Benz with a touch of C
2008-05-09
A luxury car is loved by every one and recently Mercedes launched and updated its ‘C' segment cars in India. Mercedes, the most popular car brand worldwide has been around in India for almost 11 years now.
Mercedes-Benz has always had a special place in the luxury car segment with its widest choice of product. And the new ‘C' Class is more power-packed, spacious and of course more stylish too. It is longer than its predecessor, and the body as well as the wheel base is also widened. The interiors are already posh and elegant but with the little changes it gives a total comfort. Must say the beauty and the elegance of the Benz is a class in itself.
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Small cars takes over two-wheeler
2008-05-09
Do you think with the small cars hitting the road, the two wheeler sales will come down?
Definitely this is going to be a tough competition for two-wheeler manufacturers. With the small cars available almost at the same price tag, majority of buyers would prefer for the small cars rather than a new two-wheeler as their little cost differential.
Besides, two-wheelers are priced higher and often prove to be risk prone, this provides a psychological edge for car buyers to go for the car providing them with comfort and free from pollution. Tata's Nano will set the benchmark and that it will force others car makers as well the bike manufacturers cut their prices as well.
To overcome this issue, the two-wheeler makers have to cut down their prices as already mentioned or try their luck in small car segment like Bajaj Auto with their new small car project.
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Fiat sets up a purchase office in Delhi
2008-05-08
Well known Italian car maker Fiat Group has set up a purchasing office in New Delhi as it seeks to source as much Rs1,595 crore worth of auto components from India as the components are cheaper in India.
According to Gianni Coda, Chief Executive Officer of Fiat Group Purchasing, "the company will purchase whatever is possible to buy from India. The company feels that one have to be very competitive in selling cars, selling trucks, selling tractors.
Fiat came to India 50 years ago and at present sells cars through Tata Motors Ltd dealers. By revenues if you see, India is the India is largest auto maker. Indian component makers sell 12-15% cheaper than those from Western Europe.
Other foreign car makers like General Motor and Volkswagen are also increasing their sourcing of auto components from low-cost countries in general and India in particular. For instance, GM plans to buy up to Rs 4, 120 crore worth of auto parts every year from India by the turn of the decade.
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Small car segment rules in Indian auto industry
2008-05-08
The Indian auto market is growing very fast and every car manufacturers are planning expansion for the Indian market. Moreover, the small car segment in India is the latest attraction. India is already an export hub for small cars for Suzuki and now Hyundai also moved its complete manufacturing base for small cars to India. Presently models like i10, Getz and Santro are manufactured in India.
In 2007, the demand for small cars had not been much in China but is now expected to bounce back in the coming years. In Japan, the mini car sales accounts for at least 1/3rd of the total car sales. Currently India shines as one of the largest producers of the small cars in the world. Nearly 3/4th of the auto market in India accounts the small car segment. And this outstanding growth in the small car segment has flattered the major players like Nissan, Renault, Toyota, VW, etc to sit up and take notice. Tata's Nano has already been a show stealer. With the stage set, India is expected to witness more than dozen small or compact cars in the auto market.
The list of up coming cars in India in this segment are Maruti A-Star, Maruti Splash, VW Up!, Bajaj small car and many more. In the small car segment, Maruti Suzuki already dominates by holding 60% of the share for small cars in India.
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Motorola digi- music on car
2008-05-07
Great news music lovers! The Motorola Bluetooth Automotive Music & Hands-free System T605 adds digital music and calls via Bluetooth wireless technology to the car's sound system for a great experience.
Hands free calling is optimized for the car with digital signal processing for noise reduction, plus the volume automatically adjusts as background noise increases. No more disturbances during phone calls, the T605 is able to process the input signal by applying noise and echo reduction technologies to obtain the maximum quality. It also offers full-duplex capabilities and the proprietary EasyPair technology to streamline the setup process.
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Alto wins millions of heart
2008-05-07
Alto, from the makers of Maruti, the county's highest selling car has achieved breathtaking sales of two lakh unit in last eleven months. And this makes Alto the first car of India to cross the two lakh domestic sales. Out of this one lakh sales have come in just 150 days.
