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Tuesday, 6 April 2010
 Can you believe this? Chauffeur-driven Nanos will be added to the list of cars used for guest transfers at the Taj Hotels. It is true that Taj Hotels are promoted by Tata. But a little one like the Nano will be taking guests around the cities and airports. This seems a little strange. Will this really happen or is it just speculation? Indian Hotels (IHCL) is the owner of the Taj brand of premium hotels and the biggest hospitality chain in Asia. Very recently, IHCL introduced Jaguar sedans to the line of cars at the Taj after the Tata acquisition of the brand. It uses the Jaguars for VIPs and for transportation as a limousine. The Nano is one of the smallest cars in the world. But this car is also among the biggest brands within the Tata family. Just a while ago, the whole world was talking about the Nano. Tata gained so much popularity because of the little master. Car makers and car fanatics showed special interest in the Nano. Will it be a success? Will it survive? Many more questions were in their minds. Now we see so many car makers with plans of small cars. Many of them have already come up with mini models. The newly launched Ford Figo, Volkswagen Polo and Chevrolet Beat have been seeing pretty decent sales figures. Nissan too will be rolling out its Micra in the next two months. IHCL always looks at creating a matchless effect by the sharing and combination of products and brands within the Tata Group. The Taj brand feels that it is possible to have the Nano as a car for guest transfers. In some time, once the production of the Nano gets stretched, the car will be waiting for guests to enter. Why do you think all this has suddenly come up? Has any guest at the Taj made any special request for the Nano? None of us have heard anything of the sort. The company only says that such a demand could arise, considering the excitement the world’s cheapest car has created. The car is yet to be launched overseas and requests for cars at the Taj mostly come from international travelers coming to India. So, there may not be too much of a demand for the car though. The international travellers, however, will get a drive in the Nano only during their visit to India. It will take more than a year for the car to hit international roads. So, the Taj’s decision of adding the car to the existing line-up seems to be an intelligent one. Ever since its launch a couple of years ago, there has been so much curiosity and interest attached with the Nano. Currently, IHCL has an array of luxury and economy travel options with carlines ranging from Tata Indica for the economy seekers to the Mercedes Benz S-Class for the premium traveller. The company also makes extensive use of all the models of Tata Motors, including Tata Indigo, Tata Sumo and Tata Safari. Now, does IHCL really intend to use the Nano? If yes, it will have to wait for Tata Motors to reopen the bookings of the car. This is expected later this year. Labels: Guest-Car, Guest-Transfer-Car, Nano, Nano-at-the-Taj, Small-Car, Tata-Nano, World’s-Cheapest-Car
Monday, 22 March 2010
Green cars. Yes, these days, green cars are making a lot of noise. Everybody is talking about them. Car makers are busy creating some. Environmental pollution and its fatal consequences have finally got into our heads. The Nano talk is in full swing. Now, Hyundai says, “It’s my turn”. Hyundai has plans of coming out with a car smaller than its Santro. When? Well, in a couple of years. Will it be something like the Nano? No, the new model is definitely not going to be as small as the Nano. Why? Hyundai Motor India Limited has a set of standard norms and these norms of standard do not allow the company to manufacture a small car like the Nano. Did you know the Nano will roll out from Bangladesh too by the end of 2010? Tata Motors recently said that it would launch the Nano in new markets like Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Bangladesh by this year or early next year. In February, the company displayed the Nano in Bangladesh at the India Trade Fair. Doesn’t it seem like Tata’s small wonder will work big wonders in our neighboring countries? Hyundai, however, has said “No” to something like the little Nano. Hyundai has opened a new dealership in Thrissur district of Kerala with an area of 44,000 sq. ft for sales, service and spares and will have the entire range of Hyundai cars. Well, may be two years from now, and we will see the new tini-mini Hyundai car as well in the showroom. The new Hyundai facility is the second one in Thrissur district and the 19th dealership in the state. Hyundai is on the verge of scaling new heights yet again. The dealership takes the total number to 46 just in the Southern region. As of now, Hyundai is very delighted. It enjoys a market share of 20.6 per cent in Southern India and 16 per cent in Kerala. By the end of 2010, Hyundai plans to increase this percentage to 22 and 20 per cent for southern India and Kerala respectively. In Kerala alone, Hyundai managed to sell 19,603 units last year. Great number, right? Well done Hyundai! Last year, Hyundai Motor India Limited registered a 14.4 per cent increase in sales compared to the year 2008. It sold 5,59,880 cars in 2009. Hyundai is growing and all of us can see it. In the domestic market, it showed an 18.1 per cent growth as compared to 2008 with 2,89,863 units. In the overseas market too, the company’s sales grew by 10.7 per cent with export of 2,70,017 units. With the commissioning of its second plant in February 2008, the total production capacity of HMIL has gone up to 6,00,000 units a year now. Labels: Hyundai-Motor-India-Limited, Nano, New-Hyundai-Car, New-Small-Car, Small-Car, Small-Hyundai-Car, Tata-Nano
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
The smaller cars are going to occupy bigger space at the Geneva Motor Show. Did you know that? Compact models are now the talk of the car makers’ towns. Fiat’s 500 to the 3.8 metre long, two seat-convertible the Renault Wind, are all going to steal the show. What’s the secret? Any idea? Growing urbanization, ageing population, demand from first-time buyers in emerging markets and the squeeze from carbon-cutting regulators around the world have made the smaller cars more beautiful. Emissions legislation has tightened and drivers look for greater fuel efficiency. So, the smaller cars are the ones that will stay firmly in focus. While economic fears and waning scrapping schemes are making forecasting sales trends difficult, the government has decided to support the car makers with incentive schemes to increase sales. At the Geneva Motor show, all of them are certainly going to focus on the green cars. So, the auto show is only going to be more interesting as plenty of new models will be showcased. The small green cars are going to be very important for a possible recovery in demand. The spotlight is going to be on zero-emission technology. Hybrids too are believed to switch from concept to reality at the Geneva auto show. Peugeot will be showcasing its diesel hybrid which will go into production in 2011. Hybrids are no longer niche, they are now mainstream. For car makers, the small cars do not actually mean ‘beautiful’ as they are less or least profitable, so to say. Small cars are now coming in with so many luxury features and an extra list of optional features as well. The prices too seem to be going higher with the features. The Audi A1, for example, will include a navigation system with a high-resolution display and interior trim offered in a range of colours. It’s most basic version itself comes with a price tag of a luxury car. Nissan will produce its Micra in India, Thailand, China, and Mexico and sell it in 160 countries. This again is far away from being called a cheap car. It also plans to make another sedan and compact van based on the same “V” platform. Will Nissan be able to sell 1 million cars of the three models by 2013? The company dreams of doing so. Nissan makes the current Micra at its plants in Oppama, Japan and Sunderland, north-east England. It is using the freed-up capacity to produce higher-value-added compact SUVs like the Qashqai and new Juke. BMW was the mastermind behind creating smaller packages filled with luxury and including price tags that matched. The revamped BMW 5 series is one of the most profitable models and the company’s largest revenue contributor too. Other small cars, including Ford Motor’s Fiesta, Fiat’s 500, and Hyundai’s i10, are now offering standard and optional features ranging from state-of-the-art telematics to custom paint trim and parking assistance. By 2016, more than half the global market will be dominated by A, B and midsized C cars. Audi’s earlier smallest car, the peculiar A2 had received very good reviews since its debut in 2000. It was only the aluminum body that made it a bit costly and Audi discontinued its production after selling over 176,000 units in five years. BMW and Daimler are trying hard to make small high-tech cars and price them competitively. So, which car segment will win at the Geneva motor show? Will the small green cars really make it to the top? We need to wait and watch. Labels: Audi-A1, BMW-5-Series, Fiat-500, Geneva-Auto-Show, Green-Car, Nissan-Micra, Small-Car, Small-Luxury-Car
Thursday, 11 February 2010
