Top Ten Best Selling Cars in India - November 2012

Following is the list of top ten best sellers in India during the month of November 2012.  Figures have been rounded off to nearest 100 -

1.  Suzuki Alto (23600)
2.  Suzuki Swift (17300)
3.  Suzuki Dzire (13500)
4.  Suzuki Wagon R (11100)
5.  Mahindra Bolero (10100)
6.  Hyundai i10 (9800)
7.  Hyundai Eon (8400)
8.  Hyundai i20 (7800)
9.  Suzuki Ertiga (7300)
10. Tata Indica (7000)

Out of top 10, five cars were Suzuki productions which indicated how much these products are in demand due to ease of maintenance and very good fuel efficiency.  Suzuki has a market share of 43 per cent of all cars sold in India during this month which is much higher compared to that of second rank which goes to Hyundai with 16 per cent market share.  Suzuki during this period sold 90,900 cars.  Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata and Toyota were third, fourth and fifth in this race respectively,

Top Ten Best Selling Cars in India - October 2012

Following is the list of top ten best sellers in India during the month of October 2012.  Figures have been rounded off to nearest 100 -

1.  Suzuki Alto (26600)
2.  Suzuki Swift (15400)
3.  Suzuki Dzire (14400)
4.  Suzuki Wagon R (13600)
5.  Mahindra Bolero (11100)
6.  Hyundai i20 (9100)
7.  Hyundai i10 (9000)
8.  Hyundai Eon (7900)
9.  Suzuki Ertiga (7300)
10. Tata Indica (6700)

Out of top 10, five cars were Suzuki productions which indicated how much these products are in demand due to ease of maintenance and very good fuel efficiency.  Suzuki has a market share of 41 per cent of all cars sold in India during this month which is much higher compared to that of second rank which goes to Hyundai with 15 per cent market share.  Suzuki during this period sold 96,000 cars.  Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata and Toyota were third, fourth and fifth in this race respectively,

The Most Popular Colors for Car

Dupont has come out with a report wherein it indicated the color choice of people while purchasing a car. This report is for the year 2011.

For World -

 For Europe -

 For India -

Top Ten Best Selling Cars in India - September 2012

Following is the list of top ten best sellers in India during the month of September 2012.  Figures have been rounded off to nearest 100 -

1.  Suzuki Alto (21200) 
2.  Suzuki Wagon R (16500)
3.  Suzuki Dzire (11700)
4.  Mahindra Bolero (9500)
5.  Suzuki Swift (9100)
6.  Hyundai i10 (8100)
7.  Tata Indica (7900)
8.  Hyundai i20 (7800)
9.  Suzuki Ritz (7600)
10. Suzuki Ertiga (7100)

Out of top 10, six cars were Suzuki productions which indicated how much these products are in demand due to ease of maintenance and very good fuel efficiency.  Suzuki has a market share of 41 per cent of all cars sold in India during this month which is much higher compared to that of second rank which goes to Hyundai with 14 per cent market share.

Top Five Car Manufacturers in India - August 2012

Following is the list of top five car manufacturers in India on the basis of monthly sales figures for August 2012 (figures rounded off to nearest 100)-

1. Suzuki        50100
2. Hyundai     28300
3. Tata            22300
4. Mahindra   21200
5. Toyota        14000

Suzuki has maintained its lead among the car manufacturers inspite of shutdown of one of its plants due to labour problems. In the bottom three, there were Mitsubishi (363 units), Fiat (470 units) and Skoda (1789 units).

Top Ten Best Selling Cars in India - August 2012

Following is the list of tep ten best sellers in India during the month of August 2012.  Figures have been rounded off to nearest 100 -

1.  Suzuki Alto (10500)  
2.  Suzuki Wagon R (10100)
3.  Mahindra Bolero (8700)
4.  Hyundai i20 (7700)
5.  Tata Indica  (7600)
6.  Suzuki Ertiga (6600)
7.  Tata Nano (6500) 
8.  Toyota Innova (6700)
9.  Hyundai i10 (6300)
10. Ford Figo (6300)

Evo X, Montero and Pajero from Mitsubishi, Grand Vitara and Kizashi from Suzuki and Beetle from VW failed to get any customer during this month.

New Mercedes at 50 per cent Price?

There is an interesting marketing innovation by Mercedes in India.  It has brought a plan where customer will be required to pay 50 per cent of the price of car at the time of purchase and the remaining 50 per cent will be payable after two years.  Yes, after TWO years.  Given below is detail of this scheme-

Suzuki India ordered to pay Rs. 100,000 for wrong fuel efficiency advertisement

Suzuki India has been ordered to pay Rs. 100,000 by a court in New Delhi to one of its customer on account of advertising fuel efficiency figure which was not authentic.  Customer in this case purchased ‘Zen’ in 2005.  Zen at that time was quite popular model.  Company in one of its advertisements claimed that it will give a mileage of 16.7 kmpl.  This claim was based on a report published in an auto magazine ‘Autocar India’.  The customer got only 10-11 kmpl from his car which never improved.  He filed a case in a court constituted for consumer related disputes.  The court said that company did not conduct tests to find out itself whether such mileage figure was correct or not. 

Company said that it had mentioned in the advertisement that the figure was based on the magzine’s report.  The court refused this argument saying that it was in very fine print and not readable.

