New Tata Indica V2 Turbomax with more power and mileage soon

     Tata Motors will soon launch the Indica V2 hatchback with a more powerful and economical diesel engine. Named as Indica V2 Turbomax, the car will comply to the BS4 emission norms.  The new 1045cc CR4 diesel engine produces power of 70 Ps and 13.7 Kg of torque. The company claims it to be the most fuel efficient car in India with mileage of 24 Kmpl. Currently Tata Nano other than Toyota Prius(which is a hybrid) is the most fuel efficient car in India with 23.6 Kmpl.

     Apart from engine change, there are host of other changes and added features as well. The V2 Turbomax will get some changes in the exterior and interiors. The car sports a larger and sporty 14 inch wheels. Pricing will be little higher than the present model. Get to see the car in your nearest showrooms by first week of March.  

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Chinese truck manufacturers eye India

     With the growing demand of trucks in India, Chinese truck manufacturers want to have their share in Indian truck market. One of the largest truck manufacturer of China 'Sinotruk' is planning to establish a assembling plant in India. Also Beiqi Foton Motorwhich manufactures trucks in India is finalising locations for its Indian subsidary. Shandong Shifeng, a manufacturer of agricultural light trucks is already making light commercial trucks in India with Hindustan Motors.

     "We are hoping for an India partner to introduce our products into local market. Our India strategy is to establish a local assembly facility, which invites lower taxes in order to tap the buoyant local market that is ideal for our range of big trucks," said Shen Xiangke, Sinotruk's international spokesperson.

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Audi A3 saloon concept sketches revealed

     Audi has released the sketches of its A3 saloon concept for the Geneva Motor Show. The A3 saloon will be powered by a 2.5 liter, five cylinder engine with 408 Bhp of power. The A3 measures 4440 mm in length and will be positioned below the A4 saloon.

      Audi A3 saloon is developed on the VW MQB platform and is the first vehicle to roll of the platform. Audi A3 features a pair of LED head lamps and a new trapezoidal front grill. A three door hatchback will make it to the Geneva Motors who and a five door Sportback and two door cabriolet may join later on. A3 will hit markets by mid 2012.

      Audi A3 saloon have been developed on VW MQB platform. Audi A3 will be the first product which will roll out from MQB platform. Like any other Audi, A3 also comes with a pair of  LED studded head lamps and a new trapezoidal front grille. Audi A3 sedan variant will be previewed in Geneva while a three-door hatchback, five-door Sportback and two-door cabriolet may join later on. A3 Sedan is scheduled to hit markets by mid 2012.

“We’ve looked at the situation very carefully and come to the conclusion that a small sedan (saloon) positioned below the A4 has the potential to significantly increase sales penetration in a number of markets,” an Audi official said.

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Volkswagen to sell A-Star under its brand globally

     First of all let us remind that last year VW bought a substantial 20% stake in Suzuki Motor Company. The deal was seen as a mutual understanding to benifit both the companies. Though no future plans were revealed by the two companies, lots of speculations about technology transfer were anticipated.

One such thing is the sale of Suzuki small cars under Volkswagen brand. According to latest reports Volkswagen will sell Suzuki A Star which is popular grobally already under its own brand name. That is A Star will be sold as Volkswagen A Star worldwide. Currently A Star is manufactured in Maruti Suzuki's plant in India and exported to other parts of the world. Maruti Suzuki also manufacture A Star for Nissan which is sold globally as Nissan Pixo.

Volkswagen will be benifit with low cost small car manufacturing expertise of Suzuki. Volkswagen's sister company Skoda Auto is also likely to use its brand on some of the Suzuki smalls. With these development it looks obvious that VW is determined to dethrone Totoya as world's No. 1 automobile manufacturer by 2018.

Though this is not official, Suzuki might get access to VW's technologically advanced diesel engines. Currently Suzuki has only 1.3L multijet engine sourced from Fiat for its small cars and the company is finding difficult to fit the same engine is the mid-sized sedan as well. With the access to VW's diesel engines Suzuki will have an option to power its mid-sized saloons with a diesel mill, the main segment which it is lacking in. Though SX4 diesel has been launched, the company feels insecured as the cometititors are offereing a bigger and powerful diesel engine. The latest entry from Maruti Suzuki 'Kizashi' might as well get a VW diesel engine in future.

