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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
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
 Hyundai Motor India, India’s second largest car maker on Monday achieved significant milestone when the cumulative exports of the car company crossed the 10 lakh mark. HW Park, managing director & CEO, HMIL said, “Reaching the 10 lakh export car landmark is not only a significant milestone but also a matter of great pride for the Hyundai family as it showcases the global success story that Hyundai as a brand enjoys.” He also flagged off the one millionth car from the Chennai Port Trust in Chennai. HMIL began exporting cars in 1999 when it shipped a batch of 20 Santro’s to Nepal and it reached the first milestone of exporting 100,000 cars in four years and ten months in October, 2004. In October, 2005 it exported its 200,000th car followed by its 300,000th car and 400,000th car in October, 2006 and August, 2007 respectively. By exporting the 500,000th car in March, 2008, HMIL had become the fastest Indian passenger car manufacturer to achieve this milestone. In a little over a decade since Hyundai has been present in India it has become the leading exporter of passenger cars with a market share of 66% of the total exports of passenger cars from India making it a significant contributor to the Indian automobile industry. The company has also started exporting cars to Australia and is the only manufacturer to do so in such a short span of a decade presence. Currently, Hyundai Motor India is exporting four of its popular models namely - Santro, i10, i20 and Accent to 110 countries. In 2009, in spite of a global slowdown, Hyundai Motor India’s exports grew by 10.7%. In 2010 Hyundai plans to add 10 new markets with Australia being the latest entrant to the list. The first shipment to Australia is of 500 units of the i20 and the total i20 export to Australia is expected to be in the region of 15,000 per annum. In 2008, Hyundai witnessed the fastest exports of five lakh cars from India to various destinations including UK, HMIL Vice-President (Sales and Marketing) Arvind Saxena said. Terming it as a "significant milestone", State Industries Secretary Rajeev Ranjan said, “It is no small achievement. This has been done in a record time". "In 2008, they have exported five lakh cars but this year they have doubled it. It is a significant milestone” he said. Lauding Hyundai's feat, Chennai Port Trust Chairman Subhash Kumar said two multilevel car parkings have been planned in the Port. Urging the Union government to continue the fiscal stimulus package, Saxena said exports may come down if it was withdrawn. "If the stimulus package is withdrawn, then the exports may come down. We have been emphasising the need for extending it", he said adding the demand came down 7.5 per cent in countries like Russia due to the global meltdown. Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL) has said that it is confident of adding 10 new markets to its export map in 2010. Currently, HMIL cars are sent to 110 countries. Labels: Hyundai-car-Export, Hyundai-i10, Hyundai-i20, Hyundai-Motor-India, Hyundai-Santro
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
 The People’s car maker Volkswagen has finally done it. It has launched its indigenously built Polo hatchback in India during the Auto Expo week here in Delhi. Volkswagen will be selling the Polo in India from March onwards. The Volkswagen Polo comes both in diesel and petrol engines. The sedan version of the Polo also is slated to be launched in the second half of 2010 which also will be built using the same platform of the Polo hatchback. The company expects to garner its market share in the Indian Car market by about 8-10 per cent in the next 4-6 years. Speaking on the wake of the launch of VW Polo, Jochem Heizmann, Volkswagen AG Member of the Board of management said that “The Polo stands for German engineering and top technology. It is lively young cosmopolitan made in India car." The 1.2 litre VW Polo which comes in three variants is being currently manufactured in its Chakan facility in Pune. When it comes to the pricing, The Polo is said to be very competitive and will be in the range of Honda Jazz, Hyundai i20 and Skoda Fabia. But the exact price will be only out when the cars reach the dealerships in March this year. Labels: Hatchback, Honda-Jazz, Hyundai-i20, New-Car-Launch, Sedan, Skoda-Fabia, Volkswagen-Polo
Friday, 18 December 2009
 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. Labels: Chevrolet-Cruze, GM, Hyundai-i20, Skoda-Yeti, Volkswagen-Polo
Friday, 20 November 2009
There has been a huge change in the export target of the Indian car makers, they have amended it, not to the higher end, but downwards. And the reason for this is the European government. Yes, you read it right, the governments in Europe have exhausted cash incentives for small fuel-efficient cars. This will be, for sure, a huge hit on the large scale export of Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki India. These companies for the last eight months have been enjoying the benefits of the generous policy. During the period of the policy, these companies were exporting in large numbers. During this period car exports jumped 32 per cent to 3.10 lakh cars over the same period last year. In Europe, the demand for A-Star, i10, and i20 was at a highest rate. And about 80 per cent of cars that came from India saw Europe as their target market. France, Italy, Germany, Austria, UK, Spain, and Netherlands were among the countries that offered cash benefits of up to 5,000 Euros to buy new energy-efficient cars emitting lower carbon-dioxide. Even though countries such as Netherland and the UK still ready to offer incentives on new cars, most of the other countries have exhausted their budget and withdrawn benefits. Hyundai Motor India has acted to the situation quiet promptly by cutting down its export to 40 per cent from its current 50 per cent. Hyundai has shifted part of its i20 production to its plant in Turkey during the second half of the next year. Maruti Suzuki is still in the process of decision making. The company might drop its export percentage from next quarter as Europe has cut down on such incentives. Indian car manufacturers have the privilege of higher margins and profits on cars sold abroad. Labels: Car-Export, Hyundai, Hyundai-i20, Maruti-Suzuki
