Monthly Archives: August 2010

Honda Jazz Hybrid to Debut at the Paris Motor Show

1

Honda-Fit-Hybrid-1 A couple of week back, Honda launched the new variant of the Jazz, the Honda Jazz X, in India. And now the Japanese company has revealed official information and images of the Honda Jazz/Fit hybrid. The green car will make its debut appearance at the Paris Motor Show in September 2010. This hybrid addition to the Jazz line-up would mark the arrival of a parallel hybrid vehicle that has been available to B-segment consumers.

Honda has tried to keep things sweet and simple by sharing the tried and tested IMA hybrid motor and control system technology of Insight and CR-Z hybrids with the hybrid Jazz. The Honda IMA system has the almost two decades of development and 10 years of sales behind it. With sales of more than half a million vehicles, the technology has proved to be a very flexible and dependable one. Adding to all that is the excellent combination of low emissions and fuel economy.

Honda Jazz hybrid will get its power from the same engine as the Insight hybrid. The 1.3 liter i-VTEC engine is paired with a CVT gearbox with an electric motor which is accommodated between the two to create a parallel hybrid system. Again, much like the Insight and Civic Hybrid models, you can run the Jazz hybrid on the electric motor alone, if you maintain medium and low speed conditions.

Despite being taller than the Insight, the Jazz manages to maintain fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to the Insight. The height of the Jazz adds to the practicality of the car and becomes an added asset, in fact.

Distinguishing the Jazz hybrid from the current set of Jazz variants would be an easy task, for Honda has added a few details to the hybrid one. Revised headlights, with a blue surround, clear rear lights, new front grille, restyled bumpers and a chrome tailgate garnish are some of the additions in the hybrid Jazz.

The new hybrid Jazz will be available in a range of the current colours, along with a bespoke Lime Green metallic. The interior of the car smells fresh too. With darker single color dashboard, which contrasts with the blue lighting of the dials and stereo, adds heaps of style to the car. The European market will get the hybrid Jazz in the earlier stages of 2011.

Honda-Fit-Hybrid-2

The upcoming Paris Motor Show will also feature special edition of European made Civic, the 2011 model year Insight, CR-Z, the current petrol Jazz, CR-V, Accord and Accord Tourer, as well as the sports touring motorcycle VFR1200F equipped with “state-of-art” V4 engine, and a stylish PCX scooter with lower emission idle-stop 125cc engine.

Honda is raising the anticipation level by keeping the price details of 2010 Honda Jazz hybrid a secret. The company says that the prices will be announced shortly. Also, there is no hint from the company about a possible launch of the car in the Indian market.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

Is China’s Honda TIF = India’s New Small Car?

1

Honda-New-Small-Concept-2CV By now, we are all well aware of Honda’s small car. The upcoming car was displayed at the Auto Expo 2010 in New Delhi in January this year. Car makers needn’t have second thoughts on the potential of India’s small car market if they are planning to introduce their small car offerings here but are apprehensive about the sales. However, there are a few aspects that catch the eyes of Indians before anything else; the price tag and mileage. Have these two put in place and your car may be a superhit. Unfortunately, Honda is still a learner when it comes to cost-consciousness.

Honda’s upcoming entry level car may be priced somewhere around Rs 5 Lakh which is a little expensive compared to the little darlings we already have plying on our roads. Now comes the twist to the story. Honda has also started evaluating the potential of China’s small-displacement car market and now plans to launch a new small car there. Everybody can see the bright future the country holds for cars. Everyone in China wants a car and the 100-km long traffic jam spread over more than 10 days stands as proof.

Gasgoo reports that Honda China president Seiji Kuraishi announced in an interview that a Honda small car, codenamed TIF, would be launched in China. Now, our question is, does the TIF have anything to do with Honda’s India-bound small car?

