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Thursday, 31 July 2008
With inflation remaining double digits for consecutive six weeks, RBI plans to tighten its monetary policy. The policy has a direct impact on the interest rates. Oops! Another setback for the car manufacturers. Car manufacturers are now really frightened with the continuous increase in fuel prices as well as the interest rates. Now all the heart goes down. Are car manufacturers still strong and powerful to face this obstacle and win over the challenge? The Indian car industry is going down with low economic gains. This is the third time in the calendar year 2008 and the second time in the current month that the interest rates have climbed up. The current repo rate, rate at which Central Government lends money to the banks, has been increased by half a percentage point and the cash reserve ratio, cash that bank puts aside, has been increased by 0.25 percentage point. A car loan amount of Rs 3 lakh for a period of three years will have a higher EMI of Rs 73. Car loan for a period of five years, will have an EMI of extra Rs 79 and the loan taken for 7 years will have an additional amount of Rs 84 in the EMI. The things are becoming worse day by day. When will this inflation end? Who will bring an end? What and when is the next hike in interest rates? Who knows? Labels: Car-Finance, Car-Loans, Car-Manufacturers
The Fiat plans to develop a two-cylinder diesel engine for the global car market including India. This two-cylinder engine is mainly designed for small cars and is known as ‘Fiat’s twin wonder’. The diesel engine is expected to be manufactured at Fiat’s Ranjangaon facility in India. The company also plans to sell the same cylinder to other companies across the global car industry. Fiat has an alliance with the Tata Motors and it was expected to be a confirm consumer for this engine. But Tata Motors is producing its own twin-cylinder for its ultra-cheap car, the Nano. Maruti does not have any such kind of small diesel to fit in its small cars. But do you think will Maruti approach Fiat for its requirement? Maruti is considered to be Fiat's best stake. Through the production of this twin-cylinder diesel engine, the company is planning to strengthen its presence in India. Labels: Car-engine, Car-Manufacturers, Diesel, Fiat, Nano
Garuda, a super mileage car, is finally ready to be launched! The launch of this super mileage, fuel-efficient car in this era of rising fuel prices and high interest rates is a big revolution in the Indian car industry. The launch of this car is also credited to the various issues including oil crisis, environmental pollution and aggressive search of alternative fuel sources. The new electric car is manufactured by students of Mechanical Department of RV College of Engineering in Bangalore and is expected to be unveiled in August, 2008 at the college campus. This super fuel efficient car is designed and manufactured with latest cutting edge technology. This will be the first Indian car that is completely ready to participate in the "SAE Supermileage International Competition" in USA and "Shell Eco-Marathon" in the UK. Will the proposed launch of Garuda threaten the only electric car Reva Maini in India? Reason being that both the cars have a common start, from the Indian IT hub, Bangalore. Labels: Electric-Cars, Fuel-efficient-Car, Indian-car-industry
Earlier we had said that Wagon R is going to replace Mumbai Taxis. Mumbai taxi owners are in talks with Maruti Suzuki for the rights and permission to run the car as taxis on roads. But don’t you think that Tata Nano will be a better option for taxi drivers in Mumbai. The Nano is soon going to launch and it can very well replace the taxicabs. Tata Motors has outfitted the car with safety features and a fuel efficient engine. Driving the Nano seems to be more cost effective for taxi owners. The People’s Car, Tata Nano, is expected to be the next target for the daily city ride. The Mumbai Taximen Union is in a dilemma which car to choose, both are fuel efficient. Don’t you think that Nano has the power to offer more profitable gains? Low cost of the car is attracting more number of taxi owners. Replacing Mumbai taxi with Wagon R will earn them the same but the initial investment would be more. Moreover, if the Nano is outfitted with air conditioner, the price tag would be much cheaper than that of an air conditioner Wagon-R. What do you think, who will replace Mumbai taxis, Wagon-R or Nano? Labels: Cabs, Nano, Taxi, WagonR
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
BMW rejoices its success with the launch of 530d in India. The five series of BMW is a big threat for the age old Mercedes-Benz in India. The BMW has created a competitive platform of luxury cars in a span of two years. The f\5 series of BMW is not as old as the existence of Mercedes-Benz in India. Yet, BMW is seen to be ahead in the race. The new 530d is available with more efficient engine, enhanced horsepower, and advanced safety technologies coupled with BMW’s USP (Unique selling point), Night Vision. This premium segment sedan is powered by six common diesel rail engine (CRDi) that generates 235bhp. The company has also introduced two other variants of the car, 520d and 530d Highline. All the car models launched have the highest standards of all-round quality, safety measures coupled with highest levels of comfort and luxury. These new car models are also available in a rainbow of vibrant and sophisticated colours. Labels: BMW-Cars, Mercedes-Benz, New-Cars
Mahindra & Mahindra and Renault currently hold a share of 51:49 in the partnership. This partnership was signed between both the companies for manufacturing and retailing their most leading car, the Logan. But now, with the increasing pressures and challenges, the joint venture desires to extend their retailing partnership to sell Renault’s future cars. Mahindra has no recent plans to introduce more cars to India. That’s the reason why the company is willing to extend the partnership with Renault to market the upcoming Renault’s car. Mahindra is keen to make the Mahindra-Renault centre as the distribution network to sell Renault’s new cars. The new cars are expected to be launched from Chennai in the next two years. The negotiated partnership between the two companies will be used to sell those cars under the brand of Mahindra-Renault Ltd. Will Renault agree to the partnership? Will Renault share its success of the proposed cars with Mahindra? Any guesses? Labels: cars-India, Mahindra and Mahindra, Mahindra-Renault, New-Cars
 Maruti Suzuki SX4 and Fiat's Sedici are twins from the same platform residing in different countries. The Sedici is a sports utility vehicle designed and manufactured by the Joint Venture between Suzuki and Fiat mainly for the European market. The car was expected to launch in India as well but the success of SX4 in India has blocked the market for Sedici in the country. Sedici was expected to replace the SX4 in India. Initially, the Maruti had plans to introduce almost 60,000 units of SX4 to the country, out of which two-thirds to be sold by Suzuki and the rest by Fiat. But fortunately, SX4 has been a great hit in the mid-size sedan market. The company is also successful in attracting customers with a recent upgrade offer of Rs 25,000 exchange bonus. The Sedici is doing great in the native Italian market. Fiat was also planning to launch Sedici in South Africa but then the company changed its intention because the South African market is already dominated with the SX4. Eventually, the joint venture between the Fiat and Suzuki decided to launch the twins in different countries. Labels: Fiat-Sedici, Maruti-SX4, New-Cars
When buying a car, most of the time people get confused while making a choice among different brands. Many questions start pondering and swinging in people’s minds. Which car is the best? Which car has enhanced safety? Which car has low cost of maintenance? Which is the most reliable car? The answer to all these questions is given by J.D. Power Asia Vehicle Dependability Survey. Earlier, it was difficult to judge the most reliable car but J.D. Power and Associates has resolved the issue with just one survey. In India, the first survey was held in January 2008 and results were declared in April 2008. The survey was based on the number of problems faced by car owners of 30-42 months old vehicles. Ranking was given on the basis of number of problem symptoms per 100 vehicles. Problem categories include exteriors, driving comfort, entertainment system, controls, displays, car engine, heating, ventilation and transmission. Based on the J.D. Power Asia Vehicle Dependability Survey, 8 Indian cars were considered to be the most dependable. The list of India’s most reliable cars include Maruti Suzuki Swift, Maruti Esteem, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Innova, Hyundai Santro, Honda City ZX, Ford Endeavour and Mercedes-Benz C Class. Now the confusion of searching a good car gets over. You can select any reliable cars from the listing and drive safely along with your chosen car. Labels: Huyundai-Motors, Reliable-Cars, Toyata
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
 Skoda increases price tags of all its car models! This is nothing new in the car industry. Recently many car manufacturers including Tata Motors, Hyundai Motors, Maruti Suzuki, and Honda Seil India have increased the cost price of all their cars. With so many car manufacturers raising the car prices due to high input costs, Skoda India, Czech auto manufacturer, also announces an increase in prices of all its car models in India. The company announces a hike in the range of Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 and this hike will be effective from August 2008. Apart from high input costs, the company is also swayed by the surge in freight costs and high cost of raw materials. Inspite of the high input costs, the company is putting in hard efforts to absorb maximum costs so that the price hike has minimized impact on prospective car buyers. Will the efforts of Skoda be successful? Labels: Car-prices, Luxury -Cars, Skoda
Many car manufacturers are invading India to make the country a hub for small cars production. The Hyundai Motors being a smart player also plans to make India its global centre for small cars. The company will use India for manufacturing and exporting small cars and earn higher margins. Cars produced in India are comparatively low in price because of the easy availability of skilled talents as well as low-cost of labour and machinery. Hyundai has rolled many small cars till date among which few were locally produced. The recognised Hyundai’s i10, launched last November, was manufactured exclusively in India. The upcoming Hyundai’s i20 model will also be solely manufactured in India. Hyundai’s i10 belongs to the ‘A’ segment whereas the upcoming i20 will belong to the ‘B’ segment. The company wishes to line up a portfolio of small cars to offer a wider choice to Indian customers. Hyundai has set a sales target of around 530,000 units for both the domestic and export market. But inflation and high fuel prices are taking a toll on car sales, thereby reducing the margin. May be by the end of this year, things get sort out and Hyundai gets a brighter era to continue the launch of its innovative models. Labels: Car-Manufacturers, Hyundai, Small-Cars
Fiat makes a smart move in the Indian car industry. After the launch of Fiat 500 or Cinquecento, the Italian car manufacturer is planning to bring its other iconic brands like Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati to create a new individuality in the market. Fiat is now following a complete revamp plan, wherein the company will not only introduce new vehicles to the market but will also sell the excess capacity of diesel and petrol engines. The famed car engine of Fiat, 1,300cc multijet diesel, is produced at its Ranjangaon factory. The company plans to sell this engine to various other car manufactures and fill the shortage of such engines in the Indian market. Fiat implements the revival plan in India with the launch of Fiat 500. Though the cost price of this coupe is too high, for about Rs 15 lakh, the company is not worried because there is a conform belief that the unique style will showcase the Fiat brand to Indian audience. The car is built with a combination of style, safety, elegance and remarkable engine quality. The company is also in process to roll out its Linea sedan and Grande Punto. The company claims that these cars will be produced locally to suit the Indian conditions. With its revival plan, Fiat plans to compete with leading car manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki Motors, Tata Motors, Hyundai Motors, and Honda Seil India. Do you think Fiat will win the race? Labels: Car-Manufacturers, Fiat, Fiat 500, Hyundai-Motors