This small segment car was launched in the year 2000 and over 6.25 lakh Alto cars have been sold in the domestic market. Some of its best ad campaigns like Let's go...... and Boondon Mein...... (Was accorded the Silver medal at the prestigious EFFIE Award 2006) has created a niche for Alto in every body heart. It has several variants and it will be interesting to know that, variants were added with people's demand for Alto. So ‘let's go....' and join the Alto fan club.
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Another small car from GM soon
2008-05-06
General Motors are all set to shine in India with their small cars. The ‘Spark'-ling success of Chevrolet has given them new hopes and now plans to bring out another small car exclusively for India. This small car will be small not only in size but also in price wise as it is going to cheaper than GM's current lowest priced car in India. It will be a new addition to the already crowded portfolio of Chevrolet which currently has cars for all segments like Spark to Tavera to Optra Magnum.
Surprisingly, when other car makers were facing low sales, General Motors was picking its sales pretty well. The company is also planning two huge facilities and is now planning a small car. Nothing seems to be stopping the Generals' growth.
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GM’s technology to know your car’s health
2008-05-06
How would you like if your car itself complains about its ill health? Now that is what we call a technology. Soon a well advance technology is coming up to indicate you the "health report" of your car.
General Motor's Research and Development reveals a future technology of the automotive world... The technology would enable the car send an ‘e-mail' telling it's time to drop by the closest service station. You don't have to disappoint anyone by turning down a long drive, because your engine is serviced for long time. The latest technology would just tell you the smallest problem to bigger ones much well in advance.
However, for installing such sophisticated software in the high end cars will not be easy for your pockets as it is estimated that the cost may soar up by 40 per cent by 2015.
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Design your car with your choice
2008-05-05
Owning a car is not a fashion statement, upgrading it to match your lifestyle is. The Gen-X car buffs are behind getting their car a sporty and flashy look. With the growing demand for accessories, even car component makers from across the global started making their way to the Indian market. You can give your car a personal touch in simple and affordable way.
Every single change can be made to make your car look the way you want. Now a day, like a dress designer who designs your dress according to your taste, you can also design your car according to your choice.
There are all kinds of accessories in the market that will support you to revamp your car from exterior to interior. The automobile market gives you the complete option of amazing add-ons for new looks. For instance, car alloy wheels can make quite an impact to the overall look of a car; exhaust tip with chrome/silver rim, spoiler for sporty look, head light to improve the front fascia, fancy taillights, bumpers for low ground clearance, grille, power/rain sensing wipers and even colors too. You can even tattoo your car. Now that is interesting.
The interiors can also be changed with choice of your upholstery, steering wheel, gear knobs, beverage holders, audio system, speakers, car mats, etc that will increase your car beauty. There are different places with good car designers who can do the magic. Design your own car, rock the road and set a trend for others!
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Indian auto sales go royal
2008-05-05
Rolls Royce, one of the most luxuries cars in the premium segment is in great demand in India. In the year 2007, eleven Rolls Royce cars were sold in India. Out of these eleven, 8 were RR Phantom Standard Wheelbase, two e RR Phantom Extended wheelbases and a RR Phantom Drophead Coupe. And do you know the cost of each Rolls Royce? Hold your breath for the price tag. It costs upwards of RS. 3 crore. Phew! That's lot of money!
The entire Phantom model with four door models was in great demand. And with the launch of Phantom Drophead Coupe the sales blew up. This reveals that money is no more a big deal. All that matters is the social status.
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Small car launch by Fiat-Tata by 2010
2008-04-30
They are in news again; first it was with their (Tata Motors's) recent venture with the Italian Fiat Auto and their first joint venture project Grant Punto and Linea (B and C segment cars) which will be launched by 2008. And now with they are coming up with another new challenge in the small cars segment. The new car is to be launched by 2010, which is said to be a possible replacement for the Palio.
As Palio has been a slow mover compared to the other small cars of same class, Fiat- Tata decided to replace this model and has already started working on the developments of the new car. This ‘jugalbandi' is currently concentrating only on the Palio petrol version (1.1 and 1.6 liter). The other versions like Fiat Palio (diesel version) and Fiat Siena/Petra have been discontinued.
With their joint network with distribution and servicing Palio have 65 dealers and is planning to expand more by 100 dealers by 2008, when the new Fiat models are launched. Now let's wait and watch for their new launch as this could be the car looking for...
