Mahindra Verito launched at Rs 4.82 – 5.62 lakh

Mahindra-Verito-car-image
A day after renaming the ‘Logan’ sedan as Verito and dropping the French automaker Renault’s badge, Mahindra & Mahindra yesterday also revised the price of the car which will now sell at between Rs 4.82-Rs 5.62-lakh in both petrol and diesel variants, across India.

“The Verito, with its unique value proposition aligns with the Mahindra DNA of offering tough, rugged and sporty vehicles. For the first time, we are using social media platforms to unveil a new product, reflecting alternative thinking,” M&M’s Chief Executive, Automotive Division, Rajesh Jejurikar, said in a statement. He also assured that the earlier Logan will continue to get complete service and spares support from Mahindra.

Earlier, the Logan was available in both petrol and diesel variants, priced between Rs 4.67-lakh and Rs 6.47- lakh (ex-showroom) as per the company’s website.
Powered by the Renault engine, the Verito is a sedan, which remains true to itself and the consumer by offering the unique proposition of space, mileage and performance along with style.

The new Verito retains the famed strengths of the Logan, while adding a new style with some key changes, the statement said.

Verito which is derived from the Latin word ‘Veritas’ means truth and goes with the overall image of an honest, sensible and dependable car, the company said.
The company had announced renaming of Logan yesterday. “We are delighted to announce that the Logan will now be called the Verito. It will sport the Mahindra badge and emblem,” the company said.

posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, April 27th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post
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Mahindra renames Logan as Verito, to drop Renault badge

mahindra-logan
Mahindra and Mahindra, after ending its joint venture with Renault almost a year ago has now planned to rename the Logan as Verito. This probably marks the end of Renault’s co-existence with Mahindra completely. The joint venture’s only product, the Logan, had created some ripples in the Indian market after it was first launched for its frugal driving sense, no –nonsense design and affordable price.

Soon, things started going wrong for the Logan as there was a rift in the Mahindra-Renault camp. Last April, M&M and Renault had agreed to part ways from their joint venture, Mahindra Renault Pvt Ltd, that was formed in 2005 to produce and sell the Logan in India as the car failed to meet expectations.

M&M had agreed to buy out Renault’s 49 per cent stake in the JV for an undisclosed sum. The French auto major, however, agreed to continue to support M&M and Logan through a license agreement and supply key components, including the engine and transmission.

As per their understanding, M&M could use the Logan brand for 18 months after which it was to drop all the Renault badge from the product as well as dealerships.

Mahindra will market the Vertio as an entry level sedan in India. “We are delighted to announce that the Logan will now be called the Verito. It will sport the Mahindra badge and emblem,” the company said in a statement. The statement however did not specify if there has been any changes in the price of the sedan.

Currently the Logan, which is available in both petrol and diesel variants, is priced between Rs 4.67 lakh and Rs 6.47 lakh (ex-showroom) as per the company’s website.

M&M’s statement today did not elaborate on whether the Renault brand has also been dropped from the Logan showrooms.

posted by carazooblog @ Monday, April 25th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post
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The All-New Ford Fiesta unveiled in Delhi

2011-Ford-Fiesta-Sedan
The car from Ford, that we had all been anticipating after the big launch of Figo almost a year ago is finally here. Yes, the All-New Ford Fiesta is here and it was unveiled in Delhi today. The car was being snooped and spied for over a month now in India.

We knew this would be coming as Ford announced and launched its Fiesta Classic last week. All we know now about the New-Fiesta is that the car is available in two engine options such as TiVCT Petrol and TDCi Diesel.

The Fiesta is equipped with features such as USB / Aux-in connectivity, Steering mounted controls, Voice activated control system, Electronic Cruise Control system and Mobile inspired center console. Ford India, after analysing the Indian market decided to bring in the sedan model first because sedans have a higher aspirational value here in the country.

2011-Ford-Fiesta-Sedan interiors

What we are still waiting for is the prices of the all-new Fiesta sedan, which sadly the guys at Ford India have not made it public yet.

