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December 6, 2011

Thailand flood effect: Honda sales show red in November

Vehicles at Honda's auto factory submerged in floodwaters in central Thailand. Photo Courtesy: AFP

Not so Long ago, did we think Honda Siel cars India Ltd, was in its resurgence period. All things seemed going Honda’s way until recently, be it the launch of the small car Brio, slashing the prices of the Jazz and City to boost up the sales. All of these tricks certainly worked for Honda but the flood in Thailand cost the company dearly.

That’s just when Honda was recovering from the devastating Tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011. The Tsunami which struck North-East Japan, wiped out most of Honda’s operational setups.

The recent floods in Thailand have put Honda’s vehicle production behind by five months. Not only did the vehicle production taken a back seat but also the production of components. And this shortage of components has affected all the Honda models being sold in India. But the impact is more on Honda Brio, Jazz and City as these models are the current best sellers in Honda’s portfolio.

The Honda City sales numbers stand at a mere 652 units against 3376 units sold in October, while the Jazz and Brio manages to sell 382 and 666 units respectively. But Honda might bounce back as it is now trying to make alternate arrangements to source components from China and Japan until the situation returns to normalcy. The production of the Honda City has already come a to a grinding halt and so has the production of Honda Brio.

Honda recorded total sales of 1982 units in November, which includes 161 units of Honda Civic, 91 units of the Honda Accord and 30 units of Honda CR-V.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, December 6th, 2011 0 Comments links to this post

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December 6, 2011

FIA meet in New Delhi

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) is holding its annual general assembly and prize-giving ceremony in New Delhi from December 5 to 9.

This year it is special as the FIA event will not be held at its customary venue of Monte Carlo and India will witness the champions from Formula One and other FIA-certified events (such as World Touring Car, World Rally Championship, World Karting, Asia Pacific Rally, Formula Two, etc.) gather at New Delhi for the season-ending function.

Dr. Vijay Mallya, the Team principal and co-owner of Sahara Force India F1 team and the chairman of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) who also has worked with FIA president Jean Todt to bring the event to India was ecstatic and was quoted saying, “This will present new opportunities to the FIA family for discovering the vast potential that India offers.”

International Automobile Federation (FIA)

Vicky Chandhok, President FMCI hailed FIA’s role in improving motor sports in India and said, “The FMSCI now has a very active interaction with the FIA. India has also been a beneficiary of the Facilities Improvement Programme (FIP) grant and the Officials Training Programme (OTP) grant from the FIA Institute in the preparation of a master plan to upgrade India’s existing facilities in Chennai and the training of Indian officials respectively.”

India certainly has arrived in the Motor sport scene and the going will only get stronger from here onwards. In our previous blog, we had discussed on the Toyota Etios cup to be held in India and the prospect of Nissan Motor Corporation bringing its own motor sport division to India via NISMO.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, December 6th, 2011 0 Comments links to this post

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December 6, 2011

Toyota aims at bringing its own Etios Cup series to India

With the advent of Motor sports such as Volkswagen Polo cup, Mahindra Great Escape and the recent introduction of F1 in India, many car makers now want to highlight their motor sporting side with panache in India. The sudden interest of the common man in the world of motor sports in India has actually opened up many avenues to the car makers plying in India.

Yesterday we had reported that Nissan Motor Co. made an announcement that it was willing to tap the increasing popularity of motor sports activity in India and therefore is contemplating to introduce its motor sports arm, Nissan Motor-sport International Co (NISMO) in India.

Likewise, Toyota, another Japanese auto giant also plans to bring its in-house performance tuning shop – TRD (Toyota Racing Development) in India in early 2012. Before doing so, the company will showcase its entire TRD range in the forthcoming Delhi Auto Expo next month. TRD is also involved in motor sports and offers accessories and performance parts such as suspension kits, superchargers, brake pads, sport exhausts for most Toyota models like the Corolla, Camry, Land Cruiser and Fortuner.

Toyota also is planning to come out with Toyota Etios Cup on the lines of the Volkswagen Polo cup. This will be essentially a single make racing series. Through this Toyota not only will be exploring its racing credentials but also testing the Etios in the longer run. It must be noted that the Etios twins are the product exclusively made for India after years of market research and product development.

The Toyota Etios Cup probably would come to existence in mid 2012 and has zeroed in on tree tracks already such as Budd International circuit, Coimbatore and Chennai Racing track. Though the stock Toyota Etios will be used in the event, the cars will certainly be stripped down and re-built by the customers/Teams for the series.

However, unlike the Polo R cup, this racing series will be entirely funded by Toyota and will have about 25 to 30 cars. The company is busy getting all the FIA approvals for this racing series.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, December 6th, 2011 0 Comments links to this post

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December 2, 2011

Range Rover Evoque comes to Bangalore

The Range Rover Evoque, the compact crossover or a “Life-style vehicle” as the big guys at Jaguar Land Rover prefer to call it, graced India on the 4th of November this year. This much anticipated vehicle of the year has been priced at Rs. 44.75 lakhs (Ex-show room Mumbai). The Range Rover Evoque has also earned the distinction of being the smallest and cheapest offering from the house of Range Rover.

