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Thursday, 11 March 2010
The Geneva motor show has begun and car makers are busy displaying their small and eco-friendly cars. Each of them is trying to outdo the rest with new technologies wrapped up in the small packages. What does the general public look for in a car? Isn’t it the brand and the wallet-friendliness? While it is possible to get the brand at a rock-bottom price, there’s no stopping. On Wednesday, the BSE Sensex was up 48.76 points or 0.29 per cent to 17,101.30. The average daily volume in the last quarter being 1.36 lakh shares, 1.64 lakh shares were traded in the counter and stocks went from Rs 1472 to a high of Rs 1519.90. Since Feb, till 9 March 2010, stocks had outperformed the market rising 10.75% compared with the Sensex's 6.30% rise. Over the last quarter it underperformed the market, falling 6.78% as against 0.42% decline in the Sensex. India’s second largest selling car maker, Hyundai, has an equity capital of Rs 144.46 crore with a Re 5 face value per share. Rs 1488.15 being the current price, it discounts the company's Q3 December 2009 annualized EPS of Rs 95.19, by a PE multiple of 15.63. The Figo has come out with the destructive price to compete with cars from other auto giants like GM’s Beat, the Maruti Swift and Ritz, the Hyundai i10 and the VW Polo. The cool car has come with 1.2 litre petrol and a 1.4 litre diesel engines. The pricing seems to be superb. The petrol variant prices range from Rs 3.49 lakh - Rs 4.42 lakh and the diesel models are in the Rs 4.47- 5.29 lakh range. The mileage too is simply great; 15.6 and 20 kilometer from every litre of petrol and diesel respectively. As if the Figo is just not enough, Ford plans to launch a few more small cars to make the competition tenser. We know that these little cars have already captured 70 per cent of the domestic market. What are car manufacturers planning to do now? Something more? Just a while ago Nissan and Toyota announced their plans to bring in small cars in the Rs 4 lakh range in India. Maruti shares had risen 0.69% on 9th March and Suzuki Motor raised its stake in the company to 55%. This set off rumours that the move was part of a bigger plan to take full control of India's top carmaker. Only recently did Suzuki raise its stake in Maruti to 55% through secondary market purchases. At the close of the year 2009 Suzuki had 54.21% stake in Maruti. Did you know Suzuki may increase its stake further? In India, carmakers can make acquisitions of up to 5% a year and anything over 55% will require Suzuki to make an open offer for another 20%. So, it’s clear enough now that the increase in the stake must be part of a larger strategy to take full control of Maruti. Suzuki's latest alliance with Volkswagen that saw the German group pick up a 20% stake in the Japanese group further justifies the doubt. Maruti Suzuki India's profits jumped 221.9% to Rs 687.53 crore on a 62.5% rise in sales to Rs 7372.65 crore in Q3 December 2009 over Q3 December 2008. It produces buys and sells cars and parts. With all these changes, we only feel that the big cars will have to shy away a little. The sale of small cars is going to be real quick. The small ones will have to fight each other too with better technologies and pricing as weapons. Which one will you buy? Labels: Ford-Figo, Hyundai-i10, Maruti-Ritz, Maruti-Swift, Small-Car-Sales, Small-Car-Technologies, Small-Cars, Small-cars-in-India, VW-Polo
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
The Union Budget 2010 has brought in a slew of price rises in the Indian car industry, which is deemed beneficial by the industry experts. Even the government claims that the post-budget price hike is going to bring long term benefits for the industry. All things considered, the budget has done nothing to bring a smile on current or future car owners.
Post-budget, fuel prices shot up and the other thing that has shot up along with it is the pressure on the Union Government to reduce the fuel prices. But Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, is not someone who gives in to the pressure of Opposition or his own allies, for that matter.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that the general price hike has been brought about keeping in view the long-term benefits of the country. He also said that populist policies, if persisted with for a long time, will lead to erosion of the investment climate, our capacity to create new jobs, and of our ability to invest in flagship programmes for the poor people. Manmohan Singh also said that the hike in fuel prices would not add-up to the already-high inflation.
So much for the effects of increased prices on the country’s economy. Now let’s take a look at the effects of increased prices on present and future car owners.
There has been a hike in excise tax on prices of large cars, sports cars and MUV’s. However, the Indian government has taken into consideration the people who want to own smaller cars and spared them by sticking to the old excise duty. But, that has been balanced by hiking the fuel prices.
The fuel price hike may be conducive to the growth of Indian economy but it will definitely bring down the morale of vehicle owners. The general instinct of consumers may be to shift towards fuel efficient diesel vehicles, since diesel prices are relatively lower than petrol and even mileage-wise, diesel wins over petrol. But, the diesel prices have gone up too.
Excise duty on electric cars has been waived off by 4 per cent and they also get exemption from custom duty & other special duties on the components used. Now, that does bring a sigh of relief, considering that the hybrid car segment is going to touch a new high in India.
Labels: Budget-2010, Car-Sales-In-India, Cost-of-Car-Ownership, Diesel-Prices, Electric-Cars, Fuel-Prices, Indian-car-industry, Small-Cars, Union-Budget-2010
Friday, 22 January 2010
 Chevy Beat is in the Indian market and how? After its launch just a day before the commencement of the 10th Auto Expo, Chevy Beat has been the centre of attraction anywhere it is seen. The parent company General Motors is quite happy about this car which saw its global launch here in India.GM hopes that their Beat breaks into the sales charts of the country as a top grossing model pretty soon. GM which is contemplating to sell at least 5000 units of the Beat per month is heavily banking on the North Indian sales as the North Indian market alone accounts for about 40 per cent of all small cars sales in India. So it’s quite evident that GM hopes to sell 1,600-1,700 units of the Beat in the North Indian region alone. The deliveries of the cars would start from January-end or early February. It must be noted that the Chevrolet Beat was put through over a million km of durability tests in extreme weather conditions and crash tests both in India and abroad to prove its utility on Indian roads. The beat has been launched in three variants viz. Beat PS, LS and LT, carrying price tags (ex-showroom) of Rs 3.34 lakh, Rs 3.54 lakh and Rs 3.94 lakh respectively.  Beat will be launched in 170 countries around the world, including Europe, Asia and North America. Besides this, GM also has ambitious plans lined up for India and will soon foray in to the commercial vehicle market in India by launching light vans and pickups in a collaboration with a Chinese automaker. Labels: Chevrolet-Beat, General-Motors, New-Car-Launch, Small-Cars
Thursday, 17 December 2009
