Suzuki will shortly strip down its 1800R bike, thus making a wise move by launching all new Suzuki Intruder 800, a 805cc with same chrome rich cruiser bike.
The Suzuki smaller brother will be powered by four stroke, 45 degree V-twin fuel injected engine that will generate 53bhp at 6000 rpm. Suzuki's smaller brother will surely be launched at lower price than the current in place.
The gear box will be a five speed with the universally accepted pattern with one down and four up pattern. The Suzuki M800 might roll out at Auto Expo 2012 in India.
Hyundai has plans to launch a yet another entry level variant of Eon, which means the car is closely following the strategy and pricing of India's biggest carmaker Maruti. Hyundai says that we might launch another stripped down variant of Hyundai Eon if Maruti reduces the price of its highest selling car, Alto.
We also speculate that Hyundai Eon's yet another lower end variant could come at a time when Maruti launches its replacement of Maruti 800, which is at present speculated to be named as Cervo.
All in all, the segment is getting more competition and the only one to get benefit out of it will be End Consumers with launch of new variants and attractive discounts.
Seat brand is getting serious on expansion, particularly to the emerging markets like India, Brazil and China like every other Car manufacturer. VW group car makers including Audi, Skoda and even VW itself has shown remarkable growth in the market share and consistent improvement which has led to Mr. Martin Winterkorn say that "I am happy with the performance of Skoda and Seat brands" but Seat growing at the slowest pace among all these carmakers, with registering only 2.3% growth rate at the time when sky is the limit.
Therefore, as a part of VW group's strategy is to let Seat brand grow freely in the emerging markets like India, Brazil and China. But to start with, Mr. Winterkorn has said that Seat will initially enter Chinese market as the volume is much higher as compared to any other market present across the globe which will eventually lead to grab maximum amount of share in the Chinese market. Mr. Winterkorn confirmed that this does not mean Seat will not enter other emerging markets. He says "It will but one by one". He further said that we would expand to Chinese market in 2012 and would then expand our presence in Indian market thereafter which could happen in late 2012 or in 2013, depending on the Global Automotive Situation, he explained.
When enquired about the vehicle that could come to India, he said apart from the entry level car Mii, MPV segment is the one in which growth is seen and there are many automakers in India to launch cars in this segment, seat could come with Alhambra to India. This would compete with the likes of Toyota's Innova, Maruti's yet to be launched Ertiga and other MPV's to be launched in India.
Stay tuned for more information on seat brand's entry in the Indian automobile market.
It is now officially revealed that Skoda Rapid will be launched in India on 16 November 2011. The car would be placed between Fabia and Laura. The car would be 4.39 m long, 1.70 metres wide and 1.47 metres tall. The car would be available in both Petrol and Diesel variants.
We expect that the car’s engine would be equipped with 1.6 Liter engine 102 bhp power. The car would also be available in automatic transmission.
The Ferrari FF (FF meaning "Ferrari Four", for four seats and four-wheel drive) has been launched in India. Ferrari states that the FF is the world's fastest four-seat automobile.
This new emissions figure represents a reduction of 15 per cent and is another remarkable achievement for the 458 Italia which has already received over 20 awards from the world’s most prestigious car magazines. The 458 Italia now boasts the lowest emissions of any sports car in its class on the market.
The revolutionary FF offers a completely new take on the sporting Grand Tourer theme. It is not only the first Ferrari with four-wheel drive, but, more significantly, a model that hails a major break with the past, effortlessly melding extreme sports car performance with the versatility and usability of a genuine GT and boasting an extremely innovative design. The FF has a top speed of 335 km/hour and goes from zero to 100 km/hour in 3.7 seconds, making it the worlds fastest four seat automobile.
The Ferrari FF will now be officially available with Shreyans Group, the official dealer for Ferrari in New Delhi.