The Indian sports industry is all set to link with the car industry with a major technological jump. Volkswagen, leading German car manufacturer, plans to roll out a series of Formula racing car soon. This plan of Volkswagen is at the budding stage and is expected to grow with the increasing number of racing drivers in India. Till now the car has only made a debut in Germany. It’s the first time that the company is driving the car out of Germany to make an embankment on the platforms of Indian sports industry. The car will be manufactured in partnership with JK Tyres. There are so many companies and car manufacturers in India to support Volkswagen in this launch but then why only JK Tyres? The reason why Volkswagen selected JK Tyres for this venture is because JK Tyres have full support of Federation of Motor Sport Clubs in India (FMSCI), a governing body for Indian motor sport. Volkswagen wishes to give the Indian sport industry an advanced and innovative technology at an affordable cost. Labels: Car-Industry, Formula 1 racing, Volkswagen
Monday, 28 July 2008
 Here comes the car to edge your thoughts from the rising inflation! Mahindra-Renault has launched the new version of the Logan named as Logan Edge with the view to relief consumers from rising fuel cost. Driven by the highest fuel efficiency of Logan, the venture has introduced a new version of the car with higher capabilities to challenge high inflation. Priced between Rs 5 Lakh and Rs 7.15 Lakh (ex-showroom-Delhi), the Logan Edge is produced in limited edition based on the extensive customer feedback and responses. The venture has considered this launch as an endeavour to offer the best to all its customers. Limited edition is produced to test the car performance and judge further responses from the customer. The new Logan Edge comes with a blend of style, elegance and interesting features like reverse parking sensor, beige leather seat covers, Kenwood music system, wood finish center console and USB connectivity. The car is available in both the petrol and diesel variants with engine capacities between 1.4 litre and 1.6 litre. What do you say? Will the Logan Edge be successful in facing the current situation? Will the car beat its ancestor, the Logan? Labels: Car-features, Car-prices, Mahindra-Renault-Logan
Lewis Hamilton was in Mumbai on 24th as a part of his sponsorship commitments to Vodafone. His driving had the spectators in a tizzy at the makeshift stands at the Hakone Go-Karting track. The spectators went mad over his one handed drifts. After showing off his skills in a special Vodafone liveried Go-Kart, he judged a race involving three Vodafone Contest winners. A very elated spectator yelled 'Lewis, beat Kimi at Monza'. 'Im working on it' he yelled back. A small autograph session followed. A slight rain hampered the full use of the track. We also got to learn the limits of F 1's new wet weather master. Hamilton slated that the Mercedes C63 saloon he was chauffeured in was not the ideal car to drive on Mumbai's rain soaked roads. Apparently, a big 450 bhp saloon on wet, Indian roads are off limits for this F1 megastar. Mere mortals, beware! Last season Hamilton came unnoticed and was just another desperate attempt to fill the slot vacated by Kimi Raikkonen. The tale of Hamilton bears lot of striking resemblances to Lightning Mc Queen's dream debut in the Piston Cup in Disney’s Blockbuster CARS. Hamilton had a dream to start his F1 career finishing 3rd at 2007 season's opener at Australia and even gave his more experienced peers a run for their money in his opening season itself which was nothing but spectacular. By the end of the season he was touted to be F1's next big thing. He has more reasons to celebrate as he had a good start to this season, presently leading the Drivers standings. His dominating victory at his home GP in the UK has left many calling him the next RAIN MASTER. I do know that it is too early to adorn him with such a big honour which was previously held by the legendary Michael Schumacher. Hamilton's Race Day schedule as follows: • Wake up at 8am. Most races are in the afternoon, so no need to peak into the day early. • Breakfast with trainer (no training as they emphasize on storing energy). • Drink as much fluids as possible. • Attending drivers meeting and also sponsors & drivers' parade. • 30 mins before race, time to get into race gear and relax. • Listens to Bob Marley and watches TV. • Race over 2-3kgs of liquid lost. • 2 hours interaction with media. Get back to hotel and freshen up. • Celebrations (if the mood is upbeat) • Briefing session with engineers - he gives as much feedback as possible and the info will be fresh in his mind • Bedtime Submitted By: Shrawan indianautosblog.com/2008/07/hamilton-rocks-mumbai/ Labels: F1, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-Benz
It’s really a difficult decision to judge the best premium executive cars with excellent Mercedes C class, delectable BMW 3 series and heart rendering Audi A4 leading the premium car segment. After the launch of these three cars in the Indian market, there is a tough competition between them. No one is able to decide which car is the best. All have their own specific features, appealing design and exclusive performance. Mercedes C class provides a comfortable and superlative ride along with better road stability and communicative steering. BMW offers high end models with wonderful interiors, innovative features and attractive design. The 3 series has rear wheel drive with better driving experience. The latest contender, Audi A4, is creating a revolution in the segment. The car is exclusively designed with a classic shape, super cool touches, dynamic design, and superb ride comfort. The car is perfect for Indian roads with all wheel drive to improve traction and enhance road stability. Among these three excellent and delectable contenders of premium car segment, it’s really difficult to choose one. Which one will you choose? Labels: Audi, Best Cars, BMW-Cars, Luxury -Cars
 Driven by the changing face of the Indian car industry, Maruti is compelled to change the face of its pioneer car, the Maruti 800. The Maruti 800 is a hot selling Maruti car but unfortunately new entry in the car market has brought down the sales. To give a new life to 800 sales, the Maruti Suzuki Motors has rolled out a facelift model of Maruti 800, named as the Maruti Suzuki 800 Uniq. The car is launched with a keen desire to lure customers who love ‘uniq’ things. The whole new avatar of the Maruti 800 is embodied with a host of attractive features like trendy door trims with fabric patch, all-new beige upholstery, smart lower console box, rear package tray and excellent body graphics. The Uniq will be costlier by Rs 5200 over the regular model and will be available in all Maruti showrooms by August 4, 2008. The company has introduced a limited edition of Uniq to judge the response of the car consumers nationwide. Labels: Maruti-Suzuki, New-Cars, Small-Cars
Friday, 25 July 2008
Volvo Ocean Race, formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race, is the most prestigious and impressive yacht race around the world. It is an ultimate and adventurous sport which is held every four years. It is the first time in the history of 35 years that the Volvo Race will make a stopover in India. The race will begin in next 71 days and will reach India in next 131 days. A short time left to say, ‘get set go’ and meet the racers in Cochin, India. The Race will commence sailing in October 2008 starting from Alicante, Spain. It will cross more than 39,000 nautical miles and visit 11 ports round the world. The Race will make a stopover at Cape Town, Cochin, Qingdao, Rio de Janeiro, Boston, Galway, Goteborg and Stockholm, and finally end up at St.Petersburg. This unique blend of onshore glamour and offshore performance is something unique for the country. India is considered to be the fastest growing economies and gradually it is being noticed by all domains and industries. All global car manufacturers and industrialists have made a stopover in India. And today, Volvo Race, a sporting and dynamic race by Volvo is 131 days away from India. Labels: Racing, Volvo, World endurance race
 The acute shortage of diesel has lead to unscheduled long hours of power cut. Earlier it was a misconception that shortage of petrol and diesel will only impact the car industry but unfortunately, the shortage has adversely affected the workflow and productivity of various offices and business domain across the country. Bangalore is affected the most by prolonged hours of load shedding. With such an acute shortage of diesel and long hours of power cut in Bangalore, Reva Maini car owners are facing a tough time. You need electricity to charge the car and Reva can run up to a maximum of 80 km on a full charge. And a 100% charge requires about 8 hours. Charging continually for about 8 hours is next to impossible with such kind of load shedding. Even if somehow the car owners manage to fully charge the car, what after the first 80 km? The car owners are now in dilemma of how to charge their car. Even though they own a car costing nearly about Rs 4 lakh to save on petrol price, today they are left without an option. Most of the Reva owners have switched over to public transport for daily commuting because they fall short of electricity to charge their cars. What’s the use of buying a car that is only parked as a centerpiece of your house doorway? Earlier we had mentioned that Maini, creator of Reva electric car, smiles at the future with the rising fuel prices. Will Maini still smile at the future? Labels: Electric-Cars, REVAi, Small-Cars
One more jump in the electric car segment. Pininfarina, the Italian design house plans to roll out electric cars to India. The design house is a known designer of the Ferrari cars and Tata Indica. The launch date is still not announced. The renowned car design company is planning to manufacture the cars first for the European market which is expected to get the cars by 2010. For the next four years, the company would judge the response of the car in the market. It is expecting to reach the sale target of 15,000 units by 2014 in Europe and US. After achieving the sales target, the company will roll the car in India and other countries. But if the expected target is not achieved, the launch might get delayed or even vice versa. The projected date is likely to be altered depending on the achievement of the target. The cars will be designed at Pininfarina’s facility in Italy. The electric car will cover a range of 250 km in one full charge, almost double of what Reva Maini offers. Driven by such a high range, will Pininfarina beat Maini in India? It’s still a long way to go, nothing can be claimed. Just wait and watch. Labels: Electric-Cars, Maini-Reva, New-Cars
With the hassles of inflation and hikes, the car market in India is facing a tough time. The first quarter of the fiscal year has brought agony in the market. In India, car prices are now observing a next hike in all the car models. Increasing raw material cost is compelling car manufacturers to go for regular hike in car prices. First time, the car prices were raised in January by almost 3%, next time the prices were raised in May-June by almost 4% and now this month is experiencing the third round of price hike. This time the reason for increase is the high cost of all metals used in the automotive industry. Prices for aluminium, copper, nickel, plastic, steel and rubber have increased all of sudden, resulting in more input prices. This has eventually forced all car manufacturers to raise their car prices. The net turnover of the average cost of raw materials has gone up to almost 74% from about 69% within two years. Apart from increasing manufacturing costs, the industry is also facing problems with oil shortage, to be increased road tax and many more factors that are actually hampering the growth and success of Indian car industry. The expected increase of car prices is about Rs 5000 for small cars and Rs 12,000 for the luxury brand models. The price of the Honda City has already been increased by Rs 15,000 and the new Honda Accord by Rs 30,000. Maruti and General Motors are trying to evaluate their best option to provide the affordable price to their customers. Labels: Car-Manufacturers, Indian-car-industry, New-Cars
Thursday, 24 July 2008