We had earlier mentioned in another blog on the same subject that the Range Rover Evoque had already garnered 30,000 odd bookings worldwide, that even before it was launched in India. For the price it is being offered at, we predict that the Range Rover Evoque would certainly be a runaway hit in India. Did we mention that the Range Rover Evoque is the cheapest and smallest offering of the Range Rover series?

Though it’s been almost a month since the Range Rover Evoque has been launched in India but the enthusiasm revolving around the vehicle does not seem to fade. Cashing on this popularity of the RR Evoque, the PR department of Jaguar Land Rover has already started conducting ‘Evoque Experience’, which allows customers to get up close to the car and through the use of interactive displays, providing an insight into the sophisticated design as well as the functional and technological qualities of the car.

The Range Rover Evoque is a blend of beauty and the beast at the same time. The Evoque is undoubtedly the most exciting premium luxury SUV that came down to India for quite some time now. The Range Rover Evoque is a result juxtaposing both bold and sophisticated design with clever technology. The SUV masters all surfaces and weathers, using the legendary Land Rover all-terrain technologies.

Evoque, in India is being offered in both 5 door and 3 door coupe body styles. While the Coupe is available in a petrol variant, the five door versions are available in diesel. The variant list in the Range Rover Evoque reads as Pure, Prestige and Dynamic (Available in 5 door body style). The Range Rover Evoque Coupe is available only in the Dynamic variant.

While all the five door versions of the Range Rover Evoque are armed with a 2.2 L diesel engine that pumps out 190 PS of raw power at 3,500 rpm and a max torque of 420 Nm at 1,750 rpm, the coupe version of the Evoque is powered by a 2 L petrol engine that produces max power of 240 PS at 5,500 rpm and max torque of 340 Nm at 1,750 rpm. All the versions of the Range Rover Evoque feature Automatic 6 speed transmission including Drive select and paddle shift.

The Pure variant, the purest expression of the LRX concept features minimalist yet simple forms in its elegant cabin and is shod with 17 inch alloys. This variant is priced at a modest (pun intended) Rs. 57, 46,427 (On road-price Bangalore).

The next is line Prestige variant is the ultimate in luxury and takes sophistication and indulgence to another level. This variant features an enhanced exterior and finest interior finishes including real wood, brushed aluminium and Oxford leather. The Prestige variant of the Evoque is shod with 18” alloys. This variant is priced at Rs. 66,46,442 (Onroad price Bangalore).

The Dynamic five door variant is priced at Rs. 65,78,828, while the Dynamic Coupe is priced at Rs. 72.63.216 (all on road price Bangalore). The Dynamic variant is the sporty of all variants.

Evoque is certainly high on the gadget list and this Rangie has features such as 8inch high resolution Touch screen, Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming, 11 speaker Meridian audio sound system, cruise control, Terrain Response, interiors mood lighting, steering wheel paddle shifters and full size panoramic glass sunroof.

Safety in the Range Rover Evoque has been prioritized and safety features such as roll stability control, dynamic stability control, hill descent control, airbags and electric parking brake are all provided as standard features. You can also read our Range Rover Evoque car review here at Carazoo.com.

As a part of the promotion of the already popular SUV, the ‘Evoque Experience’ will be held on the 2nd and 3rd December at the Taj West End Hotel at Race course road in Bangalore and then subsequently, the Evoque will be showcased at “Marqland“, the Jaguar Land Rover dealership located on the Rupena Agrahara Hosur main road.

posted by carazooblog @ Friday, December 2nd, 2011 0 Comments links to this post

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December 2, 2011

Ford India sales up 11 per cent in November

Ford India’s sales chart for the month of November showed the graph shooting up at 11 percent. The total car sales of Ford India stood at 8,322 units in the month of November against 7,504 units last year.

This growth might be seen as modest but when compared to other competitors, Ford India’s growth has remained consistent despite high interest rate on auto loans, rising fuel cost and inflation.

Micheal Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India said, “We are nearing the end of a positive year where we continue to see strong customer acceptance of our brands and we are selling more despite challenging market conditions.”

The company exported 1,769 units in the month under review and added three more export markets Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone and Ethiopia. The company now exports the Ford Figo to 30 countries from India. Read our Ford Figo Car review here in Carazoo.com.

Ford India was quite ecstatic with the growth rate and is all geared up to showcase its new vehicles during the Delhi Auto Show slated for January.

posted by carazooblog @ Friday, December 2nd, 2011 0 Comments links to this post

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December 2, 2011

Hyundai plans to launch commercial vehicles in India soon

hyundai-universe-4 Hyundai Motors India is on a roll. The South Korean Auto major has been around in India for over a decade and a half and the going certainly has been strong till date. In an attempt to cement its place in India, Hyundai India which just offers passenger cars at the moment might as well come out with commercial vehicles soon in India.

