Bajaj Auto's Small Car To Be Unveiled At The Auto Expo 2012

After a long wait, Bajaj Auto is finally ready with its small car, which will be unveiled in the upcoming auto show beginning January 4, 2012 .

"The car's model is already complete. However, the company has got the final nod from its other partners, Nissan and Renault, which have approved the design," an executive from Bajaj Auto confirmed. According to sources, the car has an 800 cc petrol engine compared to Tata's 624 cc engine. Also, it is slightly more spacious than Nano. The car will be priced higher than Tata Nano .

Bajaj Auto will announce the final price and other specifications of the car at the New Delhi auto show. The first prototype of the car was shown in 2008 at the Indian Auto Expo.

"Earlier the car was supposed to be cheaper than Nano. However, other partners (Renault-Nissan) said that there should be no compromise on quality even if it means pricing it higher," the executive added.

"Moreover the company had the advantage that it could rework on the mistakes of the predecessors in the segment. Only cheap car is not enough to attract customers as consumers want value for money in this segment," the executive added.

However, he refused to reveal any other finer details about the car. Though no clear details are available, the car is a five-seater, like Tata Nano, and boasts of 30 km per litre mileage. This compares to Nano's mileage of 23 km per litre. The car will be pitched against Tata Nano, Maruti Suzuki Alto and Hyundai Eon.

Three years ago, Bajaj Auto, Nissan Motors and Renault announced that they would work on a small car, which will be priced lower than Tata Nano.

According to the initial agreement, Bajaj Auto was to work on the model, while Nissan and Renault were to be responsible for sales and marketing. However, after Nissan and Renault launched their cars on the Indian roads, rumours were rife that Renault was not happy with the model and at one point of time it was also believed that the project has been shelved.

However, after a few disagreements the project was back on track. Bajaj was working on the model for one year.

Mercedes To Launch The E-Class Hybrid In January

Mercedes-Benz is opening a new chapter in its brand's core segment and at the same time setting new standards for luxury-class business vehicles: the E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID, available as a Saloon and Estate, impresses with new record values when it comes to efficiency. The 4-cylinder diesel engine of the E300 BlueTEC HYBRID has 204bhp and 500Nm. Combined with an electric motor producing 20 kW and 250 Nm, this results in a coherent overall concept. The E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID is the most economical luxury-class vehicle in the world.

The V6-cylinder petrol engine in the E 400 HYBRID produces 306bhp and 370 Nm, and is also supplemented by a further 26bhp and 250 Nm from the electric motor.

Honda India Launches The New City & Cuts Prices Of Sedan

Desperate times call for desperate measures. After losing out to Volkswagen's Vento, Japanese carmaker Honda is striking back by slashing prices and improving features of its flagship City sedan.

The carmaker has cut prices of City for the second time in six months and launched a new version priced at Rs6.99 lakh (exshowroom, Delhi).

This will pit the sedan, which had been a market leader for many years, in direct competition with Hyundai Verna and Volkswagen Vento that are also priced at Rs 6.99 lakh.

"We are adding features and cutting prices to make our cars more realistic to the prevailing competition in the market," Seki Inaba, who took over as director (marketing) at Honda's India subsidiary in March this year, told ET.

BMW Mini To Be Launched On 5th Jan!

My dear Indians, you will soon be introduced to a new brand of cars that have never been seen before in the country. Well, there may be a few exceptions to this, I agree. But for now, let’s consider no one has seen a Mini roaming around on our streets before. Having said that, BMW, who now own the British iconic car brand- Mini will be launching the cars in India soon. If Volkswagen Beetle is for Germany and Fiat 500 is for Italy then, Mini would be the brand loved by one and all from Britain. Unlike the other two Minis have even raced around the globe.

