The Indian roads are just getting flooded with new cars. The latest ones on the roads are the little monsters. The small car segment has begun ruling our roads and eating up the sales of the bigger cars. The steep growth path that the segment currently exhibits looks great. This year has been remarkable for the auto industry compared to 2009.
Fuelling this growth is the slew of new and facelifted models from the automotive majors. Everybody is in the race to launch new cars; Volkswagen, Ford, Chevrolet and market leader Maruti are all in the game. With sturdy growth in the number of first-time car buyers from 24 per cent last year to 32 per cent this year, according to the JD Power statistics, the market is set to expand even more.
“One noticeable change is how two-wheeler owners are entering the A2 segment directly. First-time buyers are opting for the Rs 3 lakh-plus category instead of sub-compact cars,” said S.N. Burman of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, during the launch of the new WagonR. To cater to this market, Maruti Suzuki had spent Rs 300 Crore to give its bestselling car after Alto, the WagonR, a facelift. The base model of the new WagonR, with new chassis and interiors is priced at a competitive Rs 3.29 lakh. Who wouldn’t like to own such a great car at such a low price?
Other contenders do not want to be left behind. Auto majors like Chevrolet and Ford are also pricing their models aggressively. The base model of the Chevrolet Beat is available at Rs 3.34 lakh and Figo at Rs 3.49 Lakh. The base model of Polo from premium marque Volkswagen sells at Rs 4.42 lakh. All-time popular Maruti Suzuki is set to unveil yet another hatchback this June. That’s not all. Toyota plans to bring in the Etios later this year. Whoa! So many launches.
From Alto to the premium Honda Jazz and Skoda Fabia, people interested in the A2 segment will now have 24 models to choose from. Figo, Ford’s trump card in India, is expected to turn the company’s fortunes in the east. “With Figo, I would expect that to rise to about 8 to 10 per cent,” said Michael Boneham, the company president. The Volkswagen Polo, with a great number advance bookings happening, has also been seeing very good days.
If we speak of fuel consumption, maintenance or the cost of spares, it is mostly the smaller cars belonging to the A2 segment that win. Ford and Chevrolet are not just working on their dealership and workshop penetration and localizing their components, but also trying to reduce cost of maintenance. General Motors has been trying hard to attract customers with its Chevy promise of the 3-year warranty or 100,000km. Ford has lowered cost of ownership in terms of service intervals, cost of periodic maintenance, and cost of repairing damaged parts by about 7 to 17 per cent from the existing competition rates.
The good news is that India is catching up with the European automobile emission norms and bringing in the most stringent Bharat Stage IV norms. The bad news is that the new norms will make it necessary for some very good cars to be phased out from the thirteen big cities where the BS IV norms come into effect.
Come April 1st and new units of some very popular models including Maruti 800, Ford Ikon (1.3 petrol), Fiat Palio, Skoda Fabia (1.2 petrol) and Octavia (1.9 TDI engine), and Chevrolet Tavera (2.5 DI) will no longer be sold in the 13 cities where the new norms would be effective from the aforesaid date. All these models, however, will continue to be sold in cities where BS III norms will be implemented.
Of all the cars, the absence of new Maruti 800’s in these cities will bring an ache to many of its fans (me being one of them). The car brought a revolution of sorts when it was launched during the 80’s. Company’s engineers tried their best to re-engineer the car to make it BS IV compliant but gave up because the price would have shot up to a great extent, making it uncompetitive. Another reason for the Maruti 800 phasing out is that Maruti Suzuki has launched a number of small cars, which are doing extremely well for the company. Skoda took a cue from Maruti and decide to phase out its Fabia (1.2 petrol) and Octavia (1.9 TDI engine) models rather than upgrading them to meet the new emission norms.
The Ikon has been a lifesaver for Ford for a very long time, but its 1.3 litre petrol variant, which does not comply with the BS IV norms, would be phased out. All the models of Chevrolet, except the Tavera, have been calibrated to be BS IV complaint. So Tavera would put an end to its big city life and make a detour to the BS III complaint cities of India.
