Indian Car Blog - Carazoo.com

Guess what? In a classic case of role reversal when the Americans are shunning their big, large SUVs in favour of smaller fuel-efficient cars after the global recession, Indians are vouching for these gas-guzzlers.

Owning an SUV in India always was a status-symbol and now with the just concluded Auto Expo 2010 at New Delhi, it has become evident that both the car makers and Indians are paving way for the SUV genre to take hold of India.

The fact that leading car makers of the world are launching their SUV’s in India just boosts the claim. Global biggies like BMW, Audi, Land Rover, Toyota, Skoda, Volvo and Volkswagen are launching over half-a-dozen SUV’s in the next six months. How does that sound. Raid of the SUVs? India’s potential as a growing car market is unrivalled and these auto makers are just cashing in the trend with their pricey SUVs.

Take a look at these stats. Indian automobile industry for the month of Dec 2009 has posted a whopping 68 per cent growth in sales at 10.05 lakh units, while the passenger car sales grew 40.27 per cent at 115,268 units.

Posting a straight ninth month growth trend in a row, the northwards movement has seen similar activity in the Sports Utility Vehicles or the SUVs market both at the manufacturer as well as the consumer level. SUV market, the once niche segment contributing just 15 per cent of total vehicle sales in India is threatening to blow over the top and become a major contributor to the passenger car market.

In a way to enter this niche segment in India, car makers are planning to manufacture most of the new products locally to reduce cost, rather than relying on imports as they have done in the past.

German car maker, BMW has launched its flagship SUV model X6M with a price tag of Rs 1.3 crore (ex-showroom Delhi) and has drawn big plans to capture market share in the segment. BMW has brought its entire SUV portfolio at the Auto Show speculating that SUVs soon will become the next big thing in the Indian car market. With BMW’s compact SUV X1 hitting the Indian market soon, BMW hopes that its vehicle sales in India will double from the now 15 per cent later this year. The company will start assembling the X1, priced more competitively at around Rs 25 lakh making it the cheapest SUV from BMW, at its Chennai plant in the next few months.

Compatriot Audi India also has the same story to tell. Audi has reported 58 per cent rise in SUV sales in 2009 and would commence local production of its compact SUV Q5 soon. It will also bring its most powerful SUV, the V8 4.2 Litre Q7, in limited numbers.

SkodaAuto India which unveiled its Skoda Yeti SUV at the Auto Expo 2010 held in New Delhi is also upbeat on Yeti’s sales in India. SkodaAuto will locally produce the Yeti with all top-end luxury features to sell the Yeti at a highly competitive price. Skoda Yeti might roll out from the Aurangabad plant.

Volkswagen also has been weaving a similar story. VW has brought its flagship Toureg SUV into India at the price of Rs 60 lakh and has planned to bring in its smaller Tiguan SUV also.

Toyota, the Japanese player in the Indian market with its Indian subsidiary Toyota Kirloskar Motor also sensing the demand for SUV’s in India launched its Fortuner which has a six-month waiting period due to an unanticipated rush for bookings and the new Land Cruiser Prado diesel to appeal the diesel-crazed Indian luxury SUV customers.

The Korean car maker Hyundai Motor India on the other hand is also getting ready to bring in the Santa FE by mid-2010. The Santa FE is a crossover SUV based on the Sonata platform and is expected to take on the Chevrolet Captiva, Honda CR-V and the Nissan X-Trail.

If you think only global biggies are eying this niche SUV segment, don’t be fooled. Even Indian car makers like Mahindra and Mahindra and Tata Motors also have been doing their homework. The SUV market from Indian companies like M&M and Tata Motors, grew 21 per cent to 1.04 lakh units in April-December 2009 over the year-ago period. These home-grown giants are trying hard to cater to the growing SUV market by bringing in their SUV models.

Tata Motors which recently unveiled its Tata Aria is slated for release in Feb 2010 while Mahindra and Mahindra is also gearing to roll out its premium SUV which will be positioned above Scorpio and will be built on a all-new platform with a different design, architecture and specifications. Another Indian company ICML also is planning to bring in their SUV which will debut in first part of 2010.

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BMW hit the right button in India by unveiling three of its new models at the Delhi Auto Expo 2010.

The cars which BMW India unveiled were the sports car Gran Turismo, sports coupe’ X6 M and super luxury sedan 760Li. BMW India already on a high after beating compatriot Mercedes-Benz India in the Indian car sales terms now plans to invest $ 50 million in India to start its auto finance business in the middle of the year.

The company has taken over the luxury car market leader Mercedes Benz in 2009 in terms of sales and expanded its market share to over 40 per cent in the luxury car segment.