 While we were speaking about Mercedes in the earlier blog, we also hit on this story that sounded equally amazing. Hope, you also will be amazed. Green is in and HOW? Just like Mercedes-Benz, its compatriot BMW seems like it had been working very hard to give something clean in return to the nature. We have known that BMW is already working very hard on its new “EfficientDynamics” engineering philosophy which if simplified means cleaner vehicle technology. BMW, in a move to make its cars more eco-friendly has announced that the upcoming 2011 BMW 7-Series luxury car will be available with a twin-turbo-six-cylinder engine in North America. This certainly is a big step ahead for BMW which has always vouched by its big V8 engine for 7-Series. BMW 740i and 740Li of 2011 will be available with BMW’s universally acclaimed straight-six engine that produces 315 horsepower at 5,800rpm and 440Nm of torque at 1,600-4,500rpm. BMW claims the 740i and 740Li will be among the most powerful six-cylinder luxury sedans in the world with this all-aluminium engine doubled with twin-turbos, features high precision direct fuel injection and double-VANOS variable camshaft technology. We guess, like the small cars which is gaining popularity amongst the people, smaller engines also is gaining popularity with the manufacturers of high-end luxury cars in Europe and America. This is in order to reduce fuel consumption and cut back on emissions, while still retaining the drivability that bigger engines offer. Labels: BMW, BMW- 740Li, BMW-7-Series, BMW-740i, Luxury-Car, Mercedes-Benz, Small-Cars
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Volkswagen, with its 10 brands including Audi, Skoda, Seat and now Porsche, has said it wanted to become the world's No.1 automaker by 2018, a goal it would reach with relative ease if Suzuki became a subsidiary. Unlike the Numero Uno automaker at the moment Toyota Motor Corp, the Wolfsburg-based company has only a 2 percent share of the U.S. market but is dominant in the expanding markets of China and Brazil. Volkswagen is said to want Suzuki's know-how to develop a minicar platform for the Up! concept car, or use Suzuki's existing platform outright. Automakers are in the midst of realigning themselves in a wave of consolidation that many saw as inevitable given chronic overcapacity and a tough sales environment amid the worst industry downturn in generations. The bankruptcy of Chrysler this year was twinned with a link-up with Italy's Fiat SpA, while Chinese automakers are looking to buy into brands on sale from GM and Ford Motor Co. Still, many viewed Suzuki, with its enviable expertise in small cars and overwhelming lead in India through unit Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, as being reluctant to coming under any carmaker's control. But the CEO Suzuki, who turns 80 next month, had struggled to find a successor after the death two years ago of his son-in-law whom he had been grooming for the top job. Labels: Concept-Car, Small-Cars, Suzuki-Motor-Corporation, Volkswagen-AG
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
Nissan Motors, the Japanese carmaker has zeroed on India as an attractive and cost-effective sourcing point. Nissan Motors is increasing its business strategies in India for sourcing, hiring or identifying production bases. The company’s upcoming plant near Chennai is being perceived as the hub for sourcing spares for its operations in other parts of the world. As the cost of manpower is low in India, Nissan is looking at the prospect of sourcing spare parts for its non-compact cars from the subcontinent. In fact, the car manufacturer is also planning to obtain car parts from other locations in India and Chennai will be the cardinal point, where special packing and other value-engineering aspects would be taken care of. About 90% of the cars produced at the new facility near Chennai would have original content. Nissan has already signed up with 94 Indian vendors for this project. These vendors are likely to take up positions at the Greenfield plant, which will have the capability to produce cars on three platforms such as A segment cars, B segment cars and light commercial vehicles. Nissan Motor India has already received orders from its European counterparts. This carmaker has also received stupendous response on the hiring front and about 300 employees are being recruited and trained at its overseas plant locations. It is hoped that Nissan will be able to manage the exchange rate fluctuations better by investing in low-cost country. Nissan Motors is also investing to source products from Thailand and China. It is expected that around ten Lakh small cars will be churned out from Nissan’s manufacturing plant in India by 2012. Labels: Compact-Cars, Nissan-Motors, Small-Cars
Friday, 10 July 2009
Though General Motors has declared bankruptcy, the Indian subsidiary of GM is going strong. The GM India has also ensured that the bankruptcy of GM in U.S. will not have any affect in India. The company has proved this by rolling out few variants of its product line here in India. Chevrolet Beat, which was revealed in the 2009 Auto Expo is speculated to be launched this August. The launch is pretty confirmed as the test mules have already been seen testing in the roads of Mumbai. Globally, Chevrolet Beat, is known as Spark, but since Chevrolet has already a car by the same name in the small car segment. The Beat which is positioned below Spark in India was earlier christened as Mini but the name did not match the stylish car. The car is expected to be seen in both petrol and diesel version and will be the third-small car in GM’s product line, after Spark and Aveo U-VA. The exact specification is unknown but it is said to carry an engine with the capacity of 1.0-1.5-litre under the hood. The car will be locally assembled at the GM’s Talegaon plant in Gujarat. Chevrolet Spark is doing well on the Indian roads and the launch of Beat is expected to Beat add more value to the car manufacturer. Beat will be entering the league of powerful hatchbacks like Suzuki Swift, Indica Vista, Hyundai i20, etc. We all hope that Beat will offer something more than these players that will make this small car stand out in the crowd. Labels: Chevrolet-Beat, Chevrolet-Cars, New-Car-Launch, Small-Cars
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
 The wait is over!!! The much awaited Hyundai i20 diesel has finally rolled out from Hyundai’s mill to India’s roads. And this is not the end of the Hyundai's commitment to Indian Car Market. Hyundai also has a surprise gift for the i20 lovers, who it is pampering with an Automatic! The i20 diesel CRDi engine uses a DOHC, 16 Valve, Variable Timing Valve Train (VTVT) technology that ensures acceleration, smooth drivability, low emissions and optimum fuel mileage of 20 km/l on average. Delivering a power output of 88 bhp, the CRDi engine is more powerful than the petrol engine of the i20. The i20 Automatic Transmission (AT) has a 1.4L GAMMA petrol engine that uses a 4-speed gearbox with an overdrive lock switch. With the launch of the i20 Automatic, Hyundai has become the first carmaker to offer an automatic option across all the segments starting from the compact to the premium. The safety features in the newly launched i20s include 6 airbags, rear disc brakes with Anti-lock Braking System and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution. The i20 diesel and the petrol will be available in three different models, i.e., the Magna, the Asta and the Asta Option. The i20 Automatic will be sold in two variants namely the Asta and the Asta Option. Asta Option variants sport a cool sunroof. The base Magna will come with power windows, electric power steering with tilt and telescopic adjustment and air-conditioning or heating. In total the i20 is now available in eight variants. The i20 CRDi and i20 Gamma Automatic is available in seven exciting colours – Berry Red, Black Diamond, Dark Grey, Sleek Silver, Crystal White, Sparkle Blue and Silky Beige. The diesel version will cost Rs. 6.2 -Rs. 7.2 Lakhs and the new petrol variant will fall in the range of Rs. 7.3 - Rs. 7.7 Lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi). Labels: Hyundai-cars, Hyundai-i20-Diesel, New-Car-Launch, Small-Cars