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Nissan Micra DIG-S with powerful gasoline engine

     Nissan has come up with a new powerful petrol engine for its small car Micra. Christened Micra DIG-S, the car gets a supercharged gasoline 1.2L engine that develops power equivalent to that of a 1.5L engine. Apart from extra power the supercharged engine is easier on the environment as wel, the engine will emit only 95g/Km of CO2. Nissan claims the DIG-S (Direct Injection Gasoline-Supercharger) engine gives fuel efficiency of 24.39 Kmpl with power delivery as high as 97 Bhp.

Nissan Micra DIG-S Engine Features

• Innovative technology for low emissions, excellent economy and strong performance
• Advanced all-new ‘Pure Drive’ low friction three-cylinder engine
• 1.2-litres, 72kW (98PS), 12 valves, Direct Injection Gasoline-Supercharger (DIG-S)
• Miller cycle and supercharged for ultimate efficiency and performance
• Ultra-low CO₂ emissions: just 95g/km
• Start/Stop system
• Diesel-like economy with petrol engine power and refinement and no diesel cost surcharge
• Low cost of ownership

Press Release:

Nissan is just as committed to reducing emissions from cars powered by the internal combustion engine as it is to developing new zero emission electric vehicles. The Micra DIG-S showcases how far our engineers have come.

“It is clear that our new Direct Injection Gasoline-Supercharger engine offers the best solution for small cars like Micra. With instant throttle response, its performance and strong economy are a more than a match for any diesel engine with similar power outputs, but its emissions performance is much better.”

We have been able to achieve this ultra low CO2 figure in a cost effective package and without the complication of particulate filters needed to clean up diesel engine emissions and which are not entirely compatible with a car that spends much of its life in the city said Pierre Loing, Vice President Product Strategy and Planning, Nissan International SA.

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Official: New Ford Fiesta to be launched in India this year

     Ford India has officially confirmed that it will launch the New Fiesta sedan in India this year. The exact time line has not been revealed but it could happen some where in June July this year. Few days ago Ford India had announced that it will rechristen the present Fiesta as Fiesta Classic once the New Fiesta sedan is launched. Details of powertrains has not been out but it is expected that a pair of 1.6L engines might find its place under the hood.

 

Press Release:

Ford India to bring its All-new, Global Award-winning Fiesta in India in 2011

New DELHI, India, 22 Feb, 2011 – Ford’s all-new, award-winning Fiesta is coming to India this year. This marks the first in a series of eight new global products that Ford plans to introduce in India by the middle of this decade.

Announcing the new Fiesta’s eagerly awaited arrival, Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India said, “We are delighted the new Fiesta is coming to India. It will provide Indian customers a premium sedan that reflects their personality in terms of style, technology and performance, and will add a new level of diversity and dynamism to our showrooms.”

The new Ford Fiesta will be built at Ford’s state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Chennai and the Indian consumers can look forward to a hi-end sedan that will provide sporty design, great ride, dynamic performance and array of smart technologies.

“The new Fiesta will augment the current range of Fiesta vehicles in India, which remain an integral part of our product line-up,” Boneham added. “Our stepped-up launch plan builds on the incredible consumer response to the Ford Figo, which in 12 months has transformed our presence in India and attracted many new customers to the Ford brand.”

The new, global Fiesta, which is available in more than 100 markets throughout the world, has sold more than one million units worldwide.

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A new kid on the block - SX4 diesel, watchout

     The SX4 diesel might be a late entry into the Indian mid-size diesel segemet, but the car promises to ruin the party of Ventos, Manzas, Lineas and ofcouse the Vernas. The Fiat sourced 1.3L multijet diesel engine with Turbo, which the Suzuki calls it as DDiS seams to give better performance than the Linea. Fiat might be kicking itself for transfering the technology of 1.3L multijet diesel engine to Suzuki. This is not the first time Suzuki has bullied the Fiat, even the engine in Swift which is same as that of the Punto, delivers better performance and mileage than the later, thanks to light weight and value engineering from the Japanese.

     The sales of SX4 had sky-dived in the recent past, that was manily due to the lack of diesel option. The SX4 which the company calls as 'Men are Back' indeed lives upto the proverb with is ruggedness and high ground clearance. The large wheels and high ground clearance gobbles the potholes like a devil.

