Beware of Fake Cars
Police rounded up a gang of 15 people involved in making fake cars in
Rome, Italy. They were involved in making fake blood red
Ferrari cars with counterfeit parts and few original parts. They sold the cars at a fraction to the cost of the original. Change the name of the car and country and you can find that it is a very Indian-type crime news.
Many garages are known to make cars with some fake and some original parts. They also make fake papers that look real. But if they are selling it at really low prices, one can be sure that it is a car without the manufacturers stamp. When we drive in cars, our complete safety depends on the manufacturing of the car. A glitch in the brakes or engine could prove disastrous to users.
People looking for cheap used cars must make sure that the cars are certified by authorized dealers or workshops.
Article Submitted by AT
Labels: car accessory, Fake car business, Ferrari, Used cars
Toyota should bring in small cars
Toyota has had a long successful run in India since its arrival. I am surprised that even though small cars constitute to a major percentage of the Indian auto market share, Toyota has not ventured into this segment in India. Toyota has a partnership with Daihatsu Motors, which is a leading mini car manufacturer in Japan and Toyota holds 51 percent stakes in this partnership.
Toyota’s products have usually been universally accepted. Even the SUV Qualis (which I really thought was a Tin Drum) was in high demand when its production stopped at the Indian plant.
Maybe India will get a taste of Japan’s favourite small cars in the near future. After all, Indian narrow roads and crowded streets will make these small cars feel perfectly at home!
Article Submitted by KnowAutos
Labels: New Car, Small car market in India, SUVs, Toyota
Luxury Cars: Comfort or Confusion?
Get into any modern
luxury car and the first thing that catches the eye is the array of buttons on the dash. Even the steering wheel gets paddle shifters and audio controls. Added to this, there are cars with a
GPS facility and an LCD screen.
Get into any Merc or BMW and be amazed by the number of functions being packed into the small space. It will require the genius of a race car driver or a professional mechanic to actually understand the functions of all the buttons. A person will need to study the car manual for over a week to understand the various technological marvels that a luxury car comes with.
Only the cockpit alone of a luxury car like the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, and Mercedes S-Class could cost up to $20,000 to $30,000 (Rs. 8 to 12 Lakh). The question, however, is why so many gadgets when most of these luxury cars are driven by chauffeurs? Wouldn’t it be better to concentrate more on the rear seat comforts of a luxury car? Maybe luxury car makers should concentrate more on rear comfort and less on cockpit confusion!
Labels: Audi, BMW, car accessory, GPS, LCD screen, luxury cars
Online booking for Nano
Online booking for cars is, surprisingly, a new revolution in
Indian car retailing. A grapevine has it that
Tata has plans to accept bookings for its upcoming hot car
Tata Nano through the internet. Tata Motors is also thinking of calling for suggestions from prospective consumers on how to implement this process using the Tata Nano website.
The website already provides online customization of the world’s cheapest car. If this move comes through, Tata will start a new chapter in the auto dealership industry in India. One may no longer have to go to a dealer and struggle to get the information required. Online booking will indeed be a new beginning in the right direction.
Labels: Car sales, cheap cars, online booking, tata nano
New Honda Accord will trot in this summer
This summer you can witness some heat in the D+
mid-size car segment. Honda is going to launch the
new Honda Accord car this summer. Accord is an impressive car with great driving dynamics and majestic interiors. Now, it’s going to become even better.
The current Accord has some unique car features like dual-zone automatic climate control, plush leather seats, wood inserts on the steering wheel and doors, and an in-dash 6-disc CD changer system. The sophistication of the engine adds more punch to the performance. Don’t forget... It also has a powerful V6 engine variant. It would be great to see the current attractiveness retained in the new car.
Labels: honda accord, mid size segment, new cars
Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm Rally is going to start soon
The car enthusiasts’ sporting season seems to have just started this year. The Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm Rally 2008 will kick off on March 15. The event is going to be pretty exciting as it’s going to be one of the biggest car rallies to be ever held in the country. The rally is a pure test of nerves for the rally participants who will have to brave the scorching heat and the desert storms. The participating cars will also be pushed to the limit. But more than car performance, the rally will test the driving skills of drivers.
