Monthly Archives: November 2010

Chevy India to Launch Four New cars in 2011

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Chevrolet Orlando Chevrolet India upbeat with the success of its Cruze and Beat has grand plans lined up for India. Chevy India will be launching four new passenger cars in the upcoming year. Out of the four cars which Chevy plans to launch here, one is a small car, two are mid-sized cars and one SUV.

It must be noted that the GM India had inaugurated its flexi-engine plant in Talegaon where it can manufacture petrol and diesel engines on the same assembly line. We hope that the ramp up is in line with the new car models making inroads next year.

Our speculation is that the Chvey SUV would probably be the Chevrolet Orlando, while the China made Chevy sail and the new Optra could be the new sedans that Chevy is bringing in 2011. Though the hatchback version of the Chevy Sail making inroads here could well be an option, we tripped on some scoops making the rounds in the blogosphere stating Chevy was developing a smaller car that could replace the Spark, the current smallest car in Chevy India’s present line up.

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With the Mahindra-Reva deal, the e-Spark is scrapped, and Chevrolet will just showcase its new electric car, sometime in early 2011.This will be an electric car made purely by General Motors R&D team. The Chevrolet Beat will soon be launched in LPG and diesel variants as well. The Talegaon plant will produce this new diesel engine for the Beat and this car is already in its test cycle.

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Titan Industries to Bring Tata Nano Goldplus

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phpThumb_generated_thumbnailjpeg 1 Sometimes good and sometimes bad, but no one can deny the fact that Tata Nano has a flair for being in the limelight every now and then. So this time around it is something more novel, so don’t be surprised if you see a Tata Nano fully clad in gold plated bridal jewellery. Yes that’s true.

Titan, a Tata group company, has come out with a very unique way of celebrating 5000 years of fine Indian jewellery. Titan is an arm of the Tata Group that is a very popular manufacturer of jewellery in India and abroad. And now Titan is planning to come with three Nanos that are covered in gold plated jewellery from head to toe.

“To celebrate 5,000 years of Indian jewellery, we plan to come out with the world’s first jewellery car — Goldplus Nano — sometime next year,” said Titan Industries COO (jewellery division), Mr C. K. Venkataraman. But Tata Motors will not be bringing in the special edition Nanos in large numbers. “This priceless car will be a single unit as a symbol of our precision capabilities and will serve as a memento and not for sale” he added.

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The three jewellery clad bridal Nano car designs have been shortlisted from 120 entries submitted by Titan group employees. The winner will be selected through public voting. The golden Tata Nanos are being previewed as part of a competition. “An internal team from Titan Industries has shortlisted three designs for the Nano and the one design which receives the most number of public votes will be selected and replicated in real,” he said. The completed golden Nano would be displayed in April next year, Venkataraman said.

You can cast your vote to the golden Nano through internet, mobile and by visiting Titan – Goldplus outlets. And by doing so, you stand a chance to win prizes worth Rs. 40 lakh by Tata. The voting lines start on December 12th, and the winner will be announced in the second week of December.

“The final design which wins, will be replicated in real and will be on display by April next year,” according to Mr. Venkataraman. “We will gold clad one Nano car with the most popular design and show it around the country. Some may even get a chance to ride the modern gold chariot,” Venkataraman said.

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The Goldplus Nano will be put for public viewing and Tata Motors will also provide an opportunity to people to drive the car.

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Etios Hatchback to Come Three Months after the Sedan, Says Toyota Chief

Toyota-Etios-sedan Much to everyone’s surprise, Toyota has decided to bring in the sedan version of the Etios three months before the hatchback. The Japanese car manufacturer takes the wraps off its much-awaited Etios small car on December 1.

Toyota’s fate will be written afresh when the company launches the Etios. The company wants to recreate the magic that the launch of Corolla had created in the market. In the last 37 years since launch, the Japanese car giant has sold more than 2.4 crore Corollas worldwide.

Toyota has been looking for a breakthrough in the Indian market with a volume-car just the way that Japanese rival Suzuki has in India. And after being in production for four years, Toyota is counting big time on the success of the Etios.

“Our current capacity is 70,000 vehicles per annum. We are now trying to expand it to 80,000. In all, the goal is to make 140,000 to 150,000 vehicles a month. The second plant (coming up next to the current one) will only make the Etios,” Nakagawa said.

