Indian Car Blog – Carazoo.com

Nissan India clocks highest ever monthly sales of 2081 units

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Well, its just not SkodaAuto India that has seen the Feb sales go North, Nissan Motor India Private Ltd, a relatively new player in the small car scene also has seen some cheers in the month of Feb 2011. Nissan India today announced that it continues to be on a growth trajectory with its highest ever domestic sales of 2081 units in the month of February 2011 as against 44 units in February 2010.

Out of the total 2081 units, Nissan Micra, the made-in-India Global compact hatchback, leads the sales figures with 2030 units in February 2011 as against 1784 units sold in January 2011. This is also the highest sales attained by Micra in single month, ever since it started sales in July, 2010. The company has so far sold 10255 units of Nissan Micra since sales began on July 15, 2010.

Out of the remaining, Nissan Teana, the luxury sedan (CBU) clocked 14 units in February 2011 as against 23 units in February 2010 and Nissan X-trail; the lifestyle SUV (CBU) registered sales of 36 units as against 21 units in January 2010. Nissan also sold 1 unit of it’s iconic sports car (CBU) Nissan 370Z in February 2011. So far, the company has sold 9 units of 370Z since its launch in January 2010.

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The Nissan Micra comes with a standard manufacturer’s warranty of 2 years/50,000kms (whichever is earlier).

As part of its after-sales commitment, in an effort to handhold the customers and provide them with round-the-clock assistance, Nissan has introduced a host of customer care and service schemes including Extended Warranty and Roadside Assistance for its products starting with the Micra.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, March 1st, 2011 Comments Off links to this post

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February 10, 2011

Auto Sales Experience 19 per cent Growth in January 2011

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The non-stop increase in fuel prices and car prices have become an old story, but is the Indian junta tired of these price hikes already? If we had to take a guess, we would say no. Surprising, but it is true. In January 2011, automobile sales in India grew 19% backed by economic growth, rising incomes and introduction of new cars. According group Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the total vehicle sales count reached a whopping 1.32 million units, including trucks and other vehicles, in January as compared to the 1.11 million units sold in the same period a year ago.

Several car makers such as Toyota Motor, the world’s biggest, and Nissan Motors are introducing new models and expanding their production in India’s fast growing automobile market. Industry analysts say that the rate of growth may become difficult to maintain as rising interest rates, higher fuel price and increasing costs of raw materials raise the cost of ownership. The growth rate, which was at 31% last year, may come down to 15% this year.

“We have already seen an increase in fuel and interest rates on a constant basis. If excise duty goes up, the growth may come down to 10-11%,” said Mayank Pareek, managing executive officer (marketing and sales) at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. “Commodity prices are also on the rise. So, these put together will make things difficult for the auto makers.”

The unusual increase in January sales may be the first indication of an upcoming moderation in the industry after the spectacular performance of last year. Compact cars introduced last year include the Figo from Ford Motors, the Micra from Nissan and the Beat from General Motors. Toyota started selling its Etios sedan in December. In the past one month, fuel prices have increased by at least Rs.5.50. And India’s central bank has increased interest rates almost seven times in the past 13 months.

“What we are seeing now is moderation,” said Sugato Sen, a senior director at Siam. “Sustaining 30% growth wasn’t feasible.”

posted by carazooblog @ Thursday, February 10th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post

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February 2, 2011

Nissan posts highest-ever monthly sales in Jan

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Nissan Motor India propelled by the sales of its hatchback, the Micra has registered the highest ever monthly sales in January this year with 1,857 units, up from 40 units in the same month of 2010.

While the company sold 1.784 units of the Micra during Jan 2011, which again is the highest sales for the car in a single month since its launch in July 2010, Nissan Motor India also sold 52 units of its X-Trail SUV, compared to just 10 units in the same month last year.

However, Nissan saw a drop in the sales of its luxury sedan, the Teana from 30 units in Jan 2010 to 21 units in January 2011.

