Carazoo Indian Car Blog

It’s really depressing to know that a leading car manufacturer is now forced to borrow funds from public.

This initiative is taken by Tata Motors to fulfill its ongoing requirements including the funding of Jaguar and Land Rover deal. Today, we actually realize how hard the impact of recession is on the Indian car market. Till date, we heard about General Motors and Ford pleading for survival. But, today, the situation has become so worst that a car manufacturer like Tata is bound to take fund from public and raise capital. The drip in car sales in November also reflects the current crisis in the car industry.

It’s the first time since 1995 that Tata is borrowing from the public of up to Rs 2,700 to raise capital. But, even then the company offers benefits to the public by offering an 11% annual interest for a period of up to three years, 10% interest for one year on a minimum public deposit of Rs 20,000 and 10.5% for two years.

So, at one hand where Tata will raise its fund, on the other hand public will enjoy the high interest rates on the amount they deposit with the company.

Labels: Car-Manufacturer, Indian-car-market, Tata-Motors

posted by Carazoo.com @ Wednesday, December 03, 2008 0 Comments

          

In today’s busy life, people are mostly found on roads, commuting from one place to another. Those who travel by cars spend almost half of their day in their cars. So, it is very essential to maintain a clean and healthy environment inside the car cabin.

Understanding the need of a healthy in-car environment, Volvo makes the entire range of its car model allergy-friendly. It has achieved the goal by introducing certified textiles in all its car models, textiles that meet the Oeko-Tex standard.

Volvo is believed to be the first car manufacturer who met the Oeko-Tex standard. According to which all the textiles in the car interior including the seat covers, floor mats, and seat belts are tested for substances or particles that is responsible to trigger any allergic reaction in human.

These allergy-free textiles will help to protect car passengers as well as the driver from sneezing delivering a clean atmosphere, especially for those who are over-sensitive to dust and other similar substances.

If looking for an allergy-free Volvo car in India, then the Volvo S80 is the best car to opt.

Labels: Car-Manufacturer, Car-Models, Volvo-Car

posted by Carazoo.com @ Friday, November 28, 2008 2 Comments

          

Hold your breath Honda car lovers. Honda cars will now be available at an expensive price tag. The company has decided to increase the price of its entire portfolio of cars by Rs 1 Lakh to Rs 1.5 Lakh from January next year. This is depressing for those who are planning to buy Honda cars and obviously relaxing for those who have already purchased one and are rejoicing the elegant ride.

But, if anyone of you is actually keen and sure to buy any of the Honda cars then you still have time to buy with the actual price tag. As the company has decided to implement the raised prices with the oncoming New Year, you can make up your mind to stamp upon a confirmed decision to buy a Honda car.

Many of you must be thinking that during this time of financial downturn, Honda is actually doing injustice to car consumers by increasing the car prices. But it’s not their fault as well. The production cost with the increasing cost of raw materials has increased so much that the car manufacturers is forced to take such an initiative. The weakening of Indian Rupees has further fueled the senses of Honda. This eventually compels the company to increase the price tag of all its car models.

The price of Honda’s leading SUV, Honda CR-V is expected to increase by Rs 1.5 Lakh, luxury sedan Accord would go up by Rs 30,000 – Rs 50,000 and the most successful car in Honda’s fleet, Honda Civic, would have an elevated price tag of Rs 10,000 – Rs 20,000.

So, now it is the right time for you to make a decision to purchase a Honda car.

Labels: Car-Manufacturer, Car-prices, Honda-Cars

posted by Carazoo.com @ Wednesday, November 26, 2008 6 Comments

          

Every car manufacturer is bawling about how the global recession has affected their stand in the car market. Has this economic pressure actually influenced every car manufacturer? No!

When most of the car brands are thinking of cutting down their production capacity and sales target, some of the luxury car majors have a different story to narrate. Here is the one instance of positive car growth in India.