 If you remember, we had written a blog on Audi A1 hatchback a couple of months back and we are back with the same topic just for those curious readers who were on the look for the actual launch of the A1. Audi on Wednesday revealed the brand new A1 hatchback, a new dimension to the compact class which promises to be dynamic, emotional and individual. The new car wants to attract young customers who live in major cities and are looking for a vehicle designed for the urban environment. Besides the impressive design, the A1 offers also a sporty and high quality interior. According to Audi, the customers can customise numerous details to tailor the car to their personal tastes which means you will have plenty of options to make your car unique. The instrument panel is suggestive of an airplane wing while the four round air nozzles are reminiscent of the turbines of a jet.  The available infotainment and multimedia systems available come directly from the luxury class. Audi offers the top of the line is MMI navigation plus, a media center that sets new standards in the compact segment. With the LED interior lighting package, the A1 brings 100 percent LED technology to an interior in the premium compact class for the first time. The design of the car is unique and modern, and includes the side line with the distinctive roof arch, the coupe-like C-pillars, the large wheel wells and, of course, the front end with the typical single-frame grille. Also, the hood and rear hatch encompass the body, while the lights are three-dimensionally moulded and present an unmistakable design, day or night. Under the hood Audi offers four engines for the A1, two TFSI gasoline engines and the two TDI diesels that cover a power range from 86 bhp to 122 bhp. The entry-level gasoline engine is the new 1.2 TFSI. It generates 86 bhp and produces its peak torque of 160 Nm already between 1,500 and 3,500 rpm. Coupled with a five-speed manual transmission, the four-cylinder accelerates the A1 from 0 to 100 km/h in 12.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 179 km/h. In the EU driving cycle, it consumes only 5.1 liters of fuel per 100 km, which corresponds to only 119 grams of CO2/km. The 1.4 TFSI ups the ante with 122 bhp. Its peak torque of 200 Nm is continuously available between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm. Together with the seven-speed S tronic, the 1.4 TFSI gets the A1 up to highway speed in 9.1 seconds. Top speed is 200 km/h. The more powerful 1.6 TDI unit produces 105 bhp and 250 Nm between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm, and is coupled with a five-speed manual transmission. This engine pushes the car from 0 to 100 km/h in just 10.8 seconds while the top speed is 187 km/h. The second version of this diesel engine delivers 90 bhp and 230 Nm of torque between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm. Coupled with the five-speed manual transmission, it accelerates the A1 from 0 to 100 km/h in 12.2 seconds. Its reaches a top speed of 179 km/h and offers exemplary fuel economy of 3.8 liters/100 km, which corresponds to 99 grams of CO2/km. The entry-level model will be priced at around 16,000 euros.  We hope that Audi India also brings in this hatchback to India as the Indian car market is the trusted small car market that they can vouch on for the sales of their Audi A1. Labels: Audi, Audi-A1, Hatchback, Small-Car
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd, the Indian unit of Toyota Motor Corporation on Tuesday unveiled its small concept car, Etios, at the Auto Expo in New Delhi. This will be Toyota’s launch pad for the Indian small car market in the days to come. This global car as Hiroshi Nakagawa, Managing Director of Toyota Kirloskar says will enter the mass volume segment. Toyota had invested about Rs 3,200 crore to set up its second manufacturing facility in Bangalore to bring out the car on roads by early 2011. "With the introduction of the Etios we will enter the mass volume segment. We are looking at a sales volume of 70,000 units in the first year," he said. "After the slowdown, we are now in a difficult situation and we are trying to achieve constant recovery. The Indian market is very important and big for Toyota and it is expected to grow up to four million units by 2015," Toyota Motor Corp Vice Chairman Kazuo Okamoto said on the sidelines of the Auto Expo. The company would launch both hatchback and sedan under the Etios series with 1.2 litres and 1.5 litres petrol engines respectively. Toyota had earlier said that it would start selling its first small car in India by late-2010. Toyota Kirloskar, which is 89 per cent owned by Toyota and the remainder by India's Kirloskar group, currently produces the Innova multipurpose vehicle, the Corolla sedan and the Fortuner SUV at its factory outside Bangalore. It also imports and markets the Land Cruiser and the newly launched Land Cruiser Prado SUVs, as well as the Camry sedan. Labels: Auto-Expo, Land-Cruiser-Prado, New-Car-Launch, Small-Car, Toyota-Etios, Toyota-Kirloskar-Motor
Thursday, 24 December 2009
After edging out China in terms of car exports, India now has snatched Japan’s title as the largest small car maker in the world. Thanks to the declining sales in the West and robust growth in Asian market! In fact, India overtook Japan as the world's number one manufacturer of basic cars in 2007. Global biggies like Ford Motors, Nissan, Volkswagen, General Motors and Renault are pumping in crores of rupees in India hoping to get a bigger slice of the cake called Indian car market. As they do so, they are quietly transforming India into an export hub for small car manufacturing. More than 892,000 basic cars, the smallest category of passenger vehicle, were sold in India this year till now. This number surpasses the 708,034 forecast for Japan, according to J.D. Power and Associates. Unlike China, Russia and Brazil, where consumers buy a range of cars, from basic to luxury, Indians overwhelmingly prefer small, affordable cars. Hence, nearly half of all cars sold in India fall into the basic category. Ford Motor Company has invested $500 million in India and its can make up to 200,000 cars a year. The company is now contemplating to shift production of the Fiesta and Focus from Europe to India. Nissan plans to shift production of its Micra cars for the European market from the U.K. to Chennai, which it also aims to use as an export hub for Africa and the Middle East. The company plans to roll out its first made-in-India compact in May, part of a seven-year, $920 million India investment it made with partner Renault. Volkswagen has invested $847 million in India and has started production of its first India compact, the Polo. General Motors opened a second, $300 million factory in India in September 2008, boosting annual capacity to 225,000 vehicles. This month, it teamed up with China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation Group (SAIC) to launch an India joint venture, with fresh investment of up to $350 million. The Indian government has encouraged small car production with tax incentives, and, unlike China, it allows foreign companies to fully own their Indian subsidiaries. That control over production and revenues is part of what convinced South Korean car maker Hyundai to shift small car production to India eleven years ago. Now Hyundai is largest car exporter in India and the second largest car maker in the country. Labels: Basic-Car Model, Compact-Car, Small-Car, Small-Car-Production
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
It is official; Toyota’s small car will be called as Etios. This car will be launched as a concept at the New Delhi Auto Expo of 2010. Tata Motors can breathe easy at the moment as this small car will certainly not be a Nano rival as it will be expected to cost around $10,000. But Toyota has Maruti Suzuki’s Swift in their radar as this car will challenge the uninterrupted run of one of India's popular hatchbacks. The Etios name means 'the origin of'. This concept car will be a 90 per cent production reality. So expect no major changes in the concept car and that of the production model. As per Auto Car India, Toyota will showcase both the hatch and notchback body models in the Auto Expo. The hatchback version of the small car will go on sale to begin with and the sedan version is set to follow soon in about three months after the hatchback version hits the Indian market. The Etios is expected to come in two engine options, a 1.4 liter diesel which does its duty in the Yaris and a 1.2 or 1.3 Liter petrol engine. Toyota has in its stock the 1.3 K3 engine but might downsize the engine to 1.2 l engine due to the stringent regulations put forth by the Government of India to meet the small car regulations. Toyota will not compromise on the quality of the car and hence will go for a gradual ramp-up in production of the car so that it will sell the car in larger volumes later. Toyota in an aim to keep the costs as low as possible will probably resort to limited sound-proofing, a hard but durable interior, basic seats and one windscreen wiper. This small car of Toyota being a global car, might be sold in markets like Russia and South America apart from India by the end of 2010. Toyota will display the car alongside 13 other concept and production vehicles at the New Delhi show, which begins on January 5. Source: AutoCar India: http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/Toyota/246166/Labels: Maruti-Suzuki-Swift, Small-Car, Toyota, Toyota-Etios, Toyota-Small-Car
Friday, 18 December 2009
