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Tuesday, 30 March 2010
 Toyota has taken a hint from its compatriot Nissan Motors and is now contemplating to ink an MoU, through its Indian subsidiary Toyota Kirloskar Motors, with Ennore Port Limited to export its ‘Etios’ to global markets through Ennore port in Tamil Nadu in the upcoming years. Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM) is a joint venture between Toyota of Japan, holding 89 per cent of the total equity, and India’s Kirloskar Group. TKM is planning to ship its cars from its upcoming small car manufacturing plant at Bidadi, near Bangalore in Karnataka, which is likely to start production by the end of this year. As per the company’s earlier announcement, the small car is meant primarily for the Indian market, but its planning to export it to the other parts of the world too. TKM is also looking at sharing the infrastructure with Japanese competitor Nissan. TKM is quite reluctant to divulge the export plans, but it said that discussions are on with the Ennore Port on identifying land. You will find it quite interesting to know that Etios was developed jointly by Indian and Japanese engineers. Yoshinori Noritake is the chief engineer of the Toyota Etios project. "With the concept of ‘World first–India first’, we will sell Etios first in India (in the first year) and then we look at for export markets. We hope to start exports of Etios from 2012 onwards to neighbouring countries, ASEAN and African regions. The new plant will have a production capacity of 70,000 vehicles in the first phase and this can be increased to 200,000 in the next phase," said Toyota Kirloskar Managing Director Hiroshi Nakagawa was quoted as saying to reporters recently. He added, “The production of Etios sedan and hatchback cars will start from this year-end mainly for the domestic market,” he said. “Etios will be pitched against Swift and Swift Dzire. While the car's exact price will be made known only at the time of launch, we expect it to be in the range of Swift and Dzire cars. Despite lot of features and high quality, Etios will have a localisation level of around 75 per cent initially and then will be increased to 100 per cent in the near future. "The car features a new platform engine and is 10% more fuel efficient than its nearest competitor. Given the advantage, we will price the car at a most competitive price point,” he said. The new plant will accommodate six vendors including component giants like Jai Bharat Maruti (JBM), Stanzen Toyotetsu India Pvt Ltd, Wheels India Ltd of TVS Group, Asahi Glass, Bundy India, Tata Johnson Controls Automotive Ltd and Supreme Greaves. Toyota will invest about Rs. 3,200 crore in this project. Toyota is aiming to expand its sales and service network to about 150 dealers by 2010. Five more dealership would be added in Tamil Nadu alone. Labels: Ennore-Port, Nissan-Motors, Toyota, Toyota-Etios, Toyota-Kirloskar-Motors
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Nissan wants to participate in the race. I’m not talking about the FIA Formula One World Championship. It wants to participate in the recall race. So far, no problems have been escalated. However, Nissan does not want to take chances. The company is very careful about its reputation and wants to play safe. The third biggest Japanese car maker, Nissan Motors has announced to recall 540,000 cars from North America. Whoa! A big number indeed. The car makers had a nightmare just yesterday that their cars had faulty brake pedal pins and fuel gauging systems. If the nightmare turns out to be real it is going to be a huge problem. Yes, prevention is better than cure. There seems to be a partial disengagement in the brake pins of five models. This problem, if not properly diagnosed, will lead to problems in the braking system. No accidents have been reported though. Models developed between 2008 and 2010 will be recalled as of now. The Titan Truck and the Armada SUV have been included in the recall vehicle list. The recently diagnosed fuel-gauge system problem has forced Nissan Motors to recall 6 car models. What an irony! Titan, Armada and Infiniti QX56 made between the years 2005 to 2008 and Frontier pickups, Pathfinder and Xterra SUVs produced in January to March 2006 and October 2007 to January 2008 have been included in this list. Wondering what problem this problem will lead to? At a higher mileage level, the fuel-gauge system is likely to show incorrect fuel store readings. The vehicle may run out of fuel without even giving a hint to the driver. So, this is the problem and a mighty one too. This again is a fault that Nissan has discovered. Car owners have not noticed anything of the sort. Nissan has already decided. 179,000 cars from the U.S. alone and 25,800 from other regions will be recalled. Forget car owners, the company itself has not seen any problem in cars sold in South Africa. But yes, why take a chance? Nissan does not want to lose its reputation and will be recalling cars from South Africa as well. Nissan Motors has requested customers to get their cars to the dealership where a visual inspection of the car will be done. If any problem is discovered during the diagnosis the company will repair the car. Labels: Auto-Recall, Car-Problem, Car-Recall, Nissan, Nissan-Motors, Nissan-Recall