Small and agile Mini Coopers have raced in the World Rally Championship. They’ve even featured in touring car races. So that’s about the macho image of the Mini. Even the ladies have had a special bonding with these cars. They are favorite among girls for their looks and practicality. Dr. Andreas Schaaf, who heads BMW’s India operations has been big fan of the brand and had always wished to see the cars coming to India during his tenure as the President of BMW India. His efforts seem to have thus paid off and he has finally managed to convince the top bosses at BMW to launch the Mini brand in India.


That said, like the Beetle and Fiat 500, Mini is a lifestyle product and as history suggests, such products haven’t especially done well in India. We too had our doubts when BMW chose to go for the Mini instead of the 1-Series. But times have changed since Volkswagen launched the Beetle and there could be a surprise in store for us. If the Mini does catch the imagination of the Indian buyer and BMW manages to sell a decent number, it will be a true triumph given the price of the car which is expected to be over Rs 18 lak depending upon the model.

We think, BMW might offer the complete range of Mini cars including the four-wheel drive crossovers, but that is just a hunch and we will have to wait till BMW makes the final announcement 23 days from now. So, the Mini will be launched at the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo and IndianCarsBikes.in will be there covering every other launch in detail. We hope to catch up with you during the Auto Expo. We will keep you updated with all the happenings from the show. Until then you can checkout Mini’s official India website.

Nissan Launches The New Diesel Version Of Sunny

Japanese auto major Nissan today launched a diesel version of its mid-size sedan Sunny. 

The 1.5-litre diesel version is priced at Rs 7.98 lakh for the base model and Rs 8.78 lakh for the top-end model (ex-showrooms, Delhi), the company said in a statement. 

"We are delighted to introduce the diesel variant of the Sunny. At a time when the market is witnessing an increase in demand for diesel cars, Sunny diesel, with high fuel economy will be the right choice for our valued customers," Nissan Motor India managing director and chief executive Kiminobu Tokuyama said.

Targeted at the youth, the Sunny diesel mirrors the petrol variant's sophisticated style and roomy interiors.

It is the second model after the Micra hatchback to use Nissan's pre-eminent 'V' platform that carries advanced engineering to deliver a modern, light weight structure that provides integral strength, robust ride refinement and dynamic on-road behavior, it said.

The Sunny is manufactured at the Chennai facility, which the company jointly owns with French maker Renault, its international alliance partner.

Tata Aria For The Indian Roads?!

Tata Aria is creating news more than often these days. Now, a left hand drive version of the Tata Aria is spotted while doing the test runs. Quite obviously, the Tata Aria LHD version means an export vehicle, definitely not meant for India. Country’s leading car manufacturer had mentioned about an automatic gearbox earlier. But, the spotted Aria LHD version does not carry an automatic gearbox. So, we will have to wait and see when is it that Tata India will introduce a Tata Aria AT in the country. The slow sales of the Tata Aria SUV have bugged the auto major right from the beginning. There is nothing actually wrong with the car as such.

It’s another case of wrong pricing from an auto major as sensible as Tata India to place the Tata Aria price in a tad too expensive range. The SUV might have attracted enough consumers on its own, but the cost has driven them away for other contemporaries in the segment. Then earlier this year, the auto major finally made a smart move.

That is by introducing the 4x2 variant of the Tata Aria with some price cut. Though initially, things started to look bright, but the sales slowly fell back to the usual. The November month had been particularly nasty with just 140 units sold. Now, however, the discount offer of Rs 2 lakh seems to be more tempting for any consumer to withstand, the straight Rs 1.60 lakh cash discount is definitely mouth-watering.

It’s after the discount that the Tata Aria 4x2 sells at Rs 9.9 lakh, which should have been the real Tata Aria 4x2 price to begin with. The price discount on one side which is likely to continue for some time, the consumers on the other hand are eagerly waiting for an automatic variant of the Tata Aria. Will the company go for an engine replacement to override the existing 140 Bhp 2.2 L DICOR engine producing 320 Nm torque or continue with the same is yet to be seen. But, one thing is for sure, the discounts now can benefit to a certain extent while placing the Tata Aria AT price more smartly this time. Stay tuned for more updates on this.

