Monthly Archives: January 2010

Hyundai Initiates Customer Friendly Programs

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Hyundai Motor India Ltd has been on a roll ever since the start of the New Year. After its successful outing at the recently culminated Auto Expo 2010, Hyundai has come up with two special initiatives to increase its focus on the customers.

The first initiative in this line is the Road Side Assistance Programe which is aimed at providing emergency road side assistance services round the clock. The program is designed to enhance the customer ownership experience and ensure that customers get immediate and hassle free service in the event of any car breakdown. This initiative of Hyundai will be available as a complimentary service with new vehicles for two years starting February 1, 2010, while existing customers will be offered this option at the best rates.

This 24×7 program covers services such as wheel change, fuel delivery up to 5 litres, arrangement of taxis for the customer, opening the vehicle in the event of a key lock-out, rectifying electrical problems related to the battery and fuse, on-spot repairs for complaints that can be attended to on site and car towing to the nearest workshop in cases of an accident.

Hyundai has tied up with Mondial Assistance; the world leader in Roadside Assistance Services who operate in over 200 cities largely with their company owned fleet of Assistance vehicles, Flat bed tow trucks and trained Technicians for this program.

The second initiative that Hyundai has come up with is the online launch of an i 20 fan club to reach out and connect with all the existing and potential customers of Hyundai i20. This i 20 fan club will be termed as “Uber Trooper” fan club. A special website ‘www.ubertroopers.com’ will be launched soon, which will give i20 fans an opportunity to share their experiences, knowledge and articulate their viewpoints with others.

Hyundai is of the opinion that it is important to demonstrate how well companies understand their customers in today’s challenging environment. These two initiatives reflect Hyundai’s continued dedication to meeting and exceeding each customer’s individual needs and requirements.

There would also be an exhibition of i20 accessories at all Hyundai dealerships through a tie-up with Mobis. All the members will be engaged through interesting schemes, discount offers, contests and a host of other special events.
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Bernie Ecclestone in Pole Position To Buy Saab

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What would you have done if you have loads of money with you and you are the boss of Formula One? Try getting in line to buy a car firm of course.

Yes, that’s exactly what Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone is trying to do. He wants to buy the struggling car firm Saab and breathe life into it. In this process Bernie has tied up with the Luxembourg based investment company Genii Capital to launch a takeover bid.

Ever since the Motown meltdown started, GM in a bid to go leaner and meaner has put their Swedish car brand Saab for sale to try to slash the debts that they are in. Saab is a car brand that has been neglected by the GM and Bernie also is echoing in the same sentiment.

Though a clear picture of Bernie’s involvement in the bid process has not been revealed officially, it is said to at around £ 2.3 billion. Whoa, that’s a huge sum you say. Not a problem if you are the F1 boss.

Genii Capital, who are also tied up with Bernie for this bid and who have invested in Renault’s F1 racing team last month in a statement said that they were aggressively working towards a successful closing of the transaction and clinch the car firm.

But the race for Saab is getting better and better with Dutch car firm Spykar, who also have F1 connections running in to get Saab. Spykar had bought the former Jordan and Midland teams to form their own F1 team before selling the team to Force India at the end of 2007 season. Spykar is also trying aggressively to launching their own winning bid for Saab.

Meanwhile General Motors wants to concentrate on their core brands such as Chevrolet and in this regard GM boss Ed Whitacre has made clear his desire to get rid of Saab. He was quoted saying last week “Just show up with money and you can have it”. GM also has threatened to close Saab if their year-long search for potential buyers proves fruitless.
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SX4 Hatchback. Will Maruti Bring It In?

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Maruti Suzuki SX4 HatchbackWe have seen a lot of Maruti Suzuki SX4 ply on Indian roads. But what if you see the same SX4 ply on the Indian roads in a new avatar, hatchback…?

Well the hatchback SX4 is not new to the world but is certainly new to India. One of these was displayed in the Auto Expo 2010 held at New Delhi last week.

This was for the first time Maruti Suzuki was showcasing the hatchback version of the popular SX4 in India that too at the Auto Expo. As we said earlier SX4 hatchback is not new to the world as it is the best seller for Suzuki in the European markets. The SX4 hatchback available in Europe has multiple engine options including the 2.0litre, 1.6 litre and 1.5 litre petrol engines.

Here at the Auto Expo 2010, a Prussian Blue Pearl SX4 hatchback which was displayed carried a 2.0 litre engine and has been exclusively imported for display purpose in India’s biggest Auto show. This car is Suzuki Motor Corporation’s urban sport crossover. This car has the right big car attitude, imposing looks and a nimble engine that powers this little SX4.

