New Audi Logo To Debut At Frankfurt Motor Show
Audi has announced its plans to unveil their updated logo for the first time internationally at the Franfurt Motor show. The redesigned logo stresses "Vorsprung durch technik" (Advancement through Technology) and has already made its initial debut at the brand's 100th anniversary celebrations.
The updated logo with 4 rings in still the visual focus of the new logo but the altered surface and new profile gives it a more contemporary look.
"Vorsprung durch Technik is a clear promise to our customers - and an obligation for all Audi employees to render our design even more innovative, our drive systems even more efficient and our product range even more emotion-packed." said Peter Schwarzenbauer, a member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales for Audi.
"Audi is the most progressive premium brand," says Peter Schwarzenbauer. "This orientation to the future is in our genes - and in time for Audi's 100th anniversary has consequently now become a part of our brand logo."
[Via: CC]
New Laura to feature at Lakme Fashion Week
Skoda India returns to make an emphatic fashion statement as the sponsor of Lakme Fashion Week Spring Summer 2010 where the latest trends in style and design make their debut. The much awaited event celebrating its 10 th year, which attracts not only the fashion conscious but also the glitterati from bollywood and the social circuit, will feature the New Škoda Laura 10/10 as the 'Official Car' of this season.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Thomas Kuehl, Board Member, Sales & Marketing, SkodaAuto India said, "We are glad to announce our partnership with the Lakme Fashion Week for the third consecutive season as it presents us with an ideal platform to showcase our avant-garde automotive designs flanking the best from the fashion world. The style, sophistication and exemplary design of the New Laura Perfect 10 is without doubt a fitting model to adorn the fashion world."
The Skoda Laura is recognized for its new engine technology, excellent safety and comfort features and good performance. Perfect handling, directional stability and enhanced braking ability have always been the hallmark of every Skoda automobile and are mirrored in the new Laura as well. Soaring high on the design, safety, security, comfort, and convenience aspects, The New Laura accelerates on the same track assuring the customers a perfect 10/10 driving experience.
[Via: cartradeindia]
VW Aims To Sell 1 Lakh Units
Volkswagen announced that it is aiming to sell 1,00,000 cars annually in India by 2014.The German luxury car maker said that the launch of its Volkswagen Polo in both hatchback and sedan variants in India will help the company boost up its sales in India.
With the introduction of Polo, Volkswagen will move into the mass-volume car market in India. The Volkswagen Polo will be manufactured in the company's Chakan plant near Pune. The Rs 3,800 Crore Chakan plant has an annual capacity of 1.10 Lakh units. The Volkswagen Jetta and the Volkswagen Passat, which are currently sold in India, are assembled at this facility unit.
Moreover, the German company also sells the high-end Volkswagen Phaeton and the Touareg in India but, these cars are imported from the company's mother plant in Germany. Volkswagen also will be introducing the iconic Volkswagen Beetle in India by November 2009 and the Beetle, a company spokesperson said, would be shipped into India from Germany in the form of Completely Built Unit (CBU).
The company which has a firm footing in India also is planning to strengthen its dealership network to 40 dealerships across the country by the end of 2009. The company sold 1,566 vehicles last year and has targeted to sell more than 3,000 vehicles in India in 2009 and with the launch of Polo next year; Volkswagen is hoping to sell 25,000 units of Polo in 2010.
[Via: carazoo]
Hyundai Equus launched in China
Hyundai has launched its top-of-the-line luxury sedan - Equus - in China, where it's priced between 677,000-910,000 Yuan (Rs 48.13-64.70 lakh). A Hyundai that costs the equivalent of Rs 65 lakh?! Yes indeed, the Equus is Hyundai's intended competitor to the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series, so the price shouldn't come as a surprise…
The Equus, which is also due to be launched in the US by mid-2010, comes with a choice of 4.6-litre V8 and 3.8-litre V6 engines. The Hyundai luxo-barge was launched in South Korea in March this year and has been well received in its domestic market. The Korean company is hoping its luxury car will do equally well elsewhere in Asia and in the US. In India, however, Hyundai's bigger cars simply haven't worked and the Equus isn't likely to be launched here in the foreseeable future.
