VW Targetting Rs 4 Lakh Starting Price For The Polo
VW is targetting a base price of Rs 4 Lakhs for the Polo when it gets launched in India either late this year or early next year. Worried by the lukewarm response to the Skoda Fabia the company is working hard to meet its cost target for the base Polo which will come with a naturally aspirated 1.2 Litre Petrol engine. The company hopes to sell 25,000 units of the Polo every year in the Indian market.
The next up is the Polo based sedan which will compete in the midsize segment with the likes of Honda City, Fiat Linea and Hyundai Verna. The sedan will sport state of the art petrol and diesel engines for optimum performance and economy. The Jetta too will get a new range of engines by April 2010 to meet the stricter Bharat IV norms. The timid 1.6 Litre Petrol engine will be replaced by a TSi motor while diesel will shift from VW's own Pump Duse technology to more conventional common rail technology.
The new Passat will be launched at the Geneva Motor show next year and is expected to come in India towards the end of 2010. VW's iconic Beetle will also be launched in September this year as but more as a brand building excercize than volumes. The sales are expected to be in double digits only due to higher price.
VW is bullish on the Indian market and is putting all its might behind as it thinks that Indian market has the most potential after the Chinese market in the Asian subcontinent.
[Via: CC]
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]
Nissan LEAF, the future is electric
Nissan showcased it's brand new global, mass-market electric vehicle. A production ready car that will be in showrooms, this zero emission vehicle will be the first serious all electric powered car to be launched by a big car maker.
The Leaf will go on sale in Japan and the US early next year, and Nissan hope to make a business case of the project with the help of government subsidies for zero emission vehicles. There is apparently no dearth of interested countries, but India is not among them as of now.
The car uses a unique set of Nissan designed batteries that use lithium ion as well as manganese for the +ve electrode, reducing costs. Also, the batteries don't take up much space as on other electric or hybrid cars as they are sandwiched under the floor of the car. The range quoted is a very impressive 160 kilometers, with batteries expected to last in good condition for four to five years - a lot.
Power from the electric motors is 80 kw (the equivalent of 107bhp) and performance is very impressive and strong. We got to drive an early mule of the car, basically a Nissan Tiida with the electric motor system, and came away very impressed. As on all electrics, the throttle responses are instant, but crucially power does not tail off after that.
Nissan has worked hard at providing power at a sustained rate and this makes for a much nicer to drive electric car. With wide 205 tyres and all the weight of the batteries between the wheels, handling and grip are also like no electric car before it; one of Nissan's objectives. The brakes however had that typical spongy feel found on all regenerative system. The car easily tops 135 kph and 0-100 would be sub 12 seconds.
With it's tight fitting bonnet, large rear and distinctive and very techy lights, the Leaf looks the part too. Owners want to be identified as driving something different, so Nissan has complied.
The significant bit about this car is that it is likely to the first commercially successful electric. A proper car in every way but the limited range. One that may herald an all new class of car.
KEY FACTS:
· The Leaf is built on an all new platform and there will be two more models in the future as well. One of them is even likely to be a sports car.
· The battery pack for the Nissan Leaf will be leased by the end user for the equivalent of around 4000-5000 rupees; over and above the price of the car .
· A full charge takes eight hours which can be reduced to 30 mins with a three phase meter.
[Via: Autocar]
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 going all out at the Frankfurt Motor Show
BMW is going to show case its premier cars at the Frankfurt Motor Show on a special circuit track. The BMW, MINI and Rolls Royce will get a good showing. Other cars on display will be the ActiveHybrid 7, the ActiveHybrid X6, and world premieres of the 5 Series Gran Turismo and the BMW X1 as well as "further additional product surprises."
As BMW is also marking the 50th anniversary of the MINI, it is going to show two birthday editions of the car, the MINI 50 Camden and the MINI 50 Mayfair. BMW will also highlight its green credentials with some measure to optimize fuel consumption and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Also BMW will be using modular reusable exhibition system which will result in less waste of precious resources.
[Via: globalmotors]
Suzuki Kizashi unveiled in the US
Just three months away from its 100th birthday, Suzuki has unveiled the new Kizashi 'sport sedan' in the US. This is a major step for Suzuki, which, as a brand, is associated with smaller cars and motorcycles.
Built at Suzuki's brand-new manufacturing facility in Sagara, Japan, the 2010 Kizashi is equipped with a 2.4-litre, four-cylinder engine. This was to be expected since the bestselling Toyota Camry and Honda Accord - the Kizashi's main competitors - are also equipped with 2.4-litre, four-cylinder engines. Suzuki claims its engine is more powerful and fuel-efficient than the competition's offerings, though specific figures have not been quoted at this time. Also, Suzuki has announced that a hybrid version of the Kizashi will be launched soon.