 Come February 2010 and Audi is all set to reveal its long-awaited city car, a hatchback in that, the A1 at the Geneva Auto Show. We assure you that the launch certainly is a going to be a gala event as Audi has stepped aside from the stereotype and monotonous car launches elsewhere and is banking the new technology to take the centre stage for this launch. The Audi A1 is being launched online. Yes, you read that just right. Online. This small car when launched would have a long list of contenders to take on in the market, starting with the retro car, BMW’s Mini. Though Audi A1 would not have the cult status like the Mini, it certainly is a first premium car in the sub-compact segment as claimed by Audi and Audi is heavily banking on this new unexplored segment, when it launches the Audi A1. We are speculating that A1 would probably be rigged with engine range comprising of 1.2L which produces 86 bhp, 1.4L with 122 bhp, turbocharged 1.4 Litre that spurts out 170 bhp and 1.6 L that spews out 90 bhp petrol engines or 2.0 L common rail diesel engines. Although initially thought to be based on Volkswagen Group's MQB (Modular Transverse Matrix) platform, the A1 was later reported to be based on the PQ25 platform, the same platform used in the SEAT Ibiza Mk4 and the VW Polo Mk5. Audi famous Quattro technology also might be there in the offering in the Audi A1. We do know for sure that A1 looks very much like that of the existing A3, but probably a size smaller than that. Expect Audi to release more information gradually in coming weeks. Labels: Audi, Audi-A1, BMW-MINI, Car-Launch, Hatchback, Quattro, Small-Car, Volkswagen-Polo
Friday, 11 December 2009
Toyota Kirloskar Motor is certainly on a roll. It has confirmed that it will be showcasing 14 production and concept cars, including its low-cost compact car at the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo. Bring it on Toyota, We are ready for it. Going by the company’s press statement, Toyota will be displaying its futuristic technologies in the form of concept and hybrid cars, highlighting the world's largest car maker's environmentally-friendly technology during the event. Toyota Kirloskar Motor, the joint venture between Toyota and Kirloskar Group, will start production of the compact car next December at its upcoming second plant in Bangalore. The small car project is one of the most ambitious car projects of Toyota to showcase their decade old relationship with the Indian car market. The company has really expectations on this pet project and could also well become a major player in the small car market in India. As per the sources, both the hatchback and the sedan version of the small car will be revealed during the Expo. Toyota also has plans to roll out 70,000 units of the proposed compact car in the first year of production. It had also announced plans to showcase its Toyota Prius hybrid car in the biennial event in the national capital and is looking for its launch in the domestic market. The company currently has sedans like Toyota Camry and Corolla Altis and SUVs like Toyota Land Cruiser, Land Cruiser Prado, Toyota Fortuner and Toyota Innova in its portfolio. Labels: Concept-Car, Hybrid-Car, Small-Car, Toyota-Kirloskar-Motor, Toyota-Land-Cruiser, Toyota-Prius
The wait for Indica Electric might get a little shorter for us Indians. Tata Motors speculate that they might be launching their Tata Indica Electric in India at the same time of its launch in European markets in 2011. Tata Motors has already planned to study the Indian market for the feasibility of running the electric versions of Indica here in India starting next year. The important criteria for launching the electric version of Tata Motors popular hatchback would entirely depend on the cost factor as it would be an expensive car when it hits the road. Another roadblock for this car could be the availability of electricity in India. But the overall expectation from the car is that the car would be suitable for Indian roads. The electric version of Indica is being developed by Tata Motors along with a Norwegian company, and is scheduled for launch in Britain, Norway and Denmark in 2011. However, the production of the Tata Nano is on track. At present, 3,000-4,000 units of the car are being produced on a monthly basis. Trial production at the Sanand plant in Gujarat is expected to begin by the last months of 2010. Meanwhile Tata Motors’s production plant in Pune has bagged the prestigious Gold Category Award in National Productivity Contest for the year 2008-09. The event was held at the 51st National Convention of Industrial Engineers & National Seminar held in Nagpur on December 5-6, 2009. The team representing Tata Motors displayed the Productivity Improvements achieved at the Car Assembly Line by the application of innovative Industrial Engineering approaches. Some of the other participants of the contest were HPCL, Mumbai Railways, Heavy Engg. Corp. and ONGC. Tata Motors is India's largest automobile company, with consolidated revenues of Rs.70,938.85 crores ($14 billion) in 2008-09. Through subsidiaries and associate companies, Tata Motors has operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand and Spain. Among them is Jaguar Land Rover, a business comprising the two iconic British brands. It also has a strategic alliance with Fiat. With over 4 million Tata vehicles plying in India, Tata Motors is the country’s market leader in commercial vehicles and among the top three in passenger vehicles. It is also the world's fourth largest truck manufacturer and the second largest bus manufacturer. Tata cars, buses and trucks are being marketed in several countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia and South America. Labels: Electric-Car, Small-Car, Tata-Indica-Electric, Tata-Motors
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Volkswagen AG plans to take a stake of up to 20 percent in Suzuki Motor Corp, providing Suzuki with a much-needed development partner and giving VW access to better small car technology. Though sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations have claimed that the Volkswagen’s stake could rise up easily so that to control more than one-third of the stakes in future. A 20 percent stake in Suzuki would be worth about 250 billion yen ($2.80 billion) at current prices if we go by the data provided to us by Reuters. Spokesmen at Volkswagen and Suzuki Motor Corporation have still not commented on anything as of yet. Executives at Volkswagen, the world's third-largest automaker and Europe’s largest car maker, have publicly said over the past half year that Suzuki would be an interesting target given its expertise in small cars, a key segment to compete in emerging markets. Suzuki, Japan's fourth-largest automaker, for its part, has said it would welcome any partnership that made sense after losing its ties to General Motors Co, which it had relied on for help with hybrid and other next-generation technology. Suzuki, which dominates the Indian market through Maruti Suzuki, as well as the unique Japanese segment for 660cc mini vehicles, has a market capitalisation of $13.7 billion, against Volkswagen's $45.7 billion. Suzuki holds 20 percent of itself in treasury stock, bought back from GM between 2006 and 2008. While Volkswagen's overtures to Suzuki have become common knowledge within the industry, the move comes as a surprise after Suzuki Chief Executive Osamu Suzuki had categorically denied any talks of a tie-up as recently as last month. On the other hand, the septuagenarian CEO, who is also chairman and president of the company founded by his wife's grandfather, has often and openly said his "small" company needed a partner to survive the fierce competition washing over the industry. Labels: General-Motors-Co, Small-Car, Suzuki-Motor-Corporation, Volkswagen-AG
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
Toyota Motor Corp is all set to unveil the concept model of its compact car for the Indian market next month and it is planning to display their upcoming small concept car at the Auto Expo to be held in New Delhi, next month. Toyota, which is quite ambitious with its small car project for India, treats this compact car project as a prestigious one to explicit its 11 year presence in the Indian market and production of Toyota’s compact car being developed especially for India, would commence in December 2011. Toyota’s green car Prius would also be on display at the Auto Expo and is planning to launch it in India as well. Toyota could be a key player in the small car segment and is also touted to lead the category pretty soon. Toyota is launching the car with an aim to make its entry into the small car market, which is quite on a roll right now. With this, the company also hopes to grab 10 percent of the automobile market by 2010. Toyota, the world’s largest car manufacturer also announced that they will launch its hybrid car ' Prius' in India early next year. Prius is the Toyota’s first and most successful hybrid passenger car. Prius is the highest selling hybrid model of TMC with a cumulative global sale of over 1.4 million units since 2000. Labels: Green-Car, Small-Car, Small-Car-Market, Toyota-Motor-Corp, Toyota-Prius