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Music on wheels…
2008-04-30
Wherever you go I will be there.....says my music.
Music plays a very important role in everybody's life. No matter where I am, music follows me.
Car audios are one of the most important accessories of an automobile. Car entertainment is not just an audio or system with heavy amps, woofers. Now you can find the latest audio that includes even video, what to say more you get a full home theater in your car. As we all know there are so many players in field of audio system that you can compare and own the best. . The companies like pioneer, Alpine, Sony, JVC, Kenwood and others; they provide heavy amplifiers, their matching woofers, speakers, and tweeters so that sound comes with a real BLAST. You can find the car audio system that suits your taste and budget. There are systems starting with RS. 2,000- 1, 00, 000. So, what are you waiting for? Go on... and shop for your favorite system and enjoy your drive.
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Creative Indian car designers
2008-04-30
Indian designers are getting inspired by traditional symbols. Recently a student a student of the National Institute of Design (NID) was inspired with the ancient Indian treatise to design a car. His creativity was recognized and offered him an opportunity of an internship with Pininfarina of Italy-the world's leading automobile design house.
Vatsyayan re-invented symbol of passion and love will be seen on the on the wheels. Some of the other young designers were inspired were Ahmedabad signature landmark, Ahmedabad's signature landmark - the Sidi Saiyed ki Jali - that has spurred another NID student, Neerav Panchal, to design 'Ratna' which he calls the "jewel of Indian roads". A third student, Shailendra Petwal, was inspired by 'Navras' to create his design.
The winners of a competition on the theme 'Luxury Car for India' held by designers associated with auto giants like Ferrari, Ford, GM, Jaguar and Fiat, Panchal and Petwal will be also joining at Pininfarina.
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Small car from Toyota
2008-04-30
On of the leading car makers Toyota is on the plans of rolling out cheap small car that will be cost-competitive in emerging markets and the big news is that India is being considered as a destination for production. The reason for India being considered is low-cost labor. There is no idea about the exact date of its production in India.
This adds up another rival to the Tata's Nano, the one lakh car that will be launched this October. Looks like, the list of rolling out ultra cheap cars is increasing.
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Bug in India
2008-04-29
Beetle, the people's car will be making a grand entry on the Indian roads very soon. Bug as its also called comes from the house of Volkswagen still remains the favorite's car of many.
This old beauty will be seen in a completely new look with out loosing its old charm and will be sold by the first authorized dealer of Volkswagen in India, Gurjit Singh, Managing Director, PCH Group. Adolf Hitler recommended one of the known designers to create a car could do 100 km/hr while carrying two adults and three children. The car came into existence after World War II.
So the new car buyers, you can put a stay on your purchase for some time and can be the proud owners of ‘Bug'.
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BMW showroom in Kolkata
2008-04-29
It was a celebration time for the luxury car lovers of Kolkata. BMW opened its first showroom here due to the increasing demand for its cars. The company also plans to launch a dealership providing sales, service, spares and systems to its clients. The showroom stands on 4,300 sq ft displaying five Beemer models. Gradually the entire Beemer series - 3,5,6,7,X and M - available to the city soon.
All new M3 coupe models that were launched in January stole all the attraction of the showroom. The demand for BMW cars are increasing every year and to meet the demand, the company will set the sales target to 2000 cars.
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A-Star for Maruti
2008-04-28
One of the leading car makers of India Maruti concept car A-Star will be rolling out by 2009. A-Star was unveiled at the 2008 Auto Expo held in Delhi.
This car will be the first indigenously, designed, styled and produced Indian car with Europe as the primary target. The team of engineer is burning their midnight's oil in Maruti's Manesar plant in developing the car, slated to be unveiled at the Delhi Auto Expo early next year.
However, the production car that will be exported to Europe will be different from the one being showcased. Maruti's recent launch SX4 is already doing a great job on the Indian roads and hope A-Star will add more stars to Maruti's reputation.
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Mahindra’s biofuel plans
2008-04-28
Fuel emission has been a topic of discussion for a while now. India's top utility vehicle maker, Mahindra & Mahindra is set to invest around Rs 1.01 billion on improving engine emission, according to official of a company.
