Indian Car Blog - Carazoo.com

Tata Motors’ Sanand plant is all ready and will start producing the Nano by April 30. With this starts another thing which we would like to refer as a new rivalry between Tata Motors and Hyundai Motor Co.

The Sanand plant will manufacture up to 250,000 units of Nano per year, which is about 80 percent of Hyundai’s India sales last fiscal year. Hyundai holds the second spot on India’s largest automaker list.

Tata is trying to fill-up 100,000 advance orders for the Nano. Those sales added to the new output may assist the Indian carmaker to regain the second place, after being stuck on the third place for three consecutive years. The Nano project would prove to be profitable only if the volumes are significant.

Meanwhile, Tata Motors also has to find out the causes of the recent Nano fire accidents and clear the confusion and doubt that it has created among the Indian masses. And as the “small wonder” from Tata, of late, is getting a lot of global attention, it becomes imperative that they launch a massive damage control campaign.

Tata Motors sold 30,350 units of Nanos from July through March. And according to a survey done by CSM Worldwide Inc, Indians may buy as many as 1 million low-cost cars a year by 2016. Tata Motors would definitely want to help fill the rising demand for small cars.

Hyundai, South Korea’s biggest carmaker can produce up to 600,000 vehicles a year at its Chennai factory. “We have no intention of getting into the Nano segment at all,” said Arvind Saxena, a director of Hyundai’s India unit.

In the initial sales period in April, Tata received a whopping 206,703 Nano orders and the first 100,000 customers for the 624-cc model were chosen by lottery. The entry level Nano costs about 123,360 rupees ($2,800) in New Delhi.

Tata started selling cars in 1999 and boosted vehicle sales by 26 percent to 201,399 units in the fiscal year ended in March, and got 13 percent of Asia’s third-largest passenger- car market. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Suzuki leads the show with 50 percent and Hyundai controls 21 percent of the Asian passenger- car market.

Tata, which started selling cars in 1999, boosted vehicle sales 26 percent to 201,399 units in the fiscal year ended in March, giving it 13 percent of Asia’s third-largest passenger- car market. Suzuki led with 50 percent, and Hyundai controlled 21 percent, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

Demand for new cars in India has increased at its fastest in six years during the last fiscal year. Global automakers like Ford and Volkswagen are targeting the Indian drivers as the disposable income rises to new height and India becomes the second largest car market.

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While the small car market is still hot in India, there is something else that is getting the full attention of the car manufacturers. Yes, we are talking about the emergence of electric cars in India. Indian customers are slowly warming up to the idea of an electric drive, global car manufacturers are trying to gain an early entry in the segment. So far Maini Reva has been the one to satisfy the electric car needs of the Indian crowd.

The latest one to announce its plans of launching electric cars in India is Volkswagen. The largest car manufacturer in European market has decided to enter the Indian electric car market much ahead of its competitors. And if you think that Volkswagen will have just a single launch, think again, because it is planning to penetrate the segment with a range of electric car launches.

As per the German Press Agency DPA, Volkswagen’s electric version of Golf will be launched in India in 2013. The German automaker is following a very comprehensive strategy which would likely make it the leader in the electric car segment in India. Earlier the company had decided that it will bring its electric range with the city car Up with E-Golf, and the E-Jetta would follow soon.

But now things have taken a different turn and plans have been modified. Now the company will commence with the E-Golf. VW believes that Golf is one of the most important models for the company and it will help establish the company’s position in the segment.

Volkswagen's Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn has announced that the company is looking to produce an electric car that can be easily affordable by every user from all segments.

‘We want to attain an electric vehicle market share of three percent within our entire range of products. We will take the hybrid out of its niche status with our high-volume models. In the future, the heart of the VW brand will also beat with electricity,’ Winterkorn added.

Volkswagen is collaborating with Japanese companies like Toshiba and Sanyo as well as Chinese battery and car producer BYD. Volkswagen believes that the key to making an electric car is the powerful and affordable lithium-ion batteries.

Apparently Volkswagen is also planning to bring the LPG version of its recently launched Polo. The Polo BiFuel will be equipped with a 1.4-litre 84bhp engine that can run on both petrol and LPG and you can switch between the two fuels with the push of a button. And that is not all; you can switch between the fuels while the car is still in motion. In the LPG mode, the Polo’s emissions become considerably, about 10%, lower compared to when it’s running in the petrol mode.

Judging by the way things have been planned out, VW has got everything in place to beat the heat from competitors. Let’s just hope that everything goes the way it has been planned by the German carmaker.

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Three years down the line F1 may switch to 1.5 litre powerplants along with the return of turbochargers. Yes, you’ve heard it right. The years 1977 through 1988 saw the greatest times in the history of sport. It was the turbocharged era. There were the super-fast machines which were regarded the most powerful open-wheel circuit racing cars in the history of motorsport. These turbocharged super powers took motorsport at its peak. They helped the sport live up to its ‘pinnacle of motorsport’ tag.

1977 to 1988 was indeed the best period during which F1 got most of its name and fame. The F1 grid was filled with turbo engines from a variety of builders. The racing cars touched the highest level of performance in the history of motorsport. The then racing cars proved to be true missiles with even 1,100 bhp turbo engines.

Forced induction really took off in 1983 to improve engine power, efficiency, and emissions without much extra weight and minimal modifications to the engine architecture. Till 1988, Formula 1 cars with those extra-wide tyres pushed over 1000 bhp each and travelled round the globe. In 1988, the turbo engine saw an end, its last gasp behind World Champion Aryton Senna’s McLaren, powered by a turbocharged Honda V-6. It now looks like that technology is going to return. The F1 team bosses are looking at switching to 1.5-litre turbocharged engines from 2013.

But, if you’re expecting the same power, please don’t. The Formula 1 turbochargers will focus on efficiency and the engines are not going to develop the same power. In the new engines, only the inline-four configuration will be permitted. Earlier, we had the six- and eight-cylinder mills roaming on the racetracks. The good news is that the new engines would only need half the amount of fuel currently required to race the entire race distance. New F1 trends will now be dictated and the new cars will likely display higher performance with lower consumption of fuel and emissions too. Isn’t that great news? We would have to wait till 2013 though.