Luxgen5 Sedan: The First Car With Android Launched!

Luxgen Motors, a Taiwan based automaker, has unveiled a first of its kind car with an infotainment system based on Android operating system. The car, named Luxgen5 Sedan, is a premium sports sedan.

Luxgen Motors has partnered with HTC, the famous Taiwan based smartphone maker and together they developed THINK+ system. When an HTC mobile phone is connected to the THINK+ Touch system, all of the mobile phone calls will then be controlled directly through the 9 inch smart touch screen on the central console. Users can also access Facebook, send and receive e-mails or look up local sights through the touch screen.

The Luxgen think+ Touch system's five key functions include Multimedia, Phone, Safety, Information and hTC mode. Apart from using the touch screen itself, shortcut buttons are provided below the screen.
Another feature allows GPS navigation function using the HTC mode. Users can check the map and set routes in the car. The hands-free Bluetooth system means users can also make calls using the car's convenient hands-free interface.

You also have a very convenient phone dock in the car adjacent to the central control. Although no details have been provided, from the pictures available it is evident that the dock will charge your phone apart from keeping it safe.

The Android interface will also tell you better about the cars' state of health, though no details have again been offered. You will no longer need to decipher codes (that is what you get in other cars) to know the problem with the car, you will get clear words stating that to you.

While this is the first car to have this system but the company promises that even other cars and SUVs in its lineup will get it too. And we promise you, similar systems will start appearing in other cars from other manufacturers soon enough.

Happy Days For Automobile Industry As Car Sales Go Up By 7%

Domestic passenger car sales increased by 7 per cent to 1,71,131 units in November, 2011, from 1,59,939 units in the same month last year.

According to figures released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) today, motorcycle sales in the country grew by 22.67 per cent to 8,69,070 units during the month from 7,08,476 units in the corresponding month last year.

Total two-wheeler sales grew by 25.27 per cent to 11,63,294 units last month from 9,28,660 units in November, 2010, as per the data.

Sales of commercial vehicles grew by 34.99 per cent to 66,264 units in the month under review from 49,087 units in the year-ago period, SIAM said.

Total sales of vehicles across categories registered a jump of 22.22 per cent to 14,89,714 units in November from 12,18,885 units in the same month last year, it added.

The New Ford EcoSport SUV To Be Introduced In 2012!

 

Ford Ecosport, the all new compact SUV from Ford India will be introduced at the 2012 Auto Expo in January. What makes it so special is that the mini SUV will be built sharing the same platform of Ford Fiesta. The mini Ford Ecosport could house an all new 1.2 L petrol ecoboost engine. Ecoboost engines are considered to be one of the most fuel efficient ones that can ultimately turn out to be the key selling point for the car.
The thoughtfulness of offering a diesel engine will not go wasted amidst the increasing demand for diesel cars catching up of late. The diesel powertrain could be the same from Ford Fiesta with 1.5 L capacity to churn out the peak power output of 90 Bhp and a peak torque output of 204 Nm.   This again is likely to break some records where the fuel efficiency is concerned. On the other hand, Ford Fiesta AT launch is also anticipated at the 2012 Auto Expo.Moreover the Ford Ecosport price is expected to fall in the range of Rs 7 lakh-9 lakh.
                                                       
Ford Fiesta sedan has never been known for its spacious interiors and the same can be expected of the new mini SUV from Ford. However, the SUV will be large enough to accommodate 5 passengers comfortably. The exteriors of the car will more or less fall under 4 m in length to capitalize on the Government’s policy to benefit on the sub four meter length cars.

The drive on the mini SUV will make it all the more exciting with the compact structure that scores points with its great off-road capabilities. The high ground clearance only enhances its performance on the most difficult terrains. The 15 inch wide tyres offer good grip during the adventurous rides.  The spare wheel on the rear end of the car amplifies its rugged image. The auto giant might bring in the two-wheel drive variant of the SUV as of now, without any information pointing out to a possibility of a four-wheel drive variant on the cards.