In 2011, Toyota is planning to manufacture 70,000 Etios, including the sedan and hatchback variants of the car. “The variant ratio will depend on customer demand,” said Nakagawa. The company is keeping silent on the pricing of the Etios, but speculations say that the Etios sedan version will be priced in the range of Rs 6-8 lakh. The Etios sedan will compete with cars like Tata Manza and Maruti Swift Dzire.

“The B segment is the most competitive segment in India now and is the fastest-growing one too, with many players entering. We will have competitive pricing with best technology,” said Sandeep Singh, deputy managing director marketing, Toyota Kirloskar Motor.

The company is relying on its expansive dealer network to achieve the volume target. “We currently have 120 dealers and by end of this year we plan to take this number to 160. We will also hire more engineers, sales persons, service mechanics to enhance the customer experience,” said Nakagawa.

“Most of the newly added dealers will belong to B and C class cities. As per our current business model, we sell almost 70% of our cars in big cities and towns. With the introduction of Etios, we wish to achieve 50-50 ratio,” he said.

Toyota will start the bookings of Etios right after the launch on December 1. But promotional campaigns are already on at major Toyota sales outlets. And if you believe a Mumbai-based Toyota dealer, Etios brochures are already available at showrooms.

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“Consumers are curious about the Etios. We receive at least 15 inquiries on a daily basis from people wanting to know details about the car,” the dealer, who requested to be anonymous, said.

Toyota’s current range of cars in the Indian market include Corolla Altis and Camry sedans, the Fortuner and Prado sports utility vehicles, and Innova, the best-selling MUV in India. These vehicles are manufactured at the company’s facility in Bidadi near Bangalore. No wonder then that some of the most recent spy pictures were shot while the Etios duos were undergoing tests on the Mysore-Bangalore roads.

Toyota showcased the Etios concept at the Auto Expo in January this year and since then the company’s India team has been busy in creating a brand name for it. And the company has brought in none other but the two-time Oscar winning music maestro AR Rahman as brand ambassador for the Etios.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, November 16th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post
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Skoda Yeti Launched at a base price of INR 14.98 Lakhs, Ex-Showroom Maharashtra

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Mr. Thomas Kuehl, Member of Board and Director, Sales & Marketing, SkodaAuto India launches Skoda Yeti SkodaAuto India launched its much-awaited Yeti yesterday with much fanfare. The yeti is the 1st SUV in Skoda’s product line up. The Skoda Yeti has been priced attractively at 14.98 lakhs (Ex Showroom Maharashtra). Borrowing from the illustrious Škoda lineage, the Yeti integrates some of the best solutions from each model in the Škoda range to offer a unique mix of safety, functionality and comfort in a signature modern exterior and interior design.

With the launch of Škoda Yeti, ŠkodaAuto India expands its product range and hence catering to a wider target audience. Ever since the first showcase of the Yeti at the AutoExpo early this year, the Škoda Yeti has captured the imagination of auto enthusiasts and customers alike. The Škoda Yeti has all the makings of a cult car in India as it offers comfort & ride quality of a premium sedan while offering fun, technology & functionality of a premium SUV. The smartly priced Škoda Yeti will attract India’s young and increasingly auto-enthusiastic consumers by offering additional technology and multi-role capability.

ŠkodaAuto India has received numerous customer enquiries even before the commercial launch of the car. One of the most interesting aspects of the response is that customer enthusiasm for Škoda Yeti is spread nationally and not restricted to a particular region unlike the traditional SUV market.

Speaking on the launch, Mr. Thomas Kuehl, Board Member & Director, Sales & Marketing, ŠkodaAuto India said, “It has always been Škoda’s endeavor to offer unmatched driving experience, and the new Škoda Yeti is a perfect testimony of this. The Indian consumer will truly get to experience a capable off roader combined with the adaptability of a compact SUV and comfort of a premium sedan for the first time. The Yeti will create a NEW SUV segment between the existing premium and low cost offers. This unique proposition together with an unrivaled price point gives us the confidence that the Škoda Yeti would attract a new host of customers and reiterate the brand loyalty amongst the existing customers. We are very proud to state that our Yeti will reliably transport its passengers not only to work but will be a pleasant and reliable companion on trips for fun and active relaxation.”

