Betting big on its sports utility vehicle, Toyota will be launching Fortuner in India on Aug 24
The Toyota Fortuner 2010
Price The Fortuner would come with a price tag of around Rs 20 lakh (Rs 2 million)
Toyota's Indian unit Toyota Kirloskar Motor expects Fortuner to 'take away 50 per cent market share' in this category.
The company expects to sell 2,000 units of Fortuner from the launch date to December end.
Toyota launched the New Camry on Friday, in India, aiming for yearly sales of 500 units of this model.
Launch Photos –>
The launch was seen as Toyota's attempt to revitalise sales of this model.
Price The New Camry would be available in four grades and is priced between Rs 21,26,000 and Rs 23,40,000
Colours The New Camry sports new design exterior, is available in two colours -- Dark Green Mica Metallic and Beige Mica Metallic
Other Features Plasmacluster A/C with Minus Ion Generator, intelligent rain sensing wipers and moonroof.
The company will also be launching Limited Editions of its existing models in time to come.
Automobile major Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) plans to start production of its utility vehicle 'Pik-up' for the US market by the end of this year and commence its sales by February next year.
The 2009 Mahindra Pick Up
Acc to Mahindra and Mahindra President (Automotive sector) Pawan Goenka,
"We will start production of Mahindra 'Pik-up' utility vehicle by December this year for the US and by end-February next year, the vehicle will be sold there (in the US)"
Tata-owned Jaguar Land Rover is thinking over building all its future cars with light weight aluminium bodies to reduce input costs as the two British marquees are trying hard to come out of the more than Rs 1,700 crore loss in 2008-09.
The 2010 Jaguar XFR
The two iconic brands are also developing hybrid engines for use in future models of JLR.
In its Annual Report for 2008-09, Tata Motors Chairman Ratan Tata said,
JLR is planning to have all its future cars constructed with light weight aluminum bodies resulting in considerable savings in weight, and reduction in CO2 emissions.
The main challenge in JLR will be to sustain operations through this difficult period arising from the global financial meltdown. There is good reason to believe that the company's new products and more aggressive marketing will see the company through this period”
The 2010 Porsche Panamera
German Carmaker Porsche will launch its premium luxury sedan Panamera in India on October 3.
The company aims to sell 50 units of the Panamera this year. 13 cars have already been booked by the company.
The price of the Cars will range from Rs 1.4 - 2 Crore.
Some more pics of the Porsche Panamera ->
The Hyundai i20 Diesel
Hyundai recently launched three variants of the i20 in India.
Placed in the D-plus segment, these variants range from approximately Rs. 7 lakh to Rs. 8 lakh on road.
The i20 diesel has all the features of a Hyundai Sonata, which include six airbags, automatic climate control air conditioning and music controls on the steering wheel.
The car comes with anti-locking brake system and electronic brake distribution . The Asta variant comes with an optional sunroof.
Some Showroom Pictures of the i20 diesel –>
Malaysian car maker Proton is keenly looking to enter the growing Indian automobile market to expand its overseas operations amid global demand slump.
Proton has been trying to enter the lucrative Indian auto market for some years and the company was reportedly in talks with home-grown auto major Mahindra & Mahindra as well as contract manufacturer Argentum Motors.
The Proton MPV
Apart from its annual report of last fiscal, where the company had marked India as one of the major target markets, Proton's recent review states that it is studying the 12-lakh units strong Indian passenger car market.
The Chevrolet Tavera
GM India is thinking about planting an all-new Isuzu engine in the Chevrolet Tavera. The new engine could be from the Isuzu D-Max pick-up in Thailand, and this engine will meet the new BS IV emission norms which come into effect on April 2010.
The Isuzu D-Max Pickup Truck
However, it’s unlikely that the BS IV Tavera will be launched before the end of 2010. This means that the car will only sell in non-metro towns after April next year, until the Tavera with the new engine is launched.
