Author Archives: Vaibhav

New car hub taking place in Gujarat

  By Vaibhav | April 24, 2012 - 7:28 am | Uncategorized
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India’s new Motor hub is Sanand, located in Gujarat. It looks like; it has risen from the ashes and came out to be one of the most favorite destinations for almost every car maker in the country. Tata Motors have 1000 acres of land in Sanand, while Ford India is investing a whopping $1.0 billion on its new facility here. There are ample of reasons that make Sanand the best place to set up a manufacturing unit. According to the head of Ford India, Mr. Michael Boneham, the easy availably of the land with government support is the major reason.

Tata Nano Photo

Tata Nano Photo

With Ford India, the French car maker, Peugeot has also decided to set up its first manufacturing plant here in Sanand Gujarat. A whopping investment of $850 million will be done. However, the plans are put on hold for a while because of debt crisis in Euro zone. On the other hand, India’s largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki is going ahead by putting up a factory in Mehsana Gujarat and Hero Moto has also chosen Gujarat for its motorcycle manufacturing facility.

Ford Ecosport Photo

Ford Ecosport Photo

Another main reason behind picking Gujarat for car manufacturing is Power. Besides Gujarat, the other states have a big issue regarding power supply. Furthermore, the quantity and quality of manpower in the state is impressive. The Maruti activities usually focused in Haryana, whereas the other major auto giants are making Tamil Nadu as a hot spot for their facilities. Companies like Renault, Nissan, Michelin, Ford and Hyundai have already established themselves there.

Renault Dacia Duster Photo

Renault Dacia Duster Photo

The entrance of international car makers into Gujarat have bought great boon to the state and Mr. Narendra Modi, who yearly hold ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ meeting to lure investors. With Sanand becoming the moto-hub for global car makers, Gujarat will very soon encompass the biggest solar park in Asia. The economic growth in Gujarat has gone up substantially that is it has gone from 8.4% to 10.5% in 2010-2011.

Nissan Micra Photo

Nissan Micra Photo

On the whole, growth of Gujarat has shown what potential does the state has and what more can it do for the Indian auto industry.

Maruti XA Alpha to launch early with close rivals Ford Ecosport & Renault Duster this Diwali

  By Vaibhav | April 23, 2012 - 4:06 am | Uncategorized
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When the whole automobile sector of India is set to woo buyers this Diwali, how can Maruti Suzuki Inc. be left behind. Alongside the launch of Renault Duster and Ford Ecosport, Maruti is planning to launch its new compact SUV named as Maruti XA Alpha as well.

Maruti XA Alpha Photo

Maruti XA Alpha Photo

French car maker Renault and American car maker Ford had already lined up their respective SUV’s, Duster and Ecosport for launch and those were eagerly awaited. On the contrary, Maruti’s new SUV, XA Alpha was slated for an early next year launch initially. Later Maruti decided to launch it together with Duster and Ecosport so that their SUV is not left behind in the competition because of this time lag.

Maruti XA Alpha Photo

Maruti XA Alpha Photo

This is a conscious and strategic move from the side of Maruti for which they have accelerated their efforts. If launched neck to neck with Duster and EcoSport, XA Alpha will have a better chance to withstand the increased competition. Otherwise, Duster and Ecosport would have only competed with existing true SUV, the Premier Rio. The intention behind an early launch is clear. Maruti wants to establish itself in the SUV segment before or alongside other car makers just as it did by launching Maruti Ertiga before launch of Chevrolet Enjoy and Nissan Evalia. Earlier, Maruti has launched big cars like Maruti Gypsy & Maruti Grand Vitara but they haven’t been true SUV’s with diesel engines. These cars were available in only petrol variants in India.

Ford Ecosport Photo

Ford Ecosport Photo

The views of auto experts are a tad different. They think that because Maruti Ertiga has been a grand success in the market, the late launch of XA Alpha would not have caused much difference on the name, reputation and market share of Suzuki. In fact, it hardly would have caused a difference in anyway. But Maruti, the largest car selling company in India, believes in being proactive and we hope their efforts give them more success.

