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Don’t be serious! its not a serious facelift. Mahindra has again added new features to its flagship product – scorpio. Scorpio VLX – top end variant of scorpio gets the following features
* Twin front airbags – passenger and driver
* twin dial instrument panel
* front speakers with built-in tweeters
* speed warning alert
The facelifted scorpio will see a marginal hike in price.
Pictures of new scorpio VLX
Tata’s Xover will steal the Auto Expo in New Delhi next January. Priced @Rs6-8 lakh, the car is expected to roll on the roads by the first half of 2010 to be extended after a gestation phase. The car is slated as an encounter to Toyota Innova, Mahindra Xylo and Chevrolet Travera. The car has a three row seats(total of 7 seats) to facilitate the family luxury along with driving dynamics and visual cues of SUV, known specially from Tata. Xover will have new generation engine, navigation system, ABS and air bags, inputs from London-based Tata Motors European Technical Centre.
The car had its show case in Geneva Motor Show way back 2005. It took 4 years for Tata to revive the production after a lot of hiccups in the form of delay in the components and finalization of prototypes. The headlamp cluster would focus the innovative methodology varying from the show case in Geneva. Other model show cased in the same show – Prima- is still under the limelight.
After afooting its 0.5 tonne truck, M&M is all in high spirit to launch its passenger mode in CNG variants including export market potential. Gio is really meant for the sensation in the utility segment would run between Tata Ace and the three wheeler range. The price is another factor that M&M could boast off – Rs1.65 lakh, a slight addition of Rs25000 to 30000 than a three wheeler. M&M has invested Rs25 crore for developing this product including in-house tooling technology and the US developed Kohler engine.
This cost factor would yield the desired result in the export market, said the company official. However, the focus is on the domestic market to begin with by producing 2000 units a month from the Haridwar plant which can be upgraded to the capacity of 3000 units within the same investment. Gio is crafted to meet the demands of inter-city and the intra-city commute, similar to Tata Magic. M&M is eying on the combined market of three wheeler and LCVs.
The cost of a mini truck is Rs2.78 lakhs whereas the cost of a three wheeler is Rs1.38 lakh. The cargo borne one-tonne truck gives a mileage of 16-18 kms /lit. M&M assures that Gio is designed to give 27km/lit mileage in addition to 32% saving in the operational cost. The combined mini-truck and three wheeler market in India is 180000 units (1500 units a month) of which mini-trucks alone constitute 11000 units and three wheelers 68000units. In the days to come there would be an increase of 10% in this market and Geo would contribute another 2% to make it 12%.
The world fame luxury car maker Audi is in its bid to assemble its cars in India to reduce the cost by means of less taxes. Currently the cars are being levied heavy taxes for the import. further the company is in the process of appointing more dealers – from 12 to 18 within 2011. This scheme becomes effective with the present models like A4 and A6 sedans at the Aurangabad plant while Q5 follow the suit in 2011. Depending on the demand for its models, Audi would assemble the units. The present practice is completely built unit being imported at the taxes up to 110%. Another need is to increase its target by 50% so that it could make 1600 units from 1500 units. In the last year the sale was 1050 units.
During January – September 2009, Audi mustered a sale of 1333 units of which 205(including 100 units of Q7) were in September alone. Audi hopes to boost its sale by launching more models soon. Audi has already invested Rs210 crore in Indian business and has allotted three more dealers in Coimbatore , Nagpur and Jaipur for next year. With these there would be 18 dealers by 2011. A salient feature of Audi’s business is its entry into the centenary year- 2009, to celebrate with an Auto Show in January. Hereinafter, there will be one new model every year from Audi.
As you read it, Royal Enfield launches two new bikes in Delhi. Royal Enfield has relaunched the legacy of Bullet Classic with the launch of the these bikes. Royal Enfield Bullet Classic 500 and Royal Enfield Bullet Classic 350 is here for the hardcore tourers and cruisers. Classic 500 is the first fuel injected Bullet to be launched in India and the classic 350 is a cheaper carburreted bike. The Classic 500 powered by 500cc UCE engine develops 27.2bhp of max power @ 5250rpm and a max torque of 41.3Nm @ 4000rpm. The Classic 350 churns out 19.8bhp of peak power at 5250rpm and 24Nm of peak torque at 4000rpm. The Classic 500 and Classic 350 will be available in four colours – Red, sky blue, silver and black.
Royal Enfield Classic 500 is priced Rs1,24,000 (ex-showroom Delhi)
Royal Enfield Classic 350 is priced Rs98,800 (ex-showroom Delhi)
For more pictures of Bullet Classic 350 and Classic 500 Efi visit http://www.vicky.in/slideshow/royal-enfield-classic-500-and-classic-350-pictures/
Nissan India’s premium SUV, Murano is all set for launch in next year, at least in the first half, in contrast to the scheduled launch this year. The car will be a completely built import from Japan. The cost will be in the range of Rs35lakh – Rs40 lakh and to be in stiff fight against Toyota Prado, BMW X3, Mitsubhisi Montero and Mercedes Benz M-class. The launch will be preceded by a survey about the prospects for this SUV as it is in the US since 2002, as a counter to Pathfinder.