Volkswagen made a later entry in India. At this period of time, Indian car industry is affected with high inflation and rising loan interest. Volkswagen wonders whether the company will be successful in establishing a niche in the Indian market. After the launch of Volkswagen Jetta, the company plans a slew of launches in order to strengthen its presence in the country. The iconic car, the Beetle, belongs to the passenger car segment is coming soon in the market. The car will be imported as completely built unit. Driven by the positive impact of Beetle on other cars, Volkswagen takes the launch as a brand building exercise. After Beetle, the company is planning to launch a compact car based on the Polo platform in both hatchbacks and sedan variants. Volkswagen is also in the process to extend its embankment on major dealership across the country. The company is receiving good response for Volkswagen Passat and the newly launched Jetta. In turn, the company has similar expectations from the proposed car launch. Will Volkswagen be successful in strengthening its presence in the Indian car market? Labels: New-Cars, Volkswagen, Volkswagen-Passat
Tata Motors Ltd. has join hands with Italy’s Fiat SpA to sell its ultra-low cost car the Nano overseas. Fiat has a strong presence in international market and that’s the reason why Tata Motors want Fiat to sell its dream car. Ratan Tata has a keen desire to spread the reach of his new car across the globe. This desire attracts him towards Fiat Motors so that the Nano is well marketed in various countries other than India. Fiat has signed a joint venture with Tata to make and distribute Tata car, engines and commercial units overseas. Tata has high hopes from this joint venture. The sluggish car sales have depressed Ratan Tata at the time when he is just about to roll out his dream car. Even with the challenges offered by high inflation, interest rates and to be increased road tax, Tata is expecting from the proposed car, the Nano, to bring out a good market for the company in India as well as overseas. Hope the join venture goes in favour of the Nano and further aid to boost up the sales. Labels: Nano, New-Cars, Tata-Motors
 It is really shocking to know that a successful car like Mercedes E Class is under threat after the launch of a comparative BMW 5 series. E class series from Mercedes-Benz is the car that comes to mind most vibrantly, a car that has established a niche in the luxury car segment. Many of the premium car owners own this car because of the embodied luxuries, comfort and classy design. It is a car that adds status to life and now it has come under threat. Is this really true or just a rumour? The E Class cars have a good sales report in the Indian car market. The latest versions of this car are even more interesting and appealing as they are personified with Bi-Xenon headlamps in the exterior coupled with a 3-way Memory package. Inspite of having a good reputation in the market, BMW's highly potent 5-series beats Mercedes E Class. The 5 series is a car loaded with dynamic design, elegant style, enhanced comfort and standard safety features. Infact, these are the cornerstones upon which the car enjoys the bliss of success. BMW’s car gives a sheer driving pleasure. Don’t you think that E Class also gives awesome driving experience? If features and comfort level of both the cars are similar, then why there is such a tough competition? Why is Mercedes-Benz under threat? Labels: BMW-Cars, Car-competition, Mercedes-Benz
Car manufacturers are expecting a revision in cash reserve ratio that would again leap the interest on car loan offered by private banks and other financial institutions. The issue may get cleared after the Reserve Bank of India reviews its monetary policy at the end of this month. With these expectations, car manufacturers are pushing car sales. At present, the car loan interest rate is 15% that gives a monthly installment of Rs 2,350 per lakh. If by this month end, the interest rate increases, then the loan interest will nearly touch 16% resulting in a monthly installment of nearly Rs 2,395 per lakh for the same tenure. In order to cope up with the expected rise in interest rates, car manufacturers have put in their heads and hearts to wrap up the deal, remold marketing strategies, and compel waning customers. They are offering attractive discounts and schemes but no freebies to lure customers. They are simply trying to strengthen their internal channels and extend sales with existing customers. Labels: Car-Loans, Car-Manufacturers, Finance
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
 Driven by the news of increasing road tax, car manufacturers are luring customers with heavy discounts and offers. The government has announced a 2% increase of life time motor vehicle road-tax by the end of this month. The increased road tax is proposed to be effective from 1st August. Just a month ago, during high inflation, Hyundai Motors came up with the exchange and upgrade offer and now comes Maruti Suzuki. Maruti has announced an exchange and upgrade offer in response to the increase in road tax. Maruti is offering an exchange bonus of Rs 25,000 on upgrading any Maruti car to SX4. This is one of the recent cars by Maruti that has attracted a massive number of people with its muscular looks and classic European style. The looks and style holds true for the SX4 caption “Men are Back”. Maruti SX4 is the biggest and most spacious car in the segment with the highest ground clearance and steering mounted controls. It is a car that everyone will love to own. So, why wait for the car to get costlier? Just rush into a Maruti Showroom and request for the exchange offer? Don’t you think this is a good deal? Labels: Government's-Policy, Maruti SX4, taxes
Concept cars are the fruits of innovative imaginations. When you let your imaginations run wild, you can come up with outlandish results. Concept cars also follow the same rule of letting your imaginations run wild. This gives a good opportunity to car designers to show their exclusive, strange and innovative car designs. These cars are notorious and are rarely seen on roads. The hidden concept comprises of dreams, future vision and prototypes. These are mainly displayed at Auto Shows to get a viewpoint of the consumers. Display of such kind of cars helps the car designers and car manufacturers to get consumer’s perspective about the car design. If you explore the global car industry, you’ll find a number of concept cars that are holding dreamy visions about the automotive future. Whether you talk about the BMW shape-shifting car covered with fabric or about the Toyota i-Real concept, they are just amazing and worth appreciation. Unfortunately, there are no such concept cars in India. It’s difficult to answer why. Are we not creative? Don’t we have the skills to produce something that is extra-ordinary? Why not give a try? Even you can open the veil of imaginations and produce a concept car that is eccentric, unusual and appealing. Labels: BMW-Cars, Car-Design, Small-Cars
The news is all around that car drive will soon become costlier by the end of this month. The joy of rising and driving your dream car will now pinch your pocket as well as your heart. The lifetime Motor Vehicle (MV) tax has increased by 2%. This means another addition in the car costs. Cars will really become costlier and make a hole in your pockets. If you really don’t want to repent afterwards, then go ahead and buy a car now. Two-wheelers owners can relax because they have been spared. The taxes are increased only for cars and other automotives. After a rise of 2%, the tax on cars pricing below 5 lakh have increased from 10 to 12%, for vehicles between the price tag of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh have increased from 11% to 13% and tax for those costing more than Rs 10 lakh is increased by 14% to 16%. Some of your favorite cars will really become costly. After the increase in road tax, the ex-showroom price of Maruti Alto will be around Rs 2, 83,699; Maruti Swift will be priced around Rs 4, 42,201; Maruti SX4 around Rs 6, 67,054; Hyundai Santro around Rs 3, 49, 658 and Honda City will be priced at Rs 11, 06,000. This move is expected to earn revenue of around Rs 100 crore per annum for the government, so a good profit for the government but what about the car buyers who will again move back from their car purchase. The government desires to use this earned revenue for developing the infrastructure and roadways of the country. The cause is wise but is it good to pass the burden on car buyers? Labels: Car-prices, new cars, Tax on Cars
Volkswagen launches its most desired car Jetta in India. The car holds true for the slogan, Volkswagen has used for Jetta, “The people want safety standards to be standard”. Jetta is a car equipped with all standard and advanced safety features. The car is priced between Rs 12.97 - 16.67 lakh. The launch of the new car was accompanied by a glittering celebration. The Jetta will be a tough competitor in the lower D segment. The car is expected to be a great competitor for Skoda Laura and Skoda Octavia. Jetta is styled with elegance and loaded with heart rendering interiors including Vienna leather upholstery, 2-zone electronic climate control, 6-CD changer, electric lumbar adjust. Jetta is available both in petrol and diesel version with 1.6L petrol and 1.9 L diesel engines, respectively. The three variants available are Magna, Sports and Asta that are priced between Rs 12.97 and Rs 14.22 lakh. The standard safety features loaded in Jetta are 8 airbags, ABS (Anti-lock brake system) and ESP that enhances the safety of its occupants. The launch of Jetta is expected to be followed by a range of compact cars, hatchbacks and commercial vehicles in India. Labels: jetta, New-Cars, Volkswagen
All sports car enthusiast! Be ready to quench your thirst for race cars with Audi’s new R8 model. The German luxury car manufacturer is all set to launch its sporty R8 model in India by autumn this year. This exclusive model combines incomparable high performance, unique design and include features for day-to-day drivability. The car comes with 420 hp of its 4.2 V8-FSI engine and has aluminum frame body. It just matches up with its body shape and provides more varieties of choices to customize interiors according to the customer’s druther. Wow! It’s a cool option. India has been a significant market for Audi and there is a marvelous interest for the Audi by the Indian car buyers. First customer pre-orders are already placed at Audi dealerships in India. The car has already won several awards in Germany and Europe along with a double triumph at the 2008 World Car of the year awards like “World Performance Car” and the `World Car Design of the Year’. Do you think the car will be to make a similar impression in India? Well, we have to wait till its roll out for Indian roads. Labels: Audi, New-Cars, Sport-Car
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
WagonR will soon be hailing in place of black-n-yellow taxis. The old-aged black and yellow cabs that vroom past the Mumbai roads may soon become a history. Mumbai cab owners are in process of signing an agreement with Maruti Udyog Limited to support the replacement of taxi cabs with Maruti Wagon-R. Cab owners are marching ahead with the shifting trend and demand of the commuters. The main idea behind the replacement is that the Wagon-R cabs are financially viable for both the cab owners and average Mumbaikars. It is easy and feasible to run an air-conditioned Wagon-R at the existing taxi price of Rs 13. The government is also putting forward the desired help and supporting the cause of upgrading the Mumbai taxis. According to the government Mumbai is a hub of stock market and is well defined as a ‘business world of India’. Being such a world class city, it is required to have the best infrastructure including the best taxis or cabs running on roads. Labels: Maruti-Suzuki-Cars, Maruti-WagonR
After enlightening the world’s cheapest and smallest car, Tata Motors plans to roll out luxurious and expensive cars. Tata is now targeting the other extreme of the car segment and introduce new upmarket cars in the industry. Tata has taken over the Jaguar & Land Rover and plans to roll out luxury car models under this venture. The Nano is expected to make its debut in India by the end of this year with a price tag of Rs 1 lakh, whereas the venture plans to design and manufacture luxury cars ranging somewhere between, Rs 80-85 lakh, a price at which car buyers can buy around 85 Nanos. With such a high price swing from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 85 lakh, do you think that consumers will go for it? Tata has created its own image of producing the world’s cheapest car and now shifting towards high-end segment. This step towards producing high-end cars is a way to boost up the market for Jaguar & Land Rover and establish the name of Tata as a producer of portfolio of cars in all segments. Labels: Nano, One-Lakh-Rupee-Car, Tata
Wake up car lovers! It’s not the time to dream but to open your eyes and visualize your dream into a reality. Yes, the much awaited Fiat 500 has made its debut in India.
