Indian Car Blog - Carazoo.com

Well, Tata Motors has launched the Magic Iris in Jaipur and the vehicle would grace the other cities in the following months.

Tata Motors has launched the BS III edition of the Magic Iris, which implies it can only be registered in smaller cities only. Since Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi and others register only BS IV emission compliant vehicles, they would have to wait for the day Tata launches the BS IV version. So far, so good.

In Jaipur, you can buy this car by shelling out Rs.2.12 lakh and, mind it; the price is inclusive of registration fees and taxes. Bookings for the new car have started and the delivery may take a minimum of two days, given the other formalities like insurance are completed then-and-there. The image that you see in the blog is actually a news paper ad which appeared in Dainik Bhaskar.

The Tata Magic Iris features a 611-cc water-cooled diesel engine that is capable of producing 11 bhp and can do a top speed of 55 km/h. Alright guys, don’t roll your eyes over this already. The Magic Iris is aimed at competing with the auto rickshaws in India and we can claim that Magic Iris is much faster than most of the other trikes.

The Magic Iris comes as a four-wheel replacement to India’s three-wheel rickshaws. And it comes with plenty of features that would give it an edge over the Bajaj Autos that we so often come across on the Indian roads. For one, the Magic Iris has got a large passenger compartment, which can conveniently accommodate three adults. Apart from this there is a single passenger seat up front and a boot that can swallow quite an amount of luggage.

The safety aspects of the passengers have been well thought and executed in this vehicle. It has an all-weather protection and there is no door on the right hand side leading into the passenger area. Also, the magic offers a stable and less noisy ride

We have a lot of people complaining about the look of the car. But, you can’t expect a passenger car to look like a Jaguar (or even a Nano), right, even though both come from the same manufacturer. Alright, we agree that it does not look like an eye-candy sort but when you consider the usability and safety factor of this car (or whatever you want to call it); it is sure to strike a chord with the Indian crowd.

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We have the news of yet another dealership inaugural. Yes, this time it is Tata Motors. Tata Motors’ Premium Car Division publicized today the appointment of AMP Motors as the new Jaguar Land Rover dealership in New Delhi. Its first flagship store is in Mumbai and now, this new dealership is the second in India.

What do you think will be available in the new outlet? Will it display all cars from the company? Well, the complete product range is going to be available. It will showcase the Jaguar XJ, XF, XK 2, Discovery 4, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover. All these and more will be available in New Delhi, thanks to AMP Motors.

AMP Motors has set up two facilities in New Delhi. The first one is a centrally located boutique showroom at the premium Janpath area across Hotel Le Meridien. The second one is an integrated 3S facility at Mathure Road. Yes, it is in the automobile high street in Delhi. And yes, it offers everything you need, sales, service and spares. Both these facilities have been designed and built as per the latest Corporate and Dealer Identity Guidelines of Jaguar and Land Rover.

Jaguar Land Rover or JLR is a British automotive business. It was initially set up as a single entity to manage the businesses of both Jaguar and Land Rover cars. It was built around two great brands that designed, engineered and manufactured automobiles. Tata Motors acquired the company from the U.S.-based Ford Motor Company in 2008. Since then, JLR has been a subsidiary of Tata Motors.

The President of the Passenger Car Business unit of Tata Motors, Rajiv Dube says that the NCR region is a key market for premium cars and sports utility vehicles too. The company was very happy to set up its marks for both the iconic brands, Jaguar and Land Rover through the new dealership situated in the capital city.

Tata Motors has received an overwhelming response so far and based on this encouraging response, the company plans to branch out in other cities too. It is thinking of expanding its reach to other cities in India. Tata Motors expects combined sales of Jaguar and Land Rover in the domestic market to touch 250 in March since its launch last year.

Most of JLR’s sales come from the bigger cities and the new showroom in Delhi will enhance it further. Most luxury brands assemble cars in India itself to attract lower duties and drop prices. However, as of now, Jaguar Land Rover has no plans of assembling vehicles in the country. It feels that the esteem of luxury brands takes a dip when assembled in India. Is that so? JLR thinks, by doing so, the big brands appeal to the masses rather than classes. It feels, part of JLR’s appeal is the exclusivity that is accorded to it for not being manufactured in India.