With the four-cylinder engine, it sure seems like FIA is looking at re-adopting the standard Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems or KERS technology, just another element of sportiness without excess fuel. This technology is believed to be made use of. Doesn’t this sound exciting? It does. But unfortunately, the KERS technology cannot be adopted by old car manufacturers. Brands like Ferrari do not have makes that can adopt the new kind of engines. So, while most manufacturers are happy about the downsized engines, Ferrari has been largely opposing the move.

If you’re wondering what is bringing about all this talk, well, don’t you think more sponsors will now get attracted towards the race? The smaller race engines would influence the opinions of sponsors and manufacturer works teams who still haven’t made up their minds completely. Rumours say promoting F1’s green credentials can work its way in getting the unnamed sponsors. Just like any other professional motorsport, the importance of sponsorship funding cannot be simple here too.

We have heard that Volkswagen, long on the F1 radar, is likely to look for an entry spot if the turbocharged engines are made mandatory. The German auto maker is looking at entering into the sport. Will it come as an all new team or will it take over Williams? Let’s wait. With Bridgestone leaving the sport, Michelin is looking at coming in again and has forced several conditions, the main one being, switching to 18-inch rims to make its F1 tyres more relevant to its road and sports car programmes.

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Well, the new Euro IV emission norms will come in effect from April 1st and while most of the car manufacturers are busy hiking their car prices, Volkswagen is a planning to do something different. In order to comply with the new emission norms, is ready with Passat and Jetta flaunting all new BS IV compliant engines

Along with the new 16-valve 2.0 liter common rail turbo diesel engine, the new Jetta will also feature some new cosmetic changes including new grille and bumpers. The new engine will have a power of139bhp, as compared to the 105bhp produced by the previous 1.9 Pump Duse engine.

The new engine, which is compatible to the new Bharat Stage IV emission norms, is claimed to provide better fuel efficiency and at the same less noisy compared to the previous one. However, in order to keep the price tag of Jetta competitive, VW will not pair it with DSG twin-clutch transmission and will be available with manual transmission only.

On the other hand, the VW Passat will continue with the 2-litre common-rail diesel. But, here is the news, it will, for the first time since its launch in 2007, also get a petrol engine. Volkswagen Passat will get the same turbocharged direct injection 1.8-litre petrol, which currently powers the Skoda Laura.

With the new petrol engine Passat, VW is planning to give a tough competition to Honda Accord. While the Passat’s 160bhp is not much compared to Accord’s 177bhp, its direct injection powerplant has a massive 25.5kgm of torque from a low 1500rpm. This will enhance the performance of Passat and the 0-100kph could be achieved in less than nine seconds.

In an effort to outdo the Honda Accord, Volkswagen will price the Passat very aggressively. It is, indeed, talking about a Rs 20 lakh price tag for this car.

And this comes at a time when major car manufacturers are grabbing the opportunity to hike their car prices, all in the disguise of the new emission norms. Volkswagen is definitely setting an example to all the other car manufacturers.

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As per the new reports that we are getting, Bernie Ecclestone and Jose Ramon Carabante have joined forces to rescue the Campos F1 team. Sure a lot of things are actually taking place in the F1 scene.

This deal will reportedly see team partner and president Carabante take over from former Minardi F1 driver and Team Campos F1 owner Adrian Campos and lead the outfit to its Bahrain debut next month, before the German car giant Volkswagen steps in for 2011.

As said the team intends to change its official name from Campos Meta 1 prior to the start of the season.

The Valencia headquarters will remain for now, and the multi million euro debts to Italian car constructor Dallara will be paid.

As, explaining that the touted investment of A1 chief Tony Teixeira never materialised, said former Force India boss Colin Kolles will be team principal.

The newspaper said Bruno Senna's contract as race driver will be honoured, and that the hopeful Serbian outfit Stefan GP will instead need to look to assume USF1's official entry.

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Volkswagen Group India has created a milestone in India with it’s yet to be commercially launched hatchback Volkswagen Polo. The 11,111,111th Polo which was produced in VW’s plant in Chakan, India was rolled out on Thursday.

Prof. Dr. Horst Köhler, President of the Federal Republic of Germany who is in India on a state visit visited the Volkswagen plant in Pune to do the honours with Prof. Dr. Jochem Heizmann, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG who is also responsible for ‘Group Production’, and Jörg Müller, President and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group India, at the celebrations to mark the roll-out of the 11,111,111th Polo ever produced.

The Chakan plant in Pune was opened in 2009 and is a key element in Volkswagen’s growth roadmap in the Indian subcontinent. Prof. Heizmann speaking at the event said “The scale of investment to date and the sustainable employment opportunities for people from the region underscore Volkswagen’s long-term commitment to India. The VW Polo built at the Pune plant demonstrates that excellent vehicles are created when German engineering prowess interacts perfectly with Indian skills.”

“We are determined to bring the Polo’s European success story to India. Volkswagen will tap its opportunities in India with vehicles like the Polo, our modern plant in Pune and a highly-motivated workforce,” Heizmann continued.

It must be remembered that Volkswagen Polo was bestowed upon the rare honour of Europe’s “Car of the Year 2010” just a couple of weeks back. Volkswagen began building a hatchback version of the Polo specially designed for the Indian market in December 2009.

At the event celebrating the roll-out of the 11,111,111th Polo, the German President toured the new Volkswagen plant in Maharashtra State accompanied by a delegation of 30 high-ranking representatives from politics and industry. The group found out about the training programs for the newly recruited employees and the innovative production processes at the plant.

The Pune plant is one of the most modern in the Volkswagen Group and covers all stages in the production process from press shop through body shop and paint shop to final assembly. It has a maximum annual capacity of 110,000 vehicles. In addition to the Volkswagen Polo, the Pune plant also builds the Škoda Fabia.

With a total financial commitment amounting to 580 million euros, the Volkswagen plant in Pune is the largest investment to date by a German company in India. Volkswagen plans to employ some 2,500 people locally by the end of 2010.

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Get a load of this. Rolls Royce has taken 60 orders in November-December 2009 for its newly launched Rolls Royce Ghost in India. How cools is that? India is finally back to its old ways in the global business of buying Rolls Royce cars, punching above its weight. This fact certainly is a nostalgic-feel for the RR marquee.

India is back in track from where it started for RR market. The new breed of Indian business tycoons are following in the footsteps of the pre-war maharajahs in their quest for luxury cars, snapping up the new $600,000 Rolls-Royce Ghost at the fastest rate in the world. The first Ghost will be delivered to a Chennai based realtor next month.