Ford has called the display area as “Fiesta Cafe” where mall goers can experience the new Fiesta in flesh and learn more about the features by flipping through them on a TV screen that responds to the movement of the person’ hand in front.

posted by carazooblog @ Thursday, April 14th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post
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Bremach T. Rex is world’s most badass electric vehicle

Bremach T.Rex 1
For those who came in late, Bremach, the Italian auto company, specialized in churning out rugged work trucks since the late 1950s is yet again in news. This time for all the right reasons. Bremach trucks are similar to the Unimog trucks from Germany. That means it builds no-nonsense trucks and completely workaholic machines.

Now, Bremach, has come out with its latest bad-ass machine which the have christened as T.Rex after the dinosaur which had spread terror on the face of earth, when it was very much in existence. But, Bremach T.Rex is an electric vehicle. The shape and design of the T.Rex is nothing like what you had visualized, but completely radical and butch.

The Bremach T. Rex is powered by electric technology, the same way that can be seen in Tesla Roadster, the EV sportscar. Th only difference being the output of the torque and power the T.Rex pumps out. The T. Rex’s electric motor provides 100 kW of power at 0 rpm, with a claimed 150-mile range even under work conditions. Bremach will also warranty the powertrain for 30,000 miles or three years.

Bremach Interiors

Well for those who are a little skeptic of the electric vehicles and its range, Bremach has ready answers for them also. In the form of traditional 6.0-liter gasoline-fired Chevrolet V8 with either a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic cog box. Even with the big-bore Chevy mill, Bremach claims the truck will achieve 20 mpg on the highway. For those who like to ride the middle line, there are compressed natural gas and hybrid options available as well. All of these powertrain options are available in a two- or four-door hardtop or a two-door convertible.

Bremach Rear

The T. Rex was designed to be as capable as possible while staying extremely fuel and space efficient. Partly by leaving the truck’s spaceframe skeleton exposed, Bremach’s designers were able to jam three seats into the T. Rex’s narrow cab, which the company claims will withstand five Gs of force. Bremach says that’s two Gs more than most of the competition… we’ll have to take their word for it. The price for all this is fairly steep, with a loaded EV version of the T. Rex hitting the register at just over $120,000. Awesome don’t come cheap.

posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, April 13th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post
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Ford Fiesta Classic Sedan 2011 Car Launched in India at a price of INR 5.49 Lakhs!

Michael Boneham, President and Managing Director, and Nigel E Wark- Marketing Director-Ford India at the launch of New Fiesta Classic in Chennai
Ford India has just done what we had forethought. Launched the Ford Fiesta in a new avatar with a reduced price tag. Yes, The Ford Fiesta has been launched again as the Ford Fiesta Classic and like we had written a blog earlier on the subject, this classic version of the car will be the new replacement for the just-phased out Ford Ikon.

The Ford Fiesta as we all know has been a popular car with more than 1,00,000 units being sold till date. The number is all set to increase thanks to the sticker price the Ford Fiesta Classic is being offered at. The starting price of the Ford Fiesta Classic is Rs 5.49 lakhs and this price is more than enough for Ford to drive in a point to other car makers and more and more happy homes. The price tag of the Ford Fiesta Classic variants are as follows LXI (Petrol) – Rs 5,49,030, CLXI (Petrol) – Rs. 5, 99,000, LXI (Diesel) – Rs 6,48,000 and CLXI (Diesel) is priced at Rs 6,89,000 (Ex-Show-Room New Delhi).

The Ford Fiesta Classic was launched at Taj Connemara, Chennai today. The pricing of the car should pose a threat to other cars in the same segment such as Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Tata Manza and Toyota Etios Sedan.

Ford-Fiesta-Classic-interior

The repositioning of the existing Ford Fiesta as Fiesta Classic is largely due to the advent of the new 2011 Ford Fiesta sedan in India on 14th April 2011. The Ford Fiesta Classic will be continued to be offered in two engines. The 1.6 liter, 100 bhp Duratech petrol and 1.4 liter 68 bhp Duratorq diesel.