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Peel P50, which weighs about 68 kgs and has a top speed of 64 kmph is arguably the smallest car in the world. This car which was officially recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the smallest car ever to go into production, was displayed at Ripley's Believe It or Not museum in Times Square, New York. Designed as a city car for Ripley's by the London-based Peel Engineering Company, this one seater car was advertised as capable of seating “one adult and a shopping bag”. The $ 25,000 Peel Trident is a battery-operated car featuring one door on its left side, single windscreen wiper and one headlight. The Peel Trident uses a 49 cc DKW engine which runs for about 480 km per charge. It is equipped with a three-speed manual transmission with no reverse gear. Therefore, turning in a confined area can only be achieved by pushing, or lifting the car using the handle on the rear and physically pulling it round! The Peel Engineering Company had made about two hundred gas-powered cars in the 1960s but never hit the road. Only one prototype, the Peel P55 Saloon Scooter survived the time machine. The Peel P50 which has a single wheel at the front and two at the rear and is road-legal in the UK as a "three-wheeler" and in Finland, it is being classified as a moped. Labels: gas-powered-cars, Peel-P50, Peel-Trident, Small-Cars, small-cars-India, Smallest-car-in-the-world, Three-wheeler
Thursday, 11 June 2009
When Honda Jazz launched on Wednesday, it was called a segment defining car by a senior Honda official. The spacious new small car which is based on the platform of the popular Honda City sedan is one of the most expensive hatchbacks in India. The above Rs 7 Lakh car is all set to re-define the way small cars are perceived in the country. If the highly priced Jazz sees success, it will open the door for many more super hatches to roll into the small car market. By setting the stage for more new expensive small car models, the Jazz will become a pioneer of the premium small car segment in India. Three other premium small cars are set to follow the Jazz - Volkswagen Polo, Hyundai i30, and Renault Sandero. All these vehicles are priced between Rs 6 Lakh and Rs 8 Lakh and are slightly larger than the typical small cars on Indian roads. These premium hatchbacks come loaded with plenty of modern technological advancements such as advanced airbags, climate control systems, and high quality audio systems. For long, these features have been restricted only to premium sedans. The Honda Jazz bundles it all within its compact structure. It remains to be seen if the new extension to the small car segment will go down well with Indian car buyers. At the high price of Honda Jazz, how many will sacrifice sedan comfort for a spacious and feature-packed hatchback? Existing small car owners may consider upgrading to a more premium small car such as the Jazz. Internationally, these premium hatchbacks have been a success but the Indian market has proved very dicey to even the most experienced car manufacturers. Labels: New-Honda-Jazz, Premium-Hatchbacks, Small-Cars
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Finally, the country of innumerable car brands and car models is shifting focus to economical small cars after seeing decades of sedans, SUVs, and passenger vans. The almost bankrupt General Motors has aired its willingness to build small cars for the U.S. market. GM is looking forward to introducing a new small car to join the Chevrolet Cruze and electric car Volt in the American car market. The address by the CEO marks a clear path for GM’s future which has so far prided itself for producing big vehicles. The new small car is also a step in the direction to cater to the growing small car market. It is expected to help General Motors regain its profitability within a few years. If successful it will be the most profitable venture by General Motors in the past decade after years of huge losses. It will also help General Motors regain its market share in United States that has currently fallen prey to foreign car brands. Currently, General Motors markets the Chevrolet Spark and Aveo U-VA hatchbacks in India. The company could add these same cars to the U.S. market with a few upgrades. These cars have been well received by the buyers in India. GM could also export them from India to cut costs thus making them more competitive against the Japanese brands in the U.S. market. Labels: American-Cars, Chevrolet-Cars, General-Motors, Small-Cars
Friday, 15 May 2009
Maruti Suzuki is planning to introduce CNG cars that will be BS-IV compliant in the small car and sedan segment. The company has taken this decision seeing the growing demand for cars that run on alternative fuels other than the conventional fuel. Maruti will source natural gas from the Reliance Industries and GAIL. As there are only few CNG stations available in India, the company along with the Reliance Industries and GAIL plans to create a strong network of CNG stations. Meanwhile, GAIL (Gas Authority of India) will expand the network covering over 80 percent of major cities in India. The process to scale up the number of CNG stations has already started which will be easily available in 40 cities by 2010 across the country. This will provide an easy access of CNG to the car owners and will also help increase the number of CNG car users. Not only Maruti Suzuki, many other car manufacturers also want to add CNG and LPG variants in their portfolio. But lack of easy availability of the fuel had discouraged them from launching these vehicles. However, the new development in this arena promises a green future for India as natural gases are light on environment and also give better mileage compared to petrol and diesel models. Labels: CNG-cars, Maruti-Suzuki, Small-Cars
The Maruti Suzuki Ritz finally made its formal appearance in front of scores of expectant eyes and inquisitive minds that revelled in its compacted beauty and blushful persona. The wait for this small car has been long and ostensibly eternal but its warming beauty during the car launch made it seem well worth the patience. Flowing new body curves, boomerang taillights, and piercing headlights stole the show today. 
The Ritz blitzes on to the small car stage with a unique accolade – one of being the first BS4 emission compliant small car in the country. It is also very Indian in nature due to its attractive price tag of 3.9 Lakhs (going upto 5 Lakhs for higher variants) and also due to the fact that 85% of its components are locally manufactured. 
The Ritz is available in both Petrol (84 bhp 1.2-litre new K12M engine) and Diesel (74 bhp 1.3-litre DDiS engine) options. The new K12M petrol engine offers great pickup and a fantastic fuel economy of 17.7 km/l (figure from Maruti). As specified by the manufacturer, it requires no oil change till 10,000 kms and spark plug replacement can wait 40,000 kms. The advance DDiS diesel engine is the same proven and tested technology as that on the Swift hatchback and delivers 21 km/l as per Maruti’s claim. Labels: Maruti-Suzuki-Ritz, New-Car-Launch, Small-Cars
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Honda is working on another small car project while it is preparing for the launch of the Jazz. The new small car is likely to carry a price tag below Rs 5 Lakh lesser than the upcoming car Jazz that is expected to cost Rs 7 Lakh. To achieve a cheap price mark, Honda is emphasizing on localizing the component for the production of the car. The new car with its competitive price tag will make Honda face the highly competitive small car segment that is currently dominated by car manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motors, and Chevrolet. Presently car models like the Swift petrol and diesel, Hyundai Getz, Hyundai i20, Skoda Fabia, and Chevrolet U-VA are doing good business in the Indian car market. This will be Honda’s first car that will be built keeping India as a lead market. Lead market for the Jazz is Japan whereas U.S. is the lead market for the Accord and the Civic and Thailand for the City. The company is planning to manufacture the car in large volume unlike the Jazz which is expected to get modest volume production due to its high price. The car will be manufactured at Honda’s new Rajasthan facility that will hold the initial capacity to produce 60,000 cars annually and will be later increased to 2.5 Lakh. Honda’s first contender ‘Jazz’ in the small car segment has already started getting appreciations even before its launch. And the new car with an attractive price tag is sure to strengthen the company’s base in India. Labels: Honda-Cars, New-Car-Launch, Small-Cars
