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Monday, 29 September 2008
Honda Accord Gifted
Honda recently gifted the Honda Accord to Mr. Digvijay Singh, winner of the Order of Merit List for gold tournament held in India. Digvijay, a happy owner of the Honda Accord must be smiling with the car keys in his hands. Obviously, he has a reason to smile. Honda as a brand is a super success in the country and people love to own Honda cars like City, Civic, CR-V, and Accord. The new Accord is a perfect blend of unmatched performance, inspiring style, high-end safety, and refined comfort. Who will not love driving a classy car like this? By gifting this car to the winner of a sport event, Honda is making an attractive move towards branding. Indian car manufacturers are going hand in hand with sports events because of the huge crowd following sports activities. Even Volvo tried to brand its car model by gifting it to the first Indian individual winner of Olympics. Labels: Honda, Honda- Accord, Honda-City, Honda-Civic, Honda-CR-V, Indian-Car, Volvo
Pay More for Imported Cars
Wake up car importers! It’s time for car importers to open their eyes and see the expected price hike for imported cars. Yes, the prices for imported cars are expected to rise due to the weakening of rupee against dollar. At this stage of downturn, car exporters are rejoicing the market but reality is that the importers will have a tough time. We just wonder how severely this will affect the foreign car manufacturers like Mercedes, BMW, Nissan, Volvo, and Porsche, who are importing their cars to India as Completely Built Units or CBUs. Even Honda CR-V would be affected by weakening of the rupee. This will definitely increase the prices of imported cars. All the luxury car manufacturers are trying hard to cushion the impact on Indian car customers but till how long? Labels: BMW, Car-Manufacturers, Honda-CR-V, Imported-Cars, Luxury-Car, Mercedes, Nissan, Porsche, Volvo
Friday, 25 July 2008
Volvo Race Makes a Stopover in India
Volvo Ocean Race, formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race, is the most prestigious and impressive yacht race around the world. It is an ultimate and adventurous sport which is held every four years. It is the first time in the history of 35 years that the Volvo Race will make a stopover in India. The race will begin in next 71 days and will reach India in next 131 days. A short time left to say, ‘get set go’ and meet the racers in Cochin, India. The Race will commence sailing in October 2008 starting from Alicante, Spain. It will cross more than 39,000 nautical miles and visit 11 ports round the world. The Race will make a stopover at Cape Town, Cochin, Qingdao, Rio de Janeiro, Boston, Galway, Goteborg and Stockholm, and finally end up at St.Petersburg. This unique blend of onshore glamour and offshore performance is something unique for the country. India is considered to be the fastest growing economies and gradually it is being noticed by all domains and industries. All global car manufacturers and industrialists have made a stopover in India. And today, Volvo Race, a sporting and dynamic race by Volvo is 131 days away from India. Labels: Racing, Volvo, World endurance race
Thursday, 3 April 2008
Volvo will launch six new cars in India
Since it has entered India in 2007, luxury car maker Volvo has been in news for few times. And every time Volvo has made sure that the focus is on its cars and features rather than anything itself. In India, Volvo has been a late entry but it already has an impressive line with three luxury cars - convertible C70, sedan S80 and luxury SUV XC90. The company has a target of 500 cars for Indian market.
Volvo also came into news for announcing the date of launch and showing commitment to stick to it. Volvo has its largest market in USA, but is not showing any laxity towards newer markets like India. But, now Volvo plans to launch 6 new vehicles in India in a phased manner. According to sources come of the models to be introduced are C30, XC 60 and XC 70. Many more models will be launched following them. Labels: Auto market competition, luxury cars, Luxury sedan, new cars, Sedans, Volvo
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
Car manufacturers are committed to keep their word
Indian car industry has assumed great importance globally after the Tata Nano was unveiled at the 9 th Auto Expo and recently at the Geneva Motor Show. Many global car manufacturers, who have announced the launch of their cars in India in the near future, are not taking any chances and are already announcing the exact year of launch and if it will be sedan, hatchback or SUV.