TVS Apache came out with a new TV Commercial and claims to be fastest among other motorcycles within comparison. The Video shows Stunts performed by experts on new TVS Apache under the directorship of Nick Piper. Watch the complete Video of “The Making of TVS Apache RTR TVC”
It’s reported that the long awaited replacement for the 207 – the new Peugeot 208 – will be revealed next week. The company has revealed the teaser video of new Peugeot 208 and the video reveals that the car would be launched on 02 November 2011.
The 208 is expected to carry a front grille similar to the one found on the larger 508, along with an interesting new generation of three-cylinder turbo diesel engines which will be fitted with the start – stop technology for a better fuel consumption.
The new Peugeot 208 will be produced initially at its France and Slovakia manufacturing plants with a Sales target of 500,000 cars a year. The company expects 30 percent of the sales to come from France. The company has also revealed that this model will also be extended to China and Brazil markets. Now, since the car is extending new Peugeot 208 to the emerging markets in China and Brazil, so this could also be launched in India ?
Wait till we get you more information on the same, by then enjoy watching the Teaser video.
Sebastian Vettel wins the First ever Indian GP held at Buddh International Circuit but Jenson Button battled well to take second for McLaren.
Button passed Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who finished third, and Mark Webber's Red Bull on the first lap.
Leading Positions on Lap 10
1 Vettel
2 Button +4.8
3 Webber +5.8
4 Alonso +8.5
5 Massa +10.1
6 Hamilton +12.3
7 Rosberg +18.0
8 Schumacher +20.4
9 Sutil +25.5
10 Alguersuari +27.7
The race saw yet another collision between McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Felipe Massa to intensify their rivalry, with Massa in the wrong and given a pit drive-through penalty before later breaking his front suspension and retiring from the race.
Renault India has unveiled Pulse for the Indian market. It did not came as a surprise to anybody as it was already announced that the small car to be unveiled during the ongoing Formula 1 season would be a "Pulse". The car would only be available with the 1.5-litre dCi engine diesel variant that puts out 63 bhp of power and 160 Nm of torque with no petrol variants but the official launch and pricing would be available during Auto Expo 2012.
Pulse has been designed at Renault's design centre in Mumbai. "India is one of the three key countries for Renault along with Brazil and Russia. This car is designed and produced in India for Indian drivers," Renault Chief Operating Officer Carlos Tavares told reporters here. "With the production of the 1.5 litre diesel engine from this month, India is the third country to produce this engine in the world," he said.
Pulse is the third car from Renault's stable in India after its premium sedan Fluence and sports utility vehicle (SUV) Koleos. The company will be launching two more cars next year as a part of its plan to sell one lakh units in India by 2013.
The car is very much similar to its partner Nissan's Micra. So, what we can say is its not a new launch, its a revamped car from kits sister concern. The basic profile of the car is similar to Nissan Micra however the front grill is fully changed, a sporty hexagonal shaped front grill, bumper gets an entirely new design, with a sporty air dam and integrated fog lamps, different alloy wheels as compared to Micra, only the tail-lamps get a new look- seems as if its the basic profile of Micra with Nissan badges replaced by Renault and thus we call it, "Badge-engineering".
It gets a 251 litre boot, decent rear seat legroom and good driver’s comfort just like the Micra. The Pulse will likely get ABS and two airbags .
Catch Mr. Marc Nassif live while he speaks on Renault Pulse event at Formula 1.
Catch Mr. Carlos Tavares live while he speaks for Renault Pulse.
Catch Marb Webber speaking on Renault Pulse unveiling event.
Seems like whole India has gone into the Formula 1 mood. Its none other than Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) this time.
IGI has deputed two dozen charter flights to carry the celebrities - domestic and international to the venue of First ever Formula 1 Indian GP race at Jaypee Sports International (JPSI) here at Greater Noida. According to the official of the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the company which runs the IGI airport, not just private charters but heavy-lift freighters which carried the cars and equipments too were handled here. We handled nearly 501 tonnes of equipments and cars from Oct 18 to 20," the official said.
Meanwhile, the airport itself has been gripped by F1 fever, with DIAL organising various events themed around the race including F-1 simulation machines, racing graffiti, games and a showcase pit stop. The Formula 1 teams, cargo and equipments would start leaving on 1-2 Nov with major charter operations deputed for that period.
