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Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Ok everybody, green is in. Now we didn’t vouch on that. It is being endorsed by the big guys. You see! And when it is Porsche who is endorsing green, we better sit back and believe it. Porsche, The celebrated sports car maker has bit the newest green car fad. It seems like being fuel guzzlers is not a matter of pride anymore. Ferrari has already announced that it will be bringing a hybrid sports car. A similar announcement has been made by Lamborghini too. So how could Porsche, another European sports car manufacturer be left behind in the race for green technology? Porsche has announced that it is working on launching a hybrid variant for its best selling SUV Cayenne. Did you hear that? A green Cayenne on its way to put a sock in the rattling mouths of the eco workers. The launch is expected to happen next year. At the same time, the newly launched four seater sedan Panamera too will be getting a hybrid sibling in the near future. As per the industry grapevine, Porsche is planning to develop a new engine that will deliver a fuel economy of 11 km/l on the Cayenne. This is an advancement of 25 percent of the current fuel efficiency of 6 km/l in city and 8.9 km/l on the highway. Since it has a reputation to maintain, Porsche engineers are working on a hybrid system that is better than what the world has seen so far. So far the biggest market for hybrid cars has been contained to United States, Europe and Japan. Other countries have a lot of catching up to do in terms of developing green technologies which will pave way for co-existence of environment and modern engineering. Porsche Cayenne is already available in India as an imported model. It is available in five variants in India including sporty GTS and Turbo versions. It is available with a price tag of Rs 56 lakh upwards in the country. If India is to get the hybrid model it has wait for some more time. (Tell us something new eh!) As the country has always been received technologies long time after the world has tested it. There are a few exceptions to it. Hybrids have never been received with open arms by the Indian consumers as they have other options to like the CNG and LPG variants. It will take some aggressive marketing to push the Porsche hybrid Cayenne in the Indian car market. Labels: Hybrid-Cars, Porsche, Porsche-Cayenne
 Toyota Motors sporting up their cars can be quite a strange thing at times. But the Japanese car giant has just done that with their Corolla Altis. Toyota Corolla Altis, the executive sedan is all set to pump up more blood in everybody’s heart with the sports version of the car. The sports version of Altis is a limited edition with only 300 of it being manufactured in India. The sportier version of Corolla Altis is aimed at the youth. Corolla Altis Sports is created with all new sporty and exhilarating features that are worth experiencing. Some of the exciting features that transform Altis sports are aerodynamic front and rear bumper spoiler, a refined headlamp garnish, sleek side skirts and elite rear LED spoilers. The interior is seen with a two-tone seat fabric and wood finish rear cup holders add extra charm to the premium car. Toyota Corolla Altis was launched in 2008 as a replacement to the ageing old Toyota Corolla which received impressive response. This inspired the company to bring in the sports version which is expected to add extra mileage to the sales figure. Available in two attractive colours of metallic grey and metallic silver, Corolla Altis Sports comes with the price tag of Rs Rs 11.35 lakhs, ex-showroom, Delhi, which is higher than the existing Corolla Altis. Labels: Corolla- Altis- Sports, Limited-Edition, New-Car Launch, Toyota- Kirlosker
 After the Suzuki A-Star and the Ritz, Maruti has launched a new car. Well, it will be wrong to call it a new car as this car is a limited edition variant of the Swift. This “newly launched” car is christened as Glam. The new hatchback from Maruti Suzuki is all decked up to match its contenders. Swift Glam will have an appealing dual tone dashboard, exquisite beige upholsteries, sizzling new wheel covers and handy rear parcel tray. This sporty car will now sport body-coloured Outside Rear View Mirrors (ORVMs) and door handles. The Swift VXI Glam will come with an integrated audio system and Keyless remote entry. Moreover, Maruti has introduced two new paint schemes for the Glam Limited Edition. The new colour shades are named Goldsmith Black and noble Arctic White. Only Maruti knows what’s black about goldsmiths and noble about the Arctic!!! But, why a limited edition? Competition is the answer. The new Fiat Grande Punto is positioned squarely against the Suzuki Swift, and the Hyundai i20 and the Honda Jazz are definitely more of premium hatchbacks than the top-end Swift. Moreover, there is a speculation that the Glam edition is Suzuki’s ploy to clear stocks before they introduce the K12M engine in the Swift. The Maruti Suzuki Swift Glam Limited Edition is only available in the petrol variant. Labels: Hatchback, K12M-Engine, Limited-Edition-Cars, Maruti-Suzuki-Swift
The Indian car market contrary to the global meltdown is growing in a faster pace than ever. Indian car market currently has about 1.7 million units on the road and is expected to grow by 3 million by the year 2015. It has been observed by market researchers that irrespective of the present scenario, the Indian car market is in the right direction. If India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) shows an annual growth of 6-7%, the car market is booming at the rate of 10-12 % which in turn showcases the flourishing rate of 5 per cent in the Indian economy annually.  The average Indian vehicle buyer for personal mobility is now shifting from scooter and three-wheeler towards motorcycles and cars. There is a wafer-thin margin between the cost of scooters and second-hand small cars. Furthermore, it has been anticipated that the days of owner-driven commercial vehicles are coming to an end and the fleet owners will dominate the scene including the design of the vehicles and their configuration according to intended use. In this run, the local carmakers need to scale up production and improve technology for the fear of being pushed around by the global contenders. The car market in India will see a major expansion in the mid size B segment while the growth of the small car segment will decelerate. India is likely to produce 3 million cars and Maruti and Hyundai are expected to dominate the market with a share of 1 million each. Other car giants such as Honda, Volkswagen, Mercedes or BMW will grow in their own niches. Labels: Car-Market-In-India, Indian-Car-Buyer, Small-Car-Segment
Monday, 29 June 2009
 Finally the two iconic brands from Britain, Jaguar and Land Rover (now owned by Tata Motors) did make a grand entry to the Indian road space. These award winning popular models with international fame includes range of luxury models like Jaguar XF, XFR and XKR and Land Rover Discovery 3, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover. The launch of these premium brands in India is a momentous occasion not only for Tata motors but for the entire Indian car industry. The price range of the Jaguar models will start from the Rs 63 lakh up to Rs 92 lakh while Land Rover has priced its models between Rs 63 lakhs and Rs 89 lakhs. Tata Motors has plans to introduce more models from the Jaguar and Land Rover in India. Both these brands were quite popular with the Indians in the past but the popularity had waned out. Now with the advent of these models in India, the whole Indian automotive sector could get an added boost. It’s up to these premium brands to see how they fare in the Indian terrain. Labels: Jaguar, Land-Rover, Luxury-Cars-In-India
 The leaping cat seems to be aiming for the throats of its enemies. Recently launched Jaguar is coming to get the Mercs and the Beamers for its share in the Indian Car market. Mercedes-Benz and BMW have been a hit with the people of India and are well placed in India. People have varied opinions on which brand is better and the stand is divided as a two party country with strong loyalty for either of the car brands. They are followed by dissidents like owners of Porsches and Ferraris in India. But they are small in number and can be ignored. The iconic British luxury car maker Jaguar has finally entered India. It has launched three models which will be strategically placed in the Indian car market with its competitive pricing of all models which are between Rs 63 lakh to Rs 90 lakh. The Jaguars are likely to compete with Mercedes E class and BMW 5- series. In fact several of Mercedes, Audi and BMW cars are priced in the same price range too. Other costlier models like BMW 7 series and Mercedes S class are priced higher than this price range. Jaguar is expected to cannibalise into the market share of Mercs and Beamers as the years roll by. The pricing is something that the luxury brands will have to fight tooth and nail to regain their hunting territory. Jaguar is a rare car with its stunning design and exemplary technologies. Jaguar has spent a fortune on development of new technologies and had launched the XF in 2008 as an epitome of its efforts. Its racy looks, advanced interior gadgets and real race car like performance is likely to draw a lot of Indians to its showrooms. Jaguar cars are considered rare pieces of engineering even by sports cars standards. The luxury car brands in India has a very small niche market with just over 10,000 units of these premium cars sold in the last fiscal which was priced over Rs 40 lakh. BMW and Mercedes-Benz have a lot at stake in the Indian car market. Mercedes alone has a market control of about Rs 400 in India. It if closely followed by BMW. Now with the launch of Jaguar cars in India, only time will tell if the cars have succeeded in making a dent in the premium car segment in India. Labels: Jaguar-XF, Luxury-Cars-In-India
The world’s cheapest car, Tata Nano will soon be ruling the small car segment in India within a year, provided everything goes according to Tata Motors’s plans. Maruti 800s and Omnis which were the chief people movers in India now would be taken out of the roads of eleven cities by January 2010 as they have failed to meet the required Indian emission norms. Tata Nano could benefit the absence of Maruti 800 and the Omnis as the possibility of a worthy contender to the Nano at least now has been marginalized. But the important question here would be Cab Tata produce enough units of Nano to meet the demands of the Indian small car buyer looking for an alternative for Maruti 800 and Omnis. Even if the Nano becomes the highest selling car in its segment, it would take some time to fill in Tata’s coffers. Tata Motors posted almost Rs 2,500 crore as loss in the last fiscal largely due to the tribulations of its UK subsidiary of Jaguar and Land Rover. Technically speaking, Tata Motors has to sell at least 2.5 lakh units of Nano to make up for the loss. The company may be in a position to produce the Nano in these numbers only by the end of 2010 once its plant at Sanand, Gujarat becomes operational. The basic model of Maruti 800, is priced at Rs 2.15 lakh whereas the Nano is attached to a price tag of Rs 1.35 lakh. This small car with its small budget is alluring prospective car buyers in India. Now with M800 and Omni phased out in eleven cities, Nano will positively rule the roads. These cities account for one out of two cars sold in the country. So we can imagine India teaming with Nano. Good Luck to you, Nano! Labels: Highest-Selling-Cars-In-India, Tata Motors, tata nano
Ever since the launch of Tata Nano was announced in 2008, environmentalists have been crying hoarse. They say that Nano will clog the roads. But will Nano alone be responsible for clogging of roads is a questionable factor. Let us look at facts of Tata Nano first- it is a low cost car easily available to most people n India. But Tata Motors will be able to manufacture only one lakh cars per annum. On the other hand big car manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai along with the other major car makers have production capacities in excess of 2 lakh units. In the year 2008-09, 15 lakh units of passenger cars including utility vehicles and multipurpose vehicles had made their presence felt in the Indian road space. Maruti Suzuki has been the chart topper after having sold the most number of cars in India. Alto, the top selling car of Maruti Suzuki has sold more than 10 lakh units in the last nine years and the fast selling Swift has sold nearly five lakh units in just four years. Compare them with Nano’s yearly target, and Nano would certainly stand pale in front of them. It will take half a decade to reach Swift hatchback’s record. Moreover, most Nano cars will sell in urban areas, while Maruti and Hyundai plan to move to rural markets to gain more sales in numbers. So, environmentalists get your facts right before pouncing on the Tata Nano. Labels: eco-friendly-cars, Low-Cost-Car, Tata-Nano
Friday, 26 June 2009
This is where the East meets West. German car manufacturer Volkswagen is looking for partnership with Suzuki Motors Corporation (SMC). The reason is Volkswagen wants access to Suzuki’s small car technology which is abundantly used in emerging markets like India. Asian cars are in huge demand across the world nowadays. And who better than Japan can deliver small cars. Right? According to news circulated by Reuters, Volkswagen is considering on securing a deal with Suzuki Motor Corporation and gain access to small car technology used in Suzuki cars. This initiative is in pursuance of Volkswagen’s global plans to beat Toyota and fight to the top Numero Uno position. Interestingly, Volkswagen already has small cars in its portfolio like Beetle, Rabbit, GTI, Polo and Up. But the German company feels that Suzuki truly knows how to make small cars. They are, inexpensive and less powerful than Volkswagen cars, but are very user friendly. It also has a 660 cc vehicle in Japan. Suzuki is the second largest car manufacturer in Japan, just behind Toyota, the world’s largest car manufacturer. It is also the majority partner in the Maruti Suzuki India. It is the builder of Maruti Suzuki Alto and A-star, which are hugely popular in European markets. But nobody is sure if the deal will get through this year. In the past too, Volkswagen has sent a similar request to Suzuki, but the deal never materialized. A lot of its future plans are at stake in this latest deal for Volkswagen. Suzuki will need to play its cards carefully before accepting the deal. Labels: small-cars-India, Suzuki-Motor-Corporation, Volkswagen-cars
Indian car market has been in news for strange reasons like marketing some of the world’s smallest cars like Maruti 800 and Tata Nano. With the advent of Maruti 800, small cars were first introduced in India by Suzuki Motor Corp in a joint venture with Maruti Udyog and there was no looking back for them as they introduced the small car fad which later was taken up by other car makers as well. What continued to amaze the car pundits in the international scene was the demand that small cars commended in India even when big cars and gas guzzlers was the norm in western countries. When General Motors, the then world’s largest car manufacturer entered India, they had to restructure their plans and bring in a small car which paved the way for Chevy Spark. Even Honda Motors which prided itself of marketing only premium sedans has been humbled to launch its hatchback small car Jazz in India. Toyota Motors, which until now has marketed big cars, now has been forced to bring in their Yaris to join the small car bandwagon fray. Breaking all the rules of game, Tata Nano has opened a whole new car segment in itself with the introduction of Tata Nano. Now another American automobile major Ford Motors has plans to launch a small car too. So why are so many small cars entering the small Indian car market suddenly? Of course it is the Moolah which attracts them all. More than 80 percent of the Indian car market is dominated by the small cars. Maruti Suzuki itself controls nearly 58 percent of that small car market in India. So much so, that the revenues from Maruti surpassed the revenues from Suzuki’s U.S. market. Indian car market has shown a strong preference for small cars. The small car market is so strong, that it refuses to fade away in the next couple of decades. The big car manufacturers feel that they will be able to reach out to customers more easily through small cars in India. These foreign based car companies want to enter the segment by bringing their highest selling cars in the international car market. If these companies are able to sell even a few lakhs units here in India, they can make a dent in the Indian car market.