But, Nissan which riding high on the success of the Micra has already sold 8,225 units of Micra in India since its launch.

posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011 Comments Off links to this post

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January 25, 2011

Nissan India to Bring Two Small Cars to Challenge Alto and WagonR

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It comes across as such an irony that most car manufactures want to challenge and compete with Maruti Suzuki India, while they are still at large following the latter’s principle of making big profits by manufacturing small cars. After the success of its small car Micra, Nissan wants to materialize two more small cars using the V-platform. And like we stated earlier, these two cars would compete with Maruti Suzuki’s bestselling models including the Alto and WagonR.

According to Nissan India, plans are already underway to use Micra’s platform to spin off a stripped out car that could sit bang in Maruti WagonR region. The car is codenamed K2, and will cost about INR 3.5 Lakh for the entry level variants and will feature a highly efficient 1 liter petrol engine.

And if you thought that that was all, you could not be more wrong. The Nissan car which will be launched in 2012 will be available in three versions – the short wheelbase, long wheelbase and an MPV version. The long wheelbase version will be aimed at the export markets while the MPV version is an exclusive for the Indonesian market.

Challenging the Maruti Suzuki Alto would be the Nissan car codenamed the i2. The i2 car would be developed with Defiance Systems, a defense subsidiary of the Hinduja group. This car is expected to launch sometime in 2013 and cost INR 2.5 Lakh.

Nissan India has also announced that it is planning a line-up that consists of not just one or two but a convoy of nine cars altogether, a company official revealed.

Kiminobu Tokuyama, Managing Director and CEO, said “our product launch plan to India is aggressive, as we have planned to line-up nine models by 2012, of which five models will be produced in India and four models will be the imports from Japan”.

He said their first major milestone was to achieve sales of 1 lakh units a year by 2013 with over 100 dealerships in place.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post

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January 13, 2011

Nissan to Introduce Two More Small Cars in India

The success of Nissan Micra in the Indian market has definitely helped raise the spirits of the Japanese car maker. And now, Nissan is working up to bring on two more small cars in the Indian market. The first model, codenamed K2, will be built on a two-generation old Micra platform, but chances are good that it will get a new ‘top-hat’ or all-new body and interiors.

But the second car, entry-level hatchback (codename I2) that Nissan is developing with Indian partner Ashok Leyland, is the one that is likely to steal the show with its super affordable price tag. According to a major auto magazine, the 12 is being developed by Defiance Testing and Engineering, a US company that Ashok Leyland acquired in 2007.

Nissan is planning to price the car at around Rs 2.5 lakh. This might sound like an old cliché, but Nissan wants to compete with none other but the world’s No. 1 small car, Maruti Suzuki Alto. The Nissan 12 is expected to be launched in India in 2013. But the K2 will come sooner, but not earlier than December 2012. This car would compete with the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R and A-star. The Nissan K2 is expected to be priced around Rs 3.5 lakh.

Engine options for the two cars are likely to be the 1.2 litre three-cylinder petrol motor that we have seen in the Micra, although you can also pin your hopes on a highly fuel-efficient 1-litre engine. The Nissan K2 will come in two wheelbase options; the longer one would be for export markets.

Nissan has already achieved an important milestone with the success of the Micra; and the launch of these two vehicles would further strengthen the presence of the Japanese car maker in the Indian market. Since the launch of Micra in July 2010, the company has sold around 4500 units of the car.

Apart from Micra, Nissan sells X-Trail SUV, Teana luxury Sedan and 370Z sports car in the Indian market. All three models are brought as CBU (completely built units).

posted by carazooblog @ Thursday, January 13th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post

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December 20, 2010

Nissan Unveils New Global Sedan

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Nissan Motor Co.,Ltd unveiled their all-new global sedan at the 8th China International Automobile Exhibition. The global sedan will be called Sunny and will be on sale in China in January 2011.

The Nissan Sunny will be retailed across 170 countries worldwide. This sedan is the second model to be built on the Nissan ‘V’platform. Yes, India is also on the radar and the sedan would be launched here in the second half of 2011. The car will be produced in Chennai. But the name “Sunny” probably will be omitted for the Indian market.

Mr. Kiminobu Tokuyama, Managing Director & CEO, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd. (NMIPL) said, “Following the success of our first locally made car – the Nissan Micra, we are happy to reveal the first visuals of the second car to be produced in India. We are confident that the “New Global Sedan”, which is also based on the versatile ‘V’ platform, will delight the discerning Indian customers. The model will be launched in India in the second half of 2011.”

