Indian Car Blog - Carazoo.com

Mini had celebrated its 50th anniversary in a very fashionable way. The Coupe Concept was exposed. The 2009 Frankfurt show will be remembered for this reason. The automotive brand owned by the BMW Group had revealed the Coupe and Roadster concept at the auto show. The Coupe sure was a model that redefined the Mini’s design language. It will probably become Mini’s flagship model in future. Don’t you think so?

The 2-seat concept vehicle had been inspired by the classic Mini. As its name suggests, it had a coupé body and made use of the engine used in John Cooper Works vehicles. It had the very attractive chrome radiator grille from the Cooper S. The inner sections of the grille, however, were finished in the body colour. The cargo space in the coupe is quite commendable with 250 litres.

The Mini Coupe will be packed with a 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbocharged power unit carried over from the MINI John Cooper Works. The power-packed engine will deliver 211 bhp and a peak torque of 260 Nm. The beautifully carved Mini Coupe is 3,714 millimeters long and 1,683 millimeters wide. The Coupe’s stunning appearance and advanced features may prove to be a weapon against competitors. It may take some time for the final beauty to hit the roads and then we’ll know which car gets to stay on top.

The all-new car comes with an invigorated look with the windshield laid back making the car look less boxy. Great design must say. The Roadster concept that was unveiled at the same time as the Coupe at the Frankfurt Motor Show gets its power from a 1.6 Liter twin-scroll turbocharged engine, the same power plant that is used in the MINI Cooper S. The advanced mill produces a maximum output of 175 bhp and a peak torque of 240 Nm.

The Coupe and Roadster, both seem to be chasing closely to the forward momentum Mini is trying to acquire in order to spread out its market and enhance sales. The very fact that Mini is using John Cooper Works engine in its models further illustrates this point. It certainly looks Mini has been using this model to appeal to the male portion of the population.

Hopefully, both models will be reasonably priced and sales may begin next summer. When will the new car finally reach the Indian road? Let’s wait for some time. It will probably not take too long.

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The Tata Nano stories always seem to amaze us. Literally.

Right from the start, Tata Nano as a concept itself created a flutter amongst the people of India and abroad. Then came the unveiling, the Singur fiasco, the actual launch of the car on March 23rd 2009, the first paper ads, the first allotments of the cars, passing of the stringent European crash norms, Nanos going up in flames, high after market value on the car. Man, is there no end to the Nano stories?

The Tata Nano has consumed more news reel, television space and internet space in today’s world than any automobiles in recent days. In addition to all this comes a story of a car which has made it to the prestigious Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York.

Yes, you read it right. Conceived by Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group, the Tata Nano was intended as an all-weather form of personal transportation that provides a safer and cleaner alternative to the two-wheelers that are pervasive in India, where often entire families ride clinging to a motorbike or a scooter. The Smithsonian Institution on Friday announced that a bright, sunshine yellow Nano will be exhibited in Cooper-Hewitt's Great Hall from Feb 18th through April 25th next year. A short film on the making of the world’s most affordable car and diagrams will be shown during the period.

The name "Nano" connotes high technology, small size and low price, the press release of the Smithsonian Institute stated. Tata Motors is currently developing improved versions the car for the European and American Markets.

This ultra-cheap compact car contributes to the world of affordable motoring and like its predecessors, Henry Ford's Model T, the Volkswagen Beetle, Citroen 2CV and the original Fiat 500, the Tata Nano continues the tradition of inexpensive cars made in large numbers, it said.
"Cooper-Hewitt's mission is to present the very latest developments in design and technology and the Tata Nano introduces more families in India to the new world of affordable and safer mobility," said Cara McCarty, curatorial director of the museum. "We're eager to display the Tata Nano at the museum, where many visitors will see it for the first time."

Unveiled last year in India, the Tata Nano is targeted to families who had not previously been able to afford a car. Billed as "the people's car," the base model starts at $2,200 in India and can accommodate up to five adults. The Nano offers a high fuel efficiency of 50 miles per gallon, making it more fuel efficient and less polluting than all other cars on the road today in India, the Smithsonian noted.

