Fiat & Tata To Sell Nano In Latin America
Italian carmaker Fiat SpA and Tata Motors Ltd are making plans to take the Tata Nano to Latin America. Brazil is Fiat's second-biggest market after Italy. Ratan Tata, who is also a Fiat director, said that both the companies are studying further cooperation to add to existing projects such as a partnership to produce engines in India.
Tata Motors is also conducting a feasibility study to market its cars in Indonesia. Indian motorcycle manufacturers like Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor already have production plants in Indonesia. Tata Motors has a plant in Thailand and has sold nearly 600 one-tonne pick-up trucks since entering the Thai market about a year ago.
[Via: motorbeam]
Maruti Launches Mascot For WagonR
In a bid to revitalise the Maruti WagonR brand, Maruti Suzuki India has launched a mascot 'Mr WizeR' to represent the model. The mascot with its smart and witty traits is an amalgamation of the brand name 'WagonR' and 'Wise' is meant to represent the WagonR customers. The company aims to take the initiative to all media domains and is planning to have the cartoon character as the face of future campaigns across print, TV and Internet.
"WagonR will be an integral part of the storyline and the brand fit will be merged with the story. Though 'Mr WizeR' has a modern outlook, he is deeply rooted in the Indian value system,"Lintas Media Group, the creater of the character, said.
[Via: motorbeam]
Maruti Suzuki Alto CNG Launched
Maruti Suzuki launched the CNG variant of its Alto. The 800cc powered gasoline engine now has an option to power it with CNG. The Maruti CNG authorized kit is priced at Rs 43,545 and will be available across the variants of the Alto. The CNG kit come with a 12 Kg cylinder tank which can accomodate 7-705 kgs of CNG.
The company said in a statement, ""The Maruti-authorised CNG kits will be available across variants of brand new Maruti Suzuki Alto at dealerships in only Delhi and NCR from June 17 onwards." The Alto will can store about 7.5kg of CNG. By 2010, Alto will be available in LPG variant as well.
[Via: CW]
Tata Motors to continue producing Nano at Pantnagar
Tata Motors has confirmed that even after the Nano's 'Mother Plant' becomes operational in Sanand, Gujarat, in 2010, the company will continue producing the small wonder car at Pantnagar. Tata Motors will set up a new satellite plant near its existing facility in Pantnagar, where it will make up to 50,000 units of the Nano per year. Tata Motors has been allotted more than 1,000 acres of land at Pantnagar by the Uttarakhand state government, for setting up the new satellite plant for Nano.
[Via: indiaautomotive]
Tata Motors To Deliver First Nano Today
Tata Motors will deliver the Tata Nano to its first customer today. Ratan Tata, chairman of the company, is expected to hand over the keys to the first Nano customer. The auto major has already begun dispatching the vehicles to dealers across the country after sending allotment letters to the first one-lakh customers.
Tata has assured price protection for the first 100,000 customers, for whom the cars will be available for Rs. 1,00,000/- ($2,053), excluding taxes. The company, which is currently manufacturing the Nano from its interim facility at Pantnagar, has a capacity to manufacture 50,000 cars a year, which it plans to raise to 2.5 lakh units once its new plant at Sanand in Gujarat starts in December.
[Via: motorbeam]
BMW to launch Mini Cooper in India
BMW India plans to launch its Mini brand in India by the end of 2009. The new Mini cooper was launched across the globe a few days back.
The company plans to launch the Mini in India as well. BMW India will get the Roadster Z4 to India too. This could cost anywhere between Rs 50 - 80 lakh.
The company also has plans to launch its X1 in India next year. BMW had unveiled the X1 as a concept car in the Paris Motor Show and now the car could be Indian road ready by next year.
[Via: CW]
2000 Honda Jazz Booked In 20 Days!!
Honda Siel Cars India managed to book 2,032 units of the Jazz within 20 days of its its launch. Honda Jazz is being manufactured at HSCI's facility in Greater Noida, U.P. with localisation level of 77%, to be scaled up in phases.
Bookings for the Honda Jazz have been a runway hit at the company's vast distribution network of 105 authorised dealership facilities, across the country. HSCI has already expanded and strengthened its dealer network in preparation for the launch of the Jazz and this network is likely to go up to 112 facilities by the end of the current financial year.
"We are happy at the response received by Honda Jazz; we are sure that the customers of Honda Jazz will appreciate the product and help us win new customers," Jnaneswar Sen, vice-president, Marketing, Honda Siel Cars India said.
[Via: motorbeam]
Tata Nano to be launched in Nigeria in 2010
Tata Motors will launch its Rs one lakh wonder car - the Nano - in Nigeria next year. 'Tata Motors will make the Nano available in Nigeria in the next one year to one and a half years,' says Sudeep Ray of Tata Africa Nigeria.
The Nano will cost around Naira 360,000 (Rs 1.16 lakh) in Nigeria, which is said to be significantly lower than most used cars sold in that country. At this time, however, it's not clear whether the Nano will be exported to Nigeria as a CBU or whether the car will be assembled there.
Tata Motors is also working towards launching the Nano in European markets by 2012. The Euro-spec Nano will be slightly bigger than the Indian Nano and will be fitted with a bigger, more powerful engine.
[Via: indiaautomotive]