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Fiat India plans to launch its first compressed natural gas (CNG-run car for the domestic market in the April-June quarter of 2010. Though Fiat India has been tight lipped on the models it plans to come out with CNG, we are quite sure that Fiat Grande Punto is being seriously considered for the role and Punto would have a fuel mix comprising of CNG and petrol. CNG is ultimately going to be a fuel for most commercial applications, Fiat officials opine, explaining the rationale behind the move. Though Fiat has LPG models in its kitty, they clearly stand by CNG as it is a less expensive fuel option of the duo and the better fuel of the two. This clearly sends across the message that Fiat is not lagging behind when it comes to vehicles running on more viable fuel options. FIAL is a 50:50 joint venture between Fiat Group Automobiles SpA and Tata Motors. Incorporated in 1997, the company has its production unit located in Ranjangaon in Pune, Maharashtra. The unit has a capacity of two lakh cars, three lakh engines and an equivalent number of parts and accessories. Apart from Fiat cars, the facility will produce Tata passenger and next generation cars with an investment exceeding 650 million euro. Apart from this, Fiat India also seems to busy in developing a India-Specific small car in Turin, Italy, that would be positioned between the A and the B segment and will be launched in 2011. Labels: CNG-cars-India, Fiat-Grande-Punto, Fiat-India, Small-Car, Tata-Motors
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
After the grand entry of the Fiat Grande Punto, Fiat is planning to enter the Indian car market with new models. The Italian car major is all set to come out with its small car in 2011-2012 and Fiat is busy these days with the sketches of the car. The rumour out there is that this upcoming small car from Fiat will carry a price tag of Rs 3-4 Lakh. The company is currently considering various engine options right from 900 cc to 1200 cc for the small car. The car will be positioned between the Tata Nano and the Grande Punto. This small car will be pitted against the upcoming Ford Figo. With the success of the Linea and the Grande Punto, and a new small car unleashed in the Indian car market, the company is eyeing to sell 2,00,000 cars by 2012 with an aim of achieving 7-8 per cent market share. Fiat is also considering to bring in LCVs and premium cars in India. It has been revealed the the ideal time for Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) launch is 2012-2014. The LCVs will come with a load carrying capacity between 0.8-1.8 Tonnes in India. Meanwhile, the company will continue to build its network and manufacturing capabilities to create its own market in India and a strong base for exports of small cars. Fiat has organised a 10,000-km drive, the 'Fiat Diesel Drives India', to promote its diesel engines and vehicles across India. Labels: Fiat, Grande-Punto, Small-Car
Monday, 5 October 2009
 Nissan Micra, the small car of which the car company is very proud of, has finally showcased its initial sketches to the world. This next-generation car will be sold in over 150 countries across the globe and as the pundits in the automotive field put it, Nissan’s Micra is a car which will sky-rocket the car company’s reputation and sales in an unexpected way. These sketches that we have posted in this blog show a Micra looking rather toned and rakish, a stark contrast to the current car's cute-as-a-button design ethic. The result is rather attractive, and still somewhat quirky. Nissan plans on launching the Micra in Thailand next March, and will eventually do the same in Europe in the fall of 2010. Although the car has long been built in England for European consumption, it will now be henceforth built in India, allowing the British facility to assemble the Nissan Leaf EV. We may see the new Micra in person later this month at the 2009 Tokyo motor show. If so, we'll bring you live photographs of the car. Stay tuned to Carazoo.com for all the latest news from the Tokyo show. Labels: Nissan, Nissan-Leaf-EV, Nissan-Micra, Small-Car
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
We are still not the first, but we are certainly among the best small car market in the world. The Indian car market is now the second largest small car manufacturer. This is of course an achievement we can boast about. But this should not be a surprise for those who know the booming demand for small cars in India. The demand for small cars in India is not a new trend. The passion for small cars has a long history in the Indian car market. Most of the favourite cars of India are small cars. The Maruti 800, Maruti Alto, Hyundai Santro have all been successful for their compact nature and affordable pricing. And the auto makers were also happy to boost the small car sales bringing out more small cars. And this has now resulted in India becoming the second largest small car market in the world, where Brazil adorns the first place. The Indian small cars are in demand not only in the domestic market but there has also been a huge requirement globally resulting in a very high export percentage. Maruti has contributed a major part in the increasing sales of small cars. It has launched, in the past one year, very famous small cars including A-star, Ritz and facelifted Estilo. The future of small cars in the Indian market is also bright and gay. There has been a huge list of small cars that is awaiting its entry into the Indian small car market. Volkswagen Polo, Ford Figo, and Chevrolet Beat are just a few among them. Major companies like Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Renault will be launching their new small cars in the near future. Meanwhile, companies like Toyota and Honda has already requesting the government to change the criterion that specifies a small car. It seems that the Indian small car industry will witness a huge change and it will be driven by the never fading demand for small cars. Labels: Maruti, Nissan, Renault, Small-Car, Toyota, Volkswagen
Thursday, 24 September 2009
 Tata Nano is a car that was received by the Indian car customers with great expectations and pomp. Even though it was the cheapest car and the initial booking of the car crossed 2 lakh, there were still many who were not interested in the small car as it lacked many features that are available in the base models of cars these days. And it didn’t take much time before it hit the headlines again, for not delivering the cars on time. There also came the news about how customers, one by one, are withdrawing their booking. But now here is something which you would never have thought about. The Tata Nano is been resold, even before they are been used for a higher price! Yes, you have just read the fact right. There is still an increased demand prevailing in the market for this small wonder car. And that could be the only reason why this car is been sold by the customers before it reaches their hands. And another obvious reason, why such a resale is happening, is that are people who are willing to pay almost 30 per cent higher price for the model. This might give Tata a new idea of increasing the price of the car, even though not in lakh but at least in thousands. And it is sure that the increased price won’t bring down the demand of the car. But the company will not be doing so because the company will not be interested in breaking the promise of delivering the customers with a one lakh rupee car. Labels: Cheapest-Car, Nano-Resale, Small-Car, Tata, Tata-Nano
True partners render and seek help at the hour of need and that is exactly what is happening between the French car maker Renault and Nissan. This year, Renault had a very sad first half, and now Nissan will be launching its compact car in India, using the compact car platform of Nissan. And this will be of great help for Renault as it will not have to spend on any product development. Both the cars, Nissan’s Micra and the Renault-Nissan compact car, which shares its platform with the Nissan compact car, as both the cars will be manufactured at the still constructing Chennai plant and will have similar component sourcing facilities and production lines. Now, this will be an altogether different car and is not the low-cost car that the two companies have planned to manufacture together with the Indian motorcycle manufacturer, Bajaj Auto and is expected to launch in 2011. Nissan has great compact car plans for India for the next few years. By the mid of next year Nissan is expected to launch a compact car with the seating capacity of five. And by 2012 three new cars will be launched using the same platform. Not only will Nissan be using the same platform for manufacturing other cars but Renault will also be using them for its compact car or sedan, or for both. This will be the first occurrence in the Indian car market where two manufacturers are using the same platform for manufacturing many cars. But don’t you think that sharing the same platform makes two cars look alike, no it is never so, Maruti Suzuki Ritz and Swift and Honda City and Jazz share the same platform, but don’t they look different? But one thing is for sure, the Indian car market will, in no time, be flooded with compact and small cars. Labels: Compact-Car, Honda-City, Maruti-Suzuki-Ritz, Nissan, Renault, Small-Car
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