“Despite all challenges, BMW India delivered strong operating performance in 2009 and achieved a market leadership in the luxury car segment. This is the most successful market entry for BWM in any country,” said BMW India president Peter Kronschnabl.

BMW Gran Turismo (GT) was launched as a limited edition model with only 100 units up for sale now in India and has been priced at Rs 63 lakh (ex-showroom-Delhi), while the X6 M carries a price tag of Rs 1.29 crore and the BMW 7 series sedan 760Li will lessen the pockets of the wealthy by Rs 1.3 crore.

The carmaker also showcased its sporty utility vehicle (SUV) X1 at the auto exhibition. BMW will import X1 as a completely knocked down unit and will churn it out of its manufacturing plant in Chennai to be sold to Indian consumers from 2010 end. BMW X1 is considered to be chapter in itself in the company’s India strategy.

BMW India during the ongoing Auto Expo hinted that the company had made additional plans to pump in additional investment to expand its capacity at Chennai and the details of the investments were not disclosed but the company is quite optimistic in hiring additional workforce at the plant.

BMW that sold 3,619 cars in the country during 2009, currently, has the capacity to produce 3,000 units annually working in a single shift. The company produces cars under its ‘3’ and ‘5’ series at its Chennai plant but imports other premium models like its ‘6’ and ‘7’ series cars. BMW has also sought a licence to operate its wholly-owned auto finance arm BMW Financial Services as an NBFC.

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German car maker BMW will be displaying the X1 in the upcoming Auto Expo in New Delhi. The car luxury car maker will also be displaying the Z4, BMW 3-Series and the BMW 5-Series.

BMW is currently India’s number one luxury car maker. It has launched the X4 in the Indian car market in October 2009. It has rolled out the 3-Series and the 5-Series sedans in the India.

The X1 is the most compact SUV from BMW. It will be pitted against the Land Rover Freelander 2. The BMW X1 will be available with a choice of three 2-litre turbo-diesel engines. The 18d can derive 143 bhp, the 20d 177 bhp and the 23d 240 bhp. A 6-speed manual transmission comes standard on the 18d and the 20d, while a 6-speed automatic gearbox comes standard in the 23d and as an option in the 20d. The BMW X1 is expected to hit showrooms in mid-2010.

The Z4 is yet to make a mark in India. But this convertible promises to make an impact among the speed lovers in the coming year. The Z4 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre engine with 306 bhp and a 7-speed semi-automatic gearbox.

The 3-Series is available in 4 variants, 320i petrol, 325i petrol, 320d diesel, and 320d Highline diesel in India. The 320i and 325i are powered by 2.0L inline 4-cyl and 2.5L inline 6-cyl petrol engines respectively. A 2.0L turbocharged diesel engine powers 320d and 320d Highline variants.

On the other hand, the BMW 5-Seriesis a midsize luxury sedan that incorporates attractive appearance and state-of-the-art technology along with luxurious interiors. It comes in five variants, 525i, 530i (petrol) and 520d, 530d and 530d Highline diesel. The 5-Series has 2.5L, and 3.0L 6-cylinder petrol engines that power the 525i, and the 530i respectively. The 520d is powered by a 2.0L Inline 4 diesel engine, whereas 530d and 530d Highline are mated with a 3.0L 6-cylinder diesel engine.

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More news in the pipeline for BMW fans!

German luxury car maker BMW is planning to introduce two more cars in India by the end of this year. Yes, two cars, the BMW Z4 and the X1, the first Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) in the compact class from BMW.

The BMW Z4 is a replacement of the BMW Z3 and was first produced in 2002. This car is available in two versions viz., convertible and coupe. The two-door Z4 will be available in the sDrive 30i trim.

The 3.0-L In-line-6 engine has the capacity to churn out 258 bhp which surely takes driving into the next level. The car can speed up to a top speed of 250 km/h and can accelerate 0-100 km in just 5.8 seconds.

The BMW Z4 has almost done with the official registration process and other formalities in India before the grand launch that should happen anytime by Diwali this year.

The latest SUV from BMW, the X1 is expected in another six months. The X1 is the smallest in the Sports Activity Vehicles (SAVs) segment. It is placed as an alternative to BMW’s best seller 3-Series.

The X1 should carry a price tag between Rs 29-32 Lakh. Currently BMW sells its BMW X6 which also is a Sports Activity Vehicle in India.

The BMW X1 will be available in two engine options in India. The X1 xdrive1.8d engine will churn out a horsepower of 143 bhp while the X1 xdrive1.8i engine will give around 140 bhp. Though the X1 is an AWD, it is tuned for road-biased driving and is not much fun for off-road driving.

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