Indian Car Blog - Carazoo.com

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After the grand entry of the Fiat Grande Punto, Fiat is planning to enter the Indian car market with new models.

The Italian car major is all set to come out with its small car in 2011-2012 and Fiat is busy these days with the sketches of the car.

The rumour out there is that this upcoming small car from Fiat will carry a price tag of Rs 3-4 Lakh. The company is currently considering various engine options right from 900 cc to 1200 cc for the small car. The car will be positioned between the Tata Nano and the Grande Punto. This small car will be pitted against the upcoming Ford Figo.

With the success of the Linea and the Grande Punto, and a new small car unleashed in the Indian car market, the company is eyeing to sell 2,00,000 cars by 2012 with an aim of achieving 7-8 per cent market share.

Fiat is also considering to bring in LCVs and premium cars in India. It has been revealed the the ideal time for Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) launch is 2012-2014. The LCVs will come with a load carrying capacity between 0.8-1.8 Tonnes in India.
Meanwhile, the company will continue to build its network and manufacturing capabilities to create its own market in India and a strong base for exports of small cars.

Fiat has organised a 10,000-km drive, the 'Fiat Diesel Drives India', to promote its diesel engines and vehicles across India.

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Delayed for over two weeks, the new Maruti Suzuki SX4 has still not lost its fervour. The wait is over and the Maruti SX4 has been finally launched. The main attraction of the SX4 is that the engine of the SX4 is equipped with an advanced variable valve timing (VVT) technology.

The SX4 is an attempt of Maruti Suzuki to wipe out the different assumptions about the brand that is prevailing in the car market. The popular notion is that Maruti is not a great performer when it comes to the big cars. And with other major companies such as Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota striving hard to satisfy the ever growing demands of the customers, Maruti will be in no time pushed to the wall as a small car manufacturer alone. This fear of the company might me the driving force behind the company’s new launch.


Maruti Suzuki has also introduced a 4-speed automatic transmission. The VVT technology guarantees that there is no shortage of power or wastage leading to improved optimized fuel consumption, engine efficiency, and lesser carbon emissions. The advanced VVT technology helps in starting the car accelerating it and climbing steep slopes better.

The SX4 is an environment friendly car that complies with the BS IV regulation, which will be effective from April 2010. It is among first cars in the A-3 segment that abide by the BS IV regulation of emission.

The SX4 has a more efficient engine that gives a mileage of 15.6 km per litre of petrol. The 1.6 litre engine produces a maximum power of 104.68ps @5600 rpm and a high torque of 145Nm @4100 rpm. The new SX4 has been made vibrant with a brand-new sporty honeycomb grille and 10-spoke 16 inch alloy wheels and dual tones interiors and plush upholstery.

The 4-speed automatic transmission is the best choice for city drive. A smooth and sporty drive allows an easy down-shift and effortless up-shift. A cluster of computer controlled sensors continuously administers the throttle input and optimize the engine response accordingly, thus requiring no changing of gears.

The new SX4 has two-tone beige colour interiors. At night, the steering mounted controls are illuminated for effortless usage. There is also new provision of USB connectivity on the dashboard.

The SX4 also has auto climate control system, windshield antenna, illuminated key insert, and variable instrument illumination.

The new SX4 is available in 2 transmissions namely manual and automatic. The two variants in manual transmission are VXi and ZXi. The SX4 is now available in seven metallic colours namely Azure Grey, Pearl Arctic White, French Éclair, Oyster Blue, Clear Beige, Silky Silver and Midnight Black.

The SX4 VXi manual is priced at 6.68 lakh, SX4 ZXi manual at 7.37 lakh, SX4 ZXi leather at 7.71, SX4 ZXi 4-speed automatic at 8.02 lakh, and SX4 ZXi leather 4-speed automatic at 8.36 lakh.

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German car maker Porsche has been an inspiration for many car makers. But this time, it is for a different reason. A memory stick has been designed in the style of a Porsche car key.

Picking up a Porsche car key styled pen drive may not be a costly affair, for those who often dreams of driving in a Porsche car!

If you are a die hard fan of Porsche machines, this is for you. Grab the latest release from Porsche Design, a Porsche vehicle key inspired memory stick. The cost of this stylish pen drive is $49.

The styling of this special 2GB pen drive is inline with unmatchable Porsche sports car. The elegantly designed memory stick is foldable and has been garnished with minor chrome lining. The dimensions of this new memory stick are 53.5 x 38 x 19.5 mm. The same size of the real car key!

Hence you can flaunt this memory stick and your friends may assume that you have become a proud owner of a sports car from Porsche’s stable.

You can secure this pen drive at the Porsche’s Online Shop. There are many other merchandises that come from Porsche and other car makers.

Porsche has recently launched the Panamera in India. Porsche currently sells six car models in India.

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Who says stars do not guide the future? Audi has proved to the world that stars do play an important part in determining the fate.

Our stars, our dear Bollywood stars, are responsible for Audi’s sales in India. As a result, Audi is now looking at a 50 per cent growth in India this year.

Audi has been a favourite among the in the Mumbai film industry. Mega stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Bipasha Basu, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and many more are in favour of the German luxury car maker.

Moreover, Audi has many other clients in India too which are not a part of the big Indian cinema company. But, the marketing head of Audi in India vouches that Mumbai filmdom is still an important market for Audi as it gives that extra boost for Audi’s market in India.

Salman Khan is the latest star who bought an Audi A8 for himself, while Neil Nitin Mukesh owns Q7, a recently launched SUV by Audi.

Audi Q7 can cost anything from Rs 63 –Rs 76 Lakh while an Audi A8 starts from Rs 71 Lakh and can go up to Rs 1 Crore in India. The company currently offers a bouquet of seven cars, including sedans, SUVs, coupe and sports cars. It is considering launching more models in the coming years.

To promote the brand, Audi India has been partnering with Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) for the last four seasons. WIFW provides an ideal platform for Audi to meet “right and influential” people who can become potential buyers.

Earlier this month, Audi organised an amateur golf tournament called Quattro Cup.

This was the second tournament sponsored by the company and the finals were held in Hyderabad and the winners will be taken to Sydney in December.

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The Alto and the WagonR are gearing up to get heart transplants. So, if you are planning to pick up one of these cars, we at Carazoo.com will suggest you to wait for another six months till the cars come with new powerplants.

The Maruti Suzuki Alto and the WagonR will carry KB-series engines after the heart transplants. The old engine variants of these two car models will be phased out in due course of time.

India’s numero uno car maker Maruti Suzukiis trying to conform to BS-IV norms. As a result, the car maker is on an ‘engine-converting’ spree and in a later stage the Swift and the Swift DZire will also get these new series of engines. Moreover, the much awaited facelifted SX4 will be coming with the same engine once the car is officially launched. Though we expected the launch of Automatic SX4 on 13th October, it did not happen. But the new facelifted SX4 has arrived in dealership and Maruti Suzuki may officially launch this car anytime now.

The Alto is Maruti Suzuki’s flagship model. After the iconic Maruti 800, the Alto is the top selling model of India’s ‘people car’ manufacturer. Though the Maruti Suzuki WagonR is plain in looks and styles, it has managed to clock decent sales figures consistently since its inception in 2002.

The Maruti Suzuki A-Star is the first car to come with the KB-Series engine. The trend of this engine was followed by the ritzy Ritz and the New Estilo. The KB-Series is low on fuel consumption emission of carbon dioxide.

Maruti Suzuki expects that plant this fuel efficient KB-Series engine into the Alto and the WagonR will further aid in the sales of these car models.

It has been revealed to us that the Maruti Alto with KB-Series engine will hit market by end of this quarter and WagonR with KB-Series engine will reach dealership by next quarter.

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The Birdcage 75th is a concept of a car from luxury car maker Maserati. The Italian car maker honours the spirit of the dream car era and has conceptualized the Birdcage 75th.

The name of the prototype directly recalls the legendary Birdcage Tipo 63.
The Birdcage 75th will capture the ultimate expression of speed, sensuality and elegance to create a functional and dynamic automotive sculpture. The contrast struck between its organic fluidity and the severe tension of its mechanicals, creates a dynamism seldom realized. The Birdcage 75th is based on the road racing chassis of the Maserati MC12.

Maserati tried to break away from traditional styling solutions to create a coherent and unique visual experience. This led to a particularly innovative integration of the exterior and interior design and construction.

The main goal of the Birdcage 75th was to push new stylistic boundaries and techniques. Without limiting the project’s creative potential, the car design began with the study of the mechanicals to create a coherent and seamless object. The first necessity became to envelope the mechanicals in the most efficient manner possible. As research has shown, the aerodynamic forms most effectively and frequently applied in race car design are the teardrop and the inverted wing form. With this in mind, the concept of the Birdcage 75th was born.

The floating central cell is seamlessly divided into two halves, the upper portion being transparent, and the lower portion serving as a structural aerodynamic skirt. The large transparent area of the upper surface not only grants its occupants outstanding visibility, but allows all of the Maserati mechanicals, from its pushrod suspension to the beautifully crafted carbon fibre inlet trumpets of its V12 engine to be showcased and appreciated.

Staying true to its race car roots, the exterior surfaces are kept as low and uncluttered as possible only to ebb and flow into the four independently pronounced fenders which house the massive alloy wheels. To further underline the Maserati heritage, great care was taken in the rich jewel-like details which contrast the elegant simplicity of its streamlined form. The rear of the car is characterized by its imposingly deep diffuser, complemented by active aero panels on the upper surface, which raise and lower accordingly to produce the necessary levels of downforce for stability at any speed.

The interior of the car plays an important role in the visual impact and historic ties to Maserati. True to the concept of the car, the interior is an extension of the car itself, seamlessly integrated in the carbon fibre chassis.

Moreover, the car is built entirely of sustainable materials, emphasising the use of recycled components rather than natural resources.

The Birdcage 75th also extends the concept of car/user interface.

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Dubai is a place of rich Emirs, sheiks and oil barons. These tycoons drive Ferraris, Beamers and Mercs. So, what is the Indian REVA doing there?

The REVA is there with a mission to complete. The tiny environmentally friendly car is in Dubai as a part of the 'Green Car Programme'.

The Dubai Municipality has started test driving the first REVA, which is licensed to SS Lootah Company. The car has been gifted by the company to the Municipality for three days for the employees of the civic body to test drive the car and familiarize with this type of eco-friendly cars.

The car has been parked at the entrance of the main building of the Municipality as part of the civic body's endeavor to spread awareness on environmental conservation and cooperation with its strategic partners.

The project named the 'Green Car Programme' comes as part of its efforts to achieve the vision of Dubai to reduce all elements of pollution caused by cars and encourage people to use clean energy in addition to enjoy other benefits offered by this car such as safety and calmness during its driving in addition to the material savings as its cost fits people from every strata of the society in Dubai.

Hope REVA makes the mission possible.

Amen!

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Lexus has unveiled its first supercar. The LF-A took six years to get to come to shape and hence there is lot of expectation from this fast car.

The super car will carry a 4.8-litre V10 powerful powerplant under its bonnet. The engine will blow out a robust power of 552bhp and it is coupled with a transaxle six-speed automated sequential gearbox for smooth shifting of gears. The car is endowed with conventional rear-wheel drive.

The chassis and the body panels make use of excess carbon fibre reinforced plastic to give the car a lightweight for better aerodynamics. The appearance of the car commands attention; the supercar is splendidly designed, whether it’s on facade or inside the car. Hence, the typical Lexus virtues of quality and refinement are very much intact in this model.

The incredible LF-A comes in a blend of leather, carbon, aluminium and a super high tech TFT screen rev-counter. The steering wheel is light and electrically assisted unlike other supercars. The pedals are exquisitely designed with forged aluminium.

Just like other super car, the engine of the Lexus FL-A fares a little as it catches, but soon settles down to give a smooth and restful ride like all cars from Lexus stable. Moreover, the engine revs rise and fall so quickly and with such a sharp timbre that it feels like a pure race engine. The LF-A can sprint 0-100 km/h in 3.7seconds and can run at a top speed of 323km/h.

In true supercar fashion, Lexus is asking for a whooping amount of money for the LF-A and secondly because it will produce only 500 units. The LF-A supercar carries a super cost of Rs 3 Crore in the UK.