Fifty years down the line, Fiat 500 had lost its significance on Indian roads. Today, the car has made a comeback with advanced and innovative features. The car has travelled a long way from 19th century industrialization to 20th century globalization. Remember those old days when Ambassador and Padmini were the only cars on Indian roads. With the entry of new and luxury cars, these cars were pushed out of the way. Fifty years back, Fiat 500 had no alternative than to move back but today the car shows its actual worth. The car drove back and integrated the desires and demands of the current generation in its revamped model to make a comeback. With the revamped version, Fiat offers better performance, effectiveness and fuel efficiency to all its customers. The car has made its debut in India with two trims, Lounge and Sport. Both the variants are equipped with 1.3L multijet engine compliant to Euro 5 emission norms. The car also has 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating. The only difference between the two variants is the sporty appearance given to all features of the Sport Fiat 500. For Fiat, all its customers and buyers are unique and important. Fiat also offers a provision of customization to ensure exclusivity for their customers. The car is available in an assortment of unique colours and also has the exclusive in-car communication system, known as the “Blue & Me”. With the launch of Fiat 500, the venture smiles at the future because the company is sure to win the competition and re-establish a strong niche in the Indian car market. Priced at around Rs 15 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), this new car is first to be sold in six cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Pune to lure the super-affluent class. Labels: Fiat-Cars, New-Car-Launch
Monday, 21 July 2008
The current car industry in India is revolving around cheap and fuel efficient cars. The main reason is increasing road traffic. With an increase in the number of cars on Indian roads, drivers of luxury cars are spending longer hours on road to reach their destination compared to small cars. Also, larger cars require comfortable parking space but with increasing number of cars, the parking space is decreasing. Driven by these factors and by the production of Nano, Maruti also plans to come out with its small and cheap car, Cervo. When Tata is almost ready to roll out the world’s cheapest car in India, Maruti Udyog Limited announces the launch of Cervo priced within the 1 Lakh price bracket. Maruti also plans to roll out a revamped Maruti 800 with a more contemporary look. Both these Maruti cars are proposed to roll out as tough competition against Ratan Tata’s dream car. Cervo is a mini car recently launched in Japan with an engine of 660cc offering 54 bhp. The car is compliant to Japan’s 4-star emission standards. The same car is proposed to launch in India by the end of this year with certain radical changes to comply with Indian conditions. In comparison to the Cevro, the Nano is expected to offer 30 bhp with a 700 cc petrol engine. In terms of fuel efficiency, Suzuki cars have always been the most fuel efficient cars in their respective segments. So, what will it be – Cervo or Nano? Labels: Maruti, Nano, Tata cars
The production of Tata Nano has already faced many obstacles to reach the final production stage. One more challenge approached the Nano when Maruti Suzuki organized a rural car fest in the Singur, Nano’s national production base. Organizing a car fair just before the launch of the Nano will definitely take both the car makers on an imminent battle. The primary objective of the car fair held by Maruti was to showcase a vast portfolio of Maruti cars and shell out good deals to lure customers. Through the fair, Maruti also hoped to tap into semi-urban and rural areas where the car sales are slow. It was a three day fair with a special finance section to explain car financing and other deals to prospective buyers. The fair was a big success with almost 20 cars sold out on the first day. Was this an attempt to announce deals, discounts and offers? Or was this a call for battle with the Tata? Labels: cars-India, Maruti 800, Nano
 Prospective customers of Tata Motors Nano have shifted their interest from September Nano to 2009 Nano. By this we mean that all those customers who were eagerly waiting for the launch of the Nano are now planning to wait another few months to buy Nano variants. Even though the first version of the Nano has not yet launched, Tata Motors has made an announcement to launch better versions of the Nano in early 2009. The company themselves spread the speculations that the proposed versions will be better in terms of comfort, performance and fuel efficiency. The Nano was mainly targeted towards first time buyers who were not disposed to buying high-cost, but if the company plans to roll out better cars in the same price segment then the target of buyers’ increases. A first time car buyer who has waited so long to buy a car will willingly wait a few extra months to buy the best car falling within his/her price range. With this shift in interest, the company is planning to space the launch with less deliveries in October 2008 and more in January 2009. According to the company, this will help them balance the car sales better. Labels: Nano, Small Car, Tata Motor
The long-awaited reclassification of passenger cars has brought in a great deal of confusion between the car makers and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). Car makers are continually pushing for a better classification in terms of car length, engine displacement and horsepower but SIAM has only considered car length. SIAM reclassified car models on the basis of lengths. Car makers are outraged because they feel that if the classification criteria for segmentation changes, it will directly affect the car market shares. This is mainly because if cars are classified based on length, Maruti 800 will lead the segment. Because, if reclassification is done on the basis of car length then Maruti 800 will be the only car to fall under the first segment that classifies cars of up to 3.4-metre as A1. This will definitely affect the market share positions. Labels: car makers, indian automobile Industry, Maruti 800
Friday, 18 July 2008
All the car manufacturers are bitten by the high fuel costs. They are racing to get the most effective engines to resolve the fuel issues and high level of emissions.
Mahindra & Mahindra is known to produce the topmost utility vehicles and recently the company has launched its leading and popular Bolero with CNG.
CNG (Compressed natural gas) normally have a low pick up and comparatively poor performance. Even though Mahindra had this thought in mind, it still launched this big utility vehicle with CNG version. By introducing CNG to Bolero, Mahindra is simply trying to get well around high fuel costs. It is believed to be the first CNG variant in the large utility vehicles. CNG is considered to be the cheapest fuel available in the country. Government is also supporting the shift towards CNG as it will save the natural resources and also reduce pollution. Will CNG Bolero be as successful as the original Bolero? Bolero is a popular car but some doubts are raised for the popularity of CNG variant. Currently, the numbers of CNG filling stations are limited. But once the number of CNG filling stations is increased in the country, the car is sure to get popularity. Labels: Bolero-CNG-Version, New-Car-Launch
The best way to beat the rising costs of conventional fuel is to replace your petrol/diesel car with an electric car. Reading the headlines about the soaring fuel prices, Chetan kumar Maini must have given a self-satisfied smile. Chetan kumar Maini is the one who introduced the first plug-in electric car, Reva Maini, to India.
