Indian Car Blog – Carazoo.com

Stars And Their Luxury Cars

“Nothing exceeds like excess” and when it comes to excess, our tinsel town celebs definitely know how to overindulge! A hot car is definitely a lifestyle accoutrement! So it’s understandable why celebrities, with their disposable income, blow a fortune on sweet rides. After all, a powerful star needs a real power, don’t they? From Porsches to Audis to Rolls Royces, Bollywood stars’ fetish for luxury wheels are insatiable. Read on to know more on stars and their cars.

Amitabh Bachchan

Dapper, dynamic and downright stylish, what car would befit the living legend Amitabh Bachchan than something as highly coveted as Rolls Royce Phantom. Worth a whopping Rs 3.5 crore, this Phantom was gifted to the star by director Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Phantom is one of the 11 cars he owns. His fleet includes MurciéLP640 , Bentley CGT , RR Vogue, Mercedes Benz S600 (all in white), Mercedes Benz S350, Porsche Cayman and BMW 760Li Lexus.

Shah Rukh Khan

The Bollywood “Badshah” has quite a coveted line-up of wheels to boast of and that includes a BMW 7 that costs a whopping 1.5 crores, a BMW coupe, a white Continental GT, Rolls Royce, Audi A6 and a Jaguar XJ.

Ajay Devgan

Ajay Devgan’s fetish for luxury wheels is legendary! This self-sworn car fanatic owns a BMW Z4, a Maserati, a Ferrari and a Mercedes Z-class. And the latest set of wheels to roll into his garage is the customized Toyota Celica.

Kareena Kapoor

This young Kapoor scion swears by her SUV Lexus LX 470 and is extremely fond of her Mercedes S Class too.

Shahid Kapoor

Shahid Kapoor is the proud owner of a white Merc an, a really rugged looking Range Rover (2010) and a newly obtained Jaguar Land Rover. But his fetish for wheels doesn’t just end there. This suave-looking actor has a thing for snazzy two-wheelers too. He owns a Harley Davidson Fat Boy and a Yamaha MT-01.

Hrithik Roshan

This Bollywood heartthrob owns a Mercedes Benz SL500, a Range Rover, Jaguar XJ, a Range Rover Sport and a white BMW.

Sanjay Dutt

A self-proclaimed car buff, Sanjay Dutt’s garage shelters a bright red Ferrari 599 GTB, a Porsche SUV, BMW 3-Series, Lexus LX 470, and a Bentley. Additionally, he gifted his wife Manyata a Rolls Royce Ghost soon after the birth of their twins.

posted by Suchorita Dutta @ Monday, September 17th, 2012 Comments Off links to this post

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May 18, 2012

Third Generation Mercedes Benz M Class Launched In India

German Car maker Mercedes Benz has launched its third generation Mercedes Benz M Class SUV in India. Priced at Rs56.9 to Rs66 lakhs, the new M Class sedan is nothing less than an engineering marvel! A potent combination of power, agility and luxury, the M Class SUV exemplifies the philosophy of the group, “Best or Nothing”. The new car has a better fuel efficiency, a new and exciting look and unmatched performance.

Peter Honegg, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, said, “At the start of this year we had promised to introduce exciting new models into the market. We are proud to present today the New M Class, built to perform with the highest precision and follows the Mercedes-Benz new design language. We are confident that the quality of drive and the luxurious experience it can deliver will be a big hit with the customers and it will be warmly received.”

Mercedes sold more than 800 SUVs in India during Jan-Dec 2011. The SUV portfolio of the company, comprising GLs and MLs has been growing steadily and the trend is expected to continue. The new M-Class has been pitted against the Audi Q5 and BMW X5 and has been designed to be 23mm longer and 15 mm wider than its previous version. The company expects to fare better with the new M Class SUV which has been priced 15 percent lower than its previous edition while the fuel efficiency has been improved by 20 percent. The car is all set to be a roaring success and an exciting combination of high quality materials, stylish design and other features raising the bar for the SUV segment. Mercedes Benz M Class has been built to combine the best features of an SUV with a strong off-road heritage while giving the commuters the feel of a premium luxury saloon.

