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March 2, 2011

Volvo S60 to scorch Indian roads on Mar 10

The Swedish company is continuing its onslaught of new cars for India. Yep, this time around, the Swdish auto giant will enthrall us with its latest offering, the Volvo S60 Sedan. The last offering of the company in India was the XC 60 SUV, which was launched here last December.

Volvo S60 sedan features Volvo’s newest and arguably boldest design in a long while and for a reason, the S60 is also the cheapest offering of the company in India. By cheapest, we mean the sedan could cost under Rs 30 lakh. Bah! So much for being cheap you say…

What will be on offer for the interim will be the D5 diesel and T6 turbo petrol models. The D5 is the same unit found on the S80 sedan and XC60/XC90 SUVs in India and is powered by a 2.4-litre twin-turbo, straight-five diesel motor with 205 bhp@4000 rpm on offer and a massive 42 kgm@1500-3240 rpm. The S60 can reach 100 from nought in just 7.8 seconds with a top speed of 230 kph. That should place it somewhere between the BMW 320d and the Audi A4 3.0 TDI on the figures count.

The other engine model on offer will be the T6 twin-turbo petrol with a powerful 304 bhp@5600 rpm and 44.6 kgm from just 2100 rpm. This is the only turbo petrol six-cylinder offering in its segment, expect the T6 to leave the competition in its wake.

Standing start numbers of 6.5 seconds to 100 kph and a top speed of 250 kph should make its job easy of keeping cars like the BMW 330i and the A4 3.2 V6 in its sights. Both engine models can be expected to be offered with all-wheel drive as well as a six-speed automatic gearbox as standard.

posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011 1 Comment » links to this post

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March 2, 2011

Skoda previews new design philosophy at Geneva 2011

The Czech auto maker Skoda is finally taking the futuristic route to make cars. On that note, Skoda unveiled its future design direction with this new concept, called Vision D, on the eve of the Geneva motor show. The concept looks very radical and the new design theme of Skoda auto looks very evolutionary with revolutionary changes.

Expect the Skoda cars being launched after 2012 to incorporate the new design theme. The Vision D Concept has clean exterior looks complete with an enlarged gloss-finished front grille and widened lower air intake which again is borrowed from the parent firm Volkswagen. A slimmer design for the front headlights also features, as does a more distinctive design for the C-pillars and an integrated taligate.

The Vision D concept is also the first car from Czech automaker to carry their new logo. Designed with a more prominent winged arrow, a new colour “Skoda Green” is used and is bordered with chrome to give it a more modern look.

The long wheelbase design with short overhangs on the Vision D Concept translates into greater interior space. The futuristic interior includes clear glass on the centre console (a la Panamera) and a reduction in the amount of switchgear. The dials, seats and steering wheel form part of the futuristic look, while most of the interior controls appear to be carried out by a small touchpad facing the driver and positioned on the edge of the centre console.

There is a fat chance of the Skoda Vision D concept braking covers at a later stage with the Octavia name tag.

Mr. Jürgen Stackmann, head of marketing and sales at Skoda said, “ We are keen to express the new power of our brand not only through our future products, but also in the way we present ourselves to partners and customers. Škoda is synonymous with attractive cars offering exceptional value for money, countless clever solutions and precisely executed work. All this is clearly reflected by our updated corporate design. As it forges ahead, ŠKODA is eager to flex its newfound strength in the international arena. Škoda is steadily evolving and it shows. Our new design and fresh outlook reflect our plans for the future.”

posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011 0 Comments links to this post

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March 2, 2011

Tata displays the Pixel at the 81st Geneva Motor Show

Tata Motors, at the 81st Geneva Motor Show, on March 1st displayed its Pixel. Tata Pixel, a new city car concept for Europe is based on the popular Tata Nano. The Tata Pixel, stands just over three metres in length and is the most package efficient four-seater in the world, comfortably accommodating four adults, unlike a typical city car which is either a two-seater or can accommodate two adults and two children only.

A 1.2 litre three-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, positioned at the rear of the Tata Pixel, gives lively performance. The engine is a low-friction design, featuring variable coolant and oil pump and rapid warm-up technologies. With optimised aerodynamic drag, low rolling-resistance tyres, stop-start technology, and intelligent battery charging, the Tata Pixel returns European combined cycle (NEDC) fuel economy of 3.4 l/100km and CO2 emissions of just 89g/km.

Tata-Pixel-Concept-gull-wing-doors-image

The Tata Pixel’s ability to manoeuvre and park in the tightest of spaces is made possible by its Zero Turn toroidal traction-drive Infinitely Variable Transmission (IVT), which assists rotation of the outer rear wheel forwards and the inner rear wheel backwards, while the front wheels turn at acute angles. The result is a turning circle radius of just 2.6 metres. The ‘scissor’ doors rotate upwards from the front to allow passengers to effortlessly enter or exit the Tata Pixel, even in the tightest of spaces.

A forward sweeping roofline, with minimal front and rear overhangs, accentuates the youthful styling. The Tata Pixel is also designed to provide a high level of connectivity. Key functions are controlled by the driver’s smart phone, running ‘My Tata Connect’, the first integrated human-machine interface (HMI) concept from Tata Motors.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Carl-Peter Forster, Managing Director and Group CEO of Tata Motors, said, “Tata Motors holds true to its belief that there is an opportunity in Europe for a city car, which is optimal in space, manoeuvrability and environment-friendliness. The Tata Pixel is a reflection of Tata Motors’ idea of what such a car should be.”