The tremendous increase in prices has established a superior place for Reva in the industry. The car runs well on road and with a charging battery. It is a small and appealing car, good enough and comfortable for seating two people. The car was first launched in Bangalore and thereafter it rolled out to Delhi roads. The car manufacturers had faced a challenging period when the Government of Delhi asked Maini to introduce his electric car to New Delhi. The rising cost had shaken the State government and they offered all financial and moral support required for the launch of Reva in Delhi. This was a good initiative taken by the State Government to beat the fuel prices and reduce emissions. Now, it’s time for us to take an initiative to conserve the natural resource, reduce pollution and win the battle. Labels: Electric-Cars, Fuel-Prices
Hybrid cars are in! The German luxury car maker, BMW has announced its plan to introduce the hybrid cars in India by next two years. Though, currently only one hybrid car (Honda Civic) is ruling the Indian roads, the car is expected to get its siblings very soon. The hybrid car from BMW will also make its international debut at the same time. The company’s sale target has been raised even in this course of inflation. The increasing sale target during this tough time is really appreciated. The reason is very simple! BMW produces luxury cars that are exclusively designed and manufactured for the premium customers, who are not at all affected by the increasing fuel price or interest rate. Moreover, they don’t have to depend on car loans for the payment. With such an impression of the BMW cars, we are sure that the upcoming hybrids will also create a benchmark in India as well as global car industry. Labels: BMW-Cars, Hybrid-Car
In the Indian automotive industry, opportunities and risks are present alike. At one end if the growth opportunities are increasing with technological advancements, on the other end, risks are approaching even faster with high inflation. The only thing that can balance the scale of opportunities and risks is the unshakable power of the car manufacturers. In the present scenario, if you check, there are enormous possibilities for profitable growth of the car industry. The industry will grow, if certain steps could be introduce such as fuel economy engines, alternate fuel, and refurbishing the structure according to the need of the customers. Even government can help to a great extent in improving the depressing condition of industry. Car manufacturers can even gain business margins by executing effective marketing strategies. Marketing is the core of every business and if this is strong nothing can hold the industry from flourishing. In the same time, massive number of risks and obstacles are blocking the path of industry growth. Are these obstacles so strong to be broken down? Are Indian car manufacturers so weak to fight the battle? There is nothing that we Indians can’t do. The current condition is comparatively tough with the highest inflation of about 11.63%. Fuel prices are soaring higher and higher along with the rise in interest rate. But the car manufacturers have also challenged this high inflation. They are coming out with offers, discounts, vouchers and are absorbing a high portion of the input costs in order to boost the sale. The first few weeks after the rise in fuel price were really tough for them but eventually they have moved ahead with high hopes and expectations. Amidst this backdrop, Indian auto industry is accomplishing the business by adapting new strategies like reducing costs, making more fuel efficient engines, and managing inventory. Labels: Changing-Car-Market, indian-Automobile-Industry
Thursday, 17 July 2008
 German auto major Volkswagen announces to launch a small car in 2010. The production for this car will start at its upcoming Greenfield plant at Chakan in Pune. Most car consumers have a belief that the proposed small car will compete with the Nano and decrease Tata’s market share. However, the industry news is that the small car from Volkswagen is a premium small car. The only thing common between the Volkswagen small car and the Nano is the tag “small car”. Volkswagen’s small car will be loaded with luxuries and accessories to enhance the comfort level and performance of the car. There are many Indian consumers who are currently in the hunt for a small car because of increasing on-road traffic. However, these consumers are wary of giving up the luxuries that sedans or SUVs offer. In such cases, a small car embodied with luxuries, comfortable accessories, and a fuel efficient engine wins the race to lure a wide range of car consumers. Labels: Nano, small cars, Volkswagen cars
 Volkswagen Jetta has entered the Indian car market with a competitive approach. The car belongs to the same segment as Skoda Laura, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. The tough competition between Jetta, Civic and Corolla is not a matter of concern but the Indian car market will keep a close watch on the affects that Jetta’s appearance will have on its cousin Laura. The Indian market has often seen products from two different makes of the same manufacturer enter the fray, but manufacturers were careful not to launch cars in the same segment as their brother or sister concern. Jetta and Laura are cousins that belong to the same segment and are equally priced somewhere between the range of Rs 13-16 Lakh. This is what will give birth to a new competition scenario. Jetta’s appeal is ordinary for German roads, but the design and style will win over Indian audiences. The car appears to be a better remake of the Volkswagen Passat and can be compared to the last generation European Honda Accord. However, exterior styling is where the similarities end. Skoda Laura is a classy car based on the A5 platform and comes with high-end technologies and a dynamic design. The car is exclusively customized to meet Indian weather and road conditions. The performance of the car is par excellence. Jetta might cannibalize the sale figures of the Skoda Laura and if that happens, Skoda would definitely not like it. Labels: jetta, Laura, Skoda, Volkswagen
The race for small car continues! Volkswagen enters the race and is targeting to produce better and lighter commercial vehicles along with an unnamed small car. The company has plans to roll out a slew of launches in the next two years. The company desires to gain a bigger market share with the proposed launches. Following this approach, the company recently launched its exciting sedan, Jetta. Jetta is available in three versions priced between Rs 12.97 to Rs 16.67 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi). Volkswagen Jetta is a tough competitor for the Skoda Laura, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. All these cars belong to the same segment and will definitely race with each other to get the maximum share of the pie. The upcoming small car will compete with the likes and performance of the Swift and Getz. It is expected that some officials from Volkswagen will drive to India to study the Indian small car market and judge the requirements and demands of Indian consumers. The company is putting in assiduous efforts with a keen desire to make the car India specific. The company envisions itself creating a benchmark in the Indian car industry with its upcoming models. Labels: Honda Civic, jetta, Skoda, Volkswagen cars
 The Indian car industry is caught in the middle of high inflation and interest rates, soaring fuel prices, and a steep decline in car demand and sales. The steep deviation has caught the industry by surprise. The Bajaj-Renault-Nissan alliance now plans to roll out a portfolio of electric cars with a keen desire to boost the sluggish car demand. The alliance desires to go beyond the ‘ultra low-cost car’ to introduce a range of electric vehicles in India. The company accepts this as a new marketing strategy and has a confirmed belief that car sales will boost as a result of this new marketing strategy. The Bajaj, Nissan, and Renault alliance is not restricted to the production of one single vehicle. The alliance is negotiating to extend their ULC partnership and produce a portfolio of electric vehicles in different segments with varying price tags. The alliance lays its focus on India because it is one of the most cost-effective production centres in the world even after inflation. Labels: Bajaj, Electric Cars, Nissan, small cars
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Road rage is a common problem these days. It is common to feel frustration at the sight of empty space in front of a car with a learner’s board. This frustration heightens if this situation occurs in a busy and crowded road at peak traffic with various other vehicles blowing their horns like there is no tomorrow. Another situation is the sight of a person driving at 20 km/h in the middle of a wide road, which makes overtaking absolutely impossible even though the road in front of this driver is empty of other vehicles. Speed is essential as the power of each vehicle increases and when a person is unable to rev at a desired speed for at least a few minutes, then the frustration takes over and what comes next is nothing but rash driving. Then come the two-wheelers and three-wheelers trying to squeeze into the tiniest gaps or revving at high speeds from the left to the right of the road leaving the four-wheelers completely responsible for any sort of misfortune that might befall them. The buses hold their own with no regard for others on the road, stopping at the centre of a highway to pick up passengers and racing each other to get to the next set of passengers. Small cars trouble drivers in big cars by showing no respect for lane principles and bigger cars show brawn and valiantly pass smaller cars who know that their damage will be greater in a brawl. If a driver tries to obey traffic rules and red lights after 11 at night, then he/she must be ready to have their ears blown off with the symphony of various horns. Soon, even for a good driver, the tension and pressure of driving on congested roads increases and the driver molds his/her attitude and driving style to that of everyone else. After being on the receiving end, it feels good to give some back, even if it is not to the same people. However, most times playful banter can go out of control of the driver and that is when complete chaos and carnage reigns. Backing off or refusing to race in the middle of a crowded street does not make one inferior to another – however, this does not seem to be the Indian way! Article Submitted by Pramod Labels: indian roads, road transport
With soaring petrol prices, most consumers have decided to switch to diesel engines. Car makers are in search for better fuel options and, in the meantime, have shifted their focus to the production of diesel variants. Petrol has always helped car makers gain better profit margins, but this fiscal year may see a completely different scenario. Maruti Suzuki launched a diesel variant for almost all its car models. Driven by increasing sales of the Maruti Swift and Maruti Swift Dzire, other car makers like Tata, Mahindra, General Motors, Hyundai, and Ford are also increasing production of the diesel variants of their existing car models. Both Maruti and Tata have higher gains on their diesel variants. 65% of the sale growth of Maruti cars is attributed to the diesel Swift and Dzire models; whereas Tata is experiencing 75% sale growth attributed to the diesel Indica and Indigo models. Today, diesel dominates petrol. Will this domination stay for long? Will diesel cars succeed in making their own markets or will diesel be replaced by hybrids and electrics? Only time will tell. Labels: Diesel, Diesel cars, maruti swift diesel
Fiat is trying to make a comeback in the Indian car industry with its new Fiat 500. The car will be launched exactly 50 years after the launch of the original Fiat 500. Currently, it is difficult to test the compatibility between Fiat 500 and India. No one can say how well the 500 will work in the Indian car market. The older version of Fiat 500 was appreciated by the consumers because of its looks and cheap price tag, but the latest version is a stylish two-door car with loads of luxurious amenities and a higher price tag! The small car segment in India has been the most successful, but buying a small car mostly focuses on affordability. One Fiat 500 will cost the same as 12 Tata Nano cars or 6 Maruti 800 cars or 5 Maruti Alto cars or 4 Chevrolet Spark/Hyundai Santro/Tata Indica cars. Fiat is completely dependant on the car’s advanced features and superb performance to overshadow the price factor. An elegant and striking exterior with loaded interiors may just help Fiat turn the tide and score a 500 win in India. Labels: Fiat, Fiat 500, Fiat Motors
Driven by soaring crude prices, auto giants are in search of alternative fuels. Most car makers are digging further into the earth with hopes of finding something that is renewable and provides good fuel efficiency. General Motors, Daimler Chrysler and Mahindra & Mahindra have come up with Jatropha. Jatropha is a non-edible shrub with seeds containing a high proportion of oil. This oil can be used to prepare bio-diesel. GM and Daimler Chrysler have already started tests on their vehicles using Jatropha as an alternative fuel source. These auto giants have strong support from Gujarat-based Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI). They are planning to use this fuel in their futuristic engines. GM and Daimler are planning to start cultivating the Jatropha to save on production costs. This fuel may be a complete solution to all fuel-related issues. Labels: Bio-Fuel, Fuel, Hydrogen fueled vehicles
 Hybrids and electric cars are making big news in India as fuel prices and loan interest rates go sky high. People are now looking for fuel efficient cars that are less dependent on fossil fuels. Sensing the pulse of buyers, the government has rolled out sops for hybrid cars sold in India. The Honda Civic Hybrid recently entered India while E10 cars (10 percent ethanol) cars like the Accord are already present on Indian roads. Hyundai is planning to bring its own version of Hybrid technology to India. It plans to bring in hybrid variants of the Accent, Sonata and Avante. The domestic auto giant Mahindra and Mahindra has already introduced the Scorpio Hybrid for its market abroad. Most of these hybrids are sold because of their low running costs, but there is a huge difference in the cost of hybrid and original petrol versions of these cars. However, it is electric cars that provide the best answer to saving fuel costs and recovering investment. Interestingly, it is India’s own Electric Car manufacturer Reva Electric Car Company which beats the best in the business and proves to be the most cost effective car. According to experts, the electrically charged REVAi car can save up to Rs 4,500 in fuel costs every month for a travel distance of 45 km everyday. This amount will help recover the cost of the Reva car within a few years time. On the other hand, recovery of the difference in price between a Hybrid and its petrol counterpart can take years if calculated in cost saving due to fuel-efficiency. However, hybrids do offer better power and comfort compared to the electric cars available in India today. Labels: Electric Cars, Environment friendly cars, green cars, hybrid cars, LPG cars
 Electric cars have received poor response from Indians. India’s own Reva has been the most successful venture among electric cars in the world. Bangalore-based Reva Electric Car Company is seen to vroom only in a few cities in India. It was only recently that the decks were cleared for Reva cars to hit the national capital Delhi. For a country like India, this is too little. Electric cars continue to post poor sales and receive very little encouragement from the Government. But UK has already taken a liking to this car. There are over 1000 cars running only in London. The British authorities have already granted special rights to the Reva car and cut down taxes. They also provide concessions like free parking with free electricity supply for re-charging. These proactive steps from the UK government encourage fuel efficient cars like the Reva to become popular among lawyers, doctors, architects, corporate executives, and various others. One peek at India reveals that the government is spending several crores on promoting and encouraging highly polluting cars and added to this, we have no stringent norms on emission levels. Makes me wonder if there is some high level of politics going on in the Government that we as people of India are not aware of! Article Submitted by a.k.a Jostler Labels: Electric Cars, Maini Reva, Small Car
 Today, when Nano is at its stage of completion, it is facing various obstacles and challenges. There are three main obstacles that Nano has to overcome. Firstly, the increased cost of production, secondly, the increased material costs, and thirdly, the high interest rates. All these obstacles have challenged the launch of Nano with the announced price tag. Tata Motors have already overrun the cost of production, spending an amount of three billion more than the expected price. An excess of three billion will directly affect the price tag of the Nano during its launch. The company is currently not willing to comment about the launch of the car with the announced price tag.