Let us hope Toyota decides to bring in a few of these to India!

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It is a trend that is seen not only among the car makers, but it is now seen in almost all of the economic and business sectors. If you are a car savvy, then there is little chance that you do not know about the eco-friendly innovations in the motor world. And to know about the current likings of the customers, you would need to just glance through the ongoing motor show, the Tokyo Motor Show.

But it also appears to be that the electric cars are winning over the hybrid cars. And the reason is very clear. The electric cars manifest the eco-friendly movement much better than the hybrid cars and so the car world is now more inclined towards them. And it is very much evident in the Tokyo Motor Show that began yesterday.

There is a great love for the super-skinny electric car from Nissan and the Toyota electric concept car FT-EV II. The electric car Leaf from Nissan will be displayed for the first time at this show, the car will be launched in 2010.

The high significance for electric cars is because of that the hybrid cars are heavier, much complicated than an electric car and runs on petrol. And it is no wonder that the zero emission electric cars with rechargeable batteries will in no time march towards the number one position pushing the hybrid cars behind.

It doesn’t mean that the hybrid cars are not inviting any attention. The Honda CR-Z concept car debuts at the show and the crowd seems to have got completely enchanted at this sportier second version of CR-Z. It is truly a delightful sight to see how the car world is evolving.

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Toyota has many plans for India. The Japanese car honcho is all set to launch the Prius in India early next year.

World’s numero uno car maker Toyota also plans to expand in the Indian car industry. It is planning to foray into the small car segment by 2011. Toyota has secured its ground in India with sedans and SUVs and its sales chart topper Innova MUV. And now, for the first time, the car giant is going to make inroads in the small car segment in India. For this, Toyota is bringing in its small car brand Daihatsu in India and India is going to be Toyota’s base for all of its future global small cars.

The upcoming Toyota small car will stand against the Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Hyundai i20. It will be positioned at the premium end of the small car market. The car will comply with needs and tastes of the Indian buyer.

It has been revealed that the Toyota small car will be within four metres in length and come with a 1.2-litre petrol engine. The company is planning to launch both the hatchback and sedan versions of the car. The sedan will come with a 1.5L engine and a 1.5-litre diesel engine may follow the petrol version. The base model of the car will also have options to select various high-end safety features like Anti Braking System (ABS).

Toyota is keen to give the proposed car a contemporary international look while keeping the price as low as possible without any compromise on quality. The company is looking at sharing components from other models with the proposed compact car to reduce the production cost.

The small car will also be at least 10 per cent more fuel-efficient than a similar-size competing car in the present Indian market. Moreover, Toyota will introduce the car with a four-cylinder engine that will be Bharat Stage IV emission norm compliant.

Toyota has a minimal market share of 3 per cent in India. It is evaluating to increase its market share by 2015. Toyota also expects that sales from India will contribute up to 4 per cent to its total global sales by 2015 on the back of its proposed small car launch.

With the launch of the Prius and the above mentioned upcoming small car, Toyota is looking to add another product to its portfolio. The company is looking to position this car between its proposed small car and the Innova. This car will be priced somewhere between Rs 6-8 Lakh.

This car model is likely to go on sale in the next two years. The all-new car will accommodate five-six persons comfortably and feature a sub 2.0-litre diesel engine. As Toyota Kirloskar Motors Limited wants to play safe with the new car and not affect Innova sales, the proposed new car is classified as “a ‘people mover’, not an SUV.”

The parent company has been evaluating certain models for India, including the Toyota Avensis Verso MPV and the Toyota Avanza for benchmarking purposes.

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It was just yesterday that we had blogged on Fiat Linea due to be launched in India with a more powerful 1.9 L engine to give enough bang for the customer’s bucks. It seems like Fiat is working its charm on the Indian mass in stages. Just when we thought Punto was out of the picture, we get this report of an upgraded engined Punto being tested in Brazil.

But this time Fiat Punto has made sure that Brazil gets another variant. Punto 1.4ELX is now available with two optional kits, termed as Punto Creative I and Punto Creative II. Meanwhile Autossegredos, a Brazilian automobile blogger reports Fiat is testing a 1.6 16V Flex engine in Punto. Both the news is equally exciting and can really contribute a lot of momentum to Punto’s successful journey in coming days.

Fiat Punto Creative I is Punto 1.4ELX with factory fitted accessories like MP3 CD radio, electric rear panel, knife type key, alloy wheels, rear spoiler and creative stickers in the columns of the front doors. Punto Creative II adds Blue & Me system, operated by voice commands and includes Bluetooth, USB port in the glove and leather steering wheel with radio controls and telephones to the list. Fiat added $1,970 and $2,880 to base price of Punto 1.4ELX for Creative I and Creative II respectively.

Now the second excitement, the above Punto was spotted in Brazil with a 1.6 16V Flex engine. We also anticipate the arrival of 1.4ltr 16V Flex engine in near future.

Both the engines are capable to return better power (say 5bhp or more) and fuel economy. The 1.6 16V engine uses electricity for valve timing but the previous engines uses belt. The Fiat Punto 1.6 16V and Punto 1.4 16V will hit market by next quarter, let us wait and see Fiat India is planning this upgrades to our market too!

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Tata Nano is now in the news for not so pleasant news. It has happened before, but it was never been so bad. There has been news that the Nano cars are caching fire when they are stationary.

As we all know, the Tata Nano was in the news even before for the wrong reason. Tata Motors was able to amuse the car customers of India and abroad alike. Nano, the cheapest car of the country brought in a lot of praise and applause even before it was launched. But the charm didn’t last long and the glory was fading away slowly.

The company was not able to deliver the Nano to the customers on time and this has bought in a bad impression about the company and its small wonder. The restless customers started cancelling their orders and the famous Nano became, the notorious Nano.

But Tata Motors was able to rectify all the uncertainties and bring the rhythm back very soon. Now this is a true mishap. Do not worry, this is not going to be a final blow to the company, Tata has faced many a problems and this will be just another one for them. And it is sure the company will come out of it successfully, like a phoenix.

The faulty combination switch is the reason why three Nano’s caught fire. It happened in North India, Delhi, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad. In Ahmedabad, the company repaired the Nano and returned to the customer and the Lucknow customer will also get back his repaired car very soon, but the company has not had the access to the car of the Delhi customer as of yet.

Unlike the American or European countries, where a company will have to call back the car if there is a technical fault, in India, the rule is not mandatory. And now, the company’s plan to run a pre-emptive check on all the cars it has delivered will also ease down the panic among the Nano customers and also to set right any technical mistake.

The fault in the car seems to be a very minor one and it can be rectified easily.

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Watch out Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata and others so called major players in the game.

Volkswagen, The German Car maker and the largest car maker in Europe is all set to bring in the most popular cars from its portfolio, Volkswagen Polo and the iconic Beetle to India followed by a slew of other models.

VW will be launching the hatchback model of Polo in the first half of 2010 followed by the sedan version of Polo later in the second half of the year. Well-camouflaged test mules of the car is being tested for Indian conditions and is all geared up for the proper launch of the car in the Indian market.

Volkswagen Polo will be available in India in both petrol and diesel models which will be manufactured at the 500-acre manufacturing unit at Chakan near Pune which has an annual production capacity of 110,000 units. The company has so far invested around Rs 3,800 crore in the plant.

Besides this, 50 per cent of Polo’s components and parts will be sourced from the domestic market which might be later increased provided the quality of the materials are of superior standard.

Volkswagen which currently sells premium sedans like Passat and Jetta also sells Touareg SUVs in India will be launching the Beetle sometime by the end of this year or early next year.

Volkswagen would also be expanding its network in cities like Nagpur, Nashik and Vijayawada. Looks like Volkswagen is taking the competition to the extremes.

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Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM) has secured its hold in the Indian car market. The Fortuner proved to be fortunate for the Japanese car maker. Now Toyota has more to offer to India. The world’s number one car maker will not stop with just offering petrol and diesel powered variants in the country.

Toyota is planning to bring in the fuel efficient Prius to India. This hybrid car is presently the most fuel economic car of the world.
As a result, Toyota is busy these days conducting feasibility studies for its hybrid car Prius in India.

In fact, the Toyota Prius was unveiled to the general public at the 18th International Engineering and Technology Fair (IETF) in Bangalore in year. The aim of this display was to assess the mass reaction.

Toyota Motors might decide to bring the Prius in Complete Built Unit (CBU) to India. But this could prove to be very costly. Moreover, the Indian government does not offer any duty slashes for imported hybrid vehicles.

Toyota must have noticed that the Honda Civic Hybridhad no customers when its price tag was around Rs. 20-25 Lakh. When the price was brought down by 8 lakh rupees, the consignment was sold in just a matter of days.

That leaves Toyota with just one feasible option – Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kits.

The Prius has to be priced competitively to attract customers in India.

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The latest name doing rounds in the battered US car market is Hyundai-Kia.

At present, Hyundai-Kia stands at the fourth largest car maker in the world. Hyundai secured this prestigious position by edging out the legendary Ford Motor Company to take the fifth place.

The South Korean car company was able to secure its place in the US car market despite having strong opponents. In fact, the company has separate operations for its Hyundai and Kia brands in the US and is the only one to report sales growth this year.

US car sales for General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler Group, as well as Japan's Toyota Motor (TM), Honda Motor (HMC) and Nissan (NSANY) are all down between 25 per cent to 50 per cent from a year ago. But the combined U.S. sales for the Hyundai and Kia brands are up 2.6 per cent.

Consequently, the two brands have picked up 2.2 percentage points of market share during the first nine months of 2009. Hyundai and Kia now combine for 7.4 per cent of the US car market. This puts Hyundai Motor Group just ahead of Nissan as the sixth-largest car maker in terms of US car sales. Moreover, the Korean car maker is rapidly closing in on Chrysler, which now has just a 9.2% share of the U.S. market.

The big question is, “How could Hyundai compete with the Detroit's Big Three and the Japanese auto giants?” The obvious answer is, “Right cars at the right time.”

Sky high fuel prices kept pickup and SUV lovers at bay and people started opting for more fuel efficient cars and fuel efficient. Not to mention that fuel efficient cars are Hyundai's specialty. The trend for Hyundai cars accelerated because of the popular Cash for Clunkers program. Moreover, cars from Hyundai-Kia stable cost less than similar models from rivals. Fuel- efficient lower-priced cars evidently appealed to buyers.

Hyundai-Kia's US sales leapt 30 per cent over the course of July and August compared to last year’s. The rest of the industry suffered a 7 per cent decline in sales over those two months -- despite a boost from Cash for Clunkers.

Besides, Hyundai also made some savvy moves to take advantage of the trends moving the market in its direction.

Hyundai believes that increase in production and more advertising means higher sales.

In January, the company rolled out its Hyundai Assurance program, which allowed buyers who lost their jobs to return their cars without penalty. A month later, Hyundai added a new wrinkle to the program. The company agreed to cover three months of payments for buyers that were looking for work. The program helped drive up awareness of the Hyundai brand.

Hyundai also did a better job than most of its rivals of preparing for demand from Cash for Clunkers. The company guaranteed its dealers they would get the up to $4,500 payments per car sold under Cash for Clunkers directly from Hyundai, rather than having them wait for reimbursement from the government. That turned out to be a smart move.

Hyundai has also been taking advantage of the troubles facing General Motors and Chrysler. The company has grabbed dozens of US dealerships or facilities cut loose by GM and Chrysler as part of their bankruptcies.

Hyundai has stepped up its marketing efforts as well -- and at a time when many competitors were pulling back on how much they spend on promotions.
The company advertised during the Super Bowl for the first time ever in 2008 and did so again this year. The company also had a commercial during this year's Academy Awards.

What's next?

Hyundai-Kia have a solid group of new cars ready to hit the market in the next few years, such as the redesigned versions of Hyundai's Santa Fe crossover and Sonata sedan and Kia's new Soul and Forte small cars.

Industry experts said that Hyundai has primarily been a beneficiary of the economic downturn.

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The stage is set and the play is just about to begin. India’s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki is bound to launch its feather-in-the-cap premium mid-size-sedan, the Maruti Suzuki Kizashi, at the upcoming Auto Expo in New Delhi in January 2010.

