Driveblog

BMW’s small car Mini, whose much anticipated Indian entry was put on the back burner, now seems closer. “We will decide on the launch of Mini in India in a year’s time. If it is a positive decision, the brand will be in India in 2-3 years,” said Andreas Schaaf, President BMW India  BMW had hinted about the launch of Mini in India twice before but put it on hold as it was wary of acceptance of high end small cars in India. “It’s a premium small car with high price positioning. We have to see if it is big enough to deliver sustainable business case,” said Schaaf. The launch of Mini requires substantial investment from dealers as BMW plans separate sales network, brand positioning and marketing strategy for this British small car brand. Meanwhile, BMW is planning to set up another assembly line at its Chennai plant. “By the end of this year we will come to know if we need additional capacity,” he said. BMW recently increased the capacity of Chennai plant from 10,000 units to 11,000 ...

Hero MotoCorp’s new Maestro looks sober, with smooth, conservative lines that will be appreciated by a wide audience. Large body panels surround its exterior, a rounded front mudguard and clear lens indicators mount flush on either side of its raked front apron. Mirrors on the Maestro are bi-colour. A bold headlamp and wide, easily read instruments are seen, the speedometer dominating this region with an LCD information screen. A ‘service due’ indicator is standard, as is a digital fuel gauge. Switches and levers are the standard scooter equipment Indians are familiar with, including push-to-cancel indicators while the Meastro offers dimpled palm grips, bar end weights and a manual choke. The ignition key slot is shuttered. This is a scooter with ample storage space, a large and lockable storage recess provided just below the handlebar apart from its under-seat bay and flat floorboard where a bag-hook is present.  The Maestro has a broad rear body panel that leads to its brake-lig...

Škoda Auto India,  one of the premium automobile manufacturers in India today flagged off day one of the Yeti performance drive, the first of its kind in Mumbai. The 1st day of the drive drew enormous response from the customers giving them a unique opportunity to experience the features of the award winning Škoda Yeti. A ride through the five point obstacle course demonstrated the ease with which the Škoda Yeti took on challenging terrains. The first phase of the drive showcased the ease of maneuvering the car through high traffic zone and parktronic feature clearly demonstrated Yeti’s ability to take on typical challenges of urban India. The second phase of drive was purely to get an off road feel with the hill climb and descent along with the feel of driving over rough roads. The event started from Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Ahmadabad & Hyderabad would extend to other markets including-, Ludhiana with multiple set ups per city. The Škoda Yeti is powered by a ...

Production at a Maruti Suzuki plant halted on Monday as India's top carmaker locked out its workers, demanding they sign a "good conduct" pledge following alleged sabotage, the company said. The Japanese-controlled company said it had asked all workers to sign what it called a "good conduct" bond, promising they would not sabotage production, resort to go-slow tactics or otherwise hamper output at its Manesar plant.  "Production is right now at a stop," said a company spokesman, who declined to be named, citing company policy.  It was the third dispute to affect production at Maruti in three months.  The 2,000 workers were not being allowed back into the factory, one of two operated by Maruti in the northern Indian state of Haryana, until they had signed the pledge, the company said.  Workers denied the allegations of sabotaging production at the company which sells nearly half of all new cars in India.  The company spokesman said 10 workers had been ...

Close on the heels of Ratan Tata's statement on reworking Tata Motors' link with Fiat, the Italian car major has said that their partnership will continue, albeit the terms will be revised. "The terms will change, but the project will keep going ahead," Sergio Marchionne, CEO, Fiat, told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Italy. Earlier, Ratan Tata had said that both Fiat and Tata Motors are having a relook at their 50:50 joint venture partnership to see if it could be made more realistic.  While admitting that the contractual relationship had suffered losses, he said: "Assumptions in terms of volumes didn't work out, more so for Fiat than for us because there was a downturn and they made an assumption on off-take , which did not materialise." One of the major problems for Fiat has been the fact that for cars sold through Tata's network, dealers tend to favour selling Tata vehicles, than Fiat, said industry experts . Also, Fiat has not been a...

The alliance plant of Renault-Nissan automotive manufacturing facility in Oragadam, near Chennai, has crossed a milestone achievement of rolling out one lakh units.  Nissan and Renault signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu state government to set up a greenfield plant in 2008 with a combined investment of Rs 4500 crore. The plant now employs 4000 persons.  "We started production in May last year. Between then and now we have rolled out one lakh cars from the Oragadam facility ," Kou Kimura, CEO and MD of Renault Nissan Automotive India said. The plant has achieved this milestone in 13 months. "This is the fastest roll out of one lakh cars in India."  The facility -- only of its kind which makes vehicles for both Nissan and Renault makes Nissan Micra, a hatchback and assembles Renault's Fluence, a sedan.  Work on the third shift began a couple of weeks ago. "At current levels we can make 2 lakh cars a year, which we will double...