"We have spent about Rs 200 crore to bring M-Hawk engine in production ... we will be spending about one billion rupees on further emission improvement," Pawan Goenka, president of Mahindra's automotive unit, as quoted by reporters.
In the lines of Honda, M&M is also launching a range of biofuel cars to meet the demands of "green" vehicles. Even Scorpio and Bolero would include its new biofuel engine. The company is really going green.
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Volkswagen Passat: a new beginning
2008-04-25
It's not a big question but there must be a reason why Volkswagen chose to launch Passat in India. As the assumption goes, the obvious reason may be Passat already have a full-product range available in India. This sedan gave a break to Volkswagen from its previous image, which could be a reason alongside it having a product range here.
But, we must remember that Passat is globally most successful car from Volkswagen after the Beetle and Golf. The car that ranks top in Europe and No 4 worldwide, surely give a great kick start to its flagship dealership here.
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Nissan’s compact car to India
2008-04-25
Every foreign car makers has something new for India. One of the leading Japanese automaker Nissan is planning to launch a compact car based on their Micra model in a large scale for its Indian operations.
The Chennai plant which is being setup in partnership with Renault will be producing the car. The codenamed for the entry level is W02A, which would be followed by another model WO2B. The launch of hatchback model for India is still not confirmed but Nissan will roll out eight models to India by 2010, out of which few will be imported.
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BMW eyes on 2000 figure
2008-04-24
Luxury car sales are booming up in India. The demand is so high that the luxury car makers are even increasing the production capacity. And the competitions among the makers are high too.
Now the German maker of luxury cars BMW aims to sell 2,000 cars in India this year. This figure reveals the demand for their car in India. The company has already set their manufacturing capacity in the region and is on the verge of increasing their dealership.
Looks like their rivals like Mercedes Benz and Audi are gonnna have a real tough competition.
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Q7-a Rocking SUV
2008-04-24
Indian car buyers have a wide range of choice in every car segment, from hatch back to MUV's. Now the latest trend I feel is the owning a SUV and not just SUV but the luxury SUV. Now in the range of luxury car, Q7 from Audi is one of the best SUV in its class. It truly breaks all the boundaries wherever it travels for its distinctive bold design, powerful stance and style.
The first SUV by Audi was rolled out in India in 2007 and has been a great success till now. This machine comes in both petrol and diesel version with a gap of Rs.20 Lakh between them.
There is no doubting the ability of the Q7, but in the same breath, there is nothing ground-breaking about it either. The interiors are upto the Audi standard. The cabin features first-rate materials and an attention to detail seen in relatively few mass-produced vehicles. It is an all rounder in every sense.
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Dashing SUV from Tata
2008-04-23
Tata's want are all set to foray the Indian market and so they are coming up with cars in every segment. Their latest model of Sumo targets young professionals.
Sumo Grande is designed keeping in mind the urban needs. This model is enhanced with two wheel drive making it less attractive for off roads. But it also gives comfort and style with body coloured bumpers and luxury accessories.
Sumo Grande will carry the price which will be higher than the existing Sumo models but will be lesser than Tata Safari. The pricing has taken care keeping in mind the customers affordability of owning a SUV.
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GM’s small cars shine on the India roads
2008-04-23
One of the leaders in the cars General Motors has gained a great success in the Indian market especially with the launch of Chevrolet Spark and Chevrolet UVA in the small car segment.
The company realized the tough competition for the small cars with the sales booming up and providing a better position in the Indian market. Now the company is planning to continue their focus on the small car segment in India to meet their goals. They are also expected to offer more to the Indian roads in the small-car segment. It is not on the small cars but their other cars have also won many hearts.
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Meet the style guru of cars
2008-04-22
It's a fashionable world. Designers rule everywhere, from clothes to jewelry. And when Indian auto market is booming so faster, why not car designer would rock?
If you have been following auto news, perhaps Dilip Chhabria needs no introduction. He is India's car design guru, rocked at the recently held Auto Expo in Delhi early 2008. Dilip Chaabria, the style guru of Indian cars does spare any cars with out adding his creativity to it. He has put his fabulous imagination to all almost all the models creating wonders. DC's Ambierod at the Auto Expo changed the look our oldie Ambassador giving a new birth to it. Amby's redesigned truly proved that with little creativity and hard work, any thing can look so posh and trendy.