Maruti Suzuki which will be a new player in the D-segment will be pitting its Maruti Suzuki Kizashi, expected to be priced above 12 lakhs, against cars such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord in India. Maruti Suzuki will be a clear winner with its awesome price tag while the other cars in the segment cost above 18 lakhs.

But the big question still remains unanswered. Would Maruti be able to sell a high-end sedan in India? Maruti Suzuki, is associated with small, fuel-efficient cars and not with the high-end cars. The best example of Baleno backs this statement. Though the Baleno was a superb car in all ways, didn’t go very good with the consumers here in India. But the company is nevertheless going ahead with it.

The Suzuki Kizashi which is marketed in United States in both two wheel drive and four wheel drive options comes in three versions-a six speed manual, an automatic CVT and an automatic CVT with paddle shifters, while the all-wheel drive version comes with an automatic CVT for a CVT with paddle shifters. But the company here in India has kept the options open for gossips and rumors until the car will be actually launched in India during the Auto Expo.

But since there is a high demand for the automatic cars in the D-Segment in India, we guess that Maruti Suzuki will introduce only the six speed Manual version with two wheel drive (FWD) in India as the automatic is CVT. India does not have any four wheel drive sedans in this segment so far, and Maruti Suzuki is unlikely to take a risk with the new Kizashi.

The 2400 CC petrol engine produces 185 horsepower and 170 ft-lbs of torque. As far as the US reviews of the car are concerned, we have learnt that the car is reasonably good at cornering and power is adequate, and an electronic stability programme with ABS and EBD comes as standard features.

Safety and luxury wise, Maruti Suzuki Kizashi will have eight airbags including the rear outboard passenger side airbags. There are air conditioning vents at the rear. Just like the recently launched Chevrolet Cruze, the Kizashi comes with keyless push button start and entry, electric mirrors and central locking.

The steering wheel is tilt/telescopic adjustable, and features audio controls. The Kizashi has 10-way adjustable driver’s seat with three memory presets. The car also will have an option of either 17 or 18 inch alloy wheel, which might be retained for the Indian version also. The controls on the steering wheel include audio controls, cruise control, hands free mobile phone calling, and paddle shifters. Temperature can be adjusted separately for the driver and the front passenger.

If we get the all wheel drive version of the Kizashi, you can either choose to drive only in the front wheel drive mode for better fuel efficiency, and switch to all wheel drive at any speed to transfer 50 per cent of the power to the rear wheels. USB Port is a standard feature to connect the MP3 player to the car’s audio system. As per the reviews and test drive reports, the car is extremely grippy compared to other cars in the segment.

The twin silencers at the rear, integrated into the rear bumper, helps to give the Kizashi some sporty pretensions.

The interior of the car is reported to be quite spacious, similar to other Suzuki cars. This is one field where the Suzuki engineers are specialists at. The interior of the Kizashi is much more modern than the interior of the Suzuki SX4 which we have in India.

Maruti Suzuki Kizashi will not be here to win any beauty contests, as Suzuki always believed in Macho styling. Think of Maruti Suzuki SX4’s The Men Are Back TV commercial. To sum it up, Kizashi is a car which is really handsome and looks muscular at every given angle. Though the name “Kizashi” is not that macho-sounding, people here in India will certainly have a tough time pronouncing the name Ki-Za-Shi, which is so much like a tongue twister.

Now with the Auto Expo 2010 New Delhi around the corner, let the games begin. May the best manly car win the game. Good luck Kizashi, on your Indian outing.

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Fiat’s stylish sedan Fiat Linea has long suffered from underpowered engines since its inception here in India. Fiat Linea currently runs on a 1.3L diesel and 1.4L petrol that lacks the punch.

The owners of the car certainly feel that they haven’t got their share of power for their money with the Linea. The guys in Fiat finally have taken the complaints and grumblings quite seriously and are all set to launch a series of powerful engines by next year in the upcoming 2010 Delhi Auto Expo.

Fiat’s sedan Linea and hatchback Grande Punto is of much importance to the Fiat India’s Indian presence as these two models have given tremendous sales figures. Now Fiat India would not want to give their customers a great car with underpowered engines, which takes the josh out of motoring and dwindles the size of their coffers due to poor sales.

Fiat India therefore might as well showcase powerful 1.6L or the 1.9L diesel engines for the gracious Linea. If launched in India, the 1.9L diesel engine will come with two configurations that might be 8 valves and 16 valves. These two engines would have four different power outputs that would generate 100PS, 120PS, 130PS and 150PS.

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Jenson Button became the F1 World Drivers’ Champion on Sunday.

Button made the race of his life by overtaking from fourteenth to a fifth-place finish in the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.

After winning the six of the first seven races, Jenson Button, lead driver for the Brawn GP team, had a string of bad finishes; while his teammate, Rubens Barrichello, scored well in every race. Fans and experts alike began to ask if Button’s early wins were due merely the Brawn’s technological edge; many pointed to his uneven performances throughout his ten-year career.

As he crossed the finish line, the British speed king broke into an impromptu chorus of “We Are the Champions,” pumping his arms in the air. As soon as he parked his car, he ran to his crew to thank them.

After qualifying terribly in Interlagos, Button’s hopes for clinching the championship in Brazil seemed slight, particularly since Barrichello put his Brawn on the pole. But Jenson Button was not waiting for luck or fate to assist him! Button jumped ahead from the start, battling past everyone in his way, earning the title through effort and skill.

The 29-year-old Button is the 10th British driver to claim motor racing's greatest prize, inheriting the crown from Lewis Hamilton.

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The Indian car industry sold maximum numbers of cars during Dhanteras. On the occasion of Dhanteras, an auspicious day on the Hindu calendar two days ahead of Diwali, people make investments and bring new gadgets to the house.

The Indian car industry registered a record selling of 25,000 cars in a day across India. It was the highest ever booking of cars in a day. This proves that the Indian car market remain unaltered by the global recession.

Maruti Suzuki recorded highest number of sale with over 8,000 cars on the Dhanteras day. It was the highest sell in a day by the country's leading small car manufacturer.

Demand for cars was so high that dealers could not make deliveries to many customers on the same day.

Moreover, small cars are an opportunity for middle class to display wealth in the festival season. The unexpected delivery of cars has also shown impact on BSE and its sensitive index were reportedly trading in green zone.

Of late, car sales have boomed in India as a result of the festive season. Many car makers have introduced new models and revamped existing models to the market.

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The decision of buying a car does not come overnight. An intelligent buyer will research well before he takes the plunge of buying one.

You might have all made plans for the ongoing festival season. And it also includes the plan of buying a car, and you are just blessed with so many new options. And these new cars will surely push you off into a deep sea of thoughts where it might take a few more weeks for you to make a peaceful and satisfied decision for which you will not regret about later.

There are a whole range of new car models that is being presented to the Indian car audience. And this has happened in a short span of one to one and a half months. To add on to the list of car launches are cars that has been launched with a minor facelift, or an upgraded version or new variant of the existing model.

For those who have settled their thoughts to buy an SUV has the large number of choices. As we have mentioned in a previous blog of ours, it was raining SUVs in India for the past few months. There was an upgraded Discovery 3 and Range Rover launched on September 23. And this launch was soon followed by the launch of Freelander 2, Ford Endeavour, facelifted Nissan X-trial, and the new Audi Q7.

The two most acclaimed models of Honda, City and Civic, came as new offerings for the Indian car crowd. The Honda City gets a new variant and a facelifted version of the Civic was launched. The two top luxury car makers of the country Mercedes-Benz and BMW also had gifts for its customers this festival season. Mercedes-Benz launched its new 2010 E-class and BMW launched a new Roadster, Z4.

The facelifted version of the existing Teana was also launched by Nissan. Porsche also made its presence through Porsche Panamera, a four seater sports sedan.

Chevrolet also launched its sedan Cruze this week, just days before Diwali. Finally yesterday, Tata launched its mid-size sedan, Tata Manza. And we are still waiting for the launch of the re-launch of Maruti SX4 and the new SUV from Premier motors.

Well, what do you think? A whole lot of cars, right, now it is up to you to take a clever decision.

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Yes, you read the headline right. A car without a steering wheel. Sounds pretty interesting!

World’s largest car maker Toyota Motor Corporation has come up with a concept car, FT-EV II. The FT-EV II is going to take all car enthusiasts by surprise as it does not have a steering wheel like regular cars do.

You must be wondering, how anyone could drive a car without foot pedals and steering wheels. Well, it turns out that is how this car functions.

The Toyota FT-EV II concept car relies on the core technology of the Toyota Hybrid System. The concept car runs on a lithium ion battery and this battery can provide fuel for upto ninety kilometres. Moreover, the FT-EV II can reach a maximum speed of 100 km/h. Cool, eh?

But what will happen if this car goes into production?
Traffic rules will change, that’s for sure, particularly for this car. New traffic rules will then allow drivers of this car to talk on cell phone without the hands free devices while driving as the driver’s hands will be free.
There is no information about the price or availability as the Toyota FT-EV II is still in the conceptual stage.

But, is the world ready for such a futuristic concept?

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The Indian car market is at its best this season. There have been lots of cars that are getting launched. And the car manufacturers are assuring that they provide new choices for all the customers. No one is left unhappy, the new cars ranges in price and also in performance and class.

Amidst this good news there is information on a car that we have been long waiting to be delightedly accepted in India. To give you a clue, this model is from the Volkswagen stable. Alright do not leave your thoughts wander, and don’t think it is the Volkswagen Polo that we have mentioned here. It is Volkswagen Up.

The Volkswagen Up has close similarity with another model of the same manufacturer, Beetle. The engine of the Up will be placed at the rear and is expected to be available in both petrol and diesel engines. And you will find the expected date of the car in India as late 2009 or early 2010. But now there might be a change in this. And the reason is that there are some internal issues in the company and it has postponed the launch of the car to late 2011.

Yes you will have to wait another two years to drive a Volkswagen Up. The production of this mini car, as per what is known now, will start only by March 2011. And it will reach the showrooms only by late 2011. This might also affect the launch of the Skoda small car that is based on Up.

This is depressing information, but the merry and cheer in the air as a part on the ongoing festival season might lighten things up. And after all you should wait for good things happen, and in most cases it will be worth the wait.

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The Manza is here!

The Tata Indigo Manza debuted in India amidst much fan-fare. The big and affordable sedan was unveiled by Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Motors in Mumbai yesterday evening.

The Manza sedan is based on the J300 platform that also houses the shell of the Indica Vista, but the Indigo Manza is much larger and wider than the old model of Indigo. The grapevine has it that the Indigo will go out of production, with only the CS, Marina and XL variants to be offered going forward.

The Indigo Manza is pitted against the Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire, Hyundai Accent, Ford Ikon, Chevrolet Aveo and the Renault Logan.

The Indigo Manza comes in two engine types sourced from Fiat. The 1.4L multi-point, fuel injected Safire petrol engine can tap a 88.5 bhp@6000 rpm. The diesel engine, a 1.3L Quadrajet 90, can churn out the same power at 4000 rpm. Both the engines variants can haul this sedan car to a top speed in excess of 160 km/h. Besides, the Tata Indigo Manza comes in four variants: the Aqua, Aura, Aura ABS and the Aura +.

The Tata Indigo Manza is a modern, contemporary sedan, an altogether new car. The car makes a bold styling statement. The striking front wraparound three barreled headlamps add to the linearity and impart a feline aggressive appearance to the Manza. The large 15-inch wheels ensconced in their flared arches give the sedan a higher and more commanding stance. The chrome inserts on the side impact strips and outer door handles add to fineness. The new rear monolithic angular shaped tail lamps calls for attention.

It is a big car, too big to be an entry-level sedan with a length of over 4.4 m, a width of 1.7 m and a wheel base of 2,520mm. The statistics reflect that the Manza has extravagant interior space to give you an ‘utterly-butterly’ relaxed and convenient ride. The trunk has an amazing capacity of 460 litres to meet every need of travel.

Coming to the interior, the cabin is a fine blend of technology and luxury. The rich double tone fabric endows the cabin with a warm feel. The tilt adjustable power steering with a height adjustable driver seat allows a comfortable driving posture.