Renault Duster Photo

Renault Duster Photo

Maruti XA Alpha is a compact true SUV expected to be launched in the price bracket of Rs 7 to 9 lakhs. All the three SUV’s, XA Alpha, Renault Duster and Ford Ecosport were showcased at the Auto Expo held in New Delhi this year.

Mercedes Benz banks on entry level cars to regain first position in India

  By Vaibhav | April 20, 2012 - 1:58 am | Uncategorized
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Mercedes Benz that has recently been pushed to the third position in the luxury car segment by Audi India is now preparing for a comeback. Notably, the German car maker had to step down to the second pedestal after BMW cars took over the first position in the segment. Now Mercedes is highly banking on its compact cars such as Mercedes A Class, B Class, CLC/CLA concept, a sport SUV and another model that is still a secret and will soon be revealed by the car maker. These new cars will be launched in India in the next two years. For now, Mercedes will be showcasing the Mercedes Benz CLC/CLA sports coupe at the upcoming Beijing Motor Show and post that it will be launched in India.

Mercedes Benz A-Class Photo

Mercedes Benz A-Class Photo

All these five entry level cars will be based on the new MFA platform and thus these will be lighter and more fuel efficient than other offerings. Also Mercedes will sharing a lot of part between them and thus it will also help the car maker to keep the cost down and thus experts believe that price tag of these five cars will be low and in turn this will help the car maker regain its lost position. The launch of the A Class hatch is expected to be the wisest move by the car maker as it will help it enter the lucrative premium small car segment that is gaining volumes day by day.

Mercedes Benz B-Class Photo

Mercedes Benz B-Class Photo

Significantly, Mercedes remained as the number one luxury car maker but was recently challenged by its German siblings Audi and BMW.  Currently, the German car maker has C, E, R and S Class Saloon, CLS, E Class Coupe, R Class Tourer, E, SLK, SL Class Cabriolets and Roadsters, and GL and M Class off Roaders available in India.

Volkswagen to launch Jetta petrol by April 2012 and Passat petrol to follow later

  By Vaibhav | April 19, 2012 - 4:07 am | Uncategorized
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With possibility of tax hike on diesel cars in India, Volkswagen is planning to stabilize the fleet of petrol variants. By end of the month, the company would be introducing the petrol variant of its Jetta sedan and petrol variant of Passat is expected to follow later. At present, the Jetta and the Passat are available only in the diesel engine variants and with increasing response for the petrol luxury sedans the company has initiated to introduce the petrol variants of these cars.

Volkswagen Jetta Photo

Volkswagen Jetta Photo

Volkswagen Jetta petrol will carry 1.4 liter TSI petrol in-line that will have efficiency to churn maximum output of 120 bhp. It is expected that this petrol variant of Jetta would deliver better fuel efficiency than Volkswagens other popular sedans like Skoda Laura and Skoda Superb. Petrol variants of the Laura and the Superb carry 1.8 TSI petrol engine on the Indian shores and enthusiasts were expecting that same engine would be used in petrol version of Jetta. Interestingly, the company has decided to bring Jetta petrol with fuel efficient 1.4-litre TSI powertrain. You can expect the Petrol Jetta to compete with other sedans like Renault Fluence, Toyota Corolla Altis, Skoda Laura and Honda Civic.

Volkswagen Passat Photo

Volkswagen Passat Photo

Moreover, the petrol variant of Passat is also expected to be launched within 2012. However, the company has yet confirmed that which in-line would be used in this saloon. But expectations are that VW would be using Superb’s 1.8 liter TSI engine for petrol version of luxury saloon. It is also anticipated that the company would introduce the Passat petrol at the price of around Rs. 21 lakhs. The petrol Passat would give a stiff challenge to other luxury petrol sedans like Skoda Superb, Honda Accord, Nissan Teana and Toyota Camry.

Toyota announces Summer Holiday Campaign for 2012

  By Vaibhav | April 18, 2012 - 3:39 am | Uncategorized
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Looking at the spectacular response Toyota got from its customers, the company is back with the ‘Summer Holiday’ campaign 2012 which it initiated last year. It is a service campaign that offers free check up and custom made offers for the entire range of Toyota models like Toyota Etios, Toyota Etios Liva, Toyota Innova etc. The campaign will last for around a month and will be conducted at all the Toyota dealerships starting from April 16th to May 15th, 2012. Toyota is known for its class apart cars and has been able to make a space for itself in the automobile industry for its top notch quality products and more so for for Q Class Service Experience.