Designed by a team of 500 Indian engineers, the 35-horsepower, four-door vehicle has been pared down to the essentials: It is about 10 feet long, weighs approximately 1,300 pounds, has an all-sheet-metal body, a rear two-cylinder engine, small tubeless tires, a reinforced passenger compartment, crumple zones, seat belts and achieves a top speed of 65 miles per hour. Its barebones design, as of now, does not include more costly features such as power steering, air bags, antilock brakes or an exterior left passenger-side mirror, which are not mandatory in India, it said.

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Everything old is new again as all things old are making a comeback — in fashion, furniture, architecture and even automobiles.

The iconic Volkswagen Beetle made its comeback in 1998 while retaining the retro styling. People with fat wallets in India have welcomed the car with much vigour and enthusiasm.

Volkswagen India has received 160 advance bookings for its iconic car, the Beetle, which was launched on December 4, 2009. Buoyed by the positive response to the car, the company is expecting to sell at least 500 units of it next year. This is in spite of the fact that the New Beetle is four times costlier than the soon-to-be-launched Volkswagen Polo, because of the high import duty on it. The Polo will be manufactured in India, while the Beetle will come to the country as a CBU from Mexico.

In comparison to the enthusiastic reception of the Beetle, another iconic car the Fiat 500, priced at Rs 15 Lakh, has sold only 62 units since its launch 17 months back. But Fiat is not losing hope. It is planning to relaunch the 500 once again in the Indian car market.

The Fiat 500 made its world debut in 1957. The little Italian four-wheeler redefined the concept of a ‘small urban car’ when it came into being. The new version, though beautifully styled, is much bigger than the original.

The Indian market will also be graced by the coming of the BMW MINI. The new MINI, just like the New Beetle, has maintained the overall proportions and styling of the original, but being a modern car built to modern and stringent standards, it has become much larger in size.

One might be led to believe that these cars are more of style statements than anything else — retro fashion accessories for those with deep pockets. And this is true to a certain extent.

But that does not mean the new takes on old favourites will fade away as soon as they are launched. These are not non-performing lookers meant for people to buy for the sake of nostalgia.

The comeback versions of these old car models are a pleasure to drive, just like the originals. The original MINI and the Fiat 500, despite their humble origins are great to drive and their modern interpretations promise to carry this legacy forward.

In fact, these historic cars are more ‘fun’ to drive than cars costing four to five times as much and recapture the real essence of driving that others seem to have lost somewhere along the way.

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Volkswagen India is on a roll. First they launch the Jett and Passat and than after judging the sentiments of us Indians, they again launch the iconic Beetle and Touareg SUV. Now that they have a significant portfolio in their kitty, they have already promised India with their Polo and Up!.

Now Volkswagen going a step further in their conquest of India dream, now plans to double the number of workers at its new factory in India to 2,500 by the end of next year. Great News for us. As now we know Volkswagen is here and here to stay. Volkswagen, which also is Europe’s biggest car maker has even more grander plans like that of taking over Suzuki Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Corporation. This comes after its boosted purchase of Porsche brand.

The plant Volkswagen is talking about is located in Chakan near Pune, which already employs about 1,200 people at the cost of $860 million. This is plant where the Skoda Fabia is being produced since May. The production of Volkswagen Polo also will commence in this week in the same plant. Volkswagen predicts that the Indian automotive market will grow at the rate of 2.2 million cars and SUVs by 2014 from 1.4 million this year.

The Polo will compete head on with the models built by Maruti Suzuki India, the maker of half the cars sold in the nation, as well as models from Ford Motor Co., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan. VW plans to expand its Indian distribution network to 120 dealers by 2012 from 14 last year so that VW can target selling of more than 100,000 cars, than the 16,000 vehicles it sold this year through January-October.

Volkswagen is introducing a hatchback Polo first at the Chakan plant and will add a sedan version in mid-2010. Hatchbacks account for more than 70 percent of all cars delivered in India. Honda, Japan’s second-largest automaker, started selling the Jazz hatchback in India in June.

The German company is also considering making the Up! city car at Chakan though a final decision still has not been made. Volkswagen also assembles Jettas, Passats and Audi A4 and A6 models at a Skoda factory in Aurangabad in western India, where it employs 1,000 people.

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After the success of the Jetta and the Passat in India, Volkswagen has launched the much-awaited New Beetle in Mumbai. The Volkswagen Beetle is a classic car. It is a two-door four-seater hatchback that combines classic lines with the latest technology. The Beetle will come in a colour palette of Salsa Red, Sunflower, Deep Black, Razor Blue, Reflex Silver, Gecko Green and Campanella White.

