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Thursday, 22 April 2010
 The year has been great for the Indian automotive industry. Most car makers saw record sales figures and now we have General Motors India rolling out the 100,000th Chevrolet Spark from its plant at a simple ceremony. While the Ford Figo is driving sales for Ford Motors, Chevrolet Spark has been doing exceedingly well for GM in the Indian market. Day after day and month after month the Chevy Spark has been pleasing its creator with impressive growth in sales. In the mini car segment, the Spark has been sparkling and has emerged as the most sought after minicar in its segment when it comes to styling, performance, fuel economy, value for money proposition and other product attributes. The Spark is a leader when it comes to internal space utilization. The Chevrolet Spark is a hit globally, and it is one of GM India’s best-selling cars in India. The sales figures stand as enough proof supporting the fact that the Spark is a great car when it comes to quality, economy and performance. General Motors is also confident that the award winning Spark makes for a natural choice for the customers, given its product attributes and the value proposition it offers at such a low price. General Motors has been constant working hard to offer its consumers the best-in-class products and services. The roll-out of the 100,000th Spark from the plant only adds a feather in the cap. The Chevrolet Spark is equipped with a 1-litre, 995cc, S-Tec petrol engine which very generously gives out 63 bhp. The engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. The S-Tec engine, that stands for Smart-Tec engine, is made even better with technological novelty like Sequential MPFI (Multi Point Fuel Injection), Dual Distributor Less Ignition (DDLI) System, Motorized Throttle Intake System (MTIS) and Advanced Optical Sensors. This is why the engine is a high performer. The smooth and noise-free driving with high fuel efficiency only enhances the joyous riding experience. The 995cc petrol engine of the Chevrolet Spark offers a mileage of around 13 kmpl in the city, while on highway, it gives 16.9kmpl. The acceleration is breath-taking to such an extent that even if one drives the Spark at 100 kmpl, it is not going to vibrate. The drive is going to be as smooth as ever. The Chevrolet Spark is being produced at GM India’s Halol and Talegaon plants and these plants boast of a combined production capacity of 225,000 units. The car maker has been doing all it can to boost sales. It has recently started second shifts at both these plants to meet the increased demand for its inventory of products. Another facility, General Motors India’s engine plant with a capacity of 160,000-units a year is also fast coming up at the Talegaon manufacturing plant premises. This will be the car maker’s first flexi-engine plant in the GM world where we can find both petrol and diesel small car engines being manufactured together. The engines are believed to roll out of the plant by the end of 2010. General Motors India is now like a busy bumble bee. It has also collaborated with the Reva Electric Car Company to produce the electric Spark. So we now know that GM is just taking another step towards going green. This path-breaking initiative emphasizes GM India’s commitment to introduce eco-friendly mobility solutions in our country. Reva would provide battery technology for the E-Spark. The e-Spark will be India's first 4-door passenger electric vehicle and will be launched by the end of 2010. Labels: Chevrolet, Chevrolet-Car, Chevrolet-Spark, Chevy-Car, Chevy-Spark, Ford-Figo, General Motors, General-Motors-Car, GM, Spark
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
 Just yesterday, we reported that Volkswagen may launch its range of electric and hybrid cars in India. And here is another piece of equally interesting information. Tata Motors may launch its Indica Vista EV (Electric Vehicle) in India in 2011. Yes, you heard it correct. Rediff has reported that the electric version of the Tata Indica will finally be available to the Indian customers next year. The Tata Indica Vista EV will also be exported to the European countries where the infrastructure for electric vehicles is great. However, things are different in India. India is yet to come up with a plan for the installation of proper facilities which are necessary for enhancing the popularity and feasibility of electric vehicles. In the past, we have heard many times that auto companies are working with the government to make it possible. But talk is cheap. So far, India has not seen a proper four seater electric car. Though the Reva claims to be a four seater, it can accommodate only two children and two adults. And, if the adult happens to be a rather tall one, the car gets really cramped. When it comes to luggage space or features, Reva cannot match up to the standards of a petroleum powered automobile. That’s the gap that Tata Motors is trying to fill up with its Indica Vista electric vehicle. General Motors is trying stay ahead of the competition that is expected to rise in the Indian electric vehicle market with its Chevrolet E Spark. These vehicles would offer the ease of having a proper four seater car which also bring the added advantage of low maintenance and running costs. The Indica Vista EV has made its round at various auto expos including 2010 Delhi Auto expo and the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The Indica Vista EV will be available at all dealer showrooms in 2011. The EV is expected to be priced between Rs 6 lakh to Rs 7 lakh. The pricing seems to be good, considering that it is spacious and costs a fraction to run. The India Vista EV will be comparatively very silent and also have extra torque.  It is interesting to note how the electric vehicle market is heating up in India. With electric vehicles finally catching the fancy of the Indian customers, major global auto manufacturers are rushing to give the customers what they want. Just a word of advice to Tata Motors. Tata could actually hand out a few Indica EV’s to its Indica Vista diesel/petrol customers on a trial basis. Their feedback could be used for making improvements in the car. This seems like a more efficient process than selling a car, getting a feedback and then bringing changes in the car. Labels: Chevrolet, Chevrolet-e-Spark, Delhi-Auto-Expo, Electric-Vehicle, Geneva-Motor-Show, Indica-Electric-Vehicle, Indica-Vista, Tata- Indica-Vista, Tata- Indica-Vista-EV, Tata-Motors
Thursday, 1 April 2010
 Even with carmakers increasing car prices and the new emission norms kicking in, it is surprising that demands for car are shooting up. Yes, believe it or not, but it is the truth. Demands for cars is far outstretching the production capacity and some popular car models, including Maruti Suzuki's Swift and Swift Dzire, Indigo Manza, Chevrolet Beat and Cruze, Volkswagen Polo and the diesel variants of Hyundai i20 and Verna, now have waiting periods that range anywhere from a fortnight to nearly four months. Also, these are the models which are not running any discounts. While the petrol variant Swift has a waiting period of one month, the diesel variant of the same would make you wait for almost two-and-a-half months or more. Swift Dzire (both models) tops them both with a waiting period that stretches up to four months! Apparently, this is happening because Maruti, in order to cater to the export needs, had to accommodate the A-Star production at its Manesar plant. “We are bottlenecking capacity by realigning product mix at both the plants,” Mayank Pareek, executive officer (sales and marketing) had earlier said. The company has shifted the production of its Swift petrol model to Gurgaon and has produced about 40,000 units per year at Manesar plant. Export activities of Maruti grew by 126.7 per cent between April 2009 and this February, at 131,982 units, with A-Star contributing for most of it. Earlier Maruti