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Friday, 12 March 2010
 Have you heard of the Dakar Rally? Well, for those who haven’t heard of it, the Dakar Rally or simply “The Dakar” is a long-distance off-road automobile race in which most of the competitive special sections are off-road, crossing dunes, mud, camel grass and rocks. The vehicles too are true off-road tough automobiles rather than the modified sedans used in other rallies. The race is organized by the Amaury Sport Organisation. The rally which started off in 1978 usually started in Paris, France and the vehicles rallied till Dakar, Senegal. That is why the rally is called “The Paris-Dakar” or Paris to Dakar Rally. But in 2009, due to the 2008 security threats in Mauritania, the Dakar Rally was held in Argentina and Chile in South America. That was the first time the race was organized outside of Europe and Africa. In, 2010, it returned to South America.  The race is open to amateur and professional entries who usually make up 80 per cent of the participant population. The distances covered at each stage vary from short distances up to 800–900 kilometres per day. Now, the year 2015 of the Dakar Race is going to see something special. The solar-powered Volvo plans to make its presence known at the 2015 Dakar Rally. The news hasn’t been fully confirmed though. We, however, wish to see the tough beauty of the solar-powered car make its way through the endurance race. The demand for fossil fuels is increasing by the day and so are the prices. At this stage what could be better than having our vehicles use alternate sources of energy? It would be really great to see the rough and tough solar-powered Volvo win the rough and tough rally.  The concept of the Volvo using the renewable source of energy is based on a hybrid drive train. A combination of fuel cells and solar energy is going to assist the diesel engine in delivering electricity to the hub motors in each of the wheels. Exploring slick and smooth movements, the shape of this Volvo automobile is surely going to challenge the very usual truck format and the Dakar Rally will hopefully be the best platform for its promotion. The Volvo concept auto is targeted towards commercial use though. It is aimed at being an emergency vehicle helping out as a rescue automobile or as a mobile hospital. The solar roof is going to give the Volvo the required power. However, at the rally, don’t you think it will be much better if the vehicle uses wind power? It will never run out of energy then as wind will be abundantly available in the open space of the rally. How about having small turbines in the vehicle that produce lots and lots of energy? Wouldn’t that be a great idea?  This Volvo qualifies as the biggest solar-powered concept car. Did you know that? Don’t you think the car, though it has the solar top, is pretty cool to sport around too? If the concept turns out true how we wish we could be a part of the Dakar Rally to see the Volvo zoom in the sandbanks, mud and rocks. Labels: Dakar-Rally, Dakar-Rally-2015, Solar-Concept-Car, Solar-Powered-Volvo, Solar-Volvo, Volvo, Volvo-Concept-Car
Monday, 11 January 2010
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. Labels: Audi, Auto-Expo-2010, BMW-X1, BMW-X6-M, Fuel-Efficient-Cars, Land-Rover, Mahindra, Skoda, Skoda-Yeti, SUV, Tata-Arai, Tata-Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
 Volvo, the Swedish auto maker, in its way of turning green will build a fleet of 50 electric powered C30s, which will be used as daily drives from 2011, with a range of 150 kms on a full charge. Impressed? Even we are. Read the blog further for more. The drivers of these green Volvos will simply use a home power socket rather than going to a petrol bunk for a fill. Although a pure electric car, they will look no different to the current petrol or diesel powered Volvo C30s, but inside, it’s a whole different story. Volvo C30 is a four seater car with a main electric 40/82KW engine which generates 111 bhp and can reach 0-100 kh/h in 10.5 seconds and has a top speed of 130 km/h. Battery power for the electric C30 is courtesy of a lithium-Ion battery pack and a full charge from a standard household power socket will take eight hours. This car has no gears and yet the drive is delivered seamlessly, with full power and torque delivered from the very instant the driver steps on the throttle. The car has the gauges and graphics that are quite different from a conventional car and the user-friendly instrument shows only speed and energy consumption. A gauge for the battery charge level is also present in the car. Safety is not a concern in this car as the maker of this car is Volvo which has high standards of safety measures thrown in into the car for the driver to feel extremely at ease while driving. The electric motor is a battery pack (24kWh) which is concealed under the bonnet while the batteries are stored in the propshaft tunnel and the space normally occupied by the fuel tank. For fully electric cars to succeed in the market place, they need to be attractive and provide the same level of comfort, performance and convenience of other power driven cars. Volvo’s C30 Coupe is certainly a good shape to start with when it comes to electric power and the company hopes that the authorities and the rest of society follows Volvo Cars in their “Drive Towards Zero” emissions. Lets hope this electric car makes its presence in India as well in the near future. Labels: Electric-Car, Volvo, Volvo-C30-Electric
Monday, 23 November 2009
 The 2010 Rolls-Royce model line has something in common with the all new Volvos. Any guesses? It has nothing to do with the engines, safety ratings, comfort or design. In fact, Rolls-Royce joins Volvo became the second car maker to offer HD radio as a standard feature in every model. Previously HD radio was available as an option in Rolls Royce models. Rolls-Royce began offering HD Radio in vehicles in 2007. Of course that’s only the new Ghost and three different variants of the Phantom. Mercedes-Benz also is slowly rolling out the radio option and it’s a standard option in many model’s premium feature packages including the E-class coupe, and E-, CL-, CLS-, S- and SLK-class cars.  Other car makers offering HD Radio either as optional or standard equipment in some models include Audi, BMW Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Mini USA and Scion. HD Radio stations are available to 85 percent of the U.S. population, according to iBiquity. More than 2,000 HD Radio stations are on the air, and many of the FM stations are multicasting more than 1,000 HD2 and HD3 programs simultaneously with their main program. Labels: HD-Radio, Rolls-Royce, Volvo