He further added “In the compact SUV segment, the Yeti has set new standards internationally, due to its off-road design features, high quality materials, intelligent ergonomics and outstanding equipment. We are confident that Škoda Yeti will alter the perspective associated with traditional SUVs that consume more fuel and emit high emissions and offer a completely new SUV concept for India. It is positioned as a capable and an accomplished SUV that reflects the ‘go anywhere’ attitude of the owner and his/her will to succeed. The positioning statement (The Right of Way) resonates with the determination to succeed against all odds and the belief that nothing can stop the willing from attaining their goals.”

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The Škoda Yeti is powered by a 2.0 Litre TDI CR engine, which generates maximum power of 140 bhp at 4200 rpm. The fully synchronized six-speed manual transmission gives complete power and control to the driver. The high-pressure direct injection technology system promises optimized performance, great mileage of 17.67Kmph as per ARAI, combined with excellent. Škoda Yeti is a proud proof that even an SUV can achieve low consumption and emissions.

The Ambiente and Elegance are the two variants in which the Yeti will be available in India. The Ambiente variant has been priced at Rs 14,98,001 (Ex-Showroom Maharashtra) and Rs 15,40,324 (Ex-Showroom Delhi), while the Elegance variant has been priced at Rs 16,18,000 (Ex-Showroom Maharashtra) and Rs 16,62,721 (Ex-Showroom Delhi).

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Lamborghini greenlights Sesto Elemento for limited production

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Lambo-Sesto-Elemento Well, here a piece of news for those Lamborghini fans out there. The Italian super car brand has just given the nod to produce the Sesto Elemento (Sixth Element) in limited numbers. The news was actually reported by a reputed French automotive program Auto Moto’s website. We can only hope that this news turns out to be true.

Lamborghini had displayed its Sesto Elemento concept at the Paris Motor Show in September/October. Officially it was meant to be a demonstration of Lamborghini’s new guiding philosophy of lighweight components and reeled in engines. The car featured a naturally-aspirated 5.2 liter V10 engine from the LP 570-4 Superleggera with 570 PS (419 kW / 562 bhp). The car has a curb weight of just 999 kg due to its extensive use of carbon and carbon-fiber reinforced plastics which includes a carbon-fiber monocoque structure.

The Sesto Elemento comes with a permanent all-wheel drive transmission and a power-to-weight ratio of 1.75 kilograms per horsepower. The 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint time clocks in at 2.5 seconds, while top speed will be well above 300 km/h (186 mph) – reported as 350 km/h (217.5 mph) prior to the Paris unveiling.

And here comes the best part. We had earlier in the blog mentioned that the car would be produced in limited numbers. By limited numbers, we mean 7 – 10 units only. Now that we have highlighted the exclusiveness of the car, here is a sticker shock attached with the car. The Lamborghini Sesto Elemento will be priced at around €2.5 million/$3.44 million/£2.15 million.

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Sutil keen to stay with Force India; Karun in talks for F1 driver’s seat

Sutil With the 2010 F1 season almost coming to an end, the F1 drivers of different F1 teams are busy looking at different options and opportunies. However, Force India driver Adrian Sutil has reconfirmed his desire to remain with the Force India-Mercedes team for the 2011 season.

The German has been with Vijay Mallya‘s team since its inception following the takeover of Spyker, for whom Sutil raced a season in 2007. But having endured a frustrating season, one in which the team’s form fell away after a promising start, media speculation rose that Sutil, 27, might be ready to move on.

But Sutil has dismissed all speculations revolving around him stating that he wants to stay with Dr. Vijay Mallya’s Force India F1 team and said “I can probably see my future here with this team. It’s all going in this direction.” He is also upbeat with the notion of representing Force India at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix next year in Delhi and also acknowledged that it was an exciting opportunity. “It will be amazing. I am looking forward to the Indian Grand Prix and if I am with this team here, it will be very special weekend for Force India. It is their home grand prix and I feel it is a good team here anyway, so we will see”, he said.

The German had been linked with Renault and the potential departure of their driver, Vitaly Petrov. The Russian has struggled in his first year in F1 and is expected to lose his seat for next season after an inconsistent campaign. Petrov has often been outclassed by his teammate, Robert Kubica, the Polish driver.

Indian Formula One driver Karun Chandhok is also eying a permanent driver’s seat in Force India for 2011 F1 season anad is already in talks with Force India. The Indian ace, who is the second Indian F1 driver after Narain Karthikeyan to drive a F1 car, drove for the Hispania F1 team for the first 10 races of the current season.