Suzuki had said that Manesar production capacity would be enhanced by up to 250,000 units by 2012, at an investment of Rs 1,700 crore. The situation is pretty much same with Volkswagen Polo too. Neeraj Garg, member of the board and director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India, said: “Polo is having a waiting period of about three-four months currently. We are ramping up the production of it at Chakan (near Pune) and will try to bring down the waiting period. We have confirmed bookings of 5,000 units of the Polo, with 500 units already delivered.” Polo was launched in the second week of March and is currently distributed through a network of 43 dealers across India. But there is just no escaping the waiting period, even if you decide to run to Hyundai. Hyundai Verna has a waiting period of three to four weeks and the latest hit from Hyundai, the i20, will make you wait for about three to four months. “Demand for the i20 is three to four times higher than what we anticipated. As a result, the company had ramped up production and is now working in three shifts across its two plants to roll out 4,500 units of i20 a month,” said Arvind Saxena, senior vice president, Hyundai Motor India. Chevrolet has been experiencing a lot of success with its Beat, Cruze and Spark Now, Beat and Cruze have a waiting period of two-month and one-month respectively. “ Beat has been in great demand and we are operating in two shifts to roll out 4,000 to 4,500 units a month. This, along with Spark and other models, will help the company to grow in excess of 100 per cent in March, vis-à-vis 5,001 units sold in 2009,” said Ankush Arora, vice president (sales and marketing), General Motors India. So, if you decide to buy one of these models, your waiting skills might just come handy. Labels: Beat, Chevrolet, Cruze, General-Motors, Hyundai-i20, Hyundai-Verna, Indigo-Manza, Maruti-Swift, Spark, Swift-Dzire, Volkswagen-Polo
Thursday, 25 March 2010
 General Motors India has been on a roll in 2010. Sales have been at an all time high with the recently launched models, Cruze, Beat and Spark and the future has never looked any brighter for them. And now, amidst all these, GM India is planning to gradually phase out its under-performing sedan, Chevrolet Aveo.
GM India is planning to bring the next generation Aveo, the T type car of the 300 series platform, in the market next year and it will replace the existing Aveo. It has been confirmed by GM India that the current Aveo will not receive any facelift or new powertrains this year. The American automaker had introduced a CNG variant of the Aveo during the Delhi Auto Expo this year. The electric powertrains, which are most suitable for application on small cars, will not be transplanted into the Aveo, but will be launched as electric Spark. "We are set to launch our electric car, E-Spark, by the end of this year in India," GM Motors' Marketing Director, Gaurav Gupta said.
GM India is aiming to achieve double digit market-share in India in a few years and is doing everything in its capacity to do so. General Motors is entering into the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment as well this year. To produce these vehicles, GM has formed a joint venture with a Chinese company, SAIC. GM is expecting to sell 1-lakh units in India this year. Unbelievable, isn’t it. GM is not ready to miss out on any opportunity to increase its market share, sales and total profits. "We are on the growth path. Last year, we sold around 70,000 units. We hope, this year, we can improve this figure to 1-lakh, with a growth rate of about 50 per cent. We are upbeat on our ' Beat' from which we see more than 40 per cent sales emanating," he said. Labels: Aveo, Aveo-Sedan, Chevrolet, Chevrolet-Aveo, Chevrolet-Spark, E-Spark, Electric-Cars, General-Motors, General-Motors-India
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
 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.  Labels: Camaro, Chevrolet, Chevrolet-Camaro, Chevrolet-Corvette, Chevrolet-Cruze, Corvette, General-Motors, GM, Muscle-Cars
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
What would you have done if you have loads of money with you and you are the boss of Formula One? Try getting in line to buy a car firm of course. Yes, that’s exactly what Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone is trying to do. He wants to buy the struggling car firm Saab and breathe life into it. In this process Bernie has tied up with the Luxembourg based investment company Genii Capital to launch a takeover bid. Ever since the Motown meltdown started, GM in a bid to go leaner and meaner has put their Swedish car brand Saab for sale to try to slash the debts that they are in. Saab is a car brand that has been neglected by the GM and Bernie also is echoing in the same sentiment. Though a clear picture of Bernie’s involvement in the bid process has not been revealed officially, it is said to at around £ 2.3 billion. Whoa, that’s a huge sum you say. Not a problem if you are the F1 boss. Genii Capital, who are also tied up with Bernie for this bid and who have invested in Renault’s F1 racing team last month in a statement said that they were aggressively working towards a successful closing of the transaction and clinch the car firm. But the race for Saab is getting better and better with Dutch car firm Spykar, who also have F1 connections running in to get Saab. Spykar had bought the former Jordan and Midland teams to form their own F1 team before selling the team to Force India at the end of 2007 season. Spykar is also trying aggressively to launching their own winning bid for Saab. Meanwhile General Motors wants to concentrate on their core brands such as Chevrolet and in this regard GM boss Ed Whitacre has made clear his desire to get rid of Saab. He was quoted saying last week “Just show up with money and you can have it”. GM also has threatened to close Saab if their year-long search for potential buyers proves fruitless. Labels: Bernie-Ecclestone, Chevrolet, Force- India, Formula-One, General-Motors, Saab, Spykar
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
 The sturdy American muscle car, the Chevrolet Camaro is all set to make its Indian outing. And of course not for the filming of “ Transformers” series, in which the car has starred, hold your breath, as a showcase model in the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo. General Motors has made elaborate plans to unveil this beauty at the Auto Expo to be held in Delhi next Jan. Well, here comes the rude awakening, the guys in General Motors have no intention of bringing in this model and selling it here in India like Volkswagen has done with its Beetle and Fiat with its 500, but is being brought to the Auto Expo as just a brand-building exercise for the company. The original model was initially designed by GM to compete with Ford Mustang, which had already carved a niche for itself in the swinging sixties. The Camaro became increasingly famous and has attained a cult status around the globe as one of the best looking muscle car or Pony car of the world. The car which GM is planning to exhibit in the Expo is the fifth generation Camaro went into production in March earlier this year. The Chevrolet Camaro is available in 10 exciting colours and an option of two engines, the V6-Equipped LS variant and the powerful V8-powered SS model. Other prominent available features include a wireless cell-phone link, USB port, satellite radio, and remote engine start. Its 2-door convertible model is due to arrive in the overseas market by mid-2011. Apart from the Camaro , several other models also will be showcased by GM which also includes Chevrolet Volt, Chevy Aveo CNG and electric version of the small car Spark. General Motors is also launching the hatchback, Chevrolet Beat on January 04 coinciding with the Expo. Labels: Chevrolet, Chevrolet-Beat, Chevrolet-Camaro, Chevrolet-Volt, Ford-Mustang, General Motors, Muscle-Car