Maruti Suzuki To Start Exporting Select Models CKD kits

India's leading carmaker Maruti Suzuki plans to start exporting select models as completely knocked down (CKD) kits, beginning with its new multi-passenger vehicle Ertiga, which it plans to launch at the Auto Expo in Delhi next month.

"There is a great potential to export vehicles as CKD in many markets in Asia," Maruti Suzuki India MD S Nakanish said. "Maruti will act as the biggest supplier of cars to the parent SMC and to start with we will dispatch Ertiga MPV and other new models from next year," he added.

Ertiga, a seven-seater MPV which will be available in 1.4 litre petrol and 1.3 litre multijet diesel engine options, will be initially shipped to Indonesia and later to Thailand. The CKD kits will include critical parts, such as engine and transmission, fuel tank, wheel rim, brakes, partsstrengthenof suspension and steering that will be sealed and dispatched from the company's Manesar plant.

The move is aimed at strengthen ing Suzuki Motor Corp in the highly competitive South East Asian markets. Maruti Suzuki, which is ramping up its production facilities in India to target annual production of 20 lakh units by 2015, will eventually export more cars under the Suzuki badge.

TopGear Awards Announced!! Audi RS5

Last night BBC TopGear India awarded some of the best cars and bikes of the year in a sizzling ceremony held in Mumbai. Maruti Suzuki's most sought after small car, Swift, won the Small car of the Year. "We are pleased to receive an award from TopGear which is not a magazine but an institution in itself and it endorses the iconic status of the Swift," said Mayank Pareek,managing executive officer, sales & marketing, Maruti Suzuki "Every award is a validation to the fact that the direction we are heading is right and the product innovation strategy that we have put in place is correct.

Whilst the all important award of Car of the Year 2011 was given to the fierce Audi RS5.  The Bike of the Year went to Honda CBR 250RR and the Superbike of the Year award went to BMW 1200 GS. Mahindra & Mahindra's hot selling SUV XUV 5OO received two awards for Best Value for Money Car of the year and Reader's Choice Car of the year. TopGear Man of the Year award went to Sameer Gaur, MD & CEO, Jaypee Sports International for successfully staging the first F1 race in India. 


"It's not a conventional choice, but Top-Gear is never about conventions," said Girish Karkera, editor, TopGear magazine India

Maruti Suzuki To Launch SUV & MUV's For The Indian Roads

 Maruti Suzuki India has announced the launch of new vehicles in the sports utility and multi utility segment in their bid to regain 50% market share by 2015 according to the company MD, Shinzo Nakanishi.

Maruti, which is a 54.2% owned subsidiary of Japanese carmaker Suzuki Motor Corp, would develop these vehicles with the parent company and target their launch in the upcoming Auto Expo 2012 and beyond.

"There is a vast chunk of market, almost 18% of the passenger vehicles sold in India where we don't have any presence. So, as we aim to regain our market share and take it to beyond 50%, we will introduce vehicles in the new segment that are not in our current portfolio," Maruti MD S Nakanishi said.

Maruti sells 15 models in the Indian market and almost a dozen of these are in the compact vehicle segment. It has lost almost 5

India To See The Launch Of Porsche Sports Car Marqueein In 2012

Volkswagen AG, Europe's largest carmaker, will launch the iconic Porsche sports car marquee in India next year and appoint a new team to steer its sales in the overcrowded Indian automobile market. 





Two people close to the development said Volkswagen will import the Porsche models 911, Cayman, Boxter, Panamera and Cayenne SUV for the Indian market and look at local assembly at one of its facilities in Maharashtra when volumes pick up.  The cars, to be distributed and sold under the Volkswagen banner in India from next year, carry price tags ranging from Rs 70 lakh to Rs 3 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Top Picks For Under 5 Lakhs Cars!!

With a boom in the small car segment in the Indian automobile marker, for the first-time buyers are literally spoilt for choice.