The diesel variant of the new M Class SUV, ML 350 CDI, is powered by a 3.0 liter engine which is expected to give a mileage of 9.5 kmpl. The V6 engine produces 255 bhp @ 3600 rpm along with an impressive torque of 620 Nm @1600 to 2400 rpm. The Airmatic Air suspension with selective damping ensures luxury on par with that found in luxury class salons.

The New Mercedes Benz M Class is an irresistible SUV loaded with many active and passive safety features. Attention assist feature wants the driver when it senses drowsiness while Speed Limit Assist, Tyre pressure loss warning system, Intelligent Light System, Night View Assist Plus, Adaptive Brake with Hill Start Assist and other functions help in flawless driving. Other safety features of the car include an ABS, ESP and Electronic Traction System apart from nine strategically placed airbags. The Eco start-stop, reversing camera and other features of the car has helped the car to bag the Euro 5 star rating from EURO NCAP.

The German Car maker aims to sell 8,000 cars in India by Dec 2012 and to emerge as the top selling luxury car maker in India by 2020. The company currently assembles the A4, A6 and Q5 models at its plant in Aurangabad and imports the parts for A8, Q7 and R8 models. Mercedes Benz plans to assemble the parts for it’s A Class, B Class and M Class models in India and has invested about Rs650 crores in its Chakan plant for the same.

So get ready with your bookings if you are as excited as we are. The car is expected to be delivered by the end of June or in early July through 70 outlets across 31 Indian cities.

posted by somdatta.basu @ Friday, May 18th, 2012 Comments Off links to this post

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April 12, 2012

Mercedes-Benz India Opens a New Dealership in Bengaluru

Mercedes-Benz, the luxury car maker, has aggrandized its footprints in Bengaluru which is the largest Mercedes-Benz facility in Karnataka spread over 65,000 sq. ft. area with a plan of investing Rs. 300 million towards Sales and Services including multi-level showroom displaying a range of Mercedes-Benz’s cars, accessory zones, exclusive customer lounge with Café-Mercedes and also pre-owned car section.

Mercedes-Benz inaugurated its new state-of-the–art dealership Akshaya Motors in Mysore road, Bangalore. Mr. Peter Honegg, Managing Director & CEO Mercedes-Benz India and Mr. MP Shyam, Managing Director, Akshaya Motors inaugrated the new 3S dealership. Mr. Peter Honegg said that “Inauguration of Akshaya Motors reaffirms Mercedes-Benz India’s constant endeavour of delighting the customers with exciting product offerings and simultaneously giving them an unparalleled luxury car ownership experience, through our superlative after-sales network. Our second state-of-the-art dealership in Bengaluru is part of our ‘Go to Customer’ strategy which is defining newer benchmark for the luxury car industry in India and we are committed to reaching out and delighting more customers and expanding our footprints to more Indian cities”.

The 3S facility of Akshaya Motors has been ceated in twelve months which has a well-structured showroom and workshop. It comprises of an array of features which includes a Drive-in valet service, customer lounge with Café-Mercedes along with the display of fascinating range of Mercedes-Benz cars, 29 bays taking care of customer service requirements, general repairs and accident jobs, spares and round the clock after sales support. The dealership is also going to provide services for insurance, car loans and even car leasing for a peaceful and hassle-free purchase experience. The sales, after-sales and service requirements of the customers will be handled by the dedicated and qualified personnel at Akshaya Motors. Akshaya Motors is endowed with highest quality Mercedes-Benz equipments and trained manpower. It is built at par with the brand’s rigorous global benchmark.