Court also instructed the company to conduct its own fuel efficiency tests and inform buyers about the minimum and maximum possible mileage in its future advertisements.

Honda Stops Production of Civic in India

Honda has decided to pull the plug on the Civic in India and will effectively withdraw its executive saloon from the Indian market. Assembled from Completely Knocked-Down (CKD) kits here in India, Honda will build what remaining kits it has, and production is expected to last until about Diwali. With no plans to bring the next-generation model that was launched internationally in 2011, this effectively ends the Civic line in India.

According to company sources what prompted Honda’s decision to discontinue the Civic in India is the lack of a diesel engine for the Indian market. Though the latest Civic gets a high-tech 1.6 diesel engine for the European market, Honda feels it isn’t compatible for Indian conditions.

With just a petrol engine, the new Civic would be at huge disadvantage from launch in a market that has swung sharply in favour of diesel cars. Also, the new Civic isn’t a huge improvement over the outgoing and hasn’t received rave reviews abroad and this was another concern for Honda.

The outgoing Civic was launched in 2006 and has seen its fair share of success in the Indian market. It won the coveted ‘Autocar Car of The Year’ title in 2007 and in the same year saw a sales peak of 2,546 units in March. When it was launched, the Civic looked a generation ahead of its competition with its futuristic styling, inside and out. However, over the years the Civic lost its edge thanks to a soaring Yen that kept pushing its price up (by around Rs 2 lakh eventually) and the onset of diesel competition. In recent months, Civic sales have struggled to go beyond double digits and in July 2012 Honda sold a mere 138 units of what was once easily the best-seller in its class.

Source: Autocar India

Top Five Car Manufacturers in India - July 2012

Following is the list of top five car manufacturers in India on the basis of monthly sales figures for July 2012 (figures rounded off to nearest 100)-

1. Suzuki        71000
2. Hyundai     27600
3. Tata            26200
4. Mahindra   21400
5. Toyota        14600

Suzuki has maintained its lead among the car manufacturers by having 37 per cent market share for this month which is way ahead of its rivals. Among these, Mahindra is a manufacturer producing only diesel vehicles. In the bottom three, there are Mitsubishi (486 units), Fiat (805 units) and Renault (1800 units).

Top Ten Best Selling Cars in India - July 2012

Following is the list of tep ten best sellers in India during the month of July 2012.  Figures have been rounded off to nearest 100 -

1.  Suzuki Alto (17400)  
2.  Suzuki Swift (11400)
3.  Suzuki Dzire (11400)
4.  Suzuki Wagon R (9600)
5.  Mahindra Bolero (9300)
6.  Tata Indica  (8900)
7.  Hyundai i20 (7800) 
8.  Suzuki Ertiga (7100)
9.  Tata Indigo (6800)
10. Toyota Innova (6700)

Court orders all cars in Gujarat to switch to gas within a year

In an order which would impact lakhs of people owning cars, the Gujarat high court on Wednesday directed the state government to pass necessary laws to make it compulsory for all four-wheelers registered in Gujarat to convert to natural gas within one year. 

Further, the court gave two months to the state government to issue necessary orders to impose stringent restrictions to reduce pollution by fixing levels of emission to the minimum, at par with international norms. The order applies to both public and private vehicles running on petrol and diesel. 

The order, passed by Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala, came in response to directions sought by Dhrangadhra Prakruti Mandal, through its vice-president Devjibhai Dhamecha, to the state and Centre as well as all gas and petrol companies operating in Gujarat. 

The order said, "The state is directed to pass necessary orders compelling owners of all vehicles having registration in Gujarat to use natural gas and, if necessary, even at higher prices within the shortest possible period, not exceeding one year from today for the protection of lives of citizens." 

The judges suggested gas prices be cheaper for public vehicles and higher for privately owned vehicles. Also, fares of public transport should be fixed at reasonable rates so that the end benefit goes to the public. 

The Gujarat high court also directed the Central government to allocate natural gas for domestic and vehicular use to the city of Ahmedabad usage at the same rate as it is supplied to Delhi and Mumbai. "This is to enforce the right of equality," the judges said. 


Source: Times of India 
Cars to move on CNG

Suzuki officer burnt alive by workers, production halted

Suzuki is having two plants in India to produce cars.  Both of these are situated near Delhi, in Haryana state.  On Wednesday, workers at Manesar plant got agitated after an official of the company, who was a supervisor, got into an argument with them.  This led to heated arguments and thereafter work was stopped.  Soon, senior officers of Human Resources Department of the company were called to negotiate with the workers.  However, during the talks, workers became violent and started beating the officials present in the meeting as well as elsewhere in the factory campus.  Workers used everything that they could find to thrash the officers.  Iron rods, chains etc were freely used.  Property was damaged and vehicles and other assets were burnt.  But the violence did not stop there.  A senior officer of HR Department of the company, A K Dev, who was talking to workers, was beaten badly and then burnt alive.  Many other officials were thrashed and now have been hospitalized.  These include some Japanese officers.

Suzuki’s this plant was also in news last year when workers went on a very long strike which caused huge losses to the company.  Their demand at that time was to recognize the new union of workers.  At that time, company decided to move out of Haryana state which is infamous for its violent labour problems and to move to Gujrat, a highly developed, progressive state where Tata and other automobile manufacturers have set up their plants.

