9th Apr’10 will be remembered in the history of Hindustan Motors Ltd. This was the day when its EVP Mr Moloy Chowdhury signed a memorandum of understanding with Intraco Motors Ltd of Bangladesh for the Winner – Mini Truck to be sold in Bangladesh.

Hindustan Motors was one of the first to lead the way in the Indian Automobiles industry. The company is best known for its icon model Ambassador which has been successfully treading the Indian road for the last 50 years. Hindustan Motors first sensed the size of the Indian automotive industry and then made its entry into the rapidly growing light commercial goods transport sector.

The market offering appropriately named “HM Shefing Winner” has been developed in partnership with Shefing Motors of China. The memorandum of understanding between Hindustan Motors and Intraco Motors Ltd of Intraco Group Bangladesh was signed on the 9th of April during a function in Kolkatta. On behalf of Hindustan Motors, Mr Moloy Chowdhury Executive Vice President and Mr Rattan Singh Chief General Manager Sales & Marketing signed the MoU. On behalf of Intraco Motors Ltd, Bangladesh, Mr Riyadh Ali Managing Director and Mr Shariful Ahasan International Business Development Manager signed it.

The Winner was the 1st BS IV vehicle in its category. The 1489cc 4-cylinder diesel OHV engine is power packed with 34 bhp at 4,000 rpm and also develops maximum torque of 73 Nm at 2250 rpm. This high power engine is believed to make the Winner a winner in inter and intra-city applications. The 5 forward and 1 reverse gear of the Winner ensures optimum fuel efficiency. With bigger tyres, high ground clearance and a bigger cargo box, the vehicle, apart from being a comfortable and safe truck, also has the ‘more earnings, more savings’ feature attached to it.

Hindustan Motors claims that comfort and noise, vibration and harshness levels are car-like in the Winner. The mini truck looks robust and the up-front disc brakes and low levels of NVH have made life easier behind the wheel. The sub 3 Ton Mini Truck has a 1 ton payload capacity.

According to Mr Moloy Chowdhury, HM is confident of promoting the Winner in Bangladesh. The reason being, with no competition at all in the CNG version, the product itself is unique in its class. Secondly, Intraco Group is one of the professional organizations that can be trusted as long term business partners. Intraco Group MD Mr Riyadh Ali who is entering into Automobile Products feels delighted to partner HM and sees the MoU as a long term business relationship between two nations and its people.

If you’ve always dreamt of owning a supercar, now’s your chance. McLaren Automotive has confirmed that the 12C, and many other efficient, high-performance sports cars will be built at the new McLaren Production Centre (MPC) in the UK. The high-octane car will make its entry into the Indian market too. Isn’t that great news?

The car will make its worldwide debut next year and will enter emerging markets including China, Brazil and India. The McLaren MP4-12C sports car has been designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive. The final design which was revealed in September last year featured a moulded carbon fibre composite chassis. The car will be powered by a mid-mounted McLaren M838T 3.8-litre V8 twin-turbo engine developing 600 bhp and 572 Nm of torque. The car may trail 0 to 200km/h in less than 10 seconds and have a top speed of 300km/h.

The McLaren MP4-12C will utilize Formula 1-sourced technologies like brake steer, where the inside rear wheel is braked during fast cornering to reduce understeer. Power to the wheels will be transmitted through a 7-speed Seamless Shift dual-clutch gearbox outfitted with Pre-Cog, which allows the driver to pre-select the next gear by half-pulling the paddle shifter behind the steering wheel. This will let the transmission execute faster gear changes.

MPC will become a showcase facility for the UK’s manufacturing and technology industries and will create a several hundred jobs too. McLaren will also set up a global retail network through which it will sell its cars. The McLaren MP4-12C will reach customer homes by early 2011 and the car maker hopes to sell around 1,000 units in the first year. The power-packed 12C is believed to be priced somewhere around Rs 87 lakh-1.22 crore.

For Frank Stephenson, design director of McLaren Automotive, high performance sports cars are the purest expression of speed and purpose. He says the 12C design, led by aerodynamics and engineering influenced by Formula 1, is a fascinating challenge to work within such inspirational philosophies. The market for high performance sports cars has grown significantly in the recent years.