Mahindra is developing an MM540 with the Scorpio engine and gearbox. It will be a 4x4 only and uses suspension bits from the Scorpio and Bolero as well. This model called the ‘Thar’ is mainly intended for export markets. However, there is a possibility that it could be introduced in the domestic market as well.
In accordance with the upcoming BS IV emission standards, diesel car manufacturers are relying on Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) to meet these norms. However, the worry is that our driving cycle and fuel quality in non-BS IV markets could damage the DPF. There is a mad scramble, especially within the VW Group, to find a solution by either making the DPF work in India or meet BS IV norms without the DPF.
Maruti is developing more models to further strengthen its position. An all-new, India-specific model (code: YE3) is expected to slot in below the Alto and fill the space the Maruti 800, with its dwindling numbers, has vacated. The new Wagon R (code: YR9) is also being developed for a 2010 launch.
All these models will use the new KB-series engine which has proved to be incredibly fuel efficient.
Italian auto giant Fiat and Tata Motors are under discussions for a joint marketing project to sell Ferraris and Maseratis in India
Mr Tata, who is also a Fiat director, told Italian daily La Stampa the two were studying further cooperation to add to existing projects such as a partnership to produce engines in India.
“We have various projects, to take the Nano to Latin America together, to share platforms for new cars, we have projects for (Fiat lorry unit) Iveco and marketing Ferraris and Maseratis,” in India Mr Tata said. “We are talking about a lot of things.”
The Maserati (above) and Ferrari 
Both Ferrari and Maserati brands are under Fiat’s control.
Tata Motors is also present in the luxury car business, having acquired the British brands Jaguar and Land Rover for $2.3 billion from the US automaker Ford last year.
A modified Santro Xing [img courtesy – teambhp]
The new emission norms will be applicable from April 1, 2010 onwards. So, many Indian Car Manufacturers are working hard to make all the necessary changes to their cars to meet these norms.
Among them is Hyundai who will be launching the facelifted version of their well-known Santro Xing with an updated 1.1 Litre engine which would be compliant with the Euro IV norms.The new engine will also be slightly more robust than its predecessor which will deliver 1 bhp more power and 0.2 kgm more torque.
The front of the new Santro will get a new grille with chrome inserts, rounded headlamps with integrated turn indicators and re-designed front fenders.
The rear will get new tail lights and the bumper will be full body colored for a cleaner look while the doors will get new pull type grab handles.
Changes to the interiors –> New instrument cluster, new rotary control for the air conditioner and storage areas to store knick knacks. The beige color of the interiors will be replaced by charcoal grayish interiors.
The suspension remains the same but changes would be made to the front rear suspension damping and a bigger anti-roll bar will be provided to improve the ride and handling further.
The New Santro Xing will be launched around December, immediately after which the sales of the car will start.
Italian carmaker Fiat SpA and Tata Motors Ltd intend to sell Tata's ultra-low-cost Nano model jointly in Latin America, Ratan Tata said in an interview to a newspaper on Thursday.
The Tata Nano
Tata, who is also a Fiat director, told the newspaper the two were studying further cooperation to add to existing projects such as a partnership to produce engines in India.
"We have various projects, to take the Nano to Latin America together, to share platforms for new cars, we have projects for (Fiat lorry unit) Iveco and also for us to sell Ferrari and Maserati," Tata said.
"We are talking about a lot of things."
The first Nano, the world's cheapest car, was delivered this month. Tata said the car's production run for the next two years is already sold.
The Nano is being sold in India for 100,000 rupees ($2,053) excluding taxes.
The Nano passed the European "crash test" safety standard on Friday, allowing it to be sold in the Europe market and a launch is foreseen at the end of 2011, Tata said.
Brazil is Fiat's second-biggest market after Italy.
Toyota, the world's largest carmaker, will launch a new edition of its luxury sedan Camry in the Indian market next week to revitalise the sales of the model.