The mantra of style, space, high driving position, hatchback practicality and fuel economy that the SX4 hatchback carries in it, has made the SX4 hatchback a winner. This little wonder car also has a short turning radius, short gear ratios and a rigid body structure. This hatchback can seat 5 adults with at most comfort. The features that come along with this hatchback are two-wheel-drive (2WD) and an optional All-Wheel-drive (i-AWD) system. The driver can engage the i-AWD system from 2WD at a press of a button without sacrificing the fuel-efficiency. The SX4 hatchback also features the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and a low piston friction in the engine contributes to enhance fuel-efficiency, output and torque.

This little cute car is also loaded with features like that of door-mirror-mounted turn signal lamps and attractively designed aluminium-alloy wheels that add spottiness to the exterior design. Apart from these the other features that this car features is information display that is integrated into the instrument cluster for user-friendliness, a keyless start system for convenience, Onboard ESP for added stability and safety, ABS and EBD and six airbags all for safety. Low noise-cutting measures to promote comfort.

On the exterior the SX4 hatchback has a sophisticated new mesh-type front grille, all-new aluminium-alloy wheels that complement a bold contoured design. 16” inch wheels, high and elegant seat and door-trim upholstery enhances refinement. This hatchback also features a 60:40 split rear seat with single-folding design for passenger convenience and luggage-carrying flexibility and other features.

Lets just keep our fingers crossed to see if Maruti Suzuki makes the SX4 hatch back available here in India with all these features as well.
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Maruti Displays SX4 Concept Hybrid at Auto Expo

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Maruti Suzuki SX4 Hybrid ConceptMaruti Suzuki India Limited, India’s leading car manufacturer took another leap at the Auto Expo 2010 by showcasing its SX4 Hybrid to conquer the new greener India.

This hybrid concept from Maruti Suzuki is one of the exciting initiatives undertaken by Maruti Suzuki to enhance its Research and Development capabilities and gear itself for the greener technologies. Through this exercise Maruti Suzuki is keen to expand its learning on green technologies that put minimal stress on non-renewable energy.

SX4 Hybrid is a full parallel Hybrid concept with Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) on a sedan platform. The SX4 Hybrid Concept has been developed in-house by a team of Maruti Suzuki Engineers. The team worked under the Government initiated National Propulsion Programme (NHPP) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Sources (MNRE)’s High Energy Density Battery Development Programme.

The SX4 Hybrid concept showcases how eco-friendliness and personal mobility can be attractively packaged together as an exciting product.

This concept car features a full parallel hybrid which means the car can run both on petrol and battery both at the same time. The concept features an electric motor and twin clutch arrangement with advance Lithium-ion battery technology. The SX4 Hybrid concept combines a 1,2 litre petrol engine and a 50 kW (67 bhp) electric motor along with 5-speed Automated Manual Transmission to provide high fuel efficiency with lower emissions. The SX4 Hybrid is also capable of running solely on its electric motor, offering a further boost to fuel efficiency and zero emission modes in city driving.

In line with the ambitious NHPP and MNRE programme outline, Maruti Suzuki will demonstrate a fleet of SX4 Hybrid for the Commonwealth Fames to be held in October 2010, with intent to showcase the hybrid vehicle technology efforts of Maruti Suzuki.
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Cars from Renault at Auto Expo 2010

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The cars that we have seen from Renault until date in India seems to very much in contrast from what the French car maker decided to show at the Auto Expo 2010 held in New Delhi.
Renault, which trying to gain the foothold of the Indian car market with its JV with Mahindra and Mahindra to produce the Logan here in India showed the stunned visitors what it had in its kitty other than the drab looking Logan. Renault displayed the models which it will be launching in India some time in 2010-2011.

The Renault pavilion at the Delhi Auto Expo was abuzz with activity. They showcased cars like the Renault Fluence, legendary Megane, Laguna, Koleos, eco-car Twizy and Formula One car. Need we say more?

Lets talk about Fluence. This is the car which is yet to be launched in India, but this car will mark Renault’s independent entry to the sedan segment in India. This car should make the likes of Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and the Skoda Laura worry for their position here in India for the sheer presence of flowing design and classy looks of the car. The company though did not specify the engine options it would come with or the price.

The other car which attracted a lot of eyeballs towards it was the unique copper red coloured Renault Megane. The interiors of this Megane looked stunning with interiors dine in grey though it carried a simpler tone. This car will be the second offering to India after its entry level sedan Renault Logan.