The Fast just got faster. Oh no, we are not talking about the movie here. Mitsubishi, the fifth largest Auto giant in Japan has just made its top model Lancer Evo even faster to pamper the speed gurus. Mitsubishi Lancer series, the flagship model of Mitsubishi Motors was launched in 1973 as a cozy and luxury family car but gradually through the years and after many spectacular upgrades, the car has driven forward from being a bland family car to a sprinting track car. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution or the Evo series of the car which was launched about 17 years back has been upgraded by the UK subsidiary of Mitsubishi Motors to produce the fastest and more extreme version of this road going rally car ever, the FQ-400. Mitsubishi lancer Evolution FQ-400 comes with the tweaked up version of the lightweight aluminium 2.0-litre turbocharged MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control) engine with an output of 402 bhp and 525 NM of torque. WOW MAN this is insane eh? This hell of a machine has been priced at $80,000 USD and has started burning the roads since mid-June. This gen next Evolution X car amazes not just with its bombastic performance, but also its low speed friendliness and ease of use. Accelerating from 0 to 100kmph in just 3.8 seconds, this car will really turn heads on roads. We are all hoping to see this speed demon in WRC. Please lend thy ears to this Mitsubishi. Labels: Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi-Lancer, Race-Cars
Tata Nano, the little wonder from the Tata Motors stable has reached the masses literally. In a recent lottery draw held by Tata Motors to allot 1,00,000 Tata Nanos to its lucky owners, there is one owner who is will feel very blessed to have his dream car. Maruti Bhandari, a cobbler from Mumbai suburbs is one amongst the 1,00,000 lucky owners of the Tata Nano. Maruti was saving up to buy a motorcycle, but the idea of owning the ‘one lakh rupee car’ caught his fancy and he finally zeroed his choice on Tata Nano. He booked for a top-end variant of Tata Nano by paying a cheque of Rs 1.4 lakh in April. Now that he has been selected as one of the lucky owners of Tata Nano, he is elated and feels honoured. Maruti Bhandari is of the opinion that the Nano was designed for people like him who could afford the car and fulfill their aspiration in the process. Beaming with pride, this cobbler when asked about his Nano by a television channel, he said “Mera family ko ghumane le jaunga (I will take my family around)”. He is expected to get the keys of the Nano within a few weeks time when the delivery of the car begins. Thank you, Ratan Tata for making Indians re-live their dream of a inexpensive car again. Labels: Small Car, Tata-Motors, Tata-Nano
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Kizashi is India bound. Kizashi? Who Kizashi? What Kizashi? You might ask. ‘Kizashi’ though sounds much of a tongue twister; it is the name of the car Maruti Suzuki will be manufacturing in India in the near future to compete in the D-segment of Indian car market. Suzuki Kizashi was first unveiled at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show and than at the 9th Auto Expo in New Delhi in 2008 as a concept car. This concept car of Maruti Suzuki is anticipated to be launched in India by 2010. Maruti Suzuki’s conspicuous absence in the D-segment will be filled with the advent of the Kizashi. Expected to be priced at Rs10 lakh, Maruti Suzuki Kizashi will compete with Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Skoda Octavia and the Volkswagen Jetta. Kizashi is likely to be powered by a 3.6-liter V-6 engine that produces 300 bhp, and equipped with a six-speed transmission and 21 inch alloys. This sedan will come with a radical aero-dynamic design with a completely stylish look. The Kizashi will sport chic tapering headlights and elegant front design which is unusual in other small car models of Maruti Suzuki in India. The Kizashi concept illustrates and infuses a high degree of “style and sensibility’ to car and we all hope that the appealing blend of space, comfort, style and passionate spirit matching Maruti Suzuki’s user-centered functionality and performace engineering excellence is rolled into one in the form of Maruti Suzuki Kizashi. Labels: Honda Civic, Maruti-Suzuki, Toyota-Corolla
It looks like car buyers in India do not want to compromise on comfort and safety even while buying small cars. While India is still a frugal country with a cap on high spending, car manufactures are seeing that top end variants are selling like hot cakes. All car manufacturers including Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Honda Siel Cars and Toyota Motors are witnessing an unprecedented jump in sales of the top end variants of their products. In fact, the sales of top end variants have been so good that car manufacture are contemplating on phasing out base models altogether. Take a look at the statistics, Maruti Suzuki SX4 top end variant ZXi constitutes over 70 percent of the sales of the model. The same has been witnessed in Swift Dzire sedan where ZXi and VXi variants outsell the base LXi. The small car Alto LXi variant forms nearly 60 percent of the sales of this model. The same goes for Toyota which has many premium cars marketed in India. The top end variants of the expensive Corolla Altis and Innova are selling way beyond their initial expectation. The Innova VX was initially planned to be around 35 percent of the production of the car, but now constitutes for more than 50 percent of the sales. Much of the sales for the Corolla Altis come from the sale of its top end model 1.8 GL&V variant. Car buyers in India are no more interested in bare bones vehicles as cars. They are demanding more luxury features like anti-lock brakes, airbags, automatic climate control, engine immobilizers, alloy wheel and even special colours. This trend denotes that Indian market has grown up from its initial image and wants bigger and better cars. Bare bones cars are long sufficient to satisfy their need for a car. Labels: Honda-Siel-Cars-India, Indian-Car-Buyers, Maruti-Suzuki-SX4
When it comes to car market in India, the French may not have tasted success like the Americans, but they are never going to let go one of the biggest emerging car markets like India that easily. After Renault, now another French car manufacturer Peugeot-Citroen has confirmed its participation in India this year. This will not be the first time that Peugeot is coming to India. It was in India during 1993-94 and had marketed is Peugeot 309 model here. A series of unfavourable incidents left it with little option but to leave the country in 1997. The incidents that occurred to the French automotive giant in the last decade are hardly a reason of worry for Peugeot as they have come back in India with a renewed vigour. But it is likely that the company will bring in its best selling car models to test the Indian waters. Citroen with its wide range of small cars in its portfolio might be selected to do the dummy run in India to judge the mood of the Indian car buyers. The tough part of the project will be in creating an effective network of distributors for the company’s products and services. When Peugeot left in 1997, it had left back many unpaid dues to its old financiers, dealers and even customers. The company will first have to build confidence in the Indian distribution network to re-gain its lost footing. It will have to devise clever moves to instill confidence in customers who are unsure if the company packs up in India for the second time. But on the surface, Peugeot looks like it is sure of its India plans and has already started scouting for land to set up its manufacturing plant. Many states are already wooing the car manufacturer to set up its manufacturing facilities in their territory. Peugeot can make best use of the government’s incentives and strengthen its base in India. However, it has to be committed to stay and play in a country which has forced many big car manufacturers to come up with India specific products. Labels: Car-Market-In-India, Indian-Car-Buyers, Peugeot
Car thieves can now look out for an alternative job since the government has sprung into action to counter car thefts. Car theft is a point of concern for every car owner. Car thieving is a thriving industry running almost parallel to the auto industry. Ever since technology has been used in cars, there has been a rise in car thefts too. Though modern cars are delivered with safety features like anti theft devices, claiming to safeguard the cars from car thieves, car lifters always have come up more sophisticated technologies to lift the car. Now, National Informatics Center (NIC) after conducting loads of experiments has decided to execute a project where all the vehicle data from the regional transport offices (RTO) will be digitalised and migrated to one single location where a state register will be created. This Rs 148 crore project will be implemented by the end of 2013 June in phases. In an experimental stage, the police officials around the country will be provided with a device, which will be able to read the data on a new chip embedded in the smart driving license or the electronic registration form. This monitoring, officials claim, surely would prevent forging of documents and car thefts. Tamil Nadu is the pioneer state to bring this novel idea into reality. They have started issuing computerized driving license, which cannot be forged. With the help of digitalizing, officials will be able to trace the lineage of the car, which includes credible details regarding the owner as well as the registration details of the car. As a first step these details will be available for the transport department, and then later to other departments like police, intelligence and tax authorities. So adios car thieves, have a happy job hunting!!! Labels: Anti-Car-Theft-Devices, Car-Theft
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
It was only last month when a 1957 Ferrari’s 250 Testa Rossa, was auctioned for a whopping U.S. $12.2 million which was acclaimed as the world’s most expensive auction of a car ever. But this record will soon be broken when a 1936 Bugatti Type 57C coupe would also be auctioned speculate the auction pundits. This classic French machine, could fetch more dollars in millions than the 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa did when it will be up for sale at the Gooding & Co’s auction in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance scheduled to be held this August. This 1936 Bugatti Type 57C coupe was built as a gift for Ettore Bugatti, the founder for Bugatti cars. It has been preserved in excellent condition by the Bugatti factory which took pains to maintain the car at all times including WW II. When Ettore died in 1947, the factory took over the maintenance of his favourite car which was sold off in 1950. Since than the car has not undergone any changes. The Type 57C were built between 1937 to 1940 and only 750 units of them were produced. Type 57Cs were fitted with 3.3 litre engine which produced 160hp with a Roots type supercharger fitted into it. The Gooding Auction will also put many other race cars on the auction trail from the collection of Don Lyons, including the 1967 Gurney Eagle Indy car driven by the legendary Denny Hulme and Mario Andretti’s Lola Indy car. Bugatti, which was until now known as the World's fastest car would have a new tag of “The most expensive auctioned car” added to it when the auction takes place in August. But it is still wait and watch until the event happens. Labels: Bugatti-Cars, Ferrari, World’s-fastest-car
CNG seems to be the new mantra of the Indian auto industry and everybody wants a piece of the pie when it comes to CNG. Just when Maruti Suzuki announced their willingness to bring out CNG variants of their existing cars, Tata Motors who didn’t want to be left behind in the rat race for cars powered by CNG, has jumped in the bandwagon. Tata Motors could, in the next six months, launch their CNG variants of Tata Indica and Tata Indigo. Currently, CNG versions of these models is being offered by the company with after-sales fitment of gas kits. Tata Motors which is not new to CNG variants had been making these variants about three years back. But they stopped as they see CNG variants as viable options. Tata Motors perceives that CNG will be the ultimate clean fuel to run cars. The recent discoveries of the natural gas in the Krishna-Godavari basin in Andhra Pradesh, has encouraged most car manufacturers in India to plan CNG variants for their existing portfolio. Car manufacturers feel that CNG variants will be highly successful commercially compared to diesel, LPG or hybrid cars. The government too is expected to enhance the distribution network by the end of next year. CNG or compressed natural gas is considered a clean fuel for its low emission levels and high performance. It does not hamper the power output in any way. If this happens, India will be the first country to make wide use of CNG cars. Even United States and the Western European countries do not make use of this technology today. It is important that car manufacturers in India make full use of the technology to show other countries that it is capable of innovation. Labels: CNG, LPG, Tata-Indica, Tata-Indigo, Tata-Motors
Cars today comes with state-of-the-art features to draw customers. It’s an excellent strategy considering that people are becoming more and more tech savvy with time. But one shouldn’t forget that it is the nature of car buyers to embrace technology as long as they can afford it. J.D. Powers, a research company, conducted a survey on car buyers to study their expectations from a new car purchase. With over 19,000 respondents, the research firm concluded that consumers are well-informed in new car technology and seem to be eager about having these gadgets in their new cars. The research firm also observed that their level of eagerness and excitement correlates to the price tag and features in a new car. Of all the respondents, 67% of them showed profound interest in having a navigation system installed in their cars. But when it was revealed that a typical car GPS navigation system would burn a hole in their pocket, the number drastically fell to 20%. In the same way, J.D. Powers also discovered that customers are interested in installing an MP3 player on their cars provided, that it doesn’t exceed their budget. Out of all the respondents, 65% said that they prefer and enjoy the ability to listen to their " favourite sounds” while they’re on the road. On the other hand, 27% of the respondents would rather have a “smart phone" music connectivity over the MP3 feature. Regardless of what customers want, they are ready to shell out only the amount of money they believe as necessary. Moreover, the car buyers are likely to cave in any feature that come with a price tag of more than what they can go for. Labels: GPS-System, New-Car-Purchase, New-Cars
Come this June 28th, Tata Motors' high profile acquisition, Jaguar and Land Rover, would thread the Indian roads. Tata Motors had acquired the iconic British luxury car brands of Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motors in 2008. Both the brands will first hit the shores of Mumbai followed by cities like Ludhiana and Bangalore. Though there is no confirmed news on the models associated with the premium car brands entering the Indian market, speculations are rife that two models from Jaguar, XF and XKR and three models from the Land Rover stable Discovery 3, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport might brave Indian roads. India is seen as a lucrative market for super luxury brands like Rolls Royce, BMW, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Maybach and Bentley in recent years. The demand for these luxury brands are high in the Indian market and importing of these cars clearly supports the aforesaid statement. The JLR showrooms will be not only seen in metros but also smaller cities. Available as an completely built unit, the price tags of these models are still kept in wraps. Labels: Audi, Bentley, BMW-Cars, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Land-Rover, Tata-Motors
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Honda Siel Cars India successfully organized their celebrated customer interaction programme ‘Honda Fest’ across all its 65 dealerships in India. This is the second such programme, after a similar function was held last year to mark the launch of the new Honda City. The latest Honda fest was focused on the new kid in the block Honda Jazz. Test drives on all the three variants (Base, Mode, Active) of the Jazz was available for the customers. Honda Fest, which had been organised in the third weekend of June, was a treat to the Honda customers as they could test drive all the cars in the Honda Portfolio. With entertainment being the main theme coinciding with the showcasing of the Honda Jazz, recreational programmes such as pupet show was organised for the kids. All India music, dance, quiz and painting competitions were also held during the occasion and the results of these competitions would be announced by Honda Siel Cars later in the year. Honda Siel Cars along with their dealerships sent out invitations to customers and corporate companies across the country to come and participate in the festival. Honda Motors is the only company organizing such customer interaction events, particularly around the time of every new car from their stable is launched. It is an unique initiative by the car manufacturer to increase awareness about their products among consumers. Honda has been conducting similar fests in its other markets such as Japan, Germany and Italy. Honda officials feel that such fests would encourage customers to walk in to dealerships with a positive approach. It is an initiative worth emulating by other car manufacturers in India. Labels: Honda-City, Honda-Fest, Honda-Jazz, Honda-Siel-Cars-India, New-Honda-Cars-India