Tata Motors today launched the new version of its premium hatchback, the Tata Vista. The new Tata Vista delivers a sedan-like experience, with its powerful engine options, stunning new look, state-of-the-art features and segment leading interior space which has always been its signature. The new range will be available at Tata Motors dealerships from September 1, 2011. The new Tata Vista comes with a new front chrome grill, complemented with a new triple barreled head lamp, for excellent visibility in low-light conditions. The car has generous chrome package on the exteriors, sporty new alloy wheels and a new signature color, Summer Sparkle. A mirror polished garnishing below the rear windshield adds to the distinctiveness of the exteriors. The interiors, with soft feel dash board and door pads, too match the experience of a sedan. The 4-spoke steering wheel now sports audio controls, which controls a fully integrated 2-DIN music system. It offers connectivity via USB, Auxiliar...

 Luxury car maker Mercedes Benz India will establish a performance driving academy in partnership with JPSI, as it announces its presence at the Indian Formual 1 races to be held at the Buddh International Circuit, Noida, from October 28-30.  Jaypee Sports International, or JPSI, has developed the F1 track.  Mercedes Benz has announced a three-pronged strategy in India for its participation in Indian motor sports. Among the major attractions will be the presence of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg during the Indian leg of the Formula One.  As JPSI's automobile partner, Mercedes cars will be used as safety and monitor cars for all events at the track. Promotional events to popularise motorsports in India through a series of road shows and dealership activation is part of the premium car maker's strategy. A statement released here quoted Mercedes Benz managing director and CEO, Peter Honegg, as saying, "Mercedes-Benz is a performance brand and our long association...

German luxury car manufacturer Audi Tuesday launched the business edition of its sports utility vehicle (SUV) Q5 2.0 TDI Quattro priced at Rs.3,513,000 (ex-showroom Maharashtra). It will be available from October 2011.  "The Audi Q5 2.0 TDI Q is perfectly equipped to further strengthen our leadership position in the luxury SUV segment," said Audi India head Michael Perschke.  According to Perschke, the car is attractively priced, making it affordable by a wide range of consumers.  "As the Audi Q5 already has a broad fan base in India, this attractive price will now make this premium experience accessible to a wider customer base who aspire to own a luxury SUV."  The car is equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, xenon-plus headlights, including LED daytime running lights, leather and leatherette interiors with wood inlays, and a multifunctional 4-spoke leather steering wheel.  "Enhancing the driving experience are the Audi media interface with concert radio, a sto...

Japanese auto maker Honda is expecting to roll out vehicles within the next 2-3 years from its second Indian facility at Tapukara, in Rajasthan, after being put on hold indefinitely due to the global slowdown of 2008, reports stated. The company, which is present in India through a joint venture with the Siel Group, had opened its first facility at Noida and its second at Tapukara in 2008. Reports quoted, Seki Inaba, Director Marketing, Honda Siel Cars India, as saying that, “Our first aim is to fully utilise the capacity of the Greater Noida facility and only after that we will consider starting assembly at Tapukara. I think we will be able to do that in the next 2-3 years.” According to reports, HSCI had committed an investment of  Rs.  10 bn to set up the facility at Tapukara with an installed capacity of 60,000 units per annum and in September 2008, had partially opened the plant to produce few parts for domestic and export markets. In 2010, the company announced an a...

These are the first pictures of Volkswagen’s all-new Up hatchback, a model poised to become the company’s biggest seller and a key component in its plans to assume worldwide market leadership by 2018. Volkswagen will also manufacture the Up for the Indian market however it will be a four-door version and will be positioned below the Polo. Holding true to the look of the original concept, the production Up has a simple two-box silhouette. VW design boss Klaus Bischoff says the layout provides optimal space utilisation within a compact footprint, making the car highly suitable for city driving. Among the more distinctive design flourishes is a large front bumper featuring a low-set, rectangular grille. This, together with round foglights and large, angular headlights, helps to give the Up a more expressive face than other recent new Volkswagens. The upright stance of the design points to a roomy cabin which will suit Indian families looking for a budget car. Pronounced wheel arch flares...

Force Motors has launched its new Force One SUV at Rs 10.65 lakh. The Force One’s body-on-frame chassis is made of robust ‘C-in-C’ construction and suspended with coil springs in the rear and a torsion bar set-up in the front. However, at the heart of this vehicle is the Mercedes OM 611 which develops 140bhp and 35kgm of torque via a five-speed manual transmission. This 2.2-litre common-rail turbo-diesel motor is the same unit that powered the W210 E-class when it was first launched in 2000; though this engine is now a generation old, it still meets the latest Bharat Stage IV norms and promises better performance and refinement than homegrown engines from Mahindra and Tata. Force Motors was helped by Lotus in the UK to fine-tune the handling of the Force One. The Force One is available with only a two-wheel version and a four-wheel drive option will be available next year. It competes with the likes of Mahindra Scorpio, Tata Aria and Toyota Innova. Force Motors also plans to launch a ...

