Body to fit body

There are tailor-made things available in the society, to fit in the needs of individual. Now comes a moment to have a car to mould the body of the user- yes, an anthropometric data collection is on the process, thanks to the efforts by the Automotive Research Association of India. The details of this project will be made available soon, as the survey was over by next September. The main areas of the body of a car that needs to be revamped are – leg space, headroom, view of bonnet from seat. Once the data are presented, the rectifications on these part would be carried out – increase in the dimensions of the height of the seat, legroom, foot room and pedal size. Such traits would ease from fatigue and enhance human efficiency.

The factor is that there is no fixed standard among the car makers in India for these sort of necessities, according to Passive Safety Lab, a constituent of ARAI. The project is funded by the government of India under Heavy Industries ministry. The anthropometric survey is subjected to the persons in the age group of 18-60 in about 5000 numbers, measuring their height, weight, key physical features, by which standards can be set. So far ARAI has got data from 600 persons belonging to the Western India and the scanning process is on in Gurgaon for the Northern India, as the process is meant for five zones – north, south, west, east and central. The data process will be done by the University of Pune and is expected to be completed by 2010. The data would enable the car makers to optimised their design methodology for comfortable driving for the local people. The data will be more than to the automotive industry – apparel industry, textiles, shoes, helmet etc.

Renault-Nissan, Bajaj to launch low cost car

The deal is finalised at last by Renault and Bajaj for the low cost car and the cars would be ready by 2012, said the companies. The price is kept in abeyance but will be lower than the cost of any other new car coming from the Indian market, said the CEO for Renault. The car was to have entered into the Indian market by 2011 but the delay was due to the long tussle between the companies regarding the price and design.

Renault insisted on the price range of $2500, but Bajaj was stubborn on the pricing as well as fuel efficiency. The car would be priced below the price of Nano, said the officials. Under the agreement, Bajaj will handle the design, engineering, sourcing and manufacturing while Renault-Nissan will look after marketing and sales. The Renault-Nissan alliance will decide the brand as Bajaj will not be in the picture for the branding.

Dubai’s Ultimate Motors to launch Super/Hyper cars in India

The Indian roads to have the world’s fastest car with the arrival of three brands from the Dubai-based Super Hyper Cars form Ultimate Motors, the leading distributor for exotic and luxury sedan cars globally. The three brands – Shelby, Zenvo and Arash- will be on display by December. The arrival is timely for the Indian market which seeks luxury and customised units.

Ultimate Cars is in negotiations with four leading dealers in India and is expediting the launch of Super Hyper Cars by the end of this year, said the company’s President. Aero, the world’s fastest car from the US based Shelby, at a speed of 413 kms/hr and produces 1183 hp to reach from 0-60 mph in 2.78 seconds. These cars will be followed by Denmark’s Zenvo and the UK’s Arash through Super Hyper range. Arash is known for its road aerodynamics while Zenvo is built with full carbon body and steel chassis. The cars are priced at Rs2.4- Rs5.4 crore.

General Motors to hit the One lakh mark in 2010

The car sales in the potential Indian market is good for General Motors as it aims to reach the 1-lakh mark by 2010. The company is to launch a Rs4lakh small car Beat next year. GM, the wholly owned subsidiary of the Detroit-firm is in the increase mode- 70000 units for this year against 65702 units in 2008. With the launch of Beat, the company is hoping rope in 40% of the growth in 2010, said the company’s MD.

The car would be assembled in its Talegaon unit with a production capacity of 1.4 lakh per year. At present the company is operating in a single shift and with the production of Beat there will be two shifts. GM had its own operation since 1994 with a 50:50 from Hindustan Motors. In 1999 it became the wholly-owned subsidiary of the US Detroit. Now in India, it is taken over by Toyota. The brands from GM are – Optra Magnum,Aveo, SRV, Aveo U-VA, Spark, Tavera and Captiva which are assembled in the units at Talegaon and Halol with a combined capacity of 2.25 lakhs units.

Nano for daily delivery

Tata’s Nano, currently under test production of Nano engines, is to be delivered daily @200 per day, said the dealers. This comes in the wake of Tata’s proposal to procure local components for making 200 Nanos a day, and from January, there will be test production of 50-60 cars a day. The Sanand plant will be in operation from January which will boost the production from August 2010. Tata Motors have planned to deliver 72000 – 80000 cars from this unit in the 2010-11 financial year. The plant will be designed to have an annual capacity of 350000 units.

Nano is currently produced from Pantnagar unit in Uttarkhand and 100-200 cars are assembled a day but the engines are made in Pune. This Pantnagar plant will enable the company to roll out 2500-3000 cars a month and 4000 later. Production at Pantnagar will continue despite the operation at Sanand, as the company has a chunk of orders for 200000 cars. The delivery of the world’s cheapest car was made this July and about 7500 cars have been given to the owners.

Tata was to deliver 100000 units by the end of Q4 2009-10 and the wait is for 55000 bookies in another two years. The news is there that the car is selling at Rs10000-Rs25000 premium in the used car market as the car’s booking yields cash interest. The company has taken care to avoid bulk booking and illegal sale by disallowing transfer of allotments.

The Indian roads to be blessed with Harley, Ducati bikes

No more wait for the fun and fast, as bikes from Harley-Davidson and Ducati are marching towards the Indian roads. The gentlemen who aspire for these niche bikes have to shell out a huge amount from their corpus. The prices are at the higher level than a mid size car but the companies are bold enough to enter the market, which is dominated by the likes of Hero Honda, Bajaj, TVS and Honda Scooter, Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki. Of these, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki have already launched their premium range bikes.

