Maruti Alto Flash Limited Edition
In addition to all the features of Lxi model Alto Flash Limited Edition comes with following new features:
1) Body graphics on body panels.
2) Body coloured bumper, door moulding & feather touch door mirrors
3) Refreshed interior with new art leather seat covers.
4) Front power windows.
5) Flash - Special Edition Badge.
Price difference is around is Rs.18500.00 more than the Lxi model. The Alto Flash variant is available in five colours:
- Silky silver
- Pearl silver
- Blue blaze
- Fire brick red
- White.
Maruti Alto Is A Segment Leader
Maruti Alto is one of the incarnations of the a common platform, designed with the Japanese principles of kei-ji-dosha which strictly decide the dimensions a car must confirm to in order to be called a small car, in japan that is. As a matter of fact, it is the elder brother of the maruti 800. At one point of time, maruti was selling 3 versions of the maruti 800 here - the 800, Alto and the old Zen. All are different generations of same model.
Launched eight years ago, the Alto has displaced the M800 as Maruti's flagship company in the domestic market. Moreover, this model is also exported to other countries including Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Greece, Austria, Ireland, the UK, France, Italy and Sweden and now it plans to start exporting it to new markets like Denmark, Hungary and Portugal.
So far it has exported nearly 2 lakh Altos. During FY 2007-08, Maruti sold sold 227,170 units in the domestic market. Alto sales have actually picked up very fast over the last 24-30 months. While Maruti only sold around 500,000 units of the Alto within the first six years of the car's launch, it has sold around the same number over the last two years.
Hyundai To Shift Manufacturing i20 To Turkey
Hyundai India will now ship its i20 CKD units to Turkey for assembling the models in Europe. It will save on import duties making the car cheaper and more competitive in the European markets. Hyundai i20 is an extremely successful model in Europe and HMIL currently exports both 5-door and 3-door models to European countries.
"As of now the i20 cars are being manufactured from Chennai plant and going forward we will move part of i20 production to Turkey to meet the growing demand for this car in Europe and other countries. We're moving only the three-door production, while the five-door will continue from here. We will send them out as completely knocked down kits (CKDs) and initially a batch of 50,000 units would be shipped out. We foresee that the export demand for i20 in 2010 will shoot up and then we cannot meet the increasing demand just from India alone," said Hyundai spokesperson.
Hyundai also stated that it will continue manufacturing the car in India only but will export the CKD units to save on import duties. It also said that it will vacate the assembly line for manufacturing other popular models of cars in India. Hyundai faced severe labour problems in Chennai last year and it had tough time dealing with the situation. Then, it had announced that it will shift its part manufacturing capacity elsewhere in Europe.
TVS India To Launch 250cc Variant Of Apache RTR
W+K organizes The Art of Motorcycling
The second weekend of March in Delhi witnessed an exhibition called 'The Art of Motorcycling' organized by Wieden + Kennedy, an advertising agency, in association with Royal Enfield. The event was purely for bike lovers as the exhibits included a wide range of Enfield bikes in their modified forms.
The bikes displayed ranged from restored Bullet models of 1968 to 2010. The modifications were displayed by their owners and many designers and bikers graced the event. Other art work included designer helmets by GOACHIC, photography by Bharat Sikka and digital art by Prasad Raghavan among other merchandise.
Present at the event was Siddhartha Lal, with his family. The Royal Enfield versions included modified Standard Bullet motorcycles, Thunderbird, Electra and Machismo customs which were either tweaked by professional designers or self restored. Maintained old classics of 1968 and 1974 were also on display. Wieden + Kennedy are looking at organizing a similar event in Mumbai too in the future and, if feasible, make this event an annual affair.
[Via: BIKE INDIA]
Royal Enfield Electra Twin Spark Launched
Royal Enfield India has launched the Electra Twin Spark with Unit Construction Engine (UCE) as the company upgrades its bikes to Bharat Stage IV emission norms which go into effect on the 1st of next month. The Electra Twinspark boasts of 19.8 bhp of peak power at 5250 rpm and a peak torque of 28 Nm at 4000 rpm. Weighing in at 180 kgs, the Electra Twinspark is capable of hitting a top speed of 120 kmph. The bike will be priced at Rs. 94,500/- for the disc version and Rs. 98,500/- for the disc and self start version.
The Electra now comes packed with the power and reliability of Royal Enfields latest Twin Spark UCE engine. Along with the UCE engine come the double benefits of more power , and better fuel economy, more reliability and lesser maintenance. In terms of styling the latest Electra still keeps it simple following the lines of the traditional Bullet but still adding its unmistakably distinctive style to it.
First Ferrari 458 Italia auctioned for $530,000
The very first 458 Italia to arrive in the US was recently auctioned off by Ferrari, for $530,000. The money has been raised for charity and will go to the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) and the William J. Clinton Foundation, for relief efforts in Haiti. The Ferrari 458 Italia is priced at around $225,000 and if you put down a deposit on the car today, the estimated waiting period is as long as two-and-a-half years.
[Via: indiaautomotive]
GM To Launch e-Spark By October
Chevrolet India will launch the e-spark by October this year. The e-Spark would be the first four-door passenger car in the world in this segment. Considering the extra cost incurred on electric engines, the car's price will be slightly higher than the petrol Spark. However running costs are expected to be very low and the recent excise duty reduction for electric cars will give GM an upper hand on the pricing.
[Via: motobeam]
Tata Nano Catches Fire In Mumbai
A brand new Tata Nano CX caught fire on the Eastern Express Highway when Mumbai resident Satish Purshotam Sawant was taking his newly acquired possession home. The silver Nano cost Satish Rs. 2.4 lakh and as he doesn't know how to drive, it was being driven to LIC Colony, Mulund (W) by the driver of Concorde Motors (Prabhadevi). A motorcycle rider signaled to them to look behind pointing at the rear part of the car which was in flames. A fire tender rushed to the scene and doused the fire. Thankfully everyone traveling in the car are safe.
[Via: motorbeam]
Toyota to Launch Corolla Altis Diesel
The launch of the Chevrolet Cruze has no way helped the Corolla's cause in the country as sales are nothing to write home about. However Toyota India plans to ignite them with the launch of the much awaited and anticipated Corolla Altis diesel.
The car will get a 1.4-liter D-4D powerplant which will produce 90 bhp of power and close to 200 Nm of torque at 2800 rpm. The diesel Toyota Corolla is expected to retail at a premium of Rs. 60,000/- over its petrol counterpart. The company is also aiming for more than 25% growth this calendar year as it targets to sell a minimum of 70,000 units (8,000 units of Innova, 10,000 Fortuner and 12,000 Corolla Altis).
[Via: Motorbeam]