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Cutting edge technology, world class luxury and comfort, that’s luxury cars for you, courtesy Germany. German auto giants, like Audi, BMW and Mercedes, have always had the upper hand when it came to the luxury car needs of the Indian. And as British marquees Jaguars and Land Rover arrive to India, German carmakers are bracing themselves for the fierce competition. After setting up their assembly operations in the country a number of them are now planning to enhance their total output.

Anticipating on the upcoming competition and growing demand, Mercedes has already taken necessary steps to beat the competition heat. Mercedes Benz India (MBIL), which is in its tenth year of running operations, is planning to ramp up production at its Chakan plant by moving into double shift operations to meet the growing demand for its luxury cars. Mercedes believes that the SUV segment is growing faster than the luxury car segment and that it plans to penetrate the segment at a much deeper level.

When the Mercedes spokesperson was contacted, he refused to comment. He said, “Right now, we are assembling variants of the C, E and S-Class here, and has an installed capacity to make 5,000 cars annually with single shift operations. At the moment, we have no plans to increase capacity. But if the market booms, we may think about it”.

Now, let’s talk about another German brand which is a hot favourite among the Indians. Yes, we are talking about BMW. BMW has resolved to reach a target of selling about 4000 units in 2010 and in order to achieve it, BMW is all set to enhance production capacity at its Chennai plant.

BMW India is planning to have a double digit growth in this year but its Chennai plant has a production capability of about 3000 cars a year. With its sales target being more than the production capacity, BMW is looking at investing more at their plant, however, the final figures have not been worked out yet. This brings good news for all the people in who are looking for jobs in Chennai. BMW is launching its SUV X1 next year and to cater to the needs of assembling the SUV X1, it is planning to increase the manpower by about 30 per cent.

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Ever dreamed of travelling like a king or queen? Here’s your chance. Grab the opportunity before it is too late. There is one thing for sure; this is no ordinary deal. One of the rarest cars, Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II’s personal Jaguar Daimler Majestic is up for sale this year. Yes, you’ve heard it right. It is up for grabs for the bargain price of $120,000 or Rs 54,61,200.

The lucky one will have the car that was driven by the Queen herself. A visit to a friend’s home or a low-profile official event, the car stood by her. The beautiful royal car accompanied the royal beauty to social events where she could drive the car herself.

Are you a Jaguar fan? Or, are you crazy about having a rare collector car? Are you looking for a car driven by one very special and careful lady driver? There cannot be something better. This auction is what you’ve been looking for. The Queen’s Jaguar is still as it was when she first bought it. It has travelled just 22,582 km in three years. The Queen had an identical car from 1998 to 2001. She liked it so much, that she wanted the same car again with just a few changes.

The Queen sat inside the car. She now wanted some fresh air, but did not like the wind blowing directly on her face. There it was; an extra switch on each of the rear doors to control windows on the opposite side. This creation was creative and unique. Now, if the Queen was not alone in the car, where would she keep her handbag? She was a little worried. Jaguar solved the problem by replacing the normal armrest with one that had a sliding tray. The Queen could keep her handbag on top and push back the tray to hold it just right while the car moved. This is a secret! The car had a hidden panel of security lighting. Shhh, do not tell anyone.

Are you really interested in the royal car? Here’s some info you would like to have. The Majestic was finished in a special shade of British Racing Green. The car featured a secure telephone line linked to Number 10, Downing Street and the Home Office though not operational any longer. Right now, a specialist memorabilia dealer owns the car. How we wish the car is not overused or misused after the auction. It would be really nice to see the car as part of a collection and not used on a daily basis. We just hope the royal beauty finds a fitting home.

However, it all depends on the one who buys it. The person can use the car as he wishes. We wish the car a long life. Let it live to be a classic. The Queen has handled it well. She is and has always been a careful driver since her time as a motor mechanic in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II.