Suzuki is the number one automobile company in India in terms of number of cars sold and revenue earned and it is way ahead of its rivals Hyundai and Tata who are nowhere near Suzuki’s standing.  More than 40 per cent of cars sold in India are from Suzuki stable.

Suzuki stated that its workers were misguided by some external forces.

Meanwhile, Gujrat’s Chief Minister Narendra Modi is all set to welcome Suzuki in the state.

Marketing Team of VW Quits in India

Volkswagen India's topmost marketing team has quit, and the company's newly-appointed CEO is poaching from rival Maruti to stem an alarming slide in sales and revive the carmaker's ambition of cornering a 10 per cent market share in the next two years.

Neeraj Garg, director and member of Volkswagen's passenger cars division and the man responsible for the firm's six brands in the country, has expressed his desire to quit. He has been promoted and offered a posting in China, but ET learns that he has declined the offer. Sandeep Mandrekar, the head of sales for India and the second-in-command in the sales and marketing division, has also decided to move on.

Volkswagen has offered Garg's post to Suzuki India CGM (marketing) Shashank Srivastava while Pankaj Sharma, who was working as general manager in Maruti's True Value business, will become the head of sales replacing Mandrekar. "I don't have anything to say and would like to reserve my comments," Srivastava told ET.

Sharma confirmed his decision to leave, saying he will be joining Volkswagen soon.

Volkswagen confirmed the departure of Mandrekar, attributing it to his desire to pursue opportunities outside the organisation. "Neeraj Garg has been promoted and offered an assignment in China, which is still under discussion," a Volkswagen spokesperson said.

ET learns that some other senior executives have also decided to leave.

But the Volkswagen spokesperson described it as "speculation". The departures come on the heels of a dramatic fall in performance for Volkswagen in the first three months of the new fiscal year. Sales have fallen 16 per cent to 15,539 cars while production slumped 30 per cent to 17,533 cars. Volkswagen's market share, which excludes the sales of subsidiaries Audi and Skoda, slid to 2.35 per cent from 3 per cent in the year-ago period. Gerry Dorizas, dispatched from Japan to turn around the Indian operations, is believed to be cracking the whip and had approached the Maruti executives with job offers after Garg and Mandrekar decided to leave.

The performance is all the more galling for the Wolfsburg, Germany-based auto giant, given that it is on the verge of becoming the world's biggest car company with the successful purchase of Porsche. Its brands are doing well in emerging economies like China and Brazil and it is pushing aggressively into the US with a new plant in Tennessee, and an Audi plant in nearby Mexico to serve that country's bigger northern neighbour.

In India, Audi and Skoda, VW's affiliates, are also posting strong growth that appears to have eluded the parent despite the presence of some of the world's best-selling brands in its portfolio.

Volkswagen India sells Polo, Vento, Jetta, Beetle, Passat & Pheaton. The sales slump, if left unchecked, may affect the firm's plans to grab a 8-10 per cent market share by 2014-15. "Volkswagen has its entire portfolio in diesel, but sales have been withering as the company failed to instill confidence in Indian customers of its superior technology and brand. It failed to provide enough features and specs in its cars unlike the Japanese and Korean and lost out to long-standing rivals in the Indian market," says Deepesh Rathore, MD-India, IHS Global Insight, a multinational consultancy.

A person close to the situation said the Volkswagen headquarters are unhappy over sliding sales and bulging inventory, especially of the Vento sedan, which is made in India for global export.

Source: Economic Times

Top 5 Car Manufacturers in India - June 2012

Following is the list of top five car manufacturers in India on the basis of monthly sales figures for June 2012 (figures rounded off to nearest 100)-

1. Suzuki        83500
2. Hyundai     30500
3. Mahindra   19300
4. Tata            17200
5. Toyota        14700

Among these, Mahindra is a manufacturer producing only diesel vehicles. In the bottom three, there are Mitsubishi (273 units), Renault (787 units) and Fiat (805 units).

Top Ten Best Selling Cars in India - June 2012

 

Following is the list of tep ten best sellers in India during the month of June 2012.  Figures have been rounded off to nearest 100 -

1.  Suzuki Alto (21600)  
2.  Suzuki Swift (15700)
3.  Suzuki Dzire (13700)
4.  Suzuki Wagon R (10000)
5.  Mahindra Bolero (9500)
6.  Hyundai i20 (7700) 
7.  Toyota Innova (6800)
8.  Hyundai Eon (6600)
9.  Suzuki Omni (6300)
10. Hyundai i10 (6200)

Renault Duster launched in Britain for GBP 8995

Dacia, the makers of the Duster, have officially launched the the much awaited compact SUV in the UK market for £8995.  The pre-order starts today with first deliveries in January 2013.

 

The Duster will be exported from the Chennai plant to the UK. Considering the Duster’s India launch is also in sight, the company wants to make sure that it has ample capacity for both markets. In Britain, the Dacia-badged Duster will be available with a 1.6-litre petrol engine delivering 104hp, linked to a five-speed manual gearbox. The diesel duties will be handed to the 1.5-liter dCi turbo diesel rated at 108hp paired to a six-speed manual.

There are three trims levels available, Access, Ambiance and Laureate with features such as -

• 16-inch steel/alloy wheels
• ABS
• Longitudinal roof bars
• Electric front windows
• Four airbags
• Height adjustable steering wheel
• Radio/CD system with AUX, Bluetooth, USB connectivity
• Trip computer
• Scuff plates and side sills

Dacia will also offer a standard three year/60,000 mile warranty to make the Duster a compelling ownership proposition. In India, the Duster is expected to be launched in the first week of July.