Toyota plans to launch the new Camry with some changes in its looks after the sales of the model fell drastically by over 75 per cent during the April- June period.
The 2010 Toyota Camry
A senior company official told PTI that the new Camry would have some additional features, including new front grille, headlamps, fog lights and rear view mirrors with indicators, to attract luxury car buyers. Camry is sold in India as a completely-built-unit (CBU).
According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) lost significant share of the premium car market to its rival SkodaAuto during the first quarter of the current fiscal.
While TKM sold 44 units of Camry in Q1 against 182 units in the year-ago period, SkodaAuto handed over keys of its recently upgraded luxury sedan Superb to 541 customers in the same period.
SkodaAuto registered an over eight-fold jump in the sales of Superb over 67 units sold in the April-June period in 2008.
Camry with a 2.4 litre engine is priced between Rs 20.97 lakh and Rs 22.58 lakh, while the 1.8 litre Superb is available for Rs 18.89 lakh, both in ex-showroom, Delhi.
Apart from TKM, carmakers in the premium segment -- BMW India, Honda Siel Cars, Hyundai Motor and Mercedes-Benz -- lost their market shares to SkodaAuto's Superb, the advanced version of which was launched in March this year.
The other models present in the segment are BMW 5 and 6 series, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata and Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars.
Besides Camry, TKM will also bring in its sports utility vehicle Fortuner by September, expected to be priced at about Rs 20 lakh. The company would launch the SUV with a 3-litre advanced common-rail diesel engine.
German luxury carmaker BMW is once again planning to foray into the India’s minuscule high-end motorcycle market, almost 13 years after its abortive attempt to enter the Indian market through a joint venture with the Hero Group
The company is studying India’s high-end and premium motorcycle market to introduce its Motorrad range of super bikes in India
The 2009 BMW S 1000RR
Acc to top BMW India officials,
“Our people from BMW Motorcycle are having a look at the market. They are also in discussion with us for feedback on the matter. As soon as we see potential for a viable market entry for sustainable growth, we would take that into consideration. The bikes of the Motorrad range will be priced at more than Rs 10 lakh in India”
The premium bike market in India is very small — less than 500 units a year — but both in terms of growth prospects as well as branding opportunity, it is an attractive segment.
Although its earlier outing in India was not successful — BMW launched its F650 model in collaboration with Hero but the venture did not take off — this time round the German company may be able to sell more bikes.
Auto analysts say the presence of top superbike models such as the Suzuki Hayabusa or the Honda 1000RR Fireblade and CBR 1000R and Yamaha’s MT01 and R1 has grown the market and increased the appetite for Rs 10 lakh-plus bikes. Bajaj is also planning to introduce big bikes from KTM and Kawasaki stables in the near future.
BMW officials, however, clarified that the plans are not for the short-term and it could take 1-2 years before anything is finalised.
BMW Motorrad is a brand used by the German company for its motorcycles, which are in production since 1923.
BMW Motorrad’s G series, F series, R series and K series are available around the world. These bikes range from 450 cc capacity to 1300 cc capacity and are designed for off road, sport and touring purposes.
Car manufacturer Nissan will invest almost $700 million in two plants to make batteries for electric cars in Britain and Portugal after securing financial support from their governments.
Automakers around the world are exploring plans for mass electric car production as the industry seeks to haul itself out a devastating downturn.
The Nissan news comes less than a week after Toyota said it would produce its first European-built hybrid car in Britain from 2010. Nissan will invest more than £200 million ($328.6 million) in the plant near Sunderland, north east England.
Acc to Nissan,
“The two governments (UK and Portugal) have offered to extend financial assistance and other support to ensure that Nissan locates the proposed plants within their respective countries”
Nissan’s Electric Vehicle Prototype
[Source – Reuters]
The much-acclaimed low-cost car Nano, which recently hit the roads, could worsen road traffic by adding to the growth of private vehicles in the coming days, a Delhi High Court Judge on Monday said.
