Renault exports 350 units of Duster to UK

Renault India has commenced its first shipment of sports utility vehicle Duster from Chennai to the UK, joining a host of auto majors in the country to do so. 

A subsidiary of Renault S A S, France, Renault India shipped 350 units of Duster to the UK and Ireland from nearby Ennore Port, making it the company's first foray into right-hand drive markets across the globe, the company said. 

Renault in association with Japanese auto-major Nissan has jointly set up a manufacturing facility at Oragadam near Chennai at an investment of Rs 4,500 crore, it said. 

The plant is Renault's only manufacturing facility globally to produce the Right-hand drive version of the 'Duster', which will be sold in the domestic market as well as overseas. 

Renault India has a capacity to produce four lakh units at the facility. 

The export consignment to the UK and Ireland markets would be 4x2 and 4x4 variants and have undergone modifications to meet individual market regulations, the compaby said. 

"We will continue to focus on meeting domestic demand in India, while also exploring new opportunities in exports and in making India the global hub for right-hand drive vehicles", Renault India Managing Director Marc Nassif said. 

Noting that India is set to become one of the top 10 markets for the company by 2013, he said Renault has been registering rapid growth with launch of five models and 75 dealerships being set up in less than 18 months. 

He said the company also planned to increase the dealership base to 100 by end of this financial year. 

Renault launched "Duster" in the domestic market in July and till November 2012, the company has sold 19,000 units in the domestic market, he said. 

Renault currently offers premium sedan Fluence, luxury SUV Koleos, premium compact hatchback Pulse, premium sedan Scala besides SUV Duster in India.

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2013 Range Rover launched at Rs 1.72 Crore

Tata group-owned Jaguar Land Rover today launched the fourth-generation Range Rover in India. The vehicle, which will be imported as a completely built-up unit, will be available in two variants—a 4.4-litre TD V8 diesel that will cost Rs. 1.72 crore, and a 5-litre V8 supercharged petrol that will cost Rs. 1.8 crore.

The petrol engine produces 503 bhp of power and a maximum torque of 625Nm, while the diesel engine churns out 335 bhp at 700Nm of torque.

For the first time, the Range Rover uses an all-aluminium monocoque frame which reduces weight by 420 kg. It is 27 mm longer than its predecessor, and yet stays overall lighter than rivals like the Audi Q7 or Mercedes-Benz GL.

A monocoque body supports the vehicle’s structural load, without just enveloping the structure, thus reducing the load of the internal frame that bears most of the weight.

The Range Rover was first unveiled in London in September, and the market launch happened in Paris later the same month.

View more Images here.

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Fiat Chrysler to unveil the future roadmap for India on 06th December 2012

Fiat Chrysler will unveil their future roadmap for India on 06th December 2012. Mark the dates in your calendar, you car freaks, there could be lot of interesting stuff coming our way to India.

Mr Mike Manly, President and CEO – Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC, Chief Operating Officer – FIAT-Chrysler Asia Pacific and Mr Enrico Atanasio – MD of FIAT GROUP AUTOMOBILES INDIA PVT. LTD would be unveiling FIAT’s future roadmap for India on 6th of December.

Fiat could also reveal their plans for Indian entry of Jeep brand. In case the speculations about the Grand Cherokee and other SUV's from Jeep comes out to be true, its gonna be a new year present for all SUV lovers.

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Harley Davidson to launch Made- for India motorcycle in 2014

Harley Davidson has some special plans for the Indian market. As we already know Harley Davidson has a plant in Bawal, opened in 2011 and this is the second plant outside USA - the first being in Brazil.

Harley Davidson now aims to build smaller capacity motorcycles which would take on its entry level bikes from Honda and Kawasaki. We expect to be huge amount of localization for this entry level bike and still we expect it to be priced in the range of Rs 3.0 - Rs 3.5 Lac

Watch out for more information on Harley Davidson in India.

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Volkswagen Golf spotted testing in India

Volkswagen Golf, was spotted testing again in India on NH-6 in Kolkata. The testing mule spotted is a previous generation Golf and there are no clear reasons as to why this car was spotted testing in India since VW already knows the Indian market is more inclined towards sedans rather than the premium hatchbacks.

The only that we see this is spotted testing in India could be for the Global testing program since Indian roads can offer varied amount of environments like dust, stones, sand, snow etc. and could be a good reason for testing the mechanicals of the car in India.

Give us some time while wee go back to the German car maker and see if we could ask them the reason of testing Golf in India.

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Toyota unveils RAV-4 at 2012 Los Angeles Motor Show - Images

Toyota unveiled the all-new 2013 RAV-4 at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday morning, This is the first redesign of the hot-selling small SUV in seven years.