Renault Laguna was also a hit amongst the visitors to the Renault pavilion. This car carried class from bumper to bumper. This premium sedan could be imported to India via CBU kits. This car competes with Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and VW Passat in the international markets. We hope that the competition is also stretched to the Indian shores.

Other car from Renault that stunned the onlookers was the Koleos which was shining in dark black. This SUV will soon make inroads to the Indian car market to take on other counterparts in the SUV segment.

Also in display was Renault’s eco-friendly Twizy Z.E concept which left the visitors awestruck. This unique looking car was undoubtedly a star of the Renault Pavilion.

But the main attraction in the Renault stand was the 2009 Formula One car and the V6 Megane sports car. The F1 fans were in for a treat when the R8 F1 2009 car that was raced by Nelson Piquet junior was kept as a part of display.
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More SUVs India-Bound

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Guess what? In a classic case of role reversal when the Americans are shunning their big, large SUVs in favour of smaller fuel-efficient cars after the global recession, Indians are vouching for these gas-guzzlers.

Owning an SUV in India always was a status-symbol and now with the just concluded Auto Expo 2010 at New Delhi, it has become evident that both the car makers and Indians are paving way for the SUV genre to take hold of India.

The fact that leading car makers of the world are launching their SUV’s in India just boosts the claim. Global biggies like BMW, Audi, Land Rover, Toyota, Skoda, Volvo and Volkswagen are launching over half-a-dozen SUV’s in the next six months. How does that sound. Raid of the SUVs? India’s potential as a growing car market is unrivalled and these auto makers are just cashing in the trend with their pricey SUVs.

Take a look at these stats. Indian automobile industry for the month of Dec 2009 has posted a whopping 68 per cent growth in sales at 10.05 lakh units, while the passenger car sales grew 40.27 per cent at 115,268 units.

Posting a straight ninth month growth trend in a row, the northwards movement has seen similar activity in the Sports Utility Vehicles or the SUVs market both at the manufacturer as well as the consumer level. SUV market, the once niche segment contributing just 15 per cent of total vehicle sales in India is threatening to blow over the top and become a major contributor to the passenger car market.

In a way to enter this niche segment in India, car makers are planning to manufacture most of the new products locally to reduce cost, rather than relying on imports as they have done in the past.

German car maker, BMW has launched its flagship SUV model X6M with a price tag of Rs 1.3 crore (ex-showroom Delhi) and has drawn big plans to capture market share in the segment. BMW has brought its entire SUV portfolio at the Auto Show speculating that SUVs soon will become the next big thing in the Indian car market. With BMW’s compact SUV X1 hitting the Indian market soon, BMW hopes that its vehicle sales in India will double from the now 15 per cent later this year. The company will start assembling the X1, priced more competitively at around Rs 25 lakh making it the cheapest SUV from BMW, at its Chennai plant in the next few months.

Compatriot Audi India also has the same story to tell. Audi has reported 58 per cent rise in SUV sales in 2009 and would commence local production of its compact SUV Q5 soon. It will also bring its most powerful SUV, the V8 4.2 Litre Q7, in limited numbers.

SkodaAuto India which unveiled its Skoda Yeti SUV at the Auto Expo 2010 held in New Delhi is also upbeat on Yeti’s sales in India. SkodaAuto will locally produce the Yeti with all top-end luxury features to sell the Yeti at a highly competitive price. Skoda Yeti might roll out from the Aurangabad plant.

Volkswagen also has been weaving a similar story. VW has brought its flagship Toureg SUV into India at the price of Rs 60 lakh and has planned to bring in its smaller Tiguan SUV also.

Toyota, the Japanese player in the Indian market with its Indian subsidiary Toyota Kirloskar Motor also sensing the demand for SUV’s in India launched its Fortuner which has a six-month waiting period due to an unanticipated rush for bookings and the new Land Cruiser Prado diesel to appeal the diesel-crazed Indian luxury SUV customers.

The Korean car maker Hyundai Motor India on the other hand is also getting ready to bring in the Santa FE by mid-2010. The Santa FE is a crossover SUV based on the Sonata platform and is expected to take on the Chevrolet Captiva, Honda CR-V and the Nissan X-Trail.

If you think only global biggies are eying this niche SUV segment, don’t be fooled. Even Indian car makers like Mahindra and Mahindra and Tata Motors also have been doing their homework. The SUV market from Indian companies like M&M and Tata Motors, grew 21 per cent to 1.04 lakh units in April-December 2009 over the year-ago period. These home-grown giants are trying hard to cater to the growing SUV market by bringing in their SUV models.