Car Companies under Investigation for Unfair Means

Times of India has reported that Competition Commission of India is looking into the allegations of controlling the prices of spare parts unfairly.

New Delhi: A section of car makers has allegedly been found engaging in anti-competitive practices by withholding sales of spare parts in the free market, resulting in controlled and hefty prices at dealerships and service centres authorized by them. The findings are based on a probe by the investigative arm of fair-play watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI).

In its report to the regulatory agency, the director general (investigation) has accused the auto players of controlling and restricting supplies only to their network, sources told TOI. The probe, spread over a year, studied the after-market supply chain and spoke to various players, including car companies, component manufacturers and open market players.

Companies, including Volkswagen, Honda, Ford and General Motors, said they would study the report before commenting on it, while Toyota stuck with the stand of exclusivity. “Clearly it is not anti-competitive. Only accredited people should be allowed to fix parts as it is in the interest of the customers,” said Toyota Kirloskar deputy MD Shekar Viswanathan. “It is inherently unsafe for non-trained people to fix parts.” A spokesperson for GM India said the company cannot comment until it saw the fine print, while Honda did not answer queries sent on Tuesday evening. A spokesperson for Ford India said, “We will need time to review the development and understand the report before we can comment.”

CCI had asked its investigative arm to probe the matter in March 2011 after a car buyer accused companies of abusing their dominant position by making spare parts available only through their authorized dealers, who in turn were allegedly sold them at high rates. The practice is more prevalent with several of the newer car entrants, while the established ones such as Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors make spares available in the open market. CCI will now look into the findings of the DG’s probe before deciding if there is a case of anti-competitive behaviour. It will also hear car companies and other parties before an order is issued in a few months. A ruling against car companies will force several of them to sell components in the open market and restrict sales to exclusive dealerships.

It will be a boon for consumers as car majors will not be able to scrap a vehicle’s warranty if its owner gets a faulty part replaced in the open market. The problem has been plaguing car owners for a long time. They are forced to buy parts only from exclusive dealers of companies at the rates they ask for, many times waiting for several days if the component is out of stock. The problem is acute for those living in smaller cities where many of the international players do not have a dealership. The market size of service and spare parts industry is estimated at Rs 15,000 crore annually.

300000 cars wainting to be sold

The automobile companies in India are now facing the consequences of economic slowdown. This combined with already executed expansion plans has put these companies in a difficult situation i.e. production surpassing the demand.  This has resulted into piling of unsold cars.  Total number of unsold new cars is 300,000 in India as of May 2012; out of which 200,000 are petrol cars and rest being diesel driven ones.  While it was already difficult to sell petrol cars considering the high petrol prices and cheaper diesel, now the diesel cars are also going the same way on account of economic slowdown and moreover high interest rates for auto loan.

Some companies like Tata Motors and Volkswagen have decreased their production by regularly shutting down their plants.  Some have moved from 6 day per week to 5 day per week production.  Some are raining huge discounts on petrol cars.  Others are guaranteeing protection from petrol price hike for a year or so.

Nothing is better than this time to buy a new car, particularly petrol one.

Suzuki Alto Crosses 2 Million Mark in India

The Maruti Alto became only the second Suzuki India car ever to reach the 2 million mark this month. It's been 11 years and 9 months since Suzuki launched the car in India. It was the fastest to sell 10 lakh units in the domestic market. Within 8 years and 3 months. The next ten lakh units came much faster within three years and 6 months.

The Alto has been Suzuki's as well as India's largest selling car for a while now. Only this month, it was toppled by Suzuki's very own Swift which sold marginally higher than the Alto.On the occasion, Mr. Mayank Pareek, Chief Operating Officer, (Marketing and Sales), said, “Alto’s superior fuel efficiency, compact sleek design, good manoeuvrability and overall low cost of ownership are the attributes that make it the best car for the first time buyers. Alto as a complete package continues to win customer’s hearts and surprise everyone with its performance.”

Encouraged by the demand for the Alto, Suzuki launched a powerful K-Series engine in an Alto K-10 avatar in August 2010. At the same, they also introduced a CNG variant of the Alto.

Source : BS Motoring

Tata and Volkswagen to Halt Production in India

The economic slowdown is clear and present.  Automobile giants like Tata and Volkswagen are heading towards halting the production.  An article published in Indian Express says -

Automobile majors Tata Motors and Volkswagen are planning stop-production (block closure) this month in Pune. The companies say there has been a drop in end-user demand “because of slowdown”. While Tata Motors has confirmed a three-day block closure, Volkswagen workers’ union claims that the company is planning a month-long block closure soon.

Debasis Ray, head (corporate communication), Tata Motors, said, “The Pune commercial vehicle plant will have a block closure on June 22, 23 and 24 to align production with demand.”

During this block closure, employees will be paid half a day’s salary per day of the closure.

Tata Motors had undertaken block closure in 2008 and 2009, when production was stopped for three and five days respectively.

At Volkswagen’s Chakan plant, the company will be observing a five-day week instead of the usual six days. “For the past 15 days our production has come down from 430 vehicles per day to 400 per week. We expect this trend to continue till December,” said a source from the company.