This fourth-generation RAV4 seats five and is about the same size as its predecessor, though with slightly more cargo room. There are a whole new range of powertrains, which include 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre petrols and 2.0-litre and 2.2-litre diesel engine options, and the choice of manual, automatic and CVT transmissions. There are even 2WD only models for fuel economy conscious customers, who want the size without the running costs.

Depending on which specific market, Toyota will offer different powertrain combinations, split across regions such as Western Europe, Eastern Europe and North America.

Click here to view more Images of Toyota RAV-4

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Honda Brio to be launched in South Africa on 3rd December 2012

India made Honda Brio will be launched in South Africa on 3rd December 2012, Monday. This was informed by Honda SA’s official Facebook page. Honda South Africa has already started the promotional campaign for the Brio on their official webpage.

The Honda SA website says that the Brio is coming soon and prompts the visitors to register and . Clicking further takes them another page which reveals the tagline of the car and asks for details such as name and address.

The car would be manufactured in Honda's Noida Plant in India and will then be exported to South Africa. We already reported you about the export of Honda Brio from India which had already started and the first lot is hopefully now reached to South Africa thereby prompting the company to confirm the launch date.

Honda Brio is powered by a 1.2-litre four cylinder petrol motor which belts out 90 PS of power. The engine is mated to 5-speed manual and automatic transmissions. The latter was launched recently.

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New Polo sedan debuts in Saudi Arabia

At the recently held Riyadh Motor Show, VW showcased the entire range of its vehicles for Saudi Arabia where Philip Burrluck, Volkswagen Brand manager confirmed the debut of new Polo sedan for Saudi Arabia.

He further explained that participation of Volkswagen in Riyadh Motor Show comes in recognition of the importance of this leading motor show in Saudi Arabia, which takes place in the capital Riyadh, and attracts main car dealers in the country.

The Polo sedan which is sold in the Middle East is manufactured in VW India’s Chakan plant alongside the Indian Vento. VW India is exporting the VW Polo sedan to African and Middle Eastern countries. The Saudi Arabia spec Polo sedan will be the same as the one which is being shipped to rest of the Middle East. The sedan is powered by a 1.6-litre petrol motor which is available in the Indian Vento.

Source - AmeInfo

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Good news for SUV Lovers - Fiat's JEEP coming to India next year

If a report by Top Gear is to be believed, Fiat is gearing up to launch the JEEP brand in India by next year. There has been a lot of news going around of Jeep's entry in India and step by step we see a lot of progress and seems like the stage is now all set for the brand's entry into India.

This might augment the Fiat's growth in India where the car maker is not at all doing good, atleast in the passenger market segment, however the Fiat's 1.3L SDE engine is in wide use by almost all the big marques in India. The launch of Jeep might increase the numbers, which usually struggle hard to reach in four digit numbers. Jeep is expected to follow the top-down approach by launching the costlier Grand Cherokee and Wrangler first followed by comparatively more affordable ones.

The Jeep's will first be brought down as CBU's and hence expect them to cost more in the starting. Stay tuned for more information on Jeep's entry in India.

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Porsche Macan, cheapest SUV from Porsche, spotted testing - Video

Porsche Macan - which would be the cheapest SUV from the Stuttgart based car maker, will be positioned next to BMW's X3 and Audi's Q5 and we are sure it is surely going to eat up a considerable amount of market share in each of the market of the above said luxury SUV makers.

The Porsche Macan is based on the Audi Q5′s platform, but it’s more than just a Porsche top hat on an Audi platform. The Porsche engineers have tweaked the suspension and chassis to deliver a driver involvement that is typical of a Porsche.

The Porsche's baby SUV looks very similar to Cayenne and draws its styling and design from the parent SUV - Cayenne. In fact the design is so similar that the car maker almost convinced that it is a mid-life facelift of Cayenne SUV. However, after a careful and repeated consideration of the video, a conclusion was drawn that the SUV looks smaller in size than the Cayenne and hence should be a Macan.

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Interesting - Ford creates sub-brand "Jia Yue" in China

In an interesting scoop, Ford will be creating a sub-brand in China which would be called as "Jia Yue" which means "Good Leap" in English.

Ford in China is operating along with the Joint Venture company Changan Ford. Chinese website Auto.Sohu has revealed the name and the logo of the new brand. The logo has two wings and the car which has been scooped is the Ford Focus Classic.

As done be all other brands - Datsun from Nissan and similar from VW , Skoda and Toyota, Ford too might create the identity of this brand as a Low Cost brand, however this still needs to be confirmed from Ford Motors.

The move comes at an interesting point of time where the times have been very tough and launching cheaper vehicles to acquire the major market share has been the strategy by the most and at the time without hampering the brand image and the reputation - the car makers are bound to launch vehicles under a separate brand name and here is the similar strategy adopted by the American auto maker.

