Maruti Suzuki developing a diesel engine for mid sized sedans

     India's largest automobile manufacturer Maruti Suzuki has announced that the company is developing a diesel engine for its mid-sized sedans which will be ready by 2011. Currently Maruti Suzuki enjoys a good market share of around 50%, thanks to its small diesel cars such as Swift and Ritz being sold in good numbers.

     The company is facing serious problems of not having a bigger diesel engines for its mid-size sedan SX4. Though being a good product, SX4 sales have been hit due to lack of a diesel option. Current the mid-sized sedan segemet is hotting up in Inida and no wonder companies like Toyota and Volkswagen are launching a good diesel powered sedan under Rs 10 lakh.

     Swift based sedan Dzire is also expected to get a bigger engine in coming future.

Suzuki plans to make India as export hub for its cars

     After Hyundai, Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan is planning to make India as its export hub for its cars. The company intent to export cars to Europe and African markets from India.

     Speaking at a Business Summit at Nikkei, Chariman of the company Mr Osamu Suzuki said, India has to develop its infrastructure to make it a major export hub. He emphasized on development ports which facilitate smooth export processes.

Honda reveals its small car Brio

     Honda has revealed the prototype of its small car Brio at the 27th Thailand International Motor Expo 2010. Honda small car concept (codenamed 2CV) was showcased at the Auto Expo 2010.


Honda has built Brio as a commuter vehicle which is easy to use even in urban areas. The compact dimensions of the car (length 3,610mm x width 1,680mm x height 1,475 mm) helps in easy handling for the car in city traffic. 


Honda is aiming at fuel effeciency of 20 Kmpl. Brio has been priced at 4,00,000 Bhat in Thailand which is around Rs. 6,00,000/-

More pictures of Honda Brio

Honda Brio Video

Volvo XC60 launched in India

-->     Swedish car maker Volvo has launched its XC60 SUV in India priced at Rs 39.5 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi). The XC60 is the first vehicle in the contemporary crossover segment and is believed to be one of the safest cars in the world.

      The XC60 is powered by D5 twin turbo diesel engine pumping out 205 Bhp of  power and torque of 42.82 Kgm at 1500-3250 rmp. 0-60 is achieved in 4.48 seconds and does 100 Kmph in 9.57 seconds which is remarkable for such a big size vehicle. 

The Volvo XC60 is loaded with unique safety features such as

Blind Spot Information System
Lane Departure Warning
Radar-based Adaptive Cruise Control
Collision Warning with Auto Brakes (optional)
Radar and camera-assisted Automatic Braking
Roll Stability Control
Hill Descent Control
Whiplash Protection System
Adaptive Brake Light and Ready Alert Brakes

Source: Autocarindia.com  

Fiat to split its Truck & Car business

     Italian automobile gaint will split its Truck & Tractor business with Car making operations. The split will be officially effective from 1^st January 2011. The two split firms will be Fiat SPA, which will focus on the automotive sector and Fiat Industrial SPA, which will have truck, commercial vehicles, agricultural and construction equipment, and related powertrain divisions under its portfolio.The two firms also gets new logos designed by Robilant Associati

Ford India planning for a second plant, in talks with Gujarat Govt.

     Ford India is scouting for a second plant in India. The company is in talks with Gujarat Govt. and deal is likely to be finalized soon. Ford has planned to launch 8 new models in India in coming years. With just one plant Ford will not be able to cater to the customer demands and hence has decided to open a second plant. Now Why Gujarat? Well who better than Narendra Modi can assure of all the facilities you need for the project. Tata Nano plant in Gujarat was the brain child of Modi who assured Mr Ratan Tata of all the sops he needed.

Toyota Etios Liva is the hatchback Etios

     Toyota has named its small car as Etios Liva. The sedan version of the car will b called as Etios. Toyota will officially announce the name on the 1st of December when both the hatchback and sedan will be launched.

     The Etios Liva will be powered by a 1.2L petrol engine which produces 80 Bhp. With the Kreb weight of 890 Kg, Liva promises to deliver good performance along with fuel economy. A 1.4L diesel option will be launched after 6 months. The 1.4L diesel engine will be the same one used in the Corolla Altis but this engine is unlikely to get Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT). Instead a fixed geometry turbo with power of 70 Bhp finds its place which makes the engine litter cheaper.

     All eyes are on Toyota and it is indeed a big event for the company. Since Toyota has built a bullet proof reputation in India, it has to work hard to keep it up by delivering a better product in the form of Etios.