The Manza comes equipped with electronically adjustable and controlled Outer Rear View Mirrors. The driver information system on top of the central console provides information on fuel consumption and ambient temperature, while the sporty instrument cluster shrouded in the swoop of the soft-feel dashboard completes the styling statement.

The Tata Indigo Manza is designed to offer the very best in comfort compared to any other cars in its category. Indulge in those spacious and comfy inclination rear seats with the centre armrest, you will feel like you are relaxing in your living room. The Manza pampers you to the core!

The Aqua variant will be equipped with a 2-DIN music system. While the three Aura variants will come with a new infotainment system using Blue5 as a standard feature along with stereo controls on the steering wheel. The Bluetooth technology allows the occupant to make or receive calls, listen and dictate text messages. This is a first in the class.

As the name suggests, the Aura ABS will come with ABS and the top model Aura + will boast ABS as well along with two frontal airbags for the safety of the driver and front passenger. Other safety features in the Indigo Manza include a collapsible steering column, engine immobilizer and the central locking system.

The car comes with a warranty of 2 Years/75,000 km. It is amongst the best in the industry and the mid-size will be available through 224 dealerships with 493 sales points across 401 towns in the country.

Tata Motors is offering the Manza in a palate of seven exciting colours to select from. Your Tata Manza can be opted from Breeze Blue, Dew White, Grey Noir, Gold Satin, Infinity Black, Minimal Grey and Monarch Red.

According to Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), the Manza diesel, can deliver 21 km /l of mileage, while the petrol version can run 14.5 km on a litre. However, under city driving conditions, the mileage will be less by about 10 per cent.

The best is yet to come!

The Indigo Manza is priced very competitively with price starting at Rs 4.8 Lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi); while the top-end model comes for Rs 6.75 Lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi). With this competitively pricing, the Tata Manza is going to rule the market in its segment as it undercuts all its rivals!

The Manza booking starts today. So, why waste time? Indulge in the Manza!!!

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The Brazilian Grand Prix is around the corner and the Force India Formula One Team is looking forward to this event. The team is depressed after the disappointing Japanese Grand Prix in which Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi could finish just out of the points.

The Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo is ‘a low to medium’ downforce track, where the Force India F1 team hopes to capitalise on the strong performance of the VJM02 on this circuit configuration and add to its World Championship points' total.

The BMW teams are 11 points ahead of Force India in the constructors' championship. Hence, Vitantonio "Tonio" Liuzzi and Adrian Sutil should push hard in the Brazilian Grand Prix for some points to beat BMW. The drivers of the team are pretty optimistic about the upcoming Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Japanese Grand Prix was Adrian's 50th Grand Prix. He made his debut at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix. Till date, he has scored six points, secured one fastest lap (Italy 2009) and has started on the front row once (Italy 2009).

While Tonio Liuzzi has raced in two Brazilian Grands Prix, finishing 16th in 2006 and 13th in 2007.

The Brazilian Grand Prix going to be an exciting race and we are looking forward to another race where we believe the VJM02 should perform well.

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Yes, we were also eagerly waiting for the launch of Maruti’s Diwali gift, the new Maruti Suzuki SX4. The company had many promises about the car and that was expected to be launched yesterday, October 13, 2009.

Maruti, even though is the master car manufacturer of the county, has certain limitations. And it was SX4, which belongs to the A3 premium segment, which suffered the most. The car during the initial days after the launch was able to top in sales. But the glory subsided soon and the sedan was not able to stand the competition from other major car models.

The final blow was the launch of the new Honda City. And then the SX4 was not able to take it anymore. The superior designing and performance of Honda created a huge competition for Maruti and as a result the sales of SX4 came down considerably. This also gained more momentum to the view that Maruti Suzuki is good at manufacturing small cars and but luxury cars are not its cup of tea.

And the new facelifted model of SX4 from Maruti is expected to erase off this view. But where is the car? There could be a reason why the company didn’t launch SX4 yesterday as reported by many news. The Indian car company might have thought in an Indian way. Yesterday was Tuesday, a day which is considered to be inauspicious by the Indian mass. The company would not want to challenge the age old belief that Tuesday is not a good day for starting any new ventures. The company, we expect would relaunch the SX4 today or tomorrow.

Or is it waiting to enter the Indian car market together with Tata Manza, a mid size sedan!

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The latest entrant to the growing Indian car market is the Chinese auto makers. These automakers from China are keeping themselves busy by sealing agreements with Indian car makers to form a joint venture in a bid to sell their competitively-priced brands in the Indian car market.

Chinese carmakers such as Chery Automobile, China FAW Group, Great Wall Motor Co and Zotye Auto are trying to find a place for themselves in their neighbouring country after setting up operations in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa and Russia.
As China develops price-competitive products, their products have a lot of opportunity in India. Besides, the Indian auto market is very price and value sensitive.

The erstwhile Premier Automobile Limited (PAL) now known as Premier Auto has partnered Chinese Zotye Auto to launch a compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) in the Indian market. The base variant of the mini SUV is expected to be priced at Rs 5 lakh, the cost of a mid-size sedan in India. Other Chinese firms such as Chery, FAW and Great Wall have had discussions with potential Indian partners to come into the car market of the country.

One of the new entrants in the commercial vehicles segment in India, the Asia MotorWorks imports heavy truck kits from China, while Hindustan Motors has tied up with Shandong Shifeng to import knocked-down kits of mini trucks from the company. On the other hand, Bajaj Auto is buying parts and kits from China to retain competitiveness. However, the company continues to make the engines for these export models at its Indian plants.

Over the years, Chinese companies have built huge car making volumes that are expected to touch 12 million vehicles this year, more than those in the US and ten times India’s capacity. Moreover, China has now started to focus on quality instead of volume. There has been a lot of push from their government for them to develop indigenous vehicles and stand firmly on quality parameters.

As volumes start building up, economies of scale kick in. Manufacturers start investing in better dies, tooling, fixtures, gauges and other production equipment, giving components consistency, quality and accuracy.

An indirect subsidy from the government has helped Chinese auto firms price their products competitively. While almost every Chinese carmaker would like to enter the promising Indian market, they are likely to face copyright issues similar to the ones they faced in the developed world, especially the US and Europe.

Many western automakers have accused Chinese companies of copying their design. Apart from possible copyright issues, another inhibitor would be finding local partners as there aren’t enough established Indian OEMs that are without any tie-ups.

Like in India, car ownership in China is low, only 15-17 people per thousand own a car, presenting a significant growth opportunity in the Chinese automotive market. A two-decade headstart in reforms when compared to India and government support—by way of purchase tax trimming, car subsidy programme for rural areas and subsidy for vehicle scrap, among others—helped Chinese auto market grow.

Chinese automakers have grown by adopting practical and frugal strategies when deciding capital expenditure on their plants and many facilities have manual assembly lines, developed at a low cost, that deliver quality and productivity.

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You would all know how we celebrated the tie up of the only Indian electric car company, Reva, and the U.S. auto mammoth General Motors. It happened soon after Reva showcased its two new electric car models at the Frankfurt Motor Show that happened just a few days back. Except for those well informed, there would be many who would be wondering as to ‘what is cooking’ between Reva and GM after the mega tie up. Well, one thing is sure, both the companies are going to get benefitted from this tie up.

The companies, ignoring their tie up as a medium that would make them one and respecting its individuality, are preparing to bring out its first born. They will launch electric version of the small car Spark in India within the next 12 months.
Do you think twelve months is a pretty long time, but in fact it is not. If things go well, it is sure that one would not regret for waiting another year before the new electric version of the Spark gets launched. And meanwhile the Indian car market will see many new cars that would surely keep you entertained and you would hardly feel it as a long wait.

But now it is up to the car manufacturers to see whether the car ‘has it all’ to lure the customers. As after a year when there will be more electric cars with most modern technology the companies would benefit from the car only if they are able to anticipate what holds for them in the future.
And so the companies have chosen to work on fields that they excel. Reva will provide the technology and GM will engineer and manufacture the new Spark.

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Indian small cars have been quite a hit in the markets of Europe. It has been a consequence of the scrappage scheme or the green drive by European nations.

The governments of Germany, France and the UK had asked its citizens to exchange their old cars for new fuel-efficient and eco-friendly ones.

Moreover, these governments also promised to reward people who are buying fuel efficient cars. This led for a demand for Indian small cars where big cars dominated the local markets once upon a time.

The scheme profited Hyundai Motor India and Maruti Suzuki and they became the key players in export of cars to the European market. The A-Star, i10 and i20 became the most ‘sought-after’ cars of the European market.

But, with the passage of time things have taken a different turn and Indian small cars started having trouble in the European market. The exports of these cars have started shrinking as scrappage schemes in various European markets are set to lapse by the end of the year.
Hyundai Motor India and Maruti Suzuki have witnessed their exports go off to 35-40 per cent in the last few months on the back of incentives offered by Germany, France and the UK governments.

Germany and Austria have already ended their scrappage scheme and other countries are expected to wind up their green drive programmes by December. As a result, exports to Europe start declining and Indian carmakers have started hunting for a new market besides Europe.

But Indian carmakers are still hoping against hope that the European nations will announce new schemes to encourage small car exports or to extend the existing scrappage scheme.

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This would be the apt time to write on what one should expect from the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show or at least mention a few models that is all set to be unveiled in the show. Mentioning about the cars that will be showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show, there are a few of them that gushed into my memory.

Nissan will be launching two electric car models at the Tokyo Motor show. One is the much hyped EV, the Leaf, and the other, a concept car from Nissan, the Land Glider concept. The Nissan Leaf is available in a 24kWh of laminated compact lithium-ion batteries. It delivers a power of 90 kW of power and its electric motor delivers 80kW/280Nm. The Land Glider will be powered by a lithium-ion batteries and it is made of ultra light weight materials. The 1+1 seating arrangement of the car makes it slender enough to easily commute through any traffic situations.

The Deca Deca concept car from the Daihatsu stable will be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show along some five other models from the manufacturer. The Deca Deca concept is a multi-functional super box that can be customized in whichever way needed to hold a huge range of activities. The flat floor and pillar less, side-by-side doors make it easy to load and unload and there are also the fold away seats that can be rearranged as per the requirement.

The 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour is also worth a mention. It has a remarkable Whitebread efficiency. And as always, the car will feature roomy interiors, which is apt to meet any of your travelling needs. The Crosstour is supported by a modified version of the Honda Accord chassis. The car will be powered by a 3.5-litre i-VTEC V6 engine.

The Motor Shows are truly the best way a car manufacturer can boast of his efforts in the past, pride of today and promise for tomorrow!

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The latest trend that has caught all Indians in frenzy is ‘Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs)’.

Of late we have witnesses a number of SUVs being launched in India. A couple of weeks back, India graced the Land Rover Freelander 2 and the facelifted Nissan X-Trail. The year 2009 welcomed numerous SUVs like the Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q5, BMW X3, X5 and X6, Toyota Land Cruiser and Fortuner, Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover, Volkswagen Touareg, Volvo XC90 and many more.

There have been relaunches of certain SUVs with a facelift as well such as the 2010 Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, 2010 Audi Q7, new Mercedes M-Class and 2010 Ford Endeavour etc.

The premium SUVs are priced in the range between Rs 15-60 Lakh and they command a market of 12,000-14,000 units annually in India. Some prominent players in this segment are the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Mitsubishi Pajero, Outlander and Montero, Audi Q5, Mercedes M-Class, BMW X3, X5 and X6, Toyota Land Cruiser and Fortuner and Porsche Cayenne. The Ford Endeavour has maintained its leadership in the SUV market.

India is all set to greet more SUVs in near future. As a result, car buyers, especially SUV lovers, will find themselves spoilt for choice in the coming months. The Skoda Yeti, Volkswagen Tiguan, Audi Q3, Nissan Murano, diesel versions of Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, Porsche Cayenne, Hyundai Santa Fe and a new unnamed SUV from Ford as well as a low-cost SUV from Premier Auto are in the line-up to debut in India.

But why SUVs?

Well, the first and the foremost reason is that SUVs are made for Indian roads. SUVs have amazing off-roading capacity. Let us explain to give you a clear picture. Indian roads have poor stretches and this is disconcerting and uncomfortable in a car. SUVs have a high ground clearance and as a result centre of gravity and mass move up as well giving the passenger a comfortable ride. SUVs are also more open to abuse. Air pressure on average is checked less often.