How much the strategy would paid off - time will only tell. Let us wait for Ford to reveal this brand to the world and let us then see how it takes off.

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Audi starts to start assembling Q3 in India soon

Audi India will soon start the local assembly of its smallest SUV for India - Q3. The head of Audi India Mr. Michael Perschke confirmed the same. The Ingolstadt based luxury car maker, Audi has recently started local manufacturing of Q7, details here and also confirmed at that moment about the local assembling of Audi Q3 in India somewhere about middle of 2013.

Audi has a dedicated assembly line in the VW group factory which was initially constructed to cater the manufacturing needs of Skoda. Audi assembles the A4 and A6 sedans as well as the Q5 and Q7 SUVs. Audi India’s boss Mr. Michael Perschke said, “We are planning to start assembling Q3 in India. We have built a new assembly hall called hall—C..Now with a single shift in the new hall, our installed capacity is reaching out between 7,500 and 9,000 units.”

The luxury car maker has witnessed a huge growth this year and plans to close year with 8,000 units of sale as compared to 5,511 units last year.

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Renault India to begin exporting Duster on November 30

Renault has confirmed that it will begin exports of the Duster to the UK on the 30th of November 2012 from the Ennore port in Chennai to UK, Britain however it would be branded as Dacia Duster.

Earlier Renault Nissan Managing Director Mr. Marc Nissaf said "Renault India said that the company is expected to start exporting the vehicle to UK by end of this month and going forward the company will look at East, South Africa and other Asian countries apart from all the right-hand driven market across the globe from India. He did not commit time frame for these markets."

"Our priority is Indian market. Products we are exporting will be a different one. The product what we will be exporting to the UK will be a different one. It will completely be different (to the UK market), but it will be sold as Duster brand," he said.

Meanwhile, it has already been in news that Dacia has also planned a pick-up version of Duster in 2014. Also, in news is an automatic variant of Duster in Brazil. 

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Tata Motors launches Indica Vista, Indigo eCS and Manza in Bangladesh

Tata Motors has launched three more vehicles in Bangladesh after it had launched Nano. Tata Motors have already launched buses in Bangladesh in 1972. The authorised distributors for Bangladesh would be NITOL Motors. For now, these cars would only be available in the capital city of Dhaka with an exclusive showroom

On this occasion, Tata Motors Managing Director, Karl Slym said, “We are happy and honoured to enter Bangladesh with our passenger cars. Our 40-year association with Bangladesh has given us an insight into the aspiration of the country’s motorists. They will be central to our business – we will delight them with the performance of our cars and the comfort and excellence of our service, and establish ourselves as we have in commercial vehicles since 1972.”

Mr. Abdul Matlub Ahmad, Chairman of NITOL Motors, said, “Our association with Tata Motors goes back over two decades, and we are extremely happy that, in addition to commercial vehicles, Tata Motors has now placed their confidence in us to market their passenger cars and utility vehicles. We share Tata Motors’ commitment to its customers in building a business for perpetuity.”

Meanwhile, we already reported that Tata Motors is also working upon launching a 90 bhp Indica Vista. click here to view more details.

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KTM Duke 390 coming soon to India - says KTM website

The Austrian based bike maker KTM has indicated that the Duke 390 will soon be coming to India. As we have already indicated this to our fans many times, an official confirmation has always been pending from the Austrian bike maker.

The KTM's Duke 390 will be manufactured at Bajaj Auto’s Chakan manufacturing facility, sources close to the development have also said that the Duke 390 is expected to come with heavy levels of localization, much akin to the smaller engined 200 cc model.

The Duke 390 is powered by a 373.2 cc single cylinder, four stroke engine. The engine produces a peak power of 44 Bhp while peak torque is rated at 35 Nm. This liquid cooled engine uses a four valve, DOHC layout and is mated to a six speed manual gearbox, with taller ratios than that on the Duke 200. The taller gearing is expected to give the Duke 390 a higher top speed even as the motorcycle is expected to retain the typical street fighter appeal with the initial ratios being short enough to give it explosive acceleration. A 160 Kph top speed and a 0-100 Kph dash in about 6 seconds are figures that the Duke 390 could achieve comfortably.

Click here to view Video of KTM Duke 390.