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GM navigates with MapmyIndia
2008-04-22
MapmyIndia is expanding in a bigger way. They are the best in the car navigation system. Their new product called Portable Navigation Device (PND), which will now come as a standard accessory in all the variants of Chevrolet's premium cars in India.
MapmyIndia Navigator is one of its kinds in India to accommodate the GPS navigator as the standard accessory in car. This device will be also available for sale with all the GM dealers across India under the authorized certification of GM.
This smart and sleek GPS gadget uses satellites to determine your current and points of interest in 18 major cities with access to 55,000 towns and villages. Enter any destination across India, and the Navigator will guide you, turn by turn, with graphical map instructions supported by voice prompts.
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Bolero Service Camp
2008-04-21
Every car maker is up to some special offers to boom up their car sales. Earlier it was Hyundai with the free car care clinics and now it is turn of Mahindra, another leading auto manufacturer, who organized a special service camp for all Bolero owners in Mumbai from April 20th to April 30th. The service camp is held celebrate the brand crossing the 50,000 mark, making the Bolero India's no. 1 SUV which is for two year now will take place at local Mahindra dealerships.
The service will offer complementary vehicle check up and also special offers on labour rates, spares and accessories. The best maintained Bolero will also bag an award while all customers will be presented with a scale model of India's most popular SUV. One can also exchange their old Bolero with Bolero with new looks.
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Swiftly Swift
2008-04-21
Maruti Suzuki Swift held its manufactures heads up in pride with best performance in the Indian market. The car debuted into the motor world in 2005 with its first edition. Maruti Udyog Ltd., India's leading auto makers and subsidiary of Suzuki Motors takes up the production of this car. It is amazing to know that in the year 2006, 61,200 units were sold. Now that's a very impressive figure, isn't it?
Swift not only shines in India but also to other countries like Japan, Hungary and China. This whooping success of Swift clearly indicates that India is the perfect market for the small cars. This posh, classy and affordable baby is for Indian middle class family, so what are you waiting for? Go ahead and select your color.
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Luxury time for India
2008-04-18
It is a great time for the Indian car buyer with so many new car models both Indian and international car manufacturers. The Indian car market has become so competitive with so many models in the market in every segment.
Take an instant of Volkswagen, the luxury car makers will launching at least two small cars in the Rs. 5 lakh segment in India in the next three-four years, one of which is likely to be the Up! Concept car that was unveiled recently and the other a model from group company Skoda Auto India Pvt. Ltd.
The company has also come up with big expansion plan with an investment of Rs3, 500 crore for India to set up the new plant, which makes it the largest German investment in the country. And also plans to build a vendor park for its suppliers in India at its 575-acre campus at Chakan.
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Inflated cars
2008-04-18
One of the most affecting and critical issue Inflation, the silent killer has spared the car segment too. The impact is so high that the car companies are studying to roll out price hike as they finding difficult to tackle the increasing cost of input.
The prices have hit the raw material for cars like steel, aluminum, nickel, plastic and rubber resulting to affect the car makers.
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Rocking sales by Rolls-Royce
2008-04-17
One of the leading luxury car makers Rolls-Royce global sales are booming up. Apparently, first time ever, Rolls-Royce's reached four figures since its global launch in 2003. They marked a return to India after a gap of 50 years, launching its Phantom super luxury sedan in 2005. And Phantom is doing a good business here.
North America remained the biggest single market for Rolls-Royce last year. It saw a sale of 40 per cent, grew almost by 22 per cent of a total world wide sale.
Apart from India, Royce saw outstanding sales in the UAE and China which grew by more than 50%.
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Limited edition for Ikon
2008-04-17
The price war is on and in different ways. the steel companies are busy are fighting to for a price raise and on the other hand some of the car makers are planning to cut down the car prices to boom up their sales which is slowing down.
Recently the price of Ford Ikon by around Rs 36,000 to Rs 4.49 lakh through a limited edition offer and this is to take on Maruti's recently-launched DZire, Renault Logan, Hyundai Accent and Tata Indigo. The company is offering 1.3 litre Rocam of Ikon model, power steering, central locking and power windows at this reduced price but only for a limited period. So the Ford fans rush and avail this attractive offer before the offer ends.