Friday, 20 November 2009
Of late, India has cemented its place as the hottest destination for auto makers across the world. Car manufacturers invested on the growing Indian car market and they are now reaping the harvest of their investments. Japanese Suzuki Motor Corporation has emerged as the largest car maker of India with its Indian arm, Maruti Suzuki. Suzuki trebled its full-year global net income forecast on the back of strong Indian operations, despite sluggish sales overseas. While home market Japan as well as European countries contracted for Suzuki, India remained the only market to grow, with first half sales here moving up by 24 per cent at 4.7 lakh units against 3.8 lakh units in the corresponding period. Ten year old Korean car company Hyundai follows the Japanese car behemoth in this regard. It has a capacity of producing around 6 lakh units, half of which service export markets. The company has earmarked India as one of the hubs for manufacture of models like i10, i20 and Santro and sells India-made cars to over 100 countries. While developed markets in Europe and US remain under pressure, operations in India have been gradually growing. The company's cumulative sales in January-October 2009 period have grown by 12 per cent year-on-year at 4.57 lakh units (4.07 lakh) with domestic sales up 11 per cent at 2.39 lakh units and exports up 13 per cent at 2.17 lakh units. Honda too gets a sizeable portion of its revenues, sales and profits from its Indian subsidiary. It will bring its proposed small car for India by 2011. Beleaguered General Motors has its business flowing only in India in these hard times with its Chevrolet brand. Volkswagen, Fiat and Ford are expanding in India. While Nissan and Renault are trying to establish a firmer grip in the market shares and are coming with a low-cost car. Labels: Chevrolet, General-Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Indian-car-market, Maruti-Suzuki, Suzuki-Motor-Corporation
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
It is almost confirmed that General Motors will bring the Chinese car into India. And we shall receive a final picture of this once the negotiations between GM and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp is finalized. This act of the GM makes it very obvious that the company has all its heart and soul put into rejuvenate its past glory. The company is getting ready for the towering auto competition in the company, which it foresees.
Wuling will be the other partner in this endeavor. Wuling was started eight months ago. The company is said to be in a state of dilemma currently, where it does not know what to do and what not to. Presently, the three companies are in a three-way joint venture in China. And they are under the label of SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co.
The company is planning to bring beyond commercial vehicles though the partnership. The company will get to India commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles with Wuling trading mini trucks, mini vans, and even the GM Chevrolet Spark mini car.
GM is the biggest foreign automaker in China. And the company has an expected sale of about 1.4 million vehicles in the country. Labels: Chevrolet, Chevrolet-Spark, Chinese-Cars, General-Motors-Cars, GM
Monday, 14 September 2009
General Motors Co. after months of hard times is now ready to win back those days when the company was among the best auto makers of the world, the company is not only thinking for its customers but is also thinking for a better tomorrow. The company is experimenting on the fuel cell cars. This was just another initiative from the company, but now, it doesn’t seems so and the reason that oblige us to think otherwise is the numbers, the company claims that it has passed the one million miles driven mark. The Chevrolet Equinox vehicles equipped with the fuel cell is really able to bring in some great attention, within the 25 month’s time, from the American crowd that have been very keen on driving this car. The interest for the fuel cell cars speaks volumes and supports many others views and reports about the growing interest of the American car customers for green cars. Even though it will take some time before eco-friendly cars with the latest features will be available in the American car market, the American car buyers seem to be not bothered about them, but they are all willing to go green as soon as possible, it seems that the economic slowdown is teaching them new lessons for a better and greener tomorrow. The fuel cells used in the GM cars are powered by electricity, which is created as a result of a reaction between oxygen and hydrogen. And the only thing that comes out of the emission pipe is water. The GM is not alone in the path to an eco-friendly technology for cars, Toyota, which has already produced hydrogen and electricity powered car, and Daimler AG, which is spending millions of dollars to start the production of fuel cell cars by 2011. The company, in India, is also in advance talks with Maini Reva, an electric car maker, for a joint venture. If successful, the company will manufacture Chevrolet Spark based on the Reva technology, which is again eco friendly. The current GM is born of the ashes from the once glorious General Motors and the company is double careful even making a single step and that could be the reason why the company has focused on the need of the time and the slogan for a pollution free tomorrow, green. Labels: Chevrolet, Chevrolet-Spark, eco-friendly-cars, GM, Toyota
Friday, 11 September 2009
 What would you think are the many ways to regain a lost kingdom? GM, the once greatest car manufacturer of the United States and Numero Uno car maker of the world, has taken all the required steps to come back to its lost glory and the latest in the list is its promise to the customers to refund full amount to them if they are not satisfied about the car. The company by doing so is trying to build a clean image and gain back the trust and goodwill of its loyal customers. In fact, the company with this promise alive will try to build its cars with extra care so that they will not have a single customer returning displeased. It is very hard to not have even one customer who complains about his car, but the company will be attaining a great amount of confidence and trust from its customers if the numbers are less. But the company is also taking a risk by bringing in such an offer, because if the number of satisfied customers is not good then the company will be actually in a complete menace, and this initiative by the company will bring in adverse effect and will even affect the future sales of the company. If you are not satisfied then you need to return the car back to the company within 30 to 60 days of purchasing and the full amount will be refunded, but thinking aloud, just wondering what if the returned car is not in a good condition, will the company still take the whole blame and refund the full amount? This program is introduced as a part of a new marketing campaign from the company “May the Best Car Win”. The company brands such as GMAC, Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac will have this offer for their cars purchased between September 14 and November 30, this year. The Pontiac models will not have this luxury as the company has phased out this brand. The Indian customers need to wait to see whether this offer will be available to them. Labels: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
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. Labels: Chevrolet, Chevrolet-Cruze, General-Motors
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