Moreover, SUVs are tough and can carry plenty of loads. In fact, an SUV can be termed as a private taxi as it can ferry all your family and friends as well as pets and there is still room for luggage. So, an SUV is extremely spacious and can make long drives with family and friends comfortable and convenient without any compromise.

In India, it has become a prestigious issue to own an SUV. The vehicle also imparts a huge road presence and is the king of all cars.

The SUV craze will continue for time in India till it is replaced by an automobile better than an SUV. The SUVs have to stand against the test of time to prove their might for their presence. Even if, SUVs are being replaced, we’ll always herald, “Long Live the SUV”.

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The Patience is worth the wait. One would not crib for a Honda Jazz automatic anymore. Honda has brought an end to this by announcing a new automatic variant of Jazz. Well, there is still a long time to go before the company will actually launch it, till then we will just ponder on the thoughts of the new car. But, if you think to buy a Jazz and you will wait for the automatic version to get launched.

Then, you can very much do that, but only if you have the patience and profound admiration for the model. After all you could be one such customer, who can go to such an extent to own a Jazz. And no one would laugh at you for doing so as Jazz is one among the cars that rocked the Indian roads.

The new Jazz is expected to get launched only in 2010. And as we do not have a specific date to mention we would like to put it as, sometime next year. It is also expected that the car will not have any other new features except for the automatic transmission.

The Honda Jazz is priced at the higher end that ranges between Rs. 6.98 and Rs.7.33. And the new automatic version of the car might cost you extra thousands. This is a presumption, as the price has not been announced officially. Currently, the Jazz is available in three variants such as Base, Mode and Active.

This is for sure superior thinking from Honda. And the company will benefit the sales of the Jazz. Jazz will now join the legion of Honda’s automatic cars in India, the other AT cars from Honda being CR-V, Civic, City, and Accord.

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The Diwali gift from Chevrolet stable, Cruze, has been made available in the Indian market from today. Launched just days before Diwali, there isn’t anything to think deep about why the Chevrolet has been launched at this period. And this clearly depicts GM’s deep yearning to maintain a stable position in the Indian car market.

Well, it seems that the effort and thinking has really paid off, and would you be surprised to know that the car has already got a surprising number of 1,100 units being pre-booked. And it really appears to be a matter of surprise as to what would have driven the customers to trust Chevrolet so much as that they would book a car even before they see it thoroughly.

Hope the company can safeguard the belief of the customers and grow up to meet their expectations. Aren’t you keen to know about the car, how it looks and what are the features? The Chevrolet Cruze will be available in two variants and shares its engine with Chevrolet Captiva. The two variants of Cruze, LT and LTZ, will be both powered by a diesel engine.

The Chevrolet Cruze will be available in a 2.0-litre diesel engine and has a 5-speed manual transmission. It is built on the GM's global Delta 2 platform. As always expected, Chevrolet has not launched the petrol variant.

The company had decided to launch the petrol monitoring the acceptance of the model in India. And as the primary response seems to be more than expected, it is expected that the petrol versions will soon be followed. The upcoming hatchback from Chevrolet, Beat, will share its platform with Cruze.

Apart from the spacious and alluring interiors and great styling the car also has airbags and ABS, well-laid instrument cluster, multi-information display unit, rain sensing wipers, funky interiors, and keyless entry and start. And the car also has an attractive fuel efficiency of 18.3 kilometres per litre.

The car is aggressively priced between Rs 10.99 and Rs 12.45 (Ex-showroom Delhi).

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Time to rejoice Beamer fans! The Z4 is here!!!

Today, BMW has unleashed the ultimate driving machine Z4 in India. The 6-inline engine on the Z4 has a capacity of 2993cc. With the help of the twin turbos, the roadster can produce 306 bhp and can sprint 100 km/h in under 5.5 seconds. The Z4 can also go on to an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.

The BMW Z4 will be imported as a CBU in India and will stand against the the Audi TT, Mercedes-Benz SLK, Porsche Boxster and the soon to be launched Nissan 370Z in the country.

With the launch of the Z4, BMW has made its debut in the roadster segment in India. The Z4 is offers a pure driving experience that sets the pulse racing, resulting in an unforgettable roadster experience that none of its rivals can match. The Z4 can be termed as “Modern, Emotional and Authentic.”

The BMW Z4 is powerful and stylish. It is the only vehicle in this segment to combine classic roadster proportions with a seating position close to the rear axle, rear-wheel drive and a fully-automatic retractable hardtop. Driving with the roof rolled up, the Z4 can give an exhilarating experience with the sunshine and the wind rushing by and driving with the hardtop closed the Z4 will make you feel the comfort of a Premium Sports Coupe.

BMW offers a host of colours to choose the Z4 from Alpine White, Black Sapphire, Deep Sea Blue, Orion Silver, Space Grey and Titanium Silver. The new BMW Z4 is available in the petrol variant – BMW Z4 sDrive35i – and will be available across India at an ex-showroom price of Rs 59,00,000 (Ex-showroom, New Delhi).

The German luxury car maker BMW has revealed that it aims to be the number one luxury car marker in India. The company is currently competing neck-to-neck with Mercedes-Benz for the first position in the Indian luxury-car market.

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Finally, a sigh of relief for the Hummer fans, and the company, General Motors, is now successful in selling off its all-time favourite model. There were many who thought that Hummer would have a destiny similar to that of Penske-Saturn, which collapsed last week.

But now the future of Hummer seems to be bright with General Motors signing sale agreement with China's Tengzhong. Even though there still are matters that need to settled, such as securing the final financing and passing regulatory approval, at least for the time being, things seem to have settled down.

Formally known as Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Corp., Tengzhong is a Chinese firm. And it has been months since the company is trying to buy out the Hummer. Tengzhong also has plans for the Hummer, it might operate the headquarters of Hummer near Detroit.

Michigan's $20.6 million state tax credit has played a great part in persuading the company to take up such a decision. And the company’s fondness to maintain a strong base in the U.S. market can also be stated as a reason for this.

Tengzong will focus on flex fuel E85 capability, diesel and six-speed transmissions. The diesel models are targeted hugely for the markets outside the U.S. Also, Hummer will become pioneer in offering an alternative fuel powertrain in every model it sells. And this the company will attain with the addition of E85 capability to the 2010 H3 and H3T.

Officially, the deal includes the sale of the HUMMER brand, trademark and tradenames and the intellectual property necessary to manufacture vehicles under license. As per the agreement, the existing dealer network will also be given to Tengzhong.

With a possible one year extension through June 2012, Hummer models will be made under contract with General Motors at the Shreveport and Mishawaka plants through June 2011. But the prospects of the company after 2012, is still shrouded in mystery.

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The other day we were talking about the silver car colour mania. Indians also are swept off their feet by this colour.

Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor India have affirmed that the market for them is for whites, silver and other subtle colours. These two Indian car majors have said that 50 per cent of the total sales of the industry are still for the all-time favourites, while red stands at 11-13 per cent. For Maruti, it is all about silver, golden and white. Even Honda says that almost 50 per cent of its sales are off-white and silver.

The red colour signifies premium and prosperity and is winning hearts of the Indian car buyers. It is such a hit that car makers are finding it difficult to meet the delivery dates for red coloured car.

Almost 50 per cent of the orders for the new Skoda Superb are for Rosso Brunello which is a shade of the colour red. And Skoda Auto India is gearing up to meet the huge demand for that colour. The Czech car company is also seeing an increasing demand for black, which till recently was not really preferred by Indians.

Indian car customers symbolize colour with different things. The colour white signifies power, black is considered as ‘evil’ and red as prosperity.

Chocolate and blue colours are some of the contemporary car colours. Moreover, the choice for bright colours can be attributed with the age of car buyers. It is a general belief that the young crowd prefers brighter colours. While, most feel what sells is what is shown in the advertisements.

A large number of the car ads feature bright colour cars. For example, the cars in the ads of Fiat Linea and Grande Punto, Skoda Superb and Honda Jazz come in red. And it has to be mentioned here that that the maximum sales of Linea are for red, courtesy the advertisement showcasing Linea in Flamenco Red, wine red for Fiat India.

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If you are thinking that the Land Glider is a sibling of the British marquee brand Land Rover, then you are wrong!

The Land Glider is in fact the new concept car offering from Japanese Nissan Motor Company. It is an electric car and will not emit carbon dioxide. The Land Glider will make its first public appearance at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show.

If you are a fan of bikes, this is the right car for you!

It is a pedal-driven recreational vehicle which is ultra light-weight. The car has a very narrow body too, just 3.5-feet wide, and can shift its centre of gravity while turning by leaning like a motorcycle. In addition, the Nissan Land Glider features two-in-line seats like a bike!

Moreover, the Land Glider can tilt from side to side, sashaying into curves by up to a 17-degree angle. Aptly named Glider, right?

World’s eighth largest car manufacturer Nissan demonstrated the Land Glider electric vehicle for the 41st Tokyo Motor Show at a Nissan technical design center in Atsugi, near Tokyo, Japan.

The Tokyo Motor Show will take place at at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City for 13 days from October 23rd to November 4th 2009.

The theme of this year’s show is “Fun Driving for Us, Eco Driving for Earth,” expressing the idea of balancing enjoyment and the environment. Along with providing information on cutting-edge technology and products to the world at large, the auto show will seek through various special programs to create as many new automobile and motorcycle enthusiasts as possible.

Besides, the show will feature twenty passenger cars across the globe.

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No, this is not yet another car from Hyundai. This is a car that we have been waiting since long. And finally, it will be launched to grace the Indian roads very soon. Hyundai i30 will be available in India by the end of this year. Another couple of months and you can own one for yourself, the latest from the i-series, i10 and i20.

The i30 will be a C-segment premium car that will be available in India in both diesel and petrol versions. It is a without a doubt that one could predict the future of i30 in India. Hyundai will not disappoint its customers and now as the competition in the Indian car industry high, the company would not dare on betting on the car. But it would rather bring out perfect machinery with no compromises made on the features, designing or performance.

The Hyundai i30 will be spotted in a very attractive design. It will have roomy interiors and safety and comfort features including EBS, Steering mounted audio control, iPod direct plug, anti-lock braking system (ABS), airbags (6 airbags in total), electronic stability program (ESP), traction control (TC), electronic brake force distribution (EBD). The five-door premium hatchback is designed by Hyundai’s European team.

The dimensions of the car, 4245 x 1765 x 1480mm (length x width x height), together with a the large wheelbase of 2650mm offers great interior space. It also has 340 liters of boot space with rear seat upright. Even though the company looks very compact, it is packed with the most modern features and will be the most spacious car in its segment available in India. The car is expected to be priced between Rs. 9 lakh and Rs. 12 lakh.

It seems the car makes it easy for us to take decisions about our new car.

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Now you need not have to predict or guess the plans of the US car maker, Ford Motor, for the Indian car market. The company has already made it public. And it seems that the company has a vivid and fruitful plan that will be beneficial both for the company and the Indian car market.

To start with the company has plans to launch new car in India every 12-18 months. And this, the company thinks will help it to enhance the market share of the company. The company now has a market share of about 2 per cent and the company does not want to remain the same position, but it wants to grow along with the growing Indian car industry.

Now you can do a bit of guess work here as the company has not let out any information about what sort of market share is the company is planning to accomplish in the long run. The company has also set a target of selling over 30,000 units this year, aiming at selling 1,000 units extra this year compared to 2008, where the company was able to sell 29,000 cars.

The company is also a marking an increase in sale on a monthly basis. In the month of September this year, the company was able to send 3,500 cars, a 50 per cent increase on year-on-year basis.

Ford has been exporting car that it has manufactured in India to South Africa. And the company is also planning to work on exporting more cars this year. The company has high hopes on the launch of Ford Figo and the relaunching of Ford Endeavour.

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What colour do you prefer on your car? Red, blue, black or green?

“No.” Perhaps aqua, olive, orange or white? “Give me silver.”

To own a car painted in silver is the latest fad these days. A recent study has found out that silver is the most popular choice for car buyers. In fact, shade of silver and grey actually topped the list of most loved car colours. Besides, a quarter of the new cars sold in the Unite States last year were silver.