Monday, 11 May 2009
Though the first phase of allotment of Tata Nano is still due in July, Tata Motors is in full swing to diversify the car’s model range. Interestingly, the company is likely to introduce an automatic variant and a diesel variant of the Nano. The production of these new models of Nano will take place at Sanand, Gujarat and are expected to hit the market by the end of this year. Currently, Nano comprises three variants - Nano, Nano CX, and Nano LX with a 624 CC engine which gives an approximate mileage of 22 km/l. This figure suggests that it is one of the most fuel efficient petrol cars in India. It is speculated that the diesel variant will give a mileage of 25 km/l which will set a new benchmark in the Indian car industry. The automatic Nano will be dearer to women and beginners (who hate gear shifting) with a 4-speed automatic CVT gearbox. Sources in the industry said that the automatic gearbox is being manufactured by the Pune based Kinetic Group which is taking help from the Avtec Ltd. and a Canadian firm CVTech-IBC for manufacturing the CVT gearbox. An automatic gearbox in a small car will revolutionize the car industry as it is not very common in the small car segment. Only premium small cars enjoy the automatic transmission feature. Both the variants (Automatic and Diesel) will definitely help the ultra-cheap car to spread its wings wider and grab a larger market share. Labels: Nano, Small-Cars, Tata-Motors
Thursday, 30 April 2009
Indian car market being the fastest-growing car market in the world has captivated many western auto biggies. Interestingly, the Chinese car leaders also couldn’t stay away from the alluring and rising Indian car industry. Realizing the prominence and potential of the Indian car market, Chery Automobile and Great Wall Motors of China is planning to enter the market through a joint venture. Currently, these manufacturers are seeking a local partner to make their debut. Till date, Chinese car manufacturers were focusing in the markets like U.S. and Europe. And since the volume started falling down because of the economic crisis, they are forced to divert their attention from these markets. Nothing is confirmed yet but it is said that Chery is in talks with the Sonalika group for introducing small cars in India. The company is expected to introduce their cars by 2010 with competitive price. Great Wall Motor (GWM) which primarily into SUV and utility vehicle production is also in talks with various local vendors for partnerships. Recently, the car manufacturer has also expanded its portfolio with MUV and hatchback. The company is looking for a partner in India which is already involved with model assembling. Labels: Chinese-Car-Manufacturers, Indian-car-industry, Small-Cars
Monday, 27 April 2009
It’s a celebration time for the component manufacturers in India as small car race is in full swing among car manufacturers. In this time of downturn when car buyers are maintaining distance from expensive cars, companies are bullish to introduce more small cars to sustain their business in the market. And delightfully all these cars use local components which in turn benefits component manufacturers. This brings more work to the recession hit component manufacturers and also gives them a chance to reconcile their lost grip of the market. Car brands like Volkswagen, Ford, BMW and Skoda is planning to introduce more small cars in domestic as well as in the international market. Volkswagen will also roll out Polo from the small car segment by mid 2010. All these small cars will attract nearly 70 to 80 percent of local components. This will not only lead to a good opportunity for the component manufacturers in India but will also reduce the price of the cars drastically. Well, the production of small cars is benefitting component manufacturers as well as car manufacturers. Labels: Car-Manufacturers, Component-Manufacturers, Small-Cars
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Nano is creating benchmarks in all arenas. Small but this smart car has surpassed the boundaries of marketing and promotion to reach every part of the globe.
Tata Motors has adopted new schemes and strategies to market its small wonder. The move towards online marketing through facebook, orkut, and other social marketing websites was commendable. It was amazingly the first car that was made online and won success through the medium.
Maintaining the online growth and strategy of marketing, Tata Motors has also associated the car with the renowned online game portal, zapak.com to help Nano lovers take a virtual tour of the car. Through the new online game, buyers can maneuver the world’s cheapest car with desirable colours and accessories. Car enthusiasts can just log on and play for free if they wish to drive the Nano in the virtual world.
It is believed that after the Nano was launched in March, its website has received about millions of hits and now the newly launched online game portal has experienced about 1 million gamers taking Nano on a virtual tour.
Labels: Nano, Small-Cars, Tata-Motors-Cars
Eyeing the current slowdown in the car market, ICML (International Cars & Motors Limited) has postponed its plans to introduce small car in India. Supposed to be marketed in Europe, U.S. and India, the ICML's world car was earlier expected by 2010.
The company feels that it is not the right time to introduce the cars as the industry is under the strain of tremendous recession. Hence, it has deferred its world car project which focused on export and domestic market. However, the plan to introduce a concept car 'Inspire' unveiled at the 2008 Auto Expo in India is going well and is expected to arrive by 2010.
The company is working with the Italian design house Pininfarina for its world car project and has invested around Rs 700 Crore for the design as well production front. The current model Rhino Rx is doing well in the Indian car market and the new cars from company's stable will certainly help to boost its performance.
Labels: Indian-car-market, New-Car-Launch, Small-Cars
Monday, 20 April 2009
There are many small car buyers who sacrifice safety for the cause of higher efficiency and smaller car size. Small cars are revolutionizing the entire industry with new agendas and aspirations. But the fact that driving small cars can cause fatality is ignored. Though they provide reduced emissions and good mileage, the question remains are they actually safe?
Recently an insurance company in U.S. conducted a safety test by slamming three mini car models into a midsized car. The three models Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, and SmartForTwo were slammed into Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. All the six car models were travelling at a speed of 64 km/h. And what shocked everyone was that all the three mini-cars experienced severe impact of the accident. They were all fared poorly in the accident whereas the midsized car into which the three were banged fared acceptably well.
Weight versus safety has always been an arguing discussion in the car market. To introduce small cars that are peppy in traffic and are wondrous in performance, car manufacturers have to downsize the cars. And this downsizing and down-weighting actually makes them unsafe on roads.