      

     With the launch of SX4, not only the diesel rivals such as Vento, Linea, Manza and Verna are concerned, the bench marker in the segment, Honda City will also face the heat because of the pricing. With the price of Rs. 7.74 lakh for the base variant which goes up to Rs. 8.60 lakh for the top end one (All prices ex-showroom New Delhi), a great chunk of Indian customers will opt for SX4 and since being a Maruti is an advantage.

      The other car which the SX4 will closely compete is the Etios, but by the time Toyota would launch the Etios the SX4 diesel would have dominated the segment. What you say???

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New Volkswagen concepts revealed for Geneva Motor Show

     Volkswagen had announced that it will show 7 new concept cars at the Geneva Motor Show. Of them two concepts have been ready and the pictures are available on the net.  The two concepts in the pictures are designed by Italdesign Giugiaro studio at the European patent office. Volkswagen now owns Italdesign Giugiaro design studio.

     The first concept is a tall and narrow five-door hatchback model with seating for four passengers, while the second model appears to be a sportier looking three-door variant with a lower roofline and more aggressive lines, in the likes of the Scirocco. We can't tell for sure, but it is possible that these two cars are roughly the same size as the Polo.

New Volkswagne Concept 1

New Volkswagne Concept 2

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Maruti Suzuki SX4 diesel launched, priced at Rs. 7.74 lakh

     Maruti Suzuki has launched the diesel powered SX4 in India with price starting from Rs. 7.74 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi). The diesel SX4 will be available in 3 variants - LDi, VDi and ZDi.

     The SX4 diesel is powered by the same 1.3L multijet engine, but the turbo helps to produce power of 90 Bhp. The same engine powers the Fiat Linea and recently launched refreshed Tata Manza. The SX4 diesel has been priced competitively at Rs. 7.74 lakh for VDi and Rs 8.62 lakh for top of the line ZDi variant. Volkswagen Vento diesel is priced between Rs. 7.99 to 9.23 lakh and Fiat Linea between Rs. 7.40 lakh to Rs. 8.71 lakh (All prices ex-showroom New Delhi).

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BMW launches new sub-brand 'i'

BMW has launched a new sub-brand 'i' thorugh it plans to market a range of advanced standalone hybrid, range-extender and plug-in electric models.


The first vehicles to be come under the 'i' brand will be i3 & i8 both of which will be released in 2013. The two vehciles are known for their alternate drive system which have been designed to overcome the extra weights of the batteries.

LifeDrive as the BMW calls the new architecture uses alluminium chassis to cover the drive train and the passenger compartement made up of carbonfibre-reinforced plastic developed in association with SG carbon.
 

The i3 with is an extension of BMW's Mega City vechicle, will be powered by an all-electric driveline which uses a 170 Bhp electric motor along with a lithium ion battery pack can cover a range of 100 miles. Several models inculding a range exteder is also under development.


The i8 known to as EffecientDynamics concept car is powered by BMW's upcoming 1.5L petrol engine and electric motor similar to that of the i3.


Both i3 and i8 will be manufactured at BMW's Lepzig factory, which attracted 400 million euro of frest investements.

Source: Autocarindia

BMW i sub-brand with i3 / i8 [video]

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Jaguar planning to launch BMW 3 Series rival

     Tata Motors owned British marquee Jaguar is planning to launch a small sedan to rival BMW 3 Series. With the increasing demand of the luxury cars in India BMW 3 Series has been the favourite of the first time luxury car buyers because of its price and quality. Also on cars is Sporty 4x4 crossover which is expected in 2014. The two models are planned under project codenamed X760.

Source: Autocarindia

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BharatBenz – the new brand from Daimler for India

     German automobile giant Daimler AG has unvieled a new brand for India named ‘BharatBenz’. With the increasing demand of commercial vehicles in India, Daimler aims to gain maximum foothold with this new brand in the segment. The new brand BharatBenz will be limited to commercial vehicles like buses and trucks from Daimler Group in India.

     Under BharatBenz brand, Daimler has invested Rs 4,400 crore at a facility in Oragadam near Chennai which will manufacture 6 to49 tonnes commercial vehicles. Bharat Benz will compete with players like Sweden’s Volvo, Germany’s Man and America Navistar in India heavy vehicle segment.

Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG & Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars -

We would have liked to come to the country earlier but there was a slowdown. We are very clear that we want to take a leadership position in India. We have chosen a very promising product for this market.