The event will be kicked off at New Delhi from where it will not only cover dry deserts but also scenic roads at Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Khimser and Jaipur. This car rally is really something to look forward to.Labels: car racing, car rally, Maruti, Maruti Suzuki
Car exhaust fumes are big health hazards
I read recently that the fumes from a car’s exhaust could trigger heart disease and increase the risk of strokes. That has got me worried about the scene here with
Indian cars.
I know that most new cars in India comply with the Bharat stage 3 emission norms, but there are still those few cars that are not in this bracket. The scary ground reality is that pollution levels are soaring beyond average safety levels. Just a small ride through a traffic-congested road in a metro leaves you with a tarred face. And its not just metros that are affected by this! Even smaller cities and towns are now reaching that stage.
I think it would be best to have all cars fitted with LPG/CNG kits compulsorily. In that way, it would reduce the dependence on petrol/diesel engines which are more polluting.
Submitted by Keep-Your-City-Clean
Labels: Car emissions, CNG cars, Environment friendly cars, LPG cars
i10’s mileage scores a perfect 10!
I give the
Hyundai i10 a ‘perfect 10’ score when it comes to mileage. It gives 16 kmpl even with the AC on. It’s impressive because other
small cars like Maruti WagonR and Hyundai Santro Xing manage to give just 15-16 kmpl without even having the AC on. Looks like Hyundai has planned ahead for the hot summer in
India with this
new car. I think this could be a good selling point for the car in the coming few months.
I also find that the car has just the right comfort that one would expect for its segment. It also comes in some magnificent colours that only Hyundai offers. It’s a car that one can take on enjoyable long drives without worrying too much about re-fuelling.
Submitted by Jaggesh
Labels: Car market competition, Fuel economy, Hyundai, small cars
Verna Lights are a Hazard!
Hyundai Verna headlights are very dim for driving on any road. It is so dull that I nearly collided with a stationary mini truck while driving my friend’s Verna to my residence two days back. I feel that the Verna, though a beautiful car with good driving dynamics, has paid little attention to headlights, which are the best
safety devices in a car.
In India, when people and small vehicles keep crossing your path it is important that the headlight highlights the path ahead of you properly so that collision is avoided, but a dim headlight compounds the problem. I am surprised that an international company like Hyundai has paid little attention to such regular details.
I recommend that whoever brings home a Verna, change the headlight to a better one as soon as possible. It is a necessity.
From KL Poonawala
Labels: car safety, Hyundai, safety devices, Verna
Spark has No Spark of Imagination
The other day I chanced to see a
Chevy Spark on road. I was taken aback by the
car design. From what I had seen in papers and magazines, I had imagined it to be a beautifully designed car. But what I saw was completely different.
The whole car looked like it has been designed in a hurry with no attention to aesthetics. The front looks pathetic as the bonnet slides down on an already low platform. The sides of the car are uncomfortably shaped giving it a vague bulgy look. The most awfully designed round shaped taillights seem to be jutting out of the boot.
After seeing the car, I have decided that I will never buy this car or recommend it to anybody. I wonder what Chevy was thinking!
Article submitted by BC
Labels: Car Design, Chevrolet, Spark
Hummer Hums Right-hand drive Tune
Have you ever wondered why the Cadillac and Hummer models are experiencing such a delay to come to India?
I think it is because they are converting them from left-hand drives to right-hand drives. Among hundreds of countries in the world, there are only 52 right-hand drive countries and India is one among them. Amazing but true! If the country had been using left-hand drives, then these cars would have arrived in India a long time ago.
I understand that these cars are very costly and converting them after sales is again a costly business. In addition, no one in India is equipped to make this change in mass scales. It is good news that the companies have decided to do it themselves.
I can only hope that this is the only change that these cars see when sold here.