For Live Race F1 Indian GP, Click here
For Results of FP1,2,3 & Qualifying F1 Indian GP, Click here
To see What Vettel, Hamilton, Webber were doing before race started, Click here
Swedish Automotive has reached an agreement to sell its struggling Saab unit to two Chinese companies, Pangda and Youngman who have jointly spent $125 million to purchase the company. Saab too like Volvo will be counted under Chinese Automobile Industry names. This has to seek an approval from National Development and Reform Council (NDRC), but the proposal to Chinese Govt. must be done too fast by these two firms.
This would be the second sale of Saab in close to two years. General Motors sold Saab to Swedish Automotive in early 2010 for the same reason,Bankruptcy. But the trend continued for the company and the situation led to another sale, this time to Chinese companies. Ford Motors too sold its Volvo brand to Geely in 2010 at $1.8 billion.
Tata Motors today has challenged the justice IP Mukherji's which had upheld the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011, by which West Bengal government vested the land leased to the company at Singur, before a division bench of the Court. The decision was taken on 28th September 2011.
The petition is likely to be moved before a division bench of the high court after it reopens on October 31.
Ford becomes the first automaker to officially launch MyKey Do Not Disturb feature in its to be launch Ford Explorer 2012. This facility will allow the driver not to take calls and messages while driving. This will add to the safety of the vehicles.
“Adding Do Not Disturb to MyKey is yet another way Ford is helping parents to encourage their kids to drive safer,” said Andy Sarkisian, Ford Safety Planning and Strategy manager. “We are continually listening to our customers and responding to parents’ desire to make sure their kids are paying attention to the road, not their cell phone.”
"MyKey adds a new dimension to auto safety by giving drivers standard technology that encourages safer driving and limits their exposure to risk, regardless of age or experience," said Peter Patzelt, Ford system architect for MyKey.
MyKey will be available in next year's yet to be launch Ford Explorer and Fiesta and afterwards will be applicable to all the vehicles launched thereafter. Click below to watch the Video here.
The Hyundai's Small car which changed the era of 800cc cars which was currently dominated by Maruti Suzuki's Alto, "Eon" is finally launched now in the Indian market. The company has heavy bookings of the car and is also planning to expand its current manufacturing capacity in response of huge demand by the market.
The Hyundai Eon TV Commercial as well as Teaser Videos were released and were showcased as soon as they were launched before hitting the web. Now, that everyone here was curious to know how the advertisement was made using different colors, we got into the details and here we are with "The making of Hyundai Eon's TV Commercial".
Jump to the Video below to watch "The making of Hyundai Eon's TVC"
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. has finished with the Board meeting. The Outcome of today's Board meeting is a mixture of some happy moments along with some negative news for the company.
The positive news for the company and for the whole Automotive Industry is that the Board has approved the new manufacturing facility at Mehsana district of Gujarat where the company seeks 500 acres of land in Mehsana apart from 1400 acres already seeked in Sanand of Gujarat. The decision comes out to be good for the whole automotive industry as it will boost the economic situation of the country along with boosting the overall output of Indian Automotive Industry.
The negative news that came out of the Board meeting were the Q2 results. The company saw 60% decline in its profit and 17.6% decline in its sale. The company Net Sales clocked 7,537 Crore as compared to Rs 9,147 Cr. during the same fiscal last year. The net profit of the company clocked Rs 240 Crore as compared to Rs 598 Crore during the same period last fiscal.
The company sold 252,307 cars during Q2 FY11-12 as compared to 313,815 vehicles for Q2 FY10-11.
During the Board of meeting of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, the board has approved of the new manufacturing location to be Gujarat. The Board has also approved the purchase of land in Mehsana district.
Suzuki Motors Corporation Chairman Osamu Suzuki, Maruti Suzuki Chairman RC Bhargava and MD Shinzo Nakanishi have already met Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to discuss an agenda to set up a new auto manufacturing plant in Gujarat.