Rolls-Royce, the iconic British carmaker now owned by BMW, is hoping for big things from the Ghost, a “baby” 2.4-tonne luxury sedan that is about 40 per cent cheaper than the company’s flagship Phantom range.

Rolls Royce’s global sales dropped southwards with just 1000 RR Phantoms being sold in 2009 when compared to 1212 in 2008 thanks to the Global recession. But RR is quite optimistic this year and targets selling 2500 units of Phantom and Ghosts this year. The Ghost, was unveiled at the September 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show as the new entry level Roller.

Though Abu Dhabi and Dubai were the top sales outlets for Rolls Royce in 2008, thanks to the global financial crisis, the Middle-East luxury car sales is now cooling off and the new markets for the RR is emerging from the Asia-Pacific particularly from countries like China and India. RR expects to sell over 400 units with China accounting for half of the sales while India, Japan and Australia raking the rest of RR units.

RR though is targeting the global market for its sales, Indian car market will always remain special to the Rolls Royce as the saga of RR in India dates back to 1907 when Maharaja of Gwalior, Madho Rao Scindia , imported the first example of the car to India , just three years after Rolls-Royce was formed.

India, pre-independence though predominantly a British Raj, was a royal mass of land with over 500 princely states in it. Most the maharajas and Royals of these princely states were avid buyers of the brand, customizing them to suit Indian conditions. The Nizam of Hyderabad, for example, had a fleet of 50 Rollers, while the Maharajah of Patiala had 44 in his collection.
But with the coming of Indian independence in 1947, royals and Maharajas were forced to abandon their ostentatious lifestyles and lead a life of austerity for many decades to come. Their Rolls-Royces were garaged or sold to private collectors, such as the industrialist Pranlal Bhogilal, who has a collection of 200-plus vintage cars on his estate near Ahmedabad.

Further financial privation for the royals came in 1971 when then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi abolished the Privy Purse system of payments to them. By this time Rolls Royce had withdrawn from the Indian market and it was not until 2005 that it returned, appointing Navnit Motors in Mumbai as first authorized RR dealer in almost 50 years. Navnit subsequently opened a showroom in Mumbai’s Atria Mall in May 2006, and this was followed by a second Rolls-Royce dealership in India in September 2008, when Select Cars opened a showroom in New Delhi.

Going by the reports of the latest world wealth published by consulting firms Capgemini and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, India had 84,000 US-dollar millionaires at the start of last year, down more than 30 per cent from an estimated 123,000 at the start of 2008, when share markets were at their peak. Of the 84,000, about 1000 Indians are in the “ultra” high net worth category, with assets above US$30 million, while between 50 and 100 are billionaires. India has already become a land of modern new age Maharajas.

While high net worth individual numbers may have receded a little from early 2008, the return of strong economic growth in the second half of 2009 in both India and China points to strong sales ahead for sellers of luxury goods. China’s GDP growth in 2010 is likely to be around 9 to 9.5 per cent, while India should reach 7.5 per cent. That compares with just a 2.2 per cent outlook for the US and 3.5 per cent for the world overall.

This is what makes India a fertile hunting ground for Rolls-Royce and other luxury car purveyors such as Bentley, which is owned by BMW’s rival German maker Volkswagen. Maybach, the Mercedes-Benz luxury model, rounds out the trio of brands at the top catering to the “chairman” segment, where customization is the name of the game. Family crests, cocktail cabinets, special carpet trim and unique colour combinations are among the personal touches most often requested.

In addition to the “chairman” luxury-car segment, there is also strong Indian demand for sports-style “supercars,” where names like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche dominate the market.

Source: The Australian

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Guess what? In a classic case of role reversal when the Americans are shunning their big, large SUVs in favour of smaller fuel-efficient cars after the global recession, Indians are vouching for these gas-guzzlers.

Owning an SUV in India always was a status-symbol and now with the just concluded Auto Expo 2010 at New Delhi, it has become evident that both the car makers and Indians are paving way for the SUV genre to take hold of India.

The fact that leading car makers of the world are launching their SUV’s in India just boosts the claim. Global biggies like BMW, Audi, Land Rover, Toyota, Skoda, Volvo and Volkswagen are launching over half-a-dozen SUV’s in the next six months. How does that sound. Raid of the SUVs? India’s potential as a growing car market is unrivalled and these auto makers are just cashing in the trend with their pricey SUVs.

Take a look at these stats. Indian automobile industry for the month of Dec 2009 has posted a whopping 68 per cent growth in sales at 10.05 lakh units, while the passenger car sales grew 40.27 per cent at 115,268 units.

Posting a straight ninth month growth trend in a row, the northwards movement has seen similar activity in the Sports Utility Vehicles or the SUVs market both at the manufacturer as well as the consumer level. SUV market, the once niche segment contributing just 15 per cent of total vehicle sales in India is threatening to blow over the top and become a major contributor to the passenger car market.

In a way to enter this niche segment in India, car makers are planning to manufacture most of the new products locally to reduce cost, rather than relying on imports as they have done in the past.

German car maker, BMW has launched its flagship SUV model X6M with a price tag of Rs 1.3 crore (ex-showroom Delhi) and has drawn big plans to capture market share in the segment. BMW has brought its entire SUV portfolio at the Auto Show speculating that SUVs soon will become the next big thing in the Indian car market. With BMW’s compact SUV X1 hitting the Indian market soon, BMW hopes that its vehicle sales in India will double from the now 15 per cent later this year. The company will start assembling the X1, priced more competitively at around Rs 25 lakh making it the cheapest SUV from BMW, at its Chennai plant in the next few months.

Compatriot Audi India also has the same story to tell. Audi has reported 58 per cent rise in SUV sales in 2009 and would commence local production of its compact SUV Q5 soon. It will also bring its most powerful SUV, the V8 4.2 Litre Q7, in limited numbers.

SkodaAuto India which unveiled its Skoda Yeti SUV at the Auto Expo 2010 held in New Delhi is also upbeat on Yeti’s sales in India. SkodaAuto will locally produce the Yeti with all top-end luxury features to sell the Yeti at a highly competitive price. Skoda Yeti might roll out from the Aurangabad plant.

Volkswagen also has been weaving a similar story. VW has brought its flagship Toureg SUV into India at the price of Rs 60 lakh and has planned to bring in its smaller Tiguan SUV also.

