Toyota Corolla Altis Diesel Launched
Toyota launched the much awaited and much needed diesel version of the Corolla Altis today at a launch in Delhi. The Corolla Altis diesel will be priced between 10.95 and 13.75 lakhs (Ex Showroom Delhi) and will be available in 3 variants namely D4DJ, D4DG and D4DGL. The car will more or less resemble its petrol sibling besides a changed front grille.
The Altis diesel is powered by a 1.4 litre common rail diesel engine capable of producing 88.4PS and a torque of 205 Nm and gearshift is by means of a manual 6 speed gearbox. Not very impressive when compared to the Chevrolet Cruze, which fits in the similar price bracket but produces 150 bhp of power but Toyota has got is spot on as far as the fuel efficiency is concerned. Toyota claims a figure of 21 kmpl which is fantastic for a car of this size, the best in the segment by far.
[Via: Motorbeam]
Volkswagen Vento Unveiled – October 2010 Launch
After the launch of New Polo Hatchback in Indian Market Volkswagen is going to launch the sedan variant of New Polo to compete with the likes of Swift Dzire, Hyundai Verna & Fiat Linea. Outside India, Polo has a sedan variant called the Volkswagen Polo Classic, but for India Volkswagen has christened the Polo saloon as " Vento ".
Engine Options in Volkswagen Vento
1.6 Litre Petrol - 105 Bhp/153 Nm
1.6 Litre Diesel - 105 Bhp/250 Nm
The Vento will initially get two engine options - a petrol and a diesel. Both these engines displace 1.6 litres and both produce 105 Bhp. However, the diesel has a thumping 250 Nm of torque to the petrol motor's 153 Nm.
Variants of Volkswagen Vento
Volkswagen Vento is available in 5 Variants - 3 Petrol and 2 Diesel.
- Volkswagen Vento Trendline
- Volkswagen Vento Highline
- Volkswagen Vento Highline AT
- Volkswagen Vento Diesel Trendline
- Volkswagen Vento Diesel Highline
Shades Available in Volkswagen Vento
The trendline variant is available in 2 shades:
- Candy white
- Flash red
While the highline variant is available in 4 shades:
- Shadow blue
- Reflex Silver
- Deep black
- Terra Beige
Expected Price and Launch Date of Volkswagen Vento
VW plans to price the Vento between Rs 7-9 lakh and is gearing up for a September/October 2010 launch.
Agostini rides on track again
The Assen circuit witnessed the 80th edition of the famous TT race and to celebrate the event in style fifteen time former World Champion Giacomo Agostini was back riding on track as part of the celebrations. Thousands of fans and spectators got a treat of their lifetime as the legendary rider rode a display lap on the YZR500 OW23 on which he won his last world title on in 1975. Much to the delight of his fans Agostini also took the 2010 YZR-M1, the current race bike of Team Fiat Yamaha, on a celebration ride.
[Via: BikeIndia]
Tata Motors is now Second Largest Manufacturer
Maruti Suzuki dominates the Indian auto scene and Hyundai has been holding on to second place for sometime, but not anymore. Tata motors has overtaken Hyundai as the India's second largest car maker and credit goes to the Tata Nano for this feat.
Tata's new plant at Gujarat has started production of the Nano and the Nano has received more than 7000 bookings in June and Tata has recorded a growth of 63% in this month itself. Even though Tata edged Hyundai by a small margin, a single months figures cannot be taken for granted but we expect the Nano to keep Tata in front of Hyundai for the time to come.
[Via: Motorbeam]
Toyota Restarts Fortuner Bookings
Toyota has restarted bookings of its popular SUV, the Fortuner, from 1st July, 2010. The Toyota Fortuner was launched last year and has received an overwhelming response from buyers. Toyota had closed bookings in order to keep up with the demand and had even beefed up the production to meet the requirement, but in vain. The Fortuner had been commanding a waiting period of about 6 months at that time.
"We would like to thank our customers for the extremely encouraging response till date. The resounding success of the Fortuner in India also meant a backlog of customer orders and high waiting periods. We have now increased the production of the vehicle to more than 950 units to clear the present backlog of less than 4000 customer orders by this September. We are happy to reopen the bookings from the 1st of July for a limited period, and will start deliveries of the vehicle from October until December 2010." - Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director, Marketing
Land Rover Evoque Unvieled
Land Rover has revealed the production version of the Range Rover Evoque , the new 'baby' model that will go on sale next summer. Unveiled at a party thrown to celebrate the Range Rover brand's 40th birthday, the production Evoque retains most of the looks of the original LRX concept, which was unveiled as long ago as the Detroit motor show in 2008. Land Rover hasn't released few technical details, although it has confirmed that the car will be available in two and four-wheel drive, and that some models will emit less than 130g/km of CO2.The Evoque is being described as a "global car"; Land Rover says it will be sold in more than 160 countries. It will be made at Halewood, creating up to 1000 new jobs at the Liverpool facility.