Labels: Car-Buyers, Car-Manufacturers, Small-Cars
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Mumbai streets will now be packed with black and yellow Santro taxis. The Mumbai Taxi Union decides to replace the 25 year old taxis with a new car that may better suit the needs of the tourists as well as be cost-efficient. The first batch of Santro was handed over to the Taxi Union at a ceremony organized at Modi Hyundai dealership. But for now only Santro will replace the old Fiat taxis and gradually this number will be increased to 1250 by December. And furthermore there are about 50,000 old taxis plying on Mumbai roads that are to be replaced. Hyundai Santro is a proven and low-maintenance small car with capacious cabin and functional features, and high-end reliability. Earlier there were speculations that the taxi market wanted to target the world’s cheapest car Nano or Maruti Suzuki WagonR to replace the old taxis. But then why Santro, why not Nano or WagonR? If we closely look at the Nano it is a cost-effective and fuel-efficient car but as a taxi the car is not viable as it is can comfortably accommodate only 3 people apart from the driver. And about the WagonR it could definitely be a good option but maybe Maruti Suzuki is not willing to enter the taxi segment. Hyundai wanted to make a breakthrough in the Mumbai taxi market and so introduced its low-priced and high-performance car in the segment. To add more joy to the taxi market the company also offers its Santro to taxi owners at a discounted price of Rs 2, 42, 500. Now the Mumbai streets will witness a new fleet of taxis. Labels: Fiat-Taxi, Hyundai- Santro-Taxi, Hyundai-cars, New-Cars, Small-Cars
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Skoda’s plan to launch a small car this fiscal is now postponed by more than a year. The new car is likely to be smaller than the Fabia and priced below Rs 4 Lakh. It is also planning to roll out another small car positioned below the Golf with a sticker of Rs 7 Lakh. These cars are expected to be fitted with CNG or LPG kits. But why suddenly the company advances the launch? It’s an obvious question that pops up in the minds of many. The recent launch of the Nano has dazzled the entire industry with its high-end engineering. The Nano-mania has taken a toll over car enthusiast and car buyers. Maybe this is the reason why Skoda wants to wait so that this mania can subside and car buyers can have a broader perception. The car manufacturer is just trying to read the market for Nano before making any further decision. It’s interesting to know that Skoda desires to drive its entire team of designers and engineers to go back to the drawing board to create something innovative and tantalizing. Like the Nano, Skoda’s small car is also expected to be indigenous without any compromise on quality. Just wonder what if the Nano mania does not subside? Will Skoda decide not to launch its small car? Labels: Nano, New-Car-Launch, Skoda-Cars, Small-Cars
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
Tata’s little heart is now ready to rule the car market. There is no car in India and even in the world which is cheaper than the Tata Nano, therefore it offers the cheapest mode of four-wheel personal mobility. But how far the car surpasses its competitors like the Maruti 800, Chevrolet Spark, and the Maruti Suzuki Alto in other aspects. On the mileage front, Nano scores maximum with its fuel efficiency of 23.6 km/l compared to the 800, Spark, and the Alto which delivers a fuel efficiency of 14.2 km/l, 13.1km/l, and 14.5 km/l, respectively. Moreover, the Nano is also compliant to both Bharat Stage II and Bharat Stage III emission norms unlike others that are only BS III compliance. If required, Nano can also be upgraded to meet the BS IV emission norms. But when it comes to power, Nano has the smallest 624cc engine because of which the car is not able to exceed the speed of 105 km/h whereas its competitors can easily go beyond 100 km/h with better stability and handling. Nano has minimum turning radius that makes the car maneuver more efficiently on congested city roads. It has 4 metres turning radius compared to 4.4 metres in Maruti 800, 4.6 metres in Alto and 4.6 metres in Spark. So, the Nano wins the small car race because of the high mileage, low price tag, and the minimum turning radius of 4 meters. Labels: Nano, Small-Cars, Tata-Motors
Friday, 20 March 2009
Eyeing the success of the Spark and the U-VA, General Motors is enthusiastic to introduce another small car priced at Rs 4 Lakh. The new car will be a global product and is expected to get 50% indigenisation component. The new small car is expected to roll out from the Talegaon plant in Gujarat by this year end. General Motors’ business is constantly growing in India, whereas in home ground it is going through a trouble time experiencing plunging sales and financial crisis. The growing demand for small cars in India has inspired the company to bring in more small cars into the market. Hope the new small car will too carry the stylish design and attractive features like Chevy’s other small cars. It will face competition from the yet to be launched Honda Jazz, Hyundai i10, i20, Maruti Suzuki Swift, and the Skoda Fabia. Labels: General-Motors-Cars, New-Car-Launch, Small-Cars
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
Time has come to think small! All car manufacturers are racing with the concept of their distinctive small cars and so is the Jaguar Land Rover. Jaguar-Land Rover is planning to roll out a small car with a little help from the UK government. The car will be purely based on the Land Rover’s LRX concept vehicle. LRX concept is the smallest, lightest, and most fuel-efficient car that made its first debut in the Detroit Auto Show last year. And now the company aims to put the innovative concept on road. LRX is born out of passion and speaks of Land Rover design language. With a highly desirable identity, the concept is styled with reinterpreting cues, floating roof, rising beltline, round headlights, and traditional Land Rover tailgate. Moreover, the compact size defines the need of present day car industry. The innovative concept by JLR not only defines a style statement but makes a power statement too with intelligent power management system and revolutionary technologies. The best part is the beautiful interior designed with recycled materials. This lightweight concept by JLR kitted out in sustainable technologies is a perfect answer to the present day challenges offering fuel efficiency, lower emissions, lower fuel consumption, thrifty designs, and engineering excellence. Labels: Car-Manufacturers, Jaguar-Land-Rover, Small-Cars
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
The used car dealers are getting nightmares with the approaching Nano commercial launch.
Used car dealers being afraid of the market after the Nano launch have drastically reduced the rates of the pre-owned cars. Most of them are trying to reach the margin of Rs 1 Lakh to compete with the Nano. Shockingly, prices of many mid-size cars have been slashed by over 25% and small cars by 2%. Four-to-five-year-old Ford Ikon, Maruti Esteem, Opel Corsa and Fiat Sienna are now available with a price tag of around Rs 1 Lakh. Well the used car dealers have taken a right and smart step by lowering the prices. As it is quite obvious that when an AC mid-sized car with all necessary features is available at the same price of Nano, no customer will opt to buy a Nano base variant without AC. It is also known that the prices of the A and B segment (small) cars will see a further revision after the launch of the Nano. So, Nano is not only a threat to the new existing small cars but also to the used cars. Labels: Nano, Small-Cars, Used-Cars
Thursday, 12 February 2009
Though General Motors is badly hit by the recession in its native, it is optimistic for the Indian market. The company foresee a great potential for its product in the Indian market especially for its small cars. The reason that makes the company feels this is none other than its small car sales volume in the country when its car sales dropped drastically in its home ground. It slipped from the position of top car manufacturer now taken by Toyota Motors which also depicts its worsen condition in U.S. GM’s Chevrolet brand has experienced a good success in the Indian market which includes a portfolio of cars like the Aveo, Aveo U-VA, Captiva, Optra Magna, Optra SRV, Spark, and the Tavera. Just like Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motors Chevrolet is also gradually taking its safe position in the Indian market. Its flagship models the Spark and the Aveo U-VA recently bagged top position in ‘Quality Car’ list ranked by J.D. Power Asia in their respective segments. Seeing the brand’s awe-inspiring success, General Motors forecast India to become one of the top five Chevrolet markets globally in next five years. Labels: Chevrolet-Cars, General-Motors, Small-Cars
Monday, 19 January 2009