Toyota Etios Liva Photo

Toyota Etios Liva Photo

Toyota has launched this service campaign across its dealerships located in the Southern, Western and Eastern part of the country.This campaign being held at all dealerships of Toyota will facilitate its customers with a free 20 point check that will guarantee road worthiness of the cars and smooth journey for the Toyota customers. Consumers can also get benefitted with the custom made offers that comprise of Free UV Protection on Parts Packages, impressive discounts on accessories and insurance renewal offers. Along with these lucrative offers the company has also organized a daily lucky draw for the chauffeurs who will be visiting the dealerships during this campaign.

Toyota Innova Photo

Toyota Innova Photo

Mr. Sandeep Singh,Deputy Managing Director,TKM, said that on the basis of the ‘Customer Fisrt’ approach, Toyota believes to anew various ways to expands its reach to the valuable consumers with Toyota’s promise of Q Class Service. He further said that the ‘Suhana Summer Campaign’ received unparalleled response last year and due to its immense success the company though to re-organize the campaign again this year. Since summer holidays are around therefore the customers will get the opportunity to service their cars before they leave for summer holidays.

Mid-size sedans heads to head: Honda City v/s Nissan Sunny

  By Vaibhav | April 17, 2012 - 4:38 am | Uncategorized
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After the jolly experience with the hatchbacks, buyers intend to switch to sedans and choosing the compact sedan is one of the confusing chapters for any automobile enthusiasts. Hence, we have brought an exclusive comparison between two most searched mid-size sedans, i.e. Honda City and Nissan Sunny.

Honda City Photo

Honda City Photo

Honda City though has got the instincts of its four years old version, but even then it looks one of the most alluring products in its range. The appealing outfit with perfect angular trims and aggressive styling give it comprehensive appearance. It has got the well defined curves and blends that showcases the particular Japanese contemporary design.

Honda City Photo

Honda City Photo

Nissan Sunny on the other hand has got some impressions of its hatchback sibling, the Micra, however the overall styling of both these cars appear to be entirely different. Sunny’s profile has got a punch of its elder saloon sibling, the Teana which distinct it from Honda City.

Nissan Sunny Photo

Nissan Sunny Photo

One common fact amongst both these sedans is the usage of similar McPherson struts front and torsion-beam rear suspension. As far as the interiors are concerned, the Sunny carries best sitting posture in its class. Moreover, all the controls fall in the range of driver that makes the driving more easy and pleasurable. On the other hand, the City also manages to avail good driver seat adjustment, however, the seat gets stiff for three occupants.

Nissan Sunny Photo

Nissan Sunny Photo

As far as the engine is concerned, the Sunny is available in 1.5 liter petrol and diesel in-line options. The 1.5 liter petrol engine of this car churns maximum power of 99 Ps at 6000 rpm with the peak torque of 134 Nm at 4000 rpm, whereas its 1.5L, K9K diesel engine churns maximum output of 86 Ps at 3750 rpm and peak torque of 200 Nm at 2000 rpm. This three-box has got great drivability with excellent gear ratio pattern that allows it to churn extreme power and torque. The petrol variant of Sunny delivers mileage of 13.0 – 16.9 kmpl, whereas its diesel variant delivers mileage of 17.5 – 21.6 kmpl.

Nissan Sunny Photo

Nissan Sunny Photo

On the hand, Honda City is available only in the petrol engine option. Its 1.5L, i-VTEC Petrol Engine churns maximum power of 118 PS at 6600 rpm with 146 Nm at 4800 rpm peak torque. The City has got a silent and efficient engine that allows it to run like a Cheetah on streets. However, with the increase in the diesel car demand, City’s availability only in the petrol engine option has proved a major setback for it.