Acc to Justice Kailash Gambhir,
"All Indian cities are already struggling with traffic flow problem due to various types of vehicles on the road, lack of need-based road and traffic design and engineering and the unchecked growth of private vehicles and with the entry of the new cheap car Nano on the road, the situation is likely to get worsen"
The Court made the remarks while delivering its verdict in the BMW hit-and-run case involving Sanjeev Nanda in which his sentence was reduced to two years from five years for mowing down six persons ten years ago.
The Court also pulled up the Centre for its "apathy" towards public safety on roads and made a slew of recommendations for road safety.
The court said,
"There are no stop signs, no speed limits and as heavy vehicles go zig-zak on the roads, it is hard to ignore the disturbing reality that many commercial and private drivers are drunk and no one checks them"
[Source-PTI]
Nissan will be rolling out three different variants of its hatchback and sedan models (including the new Nissan Micra), as well as a multipurpose vehicle (MPV), from five plants across the world, one of which is coming up at Oragadam, 55 km from Chennai.
The other plants are located in Thailand and China while the locations of the remaining two are yet to be decided.
The Nissan Micra (or March, as it is sometimes called!)
Acc to the company, the proposed cars will be lighter and more fuel-efficient but will not have Nissan's newly developed fuel injection systems for small capacity petrol engines
The company plans to ship out 110,000 units from the Indian plant from 2011 onwards and later increase the export to 180,000 units to more than 100 countries
The factory has a capacity of 200,000 vehicles, & is set to become operational by June next year. Nissan predicts that European exports will account for between 60 and 70 per cent of total production.
Acc to Nissan’s senior executive,
“It’s been difficult for us to make money on small cars in Europe. But we’re not going to India just to lower costs. We want to be in the Indian market, and to be in India, you have to build cars there.”
The company hopes to achieve a five per cent market share in India through its new factory and expects Renault, its aillaince partner, to utilise the facility in due course.
[via Autocar, IANS]
PSA Peugeot Citroen, the second largest carmaker of Europe, will take a final decision by this year-end on whether to enter India, although sometime back it was determined to set up shop in the country.
The company, which had decided to go slow on starting its operations in India due to the global meltdown, is conducting a feasibility study on rolling out its vehicles here as well as for sourcing opportunities for global operations.
Acc to a PSA Peugeot Citroen spokesperson
“We are assessing the Indian market now whether we will be present there or not. These are all speculations that we are launching our products. The decision is yet to be taken, which might happen by the end of this year.
A decision on the industrial and commercial implantation of Peugeot Citroen in India could be made in 2009. The study is focusing on areas such as possibilities for industrial production and being able to meet Indian customers' expectations.
We are also assessing the various opportunities offered by the country in terms of sourcing components”
Tata Motors has threatened to scrap its plan to launch Vista electric cars in the UK if it does not receive a 10 million pounds loan from the British government soon
Tata's Electric Indica Vista
In April, Tata Motors registered its expression of interest to apply for the 10 million pounds loan to help launch the Vista electric vehicle, which was unveiled at the Geneva Motors Show this year, and build an assembly line for it in the UK.
But last Tuesday, the company was told that it will take another eight weeks for the business department to decide whether it had met the necessary criteria and can be considered for the loan
The report said executives of Tata Motors will meet Ian Lucas MP, who oversees the 2.3-billion pounds car assistance package, and deliver a petition signed by senior managers from Tata Motors' R&D centre, TMETC, based at Warwick University, which helped design the car.
No money has been released by the government from its 2.3 billion pounds package, which it unveiled in January. The package is made up of loan guarantees and loans for car makers wanting to invest in fuel efficient technologies
Nissan was granted 400 million Euros loan by the European Investment Bank in April and the government is understood to be close to agreeing to underwrite it.
Tata Motors' Norwegian subsidiary, Miljo, has already been awarded a 6-million pounds loan and a 1-million pounds grant from the Norwegian government for electric cars.