For all those who feared that General Motors India was in trouble, just the opposite is true. The car manufacturer in India is doing business as usual. They continue to get bookings and inquiries in the same number as they did before the parent company filed for bankruptcy in the United States. Dedicated efforts from senior officials at GM India have paid off well. The senior officials at General Motors informed the Indian car dealerships in advance about how the bankruptcy filed by GM in the U.S. would not affect Indian car sales. When there was a barrage of questions from car buyers about the future of the GM India, the staff was able to explain things well and instill confidence in them. Also GM India has also worked tirelessly to convince consumers that no services will be withdrawn and warranties will continue as earlier. They also went ahead with new car launches such as the LPG variant of Spark and Chevrolet Aveo U-VA Techno variant. Two more models - Chevrolet Cruze and a new small car – are yet to be launched this year. All senior officials visited dealerships personally and conveyed directly to consumers that all was well with Chevrolet in India. They also highlighted the fact that supply of spare parts would not be affected for existing consumers thereby ensuring that older cars were well cared for. It was no easy task but the company took pains to make Indian car buyers understand that they were not quitting India at all. The new GM India campaign, which it promoted aggressively, has turned out results. Sales have been picking up since last week and GM India claims that the fall in sales was not entirely due to the bankruptcy issue and economic recession played a part too. The staff continues to wear badges that boldly highlight their theme for the campaign – “There for you, There for India”. Labels: Chevrolet, General-Motors, GM-India
Friday, 22 August 2008
Chevrolet’s fans now get ready for the latest model of Optra, which will hit the India roads by 2009. The new Optra will carry the name Chevrolet Cruze and will be expensive than the Chevrolet Optra with the price tag of Rs.12-13 lakh. The Chevrolet Cruze expected to fall in the Civic and Jetta category in terms of build as well as performance level. Coming to its size, this car is larger than the Volkswagen Passat or Hyundai Sonata. The car will be available in both petrol and diesel version. The petrol version will be powered by a 1.8 litre engines, whereas the diesel engine will be propelled by a 2 litre engine. The diesel variant is anticipated to be the best performing version in its class offering mind blowing drive. The Cruze will also bag the credit of being the first car model to roll out from the General Motors's new plant at Chakan near Pune. Labels: Chevrolet, Hybrid-Cars, Sonata, Volkswagen-Jetta
Friday, 11 April 2008
Chevrolet Captiva the most appealing SUV will be soon seen in an automatic transmission version without compromising on performance and fuel economy. The rocking SUV has won millions of hearts and is doing well on Indian roads. Presently, its available only with a diesel engine. Captiva carried pretty impressive sales by selling nearly 200 units last month which is second only to the Honda CR-V. Now with the automatic transmission option, it’ll definitely attract more buyers. Another plus point is that this model will be enhanced by a four wheel drive feature. The new features on the Captiva might add to the cost of the car but spending a little extra is worth it for such good features. Labels: Chevrolet, Honda, new car launch, New variant, SUVs
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
The ‘Spark’-ling success of Chevrolet seems to have created new hopes for General Motors in India. The company is set to come up with a new small car exclusively for India with a cheaper than GM's current lowest priced car in India. It will be a new addition to the already crowded portfolio of Chevrolet which currently has cars for all segments like Spark to Tavera to Optra Magnum.
Surprisingly, General Motors is doing well when others are witnessing low sales performance. The company is planning two huge facilities and is now planning a small car. Nothing seems to be stopping the Generals’ growth. Labels: Chevrolet, General Motors, India, Optra Magnum, Small Car, Spark, Tavera
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
The recent success of the Chevrolet Spark seems to have rekindled the spirit of General Motors in India. The company is coming up with a new small car exclusively for India. But not immediately. It’s going to take some time – 2 years. They already have a decent line up of small cars like the Aveo U-VA, the SRV, and the one we just mentioned - the Spark. The car they are planning will be a refreshing new addition to this already crowded small car portfolio. Labels: Chevrolet, General Motors, launch, new car launch, small cars
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
Grabbing the market and attracting customers has become a challenge for car manufacturers in India. Many car companies are coming up with new ideas to get a good hold on sales. General Motors is one among them and it has gone a step ahead of the others this time. Buying a Chevrolet Spark is now easier. You can drive one home without any down payment at all. Don't worry about saving up to buy a car and you don't need to have a fat bank balance. If you have a decent salary, you are eligible to buy it. A copy of your salary slip and a few other documents are all you need! Labels: Car-competition, Car-Sales, Chevrolet, Customer offer, Spark
Tuesday, 4 March 2008
The Chevy Spark sold over 2000 cars in February 2008, a majority of which are owned by women drivers. Spark has charmed its way into women’s hearts posting an 80% increase in sales and topping the list of highest-sold cars for the month of Feb. The other car that has women swooning is the cute Chevy Aveo U-VA.
The sudden rush to buy the Spark has increased GMs market share beating that of its US rival Ford. This may very well be the first step towards women turning into major car market swingers – something that was pre-dominantly considered to be “a guy thing”. Labels: Car-competition, Car-Sales, Chevrolet, Ford, Spark
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
The other day I chanced to see a Chevy Spark on road. I was taken aback by the car design. From what I had seen in papers and magazines, I had imagined it to be a beautifully designed car. But what I saw was completely different. The whole car looked like it has been designed in a hurry with no attention to aesthetics. The front looks pathetic as the bonnet slides down on an already low platform. The sides of the car are uncomfortably shaped giving it a vague bulgy look. The most awfully designed round shaped taillights seem to be jutting out of the boot. After seeing the car, I have decided that I will never buy this car or recommend it to anybody. I wonder what Chevy was thinking!
Article submitted by BC Labels: Car-Designs, Chevrolet, Spark
Friday, 8 February 2008
You hear about the news that General Motors is launching close to 50 ethanol cars by 2012? Can anyone confirm if this is a rumor? I heard that 11 ethanol-enabled cars will be brought out this year in 2008 and 15 in 2009. I hope that GM considers their launch in India along with its international launches. Pollution levels in urban India are reaching unbearable levels – seen the news lately! Smog and heavy toxins are having a damaging effect on kids’ health. And as far as I can tell, the best solution would be to reduce carbon emissions on roads. My 10 year old son suffers from asthma and all these masks and filters for the mouth and nose don’t help much. Trucks and autos and vans are the government’s responsibility, but atleast we the people of India can do something about our bikes and cars! I support GM and any other manufacturer that will help keep the environment clean. I hope that GM launches these ethanol cars in full scale in India without looking for profit motives as a boon to the next generation. Article Submitted by SwamiLabels: Chevrolet, General Motors, Hybrid technology, Hybrids in India
Thursday, 17 January 2008
Big is big! The 2008 Auto Expo saw the launch of a new SUV from Chevrolet into the Indian market.
