New Maruti Estilo Launched
Maruti India has come up with a refreshed New Estilo which looks much better than the outgoing model with new headlamps, grille and bumpers. Interiors have also been spruced up to give it a upmarket look with all beige theme.
New Estilo comes with all the changes as expected in a mid life facelift - new bumpers, new headlights, new front grille and new fog lights. The front of the car certainly looks more grown up with the large teardrop shaped headlamps flanking a more mature looking grille.
Maruti Suzuki has announced the price of New Estilo - it has been priced at Rs. 3.24 lakhs for the base model and Rs. 4.14 lakhs for top of the line VXi variant with ABS & Driver Side Airbag. The prices are more or less in the same price range of the outgoing model. As far as variants are concerned, it is available in three variants - Lx, Lxi, Vxi & top of the line Vxi ABS. Here are ex-showroom prices of New Estilo:
- New Estilo Lx -------- 324000.00
- New Estilo Lxi ------- 353000.00
- New Estilo Vxi ------- 383000.00
- New Estilo Vxi ABS - 414000.00
New Estilo is available in folowing eight shades:
- Superior White
- Midnight Black
- Silky Silver
- Dusky Brown
- Ecru Beige
- Quantum Orange
- Bright Red
- Emerald Blue
Additional Features/Changes In New Maruti Estilo:
- New Design Front & Rear Bumpers
- New Tear Drop Shape Headlamps
- New Wheel Covers
- New Mature Looking Front Grille
- New Round Fog Lights
- New 998cc K-series engine from A-Star
- New Intrument Cluster
- New Gearbox
- New Interior Theme for seats and dashboard
GM to compete with Tata Nano
Tata has shaken up the auto world with its world's cheapest car, Nano, offering and now auto makers are also waking up to the cheap car market. Iconic automaker GM is seriously contemplating coming out with a competitor for the Nano in India, but its model will be priced at $4,000.
Nick Reilly, GM's new executive vice president for international operations, said that the new ultra cheap car has a market in certain countries (like Latin America and Asia) and GM would be interested in exploiting that space. If made, the car may be manufactured by SAIC-GM-Wuling Automotive Co which incorporates the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp.
[Via: globalmotors]
Maruti A-Star Crosses One Lakh Mark
Maruti Suzuki launched its new KB series model A-Star last year. The company rolled out its 100,000th model from its Manesar plant recently. A-star is the flagship exports model of the company which is also being sold as Nissan Pixo in the overseas market. Other models like SX4, Swift and Swift Dzire are also being manufactured at the Manesar plant.
"A-Star is doing very well in the export market. We are planning to export over 75,000 units of the car by the end of this fiscal," said Maruti Suzuki India Chairman R C Bhargava. He also stated that Nissan, who sells the A-Star under its label in Europe, has increased its exports order from 30,000 units to 54,000 units. Earlier the company was hesitant to place the order but looking at the response from the European markets the company has increased its exports order.
Maruti also exports its A-Star model to Netherlands, the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UAE and more than 40 countries across the globe.
[Via: cartradeindia]
Nissan Increases A-Star Order From Maruti
The Maruti A-Star is not only setting the sales chart on fire as a Suzuki but even as a Nissan. The growing demand for small cars in Europe has led Nissan to nearly double the cars that it buys from Maruti Suzuki. The contract manufactured A-Star's annual order is now in excess of 50,000 units.
"Against the earlier indicated order of 30,000 units for this fiscal, Nissan has now confirmed that it plans to buy 54000 units," Maruti chairman R C Bhargava said. "Total exports to Nissan will now far exceed what was originally projected by them," he added.
[Via: motorbeam]
2475 Tata Nano Delivered In 15 Days
Tata Motors has delivered 2,475 units of the Nano within 15 days of its commercial roll-out. The Tata Nano carries an ex-factory price of Rs. 1 lakh for the base variant and costs upto Rs. 1,75,000/- depending on the model.
[Via: motorbeam]
Tata would deliver 60,000 Nanos by July next year
Tata Motors says it will deliver up to 60,000 units of the ultra-cheap Nano, by July 2010, Touted as the world's cheapest car, the Nano is getting its passport prepared to wade international waters after the mother plant Sanand reaches completion.
Ratan Tata said the new Sanand plant will be ready by the financial year end and it would have a capacity of 250,000 units per year. The Nano is currently manufactured at the Pantnagar facility, where the Ace pickup truck is made, which has an annual capacity of 50,000 cars.
The company says the first 1,00,000 deliveries will be completed by October-December 2010 from both the facilities. Currently, the company is transporting the installed equipment from the abandoned Singur plant to the Sanand. Ratan Tata took this opportunity to take a dig at Mamata Banarjee, and praised the Gujrat government for granting approvals within three days.
[Via: IAB]
Chrysler to continue making the PT Cruiser
The PT Cruiser was facing the axe when Chrysler was trying to downsize and stave off bankruptcy. When that did not happen, and Chrysler is still alive and kicking though as a new company Chrysler Group LLC, the auto maker has decided to continue production of this popular heritage style car for another year at least.
The car is going to continue to be made at its Toluca Mexico plant till production continues. More than 1.3 million of these cars have been sold globally since 2000 when it was first launched. However, possibly by end next year Chrysler will be having a new portfolio of Fiat-based cars on the anvil.
[Via: globalmotors]
BMW to celebrate Mini’s 50th birthday with two special-edition variants
Mini, the iconic British car brand will be 50 years old on the 26th of August this year. And BMW is going to celebrate by launching two special-edition variants at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The two special-edition cars - the Mini 50 Camden and Mini 50 Mayfair - will be present at the BMW stand in Frankfurt. Also, BMW will focus on its 'Minimalism' concept, which is a package of measures developed to optimize fuel consumption and to reduce emissions.
[Via: indiaautomotive]
Isetta roped in to promote BMW Museum in Munich
BMW's iconic micro-car from the mid-1950s, the Isetta has now been appointed 'welcome ambassador' for the BMW Museum at Munich. Last week, BMW arranged for as many 7,500 of these cars, which were driven all across Munich as moving advertisements for the BMW Museum.
Built in Munich from 1955 to 1962, the Isetta came in two versions - the Isetta 250, with 12bhp, and the Isetta 300 with 13bhp. BMW built more than 160,000 units of this tiny vehicle, which has now attained cult status among motoring enthusiasts worldwide.
[Via: indiaautomotive]