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Chandhok failed to score a point but was impressive in the races he competed in, crossing the chequered flag in eight out of 10 occasions. Apart from Force India, Karun is also in talks with three other F1 teams including Hispania F1 racing team. He believes his stint with the Hispania will help him get a driver’s spot for the next F1 calendar.

Lets hope and pray Karun gets his due and drives a Formula One car in the next season.

posted by carazooblog @ Friday, November 12th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post
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SkodaYeti to hit Indian roads with Rs 17 lakh price tag

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skoda-yeti-1 Skoda India, the Indian subsidiary of the Czech car manufacturer which has had a successful run in India since its inception has geared up to launch another model here in India. This time around, it is the Yeti that will make inroads to India on November 15th 2010. Going by the scoops that we have received the butch yet car like SUV should cost around Rs 17 lakh, if the buyer is in Delhi.

Skoda India, which was until now handicapped with no SUV range in its portfolio can breathe easy after the Yeti will be launched. The Skoda Yeti being a compact SUV will take on the likes of Ford Endevour, Mitsubishi Outlander and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara in the price band of Rs 15-20 lakh. The Yeti would be assembled at Skoda’s Aurangabad plant in Maharashtra.

The Yeti being one of the smallest SUVs in size will be powered by a two litre common rail direct injection diesel engine with manual transmission and a standard all four-wheel drive system for that much needed mountain-goat like abilities. Skoda has given utmost importance to the safety aspects in the Yeti and standing as a testimonial to it are the 6 airbags that has been fitted in it.

Skoda has taken extra care to tune up the vehicle by improving the suspension to suit the Indian conditions (Read harsh and pothole riddled road conditions). The interiors of the Yeti promises to be plush and quite luxurious when compared to other SUVs it competes with.

With a mouth watering price tag the Yeti comes in, lets hope that the Yeti beats the record of Toyota Fortuner in the bookings department and fares well with the Indians.

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Hyundai i20 sales crosses 2.5 lakh units

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Hyundai-new-i20 Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the largest exporter and the second largest car manufacturer in India, achieved another milestone by crossing the sales of 2.5 lakh units of its premium hatchback i20 for the domestic and overseas markets since its launch in December, 2008­­. The two new variants – Era & Sportz introduced in April this year have also received a phenomenal response.

Of the 2.5 lakh i20 cars sold, over 92,000 cars have been sold in the domestic market and approximately 168,000 units were exported to around 80 countries. To celebrate this success, HMIL has equipped the Asta variant of the i20 with the cutting edge GPS-based Audio Visual Navigation (AVN System). With this, the award-winning i20 (‘Viewers Choice Car of the Year’ award by CNBC TV18 Overdrive Awards 2010 & ‘Design of the Year’ award by the NDTV Profit Car & Bike Awards 2010) will set new benchmarks in making driving convenient and hassle-free.

Commenting on the occasion, H. W. Park, MD & CEO, HMIL, said, “The i20 in less than two years since its launch has become the most popular car in the premium hatchback segment with its stylish exteriors, premium features and offer of variants in petrol, diesel and automatic transmission options. As we celebrate the 2.5 lakh unit sales landmark I take this opportunity to thank our customers for choosing the Hyundai i20. To value add further and make it even more attractive and convenient, we are now introducing the high-tech Audio Visual Navigation System.”

The new AVN system will ensure that reaching your destination becomes a hassle-free experience. It comes as an option with the Asta version (both petrol & diesel) with a 2 DIN system with 5 inch LCD display and a touch screen interface with satellite-based voice-guided navigation to enable one to easily chart travel routes within and across multiple cities.

It contains a wealth of details about locations, route options, the nearest Hyundai touch points and numerous other points of interest like restaurants, hotels, hospitals and malls. The SD memory card with pre-loaded navigation software enables users to save favourite routes and also guide different users driving to the same destination through the use of voice prompts which are available in more than a dozen languages including 8 Indian regional languages. Users can also select different route settings like shortest route, fastest route or the optimal route. Desired destinations can be set easily by entering the location names and exploring the map on touch screen, the system also allows users to record travel-related data for every journey. With such advanced features, losing your way will not be an option anymore!