Mercedes-Benz enjoys a network spread across 31 cities with more than 70 touch-points across India. This is its second dealership in Bengaluru.

posted by somdatta.basu @ Thursday, April 12th, 2012 Comments Off links to this post

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February 2, 2012

GL Grand Edition Launched By Mercedes-Benz India

Mercedes-Benz India has launched the face lifted version of their GL-SUV- the GL Grand Edition. The New Mercedes Benz GL comprises of 20 – inch alloy wheels, dark-tinted head lamps, reworked front-end with stretched grille and three horizontal chrome bars and a more prominent three-pointed star at the center. The front bumper has been redesigned and includes integrated daytime running LED lights. The new Mercedes Benz GL also gets metallic paint finishes, heat-insulating and infrared- reflecting laminated glass all-around, aluminium-look running boards with rubber studs and divided exhaust tailpipe trim.

The interiors of new Mercedes Benz GL are enhanced with either a combination of black/porcelain or black/maroon leather upholstery, velour floor mats and a “Grand Edition” badge on the central console.

All the GL-class models feature 4MATIC all-wheel drive, AIRMATIC air suspension, Direct-Steer system and the adaptive Damping System. All these features have been carried forward in the The New Mercedes Benz GL. In addition to these, it possesses PARKTRONIC and COMAND APS system with a reversing camera which assists in easy parking. The New Mercedes Benz GL also gets off-road ABS, Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR) and Hill-Start Assist which truly define this special edition.

The New Mercedes Benz GL is equipped with the same 3 litre V6 diesel engine which churns out a power of 229 bhp and 510Nm of torque mated to a 7G-Tronic transmission. It can accommodate seven people. The Mercedes Benz GL “Grand Edition” comes in two variants- Executive and Luxury. Priced attractively at Rs. 60,99,000 (ex-showroom Delhi) for the GL Grand Edition Executive and Rs. 65,50,000 (ex-showroom Delhi) for the GL Grand Edition Luxury, the company further re-iterates its position of offering the widest product portfolio for the Indian luxury car market.

posted by carazooblog @ Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 Comments Off links to this post

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January 12, 2012

Mercedes-Benz coming up with more models in India

Mercedes Benz New M-Class
German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz has displayed a number of cars at the Auto Expo 2012 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. They will assemble more models in India. They will start assembling the B-Class hatchback and the M-class SUV later this year at its Pune plant and will also increase the plant’s capacity which produces 15,000 cars a year at present to more than 25,000 cars in the next five years.

“We will strengthen our local sourcing to control costs and offer the luxury of Mercedes cars in the sub- Rs 25 lakh category,” said Debashis Mitra, director, sales & marketing. This Auto Expo, Mercedes-Benz has come up with its powerful open top car, the SLS AMG roadster. This is equipped with a 6.3 litre V8 engine that churns out 563 hp power and can accelerate from 0-100 kmph in just 3.8 seconds and can attain a maximum speed of 317 kmph. The SLS AMG Roadster is priced at about Rs. 3 crores.

The new M-Class SUV launched by Mercedes Benz has a perfect blend of design, technology and performance. It features strong exterior and luxurious interiors. The M-Class SUV is loaded with many safety features, providing best comfort and ample of space for cargo. It has been designed and developed for a fantastic driving comfort both in plain and rough terrains.
The length and the width of the SUV has been increased while the height has been reduced. It has softer flowing lines, eye like headlights, with LEDs, bulging wheel arches and new tail lights which imparts a dynamic look.

SLS-AMG-Roadster

It also features the ECO start-stop function which automatically switches off the engine when stuck in traffic jam. There are many safety features available in this SUV like the ABS (Anti-lock braking system) , ESP (Electronic Stability Program), ETS (Electronic Traction System), nine logically positioned airbags and PRE-SAFE technology that warns the driver regarding any hazard, well in time.The M-Class Mercedes Benz is equipped with a four-cylinder V6 2987 cc engine that is capable of churning out a maximum power of 258 hp at 36000 rpm and a maximum torque of 620 Nm at 1600-2400 rpm. The fuel consumption is 7.4-6.8 litres per 100 km. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in 7.4 seconds and attains highest speed of 224 kmph. The M-Class is priced at 58 – 60 lakhs.

Mercedes Benz also displayed Concept A-Class and fuel cell technology based cars which will be introduced next year. Other cars which were on display are the 18 cars ranging from S-600 Pullman to DTM racing cars.