White was second at 18 per cent, while black was third. This data come from PPG industries, the leading manufacturer of automotive paints. The company is also involved in tracing the annual buying patterns of car shoppers.

In a press release, PPG points out that the preference for silver car colour rules the markets of Europe, Asia and Australia. In Asia, 34 per cent of the cars being sold are in silver and grey. In Europe, silver and charcoal coloured cars made up 35 percent of the market.

Silver is the most favourite colour on car as silver looks great on any car. The silver colour can show off all of the contours and lines of the car with integrity and can help people blend into the crowd.

Looking back, fifteen years ago, only 8 per cent of the cars were in silver and the hot favourite colour of that time was green at over 20 per cent. So, it can be said that the precedence for silver will not last forever.

Changing patterns in the types of cars people buy may help change the monochrome colour palette. As more subcompact or B-class cars are introduced, brighter and bolder colors are favoured.

This is because a large percentage of those buyers are under 30 who are young and energetic and their nature reflects the colour they prefer. Moreover, the body designs of smaller cars can carry themselves well in brighter greens, yellows and blues.

Next time, think twice before you go to buy a car. Please break the monotony of silver.
You can try some fantastic new colour coat of lime green and burnt orange.

May be yellow, purple or even pink if you must....just not another silver car!

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Reading about the new Italian police car one would realize how developed the auto world is. Every other feature of the car seems to be so innovative that studying completely about the car would, no doubt, leaves a person awestruck. This marvel is from the Lamborghini stable.

It is very obvious that the car, with its top speed of 325 kilometres per hour, will become a nightmare for the traffic and speed offenders who now by no means can escape from the police. There is an external camera that feeds images to an onboard computer and this will collate with the GPS data to calculate the speed of the cars.

The image of the car will be send to a police station and it is from here that the number plate of the car will be checked to collect further details of the car and driver. It is not only the speed that makes this Lamborghini worth mentioning, but there are lot other features that are quite unique.

Under its hood, the car has a medical platform that has a cold box, which can be used for transferring human donor organs.

This is not the first time Lamborghini is assisting the police with its knowledge of most modern technology.

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It seems that everything's changing for the Renault F1 team. The team principal has been barred from the sport indefinitely and the technical director has been mercifully banned for five years. They've already booted out their car-crashing, whistle-blowing driver Nelson Piquet Jr. and replaced him with rookie Romain Grosjean.

Renault F1 team’s star driver, Fernando Alonso, who brought two titles home for the team, is leaving for Ferrari. And they've lost their title sponsor ING. The team has hit just about rock bottom, but now it's time for them to get up and begin rebuilding for next season, counting their lucky stars they've been allowed to participate altogether (Talk about Luck). And this is their first step.

Following weeks, if not months of speculation, Robert Kubica has been announced to be moving to Renault for next season. The promising Polish driver – who took the checkered flag last year at the Canadian Grand Prix – has been racing for BMW Sauber for the past four seasons since entering Formula One. But now that BMW has pulled the plug, Kubica's headed to the French team.

There's no telling who, at this point, will be driving alongside him next year at Renault, but Grosjean has so far failed to earn his keep. Speculation places his equally talented BMW team-mate Nick Heidfeld alongside him, but nothing's been announced yet.

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Riding high on the runaway success of the Toyota Fortuner, Toyota Kirloskar Motors(TKM) wants to bask in the glory of its success by introducing the diesel variant of Prado by mid next year. This step of Toyota’s might be to keep the luxury SUV segment all for itself by strengthening its position in the category. Being greedy Eh?

The upgraded version of Prado diesel will be launched in Japan by this December and might make inroads to the Indian market six months later. TKM desperately wants this SUV to be marketed in India sensing a steady growth of popularity for SUVs in India and is on the verge of wooing the parent company to bring the vehicle here to India. Looks like India has truly arrived in the scene if being a SUV country.

And since Indians still have a soft corner towards diesel versions of any cars, Toyota surely will bank upon this sentiment and bring the diesel version of the Prado to India so that they can sell more units of the same, contrary to the petrol version which sells about 50-60 cars a year.

Prado diesel will certainly be dearer and will cost higher than the petrol variant which is available at Rs 45 lakh. But we assume that Toyota is sane enough to price the SUV right so that the sheen of the vehicle is not lost owing to the price tag that it would carry.

Toyota Fortuner, which in a month's span received 7,000 bookings, and sold over 1,000 cars in less than two months, has the ball rolling for TKM. Lets all hope the same happens with the launch of Toyota Prado diesel in India.

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The engineers at Bose have found a solution for the long troublesome problem of better car suspension system. It is very rarely that vehicle control and passenger comfort goes hand in hand in a suspension system. By comfort, we mean that the passenger will not be affected by the road disturbance such as bumps, humps or any potholes on the road.

And a good control is achieved when the body of the car is not pitching or rolling too much and there is a balanced contact between the road and the tyre of the car. In most of the cars either of the one problems would be there. The solution for the problem came after years of study on what could be done to achieve better suspension system, keeping aside all the prevailing automotive suspensions.

Linear electromagnetic motors, power amplifiers, control algorithms, and computation speed are the key disciplines that the Bose suspension wanted important development on. The challenge of the first three disciplines was taken on by and it gambled on progress the industry would make on the fourth item.


The Bose suspension system consists of a linear electromagnetic motor and power amplifier at each wheel, and a set of control algorithms. This blend of suspension hardware and control software combines well the superior comfort and superior control in the same vehicle.

A linear electric motor is set up at each wheel of a Bose operational vehicle and this helps in easy two-point mounting. There is also a power amplifier distribute electrical power to the motor in response to signals from the control algorithms.

The Bose suspension system can be installed into the front of the vehicle very easily. It makes use of a modular approach to substitute the vehicle’s original front suspension unit. A new engine cradle connects the front suspension to the car body using the original factory mounting hardware, creating a drop-in replacement module.

A modified MacPherson strut type layout has been used in the Bose linear electromagnetic motors. The lower suspension arms and rack-and-pinion steering system attach to an aluminum engine cradle that bolts directly to the car body. Each front wheel is fully independent since no anti-roll bars are required.

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The 41st Tokyo Motor Show is fast approaching. And you can surely expect goodies from the auto major Toyota. Yes, Even before we come out dazed looking at the astounding ideas and designs of cars showcased in the Frankfurt Motor Show 2009 we already have the Tokyo Motor Show all set to take us to another level in the world of motoring.
The car makers will be rejoiced to introduce their labour in show. And it will surely be a treat for the car lovers.

Toyota has already publicized its plans on unveiling its lightweight sports car concept at the Tokyo Motor Show. Toyota will showcase FT-86 that has a rear-wheel-drive and can seat up to five adults. The FT-86 is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder ‘Boxer’ engine. And the engine, the company has sourced it from Subaru. It is expected that the company will start the sales of the production-spec FT-86 in 2011.

Toyota also does not forget to introduce an electric car, which is the buzz of the period. And you cannot predict anything less from the Toyota’s stable than a user friendly electric car that is capable of pleasing and satisfying customers with its high-quality performance. And it will be the best choice for the future, where electric cars will be most commonly used.
The FT-EV II will be a four-seater that is powered by lithium-ion batteries. The car id designed basically for short distance travels and has a top speed of more than 100 kilometres per hour and a range of more than 80km.

The FT-EV II is smaller than the Toyota iQ. The car has a drive-by-wire technology that permits all vehicle functions such as the accelerator, brakes and steering to be controlled through a joystick.

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This Diwali, Premier Auto, the erstwhile Premier Automobiles Limited or PAL is bringing us a gift. Believe it or not, it is going to be a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).

Known for the once-ubiquitious Premier Padmini, Premier Auto is making a comeback in passenger cars segment after nine years. The comeback will be marked by price of the SUV, as it is going to be India’s cheapest SUV. Another ‘cheapest car’ after the world’s cheapest Tata Nano.

With this compact SUV, a Chinese four-wheeler company Zotye Auto is foraying in the Indian automobile industry. It is for the first time a Chinese automobile maker have tied up with an Indian car maker. This little-known Zotye will partner Premier in the venture. Zotye Auto will supply vehicle kits to Premier to be assembled at Premier’s Pune facility which has a peak annual capacity of 20,000 units.

Zotye will export completely knocked down (CKD) kits from China and Premier will provide a diesel powerplant for the vehicle along with its assembly line in Pune. Zotye Auto will be paid by Premier for providing the CKD kits. But it’s going to cost Premier virtually nothing as Premier Auto can make profits even by selling a handful of the compact SUVs.

Moreover, Premier already has its existing dealers to sell the mini-SUV.
Premier Auto will fit its own four-cylinder, 1.5 L diesel engine mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox that can produce a power of 65 bhp. The SUV will have rear-wheel drive.

The mini-SUV will be named either Rio or Terra. The base variant of the mini-SUV will be priced at Rs 5 lakh, making it 30 per cent cheaper than its nearest competitor, the Mahindra Scorpio. But it will be smaller than the Mahindra Scorpio in terms of length and width.

The top-end variant is likely to be priced at around Rs 7 lakh. The top variant will come with safety features like air bags and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). The top-end model will stand on 15-inch alloy wheels.

The mini-SUV looks cute. It has hatchback-sized dimensions and a distinctive SUV appearance. Premier Auto’s upcoming SUV will be no bigger than the Maruti Suzuki Swift.

Let us just wait and see till this SUV is launched.

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Here’s a piece of intoxicating fact. A car powered by chocolate. Sounds straight from the movie Charlie and the Chocolate factory, right? This fact is truer than truth. The world is blessed with a ‘green racing car’ that is powered by chocolate and steered by carrots and drinks wine for fuel. This is blog you won’t regret reading.

This is the world’s first green racing car, fabricated from woven flax, recycled carbon fibre and carrot pulp. This racing car will soon be making its debut in the Formula 3 Championship finals on 17th October.

A team of researchers from the University of Warwick designed and built this green racing car. The car runs on biofuel made from chocolate waste, alcohol distilled from leftover wine and animal fats and is lubricated with plant oils. Amazing, isn’t it?

The car is not just eco-friendly, but speedy and torquey too. It can vroom with a top speed of 216 km/h and can achieve 0-100 km/h dash in a cool 2.5 seconds. Moreover, this green supercar is turbocharged to give more torque.

The research team is successful in proving that high performance, competitive cars can be successfully built from sustainable materials. The research team wants to show the world that green car can be fun and fast too. The project is aimed ‘to show ways for the future, for people to race and be green’.

Middle-eastern sheiks and Russian oil barons are the only people who would not like to see a world run on chocolate and wine. But for us, dreaming of a better world just got better. Cheers! Hic!

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It looks like Renault is having a very tough time ahead. Its joint venture with Mahindra and Mahindra seems to be heading nowhere. And now when both the companies have realized that the joint venture is not bringing them any treasure to fill up their coffers, they have finally decided to talk it out.

It is still not known what will be the final decision of both the companies. But of the many issues that the companies are facing right now, the most important is the unsuccessful tenure of Logan, the only car that is launched of the joint venture between the two companies.

It does not look like the Renault will walk away from the partnership or the Indian car market. And the very obvious reason is that the Renault still wants to have its fingers dipped in the Indian car market pie, which is the most happening car market of the world at the moment.

In a joint venture between the two companies, 51 per cent of the stake is held by Mahindra and Mahindra while the rest of 49 per cent is being held by French car maker Renault. The companies will be discussing on whether it is feasible to launch a new car at this time and what should be the future plans to remain in the business. We desperately hope against hope that both the companies sort it out in a cordial way and will not think of a break up.

Renault’s ultra-low cost car plan also seems to be affected by the perplexity that is happening between the two companies.

Bajaj, its partner in producing the ultra-low cost car, seems to be not happy with the proposal of partnering only with Renault, leaving aside Mahindra & Mahindra. Bajaj already had brand issues with Renault. And the company is not comfortable in joining hands with Renault, which is already in turmoil.

Well as the companies are still in discussion, let us all keep our fingers crossed for an intelligent decision from the companies.

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French tyre maker Michelin is expected to sign a MoU with the Tamil Nadu government within a month’s time. The tyre company is planning to formalise its greenfield tyre venture by standing against Japanese tyre major Bridgestone.