The new car will possibly feature a 1.0 litre and a 1.3 litre engine and would be priced between 60,000 yuan-80,000 yuan ($8,800-$11,700). That would translate into Rs. 4.12-5.48 Lakh. Do you still believe it could be the Honda New Small car? The 1.3-liter petrol engine will not make it eligible for small car benefits in India though. So, if it’s the New Small, Honda may introduce just the 1-litre engine in the Indian version. The small car would be pitted against the Nissan March and Chevy Sail in China.

The Japanese car maker seems to be very certain of launching the car in the Chinese market and the government’s policies to propel the auto industry must be boosting Honda’s spirits further. Sources say that the Honda TIF is the best car in the segment that comes with the most stylish looks, eye-catchy features and extremely user-friendly controls.

It is also said that the small car offers the best mileage in the segment with excellent comfort and safety features. They say, just have a glance at its interior you will fall in love with it. Well, bring it to India and we’ll decide if it’s true. Seiji Kuraishi is reported to have said that Honda has posted sales of over 130,000 vehicles in China in 2009 and is expected to boost its sales to around 150,000 units this year in the world’s biggest auto market.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

After MoU, Mahindra in a Hurry to Revive Ssangyong

Reply

Mahindra-Ssangyong-Motor It has been just a few days before the domestic utility vehicle manufacturing king Mahindra & Mahindra signed the MoU with the troubled Ssangyong Motor Company, and already it has started laying down new roadmaps for the South Korean auto maker.

The most important part of the plan is the automotive component sourcing that M&M plans to do. The Indian company plans to devote $4-5 billion (Rs 19,000-23,000 crore) over several years to source global markets for Ssangyong and itself. A very substantial portion of this would come from India, where the company boasts of having a network of about 200-odd component vendors.

This sourcing is more focused on the joint product development plan which M&M is contemplating with Ssangyong in the areas of premium sports utility vehicles and crossovers. Besides coming up with some new cars, M&M also plans to dig into the engine options of Ssangyong and develop new engines with Ssangyong’s strong R&D setup.

“Ssangyong may not have a product line-up which is as grand as some of the global car makers but we are very optimistic about the ones which are in the pipeline. Our strength of low-cost manufacturing and component sourcing plans will change Ssangyong,” said a source from the company.

M&M plans to close the deal with Ssangyong by the end of November 2010, and has made it quite evident that it will set up assembly lines for at least two of Ssangyong’s products, Korando C and Rexton, in India.

Ssangyong expertise lies in the SUV segment and had showcased the Korando C, which is also the latest offering from the company, at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Additionally, the Super Rexton, which is a premium product in the company’s portfolio, is all set to replace the invalid Rexton II. Ssangyong has been holding off the luxury sedan Chairman W for the export markets for some reason, but M&M is in fast-forward mode and cannot wait to test it for the exports. The Chairman W is equipped with a 5-litre, V8 engine (Chairman W 5.0 version) that develops 306 bhp of peak power. It competes against other premium models such as Mercedes S-class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8.

Now this multi crore acquisition would allow the Indian car maker to lay its hands on the advanced research and development (R&D) centre of Ssangyong, which according to industry experts is one of the finest in South Korea. “There are about 600-odd people working at the Ssangyong R&D facility. They have a very high quality centre, which is fully capable to carry out design and engineering aspects of product development, besides testing,” said an M&M source.

This year has brought on some good luck to Ssangyong; its vehicles have seen a considerable growth in demand. In the January-June period, sales grew nearly three-fold to 36,512 units, as compared to 13,020 units sold in the same period last year.

Let’s see if M&M could turn this loss making company into a profit generating one like Tata Motors did to the Jaguar Land Rover brand.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

Maruti Ready to Manufacture Cars for Other Car Makers

Reply

When the month began, Maruti Suzuki said ‘no’ to sharing platform with Volkswagen in India. The car maker explained that the German company’s production and product development costs were too high and could make Maruti’s business unviable. That said, we now hear that Maruti Suzuki has no problem producing cars for other car makers, both Indian and foreign, similar to its arrangement with Nissan. But, a car manufacturer manufacturing cars for other car manufacturers? Does that make sense? Maruti has an explanation!