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Small car turns cheaper
2008-04-16
Small car are the center of attraction now and are always in news. Their popularity in India is growing in a big way. Now the latest news about them is that the Congress UPS government has given tax sops to the Indian auto industry and this means that small car will be cheaper now. Now this is the time to rejoice for the new car buyers. Wait there is more to small cars; they will be still cheaper by Rs. 9,000-14,000 as there will be exemption of customs duty on steel too.
There will be a reduction of 4% in excise duty from 12%. There will be a huge difference in the price now and the sales figure of the small cars are gonnna go very high. There is another segment which has also undergone a reduction in duty from 24% to 14% and that in the hybrid section. Toyota Motors will be benefited with this reduction and later Hyundai motors, as they are planning to roll out their hybrid car in India very soon.
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G-Wiz by REVA in UK
2008-04-16
The one and only electric car Maini REVA that forays the Indian roads is also shines on the roads of London but not REVA but as G-Wiz electric car in UK by GoinGreen is both the cheapest and the greenest car available. This car is not only eco-friendly cars but also affordable and is best suited for city drives. G-WHIZ is manufactured in India (Bangalore) by Maini REVA.
It is also the lowest total cost of ownership and the cheapest car to run. G-Wiz comes with four seats (room for two adults plus two small children) making it perfect for school runs, trips to the shops, evenings out or for going from meeting to meeting. It has the option of dual motors, DC version, capable of 40 miles per hour and with in a single charge. AC version delivers a range of up to 48 miles per charge, a top speed of 50 mph.
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VW’s success in India
2008-04-15
One of the leading luxury car makers Volkswagen is a success on the Indian roads. Its leading models like Skoda Octavia and Skoda Laura are witnessing its success in the Indian auto market, the latest models of Volkswagen was displayed at the recent Auto Expo, New Delhi. Their products are already successful in the overseas markets and now Volkswagen plans to mark similar success stories in India.
Skoda Fabia, the recent launch is already a great success and is doing good sales too. The company also announced for bigger investments in India for its production line. Their concept car "Up!" set for a commercial launch and will be rolled out by 2012 along with its luxury sedan Phaeton. Skoda Polo will also hit the roads by 2010.
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Dzire to promote strongly
2008-04-15
Indian auto industry is growing so fast. Every car makers is coming up with anew model. The recent launch is from Maruti, the sedan version of Swift Maruti Dzire will see a strong sales force and strong marketing campaign.
One of the leading and largest car manufacturers in India, Maruti Suzuki plans to focus its campaign for Maruti Dzire to the cities where general economic growth is clearly visible. It is always better to create require more of one-to-one contacts by a sales force rather than selling via Internet and other media. More than 10000 sales persons all across the nation has been trained to promote ‘Dzire in India.
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India positions 10th in domestic car sales
2008-04-14
Demand for car sales in India and their raising graph in their sales chart clearly indicates the growth of Indian car industry. I was proud to know that Indian car industry ranked 10th in the world with respect to domestic car sales in the year 2007.
It was for the first time ever last year; the global car sales crossed the 70 million mark, where U.S topped the list with sales of 16.46 million cars. The second position was taken by China with 8.792 million car sales, followed by Japan (5.354 million), Germany (3.483 million), the UK (2.8 million) and Italy (2.741 million).
India was one among the 3 emerging markets that raised one notch from the 2006 rankings with the total domestic sales of 1.99 million cars for year 2007. India is one of the major bases for manufacturing small passenger cars and flaunts in the automotive industry of being the 3rd largest manufacturer of small cars.
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Outlander in India
2008-04-14
The leading car makers of Japan, Mitsubishi Motors will be rolling out its Outlander from the SUV segment later this year to the Indian market. This is going to be their fifth car to India. at present company does not have any plans to enter the Indian compact car market, however, they are open to the ideas of the small car as it is booming up in India and are still studying the market.
The company is concentrating on strengthening the SUV segment as Pajero and Montero are still best selling vehicles worldwide. Other project that they have in their pipeline is developing electric cars to take on Honda and Toyota which dominates the hybrid auto market currently.
