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Friday, 7 August 2009
In a statement made in the Indian parliament, the Indian government has asked car manufacturers to contemplate on making cars specially designed for physically challenged persons. Arun Yadav, the Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises expressed the will of the Government that it wants the car manufacturers in India to concentrate in making at least one or two models for the physically challenged persons. This step by the Government comes as a welcome sign for people in India as the car manufacturers are being finally waken up from their deep slumber in neglecting the handicapped people. To top it all, the Government has been doling out excise duty concessions on cars and other vehicles meant for handicapped people. This tax benefits should lure the car manufacturers in India to toy with the idea of coming out with at least a couple of models designed for the physically challenged people. Some Indian carmakers were earlier providing cars with automatic transmission for physically challenged persons but had to discontinue the same as the demand for such vehicles was very less and occasional and making them available readily in the market is not practical in terms of economy. But the growing Indian car industry makes such customized cars and other vehicles on specific order to suit the disability of person. Some of car manufacturers who tune the cars according to the needs of physically challenged drivers are Hyundai with their Santro, Mahindra with their Scorpio, Maruti Suzuki on their Omni, and some of the higher end car manufacturers. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, Hyundai-Santro, Mahindra-Scorpio
Monday, 2 February 2009
Many car manufacturers are focussing on rural areas with a thought that small towns will bring better sales. In the time when liquidity crunch has crippled the urban centres, small towns seems to be more promising due all-cash economy and low penetration levels. Shockingly, leading Indian car manufacturer like Maruti Suzuki and General Motors have experienced a jump in sales figure in the rural markets compared to urban market. Job layoffs and unpredictable corporate scenario have shattered the buying sentiments of consumers. Car buyers being insecure about their jobs are deferring their buying plans. And this situation is worst in the major metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad which is under the cyclone of recession. Even the various government initiatives to infuse liquidity into the financial system did not relieve the pain of car manufactures. They feel that the voluminous market in metros is now saturating and it’s time to attack the small towns. All car companies struggling in metros have the same story to share thus they are gradually moving towards markets outside big metros to revive their businesses. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, Car-Sales, General-Motors
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Long back Mahindra & Mahindra notified that it would be rolling out the Mahindra Ingenio in 2006 and there were lots of reports and information related to it but sadly it remained as news because the car is not yet launched. This model hails from the MUV (Multi-utility vehicle) class like the Toyota Innova, Qualis, the Tata Sumo Grande and the Chevrolet Tavera. Now we heard that the model is undergoing several tests and is expected on Indian roads very soon. But how long this launch will take is still a mystery. The same is repeated with Toyota’s Fortuner which was supposed be launched but is still on hold. Hope the car manufacturer prepare well for the launch before announcing and later disappearing with it. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, Mahindra-and-Mahindra, MUVs
Monday, 12 May 2008
The pressure from rising input costs across the world has pushed several car companies to look for a centralized sourcing unit to control costs for them. Car manufacturers such as GM, Ford, Suzuki and Fiat have been looking at vendors from India and China to provide them with components at a 10-15 % lesser cost.
Fiat has already started such a venture by opening its international purchase office to tap vendors in India for manufacturing and sourcing required equipment and materials. This move will help them maintain profit margins while doling out benefits to consumers.
India has become a major vendor for cheap components. General Motors plans to sources components worth Rs. 4,000 Crore from India and Fiat has increased the investment for sourcing from India to Rs 1,600 Crore. Suzuki is searching for a long term partner who will cater to its global car projects. Labels: Car-components, Car-manufacturers-in-India, Foreign car manufacturers
Monday, 21 April 2008
The rising steel prices have put a lot of pressure on car manufacturers to raise car prices. The cost of steel has increased by 3.5 percent. The prices have risen despite of efforts by the union government and steel manufacturers. The added cost of steel will increase inputs cost which will have a cascading effect on the entire cost of the car. Mahindra Renault has already increased prices of Logan, and Tata has upped prices on its entire range of commercial vehicles. So far, the small car segment remains untouched by the hike in steel prices. Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai have postponed their decision to hike prices of cars. Tata has decided to weather the crisis and has retained the same prices for its passenger cars. However, the rising inputs cost could force the car manufacturers to crack and increase prices on their products. So all those who have been waiting to get a new car, now is the time to have one. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, Car-prices, Rising steel price
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Are car manufacturers selling us Indian cars at prices higher than that they are sold in Western countries. But most car manufacturers would say that they are holier than thou! Look at this – Skoda is selling Laura which puffs out 200 bhp power for European markets. But, the same car come with half power -100 bhp, is sold in India. And the price is same! Don’t you think that car manufacturer’s should lower down the prices and fix it according to the performance! Look at Skoda’s performance. It does not feature in any premium car manufacturer list in Europe, but in India it is doing roaring business. It shows that car manufacturers still think Indians car buyers can be convinced to buy anything they give. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, Car-prices, Indian cars
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
It’s interesting to note that the United Kingdom has launched a study to take stock of the impact that the Indian automobile Industry may have on their own auto industry.