S-600-Pullman-a-Mercedes-Benz-limo2

posted by carazooblog @ Thursday, January 12th, 2012 Comments Off links to this post

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January 5, 2012

2012 Delhi Auto Expo: The curtain opener

2012 Delhi Auto Expo
It is finally here! The much awaited event “The Auto Expo 2012” kicks off against the backdrop of one of the worst slowdowns to hit the industry in recent times. Though we are posting this blog almost half a day after the actual curtain raiser for the event happened, we belive in a policy of better late than never. Coming back to the Auto Expo blog, More than 50 new launches are expected from the big names in the business such as Maruti Suzuki, Ford, Renault, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes Benz. The rising interest rates and the economic slowdown have hurt demand and sales growth has slowed to 3-4% from the heady 30% clip in posted in 2010–11.

Auto Expo is the largest automotive show in India as well as in Asia which is accredited by OICA (Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles; English: International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers). The theme is “Mobility for All”.

The 11th Auto Expo is being organized by ACMA (Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India) which is the national body of the Indian auto component industry, CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) which works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the growth of industry in India, SIAM (Society of India Automobile Manufacturers) which is the apex national body representing the leading vehicles and vehicular engine manufacturers in India.

This year it is scheduled from 5th – 11th Jan. 2012 at the Pragati Maidan , New Delhi. The forthcoming edition will showcase latest technological products, components and vehicles. The special focus will be on Green technologies and environment. There will be 1500 exhibitors from over 24 countries.

The Auto Expo is India’s equivalent of the Detroit, Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo and Geneva motor shows. The Auto Expo at Delhi is gaining size and stature worldwide with the global demand for cars shifting from developed western markets to emerging economies in the BRIC ( Brazil, Russia, China and India) bloc. It seems that Delhi show is trying to mimic the Shanghai Auto show, which is now the hottest destination for global carmakers. In the last two years, India has seen a growth of 26% and 30% respectively in this segment which has made Delhi a “must present” destination as car companies are lining up for a piece of the fastest growing market in the world after China.

The big names in the business are familiar to the Delhi show. This year, Ford Motor’s chief executive Alan Mullaly, six board members from the from Europe’s biggest car company Volkswagen including Ulrich Hackenberg and Skoda Auto’s global chairman Winfried Vahland are already in the town.

The Expo is full of segment-busting debutantes as car makers’ position products in new niches for some incremental volumes. The big list includes the new multi-purpose vehicle Ertiga from Maruti Suzuki, Audi’s Q3 compact luxury SUV, Ford and Renault’s mini SUVs and the Mini Cooper from BMW.

The Ertiga depicts the entry of Maruti into the multi-purpose vehicle section. It is based on the rIII concept that made its debut at the 2010 Auto Expo. The car is expected to be priced somewhere around Rs. 7 – 8 lakhs. This car is being treated as a “big launch” as Maruti is always known for its strength, durability and understanding of the Indian car market in the sub Rs 10 lakhs segment. The Ertiga, competitor of Toyota innova and Mahindra Xylo, will be loaded with a 1.3 litre diesel engine (used in SX4)and an all new 1.4 litre petrol engine. Maruti is hoping to create a new segment with the product and expects to not only generate fresh demand but also poach sedan customers, Shashank Srivastava, Chief GM, Marketing and Sales, said.

The Audi Q3, the new vehicle from the German car company, will be a rival to BMW’s mini SUV, the X1, and is expected to priced at around Rs 22 lakhs. With the Q3, Audi is expected to move up to the second position in the luxury market, ahead of Mercedes Benz and behind BMW. “It will be a game-changer product for us and we are confident that Q3 will help us gain an edge in the luxury space” Michael Perschke, Audi India Head, said.