This strategy of launching commercial vehicles in India is a part of its global plan to strengthen the segment. The commercial vehicles range might include high-end and premium trucks part from LCVs in India.

“There are lots of possibilities to launch commercial vehicles in India…we are currently studying the Indian market…So, we are planning,” Hyundai Motor Company Deputy General Manager (Commercial vehicle Marketing team) J D Lee told scribes on the sidelines of the Tokyo Motor Show.

Without giving much details, Lee said the company is looking at high-end and premium trucks for the Indian market initially. Besides, it is also considering at introducing buses as well. “We are trying to launch high-end and premium trucks… As far as the models that we have, I think it is not a problem. We have many models all over the world,” he added.

He maintained that the company took time to enter the Indian commercial vehicles market as the low cost ones used to be more attractive there, which is changing now. “Premium model truck is attractive (now) for the Indian market but we think bus is also profitable,” Lee said, adding the company is deciding which model will be launched.

“Then, we will decide how many units…It is not enough to just launch a product, we have to think about the service part also and that is taking time,” he added.

The company, which today showcased a new luxury bus ‘Universe’ at the Tokya Motor Show being held at Tokyo and said it has gradually expanded its presence in the commercial vehicle segment over the last few years, starting with Japan and South Africa.

We have seen many auto makers coming out with commercial vehicles recently like Mahindra and Mahindra tying up with Navistar and came out with Mahindra Navistar products, while Mercedes Benz India created a separate commercial vehicles unit and came out with Bharat Benz which also sells the Actros range.

posted by carazooblog @ Friday, December 2nd, 2011 0 Comments links to this post

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December 2, 2011

Tata Motors sees healthy sales growth in Nov 2011

Tata Motors has seen a healthy rise in its car sales in the month of November. The Indian auto giant reported a 40.64 per cent increase in its total vehicle sales during November, 2011, at 76,823 units yesterday.

The company had sold 54,622 units in the same month last year. The sales statistics stand at 27,737 units sold through total passenger vehicles against 15,340 units in November last year. A growth of 80.81 per cent…

The world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano bounced back with its total sales amounting to 6,401 units in November against 509 units being sold last November. The growth of Nano has been recorded at over 12 fold jump. You can read the Tata Nano car review here at carazoo.com.

The ‘Indica’ range reported a sales of 10,926 units against 5,716 units in the year-ago period, up 91.15 per cent. In addition, the ‘Indigo’ family recorded sales of 6,213 units, up 3.39 per cent in comparison to 6,009 units in the same month last year. Sales of ‘Sumo’, ‘Safari’ and ‘Aria‘ grew by 35.13 per cent to 4,197 units compared to 3,106 units in the corresponding period last year.

In the commercial vehicles segment, the company sold 44,737 units in the domestic market during the month under review compared to 35,079 units in the period last year, an increase of 27.53 per cent.

Light commercial vehicle sales during the month amounted to 28,673 units, a growth of 40.72 per cent over 20,376 units in the same month last year. The medium and heavy commercial vehicle sales stood at 16,046 units, a growth of 9.13 per cent compared to 14,703 units in November, 2010.

The company’s exports increased by 3.47 per cent to 4,349 units last month from 4,203 units in the same month last year, it added.

posted by carazooblog @ Friday, December 2nd, 2011 0 Comments links to this post

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December 2, 2011

Nissan mulls over bringing Electric cars to India

If everything goes well, India might see a slew of electric car launches soon, courtesy Nissan Motor Corporation. This was confirmed yesterday at the Tokyo Motor Show by Nissan Motor Co Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga.

Speaking to scribes, he said that the company was contemplating of introducing more electric models in future and India was certainly on radar for the same. He also mentioned that the company was “exploring” the opportunity a little too closely and will conduct a feasibility test on the same.

“There is no doubt that we have to expand electric vehicles in the world. We will surely launch electric vehicles in India, but I cannot tell when and how many units,” Nissan Motor Co Senior Vice-President Minoru Shinohara said.

If Nissan Motor Corporation has its way on the subject, we can see a host of alternate fuel-based transportation hitting India very soon.

The company is currently developing electric vehicles for global markets in partnership with Germany auto giant Daimler. By 2016, Nissan plans to sell 1.5 million electrical vehicles. It has so far sold 20,000 units.

Currently, Nissan Motor Corporation has electric cars such as Nissan Leaf, which was built with a partnership with Renault. Nissan also has models such as Nissan Esflow, Nissan Townpod, Nissan Nuvu, Nissan Land Glider, Nissan Altra and Nissan Hyper mini in its arsenal.