For decades UK has been a hub of car manufacturers with major global players operating successfully from there. Now, the advent of the Indian automobile industry in the world arena is surely something that makes others pull up their socks.
UK's car industry is facing a number of challenges as it moves ahead into the next decade particularly when it comes to tackling a continued rise in competition from countries such as China, India and Eastern European entities that are able to build and sell cheap cars. UK is working to ensure that its car industry can build on existing strengths and remain competitive in an increasingly globalised world. Labels: Car-competition, Car-manufacturers-in-India, Cheap-Cars, Study
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
The car manufacturers have now moved from big cities to sell their products. They have found out that the B and C cities have a high market which is waiting to be tapped. Car manufacturers feel that the smaller cities have a higher market for lower segment cars. However, the problem lies in arranging finances as most rural people borrow from private from moneylenders.
Assessing this need, market leader Maruti Suzuki has partnered with Chennai based Shriram finances. General Motors, which is already leading in urban areas, has now set its eyes on rural areas. The company has tied up with Reliance, Tata Capital, ICICI and GMAC for special financing schemes. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, General Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Reliance
Friday, 14 March 2008
Every auto fair is big news these days. The New Delhi Auto Expo was huge and set the car industry on a roll. While it was a hit in North India, the ‘Vaahan Yatra’ was just as successful in South India. Now East India is hosting a gala car fair. The one week auto fair will be held in Kolkata at the Salt Lake Stadium from March 16 onwards and you should try and catch this event. It’s no small fair mind you. All the big car manufacturers like Tata Motors, Toyota, Maruti, General Motors, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz are attending.
Submitted by AutoFairKolkata Labels: auto fair, Auto-Exhibition, Auto-Expo, Auto-Shows, Car-manufacturers-in-India
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
Rolls-Royce has picked up its global car sales by 25% as compared to their figures in 2006. Apparently, this is the first time ever that Rolls-Royce has reached four digit sales figures after going global in 2003. They returned to India after a gap of 50 years, launching the Phantom super luxury sedan in 2005. The Phantom has been very popular in India. Apart from India, Rolls-Royce saw outstanding sales in the U.A.E. and China where the car manufacturer has grown by more than 50%. However, North America still remains the biggest single market for Rolls-Royce. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, Luxury sedan, Rolls-Royce-Cars
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
Think of ‘car’ and the immediate reaction is ‘pollution’. The January Auto Expo will help introduce many cars and SUVs which are getting close to being environment-friendly. Some of these are the Toyota Innova D-4-D, new Mahindra Scorpio, new Tata Safari DiCOR, and models from Skoda. For a cleaner drive, Maruti has already adopted Fiat’s 1.3-litre Multijet common rail diesel engine on some of its models. While car manufacturers have acted, the government is sitting pretty on the quality of fuel supplied to car owners. India is one of the countries in the world which serves fuel with a high sulphur content. This sulphur is a major contributor to dense pollution levels in cities. Lowering the sulphur content in diesel and petrol should be the immediate concern of the government. The government has failed to take steps to check and maintain the quality of fuel being supplied to consumers. Many experts have suggested that if India does not act fast, the atmosphere will soon be filled with heavy toxic fumes. Interestingly, diesel cars emit seven times more toxic gases into the air than petrol based engines and the popularity of diesel cars is at an all time high. Maintaining a high quality of dispensed fuel will refresh the air we breathe. It will also help leave a greener tomorrow for the next generation. An inefficient system leaves a lot for the asking. Sadly, car manufacturers have little say in this matter. Submitted by Ranjit Vohra Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, Diesel, Fuel, Government, Petrol, Pollution
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
India’s auto major, Maruti, is very keen to launch the sedan built on the Swift platform. This sedan is expected to hit Indian roads in the month of January next year and would compete with its own sibling, the SX4. Not only this, Maruti Suzuki is also planning to pose a tough tiff to manufacturers like Skoda and Honda with models like Splash, Kizashi, and Jimny. According to the source closely associated with the company, the making of Esteem is almost taken a back-seat. The new Swift sedan will be priced less than the SX4 and is expected in two variants – a 1.3L multi-jet diesel engine and a 1.3L petrol engine. The diesel variant is built keeping in mind Tata’s Indica and Indigo and Hyundai’s diesel cars. Maruti has also asked its suppliers to be ready to supply machinery needed for this mega project. Recently, Maruti unveiled a concept car Kizashi at the Frankfurt motor show, which is said to make its second appearance at the Tokyo Motor Show very soon. It is designed to compete with the A4 segment cars from other manufacturers like Honda, Toyota, and Skoda. Kizashi is expected to come with a price tag of 10-12 lakh. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, Honda, Hyundai, Indian car market, launch in India, Maruti, Skoda, Tata, Toyota
Friday, 5 October 2007