[Via: indiaautomotive]
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]
Honda Civic Si Launched in the UK
Japanese manufacturer Honda today launched in the UK a new version of the Civic that comprises a series of sporty upgrades over the stock models. Codenamed Si, the new Civic is only available for the five-door version of the car but can be ordered with any of the available engine configurations.
According to autocar.co.uk, highlights of the new Civic Si include color-coded bumpers, front foglights, a Type R-style mesh grille, dark chrome door handles and fuel cap. Additionally, there are also a number of features available depending on the engine configuration you choose.
For example, the 16-inch graphite-colored alloy wheels are only available for the 1.4-liter option while the 17-inch dark rims come with 1.8-liter petrol and 2.2-liter diesel versions. However, all versions get half-leather upholster and iPod connectivity, the aforementioned source wrote.
As for pricing, the Si badge isn't too expensive when compared to the standard models. All version cost only 850 pounds (approximately 1,000 euros) over the base price of the stock models. The Si version is expected to go on sale later this year.
The five-door Honda Civic is offered in a choice of three engines, as it follows: 1.4i, 1.8i and 2.2 i-CDT. Both the 1.8i and the 2.2 i-CDT have the same output, 140 horsepower respectively, but the gasoline version pushes the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.9 seconds and helps it achieve a maximum speed of 127.4 mph (205 km/h). As for fuel consumption, the gasoline unit burns 8.2 liters of gasoline every 100 km (28.7 mpg) in city conditions.
[Via: autoevolution]
Indian tyre exports down
According to the latest figures released by Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA), tyre exports from India showed a 25% decline during April-May 2009, at 736,070 units, as compared to 985,273 units in the year-ago period.
During April-May this year, truck and bus tyre exports stood at 282,247 units, as compared to 314,938 units in April-May 2008. LCV tyre exports went down from 309,450 units to 201,478 units, while passenger car tyre exports went down from 155,934 units to 125,542 units.
Exports account for approximately 15% of the total turnover of the Indian tyre industry, which is why this drop in exports is a worrying factor for tyre manufacturers in the country. Part of the reason why Indian tyre exports are declining is said to be aggressive strategies from Chinese and Korean tyre companies, which are also flooding the Indian market with their cheaper products.
[Via: indiautomotive]
First hybrid Lamborghini on the road by 2015
Lamborghini is working on a hybrid and it will hit the roads by 2015. The news comes from a recent interview with the German-language Automobilewoche, during which Winkelmann said he could easily imagine a small electric motor joining the cacophony of 10- and 12-cylinder engines for which the brand is famous.
Rather than going totally green, however, such hybrids would be serve more as environmental mitigators - improving fuel efficiency in urban areas where emissions are worst, but getting out of the way when it's time to hit the track or back country.
[Via: germancarblog]
Volkswagen Pune Unit Interests the World Bank
World Bank plans to invest heavily in the Pune plant of Volkswagen. The World Bank, the world's largest private sector lender and an international financial body, plans to invest an initial amount of 135 million Euros which will help in creating jobs locally. Out of the total investment, the World Bank will invest 65 million Euros from its own resources and remaining 75 million Euros will be funded through its other commercial partner banks like Societe Generale, Bank of Mitsubishi, DBS Bank, and Fortis Bank.
Volkswagen has its manufacturing unit in Pune since 2007 and currently has a manufacturing capacity of producing 110,000 cars annually. The company has already invested 245 million Euros in its plant.
"This investment demonstrates the important counter-cyclical role IFC plays in supporting a vital project with significant job-creating potential during challenging times," said Dimitris Tsitsiragos, IFC director for global manufacturing and services. "The investment will also support the development of India's car manufacturing sector and sends a strong signal to other investors in the country," Tsitsiragos added.
[Via: cartradeindia]