Renowned luxury car leader, Daimler, who owns the Mercedes brand, is expected to introduce six new models from their AMG segment by this year-end. Wow! Six new models despite the financial crunch…is something interesting.

These car models will carry an expensive price tag ranging from Rs 1.25 Crore to Rs 3 Crore and will be custom ordered and delivered directly from the land of Merc. The delivery period may take two to three months depending on the customer’s choice.

Mercedes has rolled out around 20 models globally under the AMG make that comprises of sedans, coupes, wagons, SUVs, roadsters, and convertibles.

Currently Mercedes-Benz sells nine models in India that include sedans, coupes, convertibles, sport utility vehicles, and multi-purpose vehicles. During the April-October period, Mercedes-Benz India sold 1,936 units, which is a 46 percent growth compared to 1,322 units for the same period last year in 2007.

The sales number of car brands like Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, Bentley, and Porsche have also seen similar increments in 2008 compared to 2007.

Does this mean that the financial crisis is only for the middle-class and below? The high-society in India is certainly not showing any sign of relenting the purchase of expensive luxury cars. This is definitely something to think about.

Labels: Car-Manufacturer, Mercedes-Cars, SUV

posted by Carazoo.com @ Tuesday, November 25, 2008 1 Comments

          

You would be glad to know that declaring fuel efficiency of a car by the company is now mandatory.

Car manufacturers will now have to mention the average fuel consumption of their car models before marketing their cars in the market. This initiative is aimed at promoting fuel-efficient vehicles in the industry.

Furthermore, this kind of information will also help car consumers to make a perfect decision while buying a new car. As these consumers will be well-informed of the fuel-consumption, they won’t have any kind of perplexity if they ever desire to buy a fuel-efficient car.

Even after consumers buy the car, they won’t regret buying a car that they thought was fuel-efficient. Every car manufacturer will reveal the secrets of fuel efficiency and fuel consumption without misleading the consumers.

Labels: Car-Manufacturer, Fuel-efficiency

posted by Carazoo.com @ Wednesday, November 19, 2008 0 Comments

          

Hyundai is celebrating the production of its 2 million cars. In the course of this celebration, it’s touching to know that the car manufacturer has spread an unprecedented light of humbleness.

You will be amazed to know that Hyundai has donated its 2 millionth car to a Mumbai based NGO CRY as a goodwill gesture. CRY (Child Relief and You) is a leading promoter and supporter of child rights that has been in the sector since three decades. The association ensures that children are not deprived of their basic rights.

H.S. Lheem, Managing Director of Hyundai, handed over the car keys symbolically to the brand ambassador of CRY, Shah Rukh Khan. He then passed on the keys to the director of the NGO’s West and Volunteer Action.

This move by Hyundai exudes the kind of humbleness, simplicity, and elegance that the company gives to all its car models. Through this gesture, Hyundai has moved many steps ahead in terms of brand prominence.

Labels: Car-Manufacturer, Hyundai-cars

posted by Carazoo.com @ Monday, November 17, 2008 2 Comments

          

Three Cheers for BMW that took national winners to international arena! Two Indian gems for the first time have been qualified to participate in BMW Golf Cup International, one of the world’s largest amateur golf tournament series.

Two national players after winning the Premiere series of the BMW Golf Cup International 2008 will now be active participants of the International world finals in Argentina. Creating a benchmark in the history of Indian sports, Mr. Rahul Sood and Mr. Rudratej Singh, are the first to represent India at the Golf finals in Argentina.

Mr. Rahul Sood and Mr. Rudratej Singh won the award under Category A for handicaps 0-12 and Category B for handicaps 13-28, respectively in the BMW Golf Cup International 2008, held in the country across five cities ¬– Chennai, Bangalore, Pune Mumbai, and Delhi.

Organized by BMW India, the tournament took place between 6 September and 25 October, 2008. The national final occurred on November 8, 2008 at DLF Golf & Country Club at Gurgaon, a place where Rahul and Rudrajet were acclaimed winners. And now comes the time for the international touring where the have to compete against the top winners from 50 different countries.