This iconic car was initially called the Kafer, the German word for "beetle", from which the popular English name originates. Since August 1967, Volkswagen began using the name Beetle for this brand.

Also known as the “Bug”, the Beetle came into being in 1938 when Adolf Hitler ordered Ferdinand Porsche to design a "people's car". Erwin Komenda, Porsche's chief designer, was responsible for the design and style of the car. When the car was launched, critics had predicted a complete failure for the Beetle because of its peculiar styling and less powerful engine, but the car proved the critics wrong and went on to make history.

The original Beetle had the longest production run of any vehicle ever from 1938-2003. The Beetle has revolutionized the world by being the best selling single design car in history with a sales record of more than 21.5 million units. The New Beetle was introduced in 1998 and it drew heavy inspiration from the exterior design of the original Beetle. Unlike the original Beetle, the New Beetle has its engine in the front with front wheel drive and luggage storage in the rear.


The New Beetle comes with a 2.0L I4 petrol engine which can churn out 115 bhp. The engine is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Moreover, the engine shows low figures for fuel consumption at an average of 13.5 km/l and complies to the stringent Euro IV emission norms. It has been imported from Volkswagen's Mexico factory as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) which attracts an import duty of 110 per cent.

With its immortal rounded contours, the Volkswagen New Beetle is an unmistakable designer object on four wheels. The New Beetle flaunts body-coloured outer rear mirrors, door handles and bumpers and runs on 15-inch alloy wheels. The beady headlamps commands attention and the circular tail lamps add grace to the rear fascia. The bonnet with the Volkswagen emblem inscribed on it is an example of outstanding workmanship and appears as if the car is giving you a wide grin.

Coming to the inside, the car greets you with the with the legendary flower vase and top-class leather upholstery. The cozy cabin adds a touch of sophistication to the car with the leather-covered steering wheel rim, gear lever knob and handbrake lever grip as well as premium leather seats. This classic hatchback includes standard features like electrically adjustable mirrors, 3-spoke tilt/telescoping power steering wheel, traction control, central locking, MP3 compatible "gamma CD" radio with Aux-in, height-adjustable front seats, electric sliding roof with sunblind and many more.

The Beetle assures safety of its passengers with ABS with EBD, EDL, ESP, front head restraints and dual-frontal and side airbags. With an ex-show room price Mumbai price of around Rs 23 Lakh, the Beetle will certainly grace the garage of the rich car enthusiasts.

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The German master car maker, Volkswagen, has much in store for us. Within the next few months we will see VW like never before. And the most interesting of it would be the bug, the Beetle from its stable. We will be pushed to step in to the amazing new world of the VW cars. And the increasing sales of its models reveal a clear picture of the growing acceptance of the car brand by the customers which will surely boost up the confidence of the VW. And it will give a new rising of the VW models.

More than any other models from other cars brands, it is the VW Beetle that will be filling up the auto dreams of the car lovers of the country. Accepting the car is priced at the higher end, the Beetle is still among the cars that has an excellent sales record. The bug has bitten the auto lovers throughout the world and now we are getting ready to be bitten. Even though not a new face the facelifted version of the SUV from VW, Touareg, will soon grace the Indian roads. The SUV will be spotted with its new look starting from December this year.

Another car worth mentioning from the auto maker is VW Polo. The Polo is designed on the VW principle of Design DNA, we expect the launch of Polo on 2010. Well it seems like a busy year for Volkswagen in the Indian car market. If things go as expected, same time next year, we will have VW cars plying on the Indian roads.

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Volkswagen has just got another feather in its hat. Volkswagen has been voted the best volume car manufacturer in Europe, by visitors to the UK-based Road Test Reports website.

In a poll conducted by this website, in which 140,000 people took part, Volkswagen netted 35% of the total votes cast to come out on top as the manufacturer of the best, most reliable cars. Skoda(owned by the VW Group) finished in second place, while Spanish manufacturer SEAT took third place.

‘Volkswagen has always had a great reputation; it is an aspirational yet affordable brand and it has worked hard to strike that rare balance,’ says Faye Sunderland, a spokesperson for Road Test Reports.