It has been revealed that all paper-works for formalising Michelin’s investment in Tamil Nadu have been processed. World’s second largest tyre maker Michelin has lined up an investment of Rs 4,000 Crore and the project is scheduled to receive the official seal very soon.

Earlier this year, Michelin had announced its India investment plan of upto Rs 7,000 Crore over a 10-year horizon to make and market radial tyres and tubes.

Michelin had sought government approval to acquire 100 per cent stake in a new company, Michelin India Tamil Nadu Tyres, formed in April 2009. This entity was to set up the proposed greenfield plant, which was to absorb investment worth Rs 4,000 Crore in the first phase running into 2016.

Bridgestone, which is seeking an area of 100 acres, has been on the negotiating table for over six months now. The company is looking at Thervaikandikai, near Gummidipoondi, in Kanchipuram district as its location.

Incidentally, this is the same location where Michelin is putting up its project on 290 acres. Tyre maker Michelin zeroed in on this particular site as it felt this to be the ideal location, given its proximity to the sea port and 40-km distance from the city.

For Bridgestone, the finer details are still being worked out. When the venture is signed and sealed, it would join the bandwagon of radial tyre companies that have been either expanding their presence or setting up greenfield projects in the state. The project in Chennai would be in excess of Rs 1,000 crore.

Moreover, Bharat Forge, J K Tyres and Hidromas are also in the last lap of finalising their investments in this state. As on date, the investment pour into Tamil Nadu since the last three years has crossed Rs 40,000 Crore mark, with the auto sector topping the contributions.

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The news is out and it is official. The speculation on the production of the Land Rover LRX coupe has finally come to an end after Tata Motors owned Land Rover has given a nod to the manufacture of the concept vehicle.

The LRX is a compact offroad coupe that was first displayed as a concept at last year's Detroit show. This new car will be designed and built at Land Rover’s Gaydon plant in England.

The LRX is designed to fill in the blank for compact, sporty SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) in the market. The new Land Rover LRX is likely to feature a hybrid drive combination of either petrol or diesel and electric propulsion. Hence this new car will attract customers in the luxury and offroad segment who want an eco-friendly package as well.

The Land Rover LRX coupe will be unveiled some time next year. The LRX has an unmistakable Land Rover design with a proposed level of efficiency that would make it one of the cleanest cars in its class. The scaled-down offroader will feature some of the innovative green features of the Detroit show car. These “green features” include integrated Electric Rear Axle Drive which allows it to retain full off-road ability in tough conditions.

The electrical drive system of the LRX concept uses power stored in a dedicated, high-voltage capacity, lithium-ion battery pack independent of the normal 12-volt battery. This is kept charged by regenerative braking.

Land Rover has recently launched the Freelander 2 in India.

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If you are interested in cars you will be equally interested in car accessories as well. And so here is the latest car tyre from Bridgestone, which was unveiled recently.

The new tyre, Adrenalin Potenza RE001 from Bridgestone is a high performance car tyre. The tyre is originally a sports tyre, but it promises great driving pleasure irrespective of the car it is fitted to. These tyres provide great driving comfort not only for a high-end car but also for a normal car.

It is great news for those who would like to race around with their cars as you will now be free from the tangles of a low performing tyre that does not give you the feel of ease. The tyre will be available in 17 and 18 inch rims. The tyres are targeted mainly at the luxury cars, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche, customers.

Bridgestone aims at ensuring the customers with a great driving experience, taking away all the trouble that are caused by tyres. And so the Adrenalin RE001 is developed in a way that will not give troubles of powerful grip and speedy response.

It has an asymmetrical rigid tread design for high cornering forces at a lower steering angle. For better sidewall stiffness and handling and steering response the tyre has a semi slick shoulder design and an asymmetrical rim guard.

It also has a provides larger contact area with the ground and this gives the driver better direct response and feel and which helps in getting more steering information. Adrenaline RE001 has very low noise level gives a smooth response to steering inputs. It also promises an excellent wet and dry performance and superior grip for an easy driving.

These superior quality tyres are sure to offer great driving experience.

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It seems that the heart of Indians does skip a beat when it comes to diesel cars. Riding on this sentiment of Indians is the German sportscar major, Porsche.

Porsche which is encouraged by the rocking response to Porsche Cayenne diesel, is all set to bring in the whole range of engine options to the Indian automobile market with a big emphasis on diesel.

With the fast growing fan base for the Porsche brand in India, Porsche plans to boost its diesel portfolio with diesel version of its Panamera sedan. It will also expand its overall portfolio of cars by launching super fast cars such as the new 911 Turbo and 911 GT3 RS by next year. On the anvil are hybrid and electric versions as well. Porsche seems to be in the right track of reading the changing moods of Indians car enthusiasts.

The flagship SUV from Porsche, Porsche Cayanne, has been well received across the world in its diesel avatar. Porsche Cayenne Diesel has also been a hot favourite of the Indian luxury SUV lovers as it is very popular in India.

And while all this happens, the company would have spread out to six different cities from two at present. But the question is whether such a wider product portfolio required from a company who sells only 150-200 cars a year. And we ask why not?
Porsche currently is facing increasing competition from Audi and Lamborghini, which only proves a point that it is sane of Porsche to bring in the whole spectrum of products.

The market for these luxury vehicles is relatively small at the moment, but in a longer run Porsche will certainly yield its benefits of bringing in the entire product portfolio.

Right now, over 70 per cent of cars sold by Porsche are SUV's and limited volumes coming from the sports car portfolio. With the new four door Porsche Panamera, the company is hoping the additional volumes kick-in.

For now, despite the downturn the company is eying 20 per cent growth this calendar year but with a bigger product portfolio, more engine options and a wider reach, it is hoping to double the growth rate in 2010.

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Move aside BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Audi is here (with a bang). German Luxury car manufacturer, Audi has been making its presence felt in India ever since it first came to the country.

The German company when first started its operations in India though had high hopes on the Indian market, never probably thought that it will be welcomed by its Indian customers with arms wide open.

Audi posted its best-ever sales results of 205 cars for the month of September 2009, thereby registering an extra-ordinary growth of 153 per cent considering it sold 81 cars in September 2008. Now that’s called growth.

Audi’s chief boss here in India Mr. Benoit Tiers is indeed a happy man. Beaming with pride while looking at the sales charts for the month of September, he says Audi India has continued its growth momentum pretty well. He also is pleased that Audi as a brand has finally arrived as brand Audi is getting popular amongst the car enthusiast in India.

Audi always raised the ante in terms of refinement, elegance and luxury in keeping with its philosophy of “Vorsprung durch Technik” and it is this commitment that has won the confidence of Audi customers.

Audi India has recorded strong growth all year around in spite of the difficult market conditions. The year-to-date growth stood at an impressive 72 percent (Jan-Sep 2009: 1,333 cars; Jan-Sep 2008: 777 cars).

Much of the credit for Audi’s unhindered progress in India goes to the terrific response to the new additions to its portfolio – the all new Audi Q5, the new Audi A6, the introduction of three new engine offerings to the Audi A4 and the new Audi Q7 which was launched in September 2009. Audi India has already surpassed last year’s annual sales of 1,050 cars by recording a total of 1,128 car sales in the period of January to August 2009.

The entire Audi model range, comprising the new Audi Q7, the Audi Q5, the new Audi A6, the Audi A8, the Audi A4, the Audi TT and the super sports car Audi R8, is available at 12 dealerships across the country: in Delhi, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Kochi.

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CNG is “in” and how? Mercedes Benz India has itself endorsed the idea of introducing the CNG variant of its new Mercedes-Benz E-Class. This step probably might boost the sales of E-Class in India and might as well propel the sales of Mercedes units in India so that it will regain its lost territory. Oof! What a thought?

Mercedes Benz India is contemplating to bring in and deliver the CNG variant of its popular model E-Class sedan to the customers who want them.

But the CNG variant comes with a catch, it has to be imported. Well, so what’s the hitch you might ask? India, which has got its own, one of a kind, infamous import duty policy will be a deterrent to the customers who would want to import the CNG versions of the car.

This is because the imported car will attract 104 per cent duty, which will mean that it will be twice as much the latest edition of the E-Class (petrol) that costs Rs 45.89 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). The fact that CNGis largely retailed in Delhi and Mumbai also means that the market will be confined to these two cities.

Mercedes Benz India would consider assembly of the CNG version if there was adequate demand. The petrol Merc models are E-25 (25 per cent mix of ethanol) compliant while the diesel options can operate on bio-diesel.

Mercedes had earlier conducted a trial run of the CNG-E Class in India. The mileage of the car is estimated to be 18 km a kg.

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We find the time appropriate to write about this blog on Tata Motors since we had carried a blog on the new Tata Manza in Carazoo.com just yesterday.

Tata Motors led by Ratan Tata is one among the largest automobile companies of India and is the only Indian automobile company which has been taking part in the Geneva Auto show for last 10 years. Tata Motors had unveiled its Tata Elagante, a sedan which was designed on a completely new platform in 2007. Tata Motors has launched a portfolio of cars, designed with contemporary features after showcasing the car.

Tata Elagante is much larger than the present Tata Indigo and it is designed with 4 cylinder transverse petrol and diesel engines. The engines options the Tata Elagante comes with is of 1.4 litres, 2 litres and compact V6 petrol power unit. Also there will be common rail direct injection turbo diesel engines with different valve timings. All of the variants will comply with Euro V emission norms. These variants are expected to deliver maximum power from 90 to 200 PS with torque up to 280 Nm. It is equipped with 6 speed manual speed transmissions and automatic gearboxes with the engine displacing 2000cc.

Tata Elagante is designed to meet all the European safety standards, emission standards and crash-worthiness. Other advanced features provided in this sedan include cruise control, satellite navigation system, integrated blue tooth compatibility, rain sensors, heated mirrors, rear parking sensors and other modern and advanced features.
This is middle segment, luxury and can accommodate 5 passengers comfortably.

Its exterior look is very attractive. In the Geneva Auto show, there was silver color sedan which looked very elegant as its name. It is aerodynamically shaped with gorgeous features. The front and rear bumpers are integrated in the main body and are in the body color. The bonnet cover looks slightly raised which gives it a new dimension.

There is a long series of front lights and rear lights which add to the Tata Elegante look of the car. It has front disk and rear disc brakes. It is equipped with alloy wheels which is a norm in modern cars now days.

Interiors of the cars are beautiful as well as comfortable. There is AC with climate control. It features power steering, power windows, remote boot, remote fuel filler, rear defogger, rear wiper. There is rear armrest with cup holder. It features electrical driver seat adjustment. Passengers can relax in its comfortable leather seats even on long journeys. Rear seats are folding. For safety of the car, it has remote central locking system. It is equipped with 2 airbags.

Tata Motors, which was always looking for a premium car in its portfolio, could be a price winner by inducting this car to give a stiff competition to other premium cars such as Fiat Linea, Maruti-Suzuki SX4, Honda City and others. Tata Motors could be contemplating its release in a couple of months from now after they launch the Tata Manza later this month.

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It looks like German luxury car maker BMW is going for the kill. BMW India, which currently holds the Numero Uno position in the multi-crore Indian luxury car market pushing Mercedes-Benz to an uncomfortable second place, is trying its bit to gain a strong foothold for itself in the competitive Indian Market.

BMW India will launch its most awaited car, the Z4 convertible, on October 12 in Mumbai in an attempt to further bolster its presence in the multi-crore Indian luxury car market. This would be the company's third offering in the convertible segment where it also sells the M3 and M6 Convertibles.

BMW Z4 will carry a price tag of Rs 50-60 lakh. BMW is hopefull of selling 30-40 units of the car in the first year of its launch. All though details regarding the specification of the car are not yet revealed by BMW India, however sources say that Indian consumers will get the straight 6-cylinder petrol, 258bhp, sDrive 30i.

The sDrive 30i can accelerate from 0-100 km/hr in 5.8 seconds with a top speed of 250 km/hr. BMW India, which until the end of last financial year was trailing Dailmer Benz-owned Mercedes in India, has so far this year, gained a comprehensive lead over it.

In the five months ended August, BMW sold 1,313 units, a growth of 12.62 per cent over same period last year. In comparison,Mercedes recorded sales of 1,128 units, a fall of 19.02 per cent during the same period.

