FIAT LINEA COMING VERY SOON!
In this season of new launches, kicked off by Tata Indica Vista , the most awaited launch from the Fiat India stable, the Fiat Linea Saloon, is coming very soon. The car will launched sometime next month and will be in the showrooms shortly. The car is expected to provide class leading space and ride & handling of a very high order. The looks are a strong point too with 'maserati' inspired front end.
There are still no details on the engine or pricing front but an uprated VGT version of the 1.3 mulitjet with 90 bhp on tap is confirmed. The car will come with some feature unseen in its segment and will be priced very competitively.
[Via: Cubicapacity]
Mahindra launches its tractor range in Turkey
Mahindra's Farm Equipment Sector (FES) has launched its international range of tractors in Turkey, in partnership with ILCE Otomotiv Servis ve Ticaret A.S., a group company of the ILCE Group. The latter is also the distributor for the Mahindra Goa and Pik Up range in Turkey.
The company has introduced its 55 HP, 60 HP and 65 HP range of tractors for the Turkish market. These products are part of the successful 00 Series which are very popular in the US and Australia. The tractors, which are competitively priced, are highly fuel efficient with powerful engines and incorporate all the features required for a diverse range of field applications.
'We are delighted to launch our product range in Turkey which is a long-term, strategic market for us. With their strong and durable features, our tractors are ideal for the small and medium farmers which comprise close to 80 per cent of the farming community in Turkey,' said Anjanikumar Choudhari, President - Farm Equipment Sector, M&M Ltd.
'The ILCE Group is extremely pleased to have associated itself with the Mahindra brand in Turkey. With its unique combination of power, reliability and ruggedness, backed by strong after sales service the Mahindra Tractor offers a strong value proposition to the Turkish farmer and is a good fit for the country's thriving agriculture sector,' said Ilhan Cetinkaya, Chairman, ILCE Otomotiv Servis ve Ticaret A.S.
[Via: Indiaautomotive]
TVS TO LAUNCH APACHE RTR MENACE 180CC
TVS is on prowl now. Sidelined by Bajaj and Hero Honda in the market, the company saw drop in revenues and sales during the last fiscal year. Wanting to make ammends now the company plans to launch new models of their existing portfolio in every three to six months starting with the Apache 160 RTR Fi launched just recently.
Next in line is the Apache RTR Menace which will come with a 180cc engine and unlike Bajaj which made a mistake by not visually differenciating the 150cc and 180cc Pulsar's, the Apache Menace will come with some cosmetic upgrades too.The company reportedly is also working on 200cc version of the Apache and that might come in the market with ABS!
The Apache RTR Menace is expected to be launced during the festive season in October or November.
[Via: Cubiccapacity]
Scooty Pep recognized as fairer sex’s affinity
TVS recently rolled out the onemillionth Scooty Pep scooterette out of its Mysore plant. While its predecessor, the 60cc TVS Scooty took all of eleven years to accomplish this feat, its four-stroke cousin has managed to reach the mark in six years of production.
The timing of the launch of the Scooty Pep in 2002 could not have been better. Its predecessor, the 60cc two-stroke TVS Scooty, was on the waning side of its life cycle in a market moving rapidly towards 4-stroke machines. Six years down the line, the product has hit the golden mark in automotive production - ten lakh Scooty Peps produced and running errands on Indian roads.
TVS is also going to launch a face lifted scooty in future and has named it Scooty Streak . It will hit the showrooms during the festive season. Along with the scooty streak, TVS plans to launch a new scooter early 2009. TVS scooty streak will be priced around Rs40000. Scooty streak will be the TVS answer to Honda's Aviator , Suzuki's access and Kinetic's flyte.
2010 Chevrolet Beat Scooped with Daewoo Badge?
A dedicated Hyundai blog has posted this picture depicting what seems to be the Daewoo version of the forthcoming Chevrolet Beat minicar. However, we must say that the image seems to have been photoshoped, so we aren't at all sure about its authenticity. Either way, the production version of the Beat concept that made its debut at the 2007 New York Auto Show is expected in late-2009 or early 2010 with GM initially planning to target markets outside the United States and Canada.
[Via: Carscoop]
Bajaj & KTM to make 3 vehicles
Austrian two-wheeler maker KTM Power Sports is developing three intra-city transportation models - a trike, a budget car and a scooter - in a joint collaboration with Bajaj Auto. Bajaj, India's second-largest motorcycle maker, owns 21 per cent stake in KTM.
All of the models will be marketed in developing countries and will have petrol, diesel and electric variants. KTM officials had earlier said that it was studying the possibilities of entering the small-car segment alongwith Bajaj.
Bajaj Auto, which is also one of world's largest three-wheeler manufacturers, will bring its expertise in low-cost engineering to the table. The Pune-based company recently unveiled its indigenously developed ultra low-cost car LITE at the Auto Expo earlier this year.
When contacted, Rajiv Bajaj, managing director, Bajaj Auto, declined to offer any comments on the matter. There is, however, no confirmation if the low-cost car will make its way to India as Bajaj Auto has already signed an agreement with Renualt and Nissan to develop a 'ultra low cost' car for the Indian market, which will be retailed at $2,500-$3,000.
The KTM-Bajaj car will be a four-seater urban runabout, which is under KTM's new 'innovative urban transportation concept'. Such vehicles are cheap yet frugal and fun to drive. The scooter, however, will be made available in the Indian market and is already under development. A launch by 2010 launch is likely for the model.
Hero Starts Export Electric Vehicles
Rising fuel costs are boosting the Indian E-Bike and e-Scooter market. Supported by subsidies and V.A.T. redemptions by regional governments the Indian sales have grown very quickly. Local manufacturer Hero Electric is investing in new assembly lines and facilities to meet the demand.
But Hero Electric is not merely focusing on the domestic market, it is also working on exporting Electric Vehicles (EVs) to other markets. "We have set up an export team to focus on the markets of Latin America and the Middle East. We are planning to begin exports to Latin America from next year," revealed Naveen Munjal, CEO of Hero Electric.
"Our target for the current fiscal year is about 70,000 EVs," said Naveen Munjal. It is planning to sell 125,000 EVs next year. "According to current trends, the Indian EV market could grow to more than 200,000 units in 2009," estimates Naveen Munjal.
Hero is planning to launch a high speed model within the next three months. Currently, it has eight models comprising four e-scooters and four e-bikes. "We launched our new Optima Plus model in July at a price of INR 31,000 (€ 464)."
M&M planning to buy another two wheeler manufacturer
It seems Mahindra and Mahindra is on an acquisition drive, after acquiring Kinetic Motors and Engines Engineering Spa., Mahindra and Mahindra is now planning to acquire Italian two wheeler manufacturer, Malaguti Moto.
Apart from Malaguti Moto, Mahindra and Mahindra is also in talk with several Chinese two wheeler manufactures and seems to be taking its decision to foray in the two wheeler segment quite seriously.
[Via: Indiaon2wheels]
BMW CANS M3 CSL!
This will come as a major dissapointment to the hardcore BMW M3 fans but the Munich maker has canned the M3 CSL plans. M3 CSL is a lighter and sharper version of the normal M3 sans any creature comforts. The car was to come by the summer of 2009.
The M3 CSL was supposed to have 450-470 bhp nestled in a lighter body, by more than 100 kgs, achieved by the use of light weight materials like carbon fibre. A cardon fibre roof, airbox, new Cup tyres, new engine breathing were also expected. The company wants to concentrate on the M versions of the X badged crossovers.
[Via: Cubiccapacity]