 Honda's Indian car unit has cut prices of its premium Jazz by up to Rs 1.62 lakh in a move to win back customers. The hatchback will now be available for a starting price of Rs 5.50 lakh, taking on competition from Hyundai's i20, Nissan's Micra and Volkswagen's Polo, Maruti's Swift, Fiat's Punto, Toyota's Liva and Skoda's Fabia.  "The new Jazz, with an attractive pricing, will surely appeal to customers. With better sourcing and economies of scale for Jazz from higher production, we would be able to garner larger chunk of sales in the premium hatchback segment," Honda Siel Cars India director (marketing) Seki Inaba said.  Powered by the same 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol engine, the new Jazz is said to give an average of 16.7 km a litre. It sports improved aerodynamic design on the front grill besides beige interiors and a USB port in the music system.  Monthly sales of Jazz have dropped nearly 50% over the last few months to about 250, despite free...

Car market leader Maruti Suzuki India said it will source diesel engines from Fiat to meets its domestic requirement as it has decided not to make further big investments in powertrains in the absence of a fuel pricing policy.  "Currently, we are exploring the possibility of sourcing diesel engines from somebody else, because making a big investment in expanding our own engine capacity is not prudent in this situation," Maruti Suzuki India Chairman R C Bhargava told reporters here on the sidelines of an IIFT event here.  Asked specifically to confirm reports that MSI is sourcing diesel engines from Fiat, he replied in the affirmative.  "Currently, we are in the process of homologation (of the diesel engine from Fiat)... It could take anywhere between two to three months...," Bhargava said.  He, however, did not provide details of the diesel engines that MSI is looking to source from Fiat. At present, MSI manufactures and uses a 1.3-litre diesel e...

Maruti Suzuki India has launched the all-new Swift with prices starting from Rs 4.22 lakh (ex showroom Delhi). As with the earlier model, the Swift is available both in petrol and diesel engine options. The petrol engine is the same 1.2 K-series motor but it now gets variable valve timing (VVT) that bumps up power to 86bhp. The diesel motor is the 1.3-litre Multi-Jet engine that remains largely unchanged. The diesel motor is still mated to a fixed geometry turbo and develops the same 74bhp.  The petrol version is priced at Rs 4.22lakh going upto Rs 5.53 lakh while the diesel variant starts at Rs 5.17 lakh and rising upto Rs 6.38 lakh. At first glance, it looks just like the earlier model but the changes are difficult to tell immediately. The fact is that this car is a grounds-up new generation of the Swift. The new Swift is based on an all-new platform and is now both longer and wider. It gains 90mm in overall length and the wheelbase is 40mm longer. While overall width has increa...

Volkswagen India has launched its all-new Jetta saloon at the price range starting from Rs 14.12 lakh. The new Jetta will be available with a 2.0 TDI engine that churns out a decent 140bhp; this motor also does duty in the Skoda Laura. Four variants are on offer, the base Trendline, mid-spec Comfortline come with a six-speed manual transmission while the top-end Highline can be ordered with either a six-speed manual or a DSG automatic gearbox. The simple, clean lines of the Jetta look stylish and the large tail-lamps infuse a certain degree of flair to the design. A prominent highlight is the L-shaped stoplight. The front bears a resemblance to other Volkswagen models, while the rear gives the impression of the Audi A4 saloon. The new Jetta offers better space than its predecessor, as it is longer and wider than before. It competes with the likes of the Corolla Altis, Skoda Laura and Chevrolet Cruze. VW Jetta diesel prices (Ex-showroom, Delhi) Trendline: Rs 14.12 lakh Comfortline: Rs ...

With Chennai enjoying a favourable climate among auto investors, the Tamil Nadu government today said it would strive make the city a global hub in the field of automobile and auto components manufacturing.  "Tamil Nadu is No.1 in (manufacture) of automobile and auto components. We aim to make Chennai and other parts of the state a global hub in this regard," Chief Minister Jayalalithaa told the state Assembly.  She was intervening during the discussion on the demand for grants for the Industries department.  Tamil Nadu boasts of investments from some of the top international players in the automobile sector such as Ford, Hyundai and Renault-Nissan, among others.  Industries Minister S P Velumani said it was the previous AIADMK governments headed by Jayalalithaa which were instrumental in attracting investments from automobile companies.