Fiat was in bad shape in India until it launched the Linea and the Punto. Palio, which was already counting its days, got the final blow when Punto became the hot favourite of Fiat. Palio will finally rest in peace, at least in the thirteen BS IV compliant cities. The thirteen cities where BS IV norms will come in effect from April1include Delhi & NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat, Ahmedabad, Agra. The new norm will bring a major blow to these car companies as these thirteen cities constitute about 40-50 per cent of total car sales in the country.
Car manufacturers have already hinted at increasing their car prices post the implementation of the new emission norms. Since the internals of the cars including the engine and transmission have to be upgraded so as to comply with the new norms, the cost per vehicle would rise up Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000. Now, in the light of the BS IV norms, the automakers have two choices – either to phase out the vehicles or to upgrade them (in which case the price hike is justified). But since these models have been in India for about a decade or more, it makes less sense to upgrade them and phasing them out from these cities seems like a more viable option.
The new Fabia after being tested in various parts of the world will be here in India some time soon. Does that mean the current model is going to get phased out? Skoda is also offering a discount of Rs 50,000 on select variants of the Skoda Fabia hatchback. What’s happening? The Fabia, after the rejuvenating facelift will soon come to India. Will the few changes in the exteriors and lots in the interiors of the super hatch make you feel really special?
The bumper, fog lamps and the grille are all new in the new Fabia. The larger 3-dimensional headlamps will not look too different from the current model, but are sure to put the accent on the profile line. The chrome front grille with fins will offer you a warm welcome. A new set of alloys and hubcaps are going to adorn the wheels. Apart from these changes, the Fabia may look quite the same.
Inside, the Skoda Fabia has suffered a major makeover. The upholstery design will be more eye catching. The centre console too will be redesigned. We have also heard that the Fabia will come with an electronic climate control system. They also say that the first-class touch and feel of the interiors make you feel like you are sitting on a comfortable couch. Is that so?
Skoda is offering seven petrol engines and three diesel units of the Fabia. But, in India, we may have the 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine. The engine will be powerful enough to churn out 70 bhp of power. Coming to the diesel category, we expect a 1.6-litre engine with 90-105 bhp power output. We also heard that the current Fabia’s 1.4-litre diesel engine will be groomed to make it comply with new emission norms.
The roominess in the small car is fantabulous. Its increased height and breadth make sure you have enough space to sit comfortably. Height-adjustable seats only add to the comfort. The telescopic steering lets the driver of any height adjust the steering wheel with ease. The Skoda Fabia has ample boot space too where you can dump your entire luggage. In spite of the roominess, the Fabia will not let you suffer on the Indian road. You can just get past any little space during the traffic jam and squeeze into the little parking space anywhere. This is a wonderful compact car that lets you enjoy the luxury of space. Agree?
Will the new Fabia be a reality in India? Or, is it just a fable? The news is too good to be true. The car is believed to be easy to handle in all situations. The ABS system with dual-rate power brakes and MSR engine brake torque regulator support safe halting and good handling. What more can one want? Space, luxury, safety – we may get it all in the new Fabia.
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.
Car sales were robust across most segments in November, thanks to a lower statistical base (November 2008 sales were badly down in the aftermath of the global economic collapse in October), easier financing and improving economic situation.
In passenger cars, sales growth was the maximum in November over the last five years. Car sales surged about 61per cent to 133,687 units from 83,121 units during last November. The biggest increase since February 2004.
Each and every category of cars reported growth, with compact car sales touching almost the one lakh unit mark. But while most brands reported robust sales on improving economic environment and generous discounts, there was negligible manufacturing for some prominent car brands.
Not a single unit was produced for Honda Jazz, Ford Fusion and Skoda Fabia even when sales were 546 units, 15 units and 598 units, respectively.
For the Mahindra Renault Logan, production this November was significantly lower at just 71 units (610 units) when sales were 279 units (300 units). This indicates excess inventory in the system for select models, despite the overall sentiment being robust.
Industry watchers are certain that with continued economic growth, sales by the end of this fiscal could come back to last year's levels.