However, the company’s head of communications, Alexander Skibbe denied any plans of block closure in Volkswagen or reduction in production.

Anant Sardeshmukh, executive director general, Mahratta Chamber Of Commerce Industries and Agriculture, said the automotive sector is facing 15 to 20 per cent crunch in demand, which could be the beginning of a slowdown.

XUV 500 Gets 7000+ Bookings in Two Days

Mahindra & Mahindra re-opened bookings for its highly successful SUV 'XUV 500' on 8th June.  Within two days, the bookings have crossed 7200 mark.  M&M has already raised the production level to 4000 units per month.  This will be further raised to 5000 per month by September-October this year. In addition to domestic demand, soon this SUV will be exported also. 

In the previous round of bookings which was second round of booking, this vehicle was booked using a lottery system.  For more information on that system, you can visit - Now get XUV 500 through draw of lots.

Honda Celebrating 500,000 Customers in India

Honda India is celebrating 500,000 car sales in India.  On this occasion Honda is giving various discounts and benefits on Brio, City, Civic and Accord.  These include free insurance, road side assistance and extended warranty.  However, one of its important hatchback Jazz is not included in the list.  So, no discounts on that model.

Last month, Honda registered an impressive growth of 342 per cent in sales when compared to the same month last year.  Honda's growth is more impressive because demand for petrol cars in general has gone down drastically, whereas Honda is producing only petrol models.

Embassy Vehicles facing the Heat in India

Last month, Supreme Court of India ordered that no car in India should be allowed to have any kind of darkening material pasted/attached on its windows e.g. black film.  Only cars which have their window glasses tinted by the manufacturer with a certain minimum visibility were allowed to move. As the order came from the Supreme Court, police started the crackdown against vehicles violating its order.  Many had to pay the fine in addition to removal of black films whose initial installation itself was somewhere around Rs. 5000 to 15000.  In some places, police itself removed the films, sometimes causing damage to the window glasses.  This removal increased the heat intake inside the vehicles particularly during the summer season which is so uncomfortable in India.  Only vehicles doing security duty of important persons were allowed to have this material.

Yesterday, Delhi police's crackdown was directed towards vehicles belonging to various embassies.  Many of them were caught and made to remove the films.  In cases where drivers were Indians, police made them pay the fine also.  Foreigner drivers escaped due to diplomatic immunity.  Police has advised all the people to follow the law.

Honda India Grows by 342 % in May 2012

 

Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. (HSCI), manufacturer of Honda cars in India, posted a remarkable growth of 342% in May 2012. The company reported sales of 10334 units in the month of May 2012 as  against 2334 units in the corresponding month last year. The growth is more remarkable due to the fact that other car manufacturers have shown declining trends due to economic slowdown and more over, Honda is a company producing only petrol run cars, whose demand is heading downwards because of comparatively very cheap diesel fuel.

Top 5 Car Manufacturers in India - May 2012

Following is the list of top five car manufacturers in India on the basis of monthly sales figures for May 2012 (figures rounded off to nearest 100)-

1. Suzuki       89500
2. Hyundai    32000
3. Mahindra   20600
4. Tata            20500
5. Toyota       15500

Among these, Mahindra is a manufacturer producing only diesel vehicles. Suzuki has maintained its undisputable lead with 42 per cent share in the passenger car market. In the bottom three, there are Mitsubishi (425 units), Renault (485 units) and Fiat (1000 units).

Top Ten Best Selling Cars in India - May 2012

 

Following is the list of tep ten best sellers in India during the month of May 2012.  Figures have been rounded off to nearest 100 -

1.  Suzuki Alto (20700)  
2.  Suzuki Swift (20100)
3.  Suzuki Dzire (17700)
4.  Mahindra Bolero (9600)
5.  Tata Nano (8500)
6.  Hyundai i20 (7700) 
7.  Suzuki Omni (7500)
8.  Hyundai Eon (7300)
9.  Suzuki Wagon R (7100)
10. Hyundai i10 (7000)

Swift X-ITE Launched in Germany

Suzuki Germany has announced the Swift X-ITE special edition is now available from 15,490 euros. Previously only offered as individual accessaries, the three-door hatch gives prospective owners increased value for all of the sporty styling options plus some additional features on the inside.

The X-ITE has following features-

a sporty body kit which includes add-on front and rear bumper spoilers and side skirts along with matching graphics sets. The graphics kits are available in three colors: Superior white exterior with red graphics, Ablaze Red Pearl Metallic with black, or Cosmic Black Pearl with white.

Special matt black X-ITE 17-inch alloy wheels having a 12-spoke design fitted to 205/40R-17 tires.

Matte black lug nut covers and matching hub caps with a silver X-ITE logo.

Aluminum shift knob, black leather shift boot, two-piece sill-set in polished stainless steel and black floor mats with silver stitching and embroidered logo.

Air conditioning with pollen filter, a height-adjustable driver's seat, a height-adjustable leather steering wheel and an MP3-compatible CD radio with steering wheel controls as standard

The Swift X-ITE is powered by a 1.2-liter petrol engine producing 94 PS (69 kW / 93 bhp) and achieves a fuel consumption of 6.1L/100km (city), 4.4L/100km (highway), 5.0L/100km (combined) and a CO2 emissions of 116 g/km.