Article Submitted by IKnowCars
Labels: Auto market competition, Cadillac, Hummer, new cars
Ferrari may come to India
All speed enthusiasts take note - Ferrari is eager to hit Indian roads. This announcement was made by the PRO office of Ferrari recently. But don’t jump from your seats, this could mean another 3-5 years. It is like a dream come true to finally see a Ferrari on Indian roads.
This brand has been like a jewel in a crown for Italian sports cars enthusiasts and it is time that the car was brought to India, the land of the Maharajah’s. The Ferrari’s arrival is like an action moving waiting to happen, provided the bullock carts, old trucks, and pedestrians are cleared from the highways. It is not good to associate a fine machine like the Ferrari with accidents that are only too keen to happen.
Labels: Ferrari, New Car, Sports car
Nano is bringing down prices of second hand cars
I have good news for all car lovers. You can now take home
used cars like Maruti 800 or Hyundai Santro at very competitive prices. The prices have been dropping since the
one lakh car Tata Nano was unveiled in January. Now that the news of the launch of this small car in October is official, i can guarantee you that the prices of
second hand cars will come down even further.
When I went to purchase a used car in November last year, I was told that a 2002 Maruti 800 was available for Rs. 1.1 lakh. I was surprised to find out that the same car was selling for Rs. 85,000 in January. This is when I noticed the effect that Nano was having. I have been following this trend closely since then and want to let all of you know of this as well.
Article submitted by Sanjeev K. (Bangalore)
Labels: One Lakh Car, small cars, Used car market in India
Finance Ministry has congratulated Maruti
Maruti never seems to be tired of gushing. First it was the record sale of one million Maruti Alto cars. Then, the achievement of exporting half a million cars from India. Now read this. Maruti has received an award from the finance ministry for paying a huge excise duty of nearly Rs. 2,500 Crore in the current fiscal up to January. And its still not over, there are two more months to go before the end of the financial year. Looks like Maruti is having a great time at the moment!
Labels: Car sales, Excise duty, Maruti
Hyundai is tops
In JD Power’s list of car manufacturers based on customer satisfaction for the year 2007, Honda, Hyundai and Tata Motors have hit bottom. It’s totally unbelievable that they have dropped to the end of the list on the sales satisfaction index. Shockingly, Hyundai has lost the most points and dropped to the eighth position from last year’s third position.
I find that Hyundai has good after-sales service and I’m sure they have very happy customers. Their small cars are also very decent. I don’t think the customer satisfaction list is accurate.
Article submitted by Gaja
Labels: Auto market competition, Car sales, Honda, small cars
Blink and you will miss the Nano
I recently came across news that Tata Motors will be able to manufacture 4000 to 5000 Nano cars every month. I find the number really pitiable compared to the hype it has generated. It seems that it will be able to reach a bigger production capacity of 18,000 to 20,000 cars per month only 4-5 months after start of production. With this minimal number, I think the Nano will be gone within a few seconds of appearing in the market.
Being a Nano aspirant myself, I haven’t seen such a mad rush for a vehicle since the launch of Bajaj scooters in India in the 80s.
Article submitted by Ravi
Labels: Car manufacturing, Car sales, small cars, Tata Motors
Maruti adds yet another feather in its cap
Maruti’s achievements don’t seem to be so surprising anymore. They seem to be setting records over and over again. After being in India for more than 20 years, they have set another record. First, it was news of one million Maruti Alto cars being sold till date. Now, for the first time in India, a car manufacturer has exported half a million cars. Maruti is truly adding a lot of feathers to its cap with such achievements.
Labels: achievement, Car sales, Maruti, Maruti Alto, record
Fiat Palio will come with a cleaner engine
Fiat enthusiasts now have now another option on the Palio Stile. Fiat is launching a 1.3 liter multi-jet diesel engine to power the Palio. The engine is new technology developed by Fiat and they are planning to use it in almost all the models that they plan to launch in India soon. Maruti too wants to have this engine on a few of their models. The new Maruti Suzuki Swift Diesel already has a multi-jet diesel engine.
Labels: car engine, Fiat, maruti swift diesel