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
 Swedish automobile maker Volvo has come up with a new pedestrian-crash-prevention system. This new pedestrian-crash-prevention system is going to be introduced on the redesigned 2011 Volvo S60. This pedestrian-crash-prevention system is the latest development in what promises to be a new generation of safety systems that go beyond simply warning drivers of impending disasters – it actually takes control of the car to prevent them. In 2008, 4,378 pedestrians were killed, and some 69,000 were injured, in traffic accidents in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That has provided a strong incentive for researchers to explore ideas like warning systems, external air bags and softer crumple zones that might lessen the consequences of cars striking people. In the past, the possibility of having a car actually stop itself before hitting a person has been mostly in the realm of science fiction. But with Volvo’s new feature, it is no more a science fiction. The Volvo Pedestrian Safety System identifies pedestrians as well as bikers in front of a vehicle using a video. The camera sits at the top edge of the windshield, in front of the rearview mirror. It scans up to 160 feet ahead with a 45-degree-wide viewing angle, enabling it to pick out as many as 64 people. Coupled with a radar unit mounted behind the grille that looks ahead as far as 650 feet and software fine-tuned over 330,000 miles of testing, the system assesses the collision probability based on the direction of the car and expected path of the pedestrians. The software uses sophisticated algorithms to judge whether a person is likely to jump in front of the car, based on the individual’s gait and position. Also, it does not suffer some of the blind spots – like windshield pillars – a driver must contend with. Furthermore, the reflexes of its computer will best those of an inattentive driver. Indeed, that’s the system’s main function – to avoid pedestrian accidents caused by distractions. Volvo says the system can prevent a pedestrian collision at speeds of up to 25 km/h. Unlike Volvo’s complementary City Safety system, intended to prevent low-speed fender benders, the pedestrian avoidance system works all the time, even at highway speeds. At the highest speed, the car attempted to stop, delivering a much gentler deceleration. This action is known among researchers as accident mitigation; the car can’t defy physics and go from 115 km/h to zero, but it will slow down to lessen the impact. Just as lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control systems have become more popular; it is likely that active safety systems similar to Volvo’s pedestrian collision avoidance will become common in the future. Labels: pedestrian security, Volvo, Volvo-S60
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Volvo Cars, the Swedish auto maker, has released the first official pictures of the production-ready S60. The S60 is sportier and more vibrant than any previous Volvo model. The S60 will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010. And it will be produced at Volvo’s plant in Ghent, in Belgium.
The Volvo S60 is expected to be equipped with Pedestrian Detection. And it is groundbreaking safety feature that can sense pedestrians in front of the car and brake mechanically even without any reaction from the driver.
Volvo Cars India (VCI) is looking at the possibility of launching its compact executive sedan S60 in the country by next year. And this will be after its reintroduction in the European car market. In case if its annual number touches 2,000 units, the company is also looking forward to set up a car assembling unit in India.
The company has established its charisma in seven cities in India namely Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, and Pune. And now the company is planning to further develop its strategies and stretching its dealership base to Goa, Coimbatore, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad.
S80 a luxury sedan and luxury seven-seater SUV XC90 are the options the company is currently offering its customers. Volvo will also launch a diesel variant of the S80 next month. Other than the S60, Volvo is also intending to bring in compact crossover SUV XC60, which is currently undergoing road testing it at the International Centre for Automotive Technology (iCAT). Even though the C70-coupe is also on the company’s list of to be launched cars, it will be available to the customers on an individual basis depending on the demand. Labels: All-New-Volvo-S60, Ford, Geneva-Motor-Show, New-Volvo-XC60, Volvo, Volvo-Cars-India
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Swedish auto giant Volvo has revealed the pictures of the all-new Volvo S60. The all-new Volvo S60 is sportier and more dynamic than any previous Volvo model.
The all-new Volvo S60 brilliantly designed and is sculpted to move you. It looks and drives like no other Volvo before and the car's technology will help you to be safer and more confident behind the wheel.
The all-new Volvo S60 will be equipped with Pedestrian Detection - a groundbreaking safety feature that can detect pedestrians in front of the car and brake automatically if the driver does not react in time.
The all-new Volvo S60 will be unveiled to the public for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show in early March next year. Production of the sporty sedan model will start in early summer 2010 at the Volvo Cars plant in Ghent, Belgium.
Customers in this segment want emotional appeal, sporty design and dynamic driving properties and the S60 has it all.