Maruti Suzuki India is all set to re-launch its high end Grand Vitara SUV with a new powerful engine. The new Grand Vitara will feature a 2.4 litre engine and will be called the GV 2.4 in India. It is expected to hit the markets next month. Currently the Grand Vitara is fitted with the 120 bhp, 2.0 litre inline-4 cylinder engine. The details of the power output are not yet revealed. The sales of the 5-seater SUV has been on a downward swing ever since the economic slowdown started in 2008. Despite the SUV market size being 25,000 units per annum, sales of Grand Vitara has been less than satisfactory. Almost all of Maruti Suzuki’s small cars are doing well in the Indian car market. It has eight small cars, one MPV, a mid-size sedan SX4, and two SUVs Gypsy and Grand Vitara. The pricing of the new Grand Vitara has not been revealed although the previous model carried a price tag of Rs 13.80 lakh. Despite its decent performance, the SUV has not matched up with record sales like its smaller siblings. By re-launching the SUV, the manufacture wants to highlight that the car stills exists. Auto analysts are skeptical about the sales of the re-launched SUV and keeping their guesses close to their heart. Maruti Suzuki’s Grand Vitara has been rivaled by Chevrolet Captiva, and Hyundai Tucson. These SUV’s are doing extremely well in the Indian car market. Labels: Chevrolet-Captiva, Hyundai-Tucson, Indian-car-market, Maruti-Suzuki-Grand-Vitara, Maruti-Suzuki-Gypsy, Maruti-Suzuki-SX4, small-cars-India, SUV
Peel P50, which weighs about 68 kgs and has a top speed of 64 kmph is arguably the smallest car in the world. This car which was officially recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the smallest car ever to go into production, was displayed at Ripley's Believe It or Not museum in Times Square, New York. Designed as a city car for Ripley's by the London-based Peel Engineering Company, this one seater car was advertised as capable of seating “one adult and a shopping bag”. The $ 25,000 Peel Trident is a battery-operated car featuring one door on its left side, single windscreen wiper and one headlight. The Peel Trident uses a 49 cc DKW engine which runs for about 480 km per charge. It is equipped with a three-speed manual transmission with no reverse gear. Therefore, turning in a confined area can only be achieved by pushing, or lifting the car using the handle on the rear and physically pulling it round! The Peel Engineering Company had made about two hundred gas-powered cars in the 1960s but never hit the road. Only one prototype, the Peel P55 Saloon Scooter survived the time machine. The Peel P50 which has a single wheel at the front and two at the rear and is road-legal in the UK as a "three-wheeler" and in Finland, it is being classified as a moped. Labels: gas-powered-cars, Peel-P50, Peel-Trident, Small-Cars, small-cars-India, Smallest-car-in-the-world, Three-wheeler
Indian automobile adage of “Mileage Kya Hai” could not be more apt with the Power secretary of India himself endorsing it. The car manufacturers would have to stick to the mandatory labelling for automobiles for energy efficiency by August !!! The power department of India, certifying the energy efficiency claims of automobile makers would help the consumer to make the right choice when buying a vehicle. The tall claims of many auto makers on the mileage of their vehicles per litre now would be tagged. Looks like Indian consumer is finally getting his due. Car buyers would not know the exact mileage figures of their vehicle until they has driven the vehicle for some months after purchasing it. Moreover, cars meant for the Indian market are not tested in Indian urban road conditions. So, there is always a difference in the figures shown in the label and customers’ experience. Fuel efficiency standards are like certificates that guarantee a fixed range of kilometers per liter of fuel which applies for both petrol and diesel. With the new rule, the government will test all cars under newly formed norms. Fuel efficiency exercise is mandatory in USA, Japan, UK and many other western European countries. From the block of emerging economies China has already brought in these norms and now India is bringing such laws. According to a study, even if the fuel efficiency is improved by half from the current mileage, it will save the government $36 billion by 2030, in all sectors. Tagging the fuel efficiency is also a motive behind energy conservation vouches the Government. We certainly go by that. Amen!!! Labels: Car-Buyers, Fuel-efficiency, Indian-Market
Monday, 22 June 2009
The Motown Meltdown in the US is finally showing its ugly face here in India. General Motors India (GMI) has decided to market only the Chevrolet brand of cars in India. General Motors had earlier made attempt to sell its Opel brand of cars in India only to see the Indian customers dislike for the pricing of the Opel cars and was soon discontinued in the late 90’s. The first GM models to enter India were Opel Astra,Opel Corsa and Opel Vectra even before other GM subsidiaries could make a dent in the Indian Market. Even as the U.S. parent company General Motors has filed for bankruptcy and is likely to restrict itself to four major brands Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC. The effects of the global economic felt by the GM parent company has also been felt here in India. However, the effects are only restricted to the number of GM cars in India. Currently, the Chevrolet portfolio includes six cars all of which are doing good in the country. In fact, Chevrolet has been able to survive the bankruptcy application by the parent company. Auto Analysts say that General Motors is trying to play safe by restricting itself to Chevrolet Brand of cars in India. All the cars are positioned in the high volume segments, which will continue to attract high revenue. This policy seems to be in tune with its target to grab 10 per cent of the market share by 2010. Going by the market reports, it will not be far when the brand Chevrolet will be behind Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motors, which hold the top positions in passenger car market. By making this announcement General Motors, U.S. has also drawn curtains to all speculation that the luxury Cadillac cars would come to India someday. Labels: Chevrolet-cars-India, General-Motors-India, GM-cars-India, GM-India, Opel-Astra-India, Opel-Corsa-India
You don't have to sport that 'Did I just see that' look on your face when you see a premium sedan car running on cheaper gas fuels like CNG and LPG, because that is what would be happening henceforth. These low cost fuels, forte of the compact cars like M800, Chevrolet Spark and Hyundai Santro, soon would be used by the premium sedan cars like Toyota Corolla, Maruti SX4, Skoda Octavia and Chevrolet Aveo. It is said that these fuels slash running cost by half. It is expected that Skoda Auto, which has already launched the CNG versions of Octavia in Spain and other European markets is likely to introduce the same in India soon. Skoda calls it the Greenline technology as it uses 10 percent less fuel than other traditional 1.9 TDI models. It has been learnt that Toyota Kirloskar Motors, the Indian subsidiary of the world’s premier auto manufacturer Toyota Motors, is testing Corolla for the CNG version. Also General Motors is planning on bringing out the CNG version of its sedan Chevrolet Aveo. These auto manufacturers were amazed to see sales of Hyundai Accent CNG zooming past its petrol sibling. It has helped revive the model which was on the brink of extinction in India. Sales have picked up in cities where CNG is available, such as in Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad. Apart from this, car manufacturers are also worried that sales of mid-size cars have declined drastically. They expect car sales to climb up with the cheaper fuel versions. Besides focusing on CNG and LPG versions, they have also been following up on alternative fuels too. Besides, the central government has stressed on the need of hybrid for eco-friendly for transportation during the Common Wealth Games in Ne Delhi in 2011. Labels: cars-India, Chevrolet-Aveo, CNG-cars-India, LPG-cars-India, Skoda-Octavia, Toyota-Corolla, Toyota-Kirloskar-Motors
The charismatic Mercedes Benz CLS is all set to get grander with its new Grand Edition. Style, performance and safety has been the mantra of this edition. The Mercedes Benz CLS Grand Edition will now boast 18" AMG 5 spoke alloy wheels with a Titanium Grey finish and elegant front grille louvers. It will also flaunt headlamps in Palladium silver matt finish and floor mats with Grand Edition Badging. The power in the CLS Grand edition has been upgraded to 48 bhp which takes the overall power of the CLS 350 CDI V6 to 272 bhp and the result is an increase in the torque of the car with which 0-62 mph can be achieved in 6.5 seconds, an improvement of half a second, without any compromise to the combined fuel consumption of 15.8 kmpl or CO2 emissions of 215 g/km. With features like the Bi-Xenon Light Package in the 'Grand' CLS, the visibility has been considerably improved. This sedan fitted with Cornering Light Function is an added safety feature that improves the visibility in the corners by up to 90 percent enabling the driver to see 25 metres further along an extended bend with a radius of 190 metres. This CLS Grand will be available in five colours including, the fist-time on CLS, Palladium Silver. Car connoisseurs are also spoilt for choice with the introduction of Palladium Silver Matt Paint. This option of paint is not only eye-catching but also highly scratch and dirt-resistant. Initially only 560 units will be launched in the Great Britain by the end of July. How we are waiting for the “Grand Edition” of Mercedes Benz CLS to whiz on our roads. Labels: Luxury -Cars-India, Mercedes-Benz-CLS-cars-India, New-Cars-India
 A lakh of Tata Nano's customers will have a reason to rejoice as they soon would be receiving 'allotment letters' from Tata Motors. Tata Nano has proved to be a complete people's car after a majority (70 percent) of the Nano bookings are from the smaller towns. The ultra cheap car which was launched on March 23rd, received an impressive response with more than two lakh potential customers booking their Nano's before the bookings closed on April 25th 2009. According to the computerized random selection procedure, the lucky one lakh customers will drive home their own little wonder on wheels and the rest of the lesser mortals would have to wait for some more time. Tata Motors, during the launch of Tata Nano, had announced that the cars would initially be given to the customers “at the currently announced price”. But now it seems like the Tata Nano customers would have to shell out a little more than the actual price that Tata Motors had announced. The first batch of Nanos' would be rolled out from the Pantnagar plant which currently holds the production capacity of 50,000 cars per annum. This number will be further expanded to 2.5 Lakh units once the new plant at Sanand in Gujarat starts its operation in December. Labels: New-Tata-Cars-India, Tata-Motors, Tata-Nano-Cars-India, Tata-Nano-Customers, Ultra Cheap Car
Friday, 19 June 2009
Owning a car with a logo of “Prancing Horse” seems like a must do in everybody's wish list. Anybody loaded with loads of moolah can fit the description provided he goes an extra mile by buying “the” Ferrari of the Ferrari boss himself. Whew!!! You read that right. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, the Chairman of Ferrari and Fiat is bidding his Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano in an online auction (What gives). The outcome of this auction is going to benefit a charity that provides funding for young researches working on projects involving technological innovation.(So much for the cause of science. Eh?) This 2006 model Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano is feature laden with the F1 Super Fast gearbox, Rosso Monza exterior paint, charcoal leather interior, carbon-ceramic disc brakes and carbon fiber accents. This car has been a personal transport of di Montezemolo with the total mileage reading at a very low 5,776 km (3,589 miles). The bidding for the car is currently open until June 29 at 3:00pm GMT. When last heard the highest bid so far was hovering at €180,000 ($250,000). If you are planning to place your bid, all you have to do is to go to the official website of Ferrari and show your Swiss bank balance (All for the cause of Science) . Labels: Car-Auctions, Ferrari, Formula 1
Swedish auto gaint, Volvo has come up with its newest baby, the XC60. It's sleek, it's admirable and its fun. So what's new you ask? XC60, a crossover, sheds its boxy image and has regained all the perfect curves at the right places unlike its big brother XC90. XC60 offers a different feel and drive compared to its staid brethren. With the newest segment of crossovers invading the market, Volvo XC60 is here to stay, thanks to its youth approach. XC60 is designed to attract the next generation buyers. XC60 has sweeping headlights on the corners of its upright nose and has slightly flared arches which give it a look of underlying dominance. It has come out of the usual Volvo mould with its captivating interiors. The optional two tone leather upholstered seats, futuristic Centre console embedded with climate control buttons which Volvo likes to term is at as floating console, storage space behind the console for small items and LCD read outs portaying various messages on vehicle functions and a larger display of navigation is so out and out into the future. Like any luxury crossover SUV, XC60 has plenty of ground clearance to make it adapt to Indian conditions. Just as in other Volvos, the XC60 comes with new safety technologies like the brake assist, hill descent control and even am alter system which send out warnings when it senses if the driver is getting drowsy. India is gearing itself until September for the launch of this butch vehicle. XC60 might as well decorated with its famed 3.2litre straight-six cylinder petrol engine, which is already installed in XC90 and S80. Indians who have a flair for diesel engines can rejoice as it is in the offing too. But with the absence of all wheel drive option and just a front wheel drive in the XC60, BMW X3 and Audi Q5 have a edge on this great value for moolah SUV. Labels: Luxury -Cars, Upcoming-Cars, Volvo XC60
A much aristocratic looking Bentley called the Grand Bentley is all set to grace the west this summer. Bentley released a new teaser showing shadowy images of the new car in the 17 second clip but has not divulged any more details of the new car. Bentley's feather in the cap sedan Arnage might be phased off to accommodate The Grand Bentley. The styling on the new luxury model is reminiscent of Bentley’s state limousine model – the official car for reigning British Queen Elizabeth II which is again based on the previous Bentley Arnage R. Being a quintessentially British car, the new Grand Bentley will be built in its Crew Facility in UK. Bentley claims that the new car is the purest expression of Bentley spirit. Auto industry analysts speculate that the new Grand Bentley will feature bio-fuel engines given its commitment to Eco-friendly cars. It is likely to feature youngish looks to give the brand a new feel. It is likely to feature V8 engines which have already served on Arnage or Bentley could spring in a surprise by bringing in a new engine. The Grand Bentley is likely to be unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, when summer is at its peak and people are willing to buy new cars. Till the new car arrives all the Bentley fans can consented with the teaser. Labels: Bentley, Super-Luxury Cars, Upcoming-Cars
With the launch of its Grande Punto and other successful models like Linea and Palio Stile, Fiat is planning to get a firm hold of the Indian automotive space by introducing more new models in India. The Italian giant, realizing the India's obsession for small cars, is all set to do its bit to the Indian auto market by developing a car with an engine capacity of 600 cc. Fiat, which has a market share of about 10 percent in India, is planning to introduce micro cars in its portfolio. Details and specifications of the micro car is still in wraps. It seems like Fiat is borrowing a cue from Tata Motors, after all it was Tata who realized the huge potential of micro cars in India with their Nano. Now with Fiat's plan to lay seize on the Tata Nano market, is TATA OK (pun intended) with that. Thank you, Tata, for guiding the Italians in the right path!!! Labels: Cheapest-Car, Fiat-India, Tata-Nano
Thursday, 18 June 2009
Most problems and reasons for breakdowns can be easily avoided by following this simple Car Care Guide: 1) Flat battery• If you have an older car, check your battery fluid level regularly to make sure it is at the recommended level most modern batteries do not need tops ups. • Check the battery terminals are protected by a layer of grease or petroleum jelly at all times, to defend against corrosion and poor electrical connections that can lead to a flat battery. 2) Punctures• Carry out fortnightly checks on your tyre pressure, and know the optimum pressures for various speeds and loads, as provided by the manufacturer. • If you hit a kerb or pothole, thoroughly check your tyres and wheel rims – damage can cause slow leaks which may result in a flat tyre at the most inconvenient moment. 3) Engine Oil• Check the level via the dipstick frequently and always before a long journey and have the oil and filter changed regularly, in line with the manufacturers recommendations. • Be aware of high oil consumption, as this may be an early warning sign of problems to come. 4) Engine Coolant• Check the level regularly, when the engine is cold, and note any consumption as this is generally an early warning sign of problems to come. 5) Fuel• Always make sure you fill up with fuel at the beginning of a long journey, and never let the fuel gauge drop too low in case you get stuck in traffic, have to leave home in a rush, or simply do not notice that you are running low until it is too late. Labels: Car-Breakdown, Car-Care, Car-Maintenance