Toyota, the Japanese player in the Indian market with its Indian subsidiary Toyota Kirloskar Motor also sensing the demand for SUV’s in India launched its Fortuner which has a six-month waiting period due to an unanticipated rush for bookings and the new Land Cruiser Prado diesel to appeal the diesel-crazed Indian luxury SUV customers.

The Korean car maker Hyundai Motor India on the other hand is also getting ready to bring in the Santa FE by mid-2010. The Santa FE is a crossover SUV based on the Sonata platform and is expected to take on the Chevrolet Captiva, Honda CR-V and the Nissan X-Trail.

If you think only global biggies are eying this niche SUV segment, don’t be fooled. Even Indian car makers like Mahindra and Mahindra and Tata Motors also have been doing their homework. The SUV market from Indian companies like M&M and Tata Motors, grew 21 per cent to 1.04 lakh units in April-December 2009 over the year-ago period. These home-grown giants are trying hard to cater to the growing SUV market by bringing in their SUV models.

Tata Motors which recently unveiled its Tata Aria is slated for release in Feb 2010 while Mahindra and Mahindra is also gearing to roll out its premium SUV which will be positioned above Scorpio and will be built on a all-new platform with a different design, architecture and specifications. Another Indian company ICML also is planning to bring in their SUV which will debut in first part of 2010.

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The German car maker and Europe’s largest car maker, Volkswagen, showcased its premium flagship model the Phaeton at the New Delhi Auto Expo 2010 today.

Volkswagen always wanted a chunk of the growing luxury car market in India. Products from its sister brands such as Audi, Skoda, Bentley and Lamborghini though are being currently sold in India, Volkswagen has brought in its much famed Phaeton luxury car into the Indian car market.
The Phaeton, offers high end luxury features providing top notch technology, pure quality and above all it is handcrafted, thereby making each Phaeton unique in itself. Need we say more about the VW Phaeton?

Phaeton is positioned in India as handcrafted luxury sedan that is equipped with 3.6 litre V6 Petrol Engine that delivers a power output of 280 bhp @ 6250 rpm and a maximum torque of 370 Nm @ 3500 rpm. The Volkswagen Phaeton is paired with a 6 Speed tiptronic gearbox and stands on an imposing 17” alloy wheels.

The Volkswagen Phaeton is also loaded with luxury and safety features. State of the art features reeks out everywhere in the car. Some of the features the VW Phaeton comes with are 12-way electric seat adjustment with memory, climatronic auto air conditioner, cruise control, rear seat entertainment system, parking distance control for both front and rear and superb leather upholstery. The Phaeton is concealed beneath every millimeter ensures maximum comfort, safety and pleasure for true drivable experience delivering the complete in smoothness of ride.

Speaking of the safety features in Phaeton, this beast is equipped with 8 airbags, ABS, Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP) advanced pedestrian system, and Anti-theft alarm system.

Hold on, there is more to read. The Phaeton is exclusively built at Volkswagen’s Glass Factory at Dresden, Germany. The design of the car is an expression of its personality; the Phaeton is characterized by uncompromising attention to detail high quality materials and immaculate workmanship. Each details in the Phaeton complements the harmony of the overall design. Understated and sleek, every aspect of the Phaeton’s design includes elegance, power and purity of form.

The perfectly crafted Phaeton each piece of equipment displays a wealth of attributes all help to ensure the well being of the Phaeton owners.
The Phaeton will be priced at Rs. 75 Lakhs (Ex showroom Delhi) and will commence sales from March this year.

Volkswagen already has sedans like Volkswagen Passat and Jetta while it introduced the iconic New Beetle and SUV Touareg at the fag end of last year. VW launched its Polo hatchback in the Delhi Auto Expo 2010 on Tuesday.

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The seven-day 10th Auto Expo this week could attract around 20 lakh visitors. This sum certainly is higher than those at similar events held last year in Shanghai and New York as per the Expo organizers.

This Auto Expo 2010 is going to be the mammoth automobile vent as about 2,100 participants from 30 countries will participate in the event, which will boast of over 1.25 lakh square metres of exhibition space. Last year Shanghai attracted a crowd of six lakh visitors while New York drew 12 lakh visitors for its Auto show.

The Delhi Auto Expo was first introduced in 1986 and since its inception lots of things have changed. Despite a clash of dates with the Detroit show, traditionally the biggest auto industry gathering, the Auto Expo event in Delhi has grown in prominence aided by the shifts in the global automobile landscape.

According to Pawan Goenka, president of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) speaking in the curtain raiser for the event said, ‘We will have 40 percent more visitors this time and will have over 10 global launches and 50 other launches with all well-known auto makers taking part.’ He also added that the organizers were expecting around two-million visitors.

The event which began today will be formally inaugurated on Jan 7 by Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Commerce Minister Anand Sharma.

The event is being organised by SIAM, Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at Pragati Maidan here.

The expo will witness the largest-ever overseas participation with companies from Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Taiwan and Britain participating. Luxembourg will be the new entrant at the expo in 2010.

This time commercial vehicles, two-wheelers and other variety of automobile accessories will also be on display.
This year will mark a major change in the routine. Honda and Toyota are displaying small car concepts which will be unveiled globally at the Expo.

That’s a first for both and although some of their alternative concepts were shown elsewhere, the Delhi show comes a close second. In terms of scale too, the event has come a long way. The next show happened in 1993 when the first wave of cars from Daewoo, Hyundai, Ford and GM were about to roll out on Indian roads.

Japan’s Toyota unveiled the Etios concept small car that has been especially designed for the Indian market and will be seen on roads by 20l1. Likewise, German carmaker Volkswagen also is on cloud number nine to showcase its much-awaited super-mini Polo.

Others like the US-based car maker General Motors will add a radically different looking car named Beat which incidentally was launched in India yesterday to its existing line up of compacts here. Honda, too, will reveal a new model.

Other displays at the event will include a wide range of new and locally designed and developed auto components. Many of these component designs have been patented in the country as well as overseas. The auto sector is betting big on the event as makers of luxury cars are increasingly looking at making India a sourcing hub for components, besides using more local components in cars for the domestic market.

‘The Auto Expo will act as a platform for both Indian and foreign business visitors where they will have ample opportunity to see products on display as well interact with officials of component companies at the venue,’ ACMA president Jayant Davar said.

The Indian automotive industry has a turnover of more than $18 billion (Rs.90,000 crore) and expects to gain significantly through new tie-ups, partnerships and marketing initiatives duringthe event. India’s 15-18 per cent annual growth and its nearly 2 million units estimated sales this fiscal make this the fastest growing market after China. The focus of autodom has moved to Asia, and the event is a beneficiary the organisers added.