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Another rival for Nano
2008-04-11
Looks like Tata Nano is gonnna have a tough time. Nano's rivals are already in Q and now there is another competition for Nano from Ajanta group- the Morbi-based world famous clock- The Company is plans to manufacture an electric car that will be prices lesser than Nano. They are already manufacturing electric scooters and bikes under ‘Oreva' brand.
As a part of R&D for the small car project the company has already imported eight electric cars of different brands. At present it Maini REVA that rules the Indian road in the electric car segment and that means REVA is also going to have a competition Hmm...0 Comments | Link to This | Back to top
Tata takes Nissan Plant
2008-04-11
Tata s are growing in a big way not only domestically but also globally Tata Motors has acquired Japanese auto giant Nissan's Pretoria-based manufacturing plant for an undisclosed amount. The Nissan plant, which has been unused for a while, was acquired by Tata Africa Holdings.
This latest acquisition is part of Tata Motors' strategy get into assembly and manufacturing in its important export markets. At present the company is caters from India to the African markets. This is the second commercial vehicle assembly unit company has out side India, the first being in Bangladesh. Though it is yet be decided that if Tata's will use this unit for manufacturing trucks and cars like Indica and Indigo.
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Low cost car from Hyundai
2008-04-10
The low cost cars have become the latest trend in India now. Every car makers are on the verge of rolling out cheap cars. the start was put by our own Tata Nano which is yet to be launched commercially and now it the turn of Hyundai motors to be in the news for their low cost cars which they plans to roll out in India by 2011.
Demands for small cars are increasing over the past few years. In countries like China, India as well as African countries, one can always expect a demand for basic cars that can combine modern comfort with safety at fraction of the cost. It also spells luxury in a small amount. When Tata initially announced to launch its ultra cheap cars or one lakh car, initially they were ridiculed by the auto world but it only now they are realized the importance and are joining the race in building up low cost cars. This tells that Nano is going to have a tough competition.
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Jaguar with Ford Credit
2008-04-10
Any one would love to own a Jaguar but with its costs about Rs.2.4 million very few people would want to buy it in cash. So the only option left is credit and I guess that is the reason why Ford has a big car financing firm called Ford Credit.
After the Tata deal with the premium brands Jaguar and Land Rover looks like Ratan Tata will have to buy Ford Credit to sell these cars. it is true that the Tatas' are looking for an international partner and is in talks with banks, European finance companies for buying Ford Credit.
Ford Credit owns the finance company which feeds the dealerships for JLR and for buying this, the Tatas have only one year as per the original acquisition agreement. It is actually confusing why Tatas may have paid such a huge amount for JLR deal, if they don't have the dealer finance network.
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Indian Roadster
2008-04-09
Has any one heard of a car called Chinkara? I am sure that many have not heard of it. It is the only roadster that is available in Indian auto market. It is more than a year old model but many people are unaware of its existence.
This car is the created by a Mumbai based husband and wife. The car is manufactured out of components that are locally available and can also be easily repaired by any street mechanic. This is perfect car for the fun loving people to feel the wind-in-the-hair motoring. There is no other comparison to Chinkara and the closest one is the ‘San Storm' from San Motors, but it's again a convertible not a roadster. Chinkara comes wit the price tag of Rs. 7 Lakh.
Chinkara also has its new version which carries Isuzu 1.8 litre petrol engine sourced from Hindustan Motors and its suspension, steering system and brake columns are borrowed from Maruti is priced at Rs. 6.7 lakh. The couples have few more projects in their bag; they are planning to produce replicas of AC Cobra and the Ford GT-40.
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Two more cars for India from Volkswagen
2008-04-09
Indians are bit by the luxury car bug. The demand for luxury car in India is so high that the luxury car makers are rolling out their models very often. Now the German automotive giant Volkswagen is planning to bring two small cars to India within the next four years. These small cars will be less than 4m in length and will come with the price tag of around Rs. 5 Lakh.
Among these two car, one of the car would be based on their Up! Concept car and the other would be developed by Skoda. The small car segment is seeing a great growth in the Indian car industry and so is the foreign luxury car maker's working out a small car strategy to catch up with the trend. The car will be less than 4m in length. The company is also working on plans to develop a new model for India which would be based on their Polo model.