Along with the Tata Pixel, Tata Motors is also displaying the Tata Indica Vista Electric Vehicle at the Motor Show’s Green Pavillion, taking its pursuit of electric vehicles forward. The Tata Indica Vista EV will be made available to fleet customers this summer in the UK. The four-seater family car has a predicted range of up to 160 km.

The Tata Indica Vista EV bagged two trophies for its performance at the Royal Automobile Club’s Brighton-to-London Future Car Challenge. A special version, the Tata Indica Vista EVX, participated in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize contest, one of the world’s most prestigious events for environment-friendly vehicles.

Apart from the Tata Pixel and Indica Vista EV, the company has displayed the Tata Aria, the first Indian four-wheel drive crossover that was launched in India recently, the Tata Indigo Manza, India’s best selling sedans scheduled for launch this year in select countries, and the Tata Indica Vista, a top selling hatch already launched in select countries. In Europe, the Indica Vista has already been introduced in Poland and Italy, and is planned for launch in Spain. The Tata Aria too will be launched, further enhancing the company’s portfolio in these markets.

posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011 0 Comments links to this post

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March 1, 2011

Hyundai Motor’s Feb sales Declines by 5 per cent

Hyundai Motor India, the country’s second largest car manufacturer has reported a 4.77 per cent decline in total sales to 52,007 units in February 2011 against 54,610 units in the same period a year ago.

In the domestic market, sales increased by 5.25 per cent to 32,629 units from 31,001 units. Exports fell by 17.92 per cent from 23,609 units to 19,378 units, Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) said in a statement.

“While the industry growth spurred by new products might be unusually high, Hyundai recorded positive growth supported by steady sales of its compact cars. We expect the average industry growth rate to stabilise in the future months,” the company Director (Marketing and Sales), Mr Arvind Saxena, said.

In the A2 segment (Santro, i10 and i20), the company sold 47,167 units, while in the A3 segment (Accent and Verna) sales amounted to 4,685 units.

In the A5 segment (Sonata Transform), the sales stood at 29 units, while its new Santa Fe SUV attracted 126 buyers during the month.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, March 1st, 2011 0 Comments links to this post

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March 1, 2011

Nissan India clocks highest ever monthly sales of 2081 units

Well, its just not SkodaAuto India that has seen the Feb sales go North, Nissan Motor India Private Ltd, a relatively new player in the small car scene also has seen some cheers in the month of Feb 2011. Nissan India today announced that it continues to be on a growth trajectory with its highest ever domestic sales of 2081 units in the month of February 2011 as against 44 units in February 2010.

Out of the total 2081 units, Nissan Micra, the made-in-India Global compact hatchback, leads the sales figures with 2030 units in February 2011 as against 1784 units sold in January 2011. This is also the highest sales attained by Micra in single month, ever since it started sales in July, 2010. The company has so far sold 10255 units of Nissan Micra since sales began on July 15, 2010.

Out of the remaining, Nissan Teana, the luxury sedan (CBU) clocked 14 units in February 2011 as against 23 units in February 2010 and Nissan X-trail; the lifestyle SUV (CBU) registered sales of 36 units as against 21 units in January 2010. Nissan also sold 1 unit of it’s iconic sports car (CBU) Nissan 370Z in February 2011. So far, the company has sold 9 units of 370Z since its launch in January 2010.

The Nissan Micra comes with a standard manufacturer’s warranty of 2 years/50,000kms (whichever is earlier).

As part of its after-sales commitment, in an effort to handhold the customers and provide them with round-the-clock assistance, Nissan has introduced a host of customer care and service schemes including Extended Warranty and Roadside Assistance for its products starting with the Micra.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, March 1st, 2011 0 Comments links to this post

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March 1, 2011

SkodaAuto India steps on its growth with 39.17 per cent growth in Feb 11

SkodaAuto India, a fully owned subsidiary of ŠkodaAuto a.s., Czech Republic and one of the most promising automobile companies in India is on a roll. The Czech auto major today announced a sales growth of 39.17 per cent for the month of February, 2011. SkodaAuto India’s total sales for February, 2011 stood at 2512 units against 1805 units in February 2010.

The year has begun on an extremely positive note for SkodaAuto with an encouraging response for the newly launched Skoda Yeti and New Fabia. The interest among auto enthusiast has been consistent through the month of February, which is evidently reflected in the sales figures. The award winning Skoda Yeti has emerged as one of the most sought after SUV while the new Fabia continues to attract more customers in the hatchback category. The Skoda Superb continues to retain the unquestioned No. 1 position in its segment while the Laura remains the car for driving enthusiasts.

Mr. Thomas Kuehl, Board Member, Sales and Marketing, ŠkodaAuto India , quite ecstatic with Skoda’s Indian performane said, “We have had a great start to 2011 and the growth continues with February sales figure at 39.17 per cent. Our consistent growth trajectory is a testament to our unmatched product offering and we will continue to be committed towards our customers by offering value products. Škoda is also poised to make critical changes in the brand philosophy this year which will further propel our growth plans.”