Heading from Gurgaon, the national winners will now position their footsteps in International world finals in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 1-6 December 2008. This will not only increase the prominence of winners but also the brand recognition and appreciation for BMW.

Delivering a perfect blend of style, exclusivity, and elegance in the Golf Cup International, BMW, one of the renowned luxury car manufacturers, defines its own pulsating evolution and artistic expression.

Labels: BMW-India, Car-Manufacturer, Luxury-Car

posted by Carazoo.com @ Friday, November 14, 2008 2 Comments

          

Audi plans to assemble its model Q5 locally, a Crossover Utility Vehicle that made its debut globally earlier this year. If the volume of this luxury car is high enough, then there is the chance of assembling the CUV in Aurangabad facility near Pune.

The company would have to make the Q5 compliance to the Indian condition that is likely to hit the Indian shores by the second half of 2009. Recently, Audi’s sports car R8 made its debut in India with a price tag of Rs 1.3 crore. With this launch, Audi has great expectation and the luxury car manufacturer is confident of selling 20 cars by next year.

The Audi R8 had bagged 15 orders even before it was launched in India. This was an amazing response from the price sensitive Indian consumers. The company also has high hopes with its model Q5.

Will Audi Q5 be able gather the same attention as R8? Well it’s too early to say!

Labels: Audi-Cars, Car-Manufacturer, Luxury-Car

posted by Carazoo.com @ Thursday, November 13, 2008 2 Comments

          

While we all were celebrating the lamps and chants of Diwali, the car manufacturers were also rejoicing festive season.

Festive season for car manufacturers is not pertaining to Diwali but the season of good sales. Yes, the wait proved to be fruitful for them. Couple of months ago when the car sales was drastically going down, they has tied high hopes from the Diwali season. And their hopes actually reaped success for them.

The day of Dhanteras, believed to be an auspicious day for buying metals, recorded the best sales figure. Amazingly, there are talks among the car dealers and manufacturers that about 15,000 vehicles or more have been sold across the country on that one single day. Though this Dhanteras was not able to beat the charm of last year, it was satisfactory, especially during this time of downturn.

Giving a strong reason to smile, Dhanteras proved to be a big bonanza for car manufacturers.

Labels: Car-Manufacturer, Car-Sales

posted by Carazoo.com @ Monday, November 03, 2008 6 Comments

          

Motorsports in India, isn’t it paradoxical? Motorsports have never gone hand in hand with the Indian economy.

But today, motorsports have made its way through the growing economy. You would be amazed to know that motorsports entered the Indian market in 21st century, a recent entry. Then too, the industry has spread its tentacles across the territory.

The key reason behind the growth is the Indian car industry. The industry has become so advanced that every now and then some or the other car manufacturer put its hand on the sports segment with a desire to promote brand among a huge number of sports enthusiasts.

You talk about Volvo, who recently gifted a Volvo car to the winner of the Olympic Gold medal, Abhinav Bindra. Then what say about the Honda Accord gifted to Digvijay. Similarly, many car manufacturers have associated themselves with the sports and are introducing fast cars that are capable to run across all kinds of roads and terrains.

Have anyone heard about the vintage car rally, a rally that displays a perfect assortment of vintage cars. Then we have the Monsoon rally where car drivers participate in big numbers and finally the Himalayan car rally, a tough raid where car drivers have to run their cars on challenging mountain ranges across the Himalayan.

You must also be aware of the recent raid introduced by Maruti Suzuki, ‘Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya’. It was an interesting raid but the most challenging one.

If you really have the heart to face challenges in life then motorsports in India is a fun.

Labels: Car-Manufacturer, Indian-car-industry, Volvo-Car

posted by Carazoo.com @ Wednesday, October 22, 2008 1 Comments

          

Anyone who has the passion for gold now has an opportunity to enjoy the golden moments with ‘Gold Porsche’.