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2012 Proton Exora spied

     Proton has been in news for some time in India. The Malaysian company wants to set its foot hold in growing Indian car market but somehow is not able to make it. The company is searching for a potential partner to launch its cars namely Savvy and Saga initially and more products in the future.

     Proton Exora is one of the successful models in Proton line up. The MUV with its dashing looks and practicality would give a stiff competition to Innova in India. The next generation/ 2012 Exora has been spied being testing in winter conditions. However the 2012 will be a facelift with changes to front, rear and also on the side body panels. Interiors are expected to be same and so do the power trains. Hope we could see the new Exora in India soon.

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Honda recalls ‘City’ in India for faulty valve train

     Honda has recalled its popular sedan ‘City’ in India for replacement for a faulty valve train. The recalled cars were manufactured between November 2008 and December 2009. According to the company 57,853 units had been manufactured during the period and all those will be recalled.

     The City need a change of lost motion springs which are compressed by rocker jams during normal engine use. These springs may bend or break causing abnormal engine noise and hence damaging the engine.

     The valve train replacement will be done free of cost and the company will communicate with the City owners directly. A microsite on Honda’s Indian website has also been created where customers can check weather their cars are affected

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New Volkswagen Passat launch in India on March 29th

     Volkswagen will launch the new Passat sedan in India on 29th of March this year. The new Passat will be the 7th generation car and even though most of the body panels have been changed, the car looks similar to the earlier model. Nothing has been changed in terms of dimensions except for the length which is 4 mm longer than the outgoing car.


     New headlamp and tailamp assembly with chrome insertions are the only major changes in the exterior. The interior looks familiar with the earlier model but now gets lots of chrome treatment. Quality of interiors have been enhanced with use of quality materials.


     Initially, the Passat will be available in the same engine options – a 2.0 TDI diesel and 1.8 TSI petrol, both of which are familiar and being used in the earlier model. The 2.0 TDI diesel engine now delivers power of 170 Bhp, a clean 32 Bhp higher. Transmission options offered will be both manual and DSG gearbox. Expect the new Passat to be priced slightly higher than the previous one.


     Autocarindia could scoop some of the pictures of the soon to be launched new Passat. Have a look at them.

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Mahindra Gio passenger cab launched in Bihar

     Mahindra has launched a passenger variant of its sub one tonne pick up Gio in Bihar priced at Rs. 1.95 lakh (ex-showroom). The vehicle is powered by single-cylinder, 441cc, diesel engine that produces 9.1 bhp and 2.2 kgm of peak torque. The engine compiles with BS3 norms. Mahindra claims the Gio 4-wheeler compact cab will deliver 30 kmpl. The 4 wheeler compact cab will compete with the 3-wheeler passenger carriers from Bajaj and Piaggio.

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Mercedes Benz launches G Wagon(G55 AMG) in India

     German luxury automobile manufacturer Mercedes Benz has launched G Wagon cross country vehicle in India priced at Rs. Rs 1.1 crore (ex-showroom Mumbai). The G Wagon will be imported a CBU (Completely Built Unit). The G represents Geländewagen which in German refers to Cross Country Vehicle. The version launched in India is the AMG tuned G55.

     The G55 is powered by a 5.5-litre petrol V8 eninge developing 507 Bhp @ 6100 rpm & 71.4 kgm of torque @ 2750 rpm. The G55 weight over 2.5 tonnes and does 0-100 is just 5.5 seconds. The G55 is loaded with technology such as permanent all-wheel drive with three locking differentials, a 5-speed automatic transmission, ESP and electronic traction control system and high performance 350mm front and 330mm rear ventilated disc brakes.

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One more Chinese MPV caught testing in India – this time its Hong Guang

    Few days earlier we had posted about General Motors testing the Wuling MPV Hong Tu in India. Now we have found one more MPV from the Chinese manufacturer Wuling being tested on India soil.

     The MPV in the picture with heavy camouflage is Wuling Hong Guang which was spied in Bangalore. Unlike the Hong Tu which is a competitor to Maruti Eeco, the Hong Guang is bigger in dimensions and is likely to compete against Toyota Innova and Mahindra Xylo. The vehicle has flexible seating arrangements of 2+2+3 and 2+3+3.