Her's our pick of what's installed for you if your budget is just under 5 Lakhs:

The most affordable and most fuel efficient car in India, the Tata Nano currently runs a 624cc two-cylinder petrol motor. It is going to be available in an all-new diesel avatar.  In addition to that, Tata, in a tie up with Bosch Diesel Systems has developed a 800cc two-cylinder diesel engine. This diesel Nano, is to be launched early next year and is speculated to cost Rs 2 lakh ex-showroom.

Tata showed the world that it could build the cheapest car yet, but it was Maruti that put India on wheels with the 800 back in the day. And it is all set to revive the iconic car that is expected to be powered by a more refined 800cc engine. 

The new car will be based on the Alto platform and as a result will offer more room inside. The price is expected to be higher than the Tata Nano petrol at Rs 2.25 lakh ex-showroom.

Chevrolet is all set to get into the ultra compact segment as well with an all-new 800cc Spark. Expect stingy fuel consumption and very practical interior packaging as in the Daewoo Matiz. The 800cc Spark should come in the right price range as well.

The Mahindra Verito compact sedan will be a sub four-metre car with the same engines in its petrol and diesel avatars, and the same features as the Mahindra Verito sedan aka the Renault Logan. 

The price is expected to be lower. The Verito compact sedan is an effort to make a sub 4-metre car which would not have higher taxes or a higher price tag.

Tata pulled off a brilliant move with the launch of the Indigo CS. It plans to do something similar with the Manza and launch a compact sedan version below the four-metre mark for lower taxes. The Manza CS is expected to get the 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel mills as in the Tata Vista.

Tata Nano To Get A Makeover!!

According to the latest news Tata Motors has signed a deal with the rather premier design school NID to have its Nano redesigned. So let’s see what Nano comes out to be and what NID has in its creative mind to bless the people’s car with.

In order to boost the dipping sales figure the country and the automaker has crafted the car with all-new features and distinctive attributes at same cost price to attract customers. As per facts, Nano sales figures slashed down this year plus company production plant at Sanand is manufacturing half of its annual capacity of 2.50 lakh units.

The director of premium NID institute, Prof Pradyumna Vyas stated that NID, which is a world-class design institute, approached the homegrown auto major Tata Motors for redesigning Nano. NID institute has foremost academic courses at the post-graduate level and is regarded for its advance transportation facilities and automobile designing. Also, Tata Nano will experience a lot in terms textile designing, product designing and lifestyle accessories.

Now BMW Enters The Preowned Market In India!!

BMW India has announced the launch of its pre-owned car business, BMW Premium Selection, which will offer ‘carefully selected' and ‘comprehensively examined' luxury Beemers  starting at Rs.16 lakh. “The pre-owned car business will play an important role in the success of the company in India...we expect the used car business to be about 10 per cent of new car sales,” BMW India President Andreas Schaaf told journalists here. “Till October, we have sold 8,042 cars in India, accounting for 40 per cent of the luxury car market.

With the BMW Premium Selection, we are looking to enhance our position…a decisive factor in the development of pre-owned car business will be through establishment of exclusive and luxurious ‘BMW Premium Selection' showrooms of international standards at important commercial centres across the country,” Mr. Schaaf said.

Initially, BMW's pre-owned cars will be available at seven locations — Gurgaon, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad — and soon extended to other cities.

Mr. Schaaf said all cars selected under BMW Premium Selection are less than five years old and would have clocked under 1.2-lakh km. The pre-owned BMW vehicles come with up to two year/2-lakh km warranty (whichever is earlier), while the owners also have the option of taking round-the-clock roadside assistance. To push sales, BMW is offering 13 per cent finance rate on purchase of its pre-owned cars through its financial services arm — BMW Financial Services.

Commenting on the luxury car market condition, Mr. Schaaf said this segment was growing well till October, but since then the condition was getting difficult to push sales. “We had set a target of selling 10,000 units this year, which is becoming difficult now,” he added.