R C Bhargava, chairman of MSIL, said, “Our cost of manufacturing is low. We are open to manufacturing cars for other players, which can be modified and sold under a different badge. The look of the final product should be distinct from the models sold by our company.”

Well, it seems like both car makers will gain. It will add revenue into Maruti’s lap while the car maker which sells the car in its name will gain from the efficient low-cost manufacturing. But, Maruti Suzuki admits that it cannot depend wholly on that source of income. It will contribute to the volume of the company, but there’s no guarantee of a steady stream of revenue. Bhargava says, “The European market boosted the sale of small cars last year. This year, however, we would be far from delivering the same number of units to Nissan.”

Nissan sells India’s Maruti Suzuki A-Star as the Nissan Pixo in Europe. So now, Maruti is open to doing something similar for other car makers. However, last year Maruti supplied 50,000 units of the car to Nissan while the agreement demands a supply of just 35,000 units. Surprisingly, Maruti is afraid it cannot deliver more than 20,000 units this year because of the dwindling demand for the Pixo.

Maruti did say it will not share platform with Volkswagen. But, Bhargava says that the company has not ruled out the possibility of Maruti acting as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for Volkswagen in India. An OEM manufactures products which are bought by another company and retailed under the purchasing company’s brand name.

Volkswagen, being a bigger company, has the potential to invest in R&D for producing hydrogen and hybrid automobiles. The two companies, Suzuki and Volkswagen are different. Unlike Suzuki, Volkswagen neither has the technology to develop small cars nor low-cost manufacturing facility. Plus, the German car maker has a weak presence in India. So, will this idea transform into reality?

Bhargava says, “Logically, Volkswagen can ask Maruti to act as an OEM for them. Suzuki stands to benefit on the technological front from the German carmaker.” In the meantime, Maruti is investing Rs 1,700 Crore to double the capacity of its Manesar plant by 2012. The first phase development would touch completion in a year. Shinzo Nakanishi, managing director and CEO, MSIL, had earlier said Maruti was scaling up efforts to expand capacity before the scheduled timeline of 2012 beginning.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

Nissan Micra Goes Through Order Backlog of 2,500 Units

Reply

Nissan_micra_india Even before the Nissan Micra was launched in the Indian market, it was more than certain that the car would strike a happy chord with the Indian crowd. The high demand for the bubbly little car has shot up so much that the Japanese car maker is facing a huge order backlog. Nissan is falling short of almost 2,500 units: a huge number that one, isn’t it!

But, the car maker has already taken steps to fight off the situation. Nissan has already doubled the production of the small car Micra to 500 units per day. Nissan Motor India Private Ltd (NMIPL) had launched the small car in July 2010 to grab a share in the booming small car segment in India. The Nissan Micra is priced the car between Rs 3.98 lakh and Rs 5.29 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Right now the company’s hands are full with sales of Micra, but it is also considering the commencement of overseas shipments of the car from next month, starting with Europe.

“In order to cater to the huge demand, we have begun second shift of production… The average daily production is over 500 units, which is expected to increase in near term,” an NMIPL spokesperson told.

Till last week, the company was producing 255 units per day in a single shift basis, he added. The latest product from Nissan has witnessed a waiting period of more than two months depending upon different variants.

“We have a progressively increasing order book and so far received more than 3,400 bookings. Last month we achieved sales of 928 units since delivery began on July 15. The waiting period has been primarily due to the higher than expected demand for the same from the market. We are taking necessary steps to manage and balance out the delivery period by next month,” the spokesperson said.

Commenting on export plans of the company, he said the first shipment will go to Europe from next month onwards. Earlier Nissan had said that it will export the Micra to over 100 countries. Nissan had earlier planned to manufacture 80,000 units in the first year, of which only 20 per cent were meant for the Indian market and rest for export purposes.

The Nissan Micra which is being endorsed big time by Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, is produced at the Chennai plant of its joint venture with French parent Renault — Renault Nissan Automotive India. The two companies are investing Rs 4,500 crore on the plant, which will have an annual capacity of 4 lakh units.

