Auto BHP Auto Industry Updates and Reviews

25Aug/090

Porsche India Plans To Sell 50 Panamera In 2009

Porsche plans to sell 50 units of the Panamera in India this year. The Porsche Panamera will be launched by 3rd October. The Panamera's price will range from Rs 1.4 crore to Rs. 2 crore. Porsche has already secured 13 bookings of the 4 door sports sedan. Porsche has sold around 650 cars since its entry into India three years ago. However, 65% of the sales came from the Porsche Cayenne.

Porsche had set up a new plant in Germany exclusively to manufacture about 20,000 units of the Panamera. Total production at its German plant has declined from 98,000 units (in 2008) to 80,000 units this year due to the recession. Indian operations contribute only a meagre percentage of global sales while the US, Europe, China and the Middle East are the big markets.

[Via: globalmotors]

25Aug/090

Harley-Davidson Black Sheep

Harley-Davidson Black Sheep

13Aug/090

Fiat aims to export 7,000 cars in FY 2009-10

Fiat India, which had exported around 800 units of the Palio to South Africa in the last fiscal, has set itself a target of exporting 7,000 cars in FY 2009-10. The company has already started exporting the Linea to South Africa and is now actively scouting for opportunities in SAARC countries, including Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.

Fiat Automobiles India Ltd., a joint venture between Fiat SpA of Italy and Tata Motors Ltd., is currently not in very good shape. The Tata-Fiat joint venture posted a loss of Rs 305 crore in FY 2008-09 and expects to break even only by 2011-12. With its recently launched new cars - Grande Punto and Linea - the company hopes to improve its performance significantly by the end of next year. However, whether the Fiat name still has enough brand cachet to take on the Japanese and the Koreans remains to be seen.

[Via: indiaautomotive]

7Aug/090

Volkswagen announces prices for new Polo, in Europe

Volkswagen is now inviting its European customers to book the new Polo, with deliveries scheduled to start by mid-October this year. Depending on the variant, the car is priced at the equivalent of Rs 8-12 lakh.

The fifth-generation VW Polo, which will also be launched in India next year, is one of the best selling small cars in the world. The new one is being made available with a choice of five engines - three petrol and two diesel - and a choice of five-speed manual and seven-speed DSG twin-clutch automatic gearboxes.

When the Polo comes to India in 2010, we expect it to be offered with a 1.2-litre petrol engine, though a 1.6-litre TDI diesel might also be offered at a later stage. Prices in India could start at around Rs six lakh, though the 'Indian Polo' will probably not be as well-equipped as its European sibling, in order to keep prices in check.

[Via: indiaautomotive]

4Aug/090

M-Class gets a Top NCAP Rating

he latest Euro NCAP test results state that the M-Class has been designed to match the reality of an accident in the standard crash test safety concept. Equipped as standard with six airbags, belt tighteners, belt force limiters and crash-responsive NECK-PRO headrests PRE-SAFE® passenger safety system, the SUV ensures its occupants an excellent standard of protection in the event of an accident.

"Euro NCAP" stands for the independent "European New Car Assessment Programme" organised by European transport ministries, car clubs and insurance associations. The Euro NCAP publishes tests that provide consumers with accurate information based on in-depth research about the safety performance of individual car models in frontal and side collisions. The standard tests (front impact with 40 % offset, side barrier and pillar impact) cover the most frequent types of accident but only cover a fraction of the potential kinds of accidents.

Besides the Euro NCAP, the new M-Class has been rewarded with excellent test results confirmed internationally by other well-known testing organizations:

• The M-Class has received the 'best grade in the frontal and side impact' ratings by the US traffic safety organization NHTSA

• The American IIHS Institute (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) gave the M-Class the "Top Safety Pick" award as a result of its top marks for passenger protection in the frontal, side and rear impacts

[Via: CW]

3Aug/090

Mahindra Xylo – Lets Me Fly Contest

Mahindra Xylo had been a runaway success for the company ever since it has been launched. Mahindra has introduced a latest new offer on Xylo - Let Me Fly. All you have to do is to log on to the Mahindra website at Mahindra Xylo - Let Me Fly Offer. When you click the link, you have to match the features with their respective labels. Once all the entries are correct, you need to fill in your contact details and fill a slogan.

The exciting and easy-to-play game offers exciting chance to win 2 night and 3 days couple holiday to Bangkok with return airfare. The second lucky winner gets a chance to win 2 days and 3 night couple holiday at Club Mahindra. The first 200 entries win exciting prices like MP3 players or exclusive Xylo T-shirts.

The contest is valid for the residents of India only and is valid till August 30, 2009. Mahindra has also launched a new variant of Xylo with anti-breaking system which is currently available in E8 version only. The new ABS feature makes hard braking in Xylo easier and comes as an additional optional safety measure for the car.

1Aug/090

TVS Motor logs 2% increase in sales in July 2009

TVS Motor reported a 2% increase in sales during July this year, at 350,000 units, as against 343,000 units during July 2008. The company's revenue for Q1, FY 2009-10 stood at Rs 988.70 crore, a 7% increase over the Rs 925.45 crore reported in the year-ago period.

In the domestic market, TVS sold 154,000 motorcycles and 67,568 scooters during July this year, compared to 171,000 motorcycles and 65,545 scooters during July last year. Sales of the TVS King three-wheeler went up from 765 units during July 2008 to 2,223 units during July this year. The company's exports, however, slid from 42,214 units in July 2008 to 32,067 units during July 2009.

[Via: indiaautomotive]

1Aug/090

Honda Siel logs 12% sales growth in July 2009

Honda Siel Cars reports a 12% increase in sales during July 2009, at 4,857 units as against 4,337 units sold in July 2008. The company sold 17,625 units in the period April-July 2009, as against 16,412 units in the year-ago period, an increase of 7.4%. HSCI sold 3,268 units of the City, 1,037 units of the Jazz, 299 units of the Civic, 223 units of the Accord and 30 units of the CR-V, during July this year.

[Via: indiaautomotive]

31Jul/090

4th Environment Friendly Vehicles Conference 2009 in India

India is ready to host the 4th Environment Friendly Vehicles Conference 2009 in New Delhi. The conference will be held on November 23-24th 2009. The main aim of the conference is to promote fuel efficient and eco-friendly cars to sustain efficient road transport. Some of the main objectives of the conference are to take measures to prevent release of harmful substances in environment, reduction of greenhouse gases, improve the quality of air that we breathe in and reduction in traffic noise.

The Environment Friendly Vehicles Conference is quite a prestigious event and is taking place for the first time in India. The conference offers a unique platform for various government officials, industry leaders, key decision makers and academicians to come together to develop and promote environment friendly measures for public transport.

This conference is organized bi-annually and this time in India it is being hosted jointly by Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises and other stakeholders viz. Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas as well as Industry associations i.e. Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Auto Components Manufacturers Association (ACMA).

[Via: cartradeindia]

20Jul/090

Audi A1 to be unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show

Audi will unveil its smallest car - the A1 hatchback - at the Frankfurt Motor Show in October this year and production of the car will commence at around the same time. The car, which will be offered in three-door and five-door versions, will be built at Audi's plant in Brussels, in Belgium.

Cars already being built at this facility include the Audi A3 and Volkswagen Polo. It's expected that the Audi A1 will be offered with a range of petrol and common-rail diesel engines.

[Via: indiaautomotive]