     Chevrolet has to position the Hong Guang as it might overshadow its own Tavera. Probable Chevrolet will position Hong Guang as a luxury people mover. Lets wait and watch.

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Chevrolet Beat diesel launch in India by June 2011

     Chevrolet had revealed its plans of launching a diesel powered Beat in India. Now it has been confirmed that the diesel Beat will be launched in India by June 2011. But we could expect the diesel Beat launch any time before the speculated launch.

     Chevrolet recently launched LPG version of the Beat and is looking serious on the diesel variant to push sales. The petrol driven Beat could not make a big impact on the Indian market thanks to the series of new launches in the segment by other players.

     Goa on Wheels (a fellow blogger) could able to get spy pictures of diesel Beat being testing in Bangalore. To remind, General Motors has a designing and testing facility in Bangalore which was instrumental in developing the new 1.2L SMARTECH petrol engine which powers the current Beat.

     The white Beat in the picture has a TCDi badge which makes it confirm that the car is indeed run on diesel. Since we have spotted the car without camouflage it might be soon launched earlier than expected. The Beat diesel engine will be a 3 cylinder 1litre one promising a path breaking fuel efficiency.

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Mahindra enters construction equipment market in India with launch of Earth Master backhoe loader

     India’s leading multi utility vehicle manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra has entered the construction equipment market in India with the launch of Earth Master backhoe loader. The Earth Master backhoe loader is priced at Rs. 20.98 lakh (ex-showroom Maharashtra) and will be manufactured at the company’s state of the art facility at Chakan. The vehicle is ideal for all heavy duty applications such as excavation, loading, grading, dozing and cutting.

     The Earth Master backhoe loader is powered by a DITEC 3.3 litre engine with 83 Bhp of power. The vehicle promises to give unmatched fuel economy, superior style and great operator comfort.  The vehicle comes with a 2 years unlimited hours warranty and can be serviced at dedicated service outlets by the company.

Press Release:

Speaking at the launch of the Construction Equipment business, Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, said, “The Mahindra EarthMaster is an outcome of 36 months of development and is loaded with technology not hitherto seen in this product segment in India. With EarthMaster, we are ushering in a new era of performance, comfort and ease of operation in backhoe loaders.”

“The Mahindra EarthMaster has undergone over 20,000 hours of rigorous testing in the harshest of terrains and for the toughest of applications. It has been validated on all performance, safety and reliability parameters. It is backed by Mahindra’s dealer network, which will have unparalleled reach across the country. India is the world’s largest backhoe loader market with over 25,000 units expected to be sold in this fiscal, and we hope to create a mark in this fast growing segment,” said Kairas Vakharia, Business Head, Construction Equipment, Mahindra & Mahindra.

Source: The Hindu via IndianCarsBikes

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Top 10 cars sold in India in January 2011

1. Alto - 33118
2. i10 - 16,694
3. WagonR - 14186
4. Swift - 11353
5. Indica - 10591
6. Dzire - 9771
7. Figo - 8616
8. Bolero - 8463
9. Indigo + Manza - 8456
10. Omni - 8059

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Hyundai i45 sedan (next gen Sonata) caught testing in India

     It looks Hyundai has series of launches for India this year. Some days ago next generation Hyundai Verna (RB) was spotted testing in Tamil Nadu. Now what we see from the picture is the new Sonata which is named i45 according to the new Hyundai nomenclature is being tested on the Indian soil.

     The i45 is the first car to be born out from Hyundai’s new 'fluidic sculpture' design philosophy. The car has been designed brilliantly with lot of floating creases and I am sure most of you will agree that it will put the latest Merc, BMW and Audis to shame. The grill also features a flowing water pattern which highlights the car’s design. The next generation Elantra and Verna looks like a scaled down model of the i45.

          There is very remote information regarding the power trains and trim levels of the car but it is for sure that Hyundai is serious to give stiff competition to Honda and Toyota in India.

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Force Motors SUV launch postponed

     Force Motors, owned by Firodia's have postponed the launch of its maiden SUV in India. The SUV was supposed to be launched in March which has been postponed to May this year. The company wants to extend the testing of the SUV in order to ensure zero glitches before it is launched. It will compete with already established Mahindra Scorpio and Tata Safari. The SUV has been extensively being tested in and around Pune for more than 6 months.

     The SUV will be powered by a new 2.2 litre diesel engine manufactured with licensee with Daimler. The engine is being tweeked up to give more mileage by cutting down the power output. 