Low-cost car are the latest hum in the Indian car market amid rising air pollution, traffic congestion, and fuel prices. Mobility has been redefined by Indian populace from the fuel guzzling SUVs to fuel efficient small cars. Small cars being economical and safe meet all the needs and demands of car buyers. Seeing the wind of change in the market, many car manufacturers are walking along with the new trend carrying the conscience of small concept. Following the suit, Fiat has also announced its plan to introduce a global low-cost car by 2010 and for this project India would be one of the key hubs for providing car components to the company. The brand will tap the experience of its Indian partner, Tata Motors, to get a clear picture of the kind of effort it needs to put in for establishing this venture. Tata Motors being the manufacturer of world’s cheapest car may help Fiat for implementation of this plan. It is believed that the low-cost car will be rolled out of the Tata-Fiat's Ranjangaon plant near Pune with all localized auto components. After the launch of its scintillating mid-sized car the Linea, Fiat has made a perfect decision by planning a low-cost car in the cost cognisant and green era. This new car will further help the company to get a better hold of the Indian car market. Labels: Fiat-India, Indian-car-market, Small-Cars
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
The first small car shinning in the history of Indian car industry is Maruti Suzuki 800. After that many small cars are introduced and some are still in line. After the hit of inflation, car manufacturers started taking a ride from the small car stable to maintain their foothold in the market. As the race continues, the recent launch of Maruti Suzuki A-star has embarked a new journey for the small car manufacturers. But then too, the car won’t be able to rejoice a hassle free voyage on Indian roads with the presence of successful competitor like Hyundai i10. A-Star is born with excellent blend of technology and innovation. The passion that drives the car is the path breaking technologies and Penta Drive that assures a smooth, passionate, and impressive drive. The car appears to compete with the i10 with its power and mileage. Both the cars generate more or less similar power output and fuel-efficiency, the two key factors driving the car industry today. Amazingly, Hyundai i10 has been clocking good sales number with around 9000-10,000 units per month. With such a high selling number in the industry, it may be tough for A-star to just coup the success and win a crown. But yes, if compare to Maruti Suzuki WagonR and lower version of Maruti Swift, A-star can cannibalize them. Unfortunately, the car would consume members of its own species and would face a tough time competing with leading small cars in India. Labels: Maruti Suzuki, Maruti-Suzuki-A-Star, Small-Cars
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Maruti Suzuki Alto is the fastest running small car on Indian roads. Packed with excellent features and improved engine technology, the car rocks on Indian roads and a hot time favourite for many car consumers. With such a high degree of success, Maruti Suzuki now sets down with a sale of total 10 Lakh Altos. Yes, the car manufacturer is now all set to complete the sale of 10 Lakh car units of the Alto. Its even more interesting to know that the sale of first 5 Lakh unit took over six years to complete whereas another set of 5 Lakh sales happened in a span of about two and a half year’s time. We can’t ignore the success of Maruti Suzuki 800 which is already running successfully and the next hit in the domestic market from the same house is Alto in the small car segment. The sale distribution clearly dictates that the over a period of two to three years, the demand of small cars is on cards. And so, more and more numbers of small cars are due for Indian car market. Labels: Car-Consumers, Maruti-Suzuki, Small-Cars
Friday, 31 October 2008
Seeing the success of Hyundai Santro and Hyundai i10, the company plans to roll out more small cars in the Indian car market. The company has no plans to compete with the Nano but desires to design and develop a car that falls in line with one of the most successful small car, Maruti Suzuki 800. Definitely lower than the price tag of Santro but falling in the territory of 800, the company aims to produce a baby Hyundai. It’s more exciting to know that Hyundai Motors has plans to design the car based on the Santro platform and will bring the car close to the price tag of the Maruti 800. Smaller than the proposed Hyundai i20, this car will rock the Indian market and will definitely drive the car market with its long and accelerated journey. Labels: Hyundai-Motors, Indian-car-market, Small-Cars
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
We don’t know whether it is exciting or astonishing but there has been news that Government was planning to ban small cars. This plan was aimed at easing traffic problems in big cities and expanding public transport system. Though Government is focusing more on enhancing public transport, tell me frankly how many of you actually use public transport for daily commuting. Yes, today many of you do use but what when there’ll be more small and cheap cars on Indian roads? After the launch of affordable and small cars like Tata Nano, it will be difficult to judge the actual numbers using the local transport system. So, banning on small cars is simply of no use. Whether more number of cars or more number of buses, the traffic is going to increase anyhow. Infact, it’s better to have more number of small cars rather than having buses and auto rickshaws on roads. Labels: Nano, Small-Cars
Few years ago, driving to work and back home in sedans was very common especially among professionals and youngsters. During those days many sedans and SUVs were found on Indian roads as well as in parking spaces. But now the trend has changed. The trend has shown a paradigm shift from sedans to small cars. Whether on roads or in parking lots, you’ll now find more number of small cars. Blame it on increased fuel prices, high car production cost, global recession, or ever-clogging traffic, the season for small cars is now here. Many of you might have exchanged your fuel guzzlers with small and fuel-efficient cars. Not only the consumers but also the ecology is demanding small cars due increasing global warming. Whatever the factors and reasons are, the fact remains that it’s a peak time for small cars. Labels: Fuel-Efficient Cars, Small-Cars, SUVs
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
With so many new car launches in the country, you can also experience the joy of one more new car by Nissan. The Nissan plans to introduce a new car for India in association with Renault. This car is expected to roll out from the Chennai plant where the joint venture has invested a sum of Rs 40 billion. Yes, this huge amount is invested to cater to the increasing demand of small cars. The Nissan has no plans to keep the booking orders in piles and so it has invested to have a total production capacity of 400,000 units. Such a high production capacity will surely meet the requirements of car consumers. The company will also export the cars to global car markets like Europe. The commercial production of the new car is expected to start by 2010. Though the launch is far away, the excitement is near! Labels: New-Car-Launch, Nissan-Car, Small-Cars
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Hey guys! I have recently purchased this new launch from Maruti, Zen Estilo. And believe me, this is a wonder to drive. It is spacious, stylish features and that sportiness to meet that young and enthusiast spirit in you. Last Friday I went with 5 of my friends to Moorthal, Haryana to had Parathas as Delhi seemed to be cooler in the night that day. Trust me, that drive was completely amazing. Those colors of t he car interiors give me a feeling of elegance. In addition, 5 people sitting in car was never seemed to be a problem. The ABS technology in the car ensures that you are safe on the road when a sudden brake is required which actually happened that night. Above all the Red color looks stunning. I have driven a many cars in the small category but this one is simply different...Thanks to Maruti-Suzuki. By Singh Labels: New-Car-Launch, Small-Cars
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Renault’s studio has become a stable for the ULC (ultra-low cost car) project and the Indian youth the key to that stable. Yes, Renault defines Indian youth to be the key to the lock that opens a new world of small cars. The company’s alliance with Nissan and Bajaj has selected a team of 16 employees who will exclusively be involved in the designing of the small car project. Even more interesting is the fact that among the16 employees, 13 are Indian Nationals belonging from different culture and religion. With a team of these youth, the company plans to incorporate all popular trends into one pack and design a car completely favouring Indian customers. It is a known belief that only an Indian car manufacturer or designer can actually know the taste of Indian customer base. The company has also hired a team of dedicated professionals who will go into the roots of culture, tradition, lifestyle, trends, and changing generation to get the best design roll out of the stable. Therefore, when the car will finally roll out, it would be truly Indian. Labels: Indian-Car-Manufacturer, Mahindra-Renault, Small-Cars