McLaren divides the market into fragments that cover both comfort–orientated GT cars and the hard-edged supercars for road and track use. The core part features cars like the Ferrari F458, Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911 Turbo, Bentley Continental GT and Aston Martin DB9. A second segment is the high category consisting largely of front-engine GT cars like the Ferrari’s 599GT and 612, with just one mid-engine runner, the Lamborghini Murcielago.

McLaren looks at setting new standards with the 12C’s performance and the car has been tested for more than a million kilometres in extreme conditions; everything from -50°C in the Arctic, over 50°C and dust storms in Bahrain, and several 24-hour sessions at test tracks and circuits like the Nordschleife at the Nurburgring.

The last segment is the ultimate group, a segment initiated by the McLaren F1 in 1993 and now occupied by a select group of cars including the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, Bugatti Veyron, and cars from the likes of Pagani and Koenigsegg that followed legends such as the Porsche Carrera GT and Ferrari Enzo. By next year, McLaren will bring technology and performance restricted to this ‘ultimate’ sector into the ‘core’ section.

In India, a few power cuts can drive us mad. We do nothing, but grumble. How many electric cars have we produced? We have launched new cars though. We need to take a few lessons from Africa. Ethiopia, an African with unpredictable power supplies, will be launching an electric car. This is just the second African country, after South Africa, to produce an electric car.

Two variants of the Solaris Elettra will soon be produced in Addis Ababa of Ethiopia. The cost, $12,000 and $15,000, is also huge. The two cars will not only be sold in Ethiopia, but will also be exported to Africa and Europe.

Africa is neither has reliable power supplies nor does it have the right infrastructure to produce electric cars. The personal wealth levels are not too great either. How is the country going to manage? Freestyle PLC produces the Solaris. This company is very optimistic and feels that the electricity shortage is not going to be a major hurdle in the electric car’s operation. It believes that Ethiopia will have abundant supply of power in future.

Generators and solar power are enough to recharge the car. But again, how will the car survive in a country where taxes on cars are over a cent per cent? How will Ethiopians with low income levels afford the electric car? The company plans to solve this problem too by coming up with a credit system for less wealthy customers.

In the next three months, Freestyle PLC will produce six Solaris Elettras every week. A little later, when the company’s factory becomes fully operational, it will produce 30 cars a month. Freestyle PLC wants to take the green car from a green country to a green world. The launch of this car has been thought over after launching the country’s first bio-diesel car, the Rwanda last week.

Now, the electric car would be okay for the shorter trips, say 40 to 50 km. But, what about the longer trips? African nations do not have the necessary infrastructure. They do not have enough recharge points. Well, the company is positive. We can only wait and see how far the car and its sales go.

Ethiopia is currently constructing a gigantic hydro-electric dam on the Omo River and hopes to become a major exporter of energy when that is completed. We too hope all goes well and Ethiopia with the car maker, PLC Freestyle, becomes successful in its initiative of creating a greener world.

“OK is no longer OK”. That was the campaign that Mahindra Group settled on for their Navistar print campaign. And guess what, that particular campaign has been adjudged as the ‘Best Print Campaign in the Country’ by the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI). Mahindra Navistar campaign outsmarted about 300 corporate companies who had also queued up for the award.

Mahindra Group performed well in the year end awards. Mahindra Group entered the awards through many of it campaigns launched during the year, and apart from the best print campaign award, bagged a number of other awards including Mahindra Lifespaces, its sustainability project as also the group’s electronic newsletter. The award ceremony was held at the India Habitat Center, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.

Mahindra Navistar Automotives Ltd. (MNAL) is a joint venture between our very own Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) and Navistar Inc. USA. Navistar manufactures commercial truck, school bus and mid-range diesel engine manufacturer in North America.

The joint venture manufactures the entire array of commercial vehicles (including Trucks and Buses) from 4.5 tonne GVW to 49 tonne GVW. The new HCV product range, along with technological expertise from Navistar, has been engineered to meet the Indian requirements.