 

Bookings for XUV 500 Re-opens on 8 June

Mahindra is going to re-open bookings for its superhit SUV 'XUV 500' from 8th June 2012.  This vehicle was introduced by the company through selected dealers in 5 cities initially. Within a week of the launch it attracted around 8,000 bookings and soon waiting periods for this vehicle jumped many folds.

In the second phase the XUV500 was made available in 19 cities and saw an impressive 25,000 registrations. A lottery system, called “XUV500 Draw” was introduced to select 7,200 winners who would be allocated their new vehicles. This draw was introduced to deliver cars in a timely and transparent manner as Mahindra did not have a production line that could manufacture cars in such a huge number.

Now from the 8^th of June 2012, customers would be able to book their XUV500 across the country from Mahindra showrooms.

In a press release, Pravin Shah, Chief Executive, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “It has been an incredible journey so far for the XUV500 and we are pleased to take the product national. We have been inundated with requests for re-opening of bookings not just from existing cities but also from cities where the XUV500 was not available. Now that we have ramped-up our production capacity significantly, we are confident that we will be able to take care of the growing all-India demand for the XUV500.”

In order to meet the demands, Mahindra has ramped up the production capability to produce around 4000 units per month at its Chakan plant.

Leno Goes for Nano

Jay Leno, a television actor and a stand-up comedian, has now added the world’s cheapest car – the TATA NANO to his collection of cars and bikes. And that’s not all as Jay Leno made the NANO addition quiet an event with a typical Indian flavour.  Leno is a huge fan of cars and bikes. In his garage he has many cars - vintage cars, super cars, big and small. Leno is also a collector of bikes and is often spotted at Pebble Beach at Harley Davidson rallies.

Dressed in an ornate Shervani designed by Manav Gangwani, Leno kept the affair absolutely Indian style and even had dancers doing the Bollywood steps as the NANO with Tri-Colour stripes rolled in to his garage. The man bowed down in front of the world’s cheapest car with a traditional Namaskar. 

So, Leno gets Nano.

THE NEW PEUGEOT 301

The new Peugeot 301 is a clear illustration of the Marque’s internationalisation and demonstrates its desire to conquer new markets. It has been specifically designed to appeal to a wide customer base attracted by four-door saloons which are both accessible and present an enhanced level of status. In keeping with Peugeot’s desire to introduce cars for specific markets, the 301 is not intended for the UK market.

The 301 was developed to adapt to all conditions of use, and extremes (hot countries, cold countries, and poor roads). With an overall length of 4.44 metres it sets itself apart with an optimised and generous structure which puts it a step ahead of the competition. So, it will have benchmark characteristics in its segment:

 Class leading occupant space in the rear due to a wheelbase of 2.65 m
 A best in class boot volume of 506 dm3 (VDA 210)
 Safe handling combined with high levels of comfort, the result of Peugeot’s chassis expertise and thus guaranteeing excellent driving pleasure under all conditions
 A wide range of safety equipment available: ESP, ABS, up to four airbags, emergency braking assistance, ISOFIX, etc.

The range of latest generation petrol and diesel engines on the 301 is perfectly suited to the expectations of target markets, with power values ranging from 71 bhp to 115 bhp and manual, piloted or automatic gearboxes:

1.2 l VTi 52 kW (71 bhp) (1) with manual or EGC ( electronic gearbox control) 1.6 l HDi 68 kW (92 bhp) with manual gearbox 1.6 l VTi 85 kW (115 bhp) with manual or automatic gearbox A symbol of modernity, the 301 therefore will become the second car in the Peugeot range, after the 208, to benefit from the new range of 3 cylinder petrol engines (1.2 l VTi) which, due to their advanced technology, combine driving pleasure and reduced fuel consumption.

The 301 incorporates modern comfort equipment (electronic air conditioning, MP3 audio system with Bluetooth hands-free kit and USB connection, remote opening of the boot, rear parking assistance, etc), all of which guarantee an excellent level of comfort on board.

The new Peugeot 301, manufactured in Vigo (Spain), will have its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in September. It will then go on sale from 1st November 2012 in Turkey then into Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Greece, The Middle East, Gulf and African States, as well as in certain Latin American markets.

Honda Starts Testing the Diesel Engine in Brio

Honda has started the road testing of its diesel engine in Brio in India.  Some of the reports from various sources have stated that Brio cars were seen around Delhi testing the diesel engines.  Honda in India is having only petrol car models which, considering the high prices of petrol (now touching Rs. 73.14, i.e. US$1.35 per liter) are facing decreasing demands when compared to cars running on diesel which is highly subsidised.

It is estimated that Honda will launch the diesel variants of Brio/Jazz/City by the end of this year. 

Google Gets Licence to Be Driven

Google has received the first licence in the USA to test self-driving cars on public roads in Nevada.

Officials of the Department of Motor Vehicles in Nevada, California, said they have issued Google the nation's first licence to test an autonomous vehicle that does not need a driver on its public streets.

It is the first licence issued in the United States under new laws and regulations.

The new licence plate is red and features the infinity symbol and the letters AU, for autonomous vehicle. All such cars on the road are "test" vehicles for now, though the state signaled it may grant regular licences.

"I felt using the infinity symbol was the best way to represent the 'car of the future,'" state DMV Director Bruce Breslow said.

"When there comes a time that vehicle manufactures market autonomous vehicles to the public, that infinity symbol will appear on a green license plate."