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Audi starts pre owned car business -"Audi approved Plus" in India

Audi will now jump into the used car market for India starting December 2012 under the brand name - "Audi Approved Plus". Recently, Volkswagen too enter the used car business in India under brand name - "Das WeltAuto"

Audi Approved Plus will be implemented at 8 dealerships in the initial phase and will slowly be implemented in other dealerships all over the country. Cars at these dealerships will be subjected to 110+ checkpoints so as to make sure that the car is in tip top condition. According to a Gurgaon-based Audi dealer, a basic 2009 model A4 diesel saloon will cost anywhere between Rs 18-19 lakh in the Audi pre-owned outlets compared to Rs 30.10 lakh for a brand-new model. Authorised Audi dealers are planning to open the pre-owned outlets adjacent to the new ones, or in the vicinity, in various cities including Gurgaon.

"For many future buyers, an Approved Plus Audi will be their first Audi and therefore we would like to make the Approved Plus experience match the new car buying experience." said Mr. Perschke.

"Aligned with company's vision and brand values, our dealerships will be the focal point of the Audi Approved: plus program in creating delighted and loyal customers by providing them with best in class Approved Plus experience. By March 2013, all three NCR dealerships will offer dedicated Approved Plus facilities. To ensure that the program meets international standards and is at par with Audi's global image, we are investing in a full blown internal program comprising of guidelines, training resources, tracking customer satisfaction and reviews. The program will be effectively and efficiently marketed via premium communications that reiterate our company's brand value", added Mr. Perschke.

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Audi opens Largest Luxury car showroom in Ahmedabad

Recently after the BMW opened the largest showroom in Faridabad, now its the turn of Ingolstadt based Audi which opened the largest facility at Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

Spread over 22,000 sq ft, the new facility at Sola Road has a 12-car display, making it the largest in the state. “I am delighted to announce the opening of the biggest luxury car showroom in Ahmedabad. This city is a very strong market in Gujarat and in the western region for us. With this new showroom, we have once again raised the benchmark of distinction and portrayed the brand’s commitment to unparalleled levels of which enabled us to achieve the leadership position in Gujarat. Michael Perschke, MD of Audi, Audi Ahmedabad MD Samir Mistry, actress Neha Dhupia and Miss India World 2006 Natasha Suri were present at the inauguration.

The company has also registered strong growth with cumulative sales of 850 units in October this year compared to 482 units during the same period in 2011.

Meanwhile, Audi has announced an increase in price of all its cars starting from January 2013.

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Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa to launch Ford EcoSport in January 2013

Ford Officials have confirmed the launch of EcoSport in India during January 2013 and have also confirmed that they have invited Tamil Nadu Chief minister Jayalalithaa to launch the vehicle and she has graciously accepted to the invitation.

The EcoSport has already launched in Brazil after a huge promotion and has already been competing with Renault Duster in Brazil.  The same is expected to happen when EcoSport will be launched in India in January and will compete with Renault Duster. We also expect an automatic variant of EcoSport and this might be a reason to worry for the French car maker, since at the moment they do not have an automatic variant.

Click here to read more about Ford EcoSport.

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Is Diesel India's future fuel ?

Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) organized a conference on ‘Diesel for Future: Economy & Environment’ in the Capital. The delegates addressed the need to recognize diesel as a viable solution for energy security and lower carbon footprints. Strategies were also suggested in pricing and taxation to enable government integrate diesel as an important energy driver for Transportation sector.

The Ministerial session was addressed by the Chief Guest Mr. Praful Patel, Hon’ble Minister for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises and Guest of Honour, Mr. JitinPrasada, Hon’ble Minister of State for Human Resource Development. The conference was also addressed by Mr. Vikram S. Kirloskar, Vice President, SIAM & Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Mr. Anant J Talaulicar, Chairman, SIAM Diesel Group and CMD, Cummins India, Mr. Lowell Paddock, President & Managing Director, General Motors, Mr. Ashok Dhar, President – Industrial Marketing, Reliance Industries, Dr. Kirit Parikh, Chairman, IRADe, Mr. L N Gupta, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Mr. Sanjay Bandopadhyaya, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and Mr. Nitin Gokarn, CEO, NATRIP.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Praful Patel said, "The perception that diesel is dirty is no more valid. This needs to be changed as contemporary diesel vehicles have higher fuel efficiency; it is as clean as any petroleum fuel".Mr. JitinPrasada said "Diesel consumption and technologies are here to stay as diesel has emerged as a better fuel, as they are efficient in terms of consumption."Mr. Vikram S. Kirloskar, Vice President, SIAM & Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said “Diesel has an important role a fuel of the future for automobile sector.We need to gradually calibrate the prices of petroleum products to a more realistic level.” 

Mr. Kirit Parikh, Chairman, IRADe highlighted the impact of under-recoveries on the financial stability of the country and suggested liberalizing the price of diesel. Comparing long-term benefits of liberalizing the price of diesel, he stated: “If you free diesel prices fully at one go to market prices, you may find high inflation for the next 3-4 months, but by the 6^thmonth, inflation would get moderated.” Dr Parikh also spelt out several alternative measures for addressing the concerns of high Diesel subsidies.