Thursday, 2 July 2009
 The much awaited diesel variant of Hyundai i20 will be launched in India by the end of next week. This move by Hyundai Motors India to launch the diesel variant of the stylish i20 will win itself more diesel aficionados in India. Hyundai i20 diesel is already being manufactured and sold in the European markets. It was speculated that Hyundai as a part of its plans for India would be launching its diesel variants of i20 after the launch of Fiat Grande Punto and Honda Jazz to study the mood of the people in India. But now with some clever pricing, (we are hoping Hyundai reads this blog) i20 diesel could be a money spinner for Hyundai in the near future. (No Hyundai, we don’t charge on tips that we give.) The new diesel car will be powered by a 1.4 liter, 16 valve CRDi engine and is expected to deliver 89 bhp of power at 4000 rpm. The Hyundai i20 will comes with all essential features like rear wiper, ABS, airbags (surprisingly it has 6 of them!). The best part is that the engine is not noisy unlike other typical diesel engines. Moreover, it will have Variable Geometry Turbo Charger and not a Fixed Geometry Turbo Charger which is found in other diesel cars in the segment. The i20 diesel unlike the petrol variants will have a button in the place of reverse gear next to the 5th gear. This reverse button has to be pushed and the knob has to be slightly moved near the 1st gear to get into the reverse mode. Labels: Diesel-Cars, Hyundai-i20, Hyundai-Motor-India
Friday, 29 May 2009
Hyundai i20 from the premium small car segment was honored with 5-star NCAP rating for its high level of safety by the European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP). For Hyundai, it is matter of pride that i20 is the first car produced in India to receive the NCAP 5 star rating. This is one of the biggest achievements for the i20 as usually small cars are not very much known for safety. The launch of i20 has created a benchmark in the small car segment with outstanding performance, high levels of comfort, and improved safety. The ranking of the NCAP safety was based on 4 primary parameters. These parameters are adult occupancy, child protection, pedestrian protection, and safety assist. It was surprising to know that our charming i20 bagged highest marks in all the segments. The premium car from Hyundai scored 88 per cent in the adult occupant protection tests. Some of the advanced safety features in the car are new whiplash assessment, seat belt with pre-tensioner, six airbags, and active head-restraints. Equipped with a host of car safety features, i20 received a highest score of six out of the maximum seven points in the safety assist category attaining maximum score for its seatbelt reminder and Electronic Stability Control (ESC). Other safety features that make i20 a completely safe car are anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic stability control, and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD). By winning the NCAP rating Hyundai i20 has proved to be the safest car not only on the Indian roads and but also globally. This marks another significant milestone in the successful journey of Hyundai. Labels: Car-Safety, Hyundai-i20, NCAP Rating, Small-Car
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Due to recurring labour unrest, the production at the Hyundai Motors' Sriperumbudur factory has been hit badly. The plant manufactures around 1000 units daily that has been crippled due to the stir. Seeing the impact of the labour strike, the company is thinking to shift the production unit of i20 to a European country. It is also facing troubles like infrastructure problems, currency fluctuations, and low export incentives. All these hurdles are affecting the timely delivery of the i20 which may further upset the car sales. It has been speculated that if the problem persists then the company will definitely look for an alternative that is for now is expected to be in Europe. Sadly, this step will take away i20’s India exclusivity tag. With the strike reaching new heights as more than 800 workers getting arrested, the deadlock seems unbreakable. A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the launch of Hyundai i20 diesel which is set to hit the roads by the end of this year. Hopefully, everything gets settle down and i20 retains its tag of being the Indian made car. Labels: Car-Sales, Hyundai-cars, Hyundai-i20
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Hyundai i10 has already won millions of hearts and now the fans are eagerly waiting for the next series- i20 which would be rolled out in India in 2008 end. i20 from the hatchback segment is the first car from the Hyundai to use the latest generation U2 diesel engine. The U2 diesel engine is more superior to the CRDi motor used Getz and the Verna. Propelled by 1.6 engine, U2 is employs second-generation common rail diesel injection system with variable geometry turbocharger and a swirl control system. Getz’ successor, i20 which will be manufactured exclusively at Hyundai's Chennai facility would be offering more power, better fuel-efficiency with out burdening the pocket. Labels: Hyundai-i10, Hyundai-i20, U2-Diesel
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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.