Skoda India has officially confirmed that its to be launched sedan “rapid” will now be launched during December. The car was hyped to be launched in the Indian market on 07th October, this was the date during which the company started the official production of the car in India at its Chakan plant in Pune.
Also, the Teaser Video was aired across the web by the Skoda India. Though, the Videos of Skoda has already been aired by NDTV's Car and Bike Show as already communicated to our readers earlier.
Lamborghini SpA sees opportunity in the streets of Mumbai, where three-wheeled rickshaws zigzag through bumper-to-bumper traffic on pot-hole-infested roads and hence decided to launch refreshed 2012 Aventador in India on 03rd November 2011.
Powered by a 6.5-liter, twelve-cylinder motor, the Aventador produces 700 hp of power at 8500 RPM and 690 Nm of torque at 5500 RPM, reaching 100 kmph in 2.9 seconds. The car would be sold at Lamorghini's dealership in New Delhi and Mumbai at a whooping price of Rs 4 Crore but the car has already been booked for next six months, making the buyers to wait for 7-8 months before the car comes to their garage.
General Motors India entered into a 50:50 partnership with Shanghai Automotive Industries Corporation, SAIC. in February 2010 thus leading to an assault of Indian automobile market by GM India. The deal was signed for $650 million, or Rs 2,990 crore.
The new GM India plans an audacious assault on the Indian market with no less than five Chinese cars in six months, starting January next year. "By combining the outstanding resources of GM with those of our partners in China, we can respond faster to the evolving domestic market than ever before," says Karl Slym, President and Managing Director of GM India. "It will help us emerge as a volume player in this market in the shortest time." The five launches will include a light commercial vehicle, or LCV.
Maria Stenstrom, 53 will be heading the Volkswagen Passenger Car Sales in India. she will report direct to the Volkswagen Board Member for Sales, Christian Klingler. Maria Stenström succeeds Armin Keller (50), who has been appointed the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand Executive Director for sales to ASEAN markets. The change would be wef 01 December 2011.
Maria has served companies like Renault and Volvo in the past and had joined VW Sales Group in April 2011 as Head of International Marketing Planning.
The Production of 2012 BMW 3 Series starts at its home plant in Munich today. The company has invested half a billion euros in the plant for BMW 3 series. To ensure that the sixth generation of the BMW 3 Series likewise leaves the factory in flawless quality, we have invested around 500 million euros in our Munich home plant. And that means safeguarding 9,000 workplaces,” said Frank-Peter Arndt, Member of the BMW AG Board of Management responsible for production, in Munich on Friday.
The complex production infrastructure, set out across a total area of some 700,000 square metres. Building the sixth generation of the BMW 3 Series thus benefits, for example, from a new large press. At 17 strokes per minute, this installation counts among the most advanced in the world. It achieves throughput of 600 tonnes of steel per day and develops press forces of 650 to 2,500 tonnes. In a matter of 12 days, then, this high-performance facility processes a similar amount of steel as went into the construction of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Till date, BMW Munich plant has built 8.5 million vehicles.
Maruti Suzuki India Limited has started feeling the pinch as 2-4% owners have cancelled their bookings of newly Launched Swift in August 2011. This is alarming for the company as the dealers reported that most of those who had cancelled the bookings have opted for the rival brands such as Toyota Liva or Volkswagen Polo.
When asked about the reasons for cancellations, the dealers replied with a Single reply "Long Waiting Period" of the car. This might come as a serious issue for the carmaker as this comes at a time when the company is already loosing market share due to lunch of new brands such as Honda Brio, Toyota Liva and high discounts on rival brands such as VW Polo & Fiat Punto.
The good thing is that the strike is now over and the management now needs to reorganize the production schedule at its Manesar and Gurgaon factories in order to meet the timely delivery of its recently launched Hatchback "Swift". Reducing the waiting period is the only alternative to regain the market share as the company already has over a Lakh bookings.
A Live Conference was held wherein all the leading magazines photographers assembled to have a conversation and an Update on their preparations on the event in New Delhi. The Images of the event are here.