Tata Motors which recently unveiled its Tata Aria is slated for release in Feb 2010 while Mahindra and Mahindra is also gearing to roll out its premium SUV which will be positioned above Scorpio and will be built on a all-new platform with a different design, architecture and specifications. Another Indian company ICML also is planning to bring in their SUV which will debut in first part of 2010.
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Cheaper New Variants of Alto, WagonR and Swift Soon

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What if the biggies like Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen and others are hankering for a bigger chunk of the Indian small car markert. Our desi bred Maruti Suzuki India is not a least bit concerned with their onslaught of new models as India’s largest car maker has repositioned its strategy by planning to bring in refreshed variants of its best-selling cars Alto, WagonR and Swift.

What’s new you may ask? These models will be here in India with a much cheaper price tag. How cool is that? Now that’s what we call as competition. In an industry first, Maruti Suzuki India who makes every second car sold in India, is going against the industry practice of launching new variants at higher prices.

Maruti has always come out with great moves and this move of the Indian car biggie comes in line with the company’s CEO S Nakanishi’s view that 2010 will be the toughest year for Maruti. If you can remember Mr. Nakanishi had earlier said “We have to gain volumes to protect our market share with global car makers entering the compact car segment.”

The new variant of Alto which is slated for launch in three months from now, will be much cheaper than the cheapest variant of Alto which is currently available in India. This move was widely speculated as Maruti always wanted to take on the Tata Nano with the M-800 but M-800 will not be sold in the 11 cities that will adopt Bharat-IV emission norms. The new variant of Alto might be priced at sub-Rs 3 lakh which is sure to garner the magic numbers Maruti wanted to garner from its new variant.

Likewise, Maruti also is re-designing its existing products in its portfolio like that of Zen Estilo which will be cheaper by Rs 50,000 than the outgoing model. Similarly the newly launched Maruti Suzuki Eeco, the new multi-purpose vehicle is priced at Rs 2.59 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi) which is almost a lakh cheaper than the outgoing Versa.

In the same way Maruti is also bringing in its new Swift petrol with a 1.2 litre KB series engine against the existing 1.3 litre engine in the first half of 2010. This model could be priced Rs 35,000 less than the existing model. Maruti Suzuki also has a catch here. All cars in India with 1.2 litre petrol engine and under 4-metre of length attract 8 per cent excise duty compared with 20 per cent for larger vehicles. Maruti Suzuki is expected to pass on the excise benefit to customers.

Maruti is refurbishing its entire portfolio as per the international norm of revamping cars every three years. Most of its cars have attained that cycle of change. Moreover, these models have older engines that will be replaced to meet the new emission norms applicable from April.
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Jaguar XJ unveiled

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Jaguar XJThe All-New Jaguar XJ, was launched at the Auto Expo 2010 held in New Delhi. Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata sons and Tata Motors unveiled this beast at the Expo.

The all-new Jaguar XJ brings a daring new spirit to automotive luxury, with a mix of striking design, breathtaking performance and engineering. The car was premiered worldwide in London in July 2009, and deliveries across the world are beginning this year. Bookings for India too have opened, and deliveries will begin from June 2010.

Speaking upon the occasion, Mr. Tata said, “The operation of Tata, Jaguar as well as Land Rover vehicles is deputy of the record base, as well as the citation the brands have been receiving in posterior marketplace opportunities. The Company is focused upon assembly the full operation of patron needs whilst being unwavering of the environment.”

The All-New Jaguar XJ reflects a vision that defies preconceptions and transforms the idea of luxury. It is a blend of stunning design, intuitive technology and intuitive thinking. A contemporary luxury car that is beautiful, exhilarating and sustainable. Jaguars are renowned for their elegant sporting lines and the all new XJ, with its fluid, contemporary style, is the boldest interpretation yet of Design Director Ian Callum’s vision for Jaguar in the 21st century.

A panoramic glass roof is an integral part of the all new XJ’s design concept, enabling the car to have a lower, more streamlined roofline, while dramatically enhancing the feeling of light and space inside. The long wheelbase offers a sumptuous and refined environment for rear seat passengers with an additional 125mm of legroom. The all new XJ cabin blends elegant, contemporary design with the comfort, luxury and unmistakable sporting style of a Jaguar.