The increased material costs have hampered the estimated cost price at the final stage and the company is paying a huge amount for raw materials to reach its product target. Even Tata is not sure how much more the company has to pay to complete his dream project. Apart from high input costs, the company is also expected to face the obstacle of high interest rates. People who were eagerly awaiting the Nano launch are now stepping back because the rate of interest has reached almost 17-18%, something that a person with low wages cannot afford. Tata is working hard to push the world’s cheapest car into the Indian market even with all these obstacles. The car was designed with a dream of meeting the needs of low-income families, but now the question is - will this dream be fulfilled? Labels: small cars, Tata cars, tata nano
The Ambassador was the only car to be used as taxis, followed by small cars like the Indica. Today luxury cars like the Corolla, Benz, and Lancer are also being used to ferry government officials and local commuters who prefer luxury cars for enhanced comfort. With so many cozy cars equipped with innovative and advanced technologies, Hindustan Motors lost hopes to bring back the Ambassador on Indian roads. But today, the company has come up with fuel-efficient engines with petrol, diesel and CNG versions that meet the Bharat Stage 2 and Bharat Stage 3 emission norms. With a better fuel efficient engine, the company is sure that Ambassador will be back on Indian roads and become a good value proposition for the taxi segment. It is said that the company has made an investment of Rs. 60 Million to update the engines and is expecting to hit the sales target of 12,500 units this fiscal year. Definitely food for thought. Labels: Ambassador, General Motors, Hindustan Motors
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
 Audi, German luxury car brand, plans to absorb import taxes on its newly launched A4 sedan to India instead of transferring the cost of import to the consumer. The only reason to absorb taxes is to maintain the announced price tag of the new Audi A4 before its launch. Volkswagen Audi is planning to start local operation for A4 at its Aurangabad facility by the end of this year. Till then, Audi is not willing to have a price difference just because of the import duty levied on the A4 for the next few months. After local production starts, the company will save on import taxes to bring down the cost price of the car. This will make the car affordable to most Indian buyers. The company announces Audi A4 to be the cheapest Audi car in the country, costing Rs. 29 Lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai) for the diesel version. The expected sales target for A4 is about 300-400 units this calendar year. Audi is also committed to locally manufacturing its other luxury cars like the A6, A8, TT Coupe and Q7 by the next fiscal year. Labels: Audi, luxury cars, new car launch
Friday, 11 July 2008
So many cars have rolled out on Indian road this year that it has become difficult to count the numbers. Since the beginning of this year, many cars have been launched. Now, Hyundai is eager to introduce out its small car, the i20.
It is believed that i20 will be an expansion of Hyundai Getz. The company planned to manufacture this car after the great winning success of its recent car model i10. The Getz has not been able to lure customers because of the unsatisfactory looks but i10 has won awards and accolades. The company thereby produces a modification of Getz that would be loaded with classy interiors similar to i10. Getz in terms of leg space is huge with comfortable seating. Just wonder if the car is expanded what would be the area of leg room and size of the rear seat. With the launch of Hyundai i20, the company has tied high hopes, aspirations and expectations. Will the hopes get fulfilled? Will i20 succeed in holding the expectations? No one can answer until the car actually makes the public appearance. Labels: Hybrid-Cars, New-Car
At this stage of time, it has really become difficult to understand the actual stage of the Indian car industry. A stage when car manufacturers are depressed with the slowing sale and the car dealers with piled stocks, BMW is coming out with new variants. BMW, a German luxury car manufacturer, has launched new variants of its 5 Series sedan. The variants are BMW 520d, 530d and 530d Highline motorized by a diesel engines. These cars are available in the price range of Rs 36.9 lakh and Rs 46.8 lakh. The desire to strengthening presence and creating a benchmark in the luxury car market has compelled the car manufacturer to launch these variants. These variants are claimed to be available with the highest quality, safety, and performance. Comfort and luxury are added standards of the car. BMW started assembling cars in India last year and this year the company has increased the production at Chennai facility with an additional investment of Rs 3 crore Will BMW be successful in meeting the sales target this year? Labels: BMW-Cars, New-Variants-Launch
After lining up of new luxury car models by BMW and Mercedes, Audi also launches its beautiful sedan, the Audi A4.
The German luxury car manufacturer has launched Audi A4 sedan in India. This car is designed and developed with an innovative technology that offers extensive advantages over its predecessor. The car is available with an ex-showroom price (Mumbai) of Rs. 29 lakh. The car is available in two versions, the 2.0 TDI multitronic engine and the 3.2 FSI tiptronic Quattro engine. Both the engine use the direct fuel injection principle. Audi A4 is a new generation car with added luxuries and comfort. If you give a deep thought to the entry of this new sedan to India, then your mind will keep waving with excitements, surprises and doubts. Excitements and surprises are obviously associated with the elegant and classy appearance and interiors. But a doubt is still there. Whether A4 will be successful in winning the race between the luxury cars lining up in India? Labels: Audi-A4, New-Car-Launch
Nothing can be commented on the Indian economy, growth, development and expansion. At one end of the scale, car manufacturers are cutting down production and on the other end auto supportive companies are expanding their reach in the Indian market. Delphi is among one such company that is planning to establish its manufacturing plant in Chennai to produce electronics and safety management system products for vehicles. You won’t believe but its true that the company is making an investment of Rs 300 crore. This unit will produce products like seat belts, airbags, immobilizers and microprocessor-driven controls. Is the investment worth? Is this right time for expansion? No one knows the answer to this but the company is all set with the investment and approved land. Labels: Delphi, Manufacturing-Plant
Thursday, 10 July 2008
The car industry today is full of challenges and competition. The only manufacturer who fights the challenges can win the race.
As we all know that Honda was once a supplier to Toyota, but today it has its own identity and credibility in the market. Just go beyond your imaginations and think what Honda has done to overpower Toyota. It’s nothing more than the power of hopes, desires and dreams. It’s truly been said that the best way to achieve success is to dream. If you seriously hold a dream to reach the sky then trust you’ll definitely reach there. That’s the only policy Honda accepted and see where they are today. Honda has always been uniform in their unique strategies and production capabilities. The company is capable to manufacture a car model from any segments and categories like SUVs, luxury segment, small cars, sedans and even a range of fuel efficient cars. Maintaining its consistency, Honda is still able to meet the changing consumer demands. Whereas Toyota India is facing mass attrition of their top professionals, many of them have joined its rival. Glance at the Indian car market today. It is predominated with fuel efficient and high performance cars like Civic, CR V, Accord and City. With the increasing demand of Honda cars in the market, the company will definitely take over Toyota in no time with a winning excitement. Labels: Honda-Cars, Toyota-Motors
The headlines of the past few days in the car industry clearly stated that the car sale has dropped down as compared to the previous month. If you go and ask the car dealers, they have a mass of unsold cars stocked in their showrooms. What are they going to do with that? Some of them are dumping them in local markets, while others are selling cars with added discounts and some are even going for finance. It really sounds strange that car dealers are going for finance. Do you know the reason why? Whatever is the case, dealers have to pay the manufacturer for the car stock they bought. Many of them are going for additional finance to pay the manufacturers. Even they are afraid to go for finance with such high interest rates. If dealers are afraid of the interest rates then it’s obvious that consumers will stay away from car loan and finance. Labels: Car-Industry, Car-Sales
Car manufacturers are moving one after the other to invest for building their production facilities in India. The main objective of doing so is the low-cost of production and availability of engineering skills. General Motors is planning to invest nearly an amount of Rs 1200 crore to set up the power train producing facility at the Talegaon plant, near Pune. The power train producing facility is expected to produce almost 2 lakh units per year. The company will also use the plant for producing car engines and gearboxes for the Spark that will be exported globally. In order to finalise the plan of Talegaon facility and implement ideas of a successful plant, the company will sign the memorandum of understanding with the Maharashtra Government. Labels: General-Motors, Indian-Investment
After the production of Nano, global auto players have their eye on Indian engineering skills. Car manufacturers from all over the world are sourcing our country for competence and components. Global car manufacturers now have a perception that India can be a hub for the production of small cars. They are confident that by outsourcing their production to India, they will benefit a lot in terms of efficiency and cost cutting. Maruti is ready to come up with its ‘A-star’ model. The company is also laying focus on research and development for developing a unique engineering pool in India. Other car players like Hyundai, General Motors and Honda have also accepted India as a sourcing hub for next generation small cars. The road is not long for India to become the small car hub. Labels: Indian-car-industry, Small-Car-Hub
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Luxury car manufacturers are continually lining up new cars for India. Even after such a high inflation, the luxury car segment is not affected. This segment is constantly growing in India. Earlier, the Indian luxury car market was headed by Mercedes-Benz. It was the only brand name in luxury segment. But, now many models and makes have emerged. Some of the popular and leading luxury car makers today are BMW, Porsche, Rolls Royce and Audi. All these manufacturers have come up with unique, stylish and elegant cars like Audi A4, Porsche 911 Carrera, BMW 5 series and Mercedes E class. Mercedes-Benz is also planning to roll out its spruced up M class and SLK models. All the models are priced between Rs 37 lakh and Rs 1.5 crore depending on the make and luxury features. Most of the car manufacturers are moving towards small car segments and hybrids but luxury car manufacturers are still happy with the sale. Even the car dealers emphasise more on luxury cars. Labels: Indian-car-industry, Luxury-Cars
The thought keeps rolling in and out as to why the car manufacturers have rescheduled their production cycles. Is it the increasing fuel prices? Is it the increasing input costs? Or is it the slowing down of car sales? The latest news of the car industry clearly states that car sales are going down drastically. Car dealers and distributors are left with pile of unsold cars. The increasing inventory and decreasing sales have further compelled car manufacturers to reschedule their production cycle and reduce the number at this stage. Not only the car makers and dealers are affected with the rescheduled production but also the car component suppliers. Almost all the car companies have given a halt to the supply of components. The news is in the air that Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Ford Motor and General Motors are streamlining their production plans to comply with the current scenario. Labels: Car-Industry, Car-Production-Cycle
With so many cars rolling on Indian roads, Lancer Evolution X will be the one too. Mitsubishi Motors, Japanese automobile manufacturer, is keen to drive its luxury car, Lancer Evolution X to India. Named as Evolution 10, the car is expected to lead the launch of Mitsubishi SUV, Outlander. Evo X is likely to carry the price tag of Rs 21.70 to 23.5 lakh. This price tag will definitely bring the car in competition with other luxury cars like Honda Accord, Volkswagen Passat, Toyota Camry, Nissan Teana and Audi 4. Car manufacturers have laid more emphasis on the interior performance rather than the exterior looks. Evo X will be available with features like rugged 2-litre engine providing a torque of 295 bhp, aluminium engine block an innovative safety feature, and four-wheel drive (4WD). Labels: Mitsubishi-Car, New-Car
Fiat is ready to roll out its two door stylish car, Fiat 500 this month. The company is trying to expand its presence in India and establish a strong niche in the Indian car market. Fiat is pretty fast on the expansion mode. Bravo, Linea and Grande Punto are also car expected to be launched in December. The car will target the affluent sections of the society mainly the celebrities, youth and car freaks. The price is likely to be around Rs 15 lakh. Some say it’s a completely new car and others have a view that it’s an expansion of the Palio, a car that is much in demand. The company has a belief that the launch of 500 will market the launch of Fiat Linea, a mid-size sedan, about to launch in September. Labels: Fiat-500, New-Car-Launch
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
Many car manufacturers are planning to roll out green cars in India and so is Mitsubishi. The company is planning to roll out its innovative electric vehicle, ‘I MiEV’, to India after its success in Japan and Hong Kong.