Follow simple Car Care steps to save inconvenience and unnecessary cost says Rajesh Sethi, CEO, Mondial Assistance India Mondial Assistance, a leading Assistance provider, deals with thousands of vehicle breakdowns every month, many of which it believes could have been easily avoided. Some of the most common reasons for assistance requests are punctures or driver errors such as flat batteries due to lights or other electrical items being left on, overheating, running out of fuel and drivers filling their diesel vehicles with petrol. However, Mondial is seeing an increase in larger faults often due to smaller ones being left to develop, such as engine coolant leaks that lead to engine overheating ‐ often resulting in a larger repair invoice for the owner. Motorists need to be aware that many roadside Assistance or warranty schemes exclude repairs if the fault is due to a lack of maintenance. Rajesh Sethi, CEO at Mondial Assistance India explains: Motorists could reduce the number of breakdowns by sticking to some simple car care rules and more crucially, quickly addressing any problems which arise. This will radically reduce the risk of inconvenience due to a breakdown and reduce the financial burden of repair.” Most new or nearly new cars will be covered by roadside assistance as part of the original purchase package however, in most cases if the car is older than 2 years of age, owners should look to extend their manufacturer roadside assistance scheme /warranty cover or alternatively take out an independent policy. The vast majority of manufacturer extended warranty schemes include roadside assistance and provide a very high level of protection against expensive repair bills whilst providing expert support in the event of a breakdown. “If you are not currently protected, check what your car manufacturer offers. In the event of a breakdown, you can be assured that authorized repairs will be completed in manufacturer authorized workshop by trained technicians using manufacturer original parts.” recommends Rajesh Sethi. For those vehicles already covered by warranty, owners should check if roadside assistance is still valid as some manufacturers provide a shorter period of roadside assistance cover when compared to the warranty term. Many car manufacturers now offer their own, competitively priced roadside assistance schemes. Alternatively, insurance companies, banks (along with credit cards & auto loans) now offer added value services including roadside assistance, so make sure you take advantage of this if it is available. Most of all, once protected, please make sure you carry the assistance provider’s telephone number with you at all times. Labels: Car-Breakdown, Roadside-Assistance-Programme
Hear! Hear! Environmentalists, stop cribbing about that pollution and all that jazz. Riversimple, London based company has launched Riversimple Urban Car (RUC), a real hydrogen powered city car to beat pollution blues. The car powered by fuel cells that combine hydrogen with oxygen from the air to generate energy and release just water. Riversimple is aiming to lease the first fleet of hydrogen cars in 2011 and mass produce it by the year 2013. The manufacturers claim that it is more commercially viable to build and run these cars with hydrogen as the fuel is considered one of the cleanest fuel which completely cuts down on pollution and carbon emissions. The car measures as much as a Smart Car, weighs about only 350 kgs. It uses a cheap 6 kilowatt fuel cell. Compare this with the Honda FCX Clarity which uses 100kW cells, The RUC is definitely cheaper and more affordable. The car has achieved a top speed in 50 mph or 80 km/h and it can go from 0 - 48 km/h (30mph) in less than 5.5 seconds. It can use just 1 kg of liquid hydrogen which is actually 26 litres at normal pressure is enough to run the car for 300 kilometers. This is more than what the 1 litre of petrol can deliver. However, there are problems of lack of infrastructure for supporting such cars on road. Another major problem is that storage of Hydrogen in large quantities is very hazardous. It could prove more dangerous than petrol or diesel. It can create unimaginable catastrophe in public places. Hence this technology has to be handled very carefully. Many car manufacturers including General Motors and India’s Tata are developing hydrogen cars. They are still in development stage and may take a few years before they hit the showrooms. Maybe Riversimple can show them a simpler way of making hydrogen cars and we might as well see a Hydrogen bunk in every Indian street in the near future. Amen !!! Labels: Fuel-Cell-Car, Hydrogen Car launched, Tata-Motors
French Automotive major PSA Peugeot-Citroen is planning to set up a production plant in Hyderabad and Chennai. The French giant had an earlier futile outing in India about 11 years ago when it inked an agreement with Doshis of Premier Padmini but the deal went kaput for some genuine reason. Now the company is trying to get a foothold of the Indian automotive sector by setting up a manufacturing unit in India. It is said that a senior official from the Peugeot visited the Pearl city and also had a discussion with the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation and state Industries department. Government of Andhra Pradesh as a result of the discussion has agreed to allocate 1,000 acres site for the project. The same site was once offered to the Tata Nano project when it experienced hurdles in West Bengal. Government of AP has promised a 100 percent exemption from value added tax (VAT) for 21 years for companies investing more than Rs 4,000 crore in the state. The French automaker is exploring other locations in AP, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra for the project. The French car manufacturer seems to have held talks for an alliance with many partners in India. Indian roads could see a car from the Peugeot-Citroen stable in a span of two years if everything goes in accordance to their plans. While Peugeot will stand as a mainstream brand, Citroen will aim at the high end models. Labels: French-Automotive, Nano-projects, Peugeot-Citroen
Bad news Bravo fans! In an announcement made during the Fiat Grande Punto launch, Fiat India has clarified that they would not bring the Fiat Bravo to India in the near future and that seems like pulling a cover on the Bravo speculation doing rounds in the Indian Automotive circles. Fiat intended to rebuild its brand in the country and the launch of the Bravo was a part of their marketing strategy. Fiat always planned well. Fiat's Indian connection started with its Premiere Padmini launched about four decades ago in India. But now it seems like Fiat who have launched their iconic new 500 mini car in India met with a cold feet amongst the car buyers thanks to the price tag it bore, Fiat India is sceptic launching the pricey Bravo in India. Fiat states that there is clearly a lack of interest for car priced above Rs. 20 lakh. So, it has deferred the launch of Bravo owing to the poor market conditions. The CEO of Fiat India Automobiles feels Indian customers are not opting for anything above the C segment. Moreover, Fiat has to upgrade its car manufacturing facility at Ranjangaon to meet the needs and specifications for producing its other international models such as the Linea and the Grande Punto. Therefore, Fiat concludes that it would be focusing on its Indian-made products. Labels: Fiat-Bravo, Fiat-India, New-Cars-Launch
After having acquired the American automobile major Chrysler Motors, Fiat is contemplating on introducing Chrysler to India. While the alliance has helped Chrysler come out of bankruptcy, it is Fiat's responsibility to bring in revenues. And revenues mean selling more Chrysler Cars. This can happen when Chrysler is able to successfully penetrate into more developing markets. Fiat plans to piggy back on emerging economies such as India and China for the success of Chrysler models. Fiat, now an experienced auto maker to have tasted Indian waters, can infuse the same knowledge to help Chrysler. Fiat also has a strategic partner in the homegrown auto major Tata Motors, which can help Chrysler get a firm footing in India. If Chrysler enters India, it will face its traditional rivals the General Motors and Ford who have already established themselves on the Indian road space. It could be a uphill task for them to sell their cars in India if they do not come up with their right moves. GM and Ford are well known brands which Indians can relate to quite easily. But it is a challenge for Chrysler to make a dent in the Indian automotive space, as they have not yet proved their worth in India and Indians might be a little wary on putting their money on an unproven product. Another problem is that Chrysler has no small cars its portfolio, which could be detrimental for the company’s fortunes in India, a country which tilts towards small cars. However, Chrysler can always brush it off as a simple problem, once it gets firmly established in the sedan and SUV market. Also the pricing factor has to be considered and Chrysler cannot sell cars at prices prevailing in United States. It would be impossible to sell cars at those rates, here in India. Labels: Chrylser-Cars, Chrysler-bankruptcy, Chrysler-India, Fiat
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
German premium car manufacturer Audi has introduced three new engines for the Audi A4 series aimed at bettering fuel efficiency. The engines 3.0 TDI Quattro, 2.0 TFSI and the 1.8 TFSI consume 10 per cent less fuel compared to their predecessors. Moreover, the three engine option proves as a power booster to the Audi A4. Three petrol engines and two diesel-powered engines with four or six cylinders offer the advantages of direct injection with cutting-edge FSI, TFSI and TDI technology. Audi A4 series with the new engines are available for a price tag ranging from Rs. 26.67 lakh to Rs. 36.40 lakh. The up gradation of engines in the AudiA4 series has added a new dimension of poise and elegance to the Audi A4. With more power and lower fuel consumption these engines guarantee to deliver an amazing driving experience. The introduction of the three new engines has given Audi fans a choice of two high-tech transmission solutions: the tiptronic six-speed automatic gearbox and the continuously variable multitronic version. The high-end models, the Audi A4 3.2 FSI quattro and the Audi A4 3.0 TDI, are equipped with the quattro permanent four-wheel drive system. The Audi A4 bestows Indian customers to have a wide selection in the luxury car market to pick up from. Moreover, Audi India has also announced a special offer of interest financing rate for A4 3.2 FSI Quattro. Labels: Audi-A4, New-Cars-Launch, New-Variants-Launch
Finally the much awaited Fiat Grande Punto will ply on Indian roads. This large hatchback of its kind is available in three engine options- the 1.4-litre FIRE Petrol, the 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel and a surprise excise special 1.2-litre FIRE Petrol. All engines are mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox. The diesel engine is capable of generating an output of 75bhp.The car will be available in three variants, namely, the Active, Dynamic and Emotion. The Grande Punto is an absolute jaw dropper. Its teardrop shaped headlights set at far corners of the car's front end are too cute. The highlights, exterior lines, wheel arches and the tight crease running between them, the side mirrors and the bumpers fore and aft make the car extremely attractive. The car has abundant space to offer and a large boot to organize all the paraphernalia. The driver's seat is crafted for better sitting posture and the seats are made of the best fabric. The dashboard is finely set and the white dialed instrument cluster are prize winners and the steering wheel snugly fit in the palms of the driver. The pricing of Fiat Grande Punto is as follows (all prices ex-showroom Delhi): 1.2 Petrol (Active) Rs.3,99,000/- 1.4 Petrol (Dynamic) Rs.4,66,000/- 1.4 Petrol (Emotion) Rs.5,06,000/- 1.3 Diesel (Active) Rs.4,85,000/- 1.3 Diesel (Dynamic) Rs.5,16,000/- 1.3 Diesel (Emotion) Rs.5,56,000/- The Grande Punto has been Europe’s best seller since 2005. The launch of the Fiat Grande Punto comes at a time when Maruti has released the Ritz hatchback which falls in the same segment taking competition to new levels. Fiat eying for the chunk of the market space with its all new Grande Punto will be competing with other popular cars such as Maruti Suzuki Swift, Hyundai i20, Chevrolet Aveo U-VA and Tata Indica Vista which also falls in the same premium hatchback category. Labels: Car-prices, Fiat-Grande-Punto, New-Car-Launch
Tata Motors always seizes to amaze the automotive fraternity. Basking in the glory of its wonder car Tata Nano that will be delivered to buyers sometime soon in July, they already have charted detailed plans to introduce the Nano to Europe and United States (The next Model T in the making?), with of course, (hold on to your seats) hybrid and electric Versions. Tata Motors also plans to launch a crossover sport utility vehicle (SUV) codenamed 'Tata Xover'. Tata Xover was showcased at the 75th Geneva Motor Show in 2005. The Xover could be a replacement to the aging Tata Safari. It is learnt that a team of 150 engineers are working on the product for the past three years. The team includes people who had worked on the Nano project bringing in their expertise in creating the world's cheapest car while creating the SUV as well. Speculations are rife about the Tata Xover which would measure 4.85 meters long, will accommodate five to seven passengers based on the seating arrangements chosen by the buyer. Tata Xover will be equipped with Euro-IV engines and the rugged looking SUV is likely to be get traction control, climate control and navigation system among others. As Xover will come with all the latest technologies, we can assume that it will feature refined driving dynamics like the luxury cars. It will be the second such car aimed at the lifestyle utility vehicle segment after the pick-up Xenon XT. The other utility vehicles from Tata Motors include the Sumo Grande, Safari Dicor, and Sumo. Tata Motors is betting huge on the Xover to help push up sales as its utility vehicle and SUV sales dropped by half compared to last year. Labels: Crossover-SUV, Indian-SUV, Tata-Motors
Mitsubishi Outlander has just become the first ever premium SUV in India to pass Bharat Stage IV emission norms with BS III fuel. It has been awarded the certificate by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) declaring it fit to pass the emission norms which come into effect from April 2010. Outlander demonstrates its superior technology by becoming the first SUV to have gained this certificate. As per the guidelines BSIV emission norms require vehicles to limit carbon-di-oxide levels to 1 gm/km while the other toxic gases should be a few milligrams. The carbon levels in the Outlander is at a mere 0.49 gm/km and others are lower than the specified limit. Since Outlander is equipped engines that have Mivec technology which helps keep all the harmful gases within limits even while it uses BSIII specification fuels. Mitsubishi Outlander can now hit the dirt trail without ever puffing out those harmful gases. Outlander joins the small cars like Maruti Suzuki Ritz and Honda Jazz which were launched with engines that comply with BS IV emission norms. As more and more vehicles get engines which adhere to stringent emission levels, our cities will just get cleaner. Better air quality is the need of the hour in big cities in India. Our children have a right to clean air and clean water. May be car manufacturers can contribute their bit by introducing engine which harder for the environment cause. Labels: Cool-cars-in-India, Mitsubishi-Outlander, New-Car
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
The commoner’s dream car Tata Nano, which was primarily intended for the Indian car market, is now getting ready to go to places. The tiny four-wheeler has already made a huge impact on Indians and foreigners and this is evident from its immense worldwide popularity. Christened ‘Nano Europa’, the European face of Nano is expected to be seen on European roads within two years. With modifications and new features that will match European standards, the Nano Europa will have very little resemblance to the Indian version.  It will also travel to America and Tata is expected to launch the world’s cheapest car Nano there by 2012. Similar to the launch plans for Europe, Tata will have to adorn the Nano with a completely new look and even call it by a new name before unveiling it in the U.S. car market. Like Europe, the United States too poses plenty of barriers to the Nano in terms of standards. Tata understands these challenges and is working to make the American launch happen. The toughest challengers are stringent emission norms and car safety standards. In India, the car is available only with a 623cc two-cylinder petrol engine. Tata is working on future versions of Nano which will include diesel, bio fuel, and electric technologies on the car. Nano is the cheapest car in the world and will be available for a similarly low price in the U.S market, but the acceptance of the car depends on what additions Tata makes to the car before launching it there. To make it the cheapest car, Tata has cut down on many basic features. To mention a few, Nano has no power steering, single side-view mirror, and single windscreen wiper instead of two. This is a no go for the U.S. market as these are extremely basic requirements there. Re-designing and re-engineering the Tata Nano poses a new challenge. One thing that surely favours the Nano in the U.S. is the increasing popularity of cars with good fuel economy due to the gloomy economic scenario. Labels: Europe-Car-Market, Nano-Europa, Tata-Nano, US-Car-Market
For all those who feared that General Motors India was in trouble, just the opposite is true. The car manufacturer in India is doing business as usual. They continue to get bookings and inquiries in the same number as they did before the parent company filed for bankruptcy in the United States. Dedicated efforts from senior officials at GM India have paid off well. The senior officials at General Motors informed the Indian car dealerships in advance about how the bankruptcy filed by GM in the U.S. would not affect Indian car sales. When there was a barrage of questions from car buyers about the future of the GM India, the staff was able to explain things well and instill confidence in them. Also GM India has also worked tirelessly to convince consumers that no services will be withdrawn and warranties will continue as earlier. They also went ahead with new car launches such as the LPG variant of Spark and Chevrolet Aveo U-VA Techno variant. Two more models - Chevrolet Cruze and a new small car – are yet to be launched this year. All senior officials visited dealerships personally and conveyed directly to consumers that all was well with Chevrolet in India. They also highlighted the fact that supply of spare parts would not be affected for existing consumers thereby ensuring that older cars were well cared for. It was no easy task but the company took pains to make Indian car buyers understand that they were not quitting India at all. The new GM India campaign, which it promoted aggressively, has turned out results. Sales have been picking up since last week and GM India claims that the fall in sales was not entirely due to the bankruptcy issue and economic recession played a part too. The staff continues to wear badges that boldly highlight their theme for the campaign – “There for you, There for India”. Labels: Chevrolet, General-Motors, GM-India