Awesome Gold Porsche is the first gold plated car. Not only the exterior, the steering wheel, wheels, door panels, door knobs, alloy rim and other control keys are also exclusively wrapped with 22 carat beaten gold.

It’s really difficult to believe that a car is completely enveloped with gold plates. But that’s the fact! The best part of the car is that you can customize your requirement as to which car part you want to be goldenized.

The German luxury car manufacturer, Porsche, has introduced the limited version of its Gold Porsche Boxster. If you really have a heavy bank account that can bare Rs 9 million and the burning desire to be wrapped in gold then buying a Gold Porsche would be a great choice.

If yes, then Gold Porsche would be a complete blend of outstanding luxury, pure lifestyle, and unmatched aesthetics.

Labels: Car-Manufacturer, Luxury-Cars, Porsche-Cars

posted by Carazoo.com @ Tuesday, October 21, 2008 5 Comments

          

Every car manufacturer is driving deep to the roots of Indian culture and lifestyle to suit the taste of Indian customer base.

Driven by local flavours and indigenization, Volkswagen also plans to roll out its small car adorned with the likes, aspirations, and requirements of Indian customers.

The company is also looking for high levels of localization in terms of production. Expected to roll out from the company’s Chakan plant in Maharashtra, the proposed small car will be a tough competitor of all the upcoming small cars like Tata Nano, Hyundai i20, and Renault’s small car.

Volkswagen is still expecting to reach newer heights with the launch of its high-end luxury sedan Phaeton in India. Something even more exciting is on your way.

The company also plans to introduce an Indian-version of its Polo hatchback on the small car platform and its concept car, ‘Up’ in near future.

Indigenization and localization will eventually help the company reduce its production costs and improve the profit margins. As hopes from the proposed purely indianized cars are undying.

Labels: Car-Manufacturer, Small-Car, Volkswagen

posted by Carazoo.com @ Tuesday, October 14, 2008 2 Comments

          

Momentum of small car race is still on!

No single car manufacturer wants to be left behind to participate in the small car race. With almost all the leading auto majors announcing their plans and introduction of small cars, Ford Motors also desires to share the same piece of cake.

Ford with a heavy investment in the Indian car market, targets 2010 as the year to launch its small car. In response to the announcement of the small car plans, the company makes a heavy investment to establish its engine-making unit in the country. Establishment of this unit will further lead to localization which eventually will strengthen the company’s presence Indian automobile market.

You must be wondering what’s new and different about this small car. There is not much but yes, Ford definitely has plans to make its small car compatible to the requirements of Indian conditions comprising wading, air-conditioning and emission norms. And that’s we all look for when making a car buying decision. Right?

Labels: Car-Manufacturer, Indian-car-market, Small-Car

posted by Carazoo.com @ Wednesday, October 08, 2008 2 Comments

          

Audi India, a German luxury car major, is a leading car manufacturer of luxury cars in India.

Aimed at expanding its operations in India, Audi announces five new dealerships in the country, scaling up the network to 12 locations across the country. The new Audi showrooms are established at Ludhiana, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kochi and Kolkata, laying emphasis on Kochi showroom.

Kochi is a principal city of Kerala and is believed to emerge as the potential market for Audi’s luxury car. Kochi showroom situated at Maradu, near the NH bye-pass will have a separate workshop to service the entire range of Audi cars in India. The showroom will also have Audi’s entire car model range mated with different equipments.

Audi India has high hopes with this new network of dealerships across the country.

Labels: Audi-Cars, Audi-India, Car-Manufacturer, Luxury-Car

posted by Carazoo.com @ Friday, September 26, 2008 1 Comments

          

Rolls Royce!
The name it self is so royal! And now this 100 year old premium car manufacturer has opened another showroom in Delhi. The surprising part is that this royal car brand chooses Select Cars as partner over Navnit Motors who are the Mumbai dealers.