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European car maker Volkswagen along with its new partner oriental Suzuki Motor Corporation have revealed that the two companies will be working jointly on hybrid and electric car projects in India.

The two companies are looking at establishing an R&D (Research & Development) centre base in India. It has been rumoured that they had zeroed in on Suzuki’s R&D centre.
Volkswagen and Suzuki are in the process of forming a long-term strategic partnership to tap the growing demand worldwide for more environment-friendly vehicles. Both the companies are focusing on the rapidly growing emerging markets of the world.

Volkswagen has green technology to offer to Suzuki while Suzuki has a fuel cell technology programme going on at its end. Sharing each other’s technology will certainly bring down the high development cost of hybrids. In fact, the major roadblock for hybrids is the reluctance of auto companies to share the technology know-how. But carazoo.com believes that VW-Suzuki partnership will overcome this as the two are investing in each other and are open about the strengths they share.

The latest fad in the car industry is either to go green or to turn blue. Most of the auto companies across the globe are looking at alternative fuel technologies in a bid to reduce carbon emissions and comply with stringent environmental regulations.

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Italian car giant Fiat does not need an Asian partner to compete with its rivals.

Of late, many European car makers are tying up with Asian car makers to grab a bigger share in the world car market. But Fiat says it has no need to find an Asian partner to match recent tie-ups by European competitors with Japanese car makers.

Fiat has already bought a 20 per cent stake in Chrysler and the company feels that this tie-up is sufficient for them. Otherwise, the company might choke trying to shallow too much what it can actually intake.

Asian car makers have secured several deals recently with other car manufactures. It is just last week ago when Volkswagen agreed to buy 20 per cent stake of Suzuki Motor Corporation for $2.5 billion. This has been followed by Monday’s announcement that Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co (BAIC) has bought some Saab assets.

Fiat is building a plant in China with Guangzhou Automobile, China's sixth-largest auto producer and has a joint venture with India’s Tata Motors. Fiat aims to go to China with the Jeep and its deal with Chrysler “is also aimed at Eastern markets.”

Fiat also revealed that its sporty Alfa Romeo marque was not for sale under any circumstances, after a recent analyst report suggested it could be bought by Volkswagen.

Fiat would be able to significantly increase output in its native land as the government has requested during negotiations over the car maker’s future strategy and the government's commitment to incentives for trading in old vehicles.

Fiat also said Chrysler will allow the car maker to cover market segments the company is not present in till date. Moreover, it expects to shift production of around 270,000 Panda cars from its overworked factory in Poland, either to the southern Italian Pomigliano plant or to Mirafiori, near its home base of Turin in the north-east.

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German Car manufacturer Volkswagen is smooth sailing these days. A couple of weeks back, it acquired and added Porsche to portfolio and it is only last week that it has bought 20 per cent stakes of Suzuki Motor Corporation.

Now Volkswagen has finally rolled out its first ‘Made in India’ Polo car on Saturday from its production plant in Chakan, Pune. The Polo hatchback will enter the Indian car market in the month of March next year. Introducing the Polo is going to be Volkswagen’s biggest push to boost sales in India, which is Asia’s fourth-largest automotive market.

The Volkswagen's factory in Pune was opened earlier this year. It is a part of a 580 million euros ($ 846.8 Million) investment, which the company says is a “key element” in its India strategy.

This unit can produce up to 110,000 cars a year and will be used to manufacture the Skoda Fabia and the Polo. Besides, it will also be used to manufacture the sedan version of the Polo which will be launched in India in the second half of next year.

Volkswagen is planning to double the number of workers at its factory in India by the end of next year. The car giant sold about 16,000 cars in India from January through October.
Europe’s largest car maker also aims to capture as much as 10 percent of India’s car market in four to six years as it boosts sales in emerging-markets. So far, Volkswagen sells cars under five brands that include Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, Skoda and Audi.

Furthermore, Volkswagen is looking at the potential for jointly building cars with Suzuki Motor Corporation in the South Asian nations. Volkswagen and Suzuki plans to develop hybrids and electric vehicles under both car brands.

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The ultimate name in speed and style in the automotive world, Bugatti will finally make its presence felt here in India by next year. Rich lads with their father’s pockets deep enough to buy this will have a field time when they flash their Bugatti Veyron.

Volkswagen AG, the German automotive giant, which also is the parent company of this legendary French super car maker, has made it official that Bugatti is in the list of things that VW has made for India in 2010.

Being the second fastest car in the world, the Bugatti Veyron can hit a top speed of 407km/h and can sprint 0-100km in an amazing 2.6 seconds. This fast car comes in a coupe as well as in a sports car body style.

The legendary Bugatti Veyron tops the list of the world’s most expensive street legal car available in the market today with a price tag of $1,700,000. If converted this sum in Indian rupees, it will cost anywhere between Rs 5 Crore to Rs 12 Crore. Alright, we here are talking about rich kids only.

The world’s fastest car, the SSC Ultimate Aero will also be introduced in India some time in 2010. Though the Ultimate Aero is the fastest car on earth, it is half the price of the Veyron with a price of $654,400.

Volkswagen will import the Bugatti brand to India. Currently, the other brands of Volkswagen like Porsche, Bentley and Lamborghini are imported in India by independent dealers.

Actually, it is not very practical to import completely built vehicles of high-end cars to India. It is mainly because of the high cost involved in homologation and the small number of sales. Moreover, homologation, or checking its road worthiness and adapting to local conditions, is mandatory for every model that comes into the country as a Completely Built Unit (CBU).

But, considering the growing liking of Indian customers to luxury products and the country’s high growth rate, many marquee car makers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are their cars. Volkswagen, which has launched the iconic Beetle and the Touareg on 4th December, brings these cars as CBUs in India.

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The newly made Volkswagen-Suzuki alliance has already charted out its plans to develop a small car for the Indian market which would cost approximately around Rs2-2.5 lakh, which also could replace the Alto when the Maruti-Suzuki decides to retire its top-selling model.

Top officials in Maruti Suzuki have also confirmed this news that they were looking out for a car that would be replacing Alto for the price quoted above as that is the entry level for Indian customers today and the segment is very strategic for the company.