The firm secured a 340 million Euros (292 m pounds) loan from the European Investment Bank in April but this needs to be guaranteed by the government and the two sides still cannot reach agreement on the conditions.
Paul Everitt, chief executive of trade body SMMT, said:
"Ministers... want to make sure the public purse is protected.? But when you're talking about a company the size of Tata, it shouldn't be a concern ? Officials are spending an awful lot of time creating conditions and scenarios which will not come to pass."
He said ministers were being over-cautious because they wanted to avoid a repeat of the MG Rover fiasco, when the government granted a 6m pounds loan to the carmaker months before it collapsed.
A Department for Business Innovation and Skills spokesman said:
"It is important to understand that this scheme is about long-term investment projects, rather than short-term rescue? We have to work at the pace demanded by the companies and also have to consider the best interests of the taxpayer."
Gedi Junction’s Reaction –> The people following Tata Nano project must be knowing that before Nano’s current manufacturing unit, it was to be manufactured at Singur in West Bengal. But after the protests, Ratan Tata issued a similar threatening statement that if protests did not stop, they’d move out of Singur and they did. So, I guess the British Govt. should take this threat seriously.
The curtain is now off the SLS, thanks to a leaked image that a German magazine will publish, which in turn has also been leaked.
Numerous sites are reporting that the first leaked image of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS is real.
The SLS AMG will be the first production car fitted with gull-wing doors since. It includes a grille that looks like a guppy with its mouth wide open, fender vents aft of the front wheels and, of course, those doors.
Power will be provided by the biggest AMG-sourced V8 that will fit under the long hood, though there are rumors of an all-electric version arriving in 2015.
Auto major Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) today launched the Bolero MaxiTruck in Andhra Pradesh. The vehicle is priced at Rs 3.44 lakh (ex-showroom Hyderabad) and uses the micro hybrid technology.
M&M Scorpio Pickup Truck [old]
The new Bolero Maxitruck features stylish front look of the Bolero. The distinctive front grill gives the vehicle a masculine yet aesthetic face.
The Bolero MaxiTruck is the first product in the 'Pick-Up' category to offer the revolutionary micro hybrid technology which has been pioneered by Mahindra in India.
Micro hybrid technology is based on the principle of not burning fuel when it is not required. The vehicle automatically detects moments during the journey when the vehicle is idle and stops the engine. This conserves fuel, leading to reduced running costs and reduced emissions.
Pictures of the Maxitruck coming soon ..
Ashish Balakrishnan's dream came true and then almost turned into a nightmare Friday evening. He now owns a Nano car but has lost its keys!
Ashish Balakrishnan, the second customer of the Nano
At a gala ceremony Tata Motors chairman Ratan Tata handed over the keys of the second Nano car to the 29-year-old bachelor who then said: "There are three things in life which one cherishes - to own a house, buy a car and start a family. For me, the second dream is coming through."
And then he lost the keys.
Tata Motors will hand over a duplicate set to Balakrishnan on Saturday. His cousin will drive out the car.
A business manager with HDFC Bank, Balakrishnan had opted for direct full payment for his vehicle. "I hope I can now settle down with a family soon," he said with a smile.
Hyundai launched two variants of its premium compact hatchback, the i20 in India. These two variants are i20 diesel and i20 automatic.
Main features of Hyundai i20 diesel
Main features of Hyundai i20 Automatic
Bajaj auto has announced that they will phase out the Bajaj Pulsar 200 DTSi which was launched in early 2007.
Bajaj recently launched Pulsar 220cc bike with a carbureted version which is priced near to Pulsar 200cc bike.
S. Sridhar, CEO (two-wheelers), Bajaj Auto, said, “The carbureted version of the new Pulsar 220, which has been launched, offers higher power and better performance at a much lesser price. So, continuing with the Pulsar 200 was not possible, as it was priced in the similar range. We wanted to offer the buyers a better bike at an affordable rate.”
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