If winter in December was a golden period of discounts on luxury cars, monsoon in June is better. The stimulus package from the government for the car industry helped cut down on car prices in India drastically in the new year. Now June brings in exciting new promises with car manufacturers offering discounts between Rs 5,000 and Rs 1 Lakh to counter a common notion that new cars will suffer in rain and slushy roads. The entire range of Maruti cars excluding the recently rolled out Maruti Suzuki Ritz and Swift DZire attract discounts. Also, the fast-selling Swift hatchback gets only Rs 5,000 off. This is part of Maruti’s monsoon strategy which is introduced every year to push sales. Maruti Suzuki is not the only car manufacturer to blah as General Motors, Ford, and Tata too are offering monsoon discounts. Interestingly, Hyundai has launched a programme in which used cars can be exchanged for new ones for special benefits. Car manufacturers are also offering other benefits such free car insurance, exchange programmes, loyalty bonuses, free accessories, warranty extension, and gift schemes. Auto analysts speculate that car manufacturers are offering heavy discounts on cars this year fearing rise in excise duty in the new budget. They are also eager to forget the bad days of recession and get on with good sales. Labels: Car-Discounts-India, Car-Sales-India
After huge success in the European market, Fiat and Tata have plans to launch the Fiat Grande Punto in India tomorrow. The new small car is set to spruce up the hatchback scenario with its elegance, safety standards, and spacious interior. Moreover, the 4-metre long Grande Punto is the biggest car in its class and that’s why “Punto” is preceded with “Grande” to indicate its size. Designed by the famous Giorgetto Guigiaro, the Fiat Grande Punto flaunts a stunning sporty look with elegant exterior lines. The interior has been stylised to speak of three basic qualities: beauty, solidity and brilliance. The car is generously spacious, with excellent front visibility, easy access and a large luggage compartment. The seats are made of high quality fabric and the driver’s seat is crafted with comfortable height adjustment for better sitting posture. The dashboard and instrument panel come in attractive design and colour, while the leather steering wheel is a joy to hold even in long and tiring rides. The Fiat Grande Punto will be available in 4 variants - 1.4 Petrol Dynamic, 1.3 JTD Diesel Dynamic, 1.9 JTD Diesel Emotion and 1.9 JTD Diesel Sport. The model is secured by active safety features like Anti-lock Braking, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution technology, and Electronic Stability Program incorporating Anti-Slip Regulation system. The car has dual front air bags to lessen the impact of a collision. The Fiat Grande Punto price in India is expected to be between Rs 4.5 and 6.5 Lakh. Labels: New-Car-Launch, New-Fiat-Grande-Punto
Monday, 15 June 2009
When it comes to innovation, BMW has always thought and exhibited that little extra, which has left the populace wonderstruck. It is with the performance of the vehicle and safety of the passengers that more innovations are being conducted and implemented. But with changing times, the car manufacturer is also concerned with the safety of pedestrians with as much importance to the safety of passengers. BMW wants to manufacture and sell the safest cars in India and the world. BMW is citing a commonplace condition, where a playing child, a walking pedestrian, or a motorcyclist could suddenly jump onto the road from between two parked vehicles. These are situations which cannot be perceived or “sensed” beforehand. For such situations, BMW has invented a system that will help moving cars communicate with an electronic device carried by pedestrians or cyclists. In case the system senses a dangerous situation where a pedestrian or cyclist is at risk, it warns the driver with the help of indicators and signals. An eminent plus of this system is that if the driver takes time to respond to the warning, the system automatically activates the braking procedure. A part of BMW’s AMULETT (Active mobile accident avoidance and mitigation of accident effects through cooperative data acquisition and tracking technology) research project is aimed at prevention of accidents with the help of sensors and tracking technology. The tracking device can be worn on self or kept in a bag and it will help the car to actually “see” using transmitted radio waves. It will help the driver to a greater extent at night as it amplifies night vision using a thermal-imaging camera to actually detect pedestrians out of its "line of sight". This innovation will surely be of great help in reducing road accident deaths as no one is invisible to the BMW AMULETT. There will be safety in place for everyone on the road with BMW car technologies. Labels: BMW-AMULETT, BMW-Car-Safety, Preventing-Car-Accidents
The saying “Old is Gold” is so true when it comes to the Indian Car market. With the car market witnessing so many new cars launched in India almost every fortnight, car buyers seem to be charmed with the old tried and tested models. The statistics from the last fiscal show that six brands constituted over 63% of the Indian car market, of which five brands are 2007-prior makes. This surprising fact comes at a time when the market has welcomed 50 odd debutants this year. Among the "young Turks", only the Hyundai i10 has succeeded in striking a chord with Indian customers. Of the 400 models produced by 20 companies, Maruti Suzuki’s Alto tops the most-sold list, with Maruti Suzuki WagonR, Tata Indica, Maruti Suzuki Swift, Hyundai i10, and Hyundai Santro queuing behind it. Together they have sold 7.6 Lakh units in the last fiscal. Higher frequency of new launches must have taken a toll on the new brands, for they get very little time to establish their worth. Before they can create a base in the market, new models pound the market with alluring advertisements. Finding himself in a complex situation of too many choices, the Indian car buyer goes for the reliable and consistent older models and these are high resale value cars in India as well. This could be the reason that the Maruti Suzuki Alto still remains the bread winner in the Maruti stable even after the car manufacturer launched half a dozen new cars after the advent of Alto about almost a decade back. We can also attribute the success of these oldies to the brand-addiction of the buyers. It will be a tough task for the new comers to ride into the hearts of the staunch supporters of these older generation cars. Newer cars have not been able to adjust with the customer’s tastes and preferences. Labels: Maruti-Suzuki-Alto, New-Car-Launch, Old-Car-Brands
Cars have become a necessity and new as well as used car sales in India are soaring by the day. Many of them are first time car buyers and a few families are also adding a second or a third car to their garage. According to an estimate, over 10 Lakh cars are added to Indian roads every year. Soon there will be more cars than the roads can handle. The number of vehicles on roads has grown at an average rate of 10.2 percent annually and this average has been constant over the last five years when most global car manufacturers entered India. Even the World Bank, in its report on the traffic situation in India, has commented that the growth in car ownership has reduced rush hour speeds to 5-10 km/h in central business districts. Till a decade ago, the pre-owned car segment in India was dominated by neighbourhood pre-owned car dealers and car mechanics. But now it is certified used car dealers who have taken control of the used car market. Several global car manufacturers such as Hyundai, Ford, General Motors and others are running their own certified used car outlets. Homegrown car manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, and Mahindra & Mahindra were the first to start such programmes. And today these used car programmes contribute vastly to the revenues of these companies. The global economic meltdown helped push used car sales over that of new cars. The used car market has grown to enormous sizes so much so that India is very close to replicating the trends in United States and Europe. Unfortunately, the development of Indian roads has not kept pace with this growth in used car sales and sooner or later they are bound to be with new and used cars. Labels: New-Car-Sales-India, Pre-Owned-Cars-Sales-India, Used-Car-Sales-India
Luxury car sales in India have been very encouraging for foreign car manufacturers in India over the months before April and May when a sudden dip in sales has occurred. A decline in sales of 7.59 percent has been reported in May alone compared to the same period last year. The luxury car market in India was expected to be hit really hard after the global economic meltdown started in October 2008 but became more visible only in the new fiscal year. It is surprising to note that there were not as many takers as expected for luxury cars even after car manufacturers had cut down prices by nearly Rs 50,000 in December. This was after the government announced special excise duty cuts to boost sales. The hardest hit among all luxury car manufacturers was Mercedes-Benz which is currently the leader in the Indian car market. Mercedes-Benz car sales in India have shrunk by an astonishing 34.18 percent last month. It is a testament to the frugal spending habits of Indian car buyers when the economy gets leaner. People are unwilling to incur high expenses on car buying. At the same time, though other new car sales are picking up gradually, they too have been through a dim period in between as sales continuously fell below expectations. Indian car buyers are wary of the reeling global economic scenario and have held back most of their spending. Car manufacturers will now have to use more than just their products to lure people. They will have to take up aggressive marketing and courageously foray into tier B and C cities with sales potential. They will have to look for newer avenues to generate sales and will need all their ingenuity to get their businesses back in shape again. Labels: Luxury-Car-Sales-India
Friday, 12 June 2009
The Audi Q5 has won the top safety pick award for 2009 from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States. The IIHS is a premier body that monitors safety ratings for cars and it has stated that the compact SUV Q5 has received highest crash test ratings. The Q5 posted highest ratings for side impact, offset frontal, and rear impact tests. To qualify for the best ratings, it is required that cars fare well on front, side and rear tests and also be equipped with electronic stability control. All Audi cars in India come with this equipment as standard feature. The Audi Q5 goes beyond the requirement and comes equipped with some great driver assistance safety systems such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Side Assist and Lane Assist, Electronic Stabilization Program, and advanced anti-lock brakes. The new Audi Q5 launched in India last week and since the model is almost the same as that sold in the Unites States, it too will come with the same amount of safety as guaranteed by IIHS’s safety ratings. Labels: Audi-Car-Safety, Luxury-SUVs, New-Audi-Q5
Volvo is all set to enhance its product portfolio with a new crossover SUV in the Indian market. Branded as the little brother of the Volvo XC90 SUV, the upcoming Volvo XC60 goes up against the BMW X3 and the recently launched Audi Q5. The stunning SUV will be on sale around September this year. The crossover structure gives XC60 a completely fresh look which is appealing to the eyes. The urban nature of its exterior targets the elite customers who are active in the Page-3 circuit. The new SUV joins the exciting line of Volvo cars after the C70 convertible, S80 sedan, and XC90 SUV and is part of Volvo’s proposed plan to bring six models into the country. Designed by Steve Mattin, the design director at Volvo Car Corporation, the XC60 shares the same diesel engine as that on the S80 and XC90 sold in India. Though a petrol variant is available, the company will focus on its diesel version in India. Too keep with Volvo’s tradition of unparalleled safety in cars, the new XC60 focuses even on the minutest of details with respect to safety. The extensive array of advanced safety features on the XC60 includes whiplash protection, traction control, roll stability control, intelligent driver information system, anti-skid system, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, adaptive seatbelts, and collision warning with brake support. The price of Volvo XC60 is expected to be anywhere between Rs 27 and 32 Lakh in India, placing it above the Nissan X-Trail but below the Mitsubishi Montero. Labels: New-Volvo-XC60, SUVs, Volvo-Cars
Going by the number of new car launches in India, it seems that the domestic car market is insulated from the impact of global economic recession. By the end of the year there will be 50 new cars in India, both domestic as well as foreign brands, plying on Indian roads. The year 2009 started off with the launch of the Mahindra Xylo and it has been a riot of new car launches since then and the market is waiting for more. Xylo was followed by the Fiat Linea and small-car Maruti Suzuki Ritz. The latest entrants are Honda Jazz, the LPG version of Chevrolet Spark, Chevrolet Aveo U-VA Techno, and Audi Q5 SUV. But wait! Have you spared some space for the one lakh Nano cars that are believed to be delivered next month? International car manufacturers turn their focus to India as the markets in U.S., Japan, and Europe are reeling under the pressure of economic slowdown. They find solace only in the developing economies of India and China to tide over the current gloom, which prompts them to pour in more and more models. Little wonder then that the beleaguered General Motors eyes India as one of its key markets. The domestic car manufacturers on the contrary experienced a dip in sales last year and to compensate for the revenue deficit, they pound on the market aggressively with new models. GM India, a subsidiary of General Motors has already launched a new variant of Chevrolet Aveo U-VA called Techno apart from the LPG variant of Spark. They have more in the pipeline. Chevrolet's mini-car Cruze will hit roads in September and an upgraded version of Captiva along with GM Cruise sedan are also set to sneak into the market in 2009. From the Hyundai stable, we can expect an SUV in the form of Santa Fe and the discontinued Elantra will be replaced by Hyundai Avante sedan. All these are apart from the i-Series cars that are also set to launch. Fiat too has upped its ante with hatchback Grande Punto and Bravo Sedan. Tata Indicruz, a crossover vehicle and new version of Indigo range built on the platform of Indica Vista will join the race, while Volkswagen's new plant near Pune will soon roll out the Skoda Yeti, Skoda Roomster, and Fabia’s Combi Wagon variant. Renault's joint venture with Nissan will also see a few new launches in the form of Megane hatchback and Sandero sedan from the Renault stable and Micra hatchback and Murano SUV from Nissan’s portfolio. Though these are good signs for the Indian car industry, too many choices will in all probability spoil desi customers. Labels: India-New-Car-Launches
Maruti Suzuki’s car exports are already basking under the glory of having driven to Europe and are now aiming towards other global car markets. The focus is currently on African and Latin American markets for its star product the Maruti Suzuki A-Star. The A-star is sold as the Alto in Europe and has been very popular there. The A-Star was primarily created by Maruti Suzuki as an export product and the company has received encouraging response to the car in overseas markets. Indian car exports amounted to nearly 16,000 units of the A-star alone in the months of April and May. The company plans to ship 70,000 units of A-star to Europe in this fiscal year. The new car model from Maruti Suzuki is already exported from India to European countries like France, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Germany. It is powered by the new K-series engine which meets the next generation emission norms as well. The small car is exclusively manufactured in India for Suzuki’s markets worldwide. Maruti will now sell it in over 50 of Suzuki’s markets where it has sales and distribution networks. This means that Suzuki has begun transferring its small car manufacturing responsibilities to Maruti while it concentrates on its other products. Between the two companies, the small car market in the world could literally become their forte and Maruti Suzuki’s future looks extremely bright. Labels: Global-Car-Market, India-Car-Exports, Maruti-Suzuki
Thursday, 11 June 2009
When Honda Jazz launched on Wednesday, it was called a segment defining car by a senior Honda official. The spacious new small car which is based on the platform of the popular Honda City sedan is one of the most expensive hatchbacks in India. The above Rs 7 Lakh car is all set to re-define the way small cars are perceived in the country. If the highly priced Jazz sees success, it will open the door for many more super hatches to roll into the small car market. By setting the stage for more new expensive small car models, the Jazz will become a pioneer of the premium small car segment in India. Three other premium small cars are set to follow the Jazz - Volkswagen Polo, Hyundai i30, and Renault Sandero. All these vehicles are priced between Rs 6 Lakh and Rs 8 Lakh and are slightly larger than the typical small cars on Indian roads. These premium hatchbacks come loaded with plenty of modern technological advancements such as advanced airbags, climate control systems, and high quality audio systems. For long, these features have been restricted only to premium sedans. The Honda Jazz bundles it all within its compact structure. It remains to be seen if the new extension to the small car segment will go down well with Indian car buyers. At the high price of Honda Jazz, how many will sacrifice sedan comfort for a spacious and feature-packed hatchback? Existing small car owners may consider upgrading to a more premium small car such as the Jazz. Internationally, these premium hatchbacks have been a success but the Indian market has proved very dicey to even the most experienced car manufacturers. Labels: New-Honda-Jazz, Premium-Hatchbacks, Small-Cars
