Tata Nano Gets More Manufacturing Space
Uttrakhand government has decided to lend more space to Tata Motors for manufacturing its ultra-cheap car, Tata Nano . The government has provided additional 45 acres of land at its Pantnagar facility. "The state government has taken a decision to provide 45 acres of land to the Tata Group at Pantnagar, where it is already manufacturing Ace (mini) trucks and few parts of the Nano," State Chief Secretary I K Pandey said.
The previous Congress government had lent 955 acres of land to Tata Motors for manufacturing its Ace trucks in Pantnagar whereas the company was promised 1000 acres of land. The additional land will help the company to speed up its schedule to roll out the world's cheapest and the most awaited car in time.
[via: cartradeindia]
Hyundai Cuts Production in India
Hyundai India has decided to cut down its production by a quarter from Monday owing to the global turndown in its sales figures. Hyundai had expected to sell 530,000 cars this year including exports but now it expects to sell around only 490,000 cars. "We have decided to go in for a two-shift production instead of three shifts now as demand has declined," said HD Lheem, Managing Director, HMIL. The reduction from three shifts to two shifts will result in 25 percent cut down in production.
The company also plans to raise price of its models by at least two percent next month due to the rising input costs. "We are under a lot of pressure to increase prices. So far, we have absorbed all the input costs and also undertaken a cost reduction campaign. But may be we cannot absorb anymore," he said. He added that the company expect weak sales till March but maybe the figures will look better later next year when markets are more stable and lower interest rates lure the buyers back.
[Via: cartradeindia]
F1 teams to unveil 2009 cars in mid-January
With the 2008 championship over with and the year winding down to its final days, Formula One's constructors are preparing to unveil their new cars for 2009. The new regulations for the 2009 season promise to make the new cars look considerably different from the current crop, as we're likely to see when the teams start rolling out their competitors for next year's crown.
Ferrari and Toyota are expected to be the first to unveil their new cars, with a live reveal at Fiorano and an online release of images from Cologne on or about the 15th of January. The next day McLaren-Mercedes is tipped to present their latest chrome-dipped blingmobile at the team's high-tech facility in Woking.
Williams and Renault are set to unveil their cars on January 19 at a test session, with BMW Sauber running its first public testing shortly afterwards. With Honda F1's future hanging in the balance, that leaves Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Force India, which are expected to show their cars in February and March. Stay tuned as we bring you images and details of the latest crop as they make their debuts.
[Via: globalmotors]
Toyota Recalls Cars In China
Toyota Motor has issued a recall in China to fix a problem that could result in loss of steering control. Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Co., a joint venture between Toyota and China's FAW Group, will recall 121,930 vehicles, according to a notice on the Web site of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.
The notice said the recalled models include Crown and Reiz luxury sedans produced between 2005 and 2006, and Lexus cars produced between 2004 and 2006. The agency said that manufacturing defects could cause the electric power steering systems to fail.
It was not clear if the same models would be recalled in other countries. Toyota will contact owners of the affected vehicles, conduct checks and replace defective parts without charge, the Chinese agency said. The notice did not say if any accidents have resulted from the defects.
The recall announcement was the latest in a string of bad news for Japan's No. 1 automaker. On Monday, the company said it was sinking into its first operating loss in seven decades. Then Wednesday, Toyota reported that global vehicles sales had plunged 21.8 percent in November, its biggest drop in eight years.
[Via: motobeam]
Audi Announces Special Offer for Indian Customers
The German luxury car maker has announced special offers for its customers in India for its A6 range of cars. It has announced zero percent financing offer and extended four years warranty for its A6 range of cars that includes four variants 2.8 FSI, 3.2 FSI quattro, 2.7 TDI and 3.0 TDI quattro. The current warranty on Audi cars is available for two years which will be now available for two more extended years. The extended warranty will include all items which are covered in the initial two-year manufacturer warranty.
''The Audi A6 is one of Audi's most successful exclusive models in India and this initiative will enhance the customer value of the car,'' Audi India Managing Director Benolt Tiers said in a statement. Earlier the company had announced reduced prices for its models in India after the government announced four percent reduction in the excise duty.
The entire Audi range of cars in India includes Audi A8, Audi Q7, Audi A6, the new Audi A4, Audi TT. It has recently introduced Audi R8 sports car in India as limited edition. All 12 models are already sold out in India. All Audi cars are available through twelve dealerships from the company in India.
[Via: cartradeindia]
Maruti to implement SIAM norms
Maruti Suzuki will be the first carmaker in India to start implementing the norms laid down by SIAM, regarding the public disclosure of fuel efficiency figures. SIAM had earlier announced it would launch the 'fuel consumption consumer information' and the 'fuel economy information brochure' programmes from January 2009 onwards, and Maruti will be the first to kick-start this new initiative from the 1st of January next year.
The above programmes are aimed at adding transparency to the disclosure of mileage figures for all vehicles sold in India, and by April 2009, all SIAM members will be required to provide full disclosure of their vehicles' fuel efficiency, as tested by the three government-approved test agencies - the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) and International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT).
[via: indiaautomotive]