The target customer of the Ford Fiesta Classic sedan is a 30-40 year old male, married with kids, in a joint nuclear family, needs outstanding fuel economy, rich features, good ride and handling. The car is available in three variants LXI, CLXI and SXI. In the new Ford Fiesta Classic, you get new seats and soft-feel upholstery while the instrument panel is finished in Ebony and Jasper Blue colours. The door trim is new and so are the new center console and floor console which now have metallic finishes. Overall, the Fiesta Classic looks more refreshing than it was in its earlier avatar.

In addition to the new Colorado Red, customers can choose from the existing six colour options –Moondust Silver, Diamond White, Panther Black, Sea Grey, Morello, and Chill.

Thrilling performance and fuel efficiency are signature attributes of the Fiesta Classic, which customers have been experiencing and enjoying throughout their ownership. This was proven once again by delivering 30 kmpl with the diesel and 20 kmpl with the petrol, as per a cross-country drive undertaken by a leading automotive magazine.

Ford-Fiesta-Classic-rear portion

Recently, Fiesta was ranked highest by TNS for Customer Satisfaction in the `Midsize Segment’, in their latest Automotive 2010 India Total Customer Satisfaction (TCS) study.

Encouraged by the existing Fiesta Classic, Endeavour and The Figo’s remarkable success and popularity, Ford India plans to bring the all-new global premium sedan Fiesta into India later this year. This is part of its strategy to bolster Ford India’s portfolio with eight new models by middle of the decade.

posted by carazooblog @ Thursday, April 7th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post
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Panamera Turbo S is the next new model in the Gran Turismo lineup

Porswche Panamer Turbo S 1
With its new top model in the Gran Turismo model line, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is raising the bar for sporty four-door cars in the luxury class by yet another notch.

The new Panamera Turbo S is a unique combination of performance and efficiency, driving dynamics and comfort. The 4.8 litre, V8 biturbo charged engine delivers 550 bhp, ten percent or 50 hp more than the already very powerful engine in the Panamera Turbo. By the same token, the torque also increases from 700 to 750 Nm. In the “Sport” and “Sport Plus” mode of the standard Sport Chrono Package Turbo and during kick-down in normal mode, the eight cylinder engine delivers fully 800 Nm with the so-called overboost function.

The power pack is behind the new top-of-the-range Panamera’s record sprint times. Thanks to Launch Control, 100 km/h is reached in 3.8 seconds; the top speed is 306 km/h. Despite the increased performance, fuel consumption remains at the moderate level of the Panamera Turbo – yet another example of “Porsche Intelligent Performance”. In the NEDC the Gran Turismo covers 100 kilometres on 11.5 litres of fuel. Fuel consumption falls to 11.3 litres per 100 km when fitted with the 19 inch, all-season tyres with optimised rolling resistance developed for the Panamera by Michelin.

The increased performance compared with the Panamera Turbo can be attributed to two main enhancements: Improved turbochargers with titanium-aluminium turbine wheels and modified engine control. The use of the innovative titanium-aluminium alloy reduces the weight of the turbine and compressor wheel. This results in a lower moment of inertia and thus in improved and more agile engine responsiveness.

Even for a top luxury class model, Porsche’s new top-of-the-range Panamera boasts an extraordinarily comprehensive equipment level. In keeping with the sporty concept of the high-performance Panamera, it features the most important driving dynamics control systems as standard. For example, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), an active roll stabilisation system, nips in the bud the vehicle’s tendency to lean when cornering, thus enhancing agility and comfort in equal measure.

Porsche Panamera Turbo S 2

Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) applies a variable torque split to the rear wheels combined with an electronically controlled rear differential lock, thus ensuring superior traction and therefore greater agility in every driving situation. The steering system uses the speed-dependent Servotronic. The Sport Chrono Package Turbo, which tunes the suspension and power unit, making them even sportier by pressing the additional “Sport Plus” button, is also fitted as standard, as is the sports exhaust system for an even more emotional engine sound.

The sporty character of the new Panamera Turbo S is apparent not just in its performance but is also reflected on the exterior. The 20-inch Turbo II wheels with increased rear axle track width, side skirts from the Porsche Exclusive range and the adaptive extending four-way rear spoiler in the exterior colour ensure particularly sporty performance and look.