BMW has set a target of selling 3,000 units in the current calendar year, up from 2,908 units sold last year.

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In less than ten day’s time from today, another new model from Tata Motors will be launched in India. We have been waiting for a long time now for the Tata Indigo Vista and it has been announced that the Indigo Vista will be launched but with an all new name.

Tata Indigo with its new name, Manza, will be launched in India on the 14th of this month.

It is still a mystery as to what would have led Tata in changing the name of the car. A very good possibility is that the company wants to give the customers a new feel about its new car. And this, the company would have thought would not happen with the little amendments on the existing name. And so a new name and a new identity is expected to bring in a new boost for the sales of Tata Indigo now renamed as Tata Manza.

The Manza will be launched in Mumbai by the Chairman of the Tata Motors, Ratan Tata. The Manza will be built on the same platform as Tata Indica Vista, but it will be an extended version. The highlights of Manza will include spacious interiors, projector headlamps, centrally mounted instrumental panel, steering mounted audio control, and a dashboard similar to that of an Indigo but boasts of a superior trim.

The car will be available in both 1.4-litre petrol engine and 1.3-litre multi-jet diesel engine. The expected price of the car is Rs. 5.5 lakh for the petrol model and Rs. 7.5 lakh for the diesel model.

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Maruti Suzuki Swift is a car which has never lost its steam since its inception in the world market.

This is a car which has already scorched the roads of many countries in the world through its radical design and styling. And now creating news all over the world with panache is its hybrid version.

This popular car will now be showcased in the upcoming Tokyo Motor show in a plug-in hybrid version.

Suzuki Swift Plug-in Hybrid is a surprise for the world; no auto journalists could smell such an interesting development till date. The Swift Hybrid will be powered by a cache of Lithium Ion battery and a 658cc gasoline engine.

The combined output of the Plug-in Swift will exceed 74hp out of which 20hp will come from the electric motor. The official launch of this plug-in hybrid will happen after few days. The bulky Lithium Ion battery box will eat up one seat in rear row.

Now, for the question that everybody is willing to ask here in India. Will Maruti Suzuki add the Hybrid Swift into their product line up? Well, we are being frank here by saying that this will not happen at least for another couple of years as the Hybrid and electric market here in India is still in its infancy. Anyways the concept image of this spicy hatchback hybrid version is hotter than the fossil fuel version. We liked the images especially the one with a plug chord.

Maini Reva can now breathe in ease as it was the first Indian Car company to show the world that the electric cars will be the “in” thing of the near future.

Let’s all wait and watch who else will follow the suit?

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Mitsubishi Outlander after proving it’s capabilities on and off road by fossil fuel is now ready to get a blue powerhouse too. Mitsubishi is all set to show a concept model of a plug-in electric vehicle, Mitsubishi PX-MiEV based on the Outlander. The interesting point is that we need not wait for its arrival keeping our fingers crossed for long.

Mitsubishi PX-MiEV is expected to grace the upcoming Tokyo Autoshow scheduled to start on 24th October this year. Mitsubishi promises none before fuel economy figures for this plug-in hybrid SUV. The hybrid version of Outlander will be powered by a 1.6 litre gasoline engine and 60kW electric motor. The gasoline engine can deliver maximum power 85kW at peak while the electric counterpart will deliver 65kW.

The mileage of Mitsubishi PX-MiEV is 50km/ltr, (read it once again) and we are talking about an SUV with this unbelievable mileage figure. During normal running PX-MiEV will utilize power from electric source but if additional power is required the gasoline engine will boost the output.

All other basic Mitsubishi SUV features like Mitsubishi’s all-new S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) and luxurious interiors are part of the offering.

Sounds interesting right? Stay tuned for further updates coming further…

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Nissan Micra, the small car of which the car company is very proud of, has finally showcased its initial sketches to the world.

This next-generation car will be sold in over 150 countries across the globe and as the pundits in the automotive field put it, Nissan’s Micra is a car which will sky-rocket the car company’s reputation and sales in an unexpected way.

These sketches that we have posted in this blog show a Micra looking rather toned and rakish, a stark contrast to the current car's cute-as-a-button design ethic. The result is rather attractive, and still somewhat quirky.

Nissan plans on launching the Micra in Thailand next March, and will eventually do the same in Europe in the fall of 2010. Although the car has long been built in England for European consumption, it will now be henceforth built in India, allowing the British facility to assemble the Nissan Leaf EV.

We may see the new Micra in person later this month at the 2009 Tokyo motor show. If so, we'll bring you live photographs of the car. Stay tuned to Carazoo.com for all the latest news from the Tokyo show.

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Finally the gorgeous Panamera is launched in India.

The Panamera is an innovative sports car with four doors and four seats. The sedan sits very low and this imparts an image of something very ground-hugging. Moreover, the car is wide, very wide and extremely good looking that makes you utter hmmm and wow.

The Porsche Panamera comes in three variants. The S and the 4S variants carry a 4.8 litre V8 engine that can whop a decent 400 bhp. The Panamera Turbo can boast of a powerful 4.8L Twin Turbo V8 engine which can derive a power of 500 bhp.

The Panamera S comes with 6-speed manual transmission, where as the 7-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) automatic transmission comes as a standard feature in the 4S and the Turbo. The S variant comes with rear wheel drive while the 4S and the Turbo come with all wheel drive.

The Panamera S can hit 0-100 km/h in 5.6 seconds and the 4S takes 5 seconds to cover 100 km/h from static. The Turbo can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in only 4.2 seconds. The S has a top speed of 285 km/h and the 4S can run at a top speed of 282 km/h, while the Panamera Turbo can clock 303 km/h.

Coming to the interior, the sedan can be referred as the epitome of luxury. The interior gives the car a maritime touch with its blue, cream and mahogany colours.
The cabin impresses with its excellent ergonomics. The comfortable headrests of the leather seats are embossed with the Porsche crest. The cabin is spacious with ample of space for the passengers and luggage.

The Porsche Panamera is extremely beautiful. The double air intakes grab the attention of the on looker. The active rear spoiler accentuates the stance of the car and adapts to various driving conditions.

Porsche is offering the Panamera at the cost of Rs 1, 44,00,000 for the S variant, Rs 1, 49,00,000 for the 4S model and a whopping Rs 2,05,00,000 for the Panamera Turbo.

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Honda riding high on its success of its models in India and abroad has announced an overview of the cars it will have on display at the Tokyo Motor Show this year.

The list includes the EV-N, a small four-seater electric car that looks like it could well be the future of zero-emissions urban transport. With retro styling inspired by the 1960s Honda N360 micro car, the battery-powered EV-N also features solar panels on its roof, which can be used to charge the car’s batteries.

Unfortunately enough, this is a concept vehicle only and Honda says it currently has no plans to put the EV-N into production. But we do not want Honda to rush on things as Honda has a prize winner in the form of Honda Insight already.

Joining the EV-N at Honda’s stand will be the CR-Z Concept, a petrol-electric hybrid sports car that’s scheduled to go into production in 2010. The CR-Z, according to Honda, will be the world’s first ever petrol-electric vehicle to employ a six-speed manual transmission.

Also making its debut at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show will be the new Honda Skydeck concept, a six-seater hybrid MPV. This is, again, just a design study with no production plans as of now.

However, the underlying technology, powertrain and packaging provide a glimpse at what we can expect from Honda in the years to come.

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It has been confirmed that Fernando Alonso will be joining the Ferrari Formula One racing team. The two-time driver’s champion Fernando Alonso will take the driver’s position for Ferrari F1 team in 2010.

The 28 year old Spaniard has signed a three year deal and will replace Kimi Raikkonen, who is expected to move to McLaren. Moreover, Felipe Massa will line up as Alonso’s team mate, with Giancarlo Fisichella as reserve driver.

Ferrari has confirmed Fernando Alonso will be joining them for Renault in 2010.
Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali is proud to welcome Alonso to his team. Ferrari’s present driver Kimi Raikkonen won the drivers' championship in his first year in 2007.

On September 25, 2005, Fernando Alonso won the Formula One World Driver's Championship title at the age of 24 years and 58 days, breaking Emerson Fittipaldi's record of being the youngest Formula One World Drivers' Champion.

Alonso’s record was further broken by Lewis Hamilton in 2008. In 2007, Alonso became the second F1 driver, after Michael Schumacher, to score at least 100 points for three consecutive seasons.

Fernando Alonso became the first person ever to win the controversial night race of Singapore GP on September 28, 2008. He can be credited with 136 Grand Prix entries and 18 Pole Positions and he has won 21 Grands Prix.

Fernando Alonso presently is with the French Renault F1 team.

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The scenario surrounding F1 racing is quite grim. Last year, Honda abandoned F1 and soon BMW withdrew itself from Formula One with Mercedes-Benz also following suit.And now we have news that Toyota may too say “Sayonara” to Formula One racing.

Toyota’s Formula 1 team principal Tadashi Yamashima warned that the world’s largest car manufacturer’s involvement in F1 could come to an end soon. The reason behind is the result of steep decline in car sales.

This information must have broken the hearts of many F1 lovers. Especially, after the Toyota F1 team finished in the second place in the Singapore Grand Prix and the F1 race in Japan is scheduled over the coming weekend.

The world’s number one car maker Toyota is not doing good business because of the Motown slump. Toyota is likely to cut production by almost 10 per cent in order to minimise losses due to falling demand. Moreover, the Japanese car behemoth is pulling out of a joint venture business with GM in America.

It has happened for the first time that Toyota has planned to cut production to such an extent and it shows how badly it is faring in the current economic climate. Sales of Toyota in America have fallen by 34 per cent this year. Its luxury brand, Lexus, has been badly hit. In August Toyota forecast a net loss for 2009 of £3 billion, which is less than it feared but still unprecedented for the company.

Another threat to all the car companies is the end of Government sponsored car scrappage schemes in many key markets including the US, UK and Germany. These have prevented a total wash-out in the automotive sector during 2009, but are set to end in many countries in the coming months.

Although the company has signed up to the Concorde Agreement, it faces no financial penalty for walking away from Formula 1. It has some obligations, but nothing significant enough to prevent a walk-out if the business case for it was clear.

The team has yet to set a budget for the 2010 season and will not do so until mid November, by which time many drivers will already have signed up for other teams. With Williams set to switch its engine supply deal to Renault, the company has no customers for engines in the paddock.

Toyota has already informed both of its drivers that they are free to look for drives elsewhere.

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The Indian market can now expect two new models from Hyundai. The new facelifted Hyundai Verna and the all-new Sonata will be launched in India, but we don’t know why.

But it is written for those curious customers who would love to know more about these possible newbie’s that will make its entry into the Indian market without much delay.

The sixth generation Hyundai Sonata has already been launched in South Korea. It is not the same Hyundai Sonata which we see in the Indian roads. Instead, it is a brand new car that is named as Sonata in the Korean market. And the reason for this is that Sonata is the most popular sedan of Korea.

When the car gets launched in India there is also a possibility that it will be named as i40 in the Indian markets, as there is already a sonata available in the Indian market. Hyundai is also expected to launch the Sonata in the European markets with the name i40. The car uses the new ‘fluidic sculpture’ design.

It has very sophisticated and dynamic designing of the car looks very similar to that of a Mercedes CLS. The all-new Sonata is powered by a 2.0 Theta ll MPi engine and has a six speed automatic transmission. The car is also equipped with the most modern safety features.

Hyundai has also plans to launch its Verna. The new 2011 Hyundai Verna has a similar body and roof lines to the existing Verna. The new Verna will also have a ‘fluidic sculpture’ design philosophy. There will be both petrol and diesel engines. And it is expected to be available in 1.6ltr gasoline engine with equally advanced hybrid powertrain. The latest Verna will also have new turn indicators embedded ORVMS and set of alloy wheels.

It is not known when both these models will enter the Indian car market, but hopefully within the next two years. Now the question is which model will be readied to fill in the gap of Hyundai Getz that will be phased out completely by 2011.

The Santa Fe luxury SUV that is scheduled to be launched in early next year cannot anyway be substituted for this A2 compact car. Is it the sub-Santro 800cc city car that is expected to be launched which will be replacing the Getz?

Alright, leaving room for the guessing, we can still wait for the real happening.

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