Over the past two years, SUVs have gained a lot in popularity. From Tata’s Safari to Maruti Suzuki’s Grand Vitara or from Honda’s CR-V to Mitsubishi’s Pajero, almost every car manufacturer has one or more SUV models to boast of. Even the luxury brands haven’t left anything to imagination. BMW with its X3 and X5 models, Audi with Q7, Mercedes-Benz with M-Class and Volvo with the XC90 are a few examples.
Chevrolet has brought in the Captiva at a time when the competition in the SUV segment is really rough. With a price tag of around Rs. 18 lakh, the Captiva is pitted against popular models such as Honda CR-V, Ford Endeavour, Hyundai Tucson, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Mitsubishi Pajero and Nissan X-TRAIL. And those are just the models already present in the market. A lot of new SUV models are being considered for launch by many manufacturers and will arrive in the country soon. Hyundai has already showcased its new SUV - the Santa Fe at the Auto Expo and Volkswagen is eager to launch the Tiguan SUV.
Though loaded with a good array of features, the Captiva is priced a little too high at Rs. 18 Lakh. It’s more expensive than many of its competitors and is priced nearly equal to the very popular CR-V and Pajero. The Tata Safari with its good list of accessories and standard features and attractive price tag of Rs. 11 Lakh has lured many SUV buyers. GM hopes that the Captiva’s captivating looks, thoughtful interiors and new generation diesel engine will see it through. Labels: Auto-Expo, Chevrolet, General Motors, New launch, SUVs
MapmyIndia has tied up with General Motors to provide its navigation system as a standard accessory on all premium Chevrolet cars in India. The MapmyIndia PND (Portable Navigation Device) is a satellite-connected in-car GPS device that provides voice-guided turn-by-turn direction instructions and is considered one of the best products on the market.
The PND is a perfect fit for cars and can show the way to any destination across India. It allows safe and hassle-free driving. The driver doesn’t have to worry about being lost anywhere as the car can be tracked well through satellite-linked technology. The gadget determines the car’s location through 18 major cities and 55,000 towns and villages.
The device is not just about tracking and direction finding. It also entertains with movies and music playback on a large colour touch screen. It will be available for sale as a genuine GM accessory at all 75 GM dealerships soon. Labels: Car-Accessories, Chevrolet, General Motors
General Motors is having another go at the small car segment by introducing new variants for its hatchback model ‘Spark’.
Hoping to ride on the popularity of Daewoo’s Matiz, General Motors (GM) had introduced the small car ‘Spark’ in the middle of 2007. The Spark retained most of Matiz’s exterior styling but had better features and improved handling compared to the Matiz. But the much-hyped model saw very slow sales initially and didn’t entirely live up to GM’s expectations.
Now GM plans to launch newer variants of the Spark. They are concentrating on the development of a second manufacturing plant at Talegaon in Maharashtra. New variants of the Spark will be produced here and will hit the roads later this year. We hope the new variants are available in more colours and with more interior space. Labels: Chevrolet, General Motors, Hatchbacks, New launch
Monday, 14 January 2008
Chevrolet has experienced great success with the Aveo Sedan, Aveo U-VA, Optra Magnum, SR-V, and Tavera. GM has offered cars in all segments in India. Now, with the unveiling of the Captiva SUV at the 2008 Delhi Auto Expo, they have become strong contenders in the SUV market. The Captiva is a compact SUV empowered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine that features common-rail direct injection technology delivering 150 bhp. The ergonomically designed interior makes driving in the Captiva a joy. GM will prize the Captiva at around Rs.18 Lakh. The commercial launch of the Captiva is expected to take place in September 2008. I can’t wait to get my hands on this model. However, the Tavera wasn’t all that great, so I am definitely going to go for a test drive before I pull my money out. Labels: Chevrolet, Expansion in Indian auto industry, New launch, SUVs
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
Waiting for you car to break down and then to take to take it to the service station will soon be a passé. Now, car owners have to pull up their socks, your car will complain of its bad health immediately. The launch of a well advanced technology will give you a complete “health report” of your car. General Motor’s Research and Development reveals a futuristic technology for the automotive world. This technology enables your car to send you an ‘e-mail’ telling you it is time to drop by the closest service station. You don’t have to disappoint anyone by turning down a long drive, because your engine service remains good for a long duration. This latest technology will inform you about even the smallest problem well in advance, so that you can pre-empt its service and enjoy the benefits of a four-wheeler for longer. However, this technology is by no means affordable to the general people, because the electrical changes to be made to incorporate such sophisticated software will most probably be available only in high end cars. It is estimated that the cost of the vehicle may increase by 40 per cent. Seeing as everyone wants to appeal to the general public, the product may be launched at a much more affordable price especially if competition increases. Labels: Automatic car service report, Automobile research and development, Chevrolet, GM, Growth in Indian auto industry, Technological inventions for cars
Monday, 10 December 2007
Indians who are concerned about pollution levels, but can’t do away with cars, can now breathe easy and let out a cheer. US auto maker General Motors, after its recent success with its Chevrolet models in India, is now planning to release its hybrid and electric cars. Over 98 per cent of cars run on fossil fuel products, but global environment concern is driving auto companies to look for renewable, alternative power sources. GM plans to introduce these cars to India within the next five years. Initially, the Hybrid and electric cars (including Volt) will be put on display at the 9th Auto expo in New Delhi held between 10 January and 17 January. Research in the areas of Electronics, Controls, and Software (ECS) will be conducted by General Motors in a tie up with IIT Kharagpur to make the car user friendly and also cost productive. The company is planning the cost-structure for its hybrid and electric vehicles and putting other parameters in place to have a well-organized and productive R&D centre by 2010. GM has allocated more than $1 million for research to be done over the next five years within this new Collaborative Research Lab (CRL). Labels: Automobile research and development, Chevrolet, Corporate social responsibilties, Economical buy, Electronic cars, Environment friendly cars, GM, Hybrids
Friday, 30 November 2007