The fusion of exclusivity and sportiness is conveyed in the interior by the bi-colour leather finish, fitted as standard. The new combination of black/cream is offered exclusively for the new Panamera Turbo S with agate grey/cream also being added as an exclusive combination from the autumn.

posted by carazooblog @ Thursday, April 7th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post
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Maruti Suzuki to recall 13,157 diesel cars

maruti_suzuki_logo
Just when we thought the recall season was over, it is back in our own backyard yet again. Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL), the country’s largest car maker, on Wednesday said it would recall 13,157 diesel cars manufactured between November 13 and December 4, 2010, to examine a possible faulty engine part.
The recall will include 4,505 units of Swift Dzire, 6,841 units of Swift and 1,811 units of Ritz. It does not include any exported car.

Maruti Suzuki said it will inspect a connecting rod bolt in these cars and “if it is found defective, the company will replace the component free of cost”. The new part has already been dispatched to dealer workshops and the dealers would contact car owners.

The Swift, Swift Dzire and Ritz are among MSIL’s best-selling cars, constituting around a quarter of its sales. Maruti sells 12,000 units of Swift, 10,000 units of Dzire and 6,000 units of Ritz a month. The diesel variants make up nearly half of these cars’ sales.

It must be recalled that that MSIL in February last year had recalled 100,000 units of hatchback A-Star from domestic and overseas markets. It had recalled the cars to fix faulty fuel pump gaskets and O-ring, which could leak if the fuel tank is filled to the brim.

Car-Recall-

Earlier in February this year, Japanese automobile manufacturer Honda Motor Corporation, through its Indian subsidiary, Honda Siel Cars India, recalled 57,853 units of its mid-sized sedan City in India to replace a faulty engine part as part of a global exercise. The company recalled these cars to carry out preventive part replacement of defective lost motion springs, which could cause engines to stall and result in problems in re-starting cars. MSIL sold 1.27 million cars last financial year, 24.8 per cent more than 1.02 million units sold in 2009-10.

posted by carazooblog @ Thursday, April 7th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post
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Italian supercar brand Maserati launched in India

maserati logo
Maserati, the Italian supercar maker and subsidiary of Ferrari announced its foray into the Indian car market by launching its complete range of cars here. Maserati has launched the Quattroporte, GranTurismo and GranCabrio models in India with the price tag bearing Rs 1.23- Rs 1.43 crore for the Quattroporte, Rs 1.20 crore – Rs 1.37 crore for the GranTurismo and Rs 1.43 crore on the GranCabrio.

The stage was set with the advent of Ferrari in India last month and now Ferrari, the parent company of Maserati, which again is a part of the larger Fiat Group, plans to set shop in India and offer almost all the cars from its supercar range in India. Currently, Maserati has come out with its Quattroporte limousine, Gran Turismo sports car and Gran Cabrio sports convertible.

maserati-grancabrio_2011

The Maserati cars were launched at the National Garage showroom of Shreyans Motors, who again are the official distributors for Ferrari and Maserati cars in India. The Maserati cars are equipped with the Ferrari derived V8 engines. Now that fact alone explains a lot and answers a lot of questions related to the Maserati cars.

Maserati has already set up its goal of selling 25 cars in India in the first year and hopes to convert the sales of the cars in to 3 figures by 2015. The deliveries of the cars will begin from August 2011. Maserati Asia Pacific Managing Director Simone Niccolai speaking in a press conference during the launch said that the “The growth in luxury car market last year made us confident to enter here in 2011. Today we are very excited to enter India. We will offer the full product range to Indian customers.” He also added that the luxury car market in India grew by about 70 per cent and is estimated to be around 15,000 units in 2010.

Maserati+Quattroporte

Maserati will open its first showroom in Mumbai laster this year while the second showroom is slated to be set up in New Delhi in the early part of 2012 and wants to increase its India presence in seven locations by 2015.