Small cars have become the fool-proof formula for car makers to survive in the Indian car market. Currently pegged at about 1.5 million units annually, it is thriving on compact cars which account for almost 70 per cent of the total.

The Japanese car manufacturer has announced that it plans to launch nine models, in India by 2012, out of which five would be made locally. Equivalent to its global market share, the company has set itself a target of achieving market share of 5.5 per cent in India in the future.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

Toyota Introduces the Fortuner Anniversary Edition

Reply

fortuner-pic-1 Back in April this year, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) Deputy Managing Director Sandeep Singh had said, “The average waiting period for the SUV Fortuner is around six months and we have closed bookings as we do not want our customers to wait. We will re-start bookings in June -July once we are able to clear the backlog.” That was a clear indication of how well the Toyota Fortuner was performing in the country.

Over 10,000 customers have been enjoying daily rides in the magnificent beast that was launched just a year ago on 24th of August, 2009. Since then, Toyota has maintained nearly a 60 per cent market share in its segment. The Fortuner has also bagged the ‘SUV of the Year’ award at a majority of auto award functions. The car maker now seemed quite proud and excited while announcing the introduction of the ‘Fortuner Anniversary Edition’.

Wonder what the ‘Fortuner Anniversary Edition’ is all about? Toyota has enhanced both on-road and off-road capabilities of the Fortuner in this new edition. The new car will be available only in a Pearl White finish. The anniversary-edition Toyota Fortuner features a sporty new Front Bumper Spoiler, Rear Roof Spoiler and a Rear Bumper Spoiler, all flaunting the pearl white theme. A chrome-plated Muffler Cutter gives the new Fortuner a distinct touch.

If you’re a Fortuner lover and these changes excite you, then hurry! Friends, Toyota is rolling out just 250 units of the special edition. Commenting on the introduction of the ‘Anniversary Edition’, Mr. Sandeep Singh said, “Today, as we celebrate both the first anniversary and the milestone of selling 10,000 units, we are delighted to introduce the Anniversary Edition of the Fortuner which will be made available exclusively to our customers who have already made bookings with us.

We would like to thank our customers for making the Fortuner the market leader in its segment, since its launch. I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank those customers who have waited patiently through the waiting periods because of the overwhelming response that we have received. It is our endeavour to clear the present backlog, as well as meet growing customer requirement.”

fortuner2

The anniversary edition Fortuner draws power from the same 3.0 L TDCI D-4D, DOHC diesel engine which is paired with a 5-speed manual transmission gear box. The 168.6 bhp at 3600 rpm and peak torque of 343 Nm at 1400-3400 rpm delivered by the engine stand as proof of its brilliant performance, superb reliability and exceptional off-road ability. The Fortuner comes with Vehicle Stability Control and Traction Control which provide excellent suspension dynamics.

Finally heading to the most awaited part, the pricing! The Fortuner Anniversary Edition has been priced at Rs. 20,45,000 (ex-showroom Delhi) which is a little above a lakh rupees compared to the traditional Fortuner.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

Epic Traffic Congestion in China Expected to Last for a Month

Reply

CHINA trafficjam Bad traffic has become a bane of life in the metros of India, and it is something that we love to complain about. But here we have an example of a monster of traffic jam happening right in the heart of world’s second biggest economy, China. Yes, it is a traffic jam that has been projected to last for as long as a month!

It has been more than 10 days now, thousands of Beijing-bound vehicles have come to an almost standstill on a highway that runs from Inner Mongolia southeast to the Chinese capital. Trucks that are heading for the Chinese capital are moving slower than a snail on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway due to ongoing maintenance construction work on the highway which was formerly known as Badaling Expressway.

The budding economy this month has surpassed that of Japan’s in size and stands only behind the United States. The primary cause of this catastrophe-like traffic jam on this partially four-lane highway is the opening of coal mines in the northwest. Chinese Officials are pushing the blame on the maintenance projects that began mid-August for the epic congestion. The maintenance work would not be completed until mid-September.