Toyota Kirloskar projecting to establish a diesel engine facility in India

  By Vaibhav | April 16, 2012 - 3:57 am | Uncategorized
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Toyota Kirloskar Motors, the subsidiary unit of world auto-leader Toyota Motors, has requested its parental unit to establish a diesel facility in India due to increasing demands of diesel products. As per the sources, Toyota Kirloskar has passed over its plan to the parental unit for establishing a diesel engine facility in India. The company made this decision after the Union Budget 2012-13, in which diesel vehicles were exempted from additional taxes.

Toyota Etios Photo

Toyota Etios Photo

A company official reported as saying that with consistently increasing diesel cars demand, a proposal has been sent to Toyota’s, headquarter in Tokyo for setting up a diesel engine plant in India. He added that it is very necessary to manufacture diesel vehicles locally to meet with the rising demands. The diesel car demands have increased significantly and for Toyota, the Toyota Etios and Toyota Etios Liva hatchback are the most demanded cars in diesel variants. Last year, the company sold 63,575 units of Etios and Liva that includes around 70 percent sales of diesel variants.

Toyota Etios Photo

Toyota Etios Photo

The official commented that as of now the parent company is going through the proposal and they are expecting a positive response from them.

Toyota Etios Liva Photo

Toyota Etios Liva Photo

A spokes person from Toyota Kirloskar stated that they would be assembling only the petrol engines and there no plan so far to assemble or manufacture diesel in-lines in India. Currently, Toyota Kirloskar is investing a bulky sum of Rs. 500 crores to establish petrol engine facility and expansion of its transmission capacity in Bangalore.

Toyota Etios Liva Photo

Toyota Etios Liva Photo

Earlier, at the Auto Expo Delhi 2012, Toyota Kirloskar stressed on establishing a diesel engine plant in India after the declaration of Union Budget 2012-13. Toyota Kirloskar Motors, Deputy Managing Director (Commercial), Shekar Viswanathan commented that they would wait till the Union Budget is out and then they would consider for establishing a diesel plant in the country.

Maruti Ertiga officially launched at Rs. 5.89 lakh

  By Vaibhav | April 12, 2012 - 6:05 am | Uncategorized
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Finally, the long wait for Maruti Ertiga MPV launch comes to an end. The auto-giant Maruti Suzuki has today launched its first MUV, Ertiga at the price tag of Rs. 5.89 lakh. This fabulous utility car is based on the platform of Maruti Swift and it would challenge other popular MUVs like Toyota Innova and Mahindra Xylo.

Maruti Ertiga Photo

Maruti Ertiga Photo

In terms of looks, Ertiga is almost similar to its small car siblings, the Ritz and the Swift. The inside glance is enchanted by dual tone upholstery and has sufficient space in all the three rows. The steering wheel has got audio controls on it. The 2nd and the 3rd row of this car are blessed with the AC vents which are inbuilt in the roof. Moreover, the turning radius of this newly launched product is also very low; its compact length and width allows it turn in just 5.2 meters.

Maruti Ertiga Photo

Maruti Ertiga Photo

Maruti Ertiga is now available in both petrol and diesel in-line options. The petrol variants have got entirely new 1.4 liter VVT engine that produces peak power of 95 PS, while the diesel variants are blessed with 1.3 liter DDiS engine that churns peak power of 90 PS. Both petrol and diesel in-lines of this compact utility machine are mated by a 5 speed manual transmission. In terms of fuel efficiency too, Ertiga is the master, its petrol variant delivers acclaimed fuel efficiency of 16.02 km/l, whereas its diesel variants have got outstanding acclaimed mileage of 20.77 kmpl.

Maruti Ertiga Photo

Maruti Ertiga Photo

Termed as Life Utility Vehicle (LUV) by the company, the Ertiga carries its own significance in the domestic market. In a few months, you can expect Ertiga to compete with some other fabulous anticipated MPVs like Chevrolet Enjoy and Mahindra Mini Xylo.

Maruti Ertiga Photo

Maruti Ertiga Photo

The company would carry the production of this MUV from its Gurgaon facility and they are expecting to sell around 5000 units of this MPV, per month. The company earlier stated that the utility segment in India accounts for 14 percent of the total automobile industry, out of which around 66 percent share is dominated by the MUVs.