The financial turmoil at the Detroit three - GM, Ford, and Chrysler - coupled with economic slump have dealt a double blow to India's auto parts makers and exporters. A recent report says that Indian car components exports, that touched $3.6 billion in 2007-08, are estimated to be near flat in 2008-09. India's component makers had been enjoying brisk business over the last decade owing to high-end competition and rising costs of raw materials in the US and European markets. General Motors and Ford Motors had to slash costs to survive in the market which came as a blessing for Indian component exporters. Now, with General Motors and Chrysler going bust, desi car parts manufacturers foresee a bleak future for the industry. The U.S. market’s sourcing Indian car components accounts to 27% of the market in that country, of which 70% are for "Tier 1" companies. The European market, which comprises 33% of ACMA's exports, is also down but doing better than the U.S. Indian auto parts maker Amtek Auto Ltd. witnessed a slump of 30-40% in sales last fiscal. The company which recorded a $650-million business in 2007-08 could only muster around $450 million this time. The company, that has big names like Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, Cummins, BMW and Toyota as their clients, feels that the market will remain dormant for some more time. Other players in the field voice similar concern. Rico Auto Industries that exports engine components to Ford, GM, Caterpillar, BMW and Cummins, saw their exports dipping by 7 per cent. Executives at Sona Koyo Steering Systems, which supplies steering systems to cars and off-highway vehicles, too feel that the market will remain sluggish. Despite all these negativities, experts say that Indian exporters do have room for growth. However, they predict that the growth projection will be way below the targets. Labels: Car-components, Car-Parts-Manufacturers, Car-Spare-Parts
For more than a decade, car racing has become one of the premier sports of the world. The thrill of pushing vehicles to the limits and gauging the endurance of human beings is a passion followed by many. The popularity of Grand Prix, Formula One racing, World Rally, Dakar Rally, and Le Mans Race have been extremely popular with people. Here’s one race that is completely different from any of the above mentioned car races - the 36th Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Race. It is an event that serves to showcase the top vintage cars and people from the start of motorsports to the present day. The vintage car racing event is a spectacle of a different kind. It is set to be held at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca racing track on August 14-16, 2009. This year, the event will honour Porsche for its storied racing heritage. Former Porsche drivers Brian Redman and Vic Elford have led Porsche to many titles in the 70s with the legendary Porsche 917 race car. It is expected that other legendary Porsche race cars - the 1969 Porsche 911 S, 1974 Porsche RSR, and the famous Porsche 917 will race along with 150 other Porches at the event. Over 450 participants and 30,000 spectators are expected to gather at the event to witness track runs by the some of the world’s most exotic and historic racing machines. The cars will race in 15 different race groups over the three day motorsport event. At the end of the race, Rolex will hold its award winning Motor Sports history display “Moments in Time” which honours singular outstanding achievements of six different cars and their drivers throughout the history of formula one and other car races. Labels: Car-Racing, Porsche-Race-Cars, Rolex-Monterey-Historic-Automobile-Race, Vintage-Cars
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
The Mahindra Scorpio ‘mighty muscular’ hides a lot of surprises under its canopy. One of these is the Micro Hybrid technology that works in conjunction with its mHawk engine to make the SUV more environment-friendly. Mahindra has gone to great lengths to promote this new technology as a champion of environmental conservation by burning less fuel and producing lesser emissions. The Micro Hybrid setup is an advanced and path breaking technology. As the term “hybrid” denotes, though the Mahindra Scorpio is not exactly a hybrid, the SUV is capable of switching into standby mode at certain intervals during running to burn less fuel. The co-relation to Hybrid technology is that Hybrid engines switch between two different types of fuels or modes of operation to achieve better utilization of primary fuel. Mahindra’s Micro Hybrid technology intelligently switches the Scorpio’s engine into idle mode when not required so that fuel can be conserved. It restarts the engine when the clutch pedal is stepped on or gear is engaged back from neutral. The revolutionary technology is ideal for heavy city traffic conditions. Mahindra is confident that this novel technology saves around 5% of fuel. Lately, Mahindra has been focusing increasingly on Greener Concepts such as Bio-Diesel and Hybrid-electric technologies and has been conducting various types of research on cost-effective hybrid cars. With the new Mahindra Scorpio with Micro Hybrid technology, it has achieved compliance with the latest Bharat Stage IV emission norms in the country. Micro Hybrid is just the start of Mahindra’s “hybrid dreams” and the Scorpio is a step towards Mahindra’s adding its own hybrid cars on Indian roads. Labels: eco-friendly-cars, Hybrid-Cars, Mahindra-Scorpio, Micro-Hybrid-Technology
Incredible India! The Ministry of Tourism spends crores of rupees on advertisements highlighting the exotic nature of the country to woo foreign tourists. The nation boasts of a rich heritage and ethnic luxury and is now growing at a brisk pace in almost every sector be it technology or corporate business. It’s leading the world on almost all fronts. These factors make it a hotspot for foreign nationals who make trips to India sits either at regular intervals or at least once in their lifetimes. The rise of the IT industry and the corresponding BPO/KPO boom has warranted a great influx of foreign delegates to attend conferences, trade shows, and to discuss business proposals. Their transport requirements are of a different level and need to be met with higher standards. It is here that hotels and attached travel agencies have gone an extra mile with services such as luxury taxis and renting cars. The changing scenario has revolutionized the concept of taxi service in the country where mostly Ambassadors and Premier Padminis plied our roads about a decade ago. Now, big car brands have waltzed in and world class luxury cars are doing the job of our "erstwhile taxis". It's exciting to watch Mercedes-Benz S320s, E220s, and even the new S500s & Viano Vans ploughing Indian roads with yellow-coloured number plates. The long list of Indian limousines also includes cars from BMW, Audi, Porsche, and others. Also, businesses and institutions with lower budgets have settled for lower luxury with cars such as the Toyota Camry, Nissan Teana, Skoda Laura & Superb, and Honda Accord to name a few. Also, our usual taxi-walas have had to upgrade their skills to fit into this newly formed business of luxury taxi-cabs in India. English-speaking chauffeurs are a worthy mention in every travel catalogue offered to foreign tourists. The trend of luxury taxis was until recently limited only to the better developed countries in the world. As such, it’s truly a treat to watch India taxiing in luxury. Labels: Luxury-Cars, Luxury-Taxis
Apart from its reputation as the big bad boy of the SUV world, the new Toyota Land Cruiser in India is also big on features. With a price tag of around Rs 85 Lakh, it is also ranks among the expensive cars in India and is no simpleton when it comes to richness of interior and exterior. The Land Cruiser comes with a large 4.5-litre V8 diesel engine that generates a massive 282 bhp of power. It is capable of achieving top speeds of upto 200 km/h. The SUV has fantastic off-road ability as well as on-road dynamics. In the interior, it is loaded with plenty of latest equipment that includes 6-disc DVD changer that works with a 14-speaker JBL audio system. It also comes with a four zone air conditioning system that comes with a total of 28 air outlets (including rear a/c vents). Driver’s seat adjustment is highly personalized through memory settings. Plus, both front seats are power adjustable. A cool box comes standard to keep beverages cool on long trips. For safety, the Toyota Land Cruiser comes with a total of 10 airbags at every area of the cabin. Its multi-terrain anti-lock braking system with electronic brakeforce distribution technology and excellent crawl control system help negotiate challenging terrain and driving conditions easily. Hill start assist system and vehicle stability assist offer superior control while driving uphill or downhill. Electronic stability control is an important safety feature on a car. Negotiating corners and reversing the car are made safe by clearance and sonar sensors on the SUV. The new Land Cruiser is extremely well-suited for all weather conditions in India. The new SUV is far different from Toyota’s existing city-oriented SUV in the Indian market called the Land Cruiser Prado. The new Land Cruiser is much more sophisticated and better equipped to handle rough terrain. Also, it costs twice as much as the Prado. Labels: New-Car-Launch, New-Toyota-Land-Cruiser, SUVs
The latest hatchback Honda Jazz has finally arrived. It is the second costliest hatchback in the country after the Fiat 500. The Jazz is the first small car from the Honda stable and is available in three variants – Jazz Base, Jazz Mode, and top-end Jazz Active. The new car is powered by a India specific 1.2-litre i-VTEC engine which delivers 89 bhp of power and 110 Nm of peak torque. The revolutionary “Made for India” powertrain offers enhanced power output and low fuel consumption. The Jazz delivers an impressive fuel economy of 16.1 km/l on average, as certified by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). The engine is also E10 compatible and designed to meet Bharat Stage IV emission levels. The Jazz is a perfect combination of compact design and spacious interiors. The Jazz is built on the Honda City platform. This helps it offer loads of space in both front and rear rows. The exterior combines large angular headlights and its forward hood commands respect. Standard features of Honda Jazz include integrated CD/MP3 audio system with auxiliary input, steering wheel mounted audio controls, automatic volume control by car speed, titanium seat fabric color, and air conditioner with heater. The car comes with unique magic seats that enhance usage of rear space behind the front seats. The top-end ‘Active’ variant is sportier than the other variants as it comes with features such as sport pedals, body coloured front grille, fog lamps, and a spoiler at the top of the tailgate. All variants of the Jazz pack the same amount of safety features irrespective of whether it’s a base variant or top-end variant. Features include dual front SRS airbags, ABS with brake assist system, Electronic Brake-force Distribution technology, G-CON (G-Force Control Technology) car body, and engine immobilizer. The new Honda Jazz is all set to re-define the hatchback segment in India. The Jazz Basic is priced at Rs 6.98 Lakh, Jazz Mode at Rs 7.28 Lakh, and Jazz Active at Rs 7.63 Lakh. All mentioned prices are ex-showroom Delhi. Labels: Hatchbacks, New-Car-Launch, New-Honda-Jazz
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Fate has a queer way of doling out success and failure. While Ford was in possession of Jaguar and Land Rover for over five years, it continued to face losses from these two car brands year after year. It was forced to finally sell off these entities to Tata Motors. Around the time of the sale, Jaguar was a loss making company and Land Rover could be seen in more favourable light. But within a year of the sale, tables have turned and Jaguar has picked up well and is expected to become profitable very soon. On the other hand, Land Rover has lost its edge over sibling Jaguar and has been sucking up revenues. Fuel-guzzling SUVs went out of style with the spurt in fuel prices. Land Rover sales dipped. Contrary to this, Jaguar’s new XF Sedan was a clear deviation from conservative design and this change has been working for Jaguar. The XF was well received in all its markets. People loved its sporty long flowing design and appreciated it new range of engines. They were made by Ford and Tata has been reaping the rewards. A new 515 bhp 5.0-litre V8 engine replaced the long standing 4.2-litre V8 of the XF. The engine also offered enhanced torque of 625 Nm. The XF helped put Jaguar sales back on track and it has sold 65,000 units in a single year. This was far ahead of the numbers foreseen by Ford when Jaguar was in its possession. The new XF challenged the Audi RS6, BMW M5, and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. Now Jaguar is bringing the revolutionary XF to India this year to treat Indian car buyers to a rare combination of history, speed, and world class engineering. Labels: Car-Sales-India, Jaguar-XF, Tata Motors
Amidst the nagging economic gloom, positive news from the Indian car market provides us with something to cheer about. According to the figures released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), car sales in India continued an upward swing for the fifth consecutive month. Passenger cars registered a 2.48 per cent growth in May taking total sales to 1,13,490 units as against 1,10,745 units sold in the same month last year. This time too Maruti Suzuki and Honda have come out on top as saviours of the car market to help it stay in positive territory. Maruti Suzuki registered 9.71 percent increase in May sales and Honda posted a rise of 11.01 percent. Though that’s all good, the overall car sales declined 19% last month, the worst drop in 5 years. Industry experts cry hoarse over meek rate of lending by banks and downturn for the bleak situation. They demand greater government intervention in the form of easy financing, cut in interest rates, and rationalisation of excise duty for a quick revival. One wonders how Maruti and Honda could manage to keep afloat during such trying times where other players like Hyundai and Tata bit the dust with dip in sales. On close scrutiny, it can be seen that Maruti’s "one component, one gram" policy has worked well. This policy helps them cut down on costs and improve a car’s fuel efficiency and performance, making it a "paisa wasool" (value for money) car. Currently, Maruti 800 weighs 650 kg and a 2kg weight reduction could bring down the cost of the model. The company has asked its vendors to reduce the weight of each component by one gram. The "one-gram" theory has helped them reduce cost of production thereby fighting the sullen car market more effectively. Honda too is bringing out its new model Jazz with reduced weight. Labels: Car-Sales-India, Honda, Maruti-Suzuki
SkodaAuto India is bringing in specific changes to its popular model Skoda Octavia to suit Indian conditions better. The Octavia has completed 8 successful years in the Indian car market and continues to be a strong contender in the premium sedan segment. Rumours suggest that Skoda is considering rolling out the new Octavia on a completely new platform and launch it by the end of this year. It will be the second major launch from Skoda after the new Laura was introduced in May 2009. The Czech car manufacturer is currently drawing up specifications and designs using Indian engineers at its plant in Pune. Attention is being paid to its design, which has been one of Skoda’s merits. The company hopes to make it a tailor made car for India. Currently, Skoda trails just behind Honda Motors in the Indian premium car segment. The new Skoda Octavia might just put Skoda in the lead. Apart from this, the company also has plans to introduce a new small car to join the Skoda Fabia in the hatchback segment. All the new cars from Skoda will be specifically designed keeping Indian conditions in mind. As part of this strategy, Skoda hopes to have its models spread across all segments. Labels: 2009-Skoda-Octavia, New-Car-Launch, New-Skoda-Octavia
The association of Fiat with the Indian car market and is becoming increasingly admirable by the day. Through the ups and downs in the market, this relation is slowly becoming stronger as Fiat continues to build trust with the Indian public through its successful joint venture with Tata Motors. True to this, Fiat is gifting another chance to car lovers in the country to get more cozy and comfortable behind the steering wheel – launch of Fiat Grande Punto. The elegantly designed and captivatingly sporty Fiat Grande Punto is all set to steal the show after its launch this month. The three important ‘C’s of a car can be fastened to the car - Comfort, Class, and Captivating style. The launch of the majestic Fiat Linea has already created excitement in the car industry and now the Punto is all set to impress. The new car will reveal itself in two variants - Dynamic and Sport. Equipped with the features like Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Remote Central Locking, Power Windows, Audio system, and Sunroof, the beautiful new car comes with price tags of Rs 5 Lakh and above. The Punto carries 2 different engines under its hood - 1.3 litre JTD diesel and 1.4 litre petrol. Both engines deliver good performance and fuel economy. A Dualogic transmission goes along with both engines. The car is high on safety and is well equipped to ensure it. This curvy beauty is set to covet the Numero Uno position in the hearts of people and will join the soon to be formed list of famous five models from Fiat in India. Labels: Fiat-Grande-Punto
Monday, 8 June 2009