Motorists who use the route on a daily basis say that bad traffic has been a hard truth of life there. But a traffic jam of this intensity must drive the sense out of anyone’s head. But apparently the Chinese are holding on to the situation well. So far, there have been no incidences of road rage. Many of the drivers in the worst hit areas are making the best of the times by playing chess, cards, and sleeping on asphalt.

china_468x312

“The problem is really that there are too many cars and trucks and not enough lanes,” said Bai Xiaolong, a 30-year-old truck driver stuck in the snarl. “We drivers are accustomed to this sort of thing happening.” In the current situation, the stuck motorists are suffering double blow. Nearby villagers are minting money by selling boxed lunches, bottled water for ten times the normal price.

The Chinese authorities are doing their best to ease out the traffic. They have even started allowing more trucks into the capital especially at night, he said. Traffic jam has become an epidemic in China, which has become the world’s largest market for new car sales. In 2009, new car sales in China rose 45 percent. According to a traffic official, the number of cars in Beijing increases by 1,900 a day.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

The 2011 Nissan Murano in India?

2

2011-nissan-murano Towards the end of 2009, there was news of the Murano coming into the country. It was in November last year that we told you that Nissan would roll out the Murano some time during the first half of this year. Well, the first half of the year is over, but we still see the plans in Trishanku’s heaven. There are plenty of question marks still hanging over the new car’s debut in India.

At the time, it was believed that Nissan would introduce the Murano as a completely built-up unit; imported and then sold in India. The decision seems to have changed now with the car maker thinking more rationally. How about a completely knocked down unit? The costs would go down significantly. So, is it finally decided that the chic crossover will take the CKD itinerary to India some time soon? At least by next year? Well, it will take some time for the question marks to vanish into thin air.

2011-nissan-murano-12

When the new car makes its grand entry on to the Indian roads, it will probably flaunt the diesel engine that it recently in Britain. This Murano also reminds us of the Qashqai and Juke. As we had earlier mentioned, will the Juke crossover find sanctuary in India by late next year, or will the ideas take a different route with time? As of now, we foresee the Murano, Juke and Qashqai coming to India. Let’s just wait and see.

For now, we have news about the Murano’s new looks. The well-groomed car which is currently in its second generation seems to have received further grooming. The Murano, which takes its roots in the region of Venice, has been on sale since 2002 and has been quite a good performer. The crossover comes from the region in Italy known for its hand blown glass.

The 2011 Nissan Murano comes with a refreshed appearance. The car gets modest exterior and interior tweaks, plus a new SV variant has been created. This new SV variant is available with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. It slots above the basic S series and below the SL and range-topping LE variants.

2011-nissan-murano-4

The 2011 Murano boasts of an all-new grille, sporty bumpers and alert taillights. Then, there’s also an updated 18-inch wheel design. A new exterior colour Graphite Blue adds sophistication to the range. Get inside, into the cockpit, and one will notice enhancements there as well. The gauges show off new white illumination.

Different variants come equipped with different additions including a new audio system and entertainment gear. The SV and SL models happen to be the best in terms of entertainment. They pick up Bluetooth and iPod connectivity as standard equipment. The SL also gets a Bose audio system as standard.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

Chikhli Plant to Soon Get Busy with Freelander2 Assembly

Reply

2010-Land-Rover-Freelander-2-Sport-Picture Exactly two months ago, on Jun 24th 2010, we had told you that the Freelander 2 would be assembled in India. Time is running and it looks like the final verdict will soon come directly from the horse’s mouth. The assembly of the rugged beauty will start in November this year. Looks like Tata group firm Jaguar Land Rover has all geared up to start assembly of the Freelander2 SUV. The SUV will be put together at the Chikhli facility in Maharashtra. Yes, it’s the same one that Mercedes Benz used earlier.

The luxury car brand’s parent company has worked real hard and we just saw how successful it has been in reviving the Jaguar Land Rover brand. JLR posted its first ever quarterly profits after a long long time. Now, Tata is believed to have already started the maintenance work and installing machineries on behalf of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) at Chikhli.