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A 1.5-litre HR15DE engine with dual injectors and a new-generation Xtronic CVT with an auxiliary transmission will power the Nissan Sunny in China. Both the above-mentioned features are newly introduced in China. The company claims that the Sunny delivers ease in handling for city driving where there is frequent acceleration and deceleration, and superior environmental performance as a projected class leader in fuel economy.

Let us see its true potential when its comes to India.

posted by carazooblog @ Monday, December 20th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post

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December 16, 2010

Ford Figo Awarded the Indian Car of the Year 2011

The competition was fierce and the contenders, even more so. The contenders vying for the “Indian Car Of The Year 2011” included Chevrolet Beat, Ford Figo, Maruti Suzuki Wagon R, Nissan Micra, Skoda Yeti, Tata Aria, Volkswagen Polo and the Volkswagen Vento. Toyota Etios could not make it to the list because it was launched a day after the cut-off date.

But leaving them all behind, Ford Figo emerged as the only rightful winner of the prestigious Indian award that is at par with international standards and is considered to be the most prestigious auto award in the country.

The nominated cars were judged by a panel of senior automobile experts on parameters such as price, fuel efficiency, design, comfort, safety, maneuverability, performance, functionality, environmental responsibility and driver/rider satisfaction among others. Additionally, technical innovation and value for money are other things that were particularly important.

On winning the ICOTY award Michael Boneham, President& MD, Ford India said, “Coming close on the heels of the Figo’s immense popularity with over 58,000 units sold in past eight months, this industry-wide recognition truly establishes it as a performance car. The critical acclaim from the experts reinforces the faith in Figo as one of the best products in its class available today.”

The prestigious jury for ICOTY comprised Bob Rupani and Gautam Sen from Auto India, Sirish Chandran and Bertrand D’Souza from Overdrive, Girish Karkera and Sriram Narayanan from Top Gear, Aspi Bhathena from Car India, Srinivas Krishnan and Pablo Chaterji from Business Standard Motoring and Yogendra Pratap and Vikrant Singh from Auto Bild.

While Ford Figo, with 83 points, was the clear winner in the ICOTY awards category, Volkswagen Vento came as a close second with 57 points. Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Yeti, with 37 points each, locked horns for the third place.

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The ICOTY award just adds to the many other achievements of the Ford Figo, since its introduction 10 months ago. Ford Motors has already sold 60,000 Figos since March, and set a new sales record for a single nameplate in India.

Ford is also exporting the Figo to South Africa, and it is a finalist for the South African Car of the Year award, which will be announced in early 2011.The Figo is also exported to Nepal and in 2011 an additional 48 international markets will start selling the popular small car.

posted by carazooblog @ Thursday, December 16th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post

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December 15, 2010

Mitsubishi reveals new global small car

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Mitsubishi Motors, which has been around in India for quite some time by the way of joint venture with Hindustan Motors, now have finally realised having a affordable small car in their portfolio is the only way to salvage their south headed auto sales.

Though this thought has taken a while in coming, we are happy that the rationale finally prevailed. Mitsubishi has come up with elaborate plans of producing a small car and have announced its launch in India in 2013.

Mitsubishi prefers to call the car “Mitsubishi Global Car” and it will be produced in Mitsubishi’s third plant in Thailand. The guys in Mitsubishi also revealed some sketches of the car which will enter production in 2012.

It is said that the New global car could feature a 1.0 or a 1.2 litre engine and will be positioned below the Colt hatchback. The production version of the city car will debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor. An electric version of the same is also planned.

In India, the car would be pitted against heavyweights like that of Ford Figo, Fiat Punto, Maruti Suzuki Ritz, Maruti Suzuki Swift, Nissan Micra, Hyundai i10, VW Polo, etc.

Mitsubishi plans to manufacture 200,000 units for this new car annually. 70% of the production will be reserved for export of the vehicle to other markets. Mitsubishi Motors will also in all probability be increasing their current output of 12,000 cars annually to 100,000 cars annually in the near future.