Toyota offers a range of sporty TRD Sportivo accessories for Etios duo

  By Vaibhav | April 11, 2012 - 12:03 am | Uncategorized
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In a bid to give compact hatchback Toyota Etios Liva and sedan Toyota Etios a sportier look and enhance its acceptance among the young buyers, the car maker Toyota Kirloskar Motors has come-up with a new TRD (Toyota Racing Development) accessories kit in the Indian auto market. As per the recent media reports, the TRD kit carries a number of exciting as well as stylish accessories which are offered in the price segment of Rs 1000 to Rs 20,000.

Toyota Etios Liva Photo

Toyota Etios Liva Photo

The newly offered TRD Sportivo accessories include a number of offerings for both exterior and interior fronts. The sporty exterior accessories include the specially designed alloy wheels, new roof spoiler, Road presence enhancing stylish radiator front grille, and a TRD badge at the boot gate. Inside, the company has offered a fascinating carbon dashboard panel along with new PU leather upholstery, a pioneer DVD player and newly themed floor mats.

Toyota Etios Liva Photo

Toyota Etios Liva Photo

Both Etios sedan and Liva hatchback have been gradually strengthening their positions in the Indian market since their launch in the country. While the Etios Liva is has been able to leave behind the likes of Chevrolet Beat, the Etios Liva is giving a tough fight to the likes of Maruti Swift Dzire and Hyundai Accent. Now, with the launch of new TRD Sportivo accessories kit, the company is expecting to further boost its sales among the young buyers.

Toyota Etios Photo

Toyota Etios Photo

Interestingly, the launch of new TRD Sportivo accessories for Etios range of cars is colliding with the launch of IPL (Indian Premier League) editions of the hatchback Volkswagen Polo and sedan Volkswagen Vento, both of which have been receiving an overwhelming response from the Indian buyers.

Toyota Etios Photo

Toyota Etios Photo

Many of you must be interested in knowing the pricing of different accessories offered in TRD kit. The pricing of the different offerings in this kit are as follows – all 4 Alloy wheels for Rs. 18,000, Carbon dashboard Panel at Rs. 8000, P.U. Leather Upholstery at Rs. 9,990, Floor Mat at Rs. 1,058, Radiator Chrome Grill at Rs. 5,800, Roof Spoiler at Rs. 7,294, Pioneer DVD at Rs. 20,000, V-Kool Film at Rs. 2,500, 3T LED Sensor at Rs. 3,500, TRD Logo at Rs. 1,000 and Rear Door Garnish at Rs. 1,283.

Renault Duster launch re-scheduled for October

  By Vaibhav | April 6, 2012 - 3:55 am | Uncategorized
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Renault, the French car maker in India earlier decided to launch its compact crossover, Duster by June, this year, but now the car maker has re-scheduled the Duster launch for October. Though, the company’s official portal states that the Duster crossover would be launched in June, but close automobile sources have confirmed that the car would be launched in October due to expected high demand during festive season in India. Though the launch of this compact crossover is re-schedule, but it is quite clear that the Duster would not be the sole compact player in the domestic market, as Ford is also planning to unleash its compact crossover, EcoSport during that time.

Renault Duster Photo

Renault Duster Photo

The reason for the Duster launch delay is still the mystery, but it might be due to Renault’s précised dealership network. At present, the auto-giant, Renault has less than 50 outlets across the nation that is certainly not enough to sell its potent Duster crossover in good volume. It is expected that the company might introduce its outlets in tier II and tier III cities which will enable it to stand in a better position against car maker like Ford.

Renault Duster Photo

Renault Duster Photo

The anticipated SUV, Duster will carry 1.5-litre K9K dCi diesel power-train that will have enough potential to produce maximum power of 108 PS. It would also be available in 1.5-litre petrol in-line option that will have potential to churn maximum power of 97 bhp at 6000 rpm and maximum torque of 134 Nm at 4000 rpm. This engine has been shared from Nissan Sunny petrol. Nissan is alliance partner of Renault. The company is expecting that the diesel Duster would get a good response in the domestic market and even it might attain some healthy sales stats which other Renault cars like the Fluence and Koleos have not yet attained.