Indian Car Blog - Carazoo.com

Basking in its recently acquired glory of high February sales, American car manufacturing giant GM revealed an interest to introduce its most popular international models, Camaro and Corvette, in India.

Timothy E Lee, president, international operations of General Motors, recently said that popular cars like the Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro will be brought to India and sold in select boutique showrooms in small numbers, as these cars will be imported as Complete Built Units (CBU) and the import duties will be high.

Lee said, “The import duty required to sell the other kinds of Chevy vehicles like Corvette or Camaro is quite extensive to do it for the buying public. We will have a boutique offering for those kinds of brands but those will never be the volume products for India. Every one of those products will create its own space in India, but it will be very small in numbers”.

When GM displayed its American muscle car, Chevrolet Camaro, at the 2010 Auto Expo, it denied any plans of bringing it to India. It is certain now that Camaro and Corvette are India bound, however, GM officials are reluctant to reveal any details about a likely launch date. Recently the 100,000th Camaro was rolled off the assembly line and assigned its Vehicle Identification Number in the U.S.

Chevrolet has so far kept its car line-up pretty limited, with most of them being small cars and a few SUV’s (Captiva and Tavera) and executive segment cars like Optra and the recently launched Cruze sedan.

Recently launched Cruze and Beat have proved to be the wild cards for Chevrolet since their launch last year. A brand which was fast losing its grip to other competing cars in the Indian market has revived itself with these new launches.

GM has been on a roll in the past few months, at least in India, and it plans to continue to satisfy the Indian car buyers with new offerings. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed to see these iconic cars like that of Camaro and Corvette tread in India pretty soon.

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General Motors India has launched the Automatic Transmission version of its latest luxury sedan, Chevrolet Cruze. Chevrolet Cruze AT features a 6-speed tiptonic automatic Transmission unit.

When the manual version of the Chevrolet Cruze was launched in October 2009, expectations were high, and it gave us a ten-on-ten. It redefined the D-segment with its well-designed proportions, luxurious interiors and class leading features.

The recently launched automatic version of Chevrolet Cruze with the 6-speed tiptonic automatic Transmission unit will be offered on the LTZ variant. Again GM India has kept in mind the needs of the customer and upped its quotient with a slew of features such as PEPS, Push Button Start, Cruise Control, Smart Screen and Electric Sunroof among others.

The 6-speed automatic in the Chevy Cruze offers a very sporty drive for its customers.
That’s not all; it includes clutch-to-clutch shift operation for high precision and smooth shifting between the gears. The wide spread ratio with the first gear ensures a brisk acceleration from the top while the sixth gear has an overdrive ratio that maintains the engine revolutions as low as possible for highway cruising and optimum fuel economy. The other feature that is a major advantage of the automatic Cruze is that it used premium fluids in the transmission that does not need replacement during normal use.

In addition to the exciting six colors already on offer, the automatic version of Cruze will be available in a special 3 coat paint called White Diamond.

So people who found the heavy manual transmission of Cruze a little cumbersome to handle can now run to the showrooms and lay their hands on the more efficient and easy to handle automatic one.

Chevrolet already has a fan following of its own. And after the Cruze was launched, people only became more in love with the brand. Since its launch last year, Chevy Cruze has been receiving rave reviews and auto journalists who have test driven it have rated it as the best so far in its segment.

The Cruze AT is priced at Rs 13.45 lakh (ex showroom, Delhi).

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Tata Nano is one permanent fixture in Carazoo.com for a long time now. This little wonder car has been around in the portal for many reasons and continues to be doing what it does best. Earning rave reviews.

The world’s cheapest car has won one of the most significant awards of the country –Indian Car of the Year aka ICOTY. ICOTY and IMOTY (Indian Motorcycle of the Year) awards are the awards that are unbiased and exhaustive evaluation of all the new cars and motorcycles launched in the calendar year of 2009 in India.

Although Tata Nano was a contender for this award amongst other heavy weights like were the Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Jazz, Fiat Linea, Fiat Grande Punto, Maruti Suzuki Ritz, Mahindra Xylo, Skoda Superb, Tata Indigo Manza, and Toyota Fortuner, Tata Nano emerged victorious in the end garnering 63 points. The Managing Director of Tata Motors, Mr. P.M. Telang, received the award from the Vice Chairman & Managing Director of JK Tyre Industries Ltd., Dr. R. P. Singhania, at a ceremony in New Delhi. Kawasaki Ninja 250R won the IMOTY award with 53 points.

A 11-member expert jury members of the 2010 ICOTY included Yogendra Pratap and Vikrant Singh of Auto Bild India, Gautam Sen and Bob Rupani of Auto India, Bijoy Kumar Y and Srinivas Krishnan of Business Standard Motoring, Aspi Bhathena of Car India, Sirish Chandran and Bertand D’souza of Overdrive and Vardhan Kondvikar and Girish Karkera of Top Gear India.