 The much-awaited small car from the US auto major Ford has been unveiled in New Delhi. The car has been christened Figo. Ford Figo is a four-door hatchback that will be available in both diesel as well as petrol engines. Figo has the main elements of Ford’s kinetic design language such as modern headlamps, grille shapes and sculpted bonnet of its distinctive face to the subtle integrated spoiler and chamfered window shape at the rear, which the company has used in world renowned vehicles such as Ford Mondeo, Ford Focus, and the Ford Fiesta. It also has very contemporary features, with a completely new look that is very different from the usual Ford models. Figo is a synonym of car that has essence, superiority and intelligent designing, which is truly Italian inspired very similar to the name of the car which in Italian means cool. It also has a solid posture and a very spacious and elegant interior. The Figo is designed to best suit the urban driving conditions. The Figo also has a molded body side with chiseled front fenders, a “comet tail” undercut in the doors and additional light-catching sculpting in the lower body side. The Figo has a bold graphic with large side window shape and spaciousness awaiting occupants’ front and rear and the side window graphic has a blacked-out B-pillar. The engine specification or transmission details are not available. The production of the car will begin in the early months of 2010. The company has also not yet unveiled any details about the pricing of the car, but it is expected to be priced at something higher than Rs. 3 lakh.  Labels: Ford, Ford Fiesta, Ford-Figo, Small-Car
Monday, 21 September 2009
Ford Motor Company will be unveiling its much-awaited ‘ small car’ in this week. This will happen as soon as in two-three days. The US car major had launched the Ford Fiesta sedan in 2005. Since then, Ford India has not had a new product launch in India, while the company has continued to upgrade its existing product line in the country. Ford India will launch its small car, code named B517 in March 2010. This car will be launched in an attempt to secure its presence in the country. The small car, which is expected to compete with the Hyundai i20 and the Suzuki Swift, was also showcased to its dealers in Chennai recently. This small car will be a four-door hatchback that will be powered by an indigenous diesel and petrol engine. The engine of the small car will be manufactured at its Chennai plant. Ford India has invested around $500 million (Rs 2,400 crore) to double the current capacity by one lakh cars and 2.5 lakh engines. Recently, the company has seen an increase in primary sales (sales from company to dealers), with the Endeavour and the Ikon maintaining their leadership positions in the premium SUV segment and mid-size segment, respectively. Ford India’s existing line-up includes the Ikon, the Fiesta, the Fusion and the hulky Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), Endeavour. The US car major is keen to accelerate focus on emerging markets such as China and India with fuel-efficient products. Globally, consumers are seen to be moving towards fuel-efficient small cars and Ford India is currently offers cars in mid-size segments and SUV segments. Labels: Ford-India, Ford-Motor-Company, Small-Car
Thursday, 17 September 2009
The Indian car market is now in a glorious period. There is also a fast emerging luxury car market but the most expanding segment is that of the small car. Many companies, realizing the flowering love for the small cars in the country are coming up with new models or introducing new variants for the existing models, and so there is never a scarcity in this segment. The next in the queue is Ford with its small car, codenamed B517. The company has been long working on the project and this seems to be the right time to make it public. The company is expected to showcase its small car in Indian this month. But the car will not hit the roads this year, it will be at least March next year for the car to get launched. After B517 gets launched in India it will also be exported globally including the African and Asia-Pacific countries. The B517 will be available in both petrol and diesel variants. It was said that the diesel version of the car will have a 1.5-litre engine, but now it is expected to be launched powered by a 1.4-litre Duratorq engine, similar to the one used in Ford Ikon and Ford Fiesta. The other option will be a 1.2-litre petrol engine. Chiefly designed for the Indian market, the car once launched will pose a good completion to models like the Volkswagen Polo, and new Chevy Spark. The pricing of the B517 is not yet revealed. This small car is expected to enter the Indian car market with really big promises. Labels: Ford, Ford-Fiesta, Ford-Ikon, Small-Car
Thursday, 10 September 2009
The cars from China are the best in the industry but it should not come as a surprise that the Indian cars are outselling them. And remembering the booming demand for the Indian cars in the American market, it will not be a wild guess to mention that the Indian car market has a reason to celebrate, not only because it was able to beat China in the race to sell more cars, but also because Indian car market seems to have little affected by the economic slowdown and it was even able to shrug off any signs of it and emerge out of the soaring condition with utmost strength. The hard-to-digest fact is that India has exported more cars, around 2.30 lakh, between January and July this year, while China has exported only 1.65 lakh. The numbers are still growing and the reason could be many. The Indian domestic mark is less than 20 per cent of the car market of China, to be very precise just 19 per cent, and it is very surprising and at the same time welcoming to see the rise in acceptance for the Indian cars in the global market. A few of the many reasons that have constituted for this great change is the ever-young small car market in the country, which is accepted worldwide for its class, reliability and of course a price tag that is much cheaper than many others. The labour charge is also comparatively less in the country. When the small car market has worked favourably for the growth of export in the country, the big car market, which was hit hard by the recession, has worked against China, which deals most with the cars from this segment. Labels: Chinese-Cars, Indian-car-market, Small-Car
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
There is a good chance that your will become a small car very soon. To make matters more clear removing the cloud of confusion in the first sentence, here is a further explanation to it. The Japanese car makers Toyota and Honda Motors are the two that are looking for a change in the way India will define a small car. The companies are asking the Indian government to “Change the criteria of classifying a small car”. And there is a good reason for this which will not only benefit the two companies but all the car makers in the country; and the better reason is that in India small cars have lower tax rates. But will the two be able to change the mind of the Indian government into thinking different about small cars and classify a different set of cars as small cars taking into consideration the new criteria such as the emission norms, fuel efficiency, and passenger safety and not the engine capacity, which has been for a long time, the defining factor. This request raised by the Toyota and Honda has invited different opinions. Many are of the same opinion that the government should stop defining a car as small just by considering the fuel and engine capacity. The demand of the small cars in the country is really do the magic and that could be the reason why these companies want the Indian government to think new. It is expected that if the governments nods at changing the defining criterion then there will be a huge shuffle in the Indian car industry. Labels: Honda, Indian-Car-Manufacturer, Small-Car, Toyota
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
It seems like India certainly has arrived in the big scene of motoring. India as a whole could be the “Detroit of the East” soon with so many major car brands bringing their production centre to “Incredible India”. India has taken the centre stage producing small cars and the global automakers already seem to have been enchanted with the sub-continent for this sole purpose. India is all set to pip China in the automotive production scene and earn all the automotive laurels to itself when it comes to small cars. We in India already have Suzuki Motor Corporation pitching in with the erstwhile Maruti Udyog to become Maruti Suzuki India which has already scripted a success story for itself in style in the span of twenty five years. Hyundai Motors, a Korean car company soon followed suit and set shop here and has marched in India with their superior products and now has already exporting cars to European countries keeping India as its production base for small cars. Likewise, Toyota Motor Corporation tagging along with the Kirloskar Group in India about a decade ago also started producing cars here in India and already acknowledged the fact that the Indian operations of the company has stood still even with the recession taking its toll in other countries abroad. Toyota also plans to come up with a small car factory by 2011. General Motors which has its presence in India with the Chevrolet brand stood firm ground during “Motown Meltdown” which affected its parent company in the US and other countries. It also might have contributed to the revival of the parent company. Business for Chevy here in India is blooming in an unexpected pace making GM count on GM India as a profit making venture. Tata Motors earlier a commercial vehicle manufacturer barged into the great Indian Motoring scene with the advent of its Tata Indica and soon went up to produce more models of which the Tata Nano certainly awaits a mention. This small wonder has broken all the barriers the motoring world ever knew and will soon become a cash cow for Tata Motors once the export of the Tata Nano begins. Another Indian auto manufacturer Mahindra and Mahindra also has known the importance of India as a production hub and has already started exporting its products to lucrative auto markets like that south-east Asia, America, Europe, Africa and Australia. Honda, Ford, Mitsubishi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Fiat and Skoda all have their production plants in India already. Audi, Nissan, Renault and PSA Peugeot-Citroen have also confirmed their participation in this big production marathon here in India. India expects a lot of other auto manufactures to set shop here in India. But why is this big rush of global auto makers queuing in line to set shop in India? There are many benefits in India, including a high-quality vendor base that is also cost-effective, leading to globally-competitive pricing. In coming days we surely can see a lot of global auto makers emulate companies like Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki, which make small cars in India to export to Europe. Labels: Car-Exports, Global-Automakers, Small-Car