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Good news for those who were once fans of Jaguar 24-hour Le Mans car. The “Leaping Cat” Jaguar Cars will be back in the game after a 10-year hiatus and guess who’s in charge of the revival of the Jaguar brand yet again. It’s the Tata Motors. The Indian connection for the French Le Mans seems to be right in place with the entry of Jaguar in the 24-hours Le Mans endurance race in June.

Jaguar which will be celebrating 75 years on the road this year has made a mark in the motorsports, predominantly in the Le Mans where Jaguar won five straight times in the 1950s pushing the iconic and legendary C and D type models into service.

Now with Tata Motors at the helm of affairs of Jaguar after buying the Jaguar and Land Rover brands from Ford Motors in 2008 will restore Jaguar’s rich image in motor racing by pumping in multi-crore investments. This way Tata Motors is pretty damn sure that it will promote the Jaguar brand to the hilt in the process.

As per CJ O’Donnell, Marketing Director of Jaguar Cars Global, “Motorsports has always been important to the Jaguar brand. Our domination of Le Mans in the 1950s was the foundation on which the company was developed. Returning to Le Mans will reignite excitement for the marquee across the globe.”

Le Mans is the world’s oldest sports car endurance race and has been held annually since 1923 in La Sathe, France. JaguarRSR, the professional racing team of Jaguar, will race this year in the XKR GT2. The JaguarRSR team last won Le Mans 20 years ago in the XJR-12, but after that had to keep a low profile either due to superior competition or due to inadequate funding. Le Mans is very different from other big races such as the Grand Prix as it focuses on the ability of a car company to build fast machines which are also sporty and reliable. This was done to promote the idea of fuel-efficiency while running the vehicle over a race which would last for 24-hours (with pit stops).

Winning at the Le Mans will surely help increase sale of the vehicle too. The enhancement of the brand’s strength and the sales graph moving higher seem to be the major reasons behind the project. Ford had tried the same trick in 1989. It had spent an unimaginable amount over the acquisition and again spent a few more billions to bring back the brand’s rich image. To everyone’s dismay, Ford failed. Will Tata Motors succeed this time? The Ford Motor Company had miserably lost the battle then. But now, Tata Motors seems to be full of positive hope.

The Formula 1 race happens to be the only recent race where the Jaguar made a successful entry. Right after that, the exit followed. Moreover, the entry too was ten years ago, in the year 2000. Ford, under the burdening financial pressure, was forced to sell the Jaguar Formula 1 team to Red Bull. Yes, the leaping cat was sold to the Red Bull. It was then re-baptized as Red Bull Racing.

The Porsche has won 16 times at the Le Mans. Audi too has more number of victories than the Jaguar. It has won 7 times. Peugeot, BMW, Renault, Alfa Romeo and Bentley have been the other successful motor racing brands. Will the Jaguar make it this time? Patience!!! Only Time will tell.

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The adage “Born from the Jets” might be the slogan of the recently saved from death Swedish Saab car company, but guess what, the above mentioned adage will be more appropriate for the British car maker Jaguar.

We have a reason for that. Jaguar has been awarded funding from the U.K government to develop a small jet turbine as a range extender for a future hybrid Jaguar luxury car.

In stating the Jaguar luxury car, we mean the newly launched 2011 Jaguar XJ full-sized luxury sedan. This car which could get an extended-range electric model in its portfolio in a couple of years might also provide a platform for the innovative jet-powered range extender.

Yes, we call this innovative as the jet-powered turbine technology though was first developed by Rover Cars which developed JET1, the first-ever jet-powered turbine car, is one of the predecessor companies of Jaguar Land Rover, now owned by India's Tata Motors. So the technology fits the Jaguar cars to the T.

Rover Cars’ JET1 which is currently housed in London’s Science Museum, ran on petrol, diesel or kerosene and sped up to 88 miles per hour. This car also spawned a Le Mans racer developed with BRM Formula One that averaged more than 100 mph and topped out at 142 mph.