Volkswagen and Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corporation had, on Wednesday, announced a deal which will see the German carmaker picking up a 19.9% stake in Suzuki for $2.5 billion. The companies plan to develop small cars and electric vehicles under both brands. The new car that will be priced at $4000-5000 in the European market will be the cheapest car from the Volkswagen stable below the Up, which carries a price tag of around $8800.

Volkswagen also is enthusiastic in a car priced below the price segment of Up!, their cheapest car in the offering at the moment. VW is also looking forward for the fructification of the project with Suzuki.

Meanwhile VW will be launching its Polo hatchback in India by next year, which will be competing against popular hatchbacks in India like that of Maruti Suzuki Swift and Hyundai i20.

Although the contours of the partnership are still being worked out, both partners are interested in developing common platforms. Sharing platforms will enable VW to use Suzuki for contract manufacturing both in Japan and India. While VW is eying the options of producing its cars in the Maruti-Suzuki’s plants it is desperately seeking the small car expertise from small car whiz Maruti Suzuki to gain a foot hold in small car markets such as India and Europe and Suzuki is looking forward to learn the know-how of the diesel power plants technology from the German giant.

VW however was very clear to mention that they were not in the league to eye the Nano segment. But VW-Suzuki alliance has sent some shivers down the spine of many big players in India. Tata Motors for instance would have to re-draft their strategy as this alliance would mean some serious competition coming for diesel cars like that of Tata Indica Vista hatchbacks and Indigo sedans.

But there is a catch here in the whole process. However the global partnership will not result in the two companies sharing distribution and dealership networks in India. According to VW officials, the main focus of the synergy, particularly in India, will be on back-end areas like production and purchasing of parts.

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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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Volkswagen has overtaken Toyota to become the world's largest car manufacturer, thanks largely to a merger with Porsche AG.
The German car maker has produced 4.4 million automobiles so far this year, outstripping its Japanese rival which has seen four million cars roll off production lines since January.

But, Volkswagen reached this milestone by taking over Porsche and Porsche became the tenth brand in the Volkswagen familys. Hence, the combined entity VW-Porsche built 4.4 million cars to date this year and stripped Toyota of its first place as the largest auto maker.

The change may not be permanent as the Japanese behemoth has the capacity to make 10 million vehicles a year and due to a slowing global economy it has decided to half its production this year.

General Motors was once the world's largest car maker for 80 years until it filed for bankruptcy and Toyota emerged as the number one car maker in 2009. Moreover, this is not for the first time that Volkswagen has achieved a major milestone; last year it overtook Ford Motors to conquer the third position in global sales.

While Toyota went on to benefit from US government's cash-for-clunkers programme, the German auto major benefited even more from similar programmes in operation in Europe. In China, Volkswagen shot past Toyota as the Chinese government attempted to boost demand by cutting back taxes on car sales.

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It seems like Hyundai is on a roll. One year after promising to become the leading manufacturer in fuel economy, Hyundai delivered by topping the latest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy report. Hyundai passed all major manufacturers in Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) including traditional leaders like Honda and Toyota.

The report demonstrates the effectiveness of Hyundai's value-driven fuel-efficiency strategy, which focuses on the intelligent application of cost-effective technologies. The report also substantiates Hyundai's leadership in the race to achieve the US government-mandated 2016 CAFE standard of 35.5 miles per gallon.

"Our thoughtful application of cost-effective, fuel-efficient technologies has helped us achieve our goal of leading the industry in fuel economy ahead of schedule," said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. He also added that Hyundai hoped to extend that leadership with the launch of our new direct injection, turbocharging and lithium-polymer hybrid technologies, all of which will be a part of the 2011 Sonata lineup launching early next year.

Hyundai is aligning global R&D resources at its engineering centers in California, Michigan, Korea, India and Germany to develop the Blue Drive technologies needed to achieve fuel efficiency goals. Under the Hyundai Blue Drive strategy, technologies such as direct injection, turbo-charging, hybrid drive systems and a number of others will all play larger roles in powering future models to offer consumers lower emissions, enhanced performance and more miles per gallon.

Carazoo.com here gives the list of car makers who have scored high in producing fuel-efficient vehicles according to Environmental Protection Agency Fuel Economy Reports :

Group Fuel Economy (mpg)
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Manufacturer Overall (Cars/Trucks)
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Hyundai 30.1
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Honda 29.7
----- ----
Volkswagen 29.6
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Toyota 29.4
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Kia 28.0
--- ----
Nissan 27.2
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BMW 26.9
--- ----
Ford 25.7
---- ----
General Motors 24.5
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Chrysler 23.2
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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 parent company of German sports-car maker Porsche declared a massive loss on Wednesday though it states manufacturing the iconic cars was still profitable.

Porsche Automobil Holding SE’s ploy of taking over Europe’s biggest carmaker Volkswagen was foiled this year forcing a drastic write-down in the value of the smaller company's portfolio of Volkswagen stock.

In its latest business year the Porsche parent booked a loss of 3.6 billion euros ($5.4 billion), a massive plunge from the record profit of 6.4 billion euros in the 2007-08 year. Unusually for a German company, Porsche's business year ends every July 31.

Though it secured a majority of Volkswagen stock, Porsche had to admit defeat in the merger battle. Instead of Porsche taking over Volkswagen, the reverse happened, and Porsche's options on Volkswagen stock were later sold at a loss to Qatar's sovereign wealth.

Martin Winterkorn, the Volkswagen chief executive who has now made himself chief executive of Porsche SE as well, said the Porsche car factories in themselves were still profitable, despite the world recession, with a profit margin of 10.3 per cent.

"Over the course of 2010, Porsche AG expects a revival in sales," said a statement. Porsche AG is the car making unit, while SE is its parent.

The two main factors in the huge loss at SE were both financial. One was a sharp write-down in the assessed value of SE's Volkswagen options, which stripped 2.5 million euros from SE's books.

The other was the consolidation of Volkswagen losses into Porsche's accounts at the moment it claimed a fleeting tactical victory in the struggle by capturing 50.76 percent of Volkswagen. That brought Porsche a paper loss of 3.1 billion euros.

The end result was a mountain of debt which crushed Porsche.

The accounts showed Porsche SE owed a net 11.4 billion euros as of the end of July. A year earlier it had been 6.4 billion euros in credit, thanks to strong car sales and successful stock market moves.

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Volkswagen is going to play father-act to the sports car maker Porsche. The VW’s supervisory board has now made way for the company’s planned takeover of Porsche. The VW supervisory board had approved contracts determining details of the complex tie-up on Thursday. Porsche's board was expected to follow suit on Friday.