Volkswagen, BMW, Audi and Ford have already joined the bandwagon of Indian cars and are making waves. Volvo luxury cars in India are the latest entrants. Volvo is now in queue to capture the SUV segment in India and has announced that it will release its much awaited XC60 SUV next year. Mercedes-Benz wants to bring more of its diesel engine cars to India. Car manufacturers, who had nurtured the habit of making announcements of car launches without any commitments to implement them, are now realizing the potential of the Indian automobile industry and are working hard to materialize their promises. Labels: Expansion in Indian auto industry, Global players, new cars, Volvo
Thursday, 10 January 2008
Volvo’s convertible launched
One more attraction for youngsters at the 9th Auto Expo. Volvo has launched the convertible C70. There aren’t a lot of convertibles on our roads yet and we don’t see people feeling the air rush through their hair while they drive. No wonder then why Volvo has brought the convertible along. The C70 comes after Volvo’s recent launch of its luxury sedan S80 and the SUV XC90. The convertible will hit Indian roads soon. The most interesting feature of the C70 is its three piece retractable hardtop that can transform the vehicle from a convertible to a coupe within seconds of pressing a button. The company has so far not specified an exact date for the launch, but expressed its desire to enter the model into the Indian market. Volvo is making their models available as CBUs (Completely Built Units) which attracts a high percentage of import duty. The models are completely built outside India and then imported. Most likely the C70 too will be a CBU and its price would start somewhere around Rs 40 lakh. A late entrant to the India bandwagon of cars, Volvo has managed to sell 500 units across the country so far. The C70 is the most attractive model from them yet. Labels: Auto expo, Convertibles, luxury cars, Volvo
Thursday, 15 November 2007
Nissan plans to bring Infiniti to India
People often ask me “What type of a car is your dream car?” The answer is usually “A car with elegant looks and luxury and a brand name that does not need an explanation.” I think it’s the same with most people. Now here comes my question “What comes to mind when you think of Infiniti?” Luxury! Infiniti is one of the most luxurious cars that people dream about. These imported Infiniti models will soon assault the Indian market by the in-time idea from Nissan Motors. Infiniti, the Nissan-owned company, is planning to debut its Infiniti brand of luxury cars in India. Watch out Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, Volvo, and Volkswagen. Upon introduction, the Infiniti will be presented in the luxury, small car, mid-sized sedan, and the commercial vehicle segments. The Infiniti versions are priced in the range of Rs. 15,30,000 - Rs. 23,40,000 in the US market. The Infiniti price tags for the Indian market are yet to be announced. Nissan is happy with the Indian market and its local partners. However there is no information about who the local partner will be for Infiniti. After the joint ventures with Bajaj Auto, Mahindra&Mahindra, and Ashok Leyland, who will be the next? Labels: Ashok Leyland, Audi, Bajaj, BMW, Imported cars, Launches in India, Luxury car segment, Mahindra, Mahindra-Renault, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Volkswagen, Volvo
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
More Volvos to launch in India
The excitement associated with the Volvo launches has not yet subsided, and you can see the party flare up again. More Volvo cars are now coming into town! Following the Volvo S80 and XC90 is the Volvo C30, a luxury Coupe, and the Volvo C70 that is available in both Coupe and Convertible body styles. It has been rumored that Ford India will join hands with Volvo in India. It looks like both Volvo and Ford will work together on the same platform with shared technologies. Following the success of the XC90 and S80, Volvo might have realized that there are a large number of Volvo fans in India. Those looking to gain a little extra performance from a Coupe or a Convertible should start emptying their garage space now! However, the auto market says that Indians prefer small cars compared to Coupes or Convertibles. Honestly, do we have a choice? Give me a Convertible any day for the price of a Swift and I’ll take it!! If you are a big Volvo fan, log on to the Volvo website for streaming videos of the C30 and C70 models or just check out Carazoo and we will have all the info you need for the new makes as soon as the news breaks! Labels: Convertibles, Coupes, Ford, Imported cars, Indian car market, Launches in India, Luxury car segment, Volvo
Stay tuned to see Caparo T1 on Indian Roads!
Let’s hope for a new growth in Track car productions in India in the coming years. Caparo the company known for the T1 track car is developing a new small car for India. The UK based Caparo’s ‘city car’ would be licensed for production to other manufacturers in the local market in India. As global auto makers like Toyota, Honda, and General Motors have announced plans to launch a compact car in India; we can hope that one of these MNCs will franchise Caparo's city car for production in the Indian local market. Learning from manufacturers like Renault, Volkswagen, Volvo, and Fiat, Caparo too sees the value in an Indian foray with a partner to rationalize investments and get a head start for production, sales, & service. Caparo is in talks with multiple potential automakers for a possible alliance in India. The car that is under development in Caparo’s Chennai factory will find a new space in the heart of the hard core car racing enthusiasts. This T1 racing car is a high performance two-seater designed with the style and function that resembles a Formula One race car. T1 offers a lightweight body and chassis made out of advanced composite materials. The T1 will be showcased in India in Auto Expo 2008. Let’s wait till the show to experience the craftsmanship of Caparo. Labels: Fiat, General Motors, Honda, Imported cars, Indian car manufacturer, Indian car market, Mahindra-Renault, Manufacturing new car, Toyota, Track cars, Volkswagen, Volvo
Friday, 5 October 2007
Peugeot in India again!