Mahindra & Mahindra shares another joint venture with French auto manufacturer, Renault, under which it sells the entry level sedan, Logan.

The PRCI is registered national body, a non-political organisation of professionals from various fields including public relations, communications, advertising, education and similar other allied services. Based in Bangalore, the PRCI has pioneered the process for Accreditation of PR and Advertising work in India. The PRCI, for the past four years, has started awards for excellence in PR, Communication and Advertising to recognize work of excellence by corporate companies at an all India level. The award attracts people from across India and abroad.

Well, when the whole world is shifting its preferences towards everything green, car manufacturers are following a similar trend in their technologies too. Major global car manufacturers have been showing an all-time high interest in manufacturing environmentally friendly vehicles, be it a hybrid system or a fully electric vehicle.

Ok, we will cut the fuss and get to the point. BMW had earlier announced that it will launch its first-ever full production vehicle, MegaCity, to run solely on electricity stored in a battery. And now, BMW says that the MegaCity urban electric vehicle will be built of carbon fibre.

BMW has partnered with the composites expert SGL Group to construct a new plant in Moses Lake, Washington. This plant will manufacture lightweight carbon-fiber materials for the auto industry applications. The total cost of the plant will likely exceed $100 million.

And BMW has further emphasised on its green preferences by choosing to build the plant in Washington. BMW says that the energy to be consumed comes from hydroelectric generators, which makes it far more environment friendly than in other locations. Nevertheless, various components for the MegaCity are transported from other countries. The raw feedstock to make carbon fibres is coming from Japan. The carbon fibres are then fabricated at the Moses Lake plant after which they’re flown to Germany, where they’re processed into lightweight fabrics in Wackersdorf.

Carbon fibre is lightweight and hence it can radically reduce the energy consumption of a vehicle. Building the tiny MegaCity electric car on carbon fibre will enhance its green quotient, but what about the carbon footprint of transporting the materials across three continents and the various plants. BMW won’t say anything on that topic yet.

The MegaCity is likely to be launched in mid-2013 as a 2014 model, and sold as a “sub-brand” of BMW. It will be sold primarily in over-crowded cities. The MegaCity is expected to be a four-seat, three-door hatchback.

All MegaCity cars will run solely on electricity stored in a 16-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Cells come from a joint venture of German parts maker Bosch and Korean conglomerate Samsung.


BMW has now produced two electric cars: the two seat Mini E, which is currently going through tests in the US, UK and Europe, and the new Active E Concept which was unveiled at the last month’s Detroit Auto Show.

The last few years have been really great for the small car industry in industry. We have seen a storm of launches. 2010 has been just another good year with the Ford Figo, Volkswagen Polo, Chevrolet Beat and very soon the Nissan Micra will make its entry. We don’t see Renault anywhere in the list. But, hang on. The car maker hasn’t given up yet.

Renault and Nissan had earlier decided to share a versatile platform in India. Yes, we are talking about the V platform. Taking this step will help Renault, the French car maker sell compact cars in India without bearing the mighty product development expenses. The two companies are believed to be jointly producing cars at the Chennai plant, thus having common production lines and component sourcing facilities.

Now, there’s something more. The Clio, based on the V platform may soon be launched in India and this is going to create history. It will be the first time in India that two manufacturers use a common platform for two or more new cars in a single market. This is what our friends at Auto Bild India have reported. Renault, however, seems to deny the whole story at the moment.

A company representative said that the above report is completely false. He said that Renault, at the moment, is focusing only on the ‘Fluence’ sedan and the ‘Koleos’ crossover. Will the Clio be rolled out soon? The official says no. The company would think about it later. The car maker agrees that Clio is an excellent car. However, the viability of getting the car into the Indian car market needs to be explored. We will get official confirmation as soon the company decides to bring in the small car.

The Renault Clio was originally launched in 1990. This supermini car is presently in its third generation. In Europe, the car has worked wondered by being the top-selling car since its launch. The Clio is also largely credited with restoring Renault’s face after the difficulty the company faced during the second half of the 1980s.