It’s interesting to note that Volkswagen plans to increase its presence in the Indian market in a very big way, from 2010 onwards. The German car company is preparing to launch a host of mass-market as well as niche offerings here, including the iconic Beetle, which will be launched in India in December this year.

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The 2009 Bangalore Auto Mall, an auto exhibition which was organized by Relio Quick in association with The Times of India and was held from 13th-15th Nov 2009. The Auto Mall 2009 showcased some of the best automotive brands in the country together with related products and services; besides, featuring a Premium Lounge for luxury cars and bikes. Carazoo.com which was present there in the exhibition brings you the inside story of auto show in this blog.

The auto aficionados of the City of Gardens had a blast amidst all the vintage cars, super bikes and the fleet of new cars which were recently launched in India.
The Auto Show had the antique Volkswagen Beetle in display among many other vintage cars from the stables of Jaguar and Dodge. The Ford A-Series and the Honda 1 too adorned the auto mall.

On entry, new car models like the Skoda Fabia and Octavia are on display to welcome you to the show. Tata Motors had booked a space to showcase its Indica Vista, Tata Dicor, Tata Safari and the newly-launched Indigo Manza among other products. There was a separate stall for the small wonder, the Tata Nano. Hyundai displayed its creations beside the Tata Motors with its i10, i20 and its flagship model, the Santro.

Mahindra & Mahindra featured its Xylo, Scorpio and the Logan sedan. The Ford Endeavour stood upright at the extreme corner on the left. German luxury car major BMW bedecked the expo with its 3-Series, 5-Series and the X-Series cars.

Fiat demonstrated the Grande Punto and the gorgeous Linea. General Motors had the Spark and the recently unveiled Cruze in the stands from its Chevrolet brand. Honda also displayed the new version of the City and the Accord. Moreover, Volkswagen had disclosed the new Beetle which will soon be seen on Indian roads.

For speed lovers, the auto expo presented Formula One cars along with super bikes from Suzuki and Honda. There were electric scooters too. Some special vehicles such as ATVs and other four-wheel drive vehicles were also exhibited.

The 2009 Bangalore Auto Mall had presented Style biking by MTV Stunt Mania Riders.

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Watch out Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata and others so called major players in the game.

Volkswagen, The German Car maker and the largest car maker in Europe is all set to bring in the most popular cars from its portfolio, Volkswagen Polo and the iconic Beetle to India followed by a slew of other models.

VW will be launching the hatchback model of Polo in the first half of 2010 followed by the sedan version of Polo later in the second half of the year. Well-camouflaged test mules of the car is being tested for Indian conditions and is all geared up for the proper launch of the car in the Indian market.

Volkswagen Polo will be available in India in both petrol and diesel models which will be manufactured at the 500-acre manufacturing unit at Chakan near Pune which has an annual production capacity of 110,000 units. The company has so far invested around Rs 3,800 crore in the plant.

Besides this, 50 per cent of Polo’s components and parts will be sourced from the domestic market which might be later increased provided the quality of the materials are of superior standard.

Volkswagen which currently sells premium sedans like Passat and Jetta also sells Touareg SUVs in India will be launching the Beetle sometime by the end of this year or early next year.

Volkswagen would also be expanding its network in cities like Nagpur, Nashik and Vijayawada. Looks like Volkswagen is taking the competition to the extremes.

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The Volkswagen Beetle popularly known as the Bug will bite Indian roads in about three months from now.

The Volkswagen Beetle is the world’s longest running and most-produced car of a single design. The time is crucial for Volkswagen which has decided to launch the Beetle in India as BMW has withheld the launch of its Mini in India. It is said that the Volkswagen Beetle would be released in limited numbers in the Indian Car Market.

The Beetle will be powered by a 1.9-litre TDI diesel engine which is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The Bug will sport safety featureslike rain sensors, cruise control and acoustic rear parking sensors to fit into the narrow parking slots. It will also boast of having Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), traction control, anti-skid system and standard front and side airbags. The cute Bug will offer a Nano-sized ride with the extravagance of a high-end SUV.

Volkswagen is presently brooding over the pricing of the Volkswagen Beetle which is a big challenge for the car company. Due to the 110% import duty and high safety specifications the Bug is expected to be pricey. It is likely to carry a hefty price tag of Rs 20 Lakh.

Currently, Volkswagen markets the Jetta and the Passat in India and will roll out the Polo by year end.

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