A number of SUVs pricing in the range of Rs 10 lakh will debut at the expo, including the EcoSport from Ford and Duster from Renault. These new products are expected to compete with the homegrown Mahindra Scorpio and Tata Safari. Mahindra will also be unveiling the Rexton and Korando SUVs from Ssangyong, the Korean company it acquired last year.

posted by carazooblog @ Thursday, January 5th, 2012 Comments Off links to this post

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October 3, 2011

Mercedes-Benz September sales up by 12 percent

Mercedes Benz Logo on a car
Mercedes Benz should be in cloud 9 after its sales charts showed an upward trend in the month of September by about 12.20 percent. Mercedes Benz India had sold 745 units against 664 units in the same month last year.

During the January to September period this year, Mercedes-Benz sold 5,635 units, against 4,159 units in the year-ago period, registering an increase of 35.49 per cent.

Mercedes Benz rode on the success of the C-Class and strong demand for the E-Class to achieve the sales. While the E-Class sold 333 units in September 2011 recording a 30 percent growth Y-o-Y (September 2010: 257 units), the newly launched C-Class remains a favourite by selling an impressive 293 units a health growth of 30 percent, thereby retaining its segment leadership yet again. Another segment leader from Mercedes-Benz portfolio, the S-Class sold 49 units.

In the period from January-September 2011, Mercedes-Benz India grew by a healthy 35 percent clocking 5635 units as compared to January-September 2010. Mercedes-Benz India’s sedan segment comprising the C-Class, E-Class & the S-Class grew steadily at 30 percent in the January-September 2011 period by registering sales of 4905 units (Jan-Sep 2010: 3748 units).

Mr. Debashis Mitra, Director, Marketing & Sales elaborated, “The growing preference amongst customers for a premium brand like Mercedes-Benz reiterates their faith in our exciting product offering, world class after sales service and our impeccable brand value. The launch of the exciting New C-Class and the aggressive launch calendar this festive season has helped us retain the ongoing good momentum. Overall we are going good and well on course towards achieving our targets and are bullish on the future.”

posted by carazooblog @ Monday, October 3rd, 2011 Comments Off links to this post

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February 23, 2011

Indian Women Love Audi

new-Audi-TT-1
It is a known fact that car makers in the Indian automobile space are fighting for market shares and supremacy. But there’s one car maker which has conquered the hearts of the women folk in India. Yes, Audi India has landed on the rare distinction of being the most loved car brand in India beating other car makers vying for the space with a considerable margin.

A leading Indian daily recently disclosed the above-mentioned piece of news. About 65 per cent of the women folk have already chosen Audi TT as their rides in the past.

“What is surprising is that a good number of sports cars — R8 and Audi TT (the latter with over 60-70 bookings) – are being purchased by women in India. That shows women too love to drive luxury cars, particularly sporty ones,” Michael Perschke, Audi India Head, was quoted as saying by the aforementioned source.
And of course, Audi sees the news as a way to promise greater sales in the future, hinting that 2011 is expected to bring increased revenues for the German brand. Audi is the third in the top foreign car brands in India, after Mercedes Benz and BMW.

“The Indian automotive business is showing some signs of correction due to various factors, including higher interest rates. But this does not deter us, as we feel that we will be able to replicate last year’s record growth this year too as we launch some more models in to the country,” Mr. Perschke added in a statement.

posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011 Comments Off links to this post

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February 22, 2011

Small Towns Become Big Deals for Luxury Car Makers

There was a time when people in small towns had to make do with the not-so-fancy cars as luxury car makers were too busy satisfying the needs of the well-heeled in the metros. But not anymore! Ever since they realized the potential, the luxury carmakers are now seen running towards these towns with all they have got. Luxury car dealers, who have already made it big in Ahmedabad, are spreading out to districts like Surat, Rajkot among others.

In the meantime, dealers are also upgrading their Ahmedabad dealerships to sell pre-owned luxury cars. Each showroom expansion investment would come up to Rs 25-30 crore, so you can expect a total investment of up to Rs 100 crore by the three major premium car dealers in the city, Parsoli’s BMW, Benchmark Cars’ Mercedes and Audi Ahmedabad.