Mr. Lowell Paddocksaid, "We firmly believe that diesel is one the best options available in the automotive sector with 25% better fuel efficiency.  Today diesel vehicles are quieter, safer and more 'fun' to drive. We feel that every fuel has a role to play and it should not be influenced by policy prescriptions or separate taxation.” 

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Honda Brio Amaze - Live launch Images from Thailand, Priced at Rs 8.19 Lac

Honda Motors has just launched the Brio sedan aka Amaze in Thailand and here the first official images for you straight from Thailand. The Brio Amaze’s boot has been integrated into the C Pillar in a very cohesive manner, we think Honda has done it better than Suzuki, who had to cram in a boot to make the Dzire qualify as a small car.

Honda says, "Brio Amaze offers driving fun for every mood. The 1.2-liter 4-cylinder 16-valve engine with 90 horsepower gives enough power, and fuel economy is excellent as the new 1.2-liter sedan can satisfy a wide and varied range perfectly." We had already revealed the price of the car a couple of days before, here are the model wise prices -

Click here to read complete details about Honda Brio Amaze. 
View more Images from launch here.

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Would you buy this Audi Chronographic wrist watch ?

Audi has continuously been adding to their merchandise and this time its a German made Classic Chronographic watch. The features include -

• large luminous hands and numerals
• date display
• double stop function
• tachymeter scale
• Swiss Ronda 5020. B quartz movement

Priced at Rs 21,499 Audi’s Classic Chronograph watch is water resistant to 5 atm and is available in black leather strap. This watch is available only in Black color. The watch would be available across all dealerships of Audi India.

Michael Perschke, Head of Audi India said,”A large chunk of luxury car buyers expect their accessories to reflect their style statement along with their car. To cater to this need of discerning luxury enthusiasts, we have a range of Audi Accessories that are in line with our motto of sportiness, sophistication and progressiveness. Etched with four rings insignia, the Classic Chronograph wristwatch testifies progression in our growth story in India and reiterates our commitment to offer Indian customers a comprehensive product range to meet their luxury needs”

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Honda Brio Amaze Thailand TV Commercial Video unveiled

Honda Motors have unveiled the first ever TV Commercial of their first diesel car - Brio Amaze in Thailand. This Thai TVC serves a purpose of displaying the car fully while in motion - you can actually see how this looks like while it moves in the town.

The Amaze was designed and developed in Thailand, and will also be sold in India and Indonesia next year. The Honda Brio Amaze will be launched in the next financial year here in India with a 1.5L i-DTEC diesel engine. Honda will produce the car at its production plant in Greater Noida with intensively localized parts.

Earlier during the day we also displayed the first ever clear images of this new upcoming sedan (view these here) Enjoy the video now.

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Shriram inaugurates India's biggest automall in Hyderabad

Shriram Transport Finance company, India's largest asset financing company opened its 11th and the largest automall at Hyderabad in India. The company has also launched a couple of new value added services - ‘Shriram New Look’ & ‘Shriram One Stop’.

The lighting was done by Mr. Vinod Dasari, MD, Ashok Leyland group. Below appended is the official press release.

Shriram Transport launches India’s 11^th   Automall in Hyderabad 

• One-stop destination offers complete range of fleet management services
• Biggest Automall in India
• Launches two values-added services: ‘Shriram New Look’ & ‘Shriram One Stop’

MUMBAI, November 21, 2012: Shriram Transport Finance Company Limited (STFC), India’s largest asset financing company, today launched ‘Shriram Automall’, the country’s biggest Automall in Hyderabad. This recent addition of Automall is the 11th in India; the company has already set up 10 Automalls across key locations in the country.

Shriram Automall is the first-of-its kind initiative for the trading of pre-owned commercial vehicles, infrastructure and agricultural equipment in an organised and transparent manner. Mr. Vinod Dasari, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland, inaugurated the Automall in Hyderabad today.

Spread across 15 acres of land, Shriram Automall aims to put an end to the unreliable and old practices prevalent in commercial vehicle transactions by cultivating organized vehicle-trading mechanism. Apart from vehicle transactions, the Automall helps customers seek financing and insurance options as well as provides refurbishment solutions for vehicles. As add-on facilities, the Automall also provides rest rooms for travel-fatigued truck drivers/cleaners and parking services.

The company plans to expand its PAN India network to 60 key cities by 2013. Such Automalls, equipped with secured stockyards, will be strategically located on important highways of the country, spreading across up to 20 acres of land.