This car is a part of the agreement between Hindustan Motors and Mitsubishi. The joint venture has a keen desire to line up its make and increase their presence in the global auto market. With innovation and advancements the venture tries to beat the market in all possible ways. MiEV, a mini car, is one such way of beating the market. This mini car comprises of classy interiors and a fuel economic engine. The price is expected to be around Rs 8 lakh and this amount can run up to 180 kms in one recharge.Price is only a prediction, so we have no option than to wait for the launch in 2010. Labels: Electric-Car, Mitsubishi-Car
Why are you all still sleeping? Wake up dear; it’s time for us to park the Spark. General Motors India, after reducing the price tag of Chevrolet Spark, is becoming more and more aggressive about the sales. The company feels that even after such a heavy discount, customers are not reaching them. Is this because consumers are not aware of the discounts or consumers just don’t want to buy any car at this point of inflation?
The company feels the need to publicise and market the offer with wider and better strategies. General Motors is rolling out with integrated marketing campaign revolving around Spark. The offer is available for a limited period to meet the needs of prospective buyers. The campaign strategy has made a wide appearance through various communication and advertisement sources like television, radio, newspapers, magazines, cinemas, multiplex, hoardings, SMS, e-direct mailers, in-mall displays, showroom advertisement and rural activation. The company has not left any means of communication available today to ensure that each and every consumer is addressed by the discount offer. Labels: General-Motors, Marketing-Strategies
After the heavy rise in fuel and steel prices, most of the car makers decided to absorb the high input cost to lure consumers. But, how long will they absorb these input costs? In the previous month, looking at the critical car market conditions, the car manufacturers had offered heavy discounts on car prices. Unfortunately, some of them have reduced the amount of discount offered last month. Hyundai is still continuing with the actual discount offers but Maruti and Tata have cut down their promotional offers. Maruti Zen Estillo had a discount of Rs 26,000 last month which has been brought down to Rs 16,000. Similarly, the discounts on Wagon R, has been brought down from Rs 21,000 to Rs 10,000. Tata also brought down the discount offered on Tata Indigo from Rs 25,000 to Rs 20,000. Labels: Car-Discounts, Input-Cost
Cheers! There’s good news for car manufacturers and car lovers. Rising inflation has forced the government to pressurise the steel companies to cut down their steel costs. The government has a belief that this reduction will at least bring some sort of relief for both the car makers and consumers. All the steel companies and manufacturers have agreed to cut down the cost by 10% and review a complete list of steel retail price. The cut down price is put into immediate effect to almost Rs 48,000 per tonne. Reduction in steel price will eventually lead to low cost production as the input costs will be less. This was help in reducing a great burden over the minds and hearts of car manufacturers. Car makers will be able to sell cars at a lower price tag, which further boost the sale. Labels: Input-Cost, Steel-Price
Monday, 7 July 2008
Car finance is not new to India, but momentum is up from nearly half a few years back to more than three quarter of the number of cars purchased in India are financed now. The remaining quarter is mainly delivered by the corporates buying cars in bulk for their employees. The scenario is same everywhere around the world. In developed countries, more than 85% of the cars are financed. Rising interest rates and oil prices may be holding your feet to move forward and have your first car but these are the factors which are macro in nature and on long run these should balance them with favourable ones. No economist is dead sure on when and in what structural form will the new economic revival take place in the world. If you are planning to buy your new car and want to finance it do contact us either through our website or send any of your doubt or reservation. We will you provide the correct information regarding the same. Submitted By: Nitin Yadav, Manager Marketing, Alternate channel, Team ICICI Bank. Labels: Car-Finance, New-Car
Is 2010 a year of car launch? General Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Audi and other leading car players are planning to come up with new cars next year. Following them, Mitsubishi also plans to roll out a variant of Mitsubishi Lancer.
Hindustan Motors has a technical tie up with Mitsubishi and under this, the company is preparing for the launch of Lancer variant. The news is in the air that car will belong to the executive segment and will cost much more than the mid-size segment, Lancer. As the car is at the budding stage it will take another 10 to 12 months to reach completion and hit Indian roads with power and pride. Labels: Mitsubishi-Car, New-Car-Launch
With the rise in inflation and increasing pollution, the government is also supporting the innovative green technology. The Government of India is planning to cut down excise and custom duties on eco-friendly cars in order to encourage the use of alternative fuel sources. At present, only Honda Civic hybrid is there in the country, the car that is attracting an import duty of 104%. Policy makers and finance ministry are all supporting and encouraging the production of hybrids. Tata and Mahindra are also planning to enter the market with hybrid versions of Indica and Scorpio, respectively. In other countries hybrid cars are given a favourable tax treatment and if the same applies to India, then both the production and sale will boost in no time. Car manufacturers are ready with their ideas – they just need liberal rules and policies to implement their ideas into successful plans that will definitely be beneficial for the country. Labels: eco-friendly-cars, Reduction-in-Exercise-Duty
The race is on to lure customer amidst rising inflation. Last week General Motors announced a discount on Chevrolet Spark. Now, Hyundai India has come up with the exchange and upgrade offer. Sound exciting! Buyers can exchange small old cars for the big new cars. The company will evaluate the condition of the car and the paid EMI, based on this the company will offer a return value that a customer can use for down payment for a new big car. This scheme is applicable only for customers who are paying EMI on their small cars.
Don’t get hyper and lost if you don’t have any car to exchange because Hyundai is also providing a wide range of cars on low EMI for first time car buyers.This offer is valid on all Hyundai cars and will stay till the end of this month. So, reach them before it’s too late. Wake up folks and run to grab the greatest offer of the month. Labels: Car-Discounts, Hyundai-cars
Friday, 4 July 2008
General Motors is the first one to reduce the car prices after the rising inflation and high loan interest. Many car manufacturers are following the line. Volkswagen being one of them is planning to roll out cheaper variants of Passat and Passat CC. 
Volkswagen is planning to come out with a cheap variant of Passat that would be powered by a common rail engine and a manual gearbox. Another reason of Volkswagen reducing the car price of Passat is willingness to compete the car sales of Honda Accord. New variant of Passat CC is inspired by the car model Mercedes CLS. The car is designed on the basis of standard sedan’s signs and is expected to be more upmarket. Will Volkswagen be successful in fulfilling the desire behind producing cheaper variants of Passat and Passat CC? Labels: Car-Price, Volkswagen-cars
Wake up folks, your car is waiting for you! Many people dropped down their idea of buying a car after the rising inflation. Even the high price tag due to high input costs drastically reduced the demand. In order to meet these challenges and competition, General Motors have changed their strategies and cut down their profits.