The cars that run on turbine technology is smaller, lighter and emits less CO2 which should be a welcome news for the green warriors. The British government awarded $1.8 million in development funds to develop the turbine-based range extender for electric vehicles to a consortium of Jaguar-Land Rover, Bladon Jets, and SR Drives. The highlights of the modern micro-turbine technology is that it saves more than 200 pounds over a petrol engine for onboard power generation to recharge an electric car’s battery pack, while slightly reducing CO2 emissions. The Bladon Jets turbine has just 5 percent of the weight and parts count of a typical four-cylinder engine.

There are a few drawbacks which come imbibed with this technology as it is not so good for direct drive. As Chrysler learned a decade later, when it released 56 prototypes of its elegant Chrysler Turbine coupe for real-world tests by roughly 200 drivers, turbine technology proved too inefficient and expensive for production-car use.

Chrysler's test cars suffered from throttle lag, lack of low-end torque, very high exhaust temperatures, and mediocre fuel economy (17 mpg) from their 97-kilowatt (130-horsepower) turbine engines, which powered the car through a standard automatic transmission.


Turbines also aren't particularly suited to the rapid acceleration cycles of varied driving. Using a turbine as a steady-speed source to generate electric power, on the other hand, lets it operate most efficiently and at close to its maximum output.

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Tata Motors Group displayed the widest range of products and environment-friendly technologies at Auto Expo 2010.

Tata Motors unveiled the Jaguar XJ and the 4×4, 7-seater Crossover Tata Aria. Other prominent unveilings from the house of Tata Motors include Tata Venture, a hatchback sized 8-seater MPV, Tata Magic Iris, a novel four-seater public transportation vehicle, The Tata Motors Group has unfolded the full scale of its product portfolio and the breadth of its technology capability with a display of 37 vehicles, from the Tata, Jaguar and Land Rover brands, at the Auto Expo 2010.

Among them are three new Tata vehicles – the Tata Aria, the Tata Venture, the Tata Magic Iris – and the all new Jaguar XJ, which were unveiled by the Chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Motors, Mr. Ratan N. Tata.

In passenger vehicles, the Group’s displayed its entire range from Jaguar luxury saloons and Land Rover SUVs to Tata Indigo Manza sedans, Tata Indica Vista hatchbacks, the Tata Safari, the Sumo Grande MK II, the Xenon XT, and two specially conceived Tata Nano cars. The Nano has been declared as the 2010 Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY).

The technology capability on show includes environment-friendly hybrid and electric powertrains, conventional engines with higher fuel efficiency, lightweight vehicle architecture, all contributing to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, besides state-of-the-art drive technologies, latest infotronics, ultra-modern passenger comfort, safety and entertainment systems.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Tata said, “The range of Tata, Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles is representative of our technology base, and the direction our brands are taking in pursuing market opportunities. The Company is focused on meeting the full range of customer needs while being conscious of the environment.”

The unveiling of the all new Jaguar XJ marks its India launch. The all-new Jaguar XJ brings a daring new spirit to automotive luxury, with a mix of striking design, breathtaking performance and engineering. The car was premiered worldwide in London in July 2009, and deliveries across the world are beginning this year. Bookings for India too have opened, and deliveries will begin from June 2010. Displays from Land Rover, the gold standard in 4×4s, include the Model Year 2010 Discovery 4 and the Range Rover Sport, which expand Land Rover’s 2010 product range in India.

The Tata Aria, to be launched in the second quarter of 2010, blends the functionality and comfort of a mid-range MPV with the all terrain assurance and premiumness of an SUV. Its unique design and construction makes it robust, elegant and comfortable. The interiors, with three rows of theatre style seating, present a luxurious world of premium features comprising 3D surround sound, dimming roof lamps, in-dash built in GPS, a state-of-the-art infotainment system, multifunctional steering wheel, dual air conditioning with automatic climate control and cruise control. Top-of-the-line safety features include 6 airbags and ESP, offered by an Indian OEM for the first time. Besides, the chassis frame comprising advanced hydro formed members, a stiffened body cage, and dual zone collapsible steering make the Aria one of the safest vehicles.