“Automall, the first of its kind concept in Hyderabad, will provide a major boost to commercial vehicle owners across India. Our objective is to bring greater transparency and value-added services to Commercial Vehicles & Equipment trading Industry in India. The facility will house hundreds of pre-owned commercial vehicles both in as-is-where-is and refurbished condition. On the backdrop of government’s decision to prioritize infrastructural development of the nation as per 12^th Five Year Plan, this initiative will provide ample support to the growing needs of transportation and infrastructure industries.” said Mr. Umesh .G. Revankar, Managing Director, Shriram Transport Finance Company Limited, at the launch.

Announcing the launch of the Automall, Mr. Sameer Malhotra, Chief Executive Officer, Shriram Automall India Limited, said, “Our aim is to create an organised and reliable structure for the trading of pre-owned commercial vehicles with utmost transparency. Through our Automalls, we have given the buyers and the sellers a unique platform where they can conduct transactions in a hassle-free manner. This is the first Automall in Hyderabad and through this initiative we intend to help the pre-owned vehicle and equipment market grow in India.”

The Automall in Hyderabad also houses two new initiatives that provide value-added services to vehicle owners such as ‘Shriram One Stop’ and ‘Shriram New Look’. ‘Shriram One Stop’ is a computerised touch screen kiosk which is a virtual Truck Bazaar, providing real time information about used commercial vehicles available for sale, while ‘Shriram New Look’ offers a platform for transaction of authentic vehicles. Old trucks from the market are refurbished and sold under this brand name.

About Shriram Transport Finance Company Limited:

Shriram Transport Finance Company Limited is the flagship company of the Shriram group which has significant presence in Consumer Finance, Life Insurance, General Insurance, Stock Broking, and Distribution businesses. Incorporated in 1979, Shriram Transport is today the largest asset financing NBFC in the country and holistic finance provider for the commercial vehicle industry and seeks to partner small truck owners for every possible need related to their assets. It has PAN India presence with 502 branch offices. Based in Mumbai, it manages assets worth Rs 40,307 crores and has a customer base exceeding 8,50,000. Shriram in the last 30 years, has helped replace nearly 20 lakhs trucks by providing affordable acquisition credit to the small truck operators.

About Shriram Automall India Limited:

Shriram Automall India Limited (SAMIL), one-of-its-kind facility is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shriram Transport Finance Company. It is India’s first ever service provider that offers a transaction platform for the trading of pre-owned commercial vehicles, construction and agricultural equipments in an organized and transparent manner. This initiative was started in February 2011 and in its second year of operations; the company has launched its full-fledged facilities in 10 key locations across India. The Automall offers a common meeting platform for potential buyers and sellers where the valuation of the vehicle is determined through a transparent public auction process. In addition, Shriram Automall also promotes two new initiatives: ‘Shriram New Look’ and ‘Shriram One Stop’ to provide value-added services to its potential customers.

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BMW inaugurates largest Dealership in India - Deutsche Motoren in Faridabadbmw

BMW India has launched Deutsche Motoren, BMW Group’s largest dealership facility in India. The new facility is situated at Mathura Road, Faridabad and is headed by Mr. Yadur Kapur, Managing Director, Deutsche Motoren.

The new BMW X6 was also unveiled today at Deutsche Motoren and is available at all BMW dealerships across India as a CBU (Completely Built-up) unit.

Mr. Philipp von Sahr, President, BMW Group India said, “Five years ago, BMW changed the face of Indian luxury car segment with introduction of world-class premium dealerships that presented an unparalleled experience to the premium clientele. Today, with the launch of Deutsche Motoren Faridabad, BMW India is proud to set yet another benchmark in luxury car retail in India. Due to its vast capacity and meticulous BMW processes, Deutsche Motoren Faridabad will offer supreme pre and post sales service to BMW customers.”

Mr. Yadur Kapur, Managing Director, Deutsche Motoren said, “Deutsche Motoren’s association with BMW India dates back to 2007. We believe that the foundation of this association is based on bringing extremely high standards in sales and service of premium automobiles to India. The launch of our new facility in Faridabad is a big step towards strengthening this foundation. We are very proud of the growth that we have experienced with BMW India and will always be committed to delivering the best to our premium clientele in every possible way.”

The newly opened dealership is Spread over 130,000 sq ft, the ultra modern 4S facility has a premium showroom integrated with an advanced after-sales service facility featuring Sales, Service, Spare Parts and Business Systems to ensure that customers receive the best-in-class pre and post sales ownership experience. The design of the showroom is based upon Reception at the Car (RATC) and Urban Street Display concept which is a signature BMW layout with a consultation lounge, sales and after sales desk close to the display area. The showroom can display up to 13 cars and the workshop is equipped with 92 bays that can attend and service up to 350 cars per day. Deutsche Motoren employs around 75 people.