As said in the previous blog, General Motors is finally getting on the right track. Committed, optimistic, and competitive in India. It seems as though the judges of JD Power Asia Pacific gave a quick inspiration to GM. The archetype swing in Indian automotive is about to happen. General Motors has opened the first car design studio in India. This week’s episode focuses totally on GM. This first car design studio has a capacity to employ 70 peoples by the end of this year. Also the main focus of GM will be on small car designing. Anyway, GM has caught my interest especially because of its commitment to small car manufacturing in India. It looks like it is deep into the importance of small cars and adding this new studio in Bangalore, General Motors now has a total of 11 such studios across the world. I am sure many of you are now waiting to hear about the product contributions from the Bangalore design studio. Speculations say by 2012 we can expect some hot little GM vehicles from Bangalore. This is surely a creative way to get people interested in Chevy designs. Labels: Automobile research and development, Chevrolet, General Motors, GM, Ratings on JD Power Quality Study, Special design unit in India
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Why not us! Maybe this would be the reaction of GM when Chevy scored hat-trick at the Initial Quality Study released by automotive research firm JD Power Asia Pacific. In the statistics Chevrolet Spark leads with a score of 127, followed by Aveo, and Optra with 109 and 97 points respectively. Truth on time: that’s what I felt when I heard about this rating. Am sure General Motors is unquestionably on a roll. GM is coming out with some solid stuff that serves the complete needs of a Chevy owner. Even if Chevrolet cars must not be very well sealed in the Indian market, it has proved its quality in the studies. The JD Power Asia Pacific has ranked Chevy trios based on customer experience after two to six months of ownership. The major factors of the studies are the problems encountered, quality of design and the quality of production. In fact this is the first time three Chevrolet models have ranked highest in their respective segments in the survey. GM’s premium compact car Chevrolet Aveo U-VA and MUV Chevrolet Tavera topped second best in their respective segments. This is GM, world’s largest auto company by production volume, and now they are selling hotcakes in the Indian auto market. Labels: Car manufacturers in India, Car-competition, Chevrolet, GM, Ratings on JD Power Quality Study
Wednesday, 21 November 2007
The Indian SUV market is so competitive that the big boys make no delays. Tata has recently launched the new Safari to keep the existing demand of Safari going and the answer for that from Mahindra was quick, announcing the launch of the Scorpio 2.2L Eagle before the end of this year. Now it’s time to see GM defend itself in this hard core competition. GM has announced plans to launch the new Chevrolet Tavera. While competition is heating up, GM is right in the firing line as ever before with this limited edition Tavera. As reports say GM has no plans to launch an all new Tavera with a new engine. It will be a face-lifted version of the existing Tavera with additions in the exterior and interior features. This new Tavera will come out as a limited edition. This new Tavera has all sort of unique features. Despite the existing features of Tavera the face-lifted Tavera offers a larger grille with a bigger Chevrolet bowtie and an elongated air dam. Inside, a three spoke steering wheel replaces the existing two spoke and it gets a new instrument panel and a projected central console. The space above the glove box is now covered and is made as an additional glove box. I am sure the other SUVs in the market will line up soon with their new versions to continue to keep themselves in the market. Labels: Chevrolet, Improved interior features, Limited Edition launch, Mahindra, SUVs, Tata
Friday, 16 November 2007
Heard about the recently unveiled concept cars in the New York Auto Show in April? Global automakers presented concept vehicles and a few were good enough to win the green signal at first sight. The Chevy Beat from GM was one of these winning vehicles. GM has hinted that Beat might be produced for the retail market. This concept car is considered as the next small car from GM to launch in India. In the show, GM showcased three mini concepts; Beat got the highest public support for its production idea of bringing to the market a right-sized car with a right-sized ecological footprint at the right time. This hot hatch is expected to sport a four-cylinder engine in India. GM has a pretty good demand in the Indian market. However, the Chevy Beat has to win its place and compete with its hatchback siblings - the Aveo U-VA and Spark. We may just see the back of one of these models soon or maybe GM is feeling hatch lucky in India. Labels: Auto-Shows, Chevrolet, Concept cars, GM, Indian car market, New launch, Small Car
Tuesday, 6 November 2007
GM, the world largest automaker “surprised” hundreds of Indian auto-fans during a party to celebrate GM’s 100 years of excellence in car making. To celebrate this grand occasion GM is here with an impressive surprise product that’s sure to strike fast in India. GM has just announced an all new limited edition variant of its sedan Chevrolet Aveo priced at Rs 6, 49,881 in India. In the past six months, General Motors has made some pretty good developments in its Indian variants. After attempting to expand the brand with the Aveo U-VA, your hot Chevy is back in the news with the newly launched Aveo limited edition. The limited editions claim to fame is its base price tag of Rs 5.95 Lakh. The new variant will be available with a 1.4-litre petrol engine. This new variant assures you a series of standard features like a face lifted instrument panel, leather upholstery, alloy wheels, audio system, remote keyless entry system, back seat armrests with cup holders, improved gear-shift, and a noise, vibration, and harshness protection system. I think it’s time for Chevy Spark fans, to make some changes to your Diwali wish list. Surprise your family with the right Diwali choice. Labels: Aveo, Chevrolet, Diwali celebrations, General Motors, Indian car market, Limited Edition launch
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
Indian metros are overflowing with vehicles from various Indian and Foreign manufacturers. However, the demand for more and better choices is not yet satiated. Major car manufacturers are launching more and more cars to attain the top position in this jungle of automotives. As newer cars release, people expectations also rise. Price and mileage are two important aspects that the majority of Indian’s focus on. However, no one like to compromise on quality either. Almost all the manufacturers are trying to meet these expectations. Tata is first in line with its One-Lakh People’s Car. Other manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki, Chevrolet, Hyundai, and Honda are all getting ready to launch passenger cars as early as next year, so that they can stay alive in the competition. India is emerging as one of the most exuberant marketing hubs for cars of all sorts. Manufacturers have come to realize that the smart buyer is measuring all choices and therefore the more choices one manufacturer provides, the better the chances of that manufacturer surviving in this jungle. GM’s recent foothold in India has made a positive impact and the manufacturer is keen on turning India as one of its marketing centers. This sudden frenzy to capture the Indian market will see the launch of over 20 new cars early next year. It is a real dilemma for customers who had planned for a car by the end of the year. With most of the cars set to be launched in a few months, it is difficult to decide whether we should wait for the new launches or buy something which is already in the market. As far as my opinion goes, I would definitely wait! The more the cars in the market, the better the deals I get. For all I know, I could even decide to go for a model that already exists, but due to market competition, it will cost me much lesser then than it will now. Why settle for a prawn when you can get a seafood platter for the same price?!! Labels: Auto market competition, cars-India, Chevrolet, Growth in Indian auto industry, Honda, Hyundai, Imported cars, Indian car market, Launches in India, Maruti Suzuki, Tata