Its 2.2 Litre Direct Injection Common Rail (DICOR) diesel engine, delivering 140 PS power and 320 Nm torque, is mated, in the 4×4 option, with an all-wheel drive with torque on demand, which senses and distributes torque to the wheels in accordance with the terrain.

The less than 4 metre long Tata Venture, to be launched soon, has the footprint and maneuverability of a hatchback car, but the interior space of a utility vehicle comfortably accommodating 8 passengers and ample luggage space. The interiors, with a two-tone beige and black theme, are comfortable with dual heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) with roof-mounted ducts. A glasshouse effect with plug-in windows for second row passengers makes it distinctive. Driver comfort has been addressed with power steering, power windows, reverse parking aid, keyless entry with engine immobiliser and rear wipers. Safety features include collapsible steering and side impact beams.

It is powered by a 1.4 Litre turbo diesel engine delivering 70 PS power, with best in class fuel efficiency among diesel MPVs. The Tata Venture will be available in 5, 6, 7 and 8-seater options in 3 row front facing configuration.

The Tata Magic Iris, to be launched this year, is for public transportation, offering safer and more comfortable mobility for those who depend on three-wheelers. Its spacious car-like cabin can comfortably seat four passengers – three at the back and one in the front beside the driver. With its car-like on-road stability and sheet metal roof it provides car-like safety.

The 611-cc water cooled diesel engine, backed by a 10-litre fuel tank, is capable of running larger distances with a top speed of about 55 kmph and yet higher engine life. With its bouquet of features, the Tata Magic Iris will be the ideal small passenger carrier which will upgrade both the quality of public transportation and also the income of their owners.

The recently unveiled 10-to-75 tonne, 150-to-560 PS Prima range of trucks, trailers and special applications has set new benchmarks in India and matches the best in the world in its power, speed, carrying capacity and trims. The range comprises 10 major variants of tractor-trailers, rigid trucks, tippers, mixers and cranes, and special applications. Besides India, it has already been introduced in South Korea, where it has won the prestigious Grand Prize of 2009 Good Design Selection of Korea recognising its excellence in design, functionality, quality and safety.

While expanding its portfolio, the Group is focusing on environment-friendly technologies. Jaguar’s lightweight vehicle architecture, Land Rover’s e_TERRAIN TECHNOLOGIES SERIES, the Nano with the lowest CO2 emission among Indian cars, the Indica Vista EV, to be launched this year, the hybrid Starbus and existing CNG/LPG powered Tata passenger and commercial vehicles are all representative of how the Group is pursuing the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emission and usage of conventional fuels for a low-carbon world.

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The world was taken aback, when an Indian company acquired the British marquee brands, Jaguar and Land Rover, in June 2008 from Ford Motors for 2.3 billion US dollars.

Through this acquisition, Tata Motors had proved to the world that India has come out of age and is poised to become next motoring superpower. This also led Britain to wake up to India’s growing strength in the automotive world.

Peter Mandelson, the UK Secretary of State for Business and Innovation has actually said, “Tatas investment in Jaguar and Land Rover brands has woken Britain up to the growing strengths of Indian manufacturing.”

Mr. Mandelson is in India to attend a function of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and he made this statement there. Mr. Mandelson is to speak for British manufacturing. He hopes that Tata Motors’ investment in Britain would send a clear signal to the rest of Indian industry about the manufacturing potential from Britain.

When Tata Motors had acquired Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the iconic brands were in a financial crisis. Since then, the Indian company has been nurturing JLR back to health with sales showing improvement.

Mr. Mandelson described India as a “racing car” which is revved up and ready to roar off but still has “handbrakes” on. He said India stands at a critical point. “My question is shouldn’t India ease off the handbrake?”

Carazoo.com concludes that government’s rightful intervention and backing will help India to grow more rapidly and emerge as a developed nation in near future.