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Tata Indigo Manza Elan launched

     Tata Motors have launched a minor facelifted Manza named 'Elan' with price ranging between Rs. 5.14-5.91 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi). Tata Motors dealers across the country has started bookings of the Manza Elan.

     There is no change under the hood of the Manza Elan. The Elan is powered by the same 1.3 liter 88 Bhp Quadrajet diesel and 1.4 liter 88 Bhp Safire petrol eninge. The change can be seen in the interiors. Dashboard gets dual tone treatment and also new range of plastics have been used. Alloy wheels come as standard. Some chrome treatment to fog lamps, head lamps and bottom weather strip has been done. A new colour ‘Tyrian wine’ is the highlight of the Elan.  

     Tata Motors released a press release which says “With a new look of premium dual tone interiors and an exterior make-over, the new Tata Manza delivers a driving experience, which is a class apart in the sedan market.”

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Maruti Suzuki SX4 diesel spy pictures before its launch

     Autocarindia reader Nishant Magavi from Hubli could snap some spy pictures of the Maruti SX4 diesel before its launch. The car was parked at a Maruti dealership in Hubli. The diesel SX4 will be launched today at New Delhi.

     The car seen in the picture above is the Demo car with a ZDi badge on it. Apart from the strickering the car cannot be differentiated from its petrol sibling. The SX4 diesel will be powered by the same 1.3L DDiS engine which has been tweaked up to give better performance and economy than its rivals.

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India car market sales data for January 2011

Chevrolet

Optra - 296

Cruze  - 715

Aveo  - 240

UVA - 331

Tavera - 1691

Spark - 3267

Beat - 3338

Captiva – 91

Fiat

Linea - 947

G Punto - 1203

Palio - 24

Ford

Ikon - 0

Fiesta - 1059

Endeavour - 351

Figo – 8616

HM-Mitsubishi

Pajero - 94

Outlander - 69

Lancer + Cedia - 21

Montero - 2

Ambassador -  450 (approx)

Honda

City - 5059

Civic - 508

Accord - 174

Jazz - 579

CRV – 38

Hyundai

Santro - 4648

i10 - 16694

i20 - 5773

Accent - 1317

Verna - 1858

Sonata - 11

Santa Fe - 5

Mahindra

Logan - 1120

Xylo - 2733

Scorpio - 4304

Bolero - 8463

Marshall, Maxx etc. - 588

Maruti

M800 - 1876

Omni - 8059

Alto - 33118

Estilo - 3652

WagonR - 14186

Dzire - 9771

SX4 - 2159

Eeco - 5886

Swift - 11353

A-Star - 4124

Ritz - 6046

Gypsy - 191

G Vitara - 1

Skoda

Laura - 630

Fabia - 1460

Superb - 391

Yeti - 344

Tata

Nano - 6703

Indica - 10591

Indigo + Manza - 8456

Sumo - 2187

Safari - 1796

Aria - 321

Venture - 158

Toyota

Innova - 5284

Corolla P - 490

Corolla D4D - 649

Fortuner - 1103

Etios - 1651

Camry - 3

Prado - 3

Landcruiser - 1

Prius - 1

VW

Jetta - 247

Beetle - 20

Polo - 3,023

Vento - 2,308

Passat - 2

Phaeton - 1

Volvo

S80 - 4

XC60 - 26

XC90 - 9

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Audi Q5 2.0TDI Quattro launched in India

     Audi has launched its mini SUV Q5 with a 4 cylinder 2.0 TDI Quattro engine in India. Till now Audi Q5 was available with a 3.0TDI Quattro engine. The new 2.0TDI Quattro develops 125-170Bhp of power @ 4200rpm and Torque of 350Nm @ 1750 – 2500rpm.

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Mercedes Aesthetics 125 sculpture unveiled in Stutgart

     Few days ago we had mentioned about the Aesthetics 125 sculpture by Mercedes. Mercedes has unveiled the Aesthetics 124 sculpture at Stutgart commemorating its completion of 125 years since Karl Benz applied for patenting the first automobile. The sculpture looks very futuristic previewing the company's design language for tomorrow.

     Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG says, "The invention of Daimler and Benz has changed the world for the better - and it will continue to do so. History shows that when a society becomes physically mobile it also becomes socially mobile and economically successful." He continued, "As the inventor of the automobile, Daimler strives to be at the forefront of shaping future mobility."