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Tata Motors will set up facilities to assemble its ultra low-cost car Nano in Indonesia, in some parts of Eastern Europe and in Brazil, said chairman of the company Ratan Tata at the annual general meeting of Tata Motors in Mumbai on Friday. Not just Nano, he mentioned that, other passenger  vehicles and small trucks such as Ace may also be assembled in such facilities abroad. The lagging sales of Nano in India — around 100,000 units in two years since it was launched — has prompted the company to chart out aggressive marketing of the product in the domestic market. Tata Motors has already taken initiatives such as new finance schemes, expanding sales network and recruiting sales staff to prop up sales. The company started exporting Nano to Sri Lanka in April this year and to Nepal in June. “Our plan is to grow in the neighbouring countries and in some select overseas markets,” Tata said at the AGM. About the loss-making joint venture with Fiat in India, he hinted that the st...

Shriram Transport Finance Company Limited, India’s largest asset financing company, has launched Shriram Automall in Gurgaon, the country’s first single- window destination for trade of pre-owned trucks.  Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Haryana, who graced the occasion, inaugurated Shriram Automall in Gurgaon today. The facility spread across a sprawling  over 2 lakh Sq ft . feet space, is the first-of-its kind initiative which will give access to the country’s large community of truck-owners to trade their vehicles in a hassle-free manner.  At the Automall, apart from trading of the truck, the truck-owner will also be able to explore financing and insurance options as also minor and major repair facilities. Rest rooms for travel fatigued truck drivers and cleaners are also provided as an add-on facility. The overall plan is to have 50 such facilities strategically located on important highways of country covering a PAN India population of Commercial Vehicl...

India's used car market, which has so far faithfully followed new car sales, is now all set to zoom ahead as a sentiment slowdown hits car sales in autoville. According to industry estimates, the used car market, which is currently around 18 lakh units a year, is expected to clock anywhere between 20% and 25% growth in the next five years, vrooming beyond the 40-lakh mark by 2015. Of this, the organized sector is likely to clock a 35-40% growth.  The good news for the used car business is that it is relatively less affected by the sentiment downturn that is now snuffing out growth in the new car market. India's new car sales, earlier expected to clocked anywhere between 13-15% growth this year, is likely to manage single digits, say industry insiders. But that isn't what used car marketers are expecting for themselves.  "Currently the new is to old ratio in India is 1:1.1," says Jagdish Khattar, CEO of Carnation, a multi-brand auto sales and service venture. ...

Car Maker General Motors is shifting its focus on tier III and smaller towns to boost its sales. General Motors India president and managing director Karl Slym told ET that the company is planning to increase its penetration in smaller towns to beat the market slowdown. "In smaller towns, the impact of slowdown is very little as people there don't rely much on car loans. With good monsoon in the hindsight and good signs this year too, people in rural India are much comfortable," he said.  To tap the emerging markets, the company is planning to roll out 50 new outlets this year, all in smaller towns and tier III cities. At present the company has 250 sales outlets in the country. "A couple of years back, we would have our 60% per sales from metros and 40% from non metros. But now the figures have been reversed. Now with even deeper penetration in smaller cities, we expect the sales contribution from smaller centre to go up to 70%," he said.  The US car maker hop...

A specialised body for promoting sustainable development of the Indian auto sector, dubbed the National Automotive Board ( NAB), is expected to be set up by the end of this year.  The Department of Heavy Industry is working on a proposal for establishing the board.  "NAB is likely to be set up in December this year. It will act as a facilitator between the government and the industry, promote research and development activities and have a larger role in developing skills for the growing automobile sector," a Department of Heavy Industry official said.  Besides, it would act as a think-tank for the government, especially for the growth of hybrid and electric vehicles in the country, he added.  The board will have members from the Department of Heavy Industry, Planning Commission and from various ministries, including road transport and highways, science and technology, environment and forests. Besides, there would be scientists and industry representatives on the boa...

F iat India Automobiles Ltd  launches special affinity programs for health care professionals. The program will commence from august to september when professional can claim the permissible depreciation.  Under this program healthcare professionals can enjoy an total benefit of  Rs.  12,000/- on the Linea &  Rs.  9,000/- on the Punto and can also participate in the ongoing promotions. This program also includes attractive exchange package where in the old car value would be set off against the purchase of new cars.   In addition to this Fiat has introduced home test drive services for doctors in its ‘affinity program’ to felicitate easy buying without hampering their busy schedule. Healthcare professionals like doctors require 24X7 connectivity with their patients and hence Fiat’s blue & me feature enables them to consult patients while on the move.   Speaking about the initiative,  Ravi Bhatia, VP-Business Development, FIAT India ...