Indian Car Blog - Carazoo.com

Even the big Goliath had to bow down in front of puny David and the auto industry is not an exception for this. The recession that hit Motoring in the late 2008 and continued up till mid-2009 has left many car manufacturers scarred.

As cut-throat competition increased in the Motown, car manufacturers throughout the world, in a last bid to stay afloat in the Recession hit world, had to make a lot of compromises, sacrifices and came up with innovative ideas that seemed highly unlikely several years ago. Just look no further than Porsche and their Cayenne SUV to see a perfect example of a vehicle that everyone baulked at until its release, which actually ended up a resounding success, both financially and for the brand itself.

Aston Martin, a cult status fast car maker from UK also has acted no different in its pursuit of attracting new markets. The company has just released the first official images of their new Cygnet concept, a tiny commuter that at first glance seems to go against everything the company stands for, lavish supercars capable of breakneck speed.

Remember the Aston Martin Cygnet ? We had covered a blog and also posted an image of this diminutive luxury car in the early days of August 2009.

Now after almost 5 months after we had posted that blog, comes the first official image of the Aston Martin Cygnet. “Cygnet”, the chaste English term for a young swan will be cemented in the lexicon of every automobile fan henceforth.

This small concept car from Aston Martin is based on Toyota iQ. Cygnet has the front looks of Aston Martin DBS, complete with the company’s open grill-work and hood vents. But that’s where the similarities stop as designers have made a complete exit from their famous Aston Martin theme in the making of the Cygnet. Though the car carries almost nothing of the design cues of Aston Martin, the DNA of the famous marquee is still very visible as the car looks outstanding.

For those who were short of moolah but always wished for an Aston Martin to adorn their garages, this is the Aston that they can lay their hands on.

The interiors is one hell of a superb design job where the cabin is bathed in red and black leather with the fit and finish we are accustomed to from this British supercar maker.

The Cygnet concept represents a creative, environmentally conscious solution, being small, yet with presence and yes highly fuel efficient (that’s what we expect from the Toyota iQ engine), now combined with the prestige of Aston Martin's luxury brand ownership.

Even though Aston Martin has indicated that the Cygnet is a concept only, the company has stated that it hoped that the car if ever became a production reality; the car will be available for the European market. Look what the green movement has done to the automotive world (we’re not complaining.

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Volkswagen Polo has been voted the European Car of the Year 2010. This certainly comes as the much needed shot in the arm for Volkswagen which has already set up a manufacturing plant at Pune to produce VW Polo in India.

The expected launch of the Volkswagen Polo in India launch is expected to be in the sidelines of the 2010 New Delhi Auto Expo. This hatchback which already has created some flutters in the Indian automotive circle with it’s to be tagged speculated wallet-friendly price, seems to have announced its arrival in the Indian scene with this award.

Volkswagen Polo had to surpass many world class cars with ease in this stiff competition to win the coveted title which is also one of the oldest and most esteemed awards in Europe which was started in 1964. 59 jurors from 23 European countries cast their votes in today’s competition. The total number of participants of this year’s European Car Of The Year contest was 33.The nearest competitor is Toyota I.Q. which managed to score 337 points while Polo scored 347 points.

The top five contestants are as follows,
1. Volkswagen Polo 347 points, 59 votes, 25 vote wins
2. Toyota iQ 337 points, 58 votes, 20 vote wins
3. Opel/Vauxhall Astra 221 points, 55 votes, 5 vote wins
4. Skoda Yeti 158 points, 54 votes, 4 vote wins
5. Mercedes-Benz E-class 155 points, 48 votes, 2 wins

The rating and judgement have done on total value proposition of the car, not only on luxury aspects of the car. It is quite interesting to see that Polo has been voted above two well proven cars like that of Skoda Yeti and Mercedes Benz E-Class. We are expecting Skoda Yeti in India in upcoming 2010 Auto Expo. So India will become another warfront for these German engineering marvels.

Not only was the award jury impressed by the new Polo. Since its market launch in May of this year, Volkswagen has received over 130,000 orders for the new benchmark car of the compact class. The Polo is available as a dynamic 3-door and comfortable 5-door in Germany. As the Polo BlueMotion, just 3.3 litre fuel consumption makes it the most fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly five-seater in the world.

VW Polo is expected to be priced below 4.5 lakhs in India. The Indian version of Polo may be a stripped version of the European Polo. Soon after VW Polo’s hatchback arrival we may witness the VW Polo Sedan also.

The last time the Volkswagen won was way back in 1992 with its new third generation Golf which emerged victorious over the likes of Opel Astra and Citroën ZX.

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The 41st Tokyo Motor Show is fast approaching. And you can surely expect goodies from the auto major Toyota. Yes, Even before we come out dazed looking at the astounding ideas and designs of cars showcased in the Frankfurt Motor Show 2009 we already have the Tokyo Motor Show all set to take us to another level in the world of motoring.
The car makers will be rejoiced to introduce their labour in show. And it will surely be a treat for the car lovers.

Toyota has already publicized its plans on unveiling its lightweight sports car concept at the Tokyo Motor Show. Toyota will showcase FT-86 that has a rear-wheel-drive and can seat up to five adults. The FT-86 is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder ‘Boxer’ engine. And the engine, the company has sourced it from Subaru. It is expected that the company will start the sales of the production-spec FT-86 in 2011.

Toyota also does not forget to introduce an electric car, which is the buzz of the period. And you cannot predict anything less from the Toyota’s stable than a user friendly electric car that is capable of pleasing and satisfying customers with its high-quality performance. And it will be the best choice for the future, where electric cars will be most commonly used.
The FT-EV II will be a four-seater that is powered by lithium-ion batteries. The car id designed basically for short distance travels and has a top speed of more than 100 kilometres per hour and a range of more than 80km.

The FT-EV II is smaller than the Toyota iQ. The car has a drive-by-wire technology that permits all vehicle functions such as the accelerator, brakes and steering to be controlled through a joystick.

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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.

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