General Motors has finally revealed the price to expect for its new small car to be launched by the end of this year. The new car based on GM’s concept car Beat will be priced at around Rs 4 Lakh. Not much else is known about it yet. While it’s true that General Motors has filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S., its Indian arm - GM India - is going full swing with new model launches and is poised to take competition head on in the Indian car market. The Indian subsidiary is not affected by the state of its parent company in the U.S. and is launching new cars models and variants for existing cars. Chevrolet’s success in India is seen in the recent launch of the LPG variant of Chevrolet Spark and a new variant of Aveo U-VA called ‘techno’. Also to be launched soon are the premium sedan Chevrolet Cruze in September and the new mini car by the end of this year. The Indian setup of GM has set a target of five new car launches for the year 2009 even as the parent company undergoes transformation as a government owned entity. The new car launches signify that the company is hale and hearty and looking forward to a healthy growth just like the other car manufacturers in the country. GM India is well stocked with spare parts and has a well laid out business plan to be extremely profitable this year. To convince Indian buyers that there’s absolutely nothing to worry about, GM India has launched a campaign “There for you, There for India”. It has invested billions of dollars in constructing production plants at Talegaon in Maharashtra and is still focused on its target of achieving 10 percent market share by the end of 2010. GM India is self sufficient and independent of the operation of its parent company in the U.S. It is also able to manage and raise revenues on its own strength. As GM U.S. is being restructured by the American government, GM India is going from strength to strength. It also plans to export small cars manufactured in India to GMs overseas markets. All these moves speak of a highly evolved strategy to continue its successful operations in the country. GM India is on the safe side and is here to stay for a long time. Labels: Chevrolet-Spark-LPG, General-Motors, GM-India
Ever since their arrival to the Indian car market, German luxury car manufacturers have locked horns with each other to grab a share of the lucrative market. This time, BMW has gone one up in the battle of titans by beating Mercedes-Benz in sales. BMW sold 466 cars compared to Mercedes’ 371 in the month of May. Despite economic recession and slowdown in the auto industry, the market has remained profitable for luxury car manufacturers which have posted handsome sales figures over the past few months. BMW’s surging success can be attributed to lacklustre performance of Mercedes-Benz when it comes to new car launches. Though the latter has introduced renewed and refreshed versions of its top selling car models, no new models have been brought in over the last six months. Compare that with BMW’s four new model launches this year the innovative X6 sports activity coupe, Z4 roadster, and the very expensive upgraded 7 Series. Mercedes-Benz also failed to effectively combat BMW’s innovative marketing strategies like zero percent schemes, loyalty programs, and exchange programs. Though Audi’s car sales aren’t far behind in the race to conquer the Indian car market, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are almost head to head. BMW started off in the lead at the start of the year but then lost out to Mercedes-Benz in subsequent months. After the brief lull, BMW has taken the lead again with astounding sales last month. Labels: BMW-Cars, Car-Sales-India, Luxury-Cars, Mercedes-Benz
The much-awaited Chevrolet Aveo U-VA Techno has joined the colourful spectrum of Chevy vehicles after its launch last week. The new variant is apace with international taste with its sporty rear spoiler and new body-coloured door handles and outside mirrors. It has been designed by the Italdesign Giugiaro Studio which is a pioneer in innovative motor car design. With this new addition to the Chevrolet stable, GM India, a subsidiary of the bankrupt General Motors, wants to announce to the world, rather on a high note, that all is well in India. "Bada Dil Badi Car", as the company calls it, is one of the most spacious cars in its class and is directly pitted against the Maruti Suzuki Swift, Skoda Fabia, Ford Fusion, and Hyundai i20. The bright grey interior colour scheme makes it look even more spacious and 60:40 spilt folding rear seats offer plenty of space inside the cabin. A bold chrome-finished grille at the front, full wheel covers, and body-coloured tailgate handle provide the new member of the Chevrolet family an aesthetic appeal and premium feel. The comfort and convenience factor might have run deeper in the mind of the car’s designers as they have mounted a 4-speaker 2-DIN music system with MP3 player, antenna, and USB port. The Chevrolet U-VA Techno also comes with new features like reverse warning system, remote keyless entry, and anti-theft alarm. The new spicy variant of Aveo U-VA is priced at Rs 4.36 Lakh (Ex-Showroom Delhi). Labels: Chevrolet-Aveo-U-VA, Chevrolet-Techno, General-Motors, GM-India, New-Car-Launch
Sarika Sehrawat proved that car racing is not a male-only sport when she won the Raid de Himalaya Car Rally in 2006. Taking a cue from her and other successful female drivers before her, many women have ventured into the male-dominated sport even opting for it as a career. Still the world repeats the frequently asked question - Who are better drivers, men or women? As in every field, male hegemony runs deep in the psyche of mankind especially when it comes to manoeuvring wheeled rides. It is as if like an unwritten theory, though contentious, that fellow passengers and others who share the road with them feel comfortable and confident when they see gentleman at the steering wheel rather than a woman negotiating hairpin bends and busy city roads. However, modern day women in general and feminists in particular will not tolerate such a notion and are willing to fight it out tooth and nail to dispel it. They will point out an umpteen number of instances where men have faltered and women have turned out to be more responsible drivers. Almost always, they’re right. In most of the fatal crashes reported, we see that men have more driver involvement than women. But that’s just because they drive more than women. Here’s a finding that balances thing out – As per a finding, per 10 Lakh miles travelled, women are 12% more likely to crash than men. Till date, no study has really proved that driving skills vary with gender. Each gender is at risk just the same due to its own unique set of characteristics. While men tend to take more risks to invite trouble, women invite just as much by being over conscious about accidents. Men even let their egos control the driving and often tend to rate their driving ability higher than women. Both men and women can be offered different sets tips for safe driving based on their individuality. After all, defensive driving is an art. To conclude, there’s no category like a good male driver or a female driver as the classification depends entirely on how you define a “better” driver. Only practice makes a man (woman as well) perfect. Labels: Car-Driving-Tips
Friday, 5 June 2009
French car manufacturer Renault is no more an unfamiliar name to the Indian motorist. Their joint venture with Mahindra has proven extremely successful after the launch of the Mahindra-Renault Logan mid-size sedan in April 2007. The team now has plans of launching more models to build on the success on the Logan in the Indian car market and the Renault Sandero Stepway SUV is first in queue. The car was initially designed for Brazilian roads and is currently being readied for India. Two basic qualities of the compact Sandero make it a good “urban sport” vehicle - roominess and robustness. It carries a 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine similar to the one on the Logan and comes with stylish bumpers and grille, chrome-finished exhaust pipe, cozy and spacious interiors with seating capacity of five adults, and roof rails. The high-set position of the driver’s seat is an exclusive feature which makes driving extremely comfortable especially for women. It not only helps short drivers by aiding them in seeing the road better but also gives them a feeling of superiority in any urban road condition. The Sandero Stepway is expected to be priced at around Rs 5 Lakh. Unlike other Renault cars, this revolutionary SUV is all set to invade the mid-size SUV segment and repeat the success of the Logan. Labels: Mahindra-Renault, Renault-Sandero-Stepway, SUV
General Motors has filed for bankruptcy protection and is now undergoing a restructuring process the make it leaner and more competitive. It is shedding excess weight by selling off several of its car brands on the brink of extinction - Saab, Opel, Hummer, and Saturn. Pontiac will most probably be shut down completely. The shift of General Motors from being an epitome of capitalism to ending up as a government controlled organization is interesting. Auto analysts in United States believe a lethal combination of several factors led to the downfall of the iconic American car manufacturer. On the surface, factors like rising competition from foreign car manufacturers, skyrocketing fuel prices, freezing of credit, economic meltdown, and lack of buyers due to massive unemployment can definitely be blamed. But the problem runs deeper. The real problems started way back in GM’s history when the company was making huge profits. Worker unions held strikes and protests to the company to provide lifetime benefits to employees. With the passing of decades, the lifetime benefits fund has consumed a major portion of GM’s profits. This pushed the labour costs through the roof. When costs became unmanageable, the company had to decide between making these payments and keeping itself alive. The problem was so serious that the cost of steel for cars was less than what went into the workers fund. With this on hand, expansion, upgrade, and new investments became nearly impossible. To top it, workers’ salaries were so high that they became things of envy to those who worked the same jobs with other car manufacturers. General Motors never recovered from these liabilities and these eventually forced the company to file for bankruptcy. The collapse of the U.S. car manufacturing giant will enter management textbooks as a case study. Labels: General-Motors
Volvo has released a new video game that allows gaming enthusiasts to race with Volvo cars at highly detailed circuits around the world. The company has created the game in collaboration with leading video game developer SIMBin. Generally, Volvo has been associated with safety and comfort when it comes to cars but the term motorsports has had a distant connection with the brand. The Swedish car manufacturer has participated in several auto racing events but has found only limited success there. However, race enthusiasts will now get a chance to drive their favourite Volvo cars in the virtual world. Players can choose their favourite Volvo car from a list and make runs across Gothenburg Eco Drive Arena in Sweden or Chayka circuit outside Kiev in Ukraine. The list of cars includes C30, S60, S40, 850 estate, and 240 Turbo Group A. The brand new S60 concept too is available. All these cars have raced before. The C30 is currently participating in the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC), the Volvo S60 has previously competed in STCC, the S40 has notched up many notable successes in British TCC, and the 850 estate car is a legend in British TCC and is titled a true racing classic. The game developers at SimBin took special care to make gameplay as realistic as possible. They’ve test driven the cars on real race circuits to record their sounds. The game can be operated using game steering wheel and pedals connected to a computer or a game pad. Varying skill levels can be set ranging from novice to professional. The level of assist systems in the car, from ABS to traction control, too can be set to manage game difficulty. Game detail is accurate and each car exhibits unique handling characteristics. The game is available for download on the internet. Labels: Car-Racing, Car-Video-Game, Volvo
The launch of the most awaited hatchback of the year Honda Jazz is inching ever so close. Its manufacturer has been boasting that the Jazz will come with a completely new 1.2-litre i-VTEC engine. However, the car is not entirely new to the world. It’s already available in seven countries across the globe though not as a hatchback in all places. However, that’s not where the monotony of the Jazz ends. Firstly, Jazz has been part of Honda since the 1960s when it was the name of their 49 cc scooter sold in Canada and it is still sold as the Jazz there. Secondly, Honda sold the 100 bhp 1.2L 4-cylinder engine Honda City as the Jazz in Europe between 1982 and 1986. The current Jazz that the world knows of is sold as the Honda Fit in the United States. So the Jazz is Honda’s scooter in Canada, their Sedan in Europe, Fit in the U.S., and soon to be hatchback in India. Honda’s addiction to Jazz is questionable. Either they’ve run out of names for their new cars or they strongly believe in the mystical power of names. After all, brand name and brand reliability have worked magic for Honda over the decades. Labels: Hatchbacks, Honda-Jazz
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Finally the two premium car brands Jaguar and Land Rover, now owned by Tata Motors, will make appearances in Indian this June. The news of these legendary British car brands coming to India was on from the time of Tata has acquired them. All Jaguars and Land Rovers will be imported to the premium car division at Ceejay House in Worli, Mumbai. This will be a significant move from Tata Motors that will further increase the company’s reputation in the domestic market and also on the global scene. The range of models that will enter Tata showrooms in India are XF and XK from Jaguar and Discover 3, Range Rover, and Range Rover Sport from Land Rover. Tata is the first Indian car manufacturer to make such a privileged deal and it’s a matter of pride to see these two premium British car brands in the country. How the cars will be received by Indians remains to be seen. Labels: Jaguar, Land-Rover, New-Car-Launch, Tata Motors
General Motors’ strategy to restructure the company by off-loading some of its struggling car brands is finally seeing the light of day. The company has managed to sell its European subsidiary Opel Motors to Magna from Canada, the military-style SUV brand Hummer has been taken over by a Chinese company and now a deal for the Saturn brand is in the making. Interestingly, GM is tapping Indian car majors like Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra to consider a deal for Saturn. The grapevine in the U.S. suggests that bankers handling GM have been pushing for a possible sale to Indian car manufacturers. The small car brand Saturn is a familiar brand in the United States just like Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki in India. General Motor. It was setup by GM in 1985 to rival cost-effective Japanese car manufacturers like Toyota and Honda. Saturn’s small cars have attracted huge sales over the past decade but GM’s multi-brand strategy had prevented it from developing new models which might have led to its current sorry state. GM’s bankers favour Tata Motors as its acquisition of Daewoo, Jaguar, and Land Rover brands has brought it worldwide recognition. Mahindra too has been actively working on building a presence in the U.S. car market with its models Scorpio, Bolero, and Xylo. However, it might not be easy for Indian car manufacturers as they will have to fight off bids from Chinese buyers as well as Magna, a Canadian firm. Labels: Car-Brands, General-Motors, Mahindra-and-Mahindra, Saturn, Tata
June seems to be a month dedicated to new car launches. There is a long queue of new cars awaiting launch this month. One model joining this launch line-up is the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Diesel which is speculated to launch on 9th of June. The diesel version of Prado will sport a 4.5-litre V8 engine which delivers 282 bhp. The four wheel drive SUV comes with a 6-speed automatic gearbox. Compared to the petrol version of the Prado, the diesel one is expected to show better performance and fuel economy. In terms of interior and exterior design, the Land Cruiser Prado Diesel will not differ much from the already available petrol model. For the Indian market, just like its petrol sibling, the Prado diesel too will be imported as a CBU from Japan with an expensive price tag ranging between Rs. 45,00,000 and Rs. 48,00,000. It will come in to compete with the Audi Q5 (to be launched on 5th June) which shares a similar price tag. Other competitors of the Land Cruiser Prado are Porsche Cayenne, BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, and Volkswagen Touareg. Labels: Diesel-Cars, New-Car-Launch, SUVs, Toyota-Land-Cruiser-Prado-Diesel
Audi has launched the Q5 in India. It is not just another model from Audi as the Q5 has much to it to charm Indian luxury car buyers. It blends trendy design, luxurious interiors, and sporty looks into a single compact package. It is second in the “Q” series of SUVs from Audi, the first being the widely popular Audi Q7. The Q5 has striking similarities to its older sibling Q7 but is much smaller in size. The Q5’s compact design and lowered stance are better suited for Indian roads. The new SUV is available in two engine options - 2.0-litre TFSI petrol with a maximum power output of 211 bhp and 240 bhp 3.0-litre TDI V6 diesel, both of which are direct injection units with turbochargers. The Q5 combines beefy pulling power with impressive fuel efficiency. Striking features of the newly launched Audi Q5 include drive select option, Audi’s Multi-Media Interface, rear seat DVD entertainment system, keyless entry and push-button start, xenon plus headlights with LED technology, premium Bang & Olufsen surround sound system, 3-zone automatic air conditioning, and reverse parking camera. Attitude, class, and performance of the Audi Q5 have made it a much-loved car in Europe where it has won Golden Steering Wheel and Best Off-Roader awards for 2009. It’s expected to outperform the Q7. Suitable for crowded roads as well as highways, the SUV is a travel anywhere companion. The petrol version is sold at Rs 38.29 Lakh and the diesel variant costs Rs 44.19 Lakh (ex-showroom price Delhi). Labels: Audi, Audi-Q5, New-Car-Launch
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