Inside the car, in addition to the traditional leather-and-wood sumptuousness, there’s a dual view 12.3-inch high-definition Virtual Instruments console and an 8-inch touch-screen that can project DVD movies or television programmes to the passenger, while the driver views vehicle functions or follows satellite navigation. Sound options include a 1200W Bowers & Wilkins system, which is comparable in audio quality to the best in-home entertainment. Options include hard drive-based audio and navigation systems, and comprehensive connectivity for portable audio and video devices via the powerful Media Hub.

The all new XJ’s beauty is more than just skin deep: it is constructed using Jaguar’s aerospace-inspired aluminium body technology, which makes the XJ lighter than its rivals. These technologies significantly improve performance, handling and economy while delivering increased strength, refinement and safety.

The new Jaguar XJ is available in standard and long-wheelbase versions, with a choice of 3.0-litre V6 diesel, 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 petrol and 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol engines. All engines are mated to a shift-by-wire six-speed automatic transmission that also allows the driver to shift gears manually (without using a clutch) via steering wheel-mounted paddles. Of course, the car comes with a long list of high-tech bits like air suspension, Adaptive Dynamics (continuously variable damping), Active Differential Control, LED taillights and a host of others.

The XJ is available to order now (dependent on market), with the first customers due to receive their cars in early 2010. Prices for the new XJ range start at £52,500 (Rs 42 lakh).
Tata Motors owned Jaguar now has luxury sedans Jaguar XF, XFR and Jaguar XKR coupe and convertible in its portfolio that are being currently sold in India.
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‘Toyota U Trust’ Set To Expand Across India

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor announced the expansion of ‘Toyota U Trust’ today. ‘Toyota U Trust’ was set to facilitate sales, purchase and exchange of Toyota and non-Toyota cars.

‘Toyota U Trust’ aims to offer potential customers an opportunity to exchange their old cars of any make for a brand new Toyota, allowing them an opportunity to upgrade. It will also cater to customers who want to exchange their cars for competitively priced used Toyota cars. Customers will also be provided with a wide range of value added services, including finance options at the ‘Toyota U Trust’ outlets.

‘Toyota U Trust’ was launched in Chennai, Bangalore, New Delhi and Mumbai, as a pilot project in 2007-08, and has received an encouraging response ever since.

Customers are eligible to obtain certification for the Toyota vehicles they purchase through ‘Toyota U Trust’, which are eligible for warranty as well. The special warranty booklet for certified Toyota cars will come with a warranty up to 1 year/15,000 km. In addition to this, the cars can get up to three labour free services at Toyota dealerships. Warranty is provided on the engine and gearbox/driveline of all certified Toyota cars, across the country at all Toyota dealerships.

Speaking during the launch of ‘Toyota U Trust’, Mr. Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said “The used car market in India is almost as big and important as the new car market. Toyota U Trust aims at encouraging the sales of our new compact car – Etios, enhancing dealer profitability, and increasing the residual value of Toyota vehicles, which will in turn help increase the new car sales. We wish to heighten the customer experience and ensure transparency while all customers are treated at par with new car customer. We will cover 20 outlets in 15 cities by the end of 2010”.

The U Trust website has been launched to facilitate registration, test drive booking, vehicle booking and easy access to information on vehicle history and stock availability etc.
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Suzuki Kizashi Debuts at Auto Expo 2010

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Maruti Suzuki’s pavilion was for sure a favourite pit stop for many visitors who came to the 10th Auto Expo held at New Delhi.
The reason behind this was that the country’s largest car manufacturer has lined up an array of cars at the pavilion. There were concept cars, cars for the mass and then the once car which everybody wanted to see it in their own eyes. The Suzuki Kizashi.

Maruti Suzuki Kizashi
Maruti Suzuki has been a master of the small car segment on India since long now and they are very happy and proud about it. But Maruti is still to conquer the bastion of luxury cars and premium cars in India. They have not met with much success in their previous outing with the Baleno. But then Maruti Suzuki re-charted their strategy to bring in the SX4 as a replacement for the Maruti Suzuki Baleno which met with moderate success.

The company also bought in the sedan version of the popular Maruti Suzuki Swift called the DZire and went on to be the market leaders in that segment. Now Maruti Suzuki wanted to ply in the segment where the big players of the automotive world in India play, the D-Segment. Keeping the D-segment as a strategic entry point for its luxury models in India, Maruti Suzuki conceived a car which the world would WOW at. So along came the Kizashi.