Thursday, 17 September 2009
The third-largest Japanese car major Nissan Motors have unveiled the facelifted Teana and X-Trail in India.  Nissan has much hope for its luxury sedan with a makeover in India. The new Teana carries a sweeping arch along the bodyline that reflects it’s graceful and distinguished image. The new Teana has bigger front grilles that impart a 3-D image. A sharp line climbs the fender from the wraparound headlamps to grab attention. The stylish integrated fog lamps on the bumpers add élan to the sedan. The exterior mirror contours are crafted to reduce wind noise. The Teana stands tall on 17-inch alloy wheels. The new Nissan Teana sports retractable stylish glass sunroof with UV protection, which lets the rear seat passengers enjoy the sun, filling the cabin with an open air ambience. The sophisticated interior comes in convincing wood finish and simply laid-out, easy-to-use controls. The cabin gives a suite-like experience with supple leather seats, sofa-like armrests, wood grain trim and pampering ottoman-style leg-rest to support the lower legs. The rear seats can rival any high-grade sofas with massive shoulder and back support and the space is more than adequate. There are rear air-con vents and the cabin has an airy feel. There is an LED indirect illumination on the center console that shines softly to create a more welcoming interior ambience. The soft-touch buttons and the LED indirect Illumination on front passenger and rear door grips take driving luxury to the next level. The Nissan VQ engine series has made into World’s 10 Best Engines list for 15 years in a row. The new Teana is endowed with this reputed high performance engine. The 2.5-litre V6 DOHC engine is bigger than the old Teana's 2.3-litre version. The engine can churn out a power of 180bhp. The new 2.5L, V6 engine provides quick response, smooth acceleration and abundance of low and mid range torque and high-end power. Moreover, the enhanced performance of the intake/exhaust system and a six-point engine mounting help to minimize noise. The second generation model of the Teana comes in two variants in Indian market. The 2.5XL variant is priced at Rs. 21,03,000 and the 2.5XV comes with a price tag of Rs. 25,40,000 (Ex showroom, New Delhi) The new Nissan X-trail SUV flaunts a tough, masculine, individualistic stance. The Open Window graphic with lower waistline ensures good visibility and the High Ground Clearance makes the SUV secure from all road conditions.  The Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) comes with a roof-rail with lamp that accentuates the body design of the X-Trail. The SUV sports a large sunroof that allows fresh air and bright light to come in. Coming to the interior, the new X-Trail is highly luxurious. The cabin comes in high quality beige interior finish with soft touch dashboard in chrome/silver that conveys a high quality finish. The interior is quite practical with a lot of cubby holes and cup holders and a bigger boot space with a removable drawer for added convenience. The renovated X-Trail is fitted with the new M9R Diesel Engine under its hood. The 2L 4-cylinder in-line, turbocharged engine can tap 150 bhp. The engine ensures a smooth drive without vibration or strain like a petrol engine. The X-Trail can sprint 100 km in quick 10.88 seconds. Even though the X-Trail has been designed mostly for road use the intelligent four-wheel-drive system gives the X-Trail off-road capability too. The new X-tail comes in three editions: LT, SLX and SLX. The LT and SLX come with a 6-speed manual transmission gearbox and the SLX AT is equipped with a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The facelifted X-Trail is priced at Rs 20.81 Lakh for the LT, Rs 23.18 Lakh for the SLX variant and Rs 25.08 Lakh for the SLX AT (Ex-showroom, New Delhi). With a combination of a punchy and refined engine, practicality and good off-road ability, the new Nissan X-Trail is a very good buy. Labels: Luxury-Sedan, New-Car-Launch, Nissan, Nissan-India, Nissan-Motors, Nissan-Teana, Nissan-X-Trail, SUV
Monday, 3 August 2009