The Honda Jazz will be launched soon thereby marking Honda’s first foray into the small car segment. The new hatchback has a heavy price tag and will be ranked second on the list of expensive hatchbacks in the country, beaten only by the exorbitantly priced Fiat 500. The Jazz’s starting price of Rs 7 Lakh puts even reigning price-champions in the segment - Skoda Fabia and Hyundai i20 - to shame. The much awaited Jazz is being looked upon with skepticism by auto analysts and small car buyers alike as this is Honda’s first deviation from regular textbook car launches. So far, all of Honda’s cars have submissively belonged to the segments that Honda has intended them to be in and the Jazz appears to be a rebel that’s pushing the upper limit of the premium hatchback segment. After a similar attempt from Skoda, with its premium hatch Fabia that failed to impress, it’s difficult to really tell if the expensive Jazz will ride a newly developing trend where price wouldn’t defer an interested Indian car buyer. So far, car buyers in the country have always appreciated hatchbacks with traditional prices of under Rs 5 Lakh and Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki have been juicing this market for years. Without a doubt, Honda is relying on brand popularity and India’s symbolizing it with quality. Also to be noted is that Honda’s experiment comes in the face of an unpredictable Indian market which is only just recovering from a hard fall. The launch of the Jazz is important particularly after Maruti Suzuki’s new small car Ritz that promises plenty of goodies such as ABS, airbags, integrated music system, and several other features – all at an appreciable price. What could worry Honda is that the Ritz also promises cheap spares and low running costs which the Jazz, though belonging to a class of its own, could find hard to deliver on. Another worrying factor that Honda has already considered is the crowded nature of the Indian small car segment. The plentitude of small car models lays out all options for car buyers. Labels: Honda-Jazz, New-Car-Launch, Premium-Hatchbacks
Automotive fuel economy and car emissions have faced severe criticism from all and sundry. As car manufacturers refused to publicly own up the fuel efficiency of their engines, the Indian government made it mandatory to publish fuel efficiency ratings for every model. The government is getting stricter by the day to combat pollution better and has finally decided to implement automotive fuel economy standards. The issue has been considered so seriously that the Prime Minister’s Office itself has decided that the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) will formulate the new fuel economy norms and notify them under the Energy Conservation Act. The execution of the norms will be the responsibility of the surface transport ministry. The norms will be developed on the basis of mileage that petrol and diesel vehicles deliver. BEE is expected to move fast to implement the labelling of vehicles in the first phase. It will then be converted into mandatory standards. The bureau hopes that manufacturers will work to ensure that their cars will deliver better fuel efficiency after the implementation of these standards. The government is considering various factors before finalizing the norms. Climate experts in the country are asking the government to not make the norms too obscure for consumers to understand and to use carbon dioxide emission as a measure to establish standards for fuel efficiency. The Indian government needs to enact the law on the lines of fuel economy regulations in Europe and the United States. High fuel efficiency standards will ensure lesser dependability on fossil fuels. Labels: Car-Emissions, Car-Pollution, Fuel-Economy, Indian-Government
It was only recently that we had blogged on an ultra cheap car Pico that was developed by engineering students at M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology in Bangalore. This time, it’s students from Sapathagiri College of Engineering in Bangalore who have created a hybrid car as a part of their final year academic project. This set of creative heads has put together an automotive wonder that is a special type of hybrid car as it runs on two engines. The car is powered by an old Sipani Montana 850cc engine that has been modified to deliver extremely low fuel consumption. Besides this, the car runs on LPG as well as petrol. Creating this hybrid marvel was not an easy job for this as there were no available sponsors and every penny required was put in by them on their own. Car parts were sourced from garages across the city and this was the easy part. It took them a while to obtain the engines for the car. The group is looking forward to seeing their pet project being produced commercially but currently it has to undergo a few more changes to come out as a complete car. This is a good example of how young auto engineers are coming up with new and innovative concepts that have the potential to revolutionize the current global car manufacturing scene. Labels: Auto-Engineers, Concept-Cars, Hybrid-Cars, Low-Cost-Cars, Student-Projects
Fiat is all set to add a new model to its stable in both petrol and diesel variants on June 17th. The Grande Punto will blend in well with India’s small car favouritism trend. The car, designed by famous car designer Giorgetto Giugario, has been spreading its magic in European markets and is now getting ready to storm India’s small car segment posing a huge challenge to rivals like Skoda Fabia, Maruti Suzuki Swift, Ford Fusion, Hyundai i20, and the upcoming Honda Jazz. Created on the platform of the Fiat Linea, the new car will be seen in three variants - Active, Dynamic, and Emotion. Petrol engine options are 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre whereas diesel engine is a 1.3L multi-jet, same as the one on Linea. There is no confirmation yet about its exact pricing but petrol variants are speculated to fall in the range of Rs. 4.5 Lakh to Rs. 6 Lakh and diesel variants will come with a price tag of Rs. 5.25 Lakh to Rs. 6.5 Lakh. A blend of beauty, solidity, and brilliance along with a very Italian essence makes the Fiat Grande Punto a complete car ready to win millions of hearts. It will be manufactured at Fiat’s Ranjangaon plant near Pune in Maharashtra along with the Linea. Labels: Fiat-Cars, Fiat-Grande-Punto, New-Car-Launch
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
The legendary Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport model which carries a memorable racing heritage will be seen in a new avatar by 2010. Chevrolet had first launched the limited edition Grand Sport in the year 1996 in remembrance of the original racing car. General Motors announced the new 2010 Corvette Grand Sport at the 12th annual C5/C6 Corvette Birthday Bash, held at the National Corvette Car Museum, in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The new Corvette Grand Sport will be seen with all new features and innovative technology. The super car will replace the existing Z51 model and will match the power and performance of another model called Z06. To add sharp handling, the super car uses a front splitter and tail spoiler from the Corvette Z06. Under the hood will be a 424 bhp 6.2-litre V8 engine and will have a two mode exhaust system. The gearbox choices include six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and manual transmission that uses dry sump oil system and differential cooler. Though a convertible, coupe models will also be available and will come with removable hardtops. Labels: Chevrolet-Corvette-Grand-Sport, New-Car-Launch, Racing-Cars, Super-Car
The luxury car manufacturer hailing from the land of automotive engineering, Audi, is planning to add a new model to its product portfolio. Anew car christened as ‘E1’ will join Audi’s small car global model line-up and is speculated to make its debut in 2011. E1 is said to be the smallest car from Audi yet and will be positioned against BMW MINI Cooper from the BMW stable. Developed on the platform of small car Volkswagen Up, the E1 will be manufactured at the VW plant in Bratislava, Slovakia. The Audi E1 will be positioned below the Audi A1 model and will be first model from the E-series range which the car manufacturer aims to expand over a span of 2 to 5 years. The E-series cars will concentrate on delivering good fuel efficiency along with wide range of engines which will include a small turbocharged 600 cc 2-cylinder engine running on either petrol or diesel. Later, hybrid engines and all-electric versions using lithium polymer batteries could add to the available engines list. Though the E1 will be the smallest car of the lot, it will be a premium car that will reflect the dignified personality of the Audi brand. Briefing on its styling, the E1 will come with Audi’s typical mesh grille, short overhangs, and large front badge. Beautifully crafted front and rear LED light clusters, large alloys, and a sharply rising waistline are also notable characteristics of the new small car. Labels: Audi-E1, Audi-Small-Car, New-Car-Launch
Finally, the country of innumerable car brands and car models is shifting focus to economical small cars after seeing decades of sedans, SUVs, and passenger vans. The almost bankrupt General Motors has aired its willingness to build small cars for the U.S. market. GM is looking forward to introducing a new small car to join the Chevrolet Cruze and electric car Volt in the American car market. The address by the CEO marks a clear path for GM’s future which has so far prided itself for producing big vehicles. The new small car is also a step in the direction to cater to the growing small car market. It is expected to help General Motors regain its profitability within a few years. If successful it will be the most profitable venture by General Motors in the past decade after years of huge losses. It will also help General Motors regain its market share in United States that has currently fallen prey to foreign car brands. Currently, General Motors markets the Chevrolet Spark and Aveo U-VA hatchbacks in India. The company could add these same cars to the U.S. market with a few upgrades. These cars have been well received by the buyers in India. GM could also export them from India to cut costs thus making them more competitive against the Japanese brands in the U.S. market. Labels: American-Cars, Chevrolet-Cars, General-Motors, Small-Cars
India’s top car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki is a worried house. Their problem is that only two of their models – Swift hatchback and Swift DZire sedan have been contributing extensively to overall sales while other models haven’t been very popular. This is not a good sign for the company inspite of their having posted the highest growth among all car manufacturers in India. The MD and CEO of Maruti Suzuki Mr. Nakanishi, has been very frank in admitting this fact and the company has been working towards a solution to this. A reason for this could be that after the Maruti 800 and Swift, other cars from Maruti’s stable haven’t been very different. Industry analysts also suggest that the Alto, Zen, and WagonR were actually just differently built 800s. Space and design of cars in the Maruti line-up didn’t see much variation either until the Swift hatchback arrived. Encouraged by the response to Swift hatch, Maruti launched the DZire sedan, knowing fully well that it would be a winner from the start. The difference between the two phases of Maruti Suzuki – the 800-based cars and the Swift-based cars, is the change in engine options. People wanted more power, better fuel efficiency, and more interior space. Maruti also offers diesel options on the Swift hatchback. Maruti Suzuki needs to focus on offering something new to the Indian people as the competition continuously thickens. Labels: Maruti Swift, Maruti Swift D’Zire, Maruti-Car-Sales, Maruti-Suzuki-Cars
Monday, 1 June 2009
Audi is famous among the populace for its cars that blend style, luxury, power and performance in equal measure. The luxury car brand ranks among the top in the International auto industry and it has been in India for several years now. The new Audi Q5 SUV will soon join its older brother Audi Q7 in the Indian market. The new car launch is expected to happen by June 4th this year. The sturdy look of an SUV and comfort of a sedan is what makes the Q5 special. It is a sort of replica of the Q7 in looks but the Audi Q5. Built on the Audi Multi Longitudinal Platform, this second child in the Audi Q series bases itself on the Audi A4 sedan and uses the chassis of the A5 model. The Audi Q5 promises lots of wonders behind the steering wheel, along with the standard equipments; it is equipped with Drive Select option, which helps the driver in selecting the throttle mapping, steering and suspension settings, and transmission shifts according to driver’s choice. The superb audio system from Bang & Olufsen is sure to keep ones ear engaged for a long time. Audi’s Multi-Media Interface (MMI) is an added feature - it is a user-friendly interface that helps in controlling most of the Audi Q5’s operations. Keyless entry, push-button start, and reverse camera are among some key features which the Q5 will offer. The Four Wheel Drive Q5 gives Indians two engine options to choose from - a 3-litre V6 common-rail diesel producing 240 bhp and a 2-litre TFSi petrol engine delivering 211 bhp. There’s ample space inside the cozy and extravagant interior of the Audi Q5 and exterior is stylish and curvy. The new SUV will be priced at around Rs 45 Lakh but with this amount of luxury, style, comfort, and performance, the amount just might be worth it. Audi expects the Q5 to ride on the success of the Audi Q7 which has been extremely popular in the Indian car market. Labels: Audi-Q5, New-Car-Launch, SUVs
Customer is King and every industry focuses on building a good rapport with customers. Recently, Ford India launched its newfangled service plan for its customers entitled ‘Scheduled Service Plan’ or SSP. This plan offers Ford car owners a lower maintenance cost. The car service package includes maintenance of vehicles such as engine oil change, air/fuel/oil filter cleaning/replacement, spark plugs, etc. at regular intervals. Besides this, for a limited period, the service charges will be discounted on car maintenance and part replacement will be done. The Service Plan is available across the country in 15 cities - Chennai, Chandigarh, Hyderabad & Secunderabad, Delhi & NCR, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Ludhiana, Pune, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Jaipur, Cochin, Kolkata, and Surat. The SSP is available in a variety of plans to match the customer’s requirement. According to the new scheme, customers are requested to turn their cars in to Ford dealers for servicing by experts and well trained technicians certified by Ford India. This program will allow customers to drive in with their cars for maintenance without the hassle of billing in the regular periodical maintenance service." Besides SSP, as a part of customer service, Ford India also presents a complete package of service products which include car maintenance including Extended Warranty (EW); Total Maintenance Plan (TMP) which will cover all the possible mechanical & electrical failures; wear & tear of the car parts. Labels: Car-Maintenance, Car-Service, Ford
General Motors will file for bankruptcy today. The U.S. federal courts had specified June 1 as the last date for filing for bankruptcy and it has been one of the closely followed corporate happenings in the world, reason being that GM has been the world’s largest car manufacturer for over seven decades in its hundred year history. It employs thousands of people in the United States alone and takes care of over 5 Lakh retirees. If the courts decide to liquidate General Motors, it will be the largest manufacturing unit bankruptcy in the world. But the U.S. government is ensuring that the company be provided with funds to help restructure in order to become more competitive. GM has been a victim of weak global economy, high oil prices, and tight credit situations that put brakes on sales of its products and left it unable to raise cash from open markets. Even though filing for bankruptcy would have helped it procure cash to pay of its debts and commitments to employee funds, it wanted to avoid it as this would give the U.S. government a chance to control 60 percent of the company. The global economic meltdown took away all hopes of reviving the automotive manufacturing giant. Auto analysts say that bankruptcy of General Motors will take longer time than Chrysler as the former’s operations are spread over different continents. The courts will have to take into account many more factors than they did for Chrysler. However, President Obama has assured help to restructure General Motors to ensure that it becomes profitable within a year. General Motors India has largely been insulated from the happenings in its parent company but the effects are likely to trickle down to India in no time. In this backdrop, General Motors has decided to make more small cars, which is a deviation from its passion for large vehicles. Labels: General-Motors
For the first time in the history of Formula One racing, a participant team has put its wares up for sale. So far, Formula One fans could flaunt their love for the game through merchandise like T-shirts, Caps, Key chains, and other kinds of apparel. Now Toyota Motors has put up a lot of high tech parts from its past racing cars for sale. Toyota has been participating in F1 races for over three decades. The Toyota Motorsports team regularly takes part in Formula One Race, NASCAR, IndyCar, ChampCar, Sports car racing, and other car rallies. The high tech auto parts for sales include carbon fiber wings, brakes, light alloy wheels, and several other parts. They are all marketed through a special Toyota website. The auto parts costs from Rs 13,000 to Rs 3,34,000. The parts available at the cheaper end are usually wheels, brake discs, and suspension parts at prices starting from Rs 15,000. The front and the rear wing assemblies are available at prices between Rs 54,000 to Rs 1,52,000. Toyota is also offering complete rear wing, engine cover, and the underbody section which is virtually half the car. These are sold at prices starting from Rs 3,34,000 – currently available only on first come first serve basis. This will be the biggest bonanza for motorsports fans across the world. No other company including Formula One staples like McLaren, Ferrari, BMW, Honda, and Mercedes have attempted this kind of campaign yet. These companies have always sobered the F1 technologies to meet the needs of production cars. Toyota has gone where no other F1 team has gone before- reaching the people through their F1 technologies. The sale of F1 car parts comes as no surprise to many Toyota enthusiasts as Toyota recently pulled away its Fuji Speedway race track from the Japanese Grand Prix and is considering closing down all its F1 circuits completely. Labels: Car-Racing, Formula-One-cars, Toyota
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