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
GM India touched its highest sales statistics yet, in India. Since General Motors introduced its vehicles to India, this is the first time the firm has enjoyed a profit with such high margins. General Motors cruises ahead of its competitors with the extremely affordable Chevy Spark and the value-for-money Aveo UV-A. GM has sold more than two times the units it sold last year in the same period. General Motors India for the first time beat Ford Motors India in the market share. With the festive season on in India, GM has cut down the price of Spark by over rupees 50,000/-, which is also one of the reasons for the auto major to enjoy boosting sales. Because the offer is available only for a limited period, no wonder people are rushing to GM dealers spread all over the country. If General Motors consider extending the offer for another few days there is no doubt that our pavements will be full of GM brands. Labels: Chevrolet, Ford, General Motors, Indian car market, Rising sales, Small Car
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
People often think they are safer in an SUV than a Sedan or a hatchback. If you ask me I'll say that the Hummer is the safest and coolest SUV around. Agree? Sunil Shetty’s choice and a definite yes from all Indians who want a muscular and aggressive car that laughs at looks and speaks with performance! The Hummer is a South African SUV known for its ‘goes anywhere’ nature. It has a Vortec 3.7L engine that is astounding and makes off-roads simpler. Indian potholed roads will feel like butter on toast from inside this powerful animal. Hummer is on its way to India. General Motors recently announced that the Hummer H3 will launch in India sometime next year. However, GM is a little worried about the market possibilities. The general feeling is that the super premium brand vehicle will represent a niche market in India, but the current Indian market psychology leans towards small cars like the Chevy Spark. I say - come on GM, take a chance! We may wait for a while to get behind the wheels of a Hummer, but if you wait too long there are companies that will take your slice of the proverbial Indian auto market pie and the Hummer will be left high and dry! Labels: cars-India, Chevrolet, General Motors, Hummer, Imported cars, Indian car market, Launches in India, SUVs
Monday, 15 October 2007
Recently, GM India has announced a new price for Chevrolet Spark. Chevy Spark will adorn a price tag that is reduced by Rs. 53,000 (ex-showroom Delhi). This offer is available across all Spark variants and is applicable only for the vehicles booked between 12th and 22nd of this month. This scheme is to mark the centenary celebrations of its parent company, General Motors Corp. Now that the Chevrolet Spark is available for Rs. 2.79 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) it might see a sudden jump in auto sales. This discount is offered on Spark keeping in mind its popularity and to make it even more popular. Spark is a compact car, which runs without any trouble and makes parking in crowded city roads easy. Spark’s aerodynamic built and S-tec engine contribute to the car’s fuel efficiency. Roomy interiors and loads of safety features make it a safe and spacious car that is easy to maneuver on city roads. However, the GM celebrations have come at the right time – because now is the time for festivals and cashing in. After all, once the Tata One-Lakh Rupees car launches next year, it will definitely bring gloom to the small car market holders. Labels: Car-competition, Car-Sales, Chevrolet, Indian car market, Reducing model price, Small Car, Tata
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
Raising petrol prices have made manufacturers think seriously of an alternative. Though air cars and gas fitted cars are in the list, it is diesel cars that are gaining popularity. Now, diesel cars are designed to be more environment friendly without too much of a price difference. It is less money and low emissions that are bringing diesel vehicles to the top. Auto manufacturers are also taking keen interest in this front. Recently launched diesel vehicles include Chevrolet Optra and Hyundai Getz Prime to name a few. Other auto majors are planning to launch diesel variants that can pose sturdy competitions to petrol vehicles. Though it was initially thought that diesel vehicles give-out more pollutants and are troublesome, extensive research has put an end to this notion. Diesel vehicles spill-out lesser pollutants than the petrol engine. I have been a petrol car lover since the beginning, but now with all these benefits that accompany diesel cars, I am definitely switching over to diesel. With low emissions and less expenditure on gas I can retain a fat wallet while avoiding guilt towards the environment. Labels: Car-competition, Chevrolet, Diesel cars, Hyundai, Indian car market
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
It’s been a long wait, but it’s true. The Fiat Grand Punto will introduce a new phase of Hatchbacks in India. It may look a little like the Maserati from the front, but no one seems to be complaining! Fiat Grande Punto is a premium B-segment category car with famous Giorgetto Giugiaro Italian design. From Grand Punto’s new style cues we can expect some changes in the familiar looks of small cars in India. The Indian small car market will definitely love the choices. Take a look at the sporty interiors of the Grand Punto. Comfortable and supportive cool looking seats and the sexy dash definitely provide some class. The Fiat Grand Punto has been given the Euro NCAP five-star rating for passenger safety. So expect a small car with strong safety cues. The model is expected to have a 1.3-litre multi-jet diesel engine from the Suzuki- GM- Fiat alliance engine plant. For the launch of Punto, Fiat has signed a deal with Tata Motors. After all, Fiat is well bonded with Tata in its Manufacturing and Marketing. Tata-Fiat is expected to launch Grand Punto along with the Tata Rs 1 lakh car in India in 2008. Labels: Chevrolet, Fiat, Imported cars, Indian car market, launch in India, Small Car, Suzuki, Tata
Wednesday, 3 October 2007
UK’s Caparo is all-set to design a city car that would hit Indian roads in a couple of years from now. The company will only design the model and the permit to manufacture the car will be given to a selected manufacturer in the country. According to a company release, it is learnt that the designing of this more efficient and amalgamated material car takes at-least two years. The manufacturer is working with the same team that designed the light weight Caparo T1 racing car. Caparo’s focus is to design a light-weight car that can jostle in the city like a feather. Much of the designing work is said to happen in the company’s Chennai plant. This light-weight city car is said to be high on mileage and low on emissions. Caparo’s city car will make its first official appearance at next year’s Auto Expo show in Delhi. Global players - GM, Honda, and Toyota have planned to launch their city cars at the same time. Labels: Chevrolet, City cars, competition, Honda, launch in India, Toyota