Some other sources say that the Clio, when it leaves India, will go out with a new technology. The Clio is believed to be Renault’s first modern vehicle with an OEM rotating seat. The passenger seat can be rotated to a 75 degree angle and with this rotation the passenger can support his or her legs. A small lever located under the seat helps the passenger control the actuator. The new technology will actually add a huge amount to the cost of the car, but would however, be half of what aftermarket installations cost.

Will the hatchback be launched in India and then head to North America? The company remains secretive. No word yet. Only time can reveal the truth.

You have read in the earlier blog that we had written on how BMW India achieved its highest ever car sales in the month of March in India ever since it set shop here in India.

But its main German compatriot Mercedes-Benz India certainly is not lagging behind. After an optimistic show of car sales in the last couple of months, it certainly is in the league but had to concede their Numero Uno position to BMW India just by a deficit of 8 cars.

Yes, you read that right. Just eight cars, that’ all that’s keeping Mercedes-Benz India, the maker of super-luxury cars, from reclaiming its title as number one luxury car maker. Mercedes Benz’s aggressive product launch and marketing strategy for 2010 seems to be paying off. The company’s first quarter numbers are out and it is very close to being back on top.

Here’s how it’s playing out, BMW is holding on to the top with 1,314 cars, Mercedes is just 8 cars behind at 1,306 units and Audi is third with 778 cars. Executives with Mercedes say strong sales have poured in from virtually every segment.

The GL class and M-Class SUVs and S-class cars though are the pick of the cars for Mercedes Benz, it’s chief money spinner was the newly launched E-Class sedan. And now with the yet another model launched in the form of E-Class Coupe, the portfolio of the company is becoming trendier and trendier. Mercedes Benz India seems to be appealing the next generation Indians with top class designs to get a foot hold in the Indian luxury car market and regain its lost Numero Uno status.

Even as Mercedes Benz and BMW go bumper to bumper, the next nine months will see fierce competition in terms of marketing strategies and new models by both makers. All three luxury players reporting strong sales and quantum growth, one thing’s clear, no matter who comes out on top at the end of 2010, the luxury car pie in India has moved along extremely fast and shows no sign of slowing down.

Yesterday, Hyundai Motor India Ltd took everyone by surprise by re-launching its i20. Yes, the second largest car manufacturer in India launched its i20 model yet another time as two new variants Era and Sportz. The two new, dashing models are already up for sale.

The two cars come fully loaded with new technologies that heighten the i20’s great styling and improve the fuel utilization. The Sportz is believed to bridge the gap between the Magna’s and Asta’s pricing and features. The Era has made its debut in both petrol and diesel avatars.

HMIL is very positive about the performance of the Era and Sportz in India. It feels, the i20, with added features and variants, has become more attractive and has set a new benchmark for this class of cars with superior styling, exceptional features and obedience to the global safety standards.

The all-new variant of the Hyundai i20 comes overloaded with amazing features. It has six-speed manual transmission gears in the diesel variant and the sixth gear is believed to promote fuel-efficient driving. It will also facilitate low rpm operation of the engine, making the i20 diesel more fuel-efficient and leading to a lower NVH – Noise, Vibration & Harshness, and lesser erosion of the engine.

Did you know that the new diesel variant has a novel gear prompt? The manual transmission shift indicators give their best try at saving fuel by prompting the driver to change gears. The styling of the new variants is contemporary and points out at today’s global trends. The newly designed Chrome Radiator Grille and outside rear view mirrors with integrated turn indicators suggest novelty at its best. The interiors too speak volumes of modern design. The blue LED interior illumination, silver centre fascia and chrome finish on inside door locks offer an exotic ambience inside the car.

Other notably modern features that have been included are the Fully Automatic Temperature Control (FATC) system, an in-built USB port, burglar alarm, steering wheel with audio remote and passenger vanity mirror. On the whole, the car hosts an array of innovative technologies.
The new i20 is in complete agreement with the BS IV emission norms.