Google, known to dive into other big ideas such as space elevators to Internet-enabled glasses, was the first company to apply to test its self-driving system in Nevada, the press release said.

It also indicated that "other auto manufacturers have indicated their desire to test and develop" such technology in the state.

In a 2010 post on Google's official blog, engineer and Google X founder Sebastian Thrun said that the self-driving vehicle project aims "to help prevent traffic accidents, free up people's time and reduce carbon emissions by fundamentally changing car use."

He noted that the "automated cars use video cameras, radio sensors and a laser range finder to 'see' other traffic, as well as detailed maps ... To navigate the road ahead." There is no driver needed, though one is typically in the front seat ready to take control if need be, Thrun was quoted as saying by CNN.

Earlier this year, Google said it had "safely completed over 200,000 miles of computer-led driving."

Source : BS Motoring

Heavy Discount on Petrol Cars

The subsidised diesel in India is killing petrol cars.  While people are ready to wait for as much as 10 months just to get a new diesel car, petrol cars are just waiting for the customers.  Result is clear - heavy discounts are raining everywhere, from every car producer on petrol models.  While the biggest car maker Suzuki is promising to secure the customer of petrol price hike for a year, other car companies like Toyota has announced free insurance and 3 years maintenance free package with its hatchback Liva.  Honda has announced chance to win free foreign trips for people taking test drive of its latest hatchback Brio.  Other manufacturers are also doing this or that to clear their petrol car inventory either with cash discounts and/or free insurance with maintenance package/road side assistance etc.

Fiat Linea now with a discount of Rs. 236000

Fiat India is giving a whopping discount of Rs. 2,36,000 on Linea Tjet petrol.  This includes 100,000 as gift cheque, another 100,000 as exchange bonus and free insurance worth Rs. 36,000.  The is in line with general trend of diminishing demand for petrol cars in India.  Fiat is particularly affected by the low sales of its models, whether diesel or petrol.  None of its models i.e. Punto and Linea has been able to make inroads in the India market.  Now, Fiat has announced break up with the Tata Motors and intends to open its exlusive showrooms/service centres.

Top 5 Car Manufacturers in India - April 2012

Following is the list of top five car manufacturers in India on the basis of monthly sales figures for April 2012 (figures rounded off to nearest 100)-

1. Suzuki       90300
2. Hyundai    35000
3. Tata          22700
4. Mahindra   20000
5. Toyota       14400

Among these, Mahindra is a manufacturer producing only diesel vehicles. Suzuki has maintained its undisputable lead with 41 per cent share in the passenger car market. In the bottom three, there are Mitsubishi (266 units), Renault (615 units) and Fiat (1000 units).

Top Ten Best Selling Cars in India - April 2012

Following is the list of tep ten best sellers in India during the month of April 2012.  Figures have been rounded off to nearest 100 -

1.  Suzuki Swift (19500)
2.  Suzuki Alto (17800)
3.  Suzuki Dzire (15500)
4.  Suzuki Wagon R (10200)
5.  Hyundai Eon (8500)
6.  Mahindra Bolero (8200)
7.  Tata Nano (8000)
8.  Hyundai i10 (7900)
9.  Hyundai i20 (7600)
10. Suzuki Omni (7300)

Swift becomes the top selling car in India

Swift from Suzuki has become the top selling car in India after pushing Alto (also from Suzuki) to number 2 position.  Alto has been at the number 1 position since 2005 when it replaced another Suzuki hatchback Maruti 800.

Swift sold 19484 units against 17842 units of Alto during April 2012.  The decrease in the sale of Alto units is due to the fact that this car has only petrol variants while Swift has diesel variants also.  In India, the prices of diesel are highly subsidised which makes diesel vehicles very economical to run.  The ratio of petrol and diesel variants of Swift sold in India is approximately 20:80.

Honda India Grows by 252 % in April 2012

(Tuesday, May 01, 2012,New Delhi)

Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. (HSCI), manufacturer of Honda cars in India, posted a remarkable growth of 252% in April 2012. The company reported sales of 7,075 units in the month of April 2012 as against 2,012 units in the corresponding month last year. The company sold 28,731 units during January-April 2012 as compared to 16,789 units in the corresponding period last year recording a growth of 71%. Model wise sales break-up for April 2012: Brio 3590 Jazz 1300 City 2092 Civic 51 Accord 25 CRV 17

If You Drink, We Drive - The Skoda Way of Safety

Skoda has introduced 'If You Drink, We Drive', a value added service initiated for SKODA owners in Mumbai. An exclusive Chauffeur service for a drop at home will be extended to SKODA owners enjoying matches in clubs and restaurants located anywhere in the city. This unique initiative is available from 27th April – 27th May, 2012.

Designed to raise awareness on responsible and safe driving, this program will enable SKODA customers to enjoy the games to the fullest with their friends and families. However, this service is applicable only to those customers who will be driving to the venues in their SKODA cars. Followed by a stringent verification process, a Chauffeur will be made available for the customer, waiting to drive them home in the comfort of their own SKODA.

In India, there are many cases of accidents due to driving under the influence of alcohol.

To know more about the SKODA’s ‘If You Drink, We Drive’ program, log onto SKODA India’s website- www.skoda-auto.co.in

Honda is back in the business

The king of petrol is back.  Honda, which has only petrol models, has sold 11,016 cars in India in March 2012.  The flood affected supply of its hatchback Brio is now normal and shown a very impressive figure of 6355, considering that it has to face competition from some very popular diesel hatchbacks.