Ahmedabad based BMW car dealer Parsoli Motors opened its new sales and service showroom at Surat earlier this month, and is also in the process of assessing the feasibility of setting up showrooms in other towns too.

“We plan to come up with one showroom each in the north, south, east and west corners of the state. Surat is very vibrant now, and is a booming market for luxury cars. So, we started off with Surat, other showrooms can come in at places like Rajkot among others”, said Talha Sareshwala, managing director of Parsoli Motors. He also mentioned that the scope for luxury cars is surprisingly huge in places like Vapi, Bharuch, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar in Gujarat.

You may find it surprising that around 90-95 premium cars sell per month in the city, and BMW has a market share of around 40 per cent. Sareshwala also plans to come up with a BMW pre-owned cars showroom here in the city. “We are planning to have a BMW Premium Selection showroom here in the city. It will come up within this year”, Sareshwala said. BMW Ahmedabad is experiencing a 40-45 per cent annual growth rate. The dealership has sold over 300 BMWs in 2010.

Mercedes Benz India has already opened its pre-owned cars service, ‘Proven Exclusivity Program’ in the city recently. Mercedes Benz has been in the Indian market for more than 10 years now and has around 30,000 cars plying on the road. It has planned to get cars that are not more than six years old, refurbish them and sell through their outlets.

Audi is planning similar things too. Audi, which recently launched its premium sedan A8L in the Indian market, is also looking at expanding its network in Surat, along with opening a pre-owned cars service here in Ahmedabad.

Samir Mistry, managing director, of Audi Ahmedabad said, “We are coming up with a new showroom at Surat by end of April, while we are also upgrading our current showroom in Ahmedabad to a 20,000 square feet one by February 2012. We plan to start a pre-owned cars service in Ahmedabad soon.” Audi sold 285 cars in Ahmedabad in 2010, up 60 per cent from 2009.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011 Comments Off links to this post

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February 16, 2011

MOOG Delivers Motion System and Software to Daimler AG

Moog Industrial Group, a division of Moog Inc., has just provided the high dynamic motion control system and software portion of the Daimler AG driving simulator. The dynamic driving simulator owes its successful completion to the motion control expertise provided by Moog. The system is installed at Daimler’s new driving simulator center, which is part of the Mercedes-Benz Technology Center, in Sindelfingen, Germany.

The new simulator center in Sindelfingen features multiple simulators, which are optimized for specific test situations including research, assessment and training. Both fixed base driving simulators and a ride and comfort simulator, provided by Moog, are included in the centre.

“Meeting the challenge of our customers with innovative motion control and test solutions is the key to their worldwide success. For the last decade, simulators have been applied in many areas including research, assessment and training. The development of Daimler’s latest dynamic driving simulator was very challenging in terms of the technologies required to meet their specifications. We were one of the committed partners to the project and we were able to bring new ideas and approaches to satisfy the technical requirements and meet the project specifications and objectives” said Pim van den Dijssel, business manager Europe, for Moog.

The Moog electrical motion base is a hexapod consisting of six moveable legs supporting a dome. Inside the dome there is a full-size Mercedes-Benz car model where test drivers sit and view a 360 degrees projection screen showing real-life traffic scenes with moving pedestrians, oncoming traffic and buildings. The entire motion system is mounted on a lateral rail, which allows for the simulation of sideways movements, such as lane changes. The complete motion system is controlled by Moog real-time software. From the driver’s inputs to pedals and steering wheel the Daimler vehicle models calculate position, velocity and acceleration data. Moog software ensures that this information is translated to movements in the hexapod and lateral rail so the driver’s expectations are matched. Consequently, driving the simulator feels the same as driving a car.

The system, integrated by Daimler engineers, also features leading-edge energy efficient technology. “For the last decade, simulators have been applied in many automobile test areas, including research, assessment and training. The development of Daimler’s latest dynamic driving simulator was very challenging in terms of the technologies required to meet their specifications. We were able to bring new ideas and approaches to satisfy the technical requirements and meet the project specifications and objectives,” said van den Dijssel.