After a long pause, Peugeot, the French automaker, is once again gazing at the Indian market with a low cost model that is under development. Who can blame them for a second glance – at the rate the Indian automobile industry is growing; manufactures have to be blind not to notice us! The company seems still worried about the failure faced by Peugeot and Premier Automobiles Ltd. (PAL), their joint venture partners, in their formative years in India. The cause for the closure of Peugeot in India had termed differently, as poor performance and joint venture failure. Its struggles to survive in the Indian market have resulted in the eventual exit of the company from the Indian auto-scenario in November 1997 – just a year before the auto boom started. Even if the company didn’t play any important roles in the Indian Passenger car market, we cannot forget Peugeot as it was one of the first automobile MNCs to enter India. As the Indian auto market has been a matter of interest for foreign automakers, like Volvo, Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, and many others from around the world, Peugeot is again getting ready to seek its luck in India. Our automobile industry has come a long way from the time they were here – we now not only have a splatter of automobile MNCs, but also a wider consumer interest. So, a definite green signal to Peugeot from my side! Labels: Audi, BMW-Cars, Car-manufacturers-in-India, competition, Indian car market, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Volvo
Monday, 1 October 2007
Since Mitsubishi’s collaboration with Hindustan Motors (HM) about a decade ago, it has released an array of popular Sedans and SUVs, but not a single vehicle in the most popular Hatchback segment. With the announcement of an official launch date for the ‘1-lakh car’ by Tata Motors, other auto manufacturers are keen to compete. Mitsubishi is considering introducing its new model ‘i’ to India. The ‘i concept’ car debuted at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. The egg-shaped vehicle carried a 999 cc engine that boasted of a very impressive mileage of 33 kms per litre. It also carried a Mitsubishi Smart Idling (MSI) system which turns off the engine automatically when the vehicle is stationary and can restart it within 0.2 seconds. The ‘i’ that launched in January 2006, comes with an ultra-efficient lightweight turbocharged 660 cc petrol engine and a 4-speed automatic transmission. It sports a wide door, sufficient room for 4 passengers, split-folding rear seats, and alloy wheels. The engine emissions are environment friendly. It is priced a little too high in the European market. With the co-operation of Hindustan Motors (HM), Mitsubishi could introduce a small car, based on the i-car platform, in India. Vehicle cost could be reduced by sourcing parts locally and by stripping out some of the expensive on-board equipment. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, cars, competition, Hatchbacks, Indian car market, Mitsubishi, Sedans, SUVs, Tata
Thursday, 27 September 2007
Mahindra & Mahindra is looking to launch its semi-hybrid and full-hybrid versions of its Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) - Scorpio by next year. The primary focus of Ingenio would be on diesel engines. The first prototype of Ingenio will be running on Indian roads by January next year. Mahindra & Mahindra is believed to be working on a combination of diesel and battery-operated hybrid engine for Ingenio. It will combine both the common rail diesel technology and the fuel-saving technology of an electric motor. This will provide the vehicle a better fuel economy and a lower transmission, while giving the benefit of a full hybrid performance. Ingenio will build on a new platform and M&M has discarded the idea of utilizing the ageing platform of the Bolero. The Ingenio is likely to have a monocoque platform rather than a conbody-on-frame chassis. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, cars, Indian car market, launch in India, Mahindra
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
The great sales target achieved by Hyundai motors in India has made a strong impact on the company. In order to show their interest in the Indian car market, the company has decided to launch its compact car “PA” first here in India. Indian roads will witness Hyundai’s “PA” first, a couple of months before it hits other countries. The growth of the Indian market for compact cars and Hyundai’s massive growth in India for the past nine years has definitely made the manufacturer consider India as a first priority. India is also said to be one of the healthy markets for premium cars to compete, which is also a reason for the firm to choose India as the first place to see its code-named car. Hyundai PA, after its launch, is expected to replace the Hyundai Santro and pose a sturdy competition to other compacts such as the Chevrolet Aveo and the Maruti Alto that are currently ruling the roost. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, Chevrolet, competition, Hyundai, Imported cars, Indian car market, Maruti, small cars
A unique plan to delve deep into the hearts of Indians, the Mercedes Benz pioneers of the luxury segment started on the India Trail today. A series of 7 cars will be participating in this Journey that starts from Pune. This drive will go through almost all parts of southern, western, and northern India. Covering over 40,000 kms between today and Oct 10, Mercedes is trying to strengthen its solid bond between India and the Mercedes-Benz brand. Showcasing the rich and diverse culture, heritage and natural beauty of India, the India Trail mainly focuses on the process of driving available Mercedes-Benz cars in the country. India Trial features the entire portfolio of diesel cars from Mercedes-Benz in India — S-Class, C-Class, E-Class, M-Class, the Bio-Diesel C-Class, and the Viano. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, cars, India, India Trail, Indian car market, Mercedes-Benz