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Honda Brio sedan - Amaze official images - Launch today in Thailand

Honda Motors had officially unveiled their Earth Dreams technology recently and are now close to the first official launch of their diesel powered vehicle - some thing which all auto lovers have been demanding since long now. Thailand will be first market for Honda which will receive the first diesel powered car - Honda Amaze aka the Brio sedan.

Here are the first official images of Honda brio sedan - Amaze and will arrive in India during April 2013.  Thailand market gets an automatic variant too however the same is still not confirmed for India. Though the probability of getting an automatic variant is high since Brio hatchback too offers an automatic variant and it would not be difficult to carry over an automatic gearbox to its sedan version. Moreover, its biggest rival Swift Dzire too is available with an automatic gearbox in petrol variant, the chances of Honda's Amaze getting an automatic gearbox are too high.

In the interior layout, not much difference could be spotted between the two siblings. The same dark brown dashboard with a protruding 2 DIN music system could be found in Amaze as is seen in hatchback. The seats have integrated headrest and the seatbelts cannot be adjusted for height . The rear space and rear headroom look ample for an average human body size, however it is more than the Swift's Dzire which will be a plus point for Honda. Honda has even not revealed till now the boot capacity as of now, which again confirms it will for sure be bigger than its rival. The front seats have a concave spine support to carve out more knee room for the rear seat occupants.

Stay tuned for more updates on Honda Amaze and keep coming back to Wheel-O-Mania for more such stuff. View more images here.

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Have you seen the Nissan Evalia's TV Commercial Video

Nissan Motors India (NMI) has just released the TV Commercial of its newly launched MPV for Indian market targeting the market leader - Toyota Innova with a new television campaign - "Evalia Moves like Music".

The commercial video talks about the ease of driving, maneuverability in crowded city roads, ease of parking with highlight being the reverse camera, spaciousness of the car and ofcouse the unmatched fuel efficiency of 19.4 Kmpl.

Jump to the Video now and let us know what is the best features highlighted that you liked the most.

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Harley-Davidson launches Fat Bob at Rs. 12.80 lakh

Harley-Davidson, the world renowned bike builder from America, launched its latest model, Fat Bob, today. Priced at Rs 12.8 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the Fat Bob joins the Dyna family of motorcycles, which are completely knocked-down models (CKD). With that, the count of bikes in the Dyna segment has risen to six.

Anoop Prakash, Managing Director, Harley-Davidson India, said, "The launch of the Fat Bob as CKD will allow more customers to experience our Dyna range at an attractive price point. At Harley-Davidson India, we will continue to adopt and invest in strategies that make our products and ownership experience accessible to more enthusiasts and customers in India,"Anoop Prakash, Managing Director, Harley-Davidson India, said, "The launch of the Fat Bob as CKD will allow more customers to experience our Dyna range at an attractive price point. At Harley-Davidson India, we will continue to adopt and invest in strategies that make our products and ownership experience accessible to more enthusiasts and customers in
India,"

The Fat Bob is styled like most other Harleys, but its twin round headlamps give the motorcycle a very distinct identity. The name Fat Bob comes from the fat front end of the motorcycle, consisting of thick front forks and a meaty 130-section tyre. The engine is the same 1690cc, air-cooled V-twin motor seen previously on other members of the Harley family. The engine produces a healthy 135Nm at a lowly 3500rpm and is mated to a six-speed transmission. ABS is on offer as an option.

The bike, in five different colours, will be available at all nine Harley-Davidson dealerships across the country.

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BMW launches X6 facelift in India at Rs 78.9 Lac

BMW India has launched the facelifted X6, SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle) at the launch of new dealership in Faridabad. The vehicle from the German car maker is the exclusive out of its range as it does not has any direct competition from its direct rivals - Audi and Mercedes. The ex-showroom price of its two variants launched are :

BMW X6 xDrive40d - Rs 78.90 Lac
BMW X6 xDrive50i  - Rs 93.40 Lac

The facelited BMW X6 SAV is priced at INR 78.90 lakhs for the xDrive 40d diesel engined variant and INR 95.34 lakhs for the xDrive 50i petrol engined variant, both prices reflecting ex-showroom New Delhi figures.

Besides the non-metallic Alpine White, the X6 can be had in the following paint work options – Black Sapphire, Deep Sea Blue, Marrakesh Brown, Midnight Blue, Space Grey, Orion Silver, Titanium Silver and Vermillion Red.  The X6 facelift’s interior is upholstered in Nevada leather, available in a choice of Beige, Black, Oyster/Black, Saddle Brown/Black and Vermillion Red/Black combinations.

The changes to the BMW X6 include a new kidney-grille with three-dimensional chrome frames and angled slats, repositioned fog lights, 19" alloy wheels and new LED tail lamps. On request, the bonnet is fitted with a powerdome.  On this inside, the car gets revised leather upholstery and an updated iDrive system.