VW also is also expected to invest about 25.8 billion euros ($A42.42 billion) in factories, materials and vehicle types by the end of 2012. Most of the funds are selected to production and equipment sites. And VW is planning all this to overtake the number one auto maker Toyota by 2018. Through joint ventures, Volkswagen also plans to invest 4.4 billion euros ($A7.14 billion) in China by the end of 2012.

Porsche sanctioning the VW deal is expected to draw a line under a violent power struggle between the two automakers in recent years that counts Porsche's former boss Wendelin Wiedeking and its finance chief as casualties. Porsche had initially tried to obtain its much bigger German peer, but the shortage due to financial crisis detained credit markets forced it change the mind.

VW is expected to be complete the in 2011. Porsche's major sports car operations will all be integrated into VW as its 10th brand. As a beginning, by the end of this year, VW will acquire a 49.9 per cent stake for 3.9 billion euros.

VW's institutional investors, several of them, have criticised the poor visibility on Porsche's financial situation and guaranteed to resist the deal.

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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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It very much seems like that the expensive luxury vehicles, priced over Rs 15 lakhs and above, including sport utility vehicles and luxury sedans have caught the fancy of car enthusiasts in India. This comes in the time when major car manufacturers in the country are working on the low cost cars.

These luxury cars are so much in demand that the new products are actually overselling the actual estimated units to be sold in India, signaling a huge growth potential in the segment in India. Another interesting thing about this trend is that the once traditional markets for the segment, the US and Europe are fast turning in towards small and fuel efficient cars.

BMW India has already sold 63 units of X6 since its launch in July and another six units of Z4 in October. Thanks to this trend, BMW India’s new products are helping the company exceed its earlier set target of 3,000 units in India in 2009 against 2,908 units in 2008.

BMW India is on cloud number nine, thanks to its newly acquired position as the leader in the segment and attributes this trend to its strong product line up, market expansion and brand building exercise it has done in a while since its advent in India.

While the above mentioned cars are the cars belonging to the high-end luxury segment that revolves around Rs 50 lakh, the demand for the cars in the lower end of the segment like the Volkswagen Passat, Toyota Fortuner and Honda CR-V is also reaching new levels that were beyond expectations.

Toyota Fortuner, which was launched in August, saw a backlog of 3,100 units that were to be delivered in seven months as Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s manufacturing plant could assemble 550 Fotuners a month.

Meanwhile Volkswagen India may end up selling more Passats as against earlier target of 1,000 units.

This certainly comes as a welcome note for the luxury car manufacturers who have always have had high expectation from the emerging new Indian car market as well as the general public who are bored looking at the drab looking small cars plying around in India.

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The Indian car market is at its best this season. There have been lots of cars that are getting launched. And the car manufacturers are assuring that they provide new choices for all the customers. No one is left unhappy, the new cars ranges in price and also in performance and class.

Amidst this good news there is information on a car that we have been long waiting to be delightedly accepted in India. To give you a clue, this model is from the Volkswagen stable. Alright do not leave your thoughts wander, and don’t think it is the Volkswagen Polo that we have mentioned here. It is Volkswagen Up.

The Volkswagen Up has close similarity with another model of the same manufacturer, Beetle. The engine of the Up will be placed at the rear and is expected to be available in both petrol and diesel engines. And you will find the expected date of the car in India as late 2009 or early 2010. But now there might be a change in this. And the reason is that there are some internal issues in the company and it has postponed the launch of the car to late 2011.

Yes you will have to wait another two years to drive a Volkswagen Up. The production of this mini car, as per what is known now, will start only by March 2011. And it will reach the showrooms only by late 2011. This might also affect the launch of the Skoda small car that is based on Up.

This is depressing information, but the merry and cheer in the air as a part on the ongoing festival season might lighten things up. And after all you should wait for good things happen, and in most cases it will be worth the wait.

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The Frankfurt Motor Show concluded on 27th September amidst much fan-fare. A total of 781 auto manufacturers and auto parts manufacturers from 30 countries took part in the show to display about 100 new models, during the motor show.

Aston Martin presented the four-door coupe Rapide and Audi unveiled the R8 Spyder and the E-Tron Concept car. Ford came with its 7-seater C-Max minivan and Lamborghini with Reventon Roadster that carries a 6.5-liter V12 651 bhp engine with all-wheel-drive. The Lexus LF-Ch Concept combines stylish design and full hybrid technology.

The Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari is a small exciting car that will provide practical urban mobility. Ferrari also showcased the 458 Italia. The 2011 Volvo C30 is an awesome hatchback that will go on sales in US in 2010. Jaguar showed its 2010 XJ at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The updated 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo appeared alongside the 911 GT3 RS and 911 Sport Classic in Frankfurt. BMW presented the Vision EfficientDynamics concept at the Frankfurt Auto Show along with the BMW 335d, X1 and X6 Hybrid.

The last of the GM-engineered Saabs, the Epsilon II-based 2010 Saab 9-5, debuted at Frankfurt too. Volkswagen came up with the L1 Concept, e-Up!

The muscular Bentley Mulsanne, the Mini Coupe Concept and the Mini Roadstet Concept were revealed too. Bugatti present the Sanf Bleu and the electric buggy that once belonged to the King of Belgium. The refreshed 2010 Dodge Caliber also made its official debut at Frankfurt.

The Mazda MX-5 Superlight Concept made its first public appearance at the Auto Show. The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon, the Mercedes-Benz SLS Electric and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG also revealed at the 63rd IAA.

The Opel Ampera is a four-door, plug-in series hybrid that was still in Opel's booth at Frankfurt and the 2010 Prius plug-in hybrid concept grace Toyota’s stall.

The Maserati GranCabrio too showed up on the Stage. India’s only electric car company, REVA displayed its NXG and the NXR models.

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We are still not the first, but we are certainly among the best small car market in the world. The Indian car market is now the second largest small car manufacturer. This is of course an achievement we can boast about. But this should not be a surprise for those who know the booming demand for small cars in India.

The demand for small cars in India is not a new trend. The passion for small cars has a long history in the Indian car market. Most of the favourite cars of India are small cars. The Maruti 800, Maruti Alto, Hyundai Santro have all been successful for their compact nature and affordable pricing. And the auto makers were also happy to boost the small car sales bringing out more small cars. And this has now resulted in India becoming the second largest small car market in the world, where Brazil adorns the first place.