The car maker, Hyundai, asserts that the car offers better fuel economy across the entire range. We pray that this be true, and, if it does, it is going to translate into greater savings on fuel costs. The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) states that the new i20 petrol version with the 1.2 Kappa engine can competently deliver a mileage of 18.15 km/litre and the diesel variant with the 1.4 CRDi engine can deliver a mileage of 21.93 km/litre. Only time can tell if this is true.

The good news for everyone; the car maker, customer and the environment, however, remains that the all these new variants will comply with the recently introduced BS IV emission norms. For those interested in the car value, the ex-showroom Delhi prices for the Era variant start at Rs 451,816 while the Sportz will be priced at Rs 531,817. Any takers?

The war of Germans in India for the luxury car segment is getting hotter and better with each passing day and each car being sold out.Mercedes Benz India which held on to its Numero Uno position for two consecutive months of this year had to part its title to BMW for the month of March.

BMW India on Wednesday reported 26.56 per cent jump in sales in March at 605 units, the highest ever sales that the company has recorded in a month in India contrary to the sale of 478 units the company sold in the same month last year.

The outgoing BMW India President, Peter Kronschnabl who is all smiles on this milestone acknowledged that the previous March sales was the highest they had achieved in India but this month’s car sales is the highest ever monthly sales for a luxury car maker in India.

During the month, the company sold 298 units of the 3 Series sedan, 183 units of 5 series sedan, 54 units of 7 Series sedan, 11 units of Gran Turismo and the Z4 Roadster sold 13 units. In the SUV segment, the X3 sold just 3 units, while X5 clocked 20 units and 23 units of X6.

For the three month period between January and March, BMW’s cumulative sales stood at 1314 units.

Kronschnabl said with the company’s production at the Chennai plant running at full capacity, it will announce a decision on further expanding it by the middle of this year. “With the assembly of X1 scheduled to begin later this year at the Chennai plant, we definitely need to ramp up our capacity,” he said.

The company has set a target of selling over 4,000 units this calendar year, as against 3,619 units last year.He also said he was aware that the kind of sales they achieved in March will be difficult to maintain, they were looking at double digits growth this year.

Well, this is for all the rich coupe lovers in India. Mercedes Benz India has finally given in to all your not-so-silent pleas to launch a coupe in India, and the result is that the E-Class coupe is up for grabs for one and all (of course, price may be constraint for a few). Last year Mercedes Benz India totally blew up its competitors with the launch of the E-Class sedan, and now is the time to bring on some heat in the coupe segment. Yesterday, Mercedes Benz redefined luxury, style and raw attraction when it launched the E-Class coupe in India.

The E-Class coupe is a sporty interpretation of the E-Class sedan and boasts of unprecedented combination of power, performance and efficiency. Get behind the wheels and you can feel a power of 272hp at 6000rpm. The engine comes paired with a 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission that makes your ride totally effortless. The coupe, with a drag coefficient of just 0.24, is the world’s most aerodynamically efficient series-production car. Beat that now!

The E-Class coupe is totally loaded with features that make your driving experience a luxurious one. Your auditory pleasures are taken care by top-end 450 Watt Dolby Digital Harman Kardon® Logic 7® surround-sound system.

You don’t have to worry yourself with setting the inside temperature of the car either. The THERMATIC 2-zone automatic climate control does just that for you. There are sensors which detect the outside temperature and adjust the heating, cooling or fan as necessary.

Additionally, the E-Class coupe is loaded with safety features including ATTENTION ASSIST, PRE-SAFE® occupant protection system, Intelligent Lighting System and airbags. The ATTENTION ASSIST prompts you to take a break when you feel tired and drowsy on long trips.

The new E-Class Coupé has won many international awards for its stunning design (Declared as the “Most Good Looking Coupé” by Chicago Athenaeum – Museum of Architecture and Design; received “The Good Design Award” by Auto Bilt, Germany). Also, a panoramic sunroof/moon roof adds to the dynamic looks of the car.

Now, let’s get to another important detail of the E-Class coupe. Well, you can make it yours by shelling out just about Rs. 54.83-lakhs (ex-showroom Mumbai). The pricing has been kept very competitive and is likely to sell well among the Merc loving rich Indians.