Click here to view more Images.

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Land Rover plans to launch 2013 Range Rover in India on 30 November 2013

Come 30th November 2012 and Tata owner, JLR plans to launch the 2013 Range Rover in India. The pricing and the spec details have still not been revealed but this being a CBU product, expect it to be above Rs 1 Crore for the base variant. The product will be manufactured and shipped directly from JLR's new Solihull facility in UK.

The new Range Rover (codenamed L405) is vastly improved in almost all directions. The vehicle uses a lighter D4u platform, which enables a weight saving of 400 kgs. The monocoque platform also gives the Range Rover better dynamics while at the same time the vehicle doesn’t loose its splendid off-road capabilities. The new Range Rover will be available with both petrol and diesel engines, which offer splendid performance. The interiors seems to have taken a heavy inspiration from the Evoque and have improved space and luxury by several notches.

Stay tuned for more details on the launch date.

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Nissan Sunny aka Almera bags 7000 bookings within two weeks of launch in Malaysia

We recently introduced you to the Nissan Sunny aka Almera sedan launched in Malaysia, couple of days ago along with the Impul kit. The car has bagged 7,000 bookings within just 2 weeks of its launch.

Nissan has also launched the Impul body kit with an array of aerodynamic and visual add-ons which can be had at an additional RM 9,500 (around Rs. 1.69 lakhs). It is made available with an optional ‘Premium Navi’ pack which will include touchscreen multimedia system with Bluetooth and rear parking camera.

Click here to view more features which are being offered in Nissan Almera with Impul kit.

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Malaysia gets a smaller, 2.5 Litre and more fuel efficient engine, will India too get it ?

Toyota Malaysia has launched a smaller yet more fuel efficient engine for its much selling Fortuner SUV. The smaller spec. 2.5L engine will deliver little less power 143 PS with a similar torque figure of 343 N-m. However, the current generation 3.0L engine delivers a 170 PS of power.

We would not be surprised if the same is launched in a fuel conscious market like India too. Across the world, now car makers are coming up with ways to improve the fuel efficiency looking at the ever rising fuel prices in the world. All other SUV's in India come along with the smaller engine - with Santa fe having a 2.2L engine, Ford Endeavour being offered with both 2.5L and 3.0L engine, X-Trail with 2.0L engine and even the latest launched SsangYong Rexton having a 2.7 engine.

The smaller engine with a more fuel efficient engine could make it more cost competitive than other similar specd SUV's in India.

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Brazil gets an Automatic version of Renault Duster - India too on cards ?

Renault India has got an overwhelmed response of Duster SUV since the day it has been launched in India. In fact the car maker is able to break records every month with sales crossing 5000+ units for October 2012

There has been a lot of queries to us from our fans about the Duster being launched in an Automatic variant. The french car maker has always been saying "No plans as of now" for an automatic variant but we can now think of Renault bringing an automatic variant too to India. Since, this is not the right time to be with an automatic variant as the company is not able to deliver the manual variants on time due to huge demand supply gap.

However, Ford EcoSport has recently been spotted testing with an Automatic gearbox and might be scheduled for India too. This makes one reason for Renault India to think on grounds of launching an automatic variant too. Also, in Brazil Renault offers an Automatic variant too for Duster and you could opt for a 2.0L engine mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox.

Renault could only think of launching an automatic variant only if it manages to fulfill the demand of current manual variants. Also, a Ford EcoSport automatic variant launch, expected in January 2013 could make Renault India think on these grounds. Stay tuned for more information.

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Porsche India sells record 117 cars in October 2012 - Launches new 911 Carrera and Boxster S

Porsche India starts its record breaking operations with 117 cars sold within a month in October 2012. Announcing the record breaking numbers, the company also launched, the new seventh generation 911 Carrera sports car and the new Boxter S in India. The 911 Carrera Coupe is priced at Rs 1.14 crore ex-showroom New Delhi, whereas the 911 Carrera S Coupe is priced at Rs 1.33 crore - ex-showroom New Delhi. The new Boxter S is priced at Rs 81.72 lakh ex-showroom New Delhi.

Anil Reddi, director of Porsche India, said, "It has been a very exciting past six months for us at Porsche India and we are thrilled with the pace of our network expansion and new model launches in the country. Our first full month sales result in October has been in excess of 100 units which is the best ever for the brand here. It sets us on course for a good rest of the year."

The head of Porsche India is confident that both new models will add even more momentum to the increasing interest in the brand by customers and fans alike.

The first Porsche car in India was delivered to Mr. Kapil dev, former Indian cricketer was a Porsche Panamera Diesel. Click here to view more.

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