All these jury members evaluate and test cars as part of their journalistic work and are known for their analytic skills and professional competence. Once a year they come together to vote for the ICOTY.

To qualify for the 2009 awards, only all-new cars and motorcycles, whatever the country of their origin, that went on sale in showrooms across the country before December 1, 2009 were considered. Existing cars and motorcycles that have had mere cosmetic facelifts or small mechanical tweaks do not qualify for consideration.

The jury members judged the cars and motorcycles on various parameters such as price, fuel efficiency, design, comfort, safety, maneuverability, performance, functionality, environmental responsibility and driver/rider satisfaction among others. In addition, technical innovation and value for money were particularly important factors while deciding on the winner.

The selection of the winner is carried out by a simple voting system with each jury member having twenty-five points to allot to at least four cars/bikes. They can give a maximum of 10 points to any one of them. A very fair and transparent system makes the ICOTY and IMOTY amongst the most credible and coveted car and motorcycle awards in India.

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Chevrolet Cruze seems to cruising in the right track. This premium sedan from General Motors which is also sold in India has won the “Excellent Value for Money” award at the ‘Autobest 2010’ awards.

This award could boost the sales of the car in India which was launched in India in the month of September. This car was brought to India to strengthen the brand image here in India. Chevrolet Cruze is a car which actually came as a right car at the right moment loaded with lots of innovative features that was lacking in the sedans that come in the D segment.

The award was conferred by a jury comprising of senior and highly experienced journalists from Central and Eastern Europe. The Chevy Cruze contended for its position against the likes of the Hyundai i20, Skoda Yeti and the Volkswagen Polo. It’s a formidable victory for GM and will help GM develop a new range of vehicles.

The jury evaluated the competitors on the basis of design, specifications, transmission, fuel consumption, environmental impact and in relation to the interior space where the Cruze reigned over other contenders for its price and excellent quality.

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This news from Chevrolet comes after a long time now. Chevy is all set to launch their next ‘big’ small car Beat in the Indian market on 4th January, 2010 on the eve of the Auto Expo 2010. The upcoming Delhi Auto Expo is expected to be a Dhamaka amongst the auto makers and the automobile enthusiasts in the country.

Chevy Beat is speculated to be launched in three variants - Base, LS and LT. All the variants will come with a highly fuel efficient 1.2 litre petrol engine developing 79 bhp and has a ARAI certified fuel efficiency figure of 18.6 kmpl. The Beat will also be one of the safest cars in its class with a Euro NCAP safety rating of 4 stars, bettering its main rivals in India at the moment, Hyundai i10 and the Maruti Suzuki Swift.

The styling has been well executed to give the car striking and bold looks. The macho looking front end and the rear end studded with huge tail lamps will certainly make the car stand out from the rest. The tipped forward stance is further accentuated by the rising beltline and the narrowing roofline at the rear. The clean side profile is further enhanced by the door handle which is integrated with the C-Pillar.

This Chevy will carry dashboard integrated sound system that also supports USB and AUX input and even a multifunction display. The dashboard is well styled and features the Cruze inspired twin cockpit.

The pricing will start from a very competitive 3.7 Lakhs onwards for the base version which will come with Power Steering and A/C as standard.

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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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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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The future seems to be very bright for General Motors in India which is loaded with one new launch after the other. But there is a cloud of uncertainty that is enveloping the car manufacturer as they cannot reach the earlier target that they had set for themselves.

GM India had earlier set a goal of achieving a 10 per cent market share in the passenger car segment. But due to the uncertainty of the parent company GM which was prevailing about a couple of months back, GM India has rescheduled the target giving it another year’s time.

GM India is trying to reassure itself and the customers that missing the target is not a major setback and that the company has the leisure to take its own time before it achieves the target for achieving 10 per cent market share in the passenger car segment.

The once bankruptcy struck parent company of GM India, General Motors, was able to maintain a calm face among the Indian customers and had managed to run its business smoothly in India, in spite of major breakdowns globally. But it is really surprising to know that the Indian arm of the company, which was not struck by the global economic slowdown, was not able to achieve its target.

But leaving this apart, the company is doing seemingly well in the market by having sold over 600 units of it’s newly launched LPG Spark. And the new launches from the company include Chevrolet Cruz, which will be launched in October this year, and Mini cars and both the new models are expected to bring in good business for the company. The company is also planning to start new dealerships within the country.

It seems that GM India’s “There for you, There for India” campaign, launched to boost the business in India when its parent was struck by bankruptcy, should be used again.

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