The Indian small cars are in demand not only in the domestic market but there has also been a huge requirement globally resulting in a very high export percentage. Maruti has contributed a major part in the increasing sales of small cars. It has launched, in the past one year, very famous small cars including A-star, Ritz and facelifted Estilo.

The future of small cars in the Indian market is also bright and gay. There has been a huge list of small cars that is awaiting its entry into the Indian small car market. Volkswagen Polo, Ford Figo, and Chevrolet Beat are just a few among them.

Major companies like Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Renault will be launching their new small cars in the near future. Meanwhile, companies like Toyota and Honda has already requesting the government to change the criterion that specifies a small car.

It seems that the Indian small car industry will witness a huge change and it will be driven by the never fading demand for small cars.

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German car behemoth Volkswagen has presented an update on its present and future launches at the 63rd International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. The car company has showcased a range of nine cars at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Volkswagen will be introducing an eco-friendly car in the year 2013. This green car is named E-UP! and this will be an exciting city car with a electric motor. The E-UP will give a zero emission as well. The L1 concept car from Volkswagen is a two-seater with TDI hybrid that consumes only 1.49 litre of diesel to run 100 kilometres and emits only 39 grams of CO2 per kilometre. This car too will be hitting the roads in 2013. The Volkswagen L1 is so far the most fuel economic car of the world.

A three-door version of the Polo, which is much awaited in India, will now come in a new base version that will cost only € 12,150 in Germany. This three-door Polo is a smaller version of the five-door bestselling Polo model. The three-door Polo will be available with six engine choices and three equipment levels including Trendline, Comfortline and Highline.

Moreover, an automatic 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) will be available for the first time in the Polo lineup with this car. The BlueMotion version of the Polo also comes in three-door. This car is low on fuel consumption as well and uses just 3.3 litre of diesel to travel 100 km. The car will be powered by a 73 bhp diesel engine.

In the same way, the Volkswagen Golf can run 100 kilometres on 3.8 litres of fuel. The Golf R, an edition of the VW Golf, will carry the same 266bhp 2.0-litre turbo engine found in the Audi S3. It's the fastest Golf ever that can propel the four-wheel-drive to 100 km in 5.5 seconds. The R stands out from the Golf crowd with a black version of the small car’s horizontal grille, as well as black side mirrors and a black rear diffuser housing dual exhaust pipes that are a signature of R-badged Golfs.

The Volkswagen Scirocco R is a sporty compact coupe with good fuel economy. The coupe will be driven by a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection. The Passat CC of the R-Line package will come with modification in the inside and on the outer body. The new Passat CC will show a fuel efficiency of 4.4 litre of fuel per 100 km. A customised version of the Volkswagen Exclusive (Golf Estate) has been displayed along with the Volkswagen Bulli that comes with a good mileage tag.

It seems Volkswagen has been busy trying to set records when it comes to CO2 emissions and fuel-efficient technologies.

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Here is a riddle for you: Which car has a 1-liter diesel engine, seats two people longitudinally, weighs less than 500kg and achieves 100 km/l?

If your answer is “An experimental aircraft?”, then you might have just hit the wrong button. The above mentioned stats belong to that of a Volkswagen L1 concept.

This new L1 concept from Volkswagen will make its world debut in the Frankfurt Motor Show that begins today and would go up to 27th September 2009.

The modest German car maker who gave the world iconic cars like the Beetle and the Golf redefined mobility for man. In this age, where fuel prices are reaching the sky, Volkswagen is working to present Mother Earth with an eco-friendly car.

This concept car which is known as the L1, for obvious reasons, uses carbon-fibre extensively in a bid to keep the weight below 500 kilograms. The L1 concept car is capable of seating two people effortlessly and can go about 100 kilometres for every litre of oil. To obtain this superb fuel economy, the aerodynamic drag of the Volkswagen L1 has been reduced.

This is possible because of the sleek body of the car which has a passenger-behind-driver body with the rear wheels covered by skirts that also improves air flow. Air intake ports for engine cooling and cabin ventilation also open only as required to further assist the car’s smooth shape. The car will be able to run at a top speed of 121km/h. Incredible!

The design of the car will make the L1 narrow enough to cut across the narrow city roads with much ease. The L1 is likely to be 3800mm in length and has a canopy roof for passenger entry and exit. The car comes with a small cargo area of 50 litres to carry luggage.

The Volkswagen L1 concept car will be powered by a 1L TDI diesel engine and a single electric motor in a full-hybrid configuration that can derive 36 bhp. The diesel engine is paired with a seven-speed DSG transmission and the engines will emit only 39 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

To top it all off, Volkswagen is very keen on the L1 hitting roads as early as 2013. Why wait till 2013, Volkswagen? We say, bring the L1 on right away.

The L1 was originally developed as a concept in 2002 as the world's first car capable of consuming just one liter of fuel for every 100 kilometers it traveled. But, due to various reasons, Volkswagen was unable to make a production case for the L1. Now VW has decided that it is the high time to bring an updated version of the L1 Concept to the world.

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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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The Volkswagen Polo is expected to be in the Indian car market by the end of next year. Indians have been long expecting the launch of this supermini car. But the wait just a little longer.

It has been reported three years back that the car will be available to the Indian car customers by 2009 and it will be competing against the Maruti Swift, Hyundai Getz and Tata Indica. But when the promised time has just arrived the wait is extended by another one year and the car will have a new set of rivals in the Indian market by the end of 2010.

Let us hope that the wait will finally end this year. The bookings have already begun in Europe for this fifth-generation of Polo. For the European customers, the Polo is a very familiar model and a much loved one also. But for us Indians, we have to wait until Volkswagen plans to deliver this cute hatchback to our shores by sometime in 2010.

For the Indian car customers, there will be modifications in the car so that it will meet their needs the best. But from the master car builder it will be surely some great features, as the Indian customers also have now learned the trick of not getting settled for what has been offered but asking for more.

The exteriors of the car will match its siblings the Volkswagen Jetta and Passat, but mocks at the more serious look of these models with the dual indicators, which gives the car a sportier look. As for the engine options, the base model of the car will be available in a 1.2-litre petrol and there will be a more powerful engine option of 1.2 TSI petrol motor.

The price is expected to be between 4 lakh and 7 lakh which looks quite tempting, but wait and see, what this long wait has in store.

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