Hot News on Thunderbird Twinspark and Tata crossover

* Royal Enfield to launch Thunderbird Twinspark in May

* Hero Honda to launch 12 products in the next 18 months

* TVS will start selling small volumes of apache RTR Fuel Injection soon.

* Following the bike makers, car majors are planning a price hike for all products on account of rising input cost.

* Tata is heavily testing its new crossover vehicle which is built on Xover concept. Tata’s new crossover will take on Toyota’s innova and is expected to hit the market in October- November 2008.

* BMW will launch a 4.8 litre X5 soon. The new X5 will be priced around Rs80lakh

No Mini for India

The feasibility study is over but the findings are not in our favour. Ya, we are discussing about BMW’s Mini. In 2007 BMW India kicked off a feasibility study on its Mini brand to ascertain its viability for India. Last week it completed the study and found that it is not going to be a viable option at the moment. “Last week, we have taken a decision to scrap plans to bring Mini by 2009. After the feasibility study we had undertaken, it is clear to us that it will not be viable to bring the car that soon,” BMW India India President Peter Kronschnabl said. He, however, reiterated that the company has not completely abandoned the plan to bring Mini in India. “Probably in another one to one-and-a-half years, we will have a re-look at the issue and assess the market again,” he said. The Mini is a smaller-sized car compared with the BMW series, but an imported vehicle could cost as much as Rs20 lakh. Assembling in India would result in 30% reduction in price and Mini would be Rs15-16 lakh, but the market for Mini is small and the investment would not justify local assembly.

Bikes gets dearer

It’s going to be double whammy for bike lovers. The interest rate has already hit the all time high, due to the RBI CRR hike, banks are expected to hike the interest rate further. On the other hand, Inflation has started biting the two wheeler industry, steel price has been heading northwards. Unable to absorb the pressure manufacturers has almost reverted the discