Neck-Pro crash-responsive head restraints, 3-point driver and front passenger shoulder belts including height adjustment, emergency tensioning, adaptive belt force limiter, rear 3-point seat belts, including outboard emergency tensioning, outboard belt force limiter, and outboard automatic height.

Compared to Mercedes-Benz’s rival, Audi cars, do not have 4 wheel anti-lock braking system. Moreover, both Audi and BMW cars have head airbags where the Mercedes-Benz cars have airbags and crash-responsive head restraints. It has been found out that head airbags do offer extra protection during crashes by deploying between the head and window, but head restraints are reusable and can be reset after being deployed. Besides, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) provides extra control and improved safety in difficult braking situations.

For the price range it falls into, Mercedes-Benz offers the added value of a unique standard safety feature not offered in other similar C-class sedans, even higher-priced models. When considering C-class sedan style, price, performance, and safety, the Mercedes-Benz provides a safety advantage to drivers and passengers.
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Sneak Peak of the 2011 Porsche Cayenne

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2011 Porsche CayenneThe news is out and official. Porsche, which has kept in wraps the information about the new Cayenne has now been leaked. Spy pictures of a test mule of the new 2011 Porsche Cayenne has been spotted with minimal camouflage.

This new Porsche SUV that we are talking appears to be leaner, meaner and fitter and looks much more desirable than the current Cayenne. The stand out feature in this SUV is the LED daytime running lights which are almost a must for the European car these days and four tailpipe exhaust system hinting that it could be the top of the line Turbo version.

The prototype also showed that the new Cayenne will come with black plastic body cladding, recessed fog lights, ‘power dome’ hood, wider grille and ‘Panamera’ style headlamps.

The interiors have also been inspired by the Porsche Panamera with almost the same central console with larger shifter and a large LCD screen which would be used for the entertainment system and satellite navigation.

Engine options will include a naturally aspirated 4.8 litre V8 with 400 bhp and 369 lb-ft of torque, a force inducted version of the same engine with 500 bhp and 516 lb-ft of torque for the Cayenne with the Turbo S moniker. The engine range will also include two Audi sourced power trains, the 3.0 litre V6 supercharged with 300 bhp and 310 lb-ft of torque and 3.0 litre turbo diesel V6 with 240 bhp and 405 lb-ft of torque. Porsche may also introduce a hybrid version with the 3.0 litre V6 petrol with combined power output of 333 bhp and 324 lb-ft of torque.

The takeover by Volkswagen of Porsche seems to have done some trick as the all new Cayenne shares the platform with the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg and might adopt the same street focussed setup. This would mean that Porsche may strip the current model’s heavy off-road equipment in favour of a lighter and more responsive overall drive which to us is a bit of a downer. The ‘Off-roadbility’ of the first SUV from Porsche is one of its USP. An SUV which can do a four wheeled drift just as well as a four wheeled mountain climb is what we know and love the Cayenne for.

We will have all the information once the new Cayenne is officially revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010.

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Next Generation Swift

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Suzuki Motor Corporation is preparing the next generation Swift. The new Suzuki Swift will be launched next year by the end of the third quarter.

The existing model of the Swift was launched back in 2005 and immediately went on to win the COTY (Car Of The Year) award. The Suzuki Swift accounts to 40 per cent of Suzuki sales in Europe and is the best selling model in UK. In India, the Maruti Suzuki Swiftis one of the top-selling models too.

The next generation Swift will draw styling cues from the outgoing model. The new face of Suzuki will feature on the Swift after it debuted on the India-bound Kizashi.

The Japanese car major is also likely to come out with an affordable hybrid car version of the Swift. The Swift plug-in hybrid was showcased at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show last month.

The next generation of the Swift will also be introduced in India. In India, it is expected to come with the 1.2 L K-Series petrol engine. Suzuki could continue the Multi-jet engine and supplement it with more powerful engines like the 1.5-liter CRDI unit.

On the international front, the new Suzuki Swift will carry the 1.3-litre, 1.5-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engines. As Japanese customers are used to AWD models, Suzuki will offer the 1.6L VVT engine delivering 125 bhp with AWD in its local market.

Suzuki will introduce the new Swift during the Paris Motor Show in the second half of 2010.
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VW Heading Straight To The Top?

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Volkswagen, with its 10 brands including Audi, Skoda, Seat and now Porsche, has said it wanted to become the world’s No.1 automaker by 2018, a goal it would reach with relative ease if Suzuki became a subsidiary.

Unlike the Numero Uno automaker at the moment Toyota Motor Corp, the Wolfsburg-based company has only a 2 percent share of the U.S. market but is dominant in the expanding markets of China and Brazil. Volkswagen is said to want Suzuki‘s know-how to develop a minicar platform for the Up! concept car, or use Suzuki’s existing platform outright.

Automakers are in the midst of realigning themselves in a wave of consolidation that many saw as inevitable given chronic overcapacity and a tough sales environment amid the worst industry downturn in generations.

The bankruptcy of Chrysler this year was twinned with a link-up with Italy’s Fiat SpA, while Chinese automakers are looking to buy into brands on sale from GM and Ford Motor Co.

Still, many viewed Suzuki, with its enviable expertise in small cars and overwhelming lead in India through unit Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, as being reluctant to coming under any carmaker’s control.

But the CEO Suzuki, who turns 80 next month, had struggled to find a successor after the death two years ago of his son-in-law whom he had been grooming for the top job.
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VW to take up 20 per cent stake in Suzuki

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Volkswagen AG plans to take a stake of up to 20 percent in Suzuki Motor Corp, providing Suzuki with a much-needed development partner and giving VW access to better small car technology.

Though sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations have claimed that the Volkswagen’s stake could rise up easily so that to control more than one-third of the stakes in future. A 20 percent stake in Suzuki would be worth about 250 billion yen ($2.80 billion) at current prices if we go by the data provided to us by Reuters.

Spokesmen at Volkswagen and Suzuki Motor Corporation have still not commented on anything as of yet. Executives at Volkswagen, the world’s third-largest automaker and Europe’s largest car maker, have publicly said over the past half year that Suzuki would be an interesting target given its expertise in small cars, a key segment to compete in emerging markets.

Suzuki, Japan’s fourth-largest automaker, for its part, has said it would welcome any partnership that made sense after losing its ties to General Motors Co, which it had relied on for help with hybrid and other next-generation technology.

Suzuki, which dominates the Indian market through Maruti Suzuki, as well as the unique Japanese segment for 660cc mini vehicles, has a market capitalisation of $13.7 billion, against Volkswagen’s $45.7 billion. Suzuki holds 20 percent of itself in treasury stock, bought back from GM between 2006 and 2008.

While Volkswagen’s overtures to Suzuki have become common knowledge within the industry, the move comes as a surprise after Suzuki Chief Executive Osamu Suzuki had categorically denied any talks of a tie-up as recently as last month. On the other hand, the septuagenarian CEO, who is also chairman and president of the company founded by his wife’s grandfather, has often and openly said his “small” company needed a partner to survive the fierce competition washing over the industry.
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Golf Ball and Car Mileage

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Golf dimpled carYou must be thinking what is the relationship between a car’s fuel efficiency and golf balls, as long as it is not a golf cart. It sounds absurd, but there is a certainly a relationship between the two, though both of them are two different poles altogether.

A car’s fuel efficiency can be improved by adding golf ball dimples. Unbelievable, huh?

Moreover, it has been argued that dirty cars are more fuel efficient than clean ones. But scientific experiment has found out that this is not true. However, golf ball dimples on the car add up to the mileage of a car.

Moreover, it has been found out that dimpling on the undercarriage of some Lexus cars reduces noise by reducing friction. Besides, textured paint is banned on professional race cars for the same reason.

A team of researchers experimented with this proposition. In the process, they put a layer of clay on a car and did two more sets of runs on their track – one with a smooth clay surface, the other with dimples pressed into it. The respective fuel efficiencies were calculated as 9.2 and 10.3 kilometres per litre of fuel. A Ford Taurus was used to do this experiment.

This might lead to all future cars coming with a dented exterior and end up being a style statement in due course of time!

So, next time, you see a dent on the bonnet of your car, don’t repair it. It could improve your car’s fuel efficiency!
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Car Sales Zoom In November

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Car sales were robust across most segments in November, thanks to a lower statistical base (November 2008 sales were badly down in the aftermath of the global economic collapse in October), easier financing and improving economic situation.

In passenger cars, sales growth was the maximum in November over the last five years. Car sales surged about 61per cent to 133,687 units from 83,121 units during last November. The biggest increase since February 2004.

Each and every category of cars reported growth, with compact car sales touching almost the one lakh unit mark. But while most brands reported robust sales on improving economic environment and generous discounts, there was negligible manufacturing for some prominent car brands.

Not a single unit was produced for Honda Jazz, Ford Fusion and Skoda Fabia even when sales were 546 units, 15 units and 598 units, respectively.

For the Mahindra Renault Logan, production this November was significantly lower at just 71 units (610 units) when sales were 279 units (300 units). This indicates excess inventory in the system for select models, despite the overall sentiment being robust.

Industry watchers are certain that with continued economic growth, sales by the end of this fiscal could come back to last year’s levels.

According to industry forecasts, car sales are expected to grow at least 10% this fiscal; in 2008-09, the 13 manufacturers in India sold 1.22 million cars.
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Luxury Golf Car Garia

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Luxury Golf Car GariaFor the first time in history, it has happened that the golf cart has been redefined as a luxury golf car.

This luxury golf car called Garia has been built to the topmost standards of the automotive world. The Garia golf car is designed by Danish designer Anders Lynge and it follows the renowned Scandinavian tradition of clear-cut and classic lines combined with functionality.
The Garia comes loaded with an in-built refrigerator, hand-stitched seats and an exclusive personalization program where the customer can choose to have The Garia painted in his/her favourite colour.

The Garia features a double wishbone front suspension similar to those found in sports cars and inspired by Formula 1 cars. The drivetrain is built by an Italian company that also produces Ducati gearboxes. The aluminum profiles in the frame are made by the same company that supplies aluminum profiles to Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo. The Garia flaunts hydraulic brakes on all four wheels with discs in the front and drums at the rear.

The Garia is manufactured at the Valmet Automotive factory in Finland; the same f factory from where the Porsche Cayman and Porsche Boxster come.

The Garia will be street legal and available in the US market as an Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) in 2010 with price starting at $ 17,499. The Garia LSV will be launched at the Geneva Auto Show in March.
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Emission Norms and Auto Makers

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The strict emission norms will come into effort from April 2010. As a result many auto makers in India have approached the Indian Government to extend the deadline for emission norms by a couple of months. It is because car makers fear that any mismatch of fuel can have an adverse effect on engines.

While car makers are preparing their cars to meet the stringent emission norms, the Indian Government has been unable to upgrade refineries in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam to meet the norms; but most of the refineries in India have become emission compliant.

Any difference or delay in fuel refining can have adverse effects on car engines, in the case when a lower than recommended grade fuel is used. The engines of automobiles are designed according to the fuel specifications and this can affect the performance of the engine. The emission of sulphur and benzene from vehicles are reduced to make it emission compliant.
While new car launches are geared up to meet the mandated emission standards, some of the existing models need engine upgradation or need to be phased out.

The petroleum ministry has set up a committee to ensure that the 11 metros such as Mumbai, National Capital Region (NCR), Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Surat, Kanpur and Agra will adopt Bharat Stage IV (BS IV) emission norms. Moreover the remaining Indian cities would upgrade to BS III by April 2010.

Top car makers have asked the government to find a solution as quickly as possible as any delay in the decision could have an adverse effect on their future product plans. They have asked the Government to import fuel to these places which cannot gear up to the deadline.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, said that carbon emission intensity cut would include a five-step plan of action for mandatory fuel efficiency standards for vehicles by 2011.
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