Scoop: New Maruti small car spied

     Thanks to Autocarindia for the spy picture of the new Maruti small car. We believe, the new Maruti small car was spied being tested near the Gurgaon factory.

     From the picture it is seen that the overall architecture of the new Maruti small car resembles that of the M800. Since the company discontinued the legendary M800, it has been working on its successor which could be priced close to Rs. 2 lakh to compete against the Tata Nano.It will be launched next year and its presence in the Auto Expo 2012 cannot be ruled out. 

     The new Maruti small car is built on the Alto platform and will be powered by the same 796cc Alto engine. The small car has been developed in-house in keeping the Indian conditions in mind.

     As seen from the spy picture, the car will get wraparound head lamps and the grill looks to be redesigned of Alto’s. The car looks to be taller the M800 and over all we feel the car looks to be a mixture of Wagon R and Alto. What are your opinions?

Ford to unveil Focus sedan at Auto Expo 2012

     Auto Expo 2012 will be a much bigger event compared to the earlier Auto Shows in India. Many car companies are lining up their new launches at the Auto Expo 2012 which will be held in January 2012 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

     The Ford Focus sedan is one of the vehicles which will be unveiled for the first time in India. Ford has already started testing the Focus sedan on Indian soil. The spy pictures of the Focus sedan testing in India has come up in the net. The Focus sedan will be positioned above the All new Fiesta and will be priced around Rs. 15 to 17 lakh. It will take on the new VW Jetta, new Sonata, Toyota Corolla Altis, Honda Civic, Renault Fluence and Chevrolet Cruze in the segment.

2012 Fiat Panda spied, will it come to India?

     The next generation Fiat Panda was spied testing in Italy. In our earlier post we had showed you some patent drawings of the 2012 Fiat Panda.


     The new Panda is has a streamlined appearance with a rounded hood, a wider grill, swept back headlights, larger air intake, a sloping roofline and a minimalist interior.


     The new Panda will debut in Frankfurt Motor Show in September this year. What is more interesting is weather the new Panda will make it to India. Fiat has announced that it is looking for a small car below Palio/Punto for India. We guess the Panda will be the perfect vehicle for India if priced around Rs. 4 lakh. With the new twin cylinder ‘Multiair’ engine, Fiat has a great chance to come back in the Indian market.

Source: Worldcarfans

Ferrari announces its international design contest winner

     Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari has officially announced the winner of its international design contest. The Eternità concept designed by students from South Korea’s Hongik University has won the contest beating students from IED Turin and RCA London in a close encounter.


     The Eternità concept is a futuristic roadster with aerodynamic styling, a wraparound windscreen and aggressive side skirts. The concepts from IED Turin and RCA London were Xezri and Cavallo Bianco concepts.

     Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo applauded the passion and commitment of the youngsters who took part in the competition and was overwhelmed by the talent shown by them. He also said that the suggestion from these students would come to light in the future Ferraris.

Source: Worldcarfans

Daimler launches its Financial Services in India

     German luxury automobile Daimler AG has launched its Financial Services unit in India. The Daimler Financial Service is a 100% owned subsidiary of Daimler AG and is headquartered in Chennai.

     The Daimler Financial Services is formed with an initial investment of US $50 million. The investment is expected to be increased to US $500 million in the next five years. The company offers Finance and insurance offers to its customers and dealers.


     The company plans to launch a financial service to BharatBenz in 2012. BharatBenz is a subsidiary of Daimler AG aimed at commercial vehicles in India.


Official Press release:


Daimler AG today announced the official launch of its Financial Services unit in India. Headquartered in Chennai, Daimler Financial Services India is a 100% subsidiary of Daimler AG.


“Two out of five Mercedes-Benz cars and every fourth commercial vehicle of the Daimler group worldwide is financed or leased by Daimler Financial Services. We intend to replicate this success story in India as soon as possible”, commented Mr. Klaus Entenmann, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler Financial Services AG. “Daimler Financial Services aims to reach a contract volume of USD 500 million in India in five years”, he added.


Daimler Financial Services operates in 40 countries worldwide. With a contract volume of Euro 63.7 billion at the end of 2010, it is one of the world’s largest automotive financial services providers for passenger cars and the world’s largest provider of financing for trucks, buses and vans. Furthermore it provides automotive insurance solutions with a contract portfolio of more than 1.8 million contracts. The new subsidiary in India is registered as Daimler Financial Services India Pvt Ltd. The company offers comprehensive finance, leasing and insurance products to customers and dealers of Mercedes-Benz cars in India under the brand ‘Mercedes-Benz Financial’ with immediate effect.


“In 2010, we sold more than 5.800 units in India, nearly double of our previous year’s sales figure. The luxury car market in India and Mercedes-Benz India in particular is on a dynamic growth path. With 75% of Indian car customers opting for vehicle finance, our financial services solutions and innovative products will be a catalyst in the purchase process. It is here that Mercedes-Benz Financial with seamless integration across all our dealerships will play a pivotal role”, says Mr. Peter Honegg, Managing Director & CEO of Mercedes-Benz India.


By 2012, Daimler’s truck brand BharatBenz is expected to be operational. Daimler Financial Services will then also support sales with financial services for BharatBenz. Daimler Financial Services has announced an initial investment of USD 50 million as part of its market entry and has put in place an electronic point-of-sales system to deliver speedy loan approval decisions and contract processing across all Mercedes-Benz dealerships. With 50 experienced industry professionals already on board and more to join soon, Daimler Financial Services India has set out for itself an ambitious growth path and a robust business outlook. Right from the beginning Daimler Financial Services India will offer a motor insurance product that was developed together with the strategic partner Bajaj Allianz.


Mr. Sidhartha Nair, Managing Director of Daimler Financial Services India, elaborated further: “We want to be the first choice provider of financial services products for our dealers and customers in India in the near term. Our one-stop solution for customers who buy a vehicle and demand finance and insurance in a quick and efficient manner will differentiate us from others.”

Tata Safari Merlin spied without camouflage

     We came across the rear picture of the soon to be launched Tata Safari Merlin without camouflage. The picture of the Merlin below shows you the mod job on the rear with a new set of tail lamps, rear bumpers and the tail gate. You can see a chrome strip running almost on the middle of the tail gate. Aslo seen are twin chrome exhausts.


     Just by seeing the tailgate we get a feeling that Tatas have taken lot of design cues from Land Rover. The flat back almost squarish proportions remind us of the LR Discovery 3. The door handles now get chrome and the most important features is the absence of spare tyre on the tail gate. Since we have seen the vehicle without camouflage, the launch of Safari Merilin is around the corner.

New Maruti Swift teaser site up

     Maruti Suzuki stopped production of the old swift last week and announced the launch of the new Swift in the month of August. Even the customers who have booked the old Swift were given option to change to the new Swift with a privilege that is, if they opt for the new Swift, they will be considered first among the new buyers, something like jumping in the que.

     Maruti has come up with a teaser site, which in fact is the original site of the Maruti Swift which now displays the new Swift in the background with a tag – Hold your breath little longer, coming soon the new Swift.


     The website also has a drag drop slider showing the exterior and interior of the new Swift. The slider gives you 20 seconds to form the exterior and the interior of the new Swift.


     The website also has a link which leads to the page describing the evolution of the car. Here is the link to evolution of the Swift.