Nissan is in plans to roll out three versions of Murano – the base S, the midgrade SL, and the top of the line LE. There will be all wheel drive and the vehicle will have a 3.5 lit petrol V6 engine, aluminium interior accents, leather seats, rain sensing wipers , memory seats and mood lighting. There will be a 11-speaker Bose unit with a 9.3 GB hard disk storage device. Nissan has proposal to introduce compact cars and such hatchbacks will be made in five countries including China, India and Thailand.
After this, there will be a sedan in 2011 and a compact multi-purpose vehicle. In India, Nissan will make its small cars in its tie-up with Renault and in the unit in Chennai. The company is eyeing in sourcing 80-90 local sourcing for the parts. In India, the small car will be manufactured at the Renault-Nissan plant in Chennai.
Nissan’s engineers say they are trying to source 80-90 per cent of the parts locally.
With the imminent success tasted from the cheapest car phase Nano, Tata Motors is now mooting an idea to outsource the assembling it to other parties. This will be the first such “federal structure” of manufacturing a car. The company has plans to launch new Nano plant for production in the Q4 of this fiscal year(2010) and there is a proposal to appoint micro-assembly sites in the country to produce 10000 cars per year, said the company’s Vice-Chairman. Nano has fetched The Economist Innovation award 2009 and now is the time to make the car more domestic.
But the observers in the automotive industry feel that such a move by Tata Motor is a risky one in terms of brand reputation. The main concern for the brand image is the safety of the car as already three cases of firing were reported about Nano. This incident made the company press into a vigil move to check the cars already shipped and which are ready for delivery. Moreover, customers may not be willing to rely on such assembler even with the original brand , because the market is such that the buyer look for the profile of the company on par with the features of vehicle.
This is in addition to after sale service factor, for which the company becomes more dependable. The concept was originally conceived by Ratan Tata while talking about the Nano proposal four years ago but for the last two years, the company has been on search for manufacturing units like Singur in West Bengal, Sanand in Gujarat. Of these, Sanand plant will make its production during the Q4 with an initial capacity of 250000 units per year which may be increased to 350000. The Europe market will get the Nano in 2011 at the corresponding cheaper rates and there will be a clever move to grab the global potential, said the VC of the company.
The most celebrated bike maker in India, Bajaj Auto has come to a grinding halt of its two products-XCD 125 ( an alternative to a conventional 100cc bikes from Hero Honda) and Pulsar 200- in order to focus on luxury models. Both these models went to recluse in a time span of three months. The models are replaced by expensive ranges – XCD 125 by XCD 135 with an additional price of Rs4000 – Rs5000 and 10% more power.
The model was expected of very good penetration but the company was disappointed to know the demand of just 20000 units a month against 50000 units. To prove this aftermath, XCD 135 sold 10000 units within a fortnight of its launch. With increase in both the engine and the cost XCD moves well even at Rs49000. In case of the Pulsar 200 the company introduced a new model at the same price- Pulsar 220 for Rs70000 (after a discount of Rs15000).
This is not the first time in the history of Bajaj to withdraw bikes and introduce new models. The practice is there depending upon the demand for the bikes. The current mood in the Bajaj camp is to revitalize Discover and Pulsar to a greater level along with XCD, Platina and Avenger. With the scrapping of these two models now, Bajaj has in its list – Discover (100) Platina, XCD 135, Discover 134, Pulsar 150, Pulsar 180, Pulsar 220, Avenger and Kristal.
Honda today launched a facelifted version of its popular SUV CR-V. The new CR-V comes with a refreshed look with the following changes
* new two-step front grille,
* re-sculpted hood & front bumper design
* A new 10-spoke alloy wheel design replaces the previous 7-spoke alloy wheel design.
* oval shape fog lamps
* a new rear bumper
Because of all these changes, lenght of new CR-V goes up by 45 mm and measures 4575 mm in length while maintaining the same width, height, ground clearance and head clearance. Inside the new CR-V too there are many changes. The 2.4 L model now comes with a steering-mounted Cruise Control system with illuminated controls. The music system features a new USB port in the upper glove compartment in keeping with the latest trend of music storage. The overall interior colour scheme has been brightened and gives a more premium look with chrome finish in audio controls & gear knob and coordinated colour changes in the dashboard and centre console. The centrally located LCD meter display is now blue in colour with design changes in the indicators for improved decipherability. The vanity mirror is equipped with a light to assist visibility during darkness. New CR-V also sports more airbags including Side-Curtain airbags and Side Airbags with Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS).
The new CR-V will be available in two new colours – Opal Sage Metallic and Premium Mystic Night Pearl along with the existing range of Polished Metal, Alabaster Silver, Crystal Black Pearl and Premium White.
Maruti has launched celebration edition of its hot selling hatchback Ritz called “Ritz Aura”. Ritz Aura comes six exciting features
1) MP3 player with USB port
2) Body Side Moulding
3) Aura decal
4) Body Graphics
5) Security system
6) twin front speaker set
Ritz Aura Celebration edition will be available only in Ahmedabad and Mumbai region.