Source: Mercedes-Benz via Worldcarfans

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Maruti Suzuki Kizashi launched in India

     Maruti Suzuki has launched its much awaited luxury sporty sedan Kizashi in India priced between Rs. 16.5 – 17.5 Lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi). This is the first offering by Maruti Suzuki in luxury segment of Indian market.

     The Kizashi is manufactured in Suzuki’s Sagara plant in Japan. Presently the Kizashi will be sold in India as a Completely Built-up Unit (CBU). Kizashi offers excellent packaging rich luxury, style and sporty performance. Bookings of the car have begun and can be booked with an initial amount of Rs. 50,000. Deliveries of the car will begin by March 2011.

     The Kizashi is powered by a 2.4L DOHC J-Series petrol engine that gives a staggering performance with maximum power output of 178 Ps @ 5,500 rpm and maximum torque of 230 Nm @ 4000 rpm. It is mated to a 6-speed Manual Transmission and a Continuous Variable Transmission. Fuel efficiency is class leading with the manual variant giving 12.45 Kmpl and the CVT variant giving 12.53 Kmpl.

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Mercedes relaunches Maybach in India

     Mercedes Benz has relaunched the ultra luxury sedan Maybach in India in order to meet the rising demand for luxury cars in this part of the world. Indian luxury car market has grown leaps and bounds in the past few years with players like Mercedes, BMW and Audi registering good sales. India is currently the third largest automobile market.

     Mercedes Maybach is available in two variants - 57S with a 5,980cc engine and 62 with 5,513cc engine. Maybach 57S is priced at Rs 4.85 crore and Maybach 62 at Rs 5.10 crore.

Peter Honegg, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, along with Suhas Kadlaskar, director corporate affairs and human resources, Mercedes-Benz India, at the Maybach's launch

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Tata Indigo Manza Elan Discover Me campaign, car launch on Feb 7th

     Yesterday we had showed you the clear pictures of the Tata Indigo Manza Elan. Tata Motors have come up with a unique online campaign Discover Me.Visit the Tata Indigo Manza Elan Discover Me campaign here. It has been official now that the Elan will be launched on the 7^th of February. With the Elan, Tata Motors yet again proving that it makes cars which are value for money. 

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Hindustan Motors to launch small car by July 2011

     India’s oldest automobile manufacturer Hindustan Motors will launch a new small car in Indian market by July this year. The new small car will be built on the same old Ambassador platform and will be available in both hatchback and sedan version. This will the first hatchback vehicle form the manufacturer in it history of over 60 years.

     The hatchback will be smaller than the Ambassador and hence would come under 4 meter length mark to avail excise duty. The new car will be manufactured at HM’s plant at Uttarpara in West Bengal. This seams to be a final attempt by the CK Birla group to come back in the Indian automobile industry.

     It was roumered for a while that HM will join hands with Proton of Malyasia to manufature and sell the latter's cars - Savvy and Saga. But now HM has decided to go on its own and make its own car for Indian market. 

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Chevrolet Beat LPG launched in India

     General Motors India has launched Chevrolet Beat in LPG version. The Beat LPG is powered by the new SMARTECH engine which was unveiled couple of days back. Unlike the regular Venturi type kit used in other cars, Beat LPG is fitted with an Advance Multipoint Sequential LPG Injection technology type kit which has loads of advantages over the former. Beat is the first vehicle in India to use High Pressure LPG pipes made of High Strength Nylon.

     A sensor based switch allows you to switch from LPG to Petrol and vice versa without worries. Also the Beat automatically switches from LPG to Petrol where there is no gas left in the tank.

The advantage of this LPG kit as compared to regular kits are -

• Less weight
• No power loss
• No jerks and backfires which means smoother hassle-free transition from petrol to LPG and back.
• Better routing control and no kinking.
• No chance of inside/outside corrosion for life.
• The LPG kit is intelligently placed in the engine compartment, hence consuming lesser space and giving enough room for the passengers.
• The cabin space is not affected due to LPG kit and hence passengers can enjoy the same space as Beat petrol.

     Chevrolet Beat LPG comes with 3 Years or 45,000 Km on Maintenace (whichever is earlier) and 3 Years or 1,00,000 Km Warranty.

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