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The AVN system comes with complete in-car entertainment and connectivity features. It also doubles up as a video player which supports video playback from the iPod/USB drive. For greater safety and convenience, audio controls are provided on the steering wheel while a remote is provided for the convenience of the rear seat user. The in-built Bluetooth with an audio streaming function enables one to handle calls while driving besides playing music through the phone.

The option would be available only in the Hyundai i20 Asta variants and with the AVN system would have the starting price at Rs. 630,439 (ex-showroom, New Delhi).

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Tata Motors reconfirms robustness of Tata Nano design

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Tata_Nano Here is the second blog on Tata Motors that we are publishing today. For those who are sceptical on their safety driving a Nano can breathe easy. Tata motors have re-assured the safety of the world’s cheapest car by issuing a press release today stating that it would not recall the Nano. This move from Tata comes after recent media reports that claimed Tata Motors would recall the Nano on the wake of several Nano cars catching fire.

Tata suffered bad publicity because of four seperate incidents of the Nano vehicles bursting into flames. In a press release issued today, Tata Motors stated, “we would like to clarify that Tata Motors is not recalling Nanos. We would like to state again, as we had done in May 2010, that the Tata Nano is a safe car with a robust design, state-of-the-art components and built with an uncompromising attention to quality in all aspects. This has been re-established through a second analysis, conducted during the months of September and October 2010. Customers can rest assured that there are no generic defects in the Tata Nano.”

The press release also mentioned, “Besides, our customer satisfaction studies with current Tata Nano owners indicate that about 85% are satisfied or very satisfied with the car, because of it being ‘small yet spacious’, its performance, maneuverability, durability, low operating cost and safety. Some owners have taken their Nanos on country-wide trips or to altitudes like Khardungla, the world’s highest motorable road. This adequately corroborates the Tata Nano’s reliability and safety, as was seen during the validation of the car with about 300 prototypes which covered more than 2 million km of safe operation before launch.”

Tata Motors, which had investigated the stray fire incidents led by a team of internal and international experts, has once again concluded that the reasons for the incidents in few Tata Nano cars are specific to the cars which had such incidents. Based on the team’s reports Tata Motors stated, “We have noticed instances of additional foreign electrical equipment having been installed or foreign material left on the exhaust system. It is also our belief that as we penetrate deeper, the Tata Nano will be bought increasingly by users in the hinterlands not fully familiar to cars.”

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Tata motors which has taken the investigative team’s investigations seriously has decided to make the car even more robust. The future Nanos will have an additional protection in the exhaust system and the electrical system.

Beginning the 3rd week of November, each owner will be informed about these measures. Option lies with our customers on whether they would like to avail for these measures. This will be provided at no cost to customers.

Tata Motors has delivered over 70,000 Nano cars as at the end of October 2010 and the company has already declared open sales in Kerala (since August 2010), and (since October 2010) in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

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Jaguar and Land Rover sales drive Tata’s profits

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TATA Logo Tata Motors Ltd on Tuesday said that quarterly profit soared, topping forecasts, on robust sales in its home market.

Riding on the improved demand for its Jaguar and Land Rover brands, Tata Motors has seen its profits soar. Tata Motors, India’s largest truck and bus maker, reported a consolidated net profit of 22.23 billion rupees ($502 million) for the fiscal second quarter ended September 30, from 220 million rupees in the year-ago quarter. Sales in India climbed by 35% in the quarter, but it experienced even bigger growth in China and Russia.

Tata Motors, whose products include utility vehicles, cars and the ultra-cheap Tata Nano, is seeing a surge in demand within the country amid rapid economic growth, while its British luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover have also seen strong sales in Europe.

Since its inception to the Indian market in March 2009, around 70,000 Nanos have been sold. The world’s cheapest car with a price tag of 1 lakh plus is one of the important products of the Tata conglomorate.

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Last month Tata reversed a decision to close one of its manufacturing plants in the UK because of the pick-up in sales. On the contrary, Tata Motors is also planning to hire new workers in Britain to counter with the surge in demand for cars from its Jaguar and Land Rover division. JLR brands was bought in 2008 from Ford by the Indian giant.

India is one of the world’s fastest growing car markets with home-grown vehicle makers, as well as those which have teamed up with foreign partners, benefiting from the country’s rapid economic growth. Shares in Tata Motors, valued at about $15 billion, have surged 60 percent so far this year, compared with a near-20 percent rise in the main index and a 39 percent gain in the sector index.

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