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
Monday, 24 September 2007
The Chevrolet Aveo was mainly a disappointment when it was launched about a year back. In order to make it more stylish and draw in more buyers, the manufacturer has decided to give the existing Aveo a slight touch-up. The new overhauled Aveo will make driving an easy task with enhanced gearshift and improved throttle response for a recovered acceleration. The cabin will undergo better insulation tactics to prevent external and engine noise and vibrations from affecting the occupants. The revamped Aveo will also get an additional exterior color - Ice Blue. Maybe the Aveo will come into the light after all. Labels: cars, Chevrolet, India, Indian car market
Thursday, 20 September 2007
To compete with the soft-roaders in India, the Korean-engineered all new Chevrolet Captiva will launch in India sometime late in 2008. From the large scale success of soft-roader SUVs like Honda CRV and Hyundai Tucson in the Indian market, General Motors India have decided to bring the beauty powered Captiva to India. CR-V comes with a petrol engine and Tucson comes with a diesel motor, but the Captiva will offer both petrol and diesel engines to occupy a larger share in the SUV market segment. The Chevrolet Captiva is a sleek car with strong wheel arches and a sophisticated design. This stylish SUV is available with a 150 bhp 2.0L common rail diesel engine and a 2.4-litre Inline-4 petrol unit. The vehicle would boast of a high-end audio system, and 16-inch wheels. The interiors of the car will offer a commanding blend of style and strength with a seating for five to seven occupants. The superior design also features cylindrical prism-type headlamps, LED type turn signal lamps, turn signal repeaters in the door mirrors, and snazzy flush fitting, pullout-type door handles. It will be priced in the range of Rs. 15-20 Lakh in India. Labels: Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai, Indian car market, launch in India, SUVs
Thursday, 26 April 2007
If you have been planning to buy a car, this is just the right time to do it. It is because most carmakers and dealers are doling out huge discounts or freebies on cars to generate more sales. So you’d better make hay while the sun shines. Huge discounts are being offered on car prices due to an increase in the car loan interest rate. However, considering the fact that in India about 80% cars are still sold by means of a car loan, carmakers fear a plunge in sales in the coming days. So, they are offering discounts or freebies on cars to lure customers back to their showrooms. The Hyundai Accent can be yours now for Rs. 70,000 less than its normal price. Besides low sales, Hyundai is offering this discount to make way for the Hyundai Verna, its new model. Also, the Hyundai Santro can be bought at a lower interest rate of 8.99%. Also on offer with it are freebies like an MP3 player, 3rd year warranty and exchange bonus. Another car that is available with an attractive scheme is the Honda City ZX, the top-ranked mid-sized car. It can be yours now with a 100% finance scheme available for 84 months. An extended period to pay off the loan means lesser EMIs, which will suit the pocket of most customers. You can buy the Tata Indigo LX DiCOR at a lower interest rate of 9.99% for a period of three years. General Motors is also offering customers an option of lower interest rates of around 10% or free services or accessories worth Rs 20,000 on Chevrolet Aveo. All other GM cars are also on offer at an interest rate of 10% only. Small cars from Maruti Udyog will also cost cheaper now as the company has increased rebate on them from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 15,000 to reduce the cost of ownership. So, if you have been planning to buy any of these cars, there can not be a better time than now to bring it home. It will not just be lighter on your pocket but you can avail of freebies and other attractive schemes as well. Labels: Buy Car, Car-Loans, Chevrolet, discounts, Hyundai, Maruti, Tata
Monday, 26 March 2007
With growing cities and shrinking space on roads, there has been a change in the people’s choice of car body styles. While there is a segment of people who still prefer to drive big cars, an increasing number of people are opting for the good, old hatchbacks. The hatch is a two box style, occupy lesser space as compared to a sedan, but have too many pluses on their side. In India, three out of every four cars sold are hatchbacks and India has now become the third largest producer of hatchbacks. Even the Indian Government is encouraging the production of hatchbacks by giving away tax incentives. However, the Government has set some norms for the production of small cars. Their size should be less than four meters and they should conform to the emission norms.
While Maruti 800, Swift, Wagon R and Zen from Maruti, the biggest car-makers in the country, are some hatchbacks which have ruled the Indian roads. Hyundai Santro and Getz have also created their space in the car market. However, the market for hatchbacks in the country is going to see some new BIG entrants very soon. Even the big automakers realize the potential for hatchbacks in the Indian car market and are trying to tap it. Skoda, so far known for manufacturing luxury cars, is soon going to launch its hatchback, the Skoda Fabia in India by the end of 2007. Even though the exteriors of the car are not very classy, the interiors look very impressive. The first thing that will draw your attention is the ample space in the cabin as well as the rear seats. The best feature of this car is that despite being a hatchback, it is very spacious. With Skoda, Honda is also going to join the hatchback bandwagon. So far known for its premium, luxury sedans, Honda is also planning to launch a hatchback in India in 2-3 years. This car has been designed keeping in mind the Indian car market and Indian car drivers. Still undergoing development, this car will be launched in India before its launch in other countries. That is indication enough of how automakers are focusing on the Indian car market. General Motors, the world’s largest producer of cars, also plans to increase its share in India, by three times to 10 percent by the end of the decade. GM sells its Chevrolet U-VA hatchback in India. Toyota has also joined the fray with Honda and GM, planning to make inroads into the Indian hatchback market. Toyota has plans to launch the Toyota Aygo in India soon, which is a hit in Europe. There are reports that Volkswagen might also launch a small, compact car in India. The car could be in the M800 range. Reports are rife that the automaker has started reviewing its models to be introduced in the country. The company has already indicated that the car to be launched will be based on the Polo platform in India and would take on competition from other hatchbacks. Labels: Chevrolet, Hatchbacks, Hyundai, Maruti, Skoda, Toyota, Volkswagen
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The year has been great for the Indian automotive industry. Most car makers saw record sales figures and now we have General Motors India rolling out the 100,000th Chevrolet Spark from its plant at a simple ceremony. While the Ford Figo is driving sales for Ford Motors, Chevrolet Spark has been doing exceedingly well for GM in the Indian market.