The Maserati Quattroporte comes complete with LED daytime running lights, a la Audi trend and would hold a 4.2 litre V8 engine with 400 bhp under the hood, which again is mated to a Duo Select transmission. The GranTurismo also plonked with a V8 pumps out 405 bhp of max power and a maximum torque of 460 Nm at 4,750 rpm. The highlight of the GranTurismo is that the beast can do a 0-100 km/hr in just 5.2 seconds and has a top speed of 286 km/hr. The Maserati GranCabrio, the convertible in the lot is also equipped with a 4.7 litre V8 and churns out 434 bhp of power and is capable of hitting a top speed of 283 km/hr.

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Maserati, based in Modena , Italy, sells its cars in 63 countries, including India, across the world, with the U.S being the largest market for Maserati cars. The U.S has contributed to the Maserati sales by 2,000 units last year.

posted by carazooblog @ Thursday, April 7th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post
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March Sales soar bringing cheer for Škoda India

2011-Future-Skoda-Logo
ŠkodaAuto India, a fully owned subsidiary of ŠkodaAuto A.S., Czech Republic and one of the most promising automobile companies in India, recently announced a sales growth of 52 per cent for quarter ending March’11 over the same period last year. ŠkodaAuto India’s total sales for Q1 of March’11 stood at 8346 units against 5510 units in quarter ending March’10. ŠkodaAuto India’s total sales for March’11 stood at 3009 units against 1824 units March’10.

This healthy trend suggests that SkodaAuto India is piggybacking on the successful sale of Skoda products such as Skoda New Fabia, Yeti, Laura and Superb.

The beginning of 2011 has been very encouraging for Škoda Auto as it recorded a healthy surge in sales figures. This growth graph is the result of many initiatives by the company, primarily the expanding dealer network and robust after sales initiatives.

new_skoda_fabia

Speaking about the quarterly numbers Mr. Thomas Kuehl, Board Member, Sales and Marketing, ŠkodaAuto India said, “We are extremely happy with our first quarter growth of 52 per cent. The results reflect the prominent presence of ŠkodaAuto in the Indian automobile market and acceptance of our value for money products in the country. The growth trajectory is the testament of Škoda’s commitment towards consumers through leading technology, superior build-quality and valuable services.”

ŠkodaAuto India recently inaugurated its second 3S facility in Goa and increased the number of authorized dealerships to 80, covering 52 cities and towns in India.

posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, April 6th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post
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Ford Ends Record-Breaking Quarter with Best Ever Sales in March

ford-india
Ford India recorded a strong sales figures of 29804 units during the quarter of January to March, 2011 marking a strong growth of 97 per cent year-on-year as compared to 15,154 units in the same period last year. With this phenomenal accomplishment, production at Ford India has crossed 100,000 units in a single financial year (April 2010-March 2011), an achievement reached by very few Indian automobile manufacturers.

Driven by strong sales of Figo, which has already crossed 85,000 units, Ford India also ended a strong financial year with strong sales in March. The company reportedly sold a total of 10,485 vehicles this March compared to 9478 in the same period last year. This month also saw the Figo, celebrating a very successful first anniversary in India, recording its highest-ever sales in a month.

“We are delighted to see our sales figures reaching 10,000 plus twice in the last three months – in January as well as in March 2011 – making this our best-selling financial year ever. The production of 100,000 vehicles in a single financial year has placed us right at the forefront among leading manufacturers in India, and we thank all our customers, employees, dealers and suppliers on this achievement.” said Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India.

Ford-Figo-red

Ford India saw its exports growing by over 15 times to 4092 vehicles in Q1 2011 as against 280 vehicles in the same quarter last year. The Figo, which has the unique distinction of being India’s most awarded car, also commences exports with 1000 cars to Mexico – its third export market, in April. The car has already become popular in South Africa and Nepal, where it is being exported since 2010.

Encouraged by the success of its existing models, Ford India plans to bring the all-new global premium sedan Fiesta into India later this year. The new globally acclaimed Fiesta’s arrival marks the first in a series of eight new global products that Ford plans to introduce in India by the middle of this decade.

To further strengthen its service support, Ford India has been expanding its sales and service network across the country. The company’s dealer network has increased to more than 170 outlets in 100 cities across India.

posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, April 6th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post
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