The Kizashi comes with a choice of six-speed manual and CVT transmissions. Also, the car features Suzuki's i-AWD all-wheel-drive system, rather than front-wheel-drive which is the norm in this segment. The driver can choose to activate AWD while on the move and this will, according to Suzuki, provide improved roadholding and sure-footed handling, especially in tricky weather and on slippery roads. Suzuki claims the Kizashi has been engineered for the driving enthusiast and the chassis/suspension have been optimised for crisp, nimble handling combined with excellent stability.
[Via: indiaautomotive]
Cash for clunkers brings in the customers
According to a report in MSNBC, the government's scheme of giving cash for clunkers or old cars is bearing fruit in that people are exchanging their beaten down and old vehicles thanks to the discounted price offered by dealers. The fact that new cars come with warranties and even extended warranties in some cases, new car owners are getting good deals.
This will not only spur vehicle sales and help revive the economy but also help in cleaning up the air and reducing gas consumption as newer cars are more fuel efficient. While people are picking up all kinds of cars, the maximum discount they are getting is from Hyundai who is matching the government's offer in a bid to boost sales.
[Via: globalmotors]
One Lakh Cars from Maruti with KB Series Engines
Maruti may not have launched the "One Lakh Car" but it has definitely rolled out the latest technology and fuel efficient "One Lakh Cars" in India. Within 10 months of commencing its production of KB series engine, Maruti has already rolled out more than one lakh units of these engines that currently power its latest brands - A-Star and Ritz.
The new KB series engine has been extremely popular amongst the Indian customers and thus Maruti has decided to incorporate the same technology in its other existing models. According the company spokesperson, "The company's Gurgaon plant has produced over one lakh KB-series engines, which are installed in the two small cars A-Star and Ritz since its commercial production began in October last year. We have definite plans to gradually introduce this next generation light-weight fuel efficient engine series in other models over a period of next 3-5 years."
The new engines are fully compliant with BS-III, BS-IV and Euro IV emission norms. Maruti A-Star is powered by 1L petrol engine that delivers a mileage of 19.6 kmpl while the Ritz is fitted with 1.2L engine that delivers 17.7 kmpl of mileage.
[Via: cartradeindia]
Tata Motors Posts Profits In The First Quarter
Tata Motors posted a 58 per cent rise in its fiscal first-quarter unconsolidated net profit at 5.14 billion rupees ($106.8 million), compared with 3.26 billion rupees a year earlier. The Indian carmaker reported revenues (net of excise) of Rs. 6404.63 crores on a stand-alone basis for the quarter ended June 30, 2009, of the financial year 2009-10, a decline of 7.6% compared to Rs. 6928.44 crores in the corresponding quarter previous year.
Tata Motors's continued focus on cost efficiencies, coupled with reduction of raw material prices, inventory reduction and improvement in sales realisation, yielded considerable benefits resulting in the operating margin to 11.4% (from 7.1% in the previous year), with operating profits at Rs. 728.00 crores, an increase of 47.9% as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.
Improvement in liquidity, increased reach across the country and introduction of new products and variants improved the company's sales, except in the case of the heavy truck segment.
The company's domestic sales volume at 122,120 vehicles recorded a marginal decrease of 1.4% over the corresponding quarter of the previous year, whilst the exports at 5220 vehicles continued to be severely impacted (negative 43%) in the wake of continuing tumultuous global environment resulting in total sales volume at 127,340 vehicles, a decline of 4.3% as compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year.
Tata passenger vehicles declined by 10% in the domestic market to 45,846 units but have been growing sequentially every month of the quarter breaking into positive growth in June. The market share for Tata passenger vehicles has sequentially improved from April to June 2009 with the June exit market share at 12.5%, and for the period being at 11.3%. Along with Fiat, the company has a joint market share of 12.3% in the industry.
[Via: carazoo]
GM will not sell Opel to the Chinese
Talks between GM and Beijing Automotive Industry Holding (BAIC) have come to a standstill as the two are unable to reach an agreement on the negotiations regarding intellectual property rights issues. BAIC has now lost the race to acquire GM's German unit Adam Opel GmbH, and GM a negotiating stance.
The only other contender for GM's Opel is the Canadian company, Magna International along with Sberbank, its Russian financial partner. Their offer visualizes a total investment of EUR700 million, a portion of which would be guaranteed by the German government. If this deal goes through, ownership among the three parties would be as follows: General Motors 35 percent, Sberbank 35 percent, Magna 20 percent, and Opel employees 10 percent.
[Via: globalmotors]