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
As the Nano moves from Singur to Gujarat, it has undergone a long series of controversies, confusions, and exciting pieces of ups and downs. Interestingly, the complete series will now be depicted in between the pages. Driven by the long and interesting story, Nano has delivered, the publishing industry plans to release a book dedicated on the complete making of the Nano. This book will unveil the complete Nano story starting from the announcement of the world’s cheapest car to the final stage of production, including the in-between controversies and violent activities that had clouded over the car. Book named as ‘The Making of the Nano’, will be introduced in 2009 at the Frankfurt Book Fair that runs from October 15-19. It is unveiled with an aim of adding huge volume of literatures on iconic small cars across the world. Roli Books who are optimistic about the positive response of the Nano’s biography will unveil the journey of the Nano. Labels: Small-Cars, Tata-Motors, Tata-Nano
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
 Driven by the success of Hyundai i10, the company decided to up the production by adding a third shift in the plant situated in Chennai. Since the first launch of this car in 2007, the car has shown a high growth scale even during the negative market scenario. The decision is aimed at making India a global manufacturing hub for small cars. Beginning with Hyundai i10, the company wants to design and produce many more small and compact cars in India for the Indian market. The introduction of new shift is targeted to meet the increasing domestic as well as export demand of the i10. To add more numbers globally, the company also plans to increase the number of dealers in the country and hold a higher market share. Is this the beginning of a new mission in India? Or just a hype in the plant capacity? Labels: Compact-Cars, Hyundai-i10, Small-Cars
Monday, 8 September 2008
Small car lovers, get ready to row with luxury! Global automotive major Mercedes-Benz has introduced a number of luxury cars to the Indian car market. All the cars have been a good success in the luxury segment of the industry. Now, as the small car race is becoming faster, Mercedes Benz evaluates the possibility of introducing small luxury car to the Indian market. The company plans to drive its small car A-Class car in India. The Indian market is very dynamic and promising but still Mercedes Benz feels the need to evaluate the Indian car market with respect to
price and overall perception of the company. Depending on the study and research, the company will decide when to launch the car. In India, the luxury car market is growing 30-40% per annum. This annual growth is expected to change with changing generation of people as well as the cars. Will the A-Class small car be as successful as the Mercedes Benz S, SL, and C class luxury cars in India? Labels: Indian-car-market, Luxury-Cars, Mercedes Benz, Small-Cars
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
It’s high time that Maruti should shift its small car portfolio to high performance sedans and retain its supremacy in the country. Maruti started the production of its small and beautiful Maruti 800 past 25 years. It was one of the earliest cars in India after the Fiat Padmini and Ambassador. The car was the best during that period and was highly competitive in terms of performance, comfort and drivability. But now, the time has changed. Today, Indian car market is predominated with a vast number of hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs and MUVs. With so many new cars coming in, the old cars are gradually moving out of the industry. Fiat Padmini is already overpowered by various other Fiat models and the old Ambassador has been replaced by new features including the new engine technology. Now, it’s the turn for Maruti 800. The Maruti 800 is still running successfully on Indian roads but how long will this small car run? Today Maruti Motors is associated with a sturdy, stylish and elegant car like Maruti SX4, the sizzling compacts Maruti Swift and Maruti Alto. Maruti cars are having a tough competition within themselves. Alto is competing with 800, eventually slowing down the sale of 800. However, Maruti has the best-in-class technology in all its car models that make Maruti cars a better option. But then, 800 has to drive out to give way to next generation cars. Labels: Maruti-Cars, New-Cars, Small-Cars
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
With so many car manufacturers reviving their expansion plans in India, Skoda is also planning to strengthen its presence in the most promising Indian car market. The company entered the Indian market with its successfully running, Skoda Octavia. Thereafter, it has launched Skoda Fabia, Skoda Luara and Skoda Superb. Now, the company plans to drive in eight new models in the next five years. The first target for the company is to launch a small cars priced below the tag price of Fabia. The company also has plans to roll out its prominent cars Yeti and Roomster hopefully in a couple of years. The new Skoda Superb is also expected to launch in early 2009 after its great success in Europe. The cars will be available with different price brackets for all type of customers. Not a bad move! Hope these models to get the same fame and success like other small cars in India. Labels: New-Cars, Skoda, Small-Cars
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
The small car race in India is coinciding with the electric car race. Along with many other car manufacturers, the Mahindra & Mahindra also plans to roll out an electric car in India soon. The production of the proposed electric car is at the commencement stage and is expected to hit the Indian car market by 2010. The company promises to make this car bigger and more effective than the currently running electric car in India. Yes, obviously talking about the great Maini Reva. The car will run on lead acid battery during its initial year and later might be replaced by the nickel metal hydride. Mahindra & Mahindra plans to launch this car first in India and then in overseas. The motive behind launching the car first in India is to establish itself in the car segment and also to analyse the market before making a move in the global car market. That’s a good thought, learning the market before venturing the market! Labels: Electric-Cars, Mahindra, Maini, Small-Cars
Friday, 8 August 2008
Honda has already started the ‘green revolution’ in the Indian auto industry by rolling out the Civic hybrid and Toyota will soon follow the lead by introducing the hybrid version of the Prius to India. And now it is the turn of another major car manufacturer, the Hyundai, to join the revolution. The Hyundai is working on to develop its own hybrid technology and once completed the technology will mated with the small car in India. As per their strategy, they expect to roll out a gasoline-electric hybrid version of its sedans by 2010, which will be later implement in larger hybrid vehicles. But before all this, the company will launch the world’s first hybrid vehicle (Avante) to be powered by LPG and will be the first to adopt advanced lithium polymer batteries. Hope they also plan to roll out similar vehicles (Avante LPG hybrid) in India. Labels: Hybrid-Cars, Hyundai, Small-Cars
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
India will be soon turned into a global hub for small cars! Hyundai Motors has recently announced to make India its global hub for small car. The company has a very transparent picture about the Indian market. The Hyundai i10 is successful in gathering the customers’ attention and now i20 is on the way to roll out. The car will be solely manufactured in India. Hyundai i20 is a hatchback sedan from the “B” segment and will compete with Skoda’s Fabia and Ford Fusion. This auto player from South Korea had entered the Indian market ten years back and has rolled out successful models to country. The brand also carries an attractive campaign with the heartthrob bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan and the bubbly tennis ace Sania Mirza as its brand ambassadors. Labels: Hyundai, Indian-car-industry, Small-Cars
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
With the demand of small cars soaring high, Toyota also plans to roll out a bunch of small cars. All the proposed small cars will be available in both petrol and diesel variants. The slew of launches is credited to consolidate Toyota’s position in the fastest growing Indian market. The company has pumped in an investment of Rs 1400 crore and plans to change the fortune of India by making the country a big-volume car market. Almost 75% of the total market comprises of small cars and Toyota desires to explore the choices in the segment, eventually resulting in higher share of the Indian market. On a common platform, the company plans to roll out a small car by 2010 and others in the same segment will follow in the consecutive year. All the cars by Toyota will have a petrol engine below 1200cc in petrol and diesel engine below 1500cc. Who else will participate in the race? Will small cars start dominating the Indian car market? Labels: Indian-car- market, Small-Cars, Toyata