Kizashi in Japanese means “A sign of great things to come” and true to the name the Kizashi is a new synonym for Sportiness and elegance. This car is a combination of Japanese quality and European style flair. Suzuki Kizashi is the sixth World Strategic model from the Suzuki Motor Corporation’s stable. Suzuki bills this car as the new stimulant for D-segment choice with engaged driving and lifestyle enjoyment.

There were two Suzuki Kizashi adorning the Maruti Suzuki pavilion at the Auto Expo. The first Kizashi was draped in Snow White Pearl colour body paint while the second Kizashi wore Star Silver Metallic body clothing. Suzuki Kizashi is powered by a 2.4 litre VVT petrol engine coupled with a six-speed manual transmission and equipped with Continuously Variable Transmission which delivers a huge peak power output of 131 kw @6,500 rpm. The cars showcased at the Expo had a 2-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive options as well.

Design Concept of Kizashi

The design concept of the Kizashi that was envisioned by the designers was that of a dynamic athlete in motion. And therefore the designers had to keep three points in mind and those were
• A body honed through daily training for victory.
• Consistent great emotional strength and willpower for tackling
New challenges
• Powerful presence of a winner.
As the designers started working on these three points to churn out a car that could be a clear winner they also came up with Suzuki design philosophy characterized by expressions of solidarity, stability, quality, and thematic clarity.

Styling, Comfort, and Convenience

Suzuki Kizashi has a bold and aggressive styling that imbibes the Japanese craftsmanship and European-style design. This car is tailor made for driving enthusiasts and is complemented by 18’’ aluminium wheels. The styling is contemporary which communicates both sophistication and performance.

The cabin reflects Suzuki’s expertise in space efficiency in proportions that optimize roominess and comfort by extracting maximum benefit from the space afforded by the D-segment dimensions. This certainly was a task that Suzuki Motor Corporation did with precision though this was the first attempt of Suzuki to dabble in the D-Segment car building.

The interior design is upscale which falls in line with Kizashi’s performance characteristics. Driving enthusiast certainly will appreciate the sporty, chic instrument panel, and customers seeking luxury will be pleased with appointments that include high-quality upholstery and an automatic air conditioner with independent left and right controls.

Maruti Suzuki KizashiThe luggage bay is also not compromised with Kizashi’s optimal proportions. The immense boot, offers huge space for all the bags for a long holiday drive with the family.

Performance and Handling

Suzuki Kizashi has an exceptionally rigid steel uni-body and reinforced Macpherson-strut front suspension and multilink rear suspension that afford a crisp and nimble handling with excellent stability and low chassis vibration. This technologically brilliant car is engineered to accommodate all-wheel-drive. Customers can choose a newly developed i-AWD system that evokes driving enthusiasm while promoting control. Kizashi’s braking is also a state-of-the-art with all-round disk brakes that include 16’’ ventilated front discs that deliver confidence-inspiring stopping power.

Suzuki Kizashi is a product of constant testing and tuning conducted in diverse conditions around the world. Kizashi was tested in extreme conditions like coldest Minnesota and hot-weather Death-valley in North America. The handling of the car was tested in challenging country roads of United Kingdom and on autobahns and the Nurburgring in Germany. The i-AWD system of the Kizashi was tested and tuned in New Zealand.

The superior body rigidity and suspension efficiency of the Kizashi is just marvelous as the noise and vibrations are extremely low thanks to the optimized aerodynamic efficiency.

Safety in the Kizashi

Suzuki Kizashi sports an outstanding range of safety technologies to ensure high levels of driver confidence and control. The standard Active-safety equipment in the Kizashi includes an anti-lock braking system, electronic braking-force distribution, and an ESP with traction control that heightens driver confidence by promoting stability during cornering maneuvers, acceleration, and emergency maneuvers and on slippery roads.

Passive-safety features include a light, energy-absorbing body in which structures that absorb and disperse impact energy are combined with a deformation-resisting cabin in line with Suzuki’s proprietary Total Effective Control Technology (TECT) concept. The front seatbelts have pre-tensioners and force limiters. Suzuki Kizashi also features six to eight airbags, depending on market needs for further protection.
Maruti Suzuki KizashiMaruti Suzuki has made no official announcement of the pricing of Suzuki Kizashi, but it is expected to be in the range of Rs. 10 Lakhs to Rs. 13 Lakhs based on the options. It is going to be a good competition for Honda Civic , Toyota Corolla , Skoda Octavia and Chevrolet Cruze.

No doubt, Maruti Suzuki India right now has a product it always wanted to serve as a launch pad for the D-Segment in India. With the Suzuki Kizashi, Maruti Suzuki has a clear winner in their hands.
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