Volvo will introduce the S60 crossover concept sedan in 2010 to the Indian car market. The car will carry a price tag of around Rs35 Lakh. Labels: All-New-Volvo-S60, Geneva-Motor-Show, Volvo, Volvo-Cars, Volvo-Cars-India, Volvo-S60
Thursday, 29 October 2009
As we all know Volvo is under the hammer for the last few months. And Ford Motor Company is on the way of hunting a suitable bidder for its European luxury brand Volvo that Ford acquired for $6.4 billion in 1999.
Ford has revealed that China's Zhejiang Geely Group Holding Co. Ltd. is its preferred bidder for its Swedish car subsidiary Volvo. Geely is famous for making the cheapest cars in China, but of late it has been moving towards appealing to more affluent customers.
The American car major said it would enter "detailed and focused" negotiations with Geely, although no final decision about Volvo's future had been taken.
Last month Geely announced that it was intending to make an offer for Volvo.
Ford believes Geely has the potential to be a responsible future owner of Volvo and to take the business forward while preserving its core values and independence. Although Ford said it would not retain a shareholding after any sale, it said it would continue to co-operate with Volvo "in several areas". These would include component supply, engineering and manufacturing.
Volvo was part of Fords’ Premier Automotive Group. Premier Automotive Group was formed in 1999 and comprised of Aston Martin, Jaguar Land Rover brands. Last year, Ford sold Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata Motors and it sold Aston Martin to a UK-led investment consortium in 2007. Labels: Ford-Motor-Company, Ford-Motors, Geely, New-Car-Launches, Volvo
Friday, 18 September 2009
 The Swedish luxury auto manufacturer Volvo has revealed its C30 BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The car company is presently working on launching its first plug-in hybrid car by 2012. As a result, Volvo is evaluating the commercial and technological viability of the all-electric C30 BEV, which is fitted with a lithium-ion battery that can be fully charged in eight hours. The Volvo C30 BEV has a range of 150 km. The automotive major has built a few prototype units of the C30 BEV this year, which it has been testing extensively. In addition to focusing on performance and safety, research has also been carried out on the integration of the electric propulsion system with the rest of the car. The C30 car is the first model of Volvo that runs on electric power. The Volvo C30 BEV is excellent for driving in the city traffic and its relatively low weight makes it particularly suitable for this driving condition. As electric cars are primarily expected to be used in and around cities and for daily commuting, Volvo has paid special attention to the weight of the car and its performance in congested city conditions. Volvo perceives that car buyers must feel that the car should be attractive both to drive and own. In order to ensure this, Volvo ensures that its electric car is comfortable and safe and offer similar levels of performance as cars that run on other power sources. The C30 BEV project will help Volvo develop more electric cars in future. The Volvo C30 BEV is limited to a top speed of about 130km/h and it can accelerate from zero to 100km in less than 11 seconds. Labels: Frankfurt-Motor-Show, Volvo, Volvo-C30-BEV
Friday, 5 June 2009
Volvo has released a new video game that allows gaming enthusiasts to race with Volvo cars at highly detailed circuits around the world. The company has created the game in collaboration with leading video game developer SIMBin. Generally, Volvo has been associated with safety and comfort when it comes to cars but the term motorsports has had a distant connection with the brand. The Swedish car manufacturer has participated in several auto racing events but has found only limited success there. However, race enthusiasts will now get a chance to drive their favourite Volvo cars in the virtual world. Players can choose their favourite Volvo car from a list and make runs across Gothenburg Eco Drive Arena in Sweden or Chayka circuit outside Kiev in Ukraine. The list of cars includes C30, S60, S40, 850 estate, and 240 Turbo Group A. The brand new S60 concept too is available. All these cars have raced before. The C30 is currently participating in the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC), the Volvo S60 has previously competed in STCC, the S40 has notched up many notable successes in British TCC, and the 850 estate car is a legend in British TCC and is titled a true racing classic. The game developers at SimBin took special care to make gameplay as realistic as possible. They’ve test driven the cars on real race circuits to record their sounds. The game can be operated using game steering wheel and pedals connected to a computer or a game pad. Varying skill levels can be set ranging from novice to professional. The level of assist systems in the car, from ABS to traction control, too can be set to manage game difficulty. Game detail is accurate and each car exhibits unique handling characteristics. The game is available for download on the internet. Labels: Car-Racing, Car-Video-Game, Volvo
Monday, 29 September 2008
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
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-Cars, Car-Manufacturers, Honda-CR-V, Imported-Cars, Luxury-Car, Mercedes, Nissan, Porsche, Volvo
Friday, 25 July 2008
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
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
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
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
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-Cars, Imported cars, Launches in India, Luxury car segment, Mahindra, Mahindra-Renault, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Volkswagen, Volvo
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
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
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
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-Cars, Car-manufacturers-in-India, competition, Indian car market, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Volvo
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
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
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, BMW-Cars, Volvo
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Have you heard of the Dakar Rally? Well, for those who haven’t heard of it, the Dakar Rally or simply “The Dakar” is a long-distance off-road automobile race in which most of the competitive special sections are off-road, crossing dunes, mud, camel grass and rocks. The vehicles too are true off-road tough automobiles rather than the modified sedans used in other rallies. The race is organized by the Amaury Sport Organisation.