The other products that Mitsubishi Motors currently is retailing are sedans Lancer, Cedia, EvoX and SUVs Pajero, Montero and Outlander.

posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, December 15th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post

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December 1, 2010

Honda Unveils Brio at Thailand Motor Expo

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Honda, at last, has unveiled the prototype of the Brio small car which is expected to be launched in the Indian market in during the next year’s festive season. The vehicle that will be launched in the Indian market will be very similar to the prototype showcased in Thailand.

The Honda Brio would be equipped with a 1.2-liter petrol engine, which is also featured in the Jazz. The prototype displayed at the expo had an automatic transmission. In the later stages, Honda would also bring additional engine and transmission options in the future. Two years down the lane and we would not be surprised to see the Brio equipped with a small diesel engine. Honda has earlier expressed its desire to bring diesel cars in the Indian market.

Honda Brio prototype is being developed with Honda’s advanced technologies and is easy to use in urban areas. The Honda BRIO prototype has a very compact body (length 3,610mm x width 1,680mm x height 1,475 mm), but is adequately spacious.

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For the Indian model, Honda would incorporate more local ingredients to give the car both performance and price leverage.

“Honda would like to expand the joy of mobility to more customers in India, Thailand and other Asian countries through the introduction of a new small vehicle with compact and highly efficient packaging by utilizing our own experiences cultivated by our motorcycle business here in Asia,” said Takanobu Ito, President and CEO of Honda Motor.

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The Honda Brio is expected to be priced at around 5 lakh rupees. The Indian automobile market has grown enormously and most global car manufacturers have taken advantage of the situation. Honda, with its Brio, is trying to enter into a segment that is ruled by Maruti Suzuki Swift in India. It is the first time that Honda is entering into a volume segment and will place the Brio not only against the mighty Swift, but also Ford Figo, Volkswagen Polo, Nissan Micra, Hyundai i10 and the upcoming Toyota Etios hatchback, which will be introduced early next year.

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posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, December 1st, 2010 Comments Off links to this post

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October 27, 2010

Nissan and IIT Madras Sign MoU for Automotive Research

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After the launch of the Nissan Micra, the Japanese company is doing everything in its capacity to increase brand recognition in the country. The latest initiative comes in the form of an agreement between the aforementioned company and IIT Madras.

Nissan and IIT Madras (IIT-M) have signed two MoUs for a comprehensive research cooperation agreement to support potential engineers who will contribute future technology for mobility and create an environment for nurturing the growth of automobile technology in India. This comes in line with the Expression of Interest signed between Nissan and IIT Madras in January 2010 to begin potential collaborations between Nissan and IIT Madras in January 2010. The two parties will discuss cooperation opportunities in the field of research and development, including but not limited to research collaborations, lectures and scholarships.

“The Nissan Science Foundation (NSF), with a view to groom talented students and contribute towards development of automobile technology in India, signed an MoU today — ”Nissan Foundation Scholar” Programme to support students of IIT-M,” the company said in a statement. The moU is valid till 2015 and aims to provide chosen students with financial assistance, a short training at Nissan headquarters in Japan and an internship at RNTBCI. This is the first time that NSF is providing this kind of student support outside Japan.

“This initiative will aim to support research & development project at IIT-M in the area of engineering, science, management, humanities and social sciences, which will contribute to automobile sector in the future,” it said.

The second MoU agreed upon by Nissan’s R&D Centre in India (RNTBCI) is christened as ‘Nissan Support Program’ and will be valid up to March 2013. This endeavour aims to support Research & Development Project at IIT-M in the area of Engineering, Science, Management, Humanities and Social Sciences, which will contribute to Automobile Sector in the future.

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The Nissan Support Program will solicit proposals from the faculty of IIT Madras every year for research work in the identified areas. After a joint review by Nissan officials and IIT Madras, at least 4-5 projects will be chosen for funding every year.

To celebrate the initiative, a ‘Nissan Day’ event at IIT Madras was organized for the students, faculty and management. There was a Technology Exhibition highlighting the various engineering and technological innovations being carried out at Nissan. The Nissan Micra was on display to showcase some of the performance features and design attributes of the car.