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
 Nissan, the Japanese car manufacturer, is preparing itself to compete against the biggies in the Indian Car Market. Nissan knows the capability, capacity and potentiality of the growing Indian Economy. Nissan like any other auto manufacturer has a feeling that growing Indian car market can revive its sales and boost its coffers in the longer run. The Japanese car manufacturer has a strong faith in the developing Indian economy and the growing demand of the Indian customers has left no signs of hesitation among the carmakers. More importantly, Nissan which has a bearing in the Indian market for about the seven years now with its popular models like Nissan X-Trail and Nissan Teana, has been researching the Indian car market and has understood the small car fanaticism of the Indians and wants to be in the thick of the action by launching a small car here. Nissan gearing to grab that big chunk of the small car market in India, has plans to launch a list of compact cars for the Indian car lovers and the most special among them would be the small car from Nissan, Micra also named as March abroad. The company is putting in hard efforts preparing itself for this cause. Though the company has plans to open a manufacturing unit in Chennai, the fact still has not been confirmed yet. With a little bit of help from Renault, Nissan would probably be able to make a steady march into the Indian car market. The next generation Nissan Micra that is expected to be launched in India will be built on the new ‘A’ platform. The Micra will not be the only car that will be built based on the platform A, but there will be two other models that will share the platform with Micra. It will be again quite long wait as the company has plans to launch the next-generation Micra only by March 2010 and the car will not be available in the Indian market soon after it has been launched globally but will take another two or three months before it hits the Indian roads. Labels: Nissan, Nissan-Micra, Small-Car
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
The new leaner and meaner GM which has come out of bankruptcy is thinking of ways to secure a more stable position in the world market. The company has now laid plans for a new small car launch. General Motors acquired all the motivation for this new launch from none other than the Indian car giant that is currently a growing player in the American car market, Tata Motors. Of late, the Nano from Tata has been giving ideas to other car companies to launch cheap cars that would push more car sales. The new car from GM is expected to be priced at Rs 1.95 lakh, not as much cheaper as the Nano which is priced at Rs 1 lakh. The company is not concentrating on launching its ultra-cheap small car in the U.S. car market, but rather in the emerging markets such as India and other Asian countries. And a very good reason for this is that GM now finds countries outside America the best market for its cars, because in the first half of the year the company made most of its sale outside North America. Nothing much on the specification or other features of the car is available, but it is quite possible that GM might choose its Indian plant to produce its new small car as GM has already made a strong base in the country and that it needs to only pay eight percent of excise duty for small cars. GM India was still able to maintain a healthy position when its parent company filed bankruptcy and was in a shaky position. Once the pride of America, General Motors, had filed for bankruptcy way before the economic recession in 2008, and one among the main reasons is the very elaborate labor plans and policies of the company, which very soon became a burden for the company. But, after filing bankruptcy, GM was well planned and organized as to what are its priorities. Its decision to sell out assets and business ventures by the end of August 2009 holding back the long-term programs has proved beneficial to the company. Labels: General-Motors, Small-Car, Tata-Motors
Monday, 17 August 2009
It is better late than never! This should be the phrase that will be bringing a sigh of relief for the luxury carmaker, Audi. When the whole car world seems to be celebrating the coming of the many eco-friendly models, Audi might have felt a little out of place and seriously decided that it also could have its way in the eco-friendly cars department. This probably is why the company is planning to launch a new ecological car – that was a very light way to say how Audi has to really deck up and launch its expected E1 very soon. There are more eco-friendly cars that is expected to be launched by Audi in this year such as the whole E series namely the E2, E3, E4, and E5 but this one, E1 seems to be more special than the rest not only because it is the first one in the list but also because of that the E1 belongs to the small car segment and there aren’t many cars from Audi in this segment. It is not sure whether the car will be available in both petrol and diesel variants or just either one of them but it is expected to be available in gasoline and electric engines. The engine will be powered by a 600cc twin cylinder turbo charged engine. There will be a sibling for the E1, E1 1.2-litre three cylinder. The E1 will have the typical Audi looks with its alloy wheels, mesh grille, Daylight running headlamps and the big front badge. And there will also be touchscreen device in the car that comprises of features like MP3 player, satellite navigation, and phone. The E1 will have better fuel efficiency with very low carbon dioxide emission. The E1 is expected to become the best among the city cars and will take over the Ford Ka, and Smart. The car might take another year or two before it gets launched globally. Labels: Audi-E1, Eco-Friendly-Car, Small-Car
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Toyota seems to be thinking high and certainly has great plans for future; after all it is the largest carmaker of the world and has always been successful in foreseeing its future and planning it accordingly. The company has now foreseen its future in the diesel cars. Sounds interesting, huh! The company has of late announced that it is not planning to concentrate on anything apart from its small car for another one year, making itself and the customers very clear about the company’s plan to go lull on launching new cars. But even though the company has not promised anything as of yet , it is expected that it cannot stay away from the market for such a long time, as it will affect the company’s business, and it is sure that the company will be tempted to launch some new variants of the existing models or an upgraded version. Toyota Motors is planning to make its small car available in the diesel version also understanding the pulse of an Indian customer. As the company has not taken any decision on whether or not it will launch the diesel version of the small car, the factors that govern its decision in going further to make its thoughts into action will be the popularity of diesel cars in India. And as per the current situation, diesel cars are of great demand in India and more and more diesel car models are been launched. And the reason could be that it is a cheaper fuel compared to petrol and will be more fuel efficient. And another factor that the company would be considering will be the government rules and regulation, but this looks a bit tricky as one never knows what rule will the government bring out next week, leave apart next year. This small diesel car from Toyota might, if everything goes well, hit the Indian roads by the 2011. And it is even possible that the wait to last longer but we all wish that the wait is worth it. Labels: Diesel-Car, Small-Car, Toyota-Motors
Thursday, 6 August 2009
 The “Baby Swan” adds a new feather to Aston Martin’s cap. Baby Swan? We are talking about the new concept car by Aston Martin. And we all know a baby swan is called a Cygnet. The Cygnet is said to be a derivative of the Toyota iQ. This car has been developed by the British supercar maker to abide by the strict emissions rule of the European Union. The Aston Martin Cygnet is a small car which will have 1.0 litre three-cylinder petrol engine similar to the iQ. The car will also come with the Toyota iQ’s innovative three- plus-one seating arrangement. The tiny car is the result of a joint venture between Aston Martin and the Japanese giant. The Cygnet can pride itself on a Euro NCAP five-star crash safety rating. Moreover, Aston has fitted the baby swan with a low-emission and highly economical engine to meet those harsh environmental rules. The 3-metre long Cygnet will sport exquisite style taken from Aston Martin’s supercar range. In addition, this car will also flaunt leather-clad cabin featuring the very best materials, along with an Emotion Control Unit (ECU) that plugs into the centre console, replacing a traditional key. The Cygnet will go on sale in 2010 and Aston Martin aims at selling atleast 4000 of these cars per year, across its global market. Labels: Aston-Martin-Cygnet, Small-Car, Toyota-iQ