Nissan Motors has turned over a new leaf unveiling an electric car named the “Leaf”. The new Leaf is an eco-car that was showcased at Nissan’s new global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan on Sunday. The car was inaugurated to the public in a grand style. The Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn and former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi along with three other delegates rode in a “blue earth” colored Leaf. The Leaf is expected to be an instant hit once it enters the market. The car does not look like other green cars and its occupants do not have to compromise on the space inside the cabin. The roomy cabin can accommodate five adults comfortably. This hatchback comes in a sporty design with a recharging opening in the front. The Leaf, an electric car, can run a remarkable 160 km on a single charge and the car can give a wonderful zero-emission of CO2. The cell has to be charged for seven hours although a 30 minute quick charge can get batteries back up to 80%. As the battery is pricey, Nissan has planned to lease the batteries to customers rather than try to sell the car at an inflated price. Moreover, the cost of leasing the batteries and the electricity used to charge the cells will be much lesser than what customers spend on gasoline for regular cars. The price of the battery is expected to go down once sale of the car boosts up. Nissan is the third Japanese car manufacturer to drive in a green car after its rival Toyota and Honda. The Leaf will be available in the showrooms of Japan, the U.S. and Europe next year. The company is targeting initial annual production of 50,000 units for the Leaf at its Oppama plant in Yokohama, including export models. Moreover, the eco-friendly hatchback will go into mass-production as a global model in 2012. Labels: Electric-Cars, Nissan-Leaf, Nissan-Motors
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
Nissan Motors, the Japanese carmaker has zeroed on India as an attractive and cost-effective sourcing point. Nissan Motors is increasing its business strategies in India for sourcing, hiring or identifying production bases. The company’s upcoming plant near Chennai is being perceived as the hub for sourcing spares for its operations in other parts of the world. As the cost of manpower is low in India, Nissan is looking at the prospect of sourcing spare parts for its non-compact cars from the subcontinent. In fact, the car manufacturer is also planning to obtain car parts from other locations in India and Chennai will be the cardinal point, where special packing and other value-engineering aspects would be taken care of. About 90% of the cars produced at the new facility near Chennai would have original content. Nissan has already signed up with 94 Indian vendors for this project. These vendors are likely to take up positions at the Greenfield plant, which will have the capability to produce cars on three platforms such as A segment cars, B segment cars and light commercial vehicles. Nissan Motor India has already received orders from its European counterparts. This carmaker has also received stupendous response on the hiring front and about 300 employees are being recruited and trained at its overseas plant locations. It is hoped that Nissan will be able to manage the exchange rate fluctuations better by investing in low-cost country. Nissan Motors is also investing to source products from Thailand and China. It is expected that around ten Lakh small cars will be churned out from Nissan’s manufacturing plant in India by 2012. Labels: Compact-Cars, Nissan-Motors, Small-Cars
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
One car three names sound strange! That’s nothing strange but a global game that the global car Maruti Suzuki A-Star is playing. The first time in the history of Indian automobiles, a car made in India, will be known by three different names in the global car market. In India, the car will be christened as A-Star. Suzuki Motor Corporation will sell the same car in Europe by the name of Alto. That’s how Maruti and Suzuki have planned the launch of this global car. But what about the third badge? From where does that come? It’s not a shock but definitely a surprise to know that for the same car Maruti has signed a manufacturing contract with Nissan Motors which will be sold by Nissan in the international market by the name of Pixo. So, three different badges donned on one single car! Labels: Maruti-Suzuki, Maruti-Suzuki-A-Star, Maruti-Suzuki-Alto, Nissan-Motors
Monday, 25 August 2008
Every car manufacture is on the verge of rolling out the new version of the existing model. Recently, Nissan Motors unveiled the latest generation of Nissan Teana at the Beijing Auto Show and very soon Indian roads will also experience the new Teana. The new car is much bigger and spacious and pampers the passengers with more luxury features like seat ventilation, indirect mood lighting and a floating heads up display giving total comfort. The car gets a V6 engine and is likely to carry the price tag of nearly Rs. 24 lakh. It is expected to give a tough competition to Honda Accord in terms of style and performance but losses out on the price front. But those who give importance to performance, style, and luxury than money….then the new Teana is the right choice! Labels: Commercial-Vehicles, New-Cars, Nissan-Motors
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Toyota has taken a hint from its compatriot Nissan Motors and is now contemplating to ink an MoU, through its Indian subsidiary Toyota Kirloskar Motors, with Ennore Port Limited to export its ‘Etios’ to global markets through Ennore port in Tamil Nadu in the upcoming years.