Tuesday, 18 September 2007
Japanese auto major Isuzu Motors Ltd. is planning to tie-up with Swaraj Mazda Limited and Sumitomo Corporation to build midsize buses in India, by the end of this month. The manufacturing plant might raise its head next to the existing plant of Sumitomo and Swaraj Mazda in Northern Delhi. The buses will be priced at 20% more than the buses made by the local manufacturers. The buses are estimated to cost around $132,000. Though, initially the business will start with the midsize buses, the company is planning to manufacture trucks that cater to the Indian market by 2010. Isuzu Motors is well versed in manufacturing diesel engines. The company’s new plant in northern Delhi is said to be capable of producing 40 to 50 thousand units per year, which might also rise with the company’s expansion. Apart from India, the company is also eyeing China and Russia. The buses produced by Isuzu motors, though slightly high on price compared to local manufacturers, are economically efficient when compared to other overseas manufacturers in India. Isuzu also produces cars in the U.S and manufacturing buses or trucks may just be the entry point they are looking for to enter the Indian market. They can then later expand their industry in India by joining the Indian car manufacturing sector. Labels: Buses and Trucks, Car-manufacturers-in-India, cars, Indian car market, Isuzu, Mazda, trucks
Friday, 14 September 2007
DaimlerChrysler is associated with the production of the very popular luxury car – the Mercedes-Benz. With its growing business and popularity, DaimlerChrysler is prepared to open a new plant in Pune. The money invested is 50 million euros. The company has acquired 100 acres of land in Pune that will resume the work by 2009. This new plant, which is built to manufacture 5,000 cars annually, will manufacture 1,000 units more compared to the leased plant in Pune. According to company sources, the process from the rented plant will be shifted to the new plant. The new plant is constructed keeping in mind the demand for the cars manufactured by DaimlerChrysler in the Indian market. The new plant is deemed to take-up multiple roles as a manufacturing plant and an assembling plant. Assembling of heavy trucks will start by the end of the year and manufacturing of luxury buses will start from next year at the same plant. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, cars, India, Indian car market, Mercedes-Benz
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Most auto majors are getting ready for a close fight in the small car segment in India. Toyota is also planning to target the Indian small car market for its imported small car. Toyota’s largest small-car market competitor in India will be Maruti Suzuki, which markets cars like the Zen Estilo, WagonR, and Alto. Toyota is the last to announce its entry into the small car market in India. The years 2008 and 2009 will reveal more of Toyota’s plans. For the time being, it is apparent that since Toyota is currently the last entrant, it may use the latest technologies and a plethora of features to lure car lovers across India. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, Indian car market, small cars, Toyota
DaimlerChrysler India has recently signed an agreement with the Maharashtra government to open a new facility in Chakan, Pune. Out of the 100 acres of land that the company is going to acquire, one-third of the area will be dedicated to the first-phase production plant. This plant, which will start functioning from January 2009, will have the capability to produce over 4,500 units annually. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class, C-Class, and S-Class models will be assembled at this unit helping to drastically cut down manufacturing/production costs and also decreasing vehicle market prices. Although, the company remains tight-lipped regarding the amount involved in the deal, it is estimated that the company has invested approximately 250 Crores, to set the deal right. There are also strong chances of DaimlerChrysler India introducing hordes of other models to the Indian market in 2008 and 2009. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, cars, Indian car market, Mercedes-Benz
Thursday, 23 August 2007
Realising India’s potential in the automotive industry, international carmakers are now focusing on India and giving more preference to India than China to establish their manufacturing plants and units. Factors such as “ready market facility” and “low cost manufacturing base” are strong reasons that prompted international carmakers to choose India. Sriperumbudur, near the Chennai port, is the small car export base for South Korea's Hyundai Motors. Similarly, Suzuki, a major partner of the largest carmaker in India Maruti Udyog, is making nearly a one billion pound investment in India with an eye on 200,000 vehicle exports by 2010. Entering the market now are newcomers like France's Renault. Nissan plans to make cars in India to export them to Europe. Global players, in recent years, are making their entry into the Indian Market by either joint ventures, collaboration, or wholly owned subsidiaries. Relaxation of trade rules by the Indian government to promote expansion of the auto industry has encouraged global players to expand their automotive industry in India. Carmakers are expecting the annual output to exceed three million cars by 2010. Foreign automakers can now set up their own fully owned subsidiaries giving India a potential edge over China, which has a local partner mandate. Global car manufacturers are scrambling to set up their auto plant for small car variations in India indicating that India, in the near future, is on its way to become a small car export hub. Labels: Car-manufacturers-in-India, export cars, India car market
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