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Nissan Motors India is readying to launch a new hatchback in India by early 2010. The small car will be manufactured at their new plant in Chennai. This new plant is expected to be operational from next year. Nissan India has set up a new manufacturing unit in Oragadam near Chennai in association with the French auto maker Renault. The new facility will not merely cater to the domestic needs but also the overseas demands of models from both the companies. The unit will have an initial manufacturing capacity of 200,000 cars per year. The factory will then scale-up production to 300,000 cars in about four year's time. It has been revealed that it has become difficult for Nissan and the French car maker, Renault, to make profitable cars in Europe for sale. The upcoming small car is known as the March is Japan, but the Indian version will be christened as the Nissan Micra. The Micra will be available in both petrol and diesel versions. The Nissan Micra will stand against the Tata Nano. Initially, it will be the Micra which would be followed by a derivative of the small car and then a sedan which is expected to be launched in 2011. In addition to the Nissan Micra, the company also aims to launch four to five models in next five years in the Indian market. Currently Nissan Motors sells the completely built units (CBU) of Nissan Teana and Nissan X-Trail in India. Labels: Nissan-Motors-India, Nissan-X-Trail, Small-Car
Hyundai and Maruti are seriously working towards reducing weight of their cars in the next couple of years. By reducing weight of the cars, the companies will be able to bring down expenses and also increase fuel efficiency and performance. Several new cars launched by Maruti Suzuki have already shed weight by using lighter panels. Maruti has a designated research team to work out the load shedding process. Hyundai has set up a specialized team of engineers and a research and development team to come up with ideas that will help reduce weight of their products. Indian and Korean engineers will work on the project to make lighter vehicles. Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai have a neck to neck competition in the Indian car industry, particularly in the small car segment. The companies feel that higher fuel efficiency of hatchbacks means higher sales. The marketability of the car will be easier. Reducing weight of the cars is not a new idea in the automotive industry. Many superfast cars of the world have been able to deliver higher performance thanks to light weight body construction. Now the same technique seems to be used for small cars. However, what is surprising is that small cars are already lighter than cars in other segments. They have smaller powertrains too which further reduce weight. Now with lighter body panels small cars will undoubtedly achieve higher fuel economy. Getting a fuel efficiency of 20 km/l won’t be that far now. But car companies need to take care that lighter body panels also offer stricter safety technologies. It should not be a case of pound wise penny foolish. Whatever the thing is, we will be seeing some of the leaner and meaner cars rolling soon from the factories pretty soon. Labels: Hyundai-cars, Maruti-Suzuki, Small-Car
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Toyota Kirloskar Motor has been contemplating on introducing a small car to the Indian market for quite some time now. There is a huge demand for small cars in India. So, Toyota is anticipating that launching a small car in India will boost their market share in this growing economy. Toyota is aiming to become a giant in India. It is working on the small car codenamed 800L which would be mass produced in India. This compact car will play a major role in boosting the sales of Toyota and it would stand against with Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata Motors. The Japanese car giant has targeted a market share of 10 per cent in India between 2015 and 2018. The company had, earlier, set itself the same 10 per cent share for 2010 but has set back the date. Toyota had planned to join hands with its subsidiary, Daihatsu, to make a small car but shelved the idea because the economics were not working out. This small car has also been planned to Brazil, Russia and China as well. Honda is also planning for a small global car to be launched in India and which will also debut by end-2011. So, the small car codenamed 800L from Toyota Kirloskar Motor will also have to stand against Honda. Labels: Global-Car, Small-Car, Toyota-800L
Friday, 17 July 2009
 The tall boy Maruti Suzuki Wagon R has been a favourite among car buyers in India for a long time. It survived the huge tides of Maruti Alto and Swift hatchback. But probably it is the age which is catching up with WagonR. Now in a new bid to increase Indian public’s interest in WagonR, Maruti Suzuki has launched a mascot for it. The mascot which is called Mr. WizeR will represent the model in India. The WizeR will emphasize the value like smartness and leadership – which embodies WagonR. The company also plans to have a cartoon character based on Wagon R. The company plans to use the cartoon character, Mr. WizeR, in several places including display in TV, internet and print media. This will help give WagonR more visibility in the small car segment which is currently crowded with numerous brands. We think it is a perfect timing to bring back Maruti WagonR to the limelight. Wagon R, a small car, is currently available in four petrol and two LPG variants. All the petrol variants receive a 1.1litre 4cylinder engine that delivers a maximum power of 64 bhp. Surprising for a car of this value, it has an option for 3-speed automatic transmission, while the 5-speed manual transmission comes standard. Wagon R was among the first cars in India to offer reclining and sliding front seats. Maruti Suzuki Wagon R is a sporty car perfect for the urban small family. The popularity of the Maruti model is so high that even now it sells 11,000 units monthly. The mascot would help revive the brand visibility among car buyers. Labels: Maruti-Suzuki, Maruti-Suzuki-WagonR, Small-Car
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
 Our own Tata Nano has passed the hurdle it desperately wanted to gate crash into the European car markets. Tata Nano has come out in flying colours to meet the stringent European crash tests! The world’s cheapest car was driven at a speed of 56 km/h and passed 40 percent offset crash tests including the side impact tests. Tata Motors is likely to start selling its small car Nano Europa in the European countries from 2012. Tata Motors carried out some inclusions in the test vehicle such as adding airbags and strengthened the front longitudinal structure. It also added another structure behind the bumper to absorb the impact of the crash gaining an increased weight of 18 kgs. Tata Nano had earlier passed the crash test driven at 48km/h under the Indian norms. However, Indian guidelines do not specify airbags as mandatory, while this is an important safety feature in most of the developed economies. Owing to the stringent European vehicle norms, massive improvements were required in Nano Europa. Tata Motors had a huge task ahead of it to make the car acceptable to European countries. By passing the crash test to meet the European standards, Tata Motors has demonstrated that it is certainly in a hurry to take the glory of Tata Nano to different places on earth. Since 2012 is three years away, Tata Motor didn’t necessarily have to take the test at this point in time. But by doing so Tata Motors has ensured that international critics are silenced. International car experts have for long doubted and complained about Tata Nano’s crash worthiness. Tata Motors now aims to achieve the four stars rating under the tougher Euro NCAP tests. It is a great achievement for Tata Nano to have passed the tough European safety norms. This enhanced Nano would be made available to European customers. As of today, Tata Motors has not clarified that if the improvements will be made available to Indian Nano cars. We hope that Tata Motors offers the enhancements as additions on the Tata Nano for people who are interested. Labels: Nano-Europa, Small-Car, Tata-Motors, Tata-Nano