Skoda launches Yeti 4x2 for Rs 13.35 lakh

Skoda's much awaited SUV Yeti 4X2 is finally launched for Rs 13.35 lakh (ex-showroom Maharashtra). This new model is powered by the 2.0-litre TDI engine taken from the Skoda Laura, which has the capacity of producing 110PS and 250Nm of torque.

This all new version of the Yeti is available with the same engine but has the ability to delivering 140PS power output. The 4x2’s engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox (a six-speed manual on the 4x4) and is 100kg lighter than the 4x4 model. It also has safety features like  airbags, ABS, EBD and traction control. However, features like hill descent control and electronic differential lock have disappeared with the AWD. The Yeti 4x2 is available in two variants – Ambient and Active but not in the range-topping Elegance variant.

The Skoda Yeti is a brilliant five-seat all rounder; it has a lot of space, it easily negotiates bumpy roads thanks to the good ground clearance and it handles much better than most SUVs in the price bracket. With the reduced price, this car can be an interesting option for people waiting for the Mahindra XUV500.

Hyundai Launches The New LPG Variant Of Its Hatchback i10

Hyundai Motors on Tuesday announced the launch of a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) powered variant of its hatchback i10. The car is priced between Rs.416,144 and Rs.430,659 (ex-showroom Delhi).

"The LPG version of our next-gen i10 is a viable alternative for customers looking at low running cost," said H.W. Park, managing director and chief executive, Hyundai Motor India Ltd.

This new variant is to be powered by a 1.1 litre iRDE2 engine which has the ability to run on both LPG and petrol. The car has a factory-fitted LPG kit.

"With separate petrol (35 litre) and LPG (34 litre) tanks, the customers have an option to choose from LPG and petrol modes," the company said in a statement.

The car sports a special LPG tank which offers larger boot space than other LPG-fitted cars.

"The LPG kit in i10 blue drive is impact resistant and is approved by the department of explosives," the statement said.

The car has been fitted with an alternator management system which controls delivery of power to the battery, which extends the battery life and improves mileage.

The All New Range Rover Evoque Unveiled By Nargis Fakhri...

Last night Bollywood newbie Nargis Fakhri revealed the all new Range Rover Evoque at the DLF Emporio in Vasant Kunj in Delhi. Evoque was first launched in India on the 4th November under the banner of 'Evoque Experience' which let the customers to get up close to the car whereby with the help of interactive displays, provided an insight into the oh so sophisticated design and the functional and technological qualities of the car.


At the launch Rohit Suri, Head of the Premier Car Division, Jaguar Land Rover India said: "We are extremely excited about the arrival of the Range Rover Evoque in New Delhi, as this car has made a huge impact on potential customers in this city as it has done across the world".

The Range Rover Evoque is the most perfect culmination of bold and sophisticated design with clever technology that is relevant and intuitive to use. The Evoque is designed to endure all surfaces and weathers as a result of using its legendary Land Rover all-terrain technologies.

In India, the Evoque will be available in both 5 door and Coupe body styles. The Coupe is available in a petrol variant and the 5 door version in diesel. The Range Rover Evoque (5 door) is available in three distinct derivatives - Pure, Prestige and Dynamic and the Coupe is available in the Dynamic form. Tata has once again outdone itself. This is one luxury car you will not want to miss out on, thats for sure...

Skoda Announces The Price Of Rapid

A few days back we gave you a sneak peek into the Skoda Rapid's Worldwide First Drive. After luring you towards this 'Thoughtful Car' for the 'Thoughtful Person' it is only fare that the car is made available at a rather 'Thoughtful Price' for you.


Well take a look at this masterpiece's video and know it for yourself....

This all new Skoda is full of promises and is likely to give the Maruti Suzuki SX4 and Volkswagen Vento a run for it's money. We reckon it is going to be a huge success so why not book for your own sets of Rapid wheels now and flash your new ride!!