Phil Popham, managing director of Land Rover said, "Range Rover is one of the most highly regarded and iconic vehicles in the history of motoring and has been a continuing success since we first introduced it in 1970. The all-new Range Rover Evoque is an important step for the future continued success and growth of the brand. Customers can be confident that the new car will be premium, luxurious and just as special as the other Range Rover models." Land Rover's design chief Gerry McGovern said, "This vehicle started as the LRX concept in 2008, and that vehicle was so well received that it was a natural progression for us want to put that into production. This is where the collaboration between our designers and engineers came into play; this car is really a tribute to them."
He added: "It was always our intent to stretch the Range Rover brand to appeal to a bigger audience, and this vehicle will appeal to customers who had never even considered Range Rover before. The design is key to that; it's like no other Range Rover we've seen before, but it's still unmistakably a Range Rover."McGovern also used the event to 'unveil' a new member of the design team - Victoria Beckham - although he did not outline any specific role for the former singer, who has her own fashion label. Beckham said, "I'm incredibly excited to be collaborating with Range Rover. I'd like to thank Phil and Gerry for such an incredible opportunity. I like to take on a challenge and I'm ready for it."
The switch from the concept's Land Rover badging to a Range Rover model was a tactical one. It has allowed the firm to keep a more profitable price point on style and exclusivity grounds, without having to offer the rugged practicality associated with the Discovery and Freelander. However, this three-door version is just the start; a five-door variant of the car is also under development. No prices for the Evoque have been released, but expect four-wheel-drive versions to start at around £35k, for the UK market, with front-drive models following shortly after launch at around £5000 less.
[Via: AutoCarIndia ]
Carl-Peter Forster on JLR future
Autocar India catches up with new Tata Motors Group boss Carl-Peter Forster. He revealed several new models, as well as plans for expansion.
How many cars must Jaguar Land Rover build to be profitable?
There is no special number. It depends how well you play the component sharing game, and how good you are at price positioning. Our XJ will make good money at 15,000 to 18,000 units annually. We want to expand, of course, but not at the expense of profitability.
Where do you see the best expansion potential?
We must exploit the premium market better. Our segment and regional market shares are still small. We don't have a full line-up; you might see space between the Range Rover Sport and the smaller Range Rover that we'll launch next year. We don't yet have all the engines we need. We're also working on a Jaguar roadster, and thinking about another small Jaguar. There are many opportunities.
Are you deliberately moving the Range Rover and Land Rover brands further apart?
We believe these two share much DNA, but they have somewhat different characters. Range Rovers are luxurious and can command a premium; Land Rovers have a more practical toughness about them. They'll always be related, but the two brands can go in slightly different directions.
Why can't Land Rover quality match Jaguar's?
We don't believe there's as great a difference as some people say. Land Rover has made huge quality strides with recently. But there is an issue, and it's very high on our list of priorities to fix.
Are you trying to change the culture at Jaguar Land Rover?
You'll have to talk to others about that. We certainly think there's a difference between being run by a giant American company and an entrepreneurial Indian approach, and I like the difference. There's a rigour and an eagerness to get things done without delay.
Where will you buy four-cylinder engines in future?
We can keep buying from our current supplier [PSA] if necessary, but one idea for the medium term might be to set up a joint Tata/Jaguar/Land Rover initiative for modern four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines.
[Via: AutoCarIndia]
Mercedes enters used car market
Mercedes Benz India has made its entry into the pre-owned car business with its 'Proven Exclusivity' used car programme. Initiated globally in 2009, the programme is successfully operating in 35 countries, allowing Mercedes to offer products at affordable prices. Through the pre-owned car programme, customers can now buy a Mercedes Benz from a price range of Rs 15-18lakh as against Rs 31-34lakh for a new entry-level C-class model. Another feature of the 'Proven Exclusivity' programme is that Mercedes will only offer cars that are not more than six years old.
At present, the pre-owned cars will be put on sale through six authorised Mercedes-Benz dealerships across four cities; Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. By the end of 2010, additional eight outlets will be added where the customers can buy the pre-owned cars and also avail support in areas such as financing, documentation and delivery. Mercedes-Benz India expects the pre-owned car business to account for 10-15 percent of its total car sales by 2011.
[Via: AutoCarIndia]
TVS aiming to double scooter sales
Riding on the recently launched scooter Wego, TVS - General Manager, S Srinivas is expecting an increase in revenue this fiscal year as compared to the previous one. The growth rate is expected to be double as compared to the previous fiscal year. The estimate revenue figures of this fiscal year is expected to be between Rs.1,500 to Rs.1,600 crores as compared to Rs.800 crore in the previous year. The TVS Wego was launched around September 2009 and has majority of the TVS hopes riding on its shoulders, focusing on women mobility and independence. The scooter comes with a 110cc engine and priced at Rs.41,762 per unit.
According to Mr. S Srinivas the two wheeler sales in India is upswing and TVS has managed to sell 25,000 units per month in the previous year, this year however expectations have been almost doubled to 40,000 units per month! In other news, TVS is also planning to launch a new motorcycle in the entry level segment early July 2010. The two-wheeler major hopes that the new small capacity bike would add to the company's sales volume.
[Via: BikeIndia]