Monday, 4 August 2008
Influenced by Tata, Maruti and Fiat, Ford also plans to roll out some interesting and exciting small cars to India. Ford Motor has shifted all its focus towards the production of small cars with desires to target all the sections of car buyers. The company has plans to roll out a portfolio of small cars in various countries round the world including India. Ford also desires to realign its facilities and factories to manufacture more fuel-efficient engines. The company is also in a mood to make its Mercury brand an essential part of the small car production strategy. This clearly states that Ford plans to imitate some of the attractive features of Mercury and place them in its line of proposed small cars. So many small cars are entering the market. Will this hamper the market for huge sedans and luxury cars? Labels: Ford, Maruti, Small-Cars
Friday, 1 August 2008
The Nissan Motors plans to start the production of its upcoming car, the Micra, at its new facility in Chennai. The facility in Chennai is a joint venture between the Nissan Motors and Renault. The Renault agrees to the production which is expected to start soon so that the car is launched at the scheduled period in 2010. The starting price of Micra will be around Rs 4.5 lakh. Nissan is laying more pressure on complete localization of the car to meet the costs and gain a profitable margin. The company has also signed a partnership with the Hover Automotives in India. This partnership is restricted to the marketing, sales, after-sale services and dealer development of the Nissan cars. The Hover is also putting in great efforts to increase the Nissan dealers from 5 to 55 and earn market coverage of about 80%. Will the alliance between Nissan and Hover give profitable returns to Nissan? This is a big question because currently many car manufacturers are in race to earn maximum market coverage and hold the highest amount of share in the Indian economy. Labels: Micra, Nissan, Renault, Small-Cars, Upcoming-Cars
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Many car manufacturers are invading India to make the country a hub for small cars production. The Hyundai Motors being a smart player also plans to make India its global centre for small cars. The company will use India for manufacturing and exporting small cars and earn higher margins. Cars produced in India are comparatively low in price because of the easy availability of skilled talents as well as low-cost of labour and machinery. Hyundai has rolled many small cars till date among which few were locally produced. The recognised Hyundai’s i10, launched last November, was manufactured exclusively in India. The upcoming Hyundai’s i20 model will also be solely manufactured in India. Hyundai’s i10 belongs to the ‘A’ segment whereas the upcoming i20 will belong to the ‘B’ segment. The company wishes to line up a portfolio of small cars to offer a wider choice to Indian customers. Hyundai has set a sales target of around 530,000 units for both the domestic and export market. But inflation and high fuel prices are taking a toll on car sales, thereby reducing the margin. May be by the end of this year, things get sort out and Hyundai gets a brighter era to continue the launch of its innovative models. Labels: Car-Manufacturers, Hyundai, Small-Cars
Monday, 28 July 2008
 Driven by the changing face of the Indian car industry, Maruti is compelled to change the face of its pioneer car, the Maruti 800. The Maruti 800 is a hot selling Maruti car but unfortunately new entry in the car market has brought down the sales. To give a new life to 800 sales, the Maruti Suzuki Motors has rolled out a facelift model of Maruti 800, named as the Maruti Suzuki 800 Uniq. The car is launched with a keen desire to lure customers who love ‘uniq’ things. The whole new avatar of the Maruti 800 is embodied with a host of attractive features like trendy door trims with fabric patch, all-new beige upholstery, smart lower console box, rear package tray and excellent body graphics. The Uniq will be costlier by Rs 5200 over the regular model and will be available in all Maruti showrooms by August 4, 2008. The company has introduced a limited edition of Uniq to judge the response of the car consumers nationwide. Labels: Maruti-Suzuki, New-Cars, Small-Cars
Friday, 25 July 2008
 The acute shortage of diesel has lead to unscheduled long hours of power cut. Earlier it was a misconception that shortage of petrol and diesel will only impact the car industry but unfortunately, the shortage has adversely affected the workflow and productivity of various offices and business domain across the country. Bangalore is affected the most by prolonged hours of load shedding. With such an acute shortage of diesel and long hours of power cut in Bangalore, Reva Maini car owners are facing a tough time. You need electricity to charge the car and Reva can run up to a maximum of 80 km on a full charge. And a 100% charge requires about 8 hours. Charging continually for about 8 hours is next to impossible with such kind of load shedding. Even if somehow the car owners manage to fully charge the car, what after the first 80 km? The car owners are now in dilemma of how to charge their car. Even though they own a car costing nearly about Rs 4 lakh to save on petrol price, today they are left without an option. Most of the Reva owners have switched over to public transport for daily commuting because they fall short of electricity to charge their cars. What’s the use of buying a car that is only parked as a centerpiece of your house doorway? Earlier we had mentioned that Maini, creator of Reva electric car, smiles at the future with the rising fuel prices. Will Maini still smile at the future? Labels: Electric-Cars, REVAi, Small-Cars
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Concept cars are the fruits of innovative imaginations. When you let your imaginations run wild, you can come up with outlandish results. Concept cars also follow the same rule of letting your imaginations run wild. This gives a good opportunity to car designers to show their exclusive, strange and innovative car designs. These cars are notorious and are rarely seen on roads. The hidden concept comprises of dreams, future vision and prototypes. These are mainly displayed at Auto Shows to get a viewpoint of the consumers. Display of such kind of cars helps the car designers and car manufacturers to get consumer’s perspective about the car design. If you explore the global car industry, you’ll find a number of concept cars that are holding dreamy visions about the automotive future. Whether you talk about the BMW shape-shifting car covered with fabric or about the Toyota i-Real concept, they are just amazing and worth appreciation. Unfortunately, there are no such concept cars in India. It’s difficult to answer why. Are we not creative? Don’t we have the skills to produce something that is extra-ordinary? Why not give a try? Even you can open the veil of imaginations and produce a concept car that is eccentric, unusual and appealing. Labels: BMW-Cars, Car-Design, Small-Cars
Friday, 20 June 2008
Bajaj and Renault-Nissan had signed a joint venture to produce small cars to compete with the Nano. But, now the Joint Venture has decided to drive further, beyond the reach of small and low-cost cars. They are now planning to widen their platform and produce a portfolio of different cars ranged at different prices and characteristics as well. It has realised the fact that there is no gain in just competing with one single car simply on the basis of price. Good, they are moving ahead with a desire to make their ultra-low cost (ULC) platform flexible and produce something better. They have announced that their new range of cars may cost over Rs 1.50 lakh, but it will not compromises with quality – engine performance, transmission, unique interiors, style, fuel economy and emissions. Life is costlier than Rs 1 lakh! So, don’t just go for price, look all aspects and then decide for one. Labels: Bajaj, Nissan, Small-Cars
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
Small cars going higher! Tata is still uncertain about maintaining the cost price of the Nano at a tag of Rs 1 lakh because of the hike in crude and steel prices. With this uncertainty of Tata, Bajaj Auto and Renault-Nissan also announced a further increase of their small car that is about to roll out on Indian roads in 2011. Most of us were glad when Bajaj announced the launch tag price as Rs 1 lakh. But now the price is expected to increase to about Rs 1, 20,000 during the commercial launch. Everyone is waiting to drive one low-cost car but now dreams are shattered because no car will launch with the ex-showroom price of Rs 1 lakh. Wish the prices could reduce but again that’s a dream. Labels: Car-prices, Small-Cars
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