The Freelander2 which will soon be assembled in India is apparently JLR’s cheapest offering in the country. Looks like JLR is in a hurry to start production while Tata Motors’ is being generous enough by offering the luxury car maker its almost ready facility at Chikhli.

Earlier, Tata Motors had leased out the very same facility to Mercedes-Benz. The German luxury car maker used it and returned it back to Tata Motors in December last year. Now, after almost a year, this facility will be used by yet another luxury brand. The plant is capable of producing 3,500 units in a single shift.

Does this news come as an official announcement? When contacted, a JLR representative told the Press Trust of India from Gaydon, “It has been confirmed that JLR plans to assemble Land Rover vehicles in India, for the Indian market, from next year… we have no further information to share at this time.” This info was shared long ago. We need more info, Tata Motors.

Two months ago, JLR had announced plans of assembling the Land Rover SUV in India from 2011. As of now, all cars, be it Jaguar or Land Rover, they come imported from their facilities in the UK. Now that profits have begun showing up, we believe the upward will be maintained.

Assembling cars in the country is further going to boost sales as there would be a significant reduction in prices. The very high import duty that comes with the vehicle is no more going to pose a threat. Currently, the Freelander2 is available at a starting price of Rs 33.55 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). “Besides, the company is expecting spurt in demand after the price will be lowered. So not to have long order backlogs, JLR wants to have sufficient buffer,” a source said.

We hear that the car maker will be performing extensive quality checks with the locally produced Freelander2. Tata Motors has Fiat’s revival as its main focus at the moment. Despite that, the car maker is still keeping up promises made earlier.

Earlier, JLR had said that it would more than double its dealerships in India this fiscal to increase sales as part of the British marque’s plan to focus more on emerging markets. JLR dealerships will grow from the current three to seven outlets during the fiscal 2010-11. As of now, JLR sells the XF, XKR and XJ from Jaguar, and Range Rover and Discover from Land Rover’s portfolio.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post

General Motors’ Electric Chevrolet Sail to Replace the E-Spark?

Reply

Chevrolet-Sail-Hatchback General Motors is almost ready with its new engine plant at Talegaon and it will become operational by November this year. And once that happens, the launch of the Chevrolet Beat diesel would be just inches away. And now we have further news from the camp of General Motors India. And this time it is the India-bound Chevrolet Sail that is grabbing all the attention.

Whispers down the lane say that General Motors is deeply engrossed with the development of an electric variant of the Chevrolet Sail hatchback in China. We are not privileged with technical details yet, but assuming that it would be powertrain meant for maximum range and modest power would be a safe bet any day.

This undoubtedly reminds us of GM India’s e-Spark project that went down the acquisition wave that swept the electric car making company REVA and merged it with Mahindra & Mahindra. And we come to the question: Will GM India decide to replace the e-Spark with the e-Sail?

We have earlier said that General Motors would take the first opportunity to launch the hatchback and sedan version of the Sail in India, and if things go alright, the e-Sail would join the bandwagon of the Sail range in the Indian market. The Sail is a much bigger car when compared to the Chevrolet Spark. The small car has a high localisation level and the battery packs and motors were likely to be sourced from REVA. The electric car manufacturing company is based out of Bangalore, and this would have helped GM’s cause of keeping the prices competitive.

On the other hand, the Chevrolet Sail would come from the land of the yellows and the Indian government does not see Beijing in the same way as Bangalore. Consequently, the duties will be higher which in turn would shoot up the prices. Talk about losing out on the pricing front!

The Sail was introduced by SAIC-GM at Auto China 2010. Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), both GM-SAIC joint ventures, introduced the car and we’ve heard that the new Sail will be sold in China and exported to other emerging markets. The Chevrolet Sail comes equipped with a 1.2-liter and 1.4-liter petrol engine that is coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission.

General Motors has revealed that that it will bring out electric vehicles for India through its in-house program in the next few years. The launch of this vehicle would certainly give the car maker a taste of the local waters and gauzing the market for more affordable electric cars would become an easy task for the company.

    SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend     Add to Technorati Favorites                 Add New Post