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It seems like nothing in the world is capable of stopping the Tata Motors from its objectives and ambitions and if you have such an opinion this piece of information that you will be reading on, will give you a reason to rejoice thinking you are in the right lane of thoughts.

Tata Motors, one among the major automakers of India has been successful in attaining a loan of amount £10-million from the British Government.And the most amusing part is that it is the first time the British government is lending a loan under the British government's £2.3-billion automotive assistance programme.

Now, the loan is for the company’s new electric car project in UK. Thinking about all possible reasons, which would have made the British government feel comfortable, and secured too, to lend Tata Motors a loan, the first few things came into mind is its plans to launch Nano in the European and American car market and its buy out of Land Rover and Jaguar.

These initiatives have surely called for global attention and now have helped the company to create such an achievement.

The company will manufacture electric cars in the UK and apart from the £10-million loan from the UK government, the company is also investing an amount of £25 million. It is said that the company is thinking about setting up a factory in the UK.

It seems Tata has foreseen this helping hand and it has developed a four-seater electric car in partnership with Norwegian group 20Miljo Grenland/Innovation and with is huge financial from the British government, the company will start the production of this car later this year in Norway.

This will surely be a give and take process as both the parties, Tata and the British car industry, will gain from it. With the help of the British government itself, Tata will soon fully overpower the fast growing green car industry.

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It appears as if the Tata Motorsand its much-protected model JLR are back in full swing. Unbelievable right?

But that seems to be the fact; the Indian Automotive giant just two weeks ago was in a pathetic plight seeking a helping hand that would pull their foreign born newly acquired brands out of disaster.

And they finally succeeded in getting a loan of around 600 crore from Burdale Financial Ltd, a member of the Bank of Ireland Group, that the company will be using for the revival purpose of the JLR.

But no one would have thought that everything will fall into place so fast and with so much ease. Suddenly, in a week’s time, everything appears to be so fine, which makes us hard to believe what we witnessed just a week back.

Miraculous no? It is not; you have just witnessed the strength of a global auto giant that hardly needs time to be back in its original self, even after being hit by a hard financial blow.

All seems to be well with the JLR. Tata Motors boasts of having received a huge number of bookings from the customers and there is a waiting list till October this year, and both the models have equal demand. Tata also sees a fruitful overseas market for the JLR.

In the initial months after the launch of JLR, both the models weren’t doing good in sales but the now the new picture of emerging brands has substituted the fading old JLR models.

The only showroom of the Jaguar Land Rover brand in India is in Mumbai and the company is now planning to open a new showroom in Bangalore, a sure sign of expansion and growth.

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A lot of things seem to be happening at the India owned Jaguar super luxury brand of cars in Britain these days. At one time, Jaguar is on a high over the launch of the new flagship model Jaguar Sedan XJ. The stunningly beautiful new Jaguar XJ has been well received by the critics and the public. Orders have started pouring in from the day one of its launch earlier this month.

Jaguar cars have also entered India. The Jaguar XF and the XKR coupe and convertible have created a new sensation in the creamy layer of Indian buyers.

On the other hand Tata Motors has decided to close down the production of one of the most successful small sedan the, X-type. Why in the name of God would they want to do this? Some are of the opinion this was done to protect new Jaguar portfolio having big names like XF and XK and XJ.

The truth of the matter is that since Jaguar is at its lowest ebb due to global downturn, it was necessary to stop production of one of its models. Also the Jaguar Company intends to shut down their facilities for three weeks due to drop in demand. It also plans to cut down on 2,200 jobs to raise revenues.

To protect Jaguar from drifting away into a waterhole, Tata Motors needs to take some decisive action to change the current course of events. It is needed that Jaguar cars gain higher visibility and greater marketability like Mercedes-Benz and BMW cars. They are well known in all corners of the world and are admired for their technological superiority.

Jaguar cars are big on technology and looks. However, the brand needs to shed its conservative attitude of selling on either sides of the Atlantic. Jaguar has to go to places they have never been before to become a viable business for its masters.

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