After a long pause, Peugeot, the French automaker, is once again gazing at the Indian market with a low cost model that is under development. Who can blame them for a second glance – at the rate the Indian automobile industry is growing; manufactures have to be blind not to notice us! The company seems still worried about the failure faced by Peugeot and Premier Automobiles Ltd. (PAL), their joint venture partners, in their formative years in India. The cause for the closure of Peugeot in India had termed differently, as poor performance and joint venture failure. Its struggles to survive in the Indian market have resulted in the eventual exit of the company from the Indian auto-scenario in November 1997 – just a year before the auto boom started. Even if the company didn’t play any important roles in the Indian Passenger car market, we cannot forget Peugeot as it was one of the first automobile MNCs to enter India. As the Indian auto market has been a matter of interest for foreign automakers, like Volvo, Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, and many others from around the world, Peugeot is again getting ready to seek its luck in India. Our automobile industry has come a long way from the time they were here – we now not only have a splatter of automobile MNCs, but also a wider consumer interest. So, a definite green signal to Peugeot from my side! Labels: Audi, BMW, car manufacturers, competition, Indian car market, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Volvo
Volvo will outsource auto components from India
Volvo Car Corporation, the Swedish automakers, will outsource components worth $99 million from India this year. To get a grip in the growing demands for automotive parts Volvo will join international automakers like General Motors Corporation and DaimlerChrysler in Outsourcing the auto components. The components that are expected to be outsourced from India are engine parts, steering parts, body chassis, suspension, braking parts, general equipment, and electric parts. In this 36 percent exports are heading for Europe. Due to this new outsourcing, the industry exports will jump from $1.8 billion of 2004-2005 to $5.9 billion in 2008-2009. Such big numbers make my head spin! Volvo is a part of the Premier Automotive Group and one of the luxurious brands owned by Ford Motor Company. The Volvo group of India has been outsourcing components from major Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies such as Minda HUF, Visteon, Arvin Meritor, Sundaram Clayton, and Rico Auto. Labels: Ford, Indian car market, Outsourcing auto parts, Profit industry, Volvo
Thursday, 13 September 2007
Volvo luxury cars make first appearance in India
India being one of the lucrative hubs for the car market is attracting auto majors from all over the world. Almost all the overseas manufacturers including Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Suzuki, and most recently Volkswagen have entered the fray. Now, the time has dawned for the Swedish major, Volvo, to enter the Indian market. Volvo Car Corporation is all set to make a debut of its luxury cars in the Indian market. The manufacturers recently proclaimed the launch of two of its most successful models, the S80 sedan and the XC90 SUV, in a few weeks from now. The said models are made available in both petrol and diesel variants and are accessible through the dealers located in Chandigarh, Mumbai, and Delhi. These luxury vehicles are available in 14 different colours. To start, like the Volkswagen Passat, these Volvo models will be imported from its Swedish manufacturing plant in completely built units. The luxury sedan S80 is said to pose a tough competition to the cars manufactured by Audi, BMW, and Mercedes. The Volvo SUV XC90 will pose a tough competition to the manufacturers’ building SUV’s. These new models are said to be equipped with loads of hi-tech accessories that are deemed to offer ultimate comfort and therefore these models are priced accordingly. Labels: Imported cars, launch in India, Volkswagen, Volvo
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
Importance of safety airbags in cars
Many head-on and side impact collisions happen on a day-to-day basis. To minimize the distress, auto manufacturers introduced seat belts, which saved many occupants during serious collisions. But, there were also deaths caused in spite of using these seat belts. To further reduce the percentage of injuries and deaths, airbags came into the picture. Survey showed that with the airbags mounted, death and injuries can be reduced by 30-percent, which is admirable. An airbag is an empty bag, which becomes a soft cushion when serious crashes occur. Airbags made its debut in automobiles in the early 80’s, before which it was used only in airplanes. These airbags are installed between the occupants and the various car equipments and car structure to completely avoid or if possible decrease any sort of contact that the passengers may have with the hard surfaces of the car. Now manufacturers consider airbags as one of the safest equipments and bedeck their cars with two, six, and even eight. Various airbags are placed in different locations in the car. There is front driver and front passenger airbags, rear seat passenger airbags, front-side driver and passenger airbags, and side-curtain airbags. Foreign companies have started designing an airbag safety canopy system that covers all the passengers with the safety of airbags. An airbag slowly tries to bring the kinetic energy of the passengers to zero, when an accident occurs, to save the passengers from serious harm. An airbag has three important components - bag, sensor, and an inflation system. The bag looks like an empty pillow cover and is made out of fine nylon. The sensor is an electronic devise, which orders the bag to inflate. The sensors obtain the information from an accelerometer built into a microchip and then the inflation system starts to work. It combines sodium azide with potassium nitrate to produce nitrogen gas, which fills the airbag. All these actions happen in a few milliseconds, after or during a crash or in some cases as a pre-emptive action due to loss of control of the car. After the car come to a halt, the gas quickly dissipates from the bag through tiny pores, thus deflating it. The chalky substance that comes out of the bag while deflating is either ordinary talcum powder or cornstarch, used to smear the bag while in storage. Different makers mount airbags at different positions. In Volvo cars you can find airbags at the seat-back. This positioning of the airbags protects passengers regardless of how the seats are positioned. BMW cars have airbags mounted on the doors of its cars. The doors have more space and can hold bigger bags. BMW also features head bags, which works in a similar way as the other airbags. Researchers are still experimenting on these safety bags to design it even more efficiently to further decrease the injury rates. Labels: Airbags for safety, BMW, Volvo
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