According to industry forecasts, car sales are expected to grow at least 10% this fiscal; in 2008-09, the 13 manufacturers in India sold 1.22 million cars.
Skoda Fabia has recently won various awards from leading car magazines for being the best car in its class. And with another award of “Active Small Car of the Year” given by NDTV Profit the Fabia continues its winning extravaganza.
Skoda Fabia offers all its customers an impressive combination of style, performance, technology, and safety. It believes to be a trendsetter by offering a capacious cabin that no other hatchback in Indian offers. Proudly known as India’s first superhatch, the Fabia has fulfilled customers’ desires with its extraordinary attributes.
The car experienced a strong competition with the recently introduced Maruti Suzuki A-Star to adjudge the award given by NDTV Profit. But the outstanding characteristics of the Fabia surpassed the excellent styling and technological precision of the A-Star. The Fabia scores high on brilliant styling, practical features, and roominess.
Skoda feels delighted with the fact that its hatchback has exceeded their highest expectations. The company is now confidant that it will compete and win against leading compact cars plying on Indian roads.
The successful Skoda Fabia will again thrill the Indian car market with its new variants. The present model has been a winner in the small car segment with its special and satisfactory features like premium looks, excellent chassis, reliable safety, outstanding performance, and impressive fuel efficiency.
Since the day it’s launched, the car has created an extra-ordinary sensation in the market and received an overwhelming response from car buyers. Its victory in the Indian car market is further glorified by the crown of “Car of the Year” and the “Compact Car of the Year” awards honoured by the CNBC TV 18 Overdrive.
The car has also experienced high sales in the time of downturn which again proves the worth and demand of Fabia in the country. Eyeing the current market demand and to add credentials to the brand, the company plans to unveil three new variants of the Fabia including a new sports variant.
Skoda is emphasising on sporty variant seeing the surging demand of sports car in India and it feels that introduction of a sports car will aid to bring profit for the company. The new sport variant christened as Fabia Sportline will have redesigned interiors and stylish alloy wheels. Adding to the charm and grace will be the premium features and advanced technologies to further improve the performance blitz.
Not only this, Skoda has high plan to capture the Indian market and to give it a shape, it will venture into SUV segment soon with the launch of the Yeti and will also expand its dealership network to 60 this year.
The German luxury car manufacturer Volkswagen is thinking big. The brand is aiming to acquire ten percent of India’s upcoming car market with in five years. Currently, the group holds less than one percent of the Indian market.
By 2009, the Volkswagen will also start operation of its first wholly-owned Indian factory in Pune with investment of nearly Rs 37 billion. This facility will help to increase the Skoda Fabia production. The company is also working on the low-cost car ‘UP’ which will hit the Indian roads soon.
The Volkswagen will also be rolling out the people’s car Beetle also known as ‘Bug’ will hit the Indian market by 2009. Though this small car is going to cost a fortune but still it will be nice to see the ‘bug’ on the Indian roads.
Fabia one of the most sizzling hot hatchbacks from Skoda is in news again. There was a report stating that the company is calling back its most ‘cool looking car’. But the missing link is that to increase the fuel efficiency and performance of the car, the petrol version of Fabia was upgraded.
Due to incompatible fuel quality in India, Skoda India has made minor alteration in the software to achieve better fuel economy and driving performance. The company also assured that for the existing customers, the company would rectify the problem free of cost and all they have to contribute is about 20-30 minutes at the dealerships.
Skoda from the house of Volkswagen always offers posh and stylish looking cars. They never lag behind in terms of power and performance too. But this hot brand cannot be afforded by everyone as it is little expensive compared to other cars.
Skoda’s latest model, the Fabia, is one of the best hatchbacks. Though it surpasses other models, its only drawback is that it is expensive. Skoda is now slowly getting into the ‘affordable price’ and the brand will launch a new car model with the price tag lower than the Fabia in India within the next three years.
Currently, Skoda India sells the Octavia, Laura, Superb and the Fabia and is working on another model Fabia Combi, the Roomster which will be built on Fabia platform.
The Fabia Combi which is expected to carry 1.9 L engine will fall close to the D-segment with respect to the price tag.