Model-wise sales break-up:

Brio: 6,355
Jazz: 535
City: 3,920
Civic: 104
Accord: 101
CRV: 01

Win a trip to China Auto Show at Beijing

Ford India is giving a chance to win an all expenses paid trip to China Auto Show 2012 on 23rd and 24th April 2012 at Beijing.  All you have to do is to visit www.urbanexplorers.in and submit names of your favourite shopping centers, eat-outs, get-aways, city sights, entertainment or other special places and explain why they are so special.

After posting their tips, participants can get their friends to vote for their tips. The three tips with the maximum votes will be declared winners. Three lucky winners will be offered an all-expenses-paid trip to Beijing where they can get to be Ford’s roving reporters for the Auto China 2012.

Win a Xylo

You can win a Xylo, a Multi Utility Vehicle from Mahindra & Mahindra.  All you are required to do is to test drive Xylo and write a slogan in the form at a Mahindra dealership.  Xylo has just been facelifted and uses 2.5 lt. mDI CRDe diesel engine with 95 bhp and 220 nm torque. The contest ends on 30 April 2012.

Suzuki to hike diesel engine production

Suzuki has decided to increase the diesel engine production in India from the current 240,000 engines per year to 300,000 engines per year.  This is in addition to the 100,000 engines per year supplied by Fiat to Suzuki.  The engines made by Suzuki are also based on Fiat's multijet technology for which Suzuki is paying to Fiat. 

The demand for diesel cars in India has increased exponentially in recent years thanks to government's policy of subsidising diesel fuel and rapid increase in petrol prices.  Some of the diesel cars made by Suzuki like Swift and Dzire can be owned only after waiting for a considerable time of 4-5 months.

Suzuki is even considering establishment of one more engine plant in Gurgaon near Delhi for production of diesel engines.  It was waiting for the budget announcements as it was anticipated that government would increase the excise duty on diesel cars to discourage their demand.  However, with no such step taken in the Budget, Suzuki and other diesel car manufacturers are now considering expanding their diesel car production.

Tata Nano now at Big Bazaar

Kishore Biyani's discounted retail format Big Bazaar, which started the concept of 'Sabse Sasta Din' a few years ago, is now selling the sabse sasta car (cheapest car)-the Tata Nano .

In a novel move, Tata Motors has tied up with Future Group to sell the Nano in Big Bazaar outlets.

"There is a lot of commonality between Big Bazaar consumers and prospective Nano buyers. Big Bazaar as a concept appeals to the masses and with over 150 million footfalls every year, we are trying to see how we can sell Nano, which has a similar positioning," said Future group's Customer Strategy president Sandip Tarkas, who heads this initiative at Big Bazaar.

This is the first time a retail chain is selling a car in the country.

Industry officials say Big Bazaar has already sold more than 450 Nanos since the experiment began a month ago. That is more than 5% of Nano sales in February.

"Tata Motors may have now realised that for a product like Nano, conventional distribution system such as car showrooms can only help to an extent," said IDBI Securities research head Sonam Udasi. "Big Bazaar's customers, mostly value conscious people, will directly fit in the profile of Nano buyers."

Market experts say the decision to tieup with the country's largest retailer is a brilliant move that will help Tata Motors push Nano sales.

Tata Motors has been quite aggressive to attract more buyers for the world's cheapest car after sales declined consistently last year, hitting an all-time low of 509 units in November.

Since then, it has been selling Nanos off the shelves from around 874 sales outlets and 1,000 odd kiosks across India, instead of the earlier system of having to book and wait for delivery.

Source: Economic Times

Honda unveils 1.6 lt diesel engine

Honda has unveiled the 1.6 lt. diesel engine called i-DTEC turbo diesel engine at the Geneva Motor Show.  It will be used in the Civic hatchback to be launched in the end 2012 in Europe.

 

This engine generates 119 BHP of max power at 4000 RPM and 300 Nm of peak torque at 2000 RPM. Talking about the emissions of the engine, it emits 95 g/km of CO2 only. Uniquely the engine is the world’s lightest aluminium open deck 1.6 litre diesel engine, thanks to the new high-strength yet lightweight material used in the manufacturing. Beside the lightweight construction the engine unit also features a compact high efficiency turbocharger which ensures a perfect balance between performance and fuel efficiency.

SMS facility for vehicle information withdrawn

Just a few days ago, we informed you how you can get details of a vehicle regarding its owner, make, validity of registration etc. by sending an SMS to the number 092-123-57-123.  Now, the National Informatics Centre, which developed the application system for this facility, has become aware of the security implications of the information provided by this facility.  Consequently, it has blocked the access to the common user which will be now available to enforcement agencies only.  However, people who like to know more about a vehicle, if its chasis number is available to them, can visit the site www.vahan.nic.in.

Top Ten Bestselling Cars in India

Following is the list of top ten bestsellers for the month of February 2012. Figures rounded off to nearest 100.

1. Alto                32900

2. Swift              20700

3. Dzire              15000

4. Wagon R       12900

5.  Eon               10500

6. Indica            10400

7. I10                 10300

8.  Nano              9200

9. Bolero             8800

10. Indigo            8600

Suzuki got top four positions while Hyundai got fifth and seventh rank. Tata got sixth, eighth and tenth positions.