It is now offering one of the most fuel economic cars, Chevrolet Spark, at a price tag of Rs 2.66 lakh. This price is for the base variant all around India. The car was launched at a cost price of Rs 3.09 lakh last year. Wow! Buyers can avail a complete discount of Rs 55, 000. This is the second time the company is offering a discount on Spark. During the first discount also, they had made good profit even after selling the car at a comparatively low price. So, go grab the discount offer. Labels: Car-Price, Chevrolet-Spark
Even though the Nano is yet to launch, speculations of Nano’s variants is in the air. Tata Motors is planning to roll out Nano variants to meet the challenges offered by the government and the market. Increase in fuel prices, environmental issues and fuel economy is expected to be resolved by the new models of the Nano. The company is prepared for the upcoming challenges and is emphasising completely on the environment friendly and fuel economic aspects. New variants are also at present under development and are expected to meet the changing requirements of global car markets. Will Tata be successful in meeting the challenges? Will it be able to bridge the gap between infrastructure, luxury, lifestyle, energy and power? Labels: Nano, Tata-Motors
Hybrid cars from an Indian manufacturer for US roads! Sound great. Soon after the launch of Honda Civic Hybrid, all leading companies are planning to launch hybrid in India. But Mahindra has high plans to launch a diesel-hybrid variant of its Scorpio SUV for US. The company has high expectations from this variant and is expecting to launch it by 2010 in the US market. It’s nothing to wonder. The diesel hybrid version will be introduced in US market and manufactured in India. If India is planning to import a car to US then think how fuel efficient the car will be? The US has the toughest emission norms and safety guidelines. India importing cars to America is skeptical. But that’s the truth. To give a believing view to this fact, the company is investing million of dollars in developing a center 100 miles from Mumbai. The center will be dedicated to the production of diesels, hybrids and diesel hybrids. Will Mahindra be successful to deliver a safe and reliable diesel-hybrid SUV? Labels: Hybrid-Cars, US-Market
Thursday, 3 July 2008
Trust, there is a rough road ahead, a road with hurdles for the industry. The chairman of Tata Motors, Ratan Tata, has a strong belief that next year will be full of challenges for the Indian car industry. Don’t you also think the same? The first challenge faced by the industry is the peak height in fuel prices. Car manufacturers are working with head and heart to resolve the issue with innovative technology and advanced engines. This month they have beaten the fuel prices but the increasing steel prices has blocked the road. Increase in steel prices is definitely going to affect the overall estimated cost of production. None of the car manufacturers will be selling the cars cheaper than the production cost. No idea of how the major car players are planning to overcome this obstacle. It is also expected that the next year will come with an unprecedented increase in material costs in steel, tyres, rubber, plastic and the like. Far apart, how can we forget the increasing rate of interest? Couple of increases and hikes is definitely going to accompany the forthcoming year. So, be aware and prepare. Labels: Car-Industry, Fuel-Prices
Why has the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) opposed the Government’s plan of importing used cars to India? Nobody is sure of the reason but some resources state that the SIAM has a doubt that trading of cars will greatly hamper the growing car industry in India. Importing can be a great risk to the Indian industry. SIAM even has a doubt that the used cars imported in the country are among those that are thrown out. These are simply a waste for them and that’s the reason they trade out these cars. Should our government encourage such kind of trading? Would we actually benefit something out of this? No. Then why the Government is supporting import of used cars? Labels: Car-Import, Used-Cars
Where has all the fuel gone? Nobody knows the answer to this question but the fact remains that major cities like Delhi and Bangalore are running short of fuel. The condition in Bangalore and rest of Karnataka is expected to worsen. The scenario in Bangalore is expected to deteriorate in next few days. From the past two-three days, the most running fuel stations in the city are being shut down much before the closing time because of fuel shortage. Many customers are even forced to buy premium fuel, some are compelled to buy branded and costly fuel like Speed and some are left without fuel. Those who are left without fuel are travelling in public transport because they could not fill their car fuel tanks before fuel ran out of stock. The petro-dealers are saying that there is almost 30 percent of fuel shortage but Oil Companies refute the fuel shortage. Whom should we believe? Is fuel being reserved for special categories? Are petro-dealers unwilling to give normal petrol? Or it is being traded for high income? After all the fuel prices are at the peak. Think deeply and you’ll definitely get the answer to, “Where’s the Fuel?” Labels: Fuel-Prices, Fuel-Shortage
Kinetic Engineering is all set to start supplying component for Tata Motors small car project within the next two months. Good for the wonder car, the Nano, it will no more depend on other suppliers as the Kinetic Engineering is setting up assembly plant within the Singur plant and also at the Ahmednagar factory. And with the in house supply of the components the production work will speed up.
It is worth mentioning that with this, the Kinetic engineering will have a good comeback. Since last two years, the company has been undergoing an extensive restructuring and now it has diverted its two wheeler business towards auto components supply. Well, both the enterprise will be equally benefitted. Labels: Car-components, Nano
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
 Maini, the creator of Reva sees a complete power shift for cars very soon. Yes, that’s true. With the increasing fuel prices, it is expected that almost all the car manufacturers will soon shift their car model from gasoline engines to electric engines. Many believe that electric cars will takeover fuel powered cars in the next few years.
Since centuries there are issues attached on the oil crisis. In 1970s there was a severe oil crisis but unfortunately India was lacking technology, so nothing could be done. Later, 1980s and 1990s, good technology popped up in to the Indian market but fortunately sufficient oil was there. Far apart, even the environment was cleaner during those times, so nobody give a thought over replacing oil. But now, the environment is also becoming more and more polluted with the increasing number of cars on Indian roads. Today we have good technologies and innovation that can effectively be used to shift gasoline powered engines to electric motors. If this really happens, then it will be a great transformation of the face of car industry. Labels: Electric-Engines, Maini
Wow! Car industry is constantly racing to win the battle. It wins!! After the increase in fuel prices and cost of production, most of the car manufacturers were distressed with the belief that the car sale will go down. But they are smiling today because a complete union of leading car manufacturers is finally successful in beating the fuel price hikes and increasing their car sales. Eventually, car industry is recovering with Hyundai and Maruti reporting jumps in their car sales during June. Is it really true? Even after such a drastic increase in fuel prices, are people still buying the gasoline cars? Just don’t know. No guesses. But one thing is sure that the sale will definitely fall down when a good number of cost-effective hybrid cars or electric cars would come into picture. It’s a long way to go, till then reap the benefits and enjoy the gain. Labels: Car-Industry, Fuel-Prices
Amtek Auto and Frankfurt-based KSM Castings are believed to be competitors of auto supplies. Good to know that two competitors are now planning to join hands and get the largest acquisition in the automotive forging space. Everyone in the auto industry is in dilemma thinking how these two global private equity players unite. But that’s true that they are planning to do so with a keen desire of consolidating their business through means of new strategies and policies. Amtek has almost 40% share in the Western market and still desires to increase the share percentage. The company is sure that joining the big name KSM Castings will definitely help to change the complete scenario and increase the share in the market. The proposed acquisition is still far away till then will the players continue the race or quit the race. Labels: Amtek-Auto, KSM-Castings
With so many car manufacturers launching new car models, Hindustan Motors, maker of the Iconic Ambassador cars in India, also thought, why should they stay behind? With a keen desire to keep its position in the industry, Hindustan Motors is also planning to launch a passenger car in India. The car is expected to launch in October in union with Mitsubishi Motors. The company has witnessed a heavy setback after falling sale’s slop of the top surviving car, the Ambassador. This car has lived for centuries but now is restricted to certain cities like Kolkata. To overcome the slow down, the company has developed a completely new platform for producing cars with innovative features. Ambassador was a sturdy and powerful car. Just wondering, will Hindustan Motors be able to gain the same response and profit with the proposed passenger car. Labels: Hindustan-Motors, New-Car
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
As Tata Motors is gearing up to roll out the Nano, the largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki is gaining confidence that the Nano will fail to compete any of its car models. If think wisely, it is much true because this 1 lakh car is of no value to people who are buying Santro, Indica, Indigo and other cars falling in a higher price category. Even people who can afford to buy a car like Alto that falls in the 2 lakh category will also rarely go for the Nano. Even the people belonging to lower middle class who cannot even buy a two-wheeler, how will they afford to spend Rs 1 lakh? As it is, 1 lakh price tag is expected to be raised by some percentage during the final launch. Just wonder who will actually buy Tata Nano? It’s is creating a new segment. The only percentage of people going for the Nano attributes to the category that can afford a two wheeler and are aiming to own a car. If given a second thought, only class would go for the Nano. This is because in cities like Bangalore and Mumbai, the roads are jammed with cars and bikes. In such cases it is really easy and more convenient to drive a bike rather than spending hours in a car and wait for the traffic to clear down. What do you think? Will Maruti win its own confidence? Or the Nano will kill the confidence of Maruti? Labels: Car-competition, Tata-Nano
With the increasing steel prices and fuel prices, all car manufacturers are increasing the price tag of their respective cars. Tata Motors expected a production cost of Rs.17 billion for the Nano but unfortunately this estimated cost was overrun by Rs 3 billion. Don’t you worry, you are in safe hands. Inspite of the increased input costs, the company has planned to absorb some portion of the hike and has promised to sell the car with minimal increase in price tag. The increased cost of production is also due to water logging at the Singur plant site during last year's monsoon and protests from a large group of peasants. Even then, the company is working at a breakneck speed to launch the Nano on the announced date. The company has also spent some amount in raising the level of land. So many expenses, pulls our thought to the actual launch price tag. Will the company still be able to sell the car at the proposed price tag? Labels: Car-Price, Tata-Motors
Get Set Go! Just wait on the end line, Jetta is ready to reach you. Volkswagen is all set to launch its new sedan VW Jetta in the month of August. Many are waiting for the launch of this car. For selling the car, the company is signing more contracts with car dealers and distributors. The car is likely to cost between Rs 13-16 lakh, this makes the Jetta much affordable than others in its class. Though the car display the Germanic looks, the styling is overall common. So many cars are rolling out that it is becoming even tougher and tedious to select the best car. Considering the growth of the Indian market, various car manufacturers including Volkswagen are racing to get the maximum share percent in the industry. Who is going to win the race? Will Jetta bring some shares to VW? A big question mark to what’s ahead. Labels: New-launch, Volkswagen-cars
Go Green with Hyundai! Hyundai is leading the industry today with its Indian made hatchbacks like Santro, Getz and i10. And now the company has high plans to drive hybrids in India.
Hyundai had launched the first hybrid in October 2004 for Korea. The hybrid version of Getz withstood all the storms and has created a benchmark for Hyundai. Now the company has plans to roll out hybrid versions of Avante and Sonata. Avante hybrid with propane powered engine is expected to launch next year and Sontata hybrid with the standard gasoline engine the following year. Hybrid technologies are also planned for small cars in India. Do you think Hyundai will be get good consumers response for the greener versions? We doubt because India is still lacking in advancements that support green technology. But other end of the mind still pushes to go ahead, after all one has to make a start. Labels: Hybrid-Version, Hyundai-cars
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