Ducati, owned by the car manufacturer Fiat, has opened its retail shop in the country, as the bikes in the price range of Rs9.6 lakhs – Rs43.37 lakhs are to be in deal at 6 showrooms within 2010. The price and product range of Harley-Davidson will be available in the ensuing Auto Expo in January. But the preliminary details about the dealership – in5 citites, to start with- are that the company has received 80 applications so far and the company’s own Harley Owners Group (H.O.G) to organize cross-country adventure rides, will also be in the picture. From the overseas manufacturer, Yamaha was the first one to enter into the Indian market with its 1000 cc bike R1 and 1700 cc sports bike MT01 in December 2007.

The bikes at the cost of Rs12.5 lakh has hit the stands in about 150 units as on date and another super bike V-MAX 1700 cc at Rs20 lakh is also launched. According to the company’s official top brass, the company has been out of stock for the last three months as the demand is high for both R1 and MT01. Suzuki’s story is altogether different with its Hayabusa (Rs12.5 lakh) and Intruder both of which came into India last November and has found 105 owners as on date. Kawasaki, in association with Bajaj, has launched its Ninja 250R, a 250cc bike and is treated as a sobered version of its global brands and is priced Rs3 lakhs. Though affordable in a way, it does not fit in the super bike category. The unit is assembled in Chakan unit of Bajaj and already it has sold about 127 units. Soon there will be KTM bikes @690cc.

The companies are at ease and a sigh of relief from the local homologation rules for the bikes above 800cc which enabled their business growth. Now there would no need to modify for the local conditions. More reasons cited for the growth of these bikes are the enhanced urban income and perfect road facilities. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers the market of the premium bikes is 500 units a year which is expected to increase to 1000 by 2015. The increase is in direct proportion to the rise in per capita income to $1000, which is expected to happen in India by 2014, said the Society’s Director.

World of Mini-SUV’s

Maruti may never bring the Gimny Wagon to India.. But that does not put an end to the chapter of mini-SUV’s in India. Premier has created a new segment with the launch of Rio and other manufacturers such as Ford and Mahindra will follow premier. We tell the details of upcoming mini Suv’s here http://www.vicky.in/slideshow/mini-suvs-to-be-launched-in-india/

Renault re affirms its commitment for low-cost cars in India

Keeping aloof the tussle with Bajaj, the French car maker Renault is stubborn to please the Indian minds with its low cost cars. Close on the heels of the imminent success of Nano, Bajaj and Renault worked together to wrap the market with a similar one before 2011. But the move has been kept idle with both companies making soft pedalling in this regard. The price Rs1 lakh is very crucial for the market both in India and overseas as the car is to be provided with necessary features and performance, said the CEO of Renault. Regardless of the price mooted along with Bajaj, Renault is now working its own strategy to make the customers happy and comfortable. Witnessing the overall success of Nano, Renault does not want to lose any more time to launch its low cost car in association with Bajaj.

The company is full of optimism in the Indian market as moving from two million cars to 6 million cars with an overseas potential is a welcome sign. Renault assesses that the Indian frugal engineering and frugal product capabilities are received globally, as the Indian techs are no inferior to the global standard, said the CEO. The on going tussle with Bajaj is not a unique in any country, he said, and India is a country having long tradition and long history; so it is no threat to the company, he assured.

The company is on the path of reviving with patience and determination to prove its might. He asserted that the debacle of Logan has been the major reason for the concern and both Renault and M&M are in talks to regain the sales. Further, he said that the proposed unit in Chennai, at Rs4200 crore would start its production in the early 2010, he said.
He admitted that fall in sales of Logan, a product of Renault’s joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra, was a cause of concern and the company is talking with M&M on ways to overcome the situation.

Dilip gives a new flair to Nano

The celebrated car designer Dilip Chhabria has at last heart to redefine the fame-oriented Nano. He would touch up some 200 Nano units once they come out of the showrooms. Dilip’s own company DC Design Pvt. Ltd is in a tie-up with Carnation Auto India Ltd which is an off-shoot from the former chief of Maruti Suzuki, Jagdish Khattar exclusively for this project.

The newly designed car will be christened Hot Nano, said Dilip and the first vehicle may hit the headlines in December @ a cost of Rs80000. Dilip has so far designed some 2000 cars including Limousines and sports cars and said there would not be too many changes in the interiors of Nano.

Dilip felt that he intended to hike his business and hence the tie-up with Carnation. Dilip’s clientele includes Amitabh, Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Geet Sethi. His next mission is to design for the ambulance units and to start with 100 units will be designed for comfortable transition of the patients. Apollo has shown keen interest to buy such units.

Volkswagen to drive along the Indian roads with its Beetle

Just a month away and the sensation of Volkswagen’s Beetle, People’s Car, will be on the Indian roads once it is imported from the Mexican plant. Yet to be priced, Beetle is another fiesta from the German car maker and is known for is popularity and historical impact in the industry. Some of the industry analysts foresaw the drawbacks of Beetle – peculiar style, underpowered motor, rough ride and noisy engine. VW is in the Indian picture now with its luxury sedans Passat and Jetta and is on the plan to launch a small car Polo next year. The company has production facilities at Aurangabad and Chakan for assembling Skoda, Audi and Volkswagen. The company is anticipating a full production zoom in this plant by 2012 and has already made increase in its work force with additional 1500 employees to double the production. The company’s earlier target had been 8-10% share in the Indian passenger car market in the next 6 years. In the meantime there is a proposal to amalgamate the after-sale service for these three cars. Already there are 19600 units of Skoda, Audi and VW since last year in the Indian passenger car segment which has 1.5 million units.