This super luxurious pal starts at Rs. 3.15 crore (due to the 110% import duty) and despite its expensive figure the brand is doing well in India by selling 12 cars last year. Very soon Indian roads will get to see the Phantom Coupe. The super car brand is also working on baby Rolls, which is expected to hit the Indian shores by 2010.

It is nice to know that super luxury car brand like Rolls Royce have a good market in India. This is the positive growth in the Indian auto industry. Hope to see more super luxury cars rolling out in India.

Labels: Car-Manufacturer, Phantom-Coupe, Rolls-Royce, Super-Luxury-Car

posted by Carazoo.com @ Thursday, September 18, 2008 1 Comments

          

Maruti Suzuki, India’s leading car manufacturer has a pack of successful cars running on Indian roads. The only thing that Maruti lacks is one car in the D segment in line with the hottest sedans like Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Jetta, and Skoda Octavia.

Driven by the heartache of its weakness, Maruti decides to roll out a car based on the Kizashi concept. This car will definitely enter Maruti’s empty D segment.

Priced at Rs. 10 lakh, the Kizashi concept is a vicious looking machine with well shaped black glossy grille, LED lights, and hard core bumper. The car will roll out with exciting and innovative features to make it competitive in the Indian car market.

Kizashi based car is currently at a nascent stage may be still in thoughts and minds of Maruti’s officials. But, definitely the car will soon be seen on Indian roads.

The production version of this ferocious looking car is expected to roll out from Maruti’s new plant in Manesar, Haryana. After the launch of high gear Maruti Suzuki Swift and Maruti Suzuki SX4, the company has expanded its footprints outside the boundaries of small cars. With Kizashi being next in line, Maruti seems to do wonder.

Labels: Car-Manufacturer, Honda-Civic, Maruti-Suzuki, Skoda-Octavia, Toyota-Corolla, Volkswagen- Jetta

posted by Carazoo.com @ Wednesday, September 17, 2008 4 Comments

          

Skoda Auto, Czech car manufacturer, is considering designing a new-cheap car for the Indian market.

Currently, the entire production is only in thoughts. The company is making attempts to study the core of the Indian car market before putting his thoughts to reality.

The car manufacturer, part of the Volkswagen Group, is currently rejoicing the success of its three main models Fabia, Octavia, and Superb, in India. All these cars have showcased growing sales since the time they made their debut in the Indian market.

The company also desires to introduce more cars to the India just because it is one of the most promising markets in the global auto industry.

How many cars is Skoda planning to drive in? One, two, three or four? No one has a perfect picture of how many more cars but definitely the company is planning to add numbers to the car sales in India.

Labels: Car-Manufacturer, Fabia, Octavia, Skoda-Auto, Superb

posted by Carazoo.com @ Tuesday, September 09, 2008 2 Comments

          

The competition in the Indian car market has made the going tough for every car manufacturer. All auto majors are on the verge of rolling out new cars and this time its time for the famed Toyota.

Finally, the New Toyota Corolla Altis makes its debut in the Indian car market. The car will create a completely new market in the C segment.

The new Corolla Altis is powered by a 1.8L engine churning out around 140bhp. The new car is ardently designed with elegant and styling features. The car's body is slightly lower than the existing Corolla and taller than Honda Civic.

Some of the most enticing features of the new Altis are automatic transmission with sequential shift, 8-way power driver seat with power lumbar support, cruise control; steering wheel mounted audio controls and choice of luxurious leather upholstery.

Priced between Rs 10.83 lakh and Rs 12.86 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the Corolla Altis is available in three grades of petrol version.

So, wake up Toyota fans, its time for you to drive your new Corolla.

Labels: Car-Manufacturer, Indian-car-market, New-Cars, Toyota, Toyota- Corolla-Altis

posted by Carazoo.com @ Monday, September 08, 2008 3 Comments