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Hyundai bags award
2008-04-08
The leading car makers of Korea Hyundai Motors has bagged the award of Indian Car of the Year - 2008 (ICOTY) for its i10 model. The criteria's were based on its quality, drivability and overall performance. The other factors that were also considered were
Fuel efficiency, ride, handling, safety, comfort, driver satisfaction and also the price factor before the cars were ranked on a 25-point scale, where a maximum of 10 points was given to a car.
i10 that was unveiled last year falls in the small car segment with the price tag ranging from 3.5-4 Lakh. It has already won many hearts with its performance and style. This is a first compact car to come with a sunroof. Apart from all other striking features, this is one of the most arresting features that show-off luxury for a really small amount.
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Electric Tara Tiny Steals Tata Nano’s Position
2008-04-08
Tata's Nano is still in the news and there's been a lot about this ultra cheap car, which also has a lot of green features. But now we can also see more of cheap cars on the Indian roads that will be cheaper than Nano. Recently, Tara International announced that it will be rolling out two electric vehicles.
These two cars are built in partnership with a Chinese company named Aucma and will carry the price tag of about Rs 99,000. Though there is not much difference between these cars and Nano but still it is cheaper than Nano.
These cars will be able to travel between 80 and 100KM after an 8 hour charge (but a 220 volt, 15 amp socket is necessary for the charging) but the only drawback of this vehicle is its speed, as this ‘Tiny' can only reach speeds up to 50 KM/H.
Now this is the real challenge for Nano. It is gonnna be an interesting competition that the two cars of different segment will carry. Lets us wait and watch the real performer!
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Russia will enter Indian auto market
2008-04-04
Indian auto industry has been growing faster than ever before. It's booming with many global car manufacturers making their foray into Indian auto market. Global car players from US, Germany, Japan and other countries already have their cars ranging from small cars, super luxury car to midsize cars on the Indian roads. Many upcoming cars have also lined up to hit the Indian market. Now, Russian automobile company is eyeing Indian auto industry to launch its new cars.The first Russian automobile company to foray into the Indian market is likely to be GAZ (Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod) Group. The success of cars launched by all global players in India is driving force behind Russia to think over entering Indian auto market. The company might explore ways to manufacture its rugged commercial vehicles and cars with an Indian partner. Willingness of foreign car manufacturers to enter India will boost Indian auto industry and make it a hottest hub for global players very soon.
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Younger Canadians abstained from cars
2008-04-04
When younger generation is going crazy for cars across the world, younger Canadians have taken the world by storm discarding cars in their daily routine life. Today, it's habit among many youngsters to take their small car, luxury car or SUVs for marketing, offices and even to the places which are too nearby. In contrast to this, younger Canadians are going green by avoiding cars for little distance places.About 60 per cent of youngsters in Canada who own cars will walk, cycling or take public transport to reach their offices, markets or other little distance places. They are joining hands with Canadian government in its endeavor to protect environment from increasing pollution by sacrificing their personal comfort. Even most of the cars owned by them are environmentally- friendly cars. Younger generations who have a passion for cars should emulate Canadian youths in protecting and preserving environment from vehicles pollution.
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Ferrari in India
2008-04-03
It is great news for the <a href="http://blog.carazoo.com/2008/02/ferrari-may-come-to-india.html">Ferrari</a> fans. After their Magic India Discovery tour across the subcontinent with their specially-prepared Ferrari 612 Scagliettis Ferrari plans to enter the Indian car market there by 2010. The company is preparing sales and marketing network in the country with an eye towards opening there in 2010.
At present Indian roads have few dozen Ferraris, purchased from Ferrari's dealership in Singapore. <a href="http://www.carazoo.com/tata/">Tata</a> sponsoring tour is closely related with Ferrari's parent company Fiat may come into play as the Prancing Horse gallops towards India.
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Ford’s small car in India
2008-04-03
The leading car makers Ford India will be launching its small car by 2010, the company also plans to increase the installed capacity of its manufacturing facility in Chennai from the present one lakh units to 2.5 lakh units by 2010 with the investment of Rs.20 billion which includes the small car programme and engine plan. The passenger car segment will also see some softness. There will be few changes in the line-up to stay relevant. Ford India has also begun an experiment in Chennai on the lines of pilot projects by the company in South Africa and Brazil to provide integrated transport solutions to facilitate urban mobility.
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