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Here is good news for the car buyers as well as the manufacturers. Earlier when the excise duty was reduced for small cars, big cars did feel the pinch as the segment was excluded from the benefit. But now even they have a reason to smile as the excise duty is reduced on the high-end cars. This benefit will be passed on to the customers in the form of reduced price tag. According to the revised scheme, additional excise duty will be reduced on big cars with engine capacities of 2,000 cc and above by Rs 5,000 per unit. The first car company to declare the price cut is Hindustan Motors, about Rs 6,000 on its partner Mitsubishi's Pajero, Outlander and Montero cars. Other car manufacturers like General Motors, Toyota, BMW, and Tata too have followed suit and announced the price cut but the exact discounted price is not revealed yet. Though some of the car manufacturers have decided to pass on the benefits to the customers, there is other car brand like Honda which refused to reduce the price, stating inflation as one of the primary reasons. But the car manufacturer does not understand the fact that this decision will affect their sales target as other cars will be sold in lower price. Labels: Honda-Cars, Mitsubishi-Cars, Small-Car
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
 India’s “biggest small car” Honda Jazz has received a fairly good response after it was launched in India last month. Jazz with a body styling resembling a MUV and a hefty price tag attached to it is still drawing crowds to the showroom. Honda Motors now has plans to add more power to Jazz. It is speculated that Jazz would be seen with a 1.5-litre engine next year. Jazz which is developed on the Honda City platform will share the same engine of the City under its hood. With more power, the Honda Jazz would cost a little extra with an estimated price of Rs. 70,000 more. Besides 1.5-litre engine, the car would be seen with an optional automatic transmission which will add an extra burden of Rs one Lakh on the pocket of the buyers. Currently Honda jazz is powered by an i.2 litre i-VTEC petrol engine which produces 89 bhp and is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. With more power Honda Jazz will definitely be a star among its rivals. And with Honda’s reliability and popularity there are people who do not mind paying even bigger price for a small car. Honda Jazz is still young in its segment India. Labels: Honda-Cars, Honda-Jazz, Small-Car
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
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Maruti Suzuki has always been a leading player in the small car segment. But now as the MUV segment is experiencing an upward trend, it’s time to await the launch of a new MUV by Maruti Suzuki. Christened as O2, the new MUV based on the Versa platform is expected to roll out on Indian roads by October this year. With the launch of this new MUV, Maruti will strengthen its product line in the van segment. Currently the car is at an advanced stage of design with no specified details of pricing or technical specifications. The launch of the O2 is expected to bolster Maruti's position in the Indian car industry. And further trigger a tough competition in the MUV segment dominated by cars like Toyota Innova and Chevrolet Tavera. Even though Maruti Suzuki Versa is not a popular hit in the market the car manufacturer has planned a new car based on the Versa platform. At a time when no other specifications of the new MUV are revealed we can just hope that the O2 does not have to face the same destiny as the Versa. Labels: Maruti-Suzuki, Maruti-Suzuki-O2, Maruti-Suzuki-Versa, MUV, Small-Car
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
The Pico is an ultra cheap and fuel-efficient car that is smaller and cheaper than the Tata Nano. The small car is designed and engineered by the creative team of engineering students from M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology in Bangalore. These students were inspired to build a car to provide better fuel efficiency and reduce congestion. With the production of Pico they have proved their mettle. It is a four-wheeled, open air car with a tiny engine that can comfortably accommodate two people and easily maneuver through traffic. With the introduction of the new small car, Nano has lost its label of being ‘the world’s smallest and cheapest car’. The engineers of the Pico claim that the car offers double the mileage than the Nano. Moreover, its compact dimension offers a comfortable and pleasurable ride on congested Indian roads. Pico is soon to enter mass production and will roll out with a price tag of Rs 40,000 inclusive of road taxes, insurance, and other clearances. That makes the cost of the car one-fourth of the Nano. With this Tata Nano can no more be tagged as the ‘world’s cheapest car’. Double the mileage and one fourth of the price tag makes the Pico win the race with Nano. Nano will definitely face a tough competition when the car is commercially launched. Labels: Fuel-efficient-Car, Pico, Small-Car, Tata-Nano, Ultra-cheap-Car
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Despite the recession cloud hovering over the car industry, Nissan has taken a bold step to introduce eight new car models in India by 2012. These models will include both imported as well as locally produced cars from the Chennai plant. Among the new launches, the company will initially focus on the small car Micra. Though there is no confirm news about the launch of Micra, it is expected to hit the Indian shores by 2010. Micra also called March will be positioned against the Maruti Suzuki Swift and will be come in both petrol and diesel versions. Wrapped in aluminium, the new petrol model will sport a light weight 1.2-litre three cylinder engine with superior fuel efficiency. The diesel variant will be fitted with a 1.5-litre Renault engine that is currently being used in the Mahindra-Renault Logan. Micra will be then followed by another model from the sedan segment which will compete with the Swift Dzire and will be built on the Micra platform. The all-new sedan will come with more powerful petrol and diesel engines. The list does ends here, it is also speculated that the company is planning to bring in a compact SUV and a MUV for the Indian buyers which will be produced at Chennai plant. The rest car models will be imported which include the all-new Teana, X-Trail, Murano Crossover, and the 370Z (a sports car). It seems Nissan has aggressive plans to engulf the enticing Indian car market as it is also looking forward to expand its car dealership from 5 to 35 by 2012. Labels: New-Car-Launch, Nissan-Cars, Small-Car
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Volkswagen has started the trial production for its upcoming small car ‘Polo’. It will be the first locally made car from the company’s stable in India which is set to be unveiled at the New Delhi Auto Expo 2010. The commercial production of Polo is likely to start soon after its display at the Auto Show. The car is based on the Skoda Fabia platform. Polo is likely to help Volkswagen make inroads into the huge small car market in India that is primarily dominated by Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motors. The Chakan plant where the Trial production of the Polo was recently flagged off has a capacity to manufacture 110,000 cars per annum. The Chakan plant will follow company’s two-shift theory unlike other German plants which work 3-shifts. The company has provision for only 35 percent of automation as against the 98 percent of automation it has in Germany. The company has made the highest investment worth 580 million euro in India. Well, Volkswagen seems to be serious about the Indian car market. And will definitely succeed in taking over its rivals if its continue expanding its network as well as product portfolio in the country. Labels: Polo, Small-Car, Volkswagen-cars
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Till date Maruti Suzuki was proudly known as the car manufacturer of most fuel-efficient cars in the Indian car market. There was no car manufacturer who was able to challenge the fuel efficiency Maruti offered in its entire portfolio of car. But now the unchallenged run of Maruti Suzuki comes to an end with the launch of world’s cheapest car Nano. A thought may have evoked in your mind as to how a small car like Nano was able to end this successful run of the country’s leading car manufacturer. But the answer is as simple and straight. In the recent testing and quality verification the Automobile Research Association of India has testified that Tata Motors’ small car Nano is more fuel-efficient than most of the frugal car models in India. The association tests and certifies all commercially launched cars in the country under standard conditions. Recently the associated tested around 450 models in the country out of which Nano turned out to be a winner with a certified fuel efficiency of 23.6 km/l. At this stage Maruti was pushed under the Nano with its winning A-Star at the second position recording a fuel efficiency of 19.6 km/l. And this was followed by the third position again attained by Maruti’s highest selling Alto with an efficiency score of 18.1 km/l. The third position was tied up with the Hyundai i10. Nano taking over Maruti’s car models in terms of mileage sounds really amazing. Tata has never been able to overpower the success that Maruti had been rejoicing in the country since past 25 years. And don’t even remember whether the J. D. Power Asia, a known research firm, has rated Tata cars for its excellence in performance, mileage, or dependability. But the launch of Nano has changed the scenario. With this Tata desires to climb the value chain and achieve a strong foothold in the Indian car market. The launch of Nano is itself a breakthrough in the car industry and further the Nano achieving the highest fuel efficiency marks another significant milestone in the company’s history. Labels: Car-Manufacturers, Maruti Suzuki A-star, Maruti-Suzuki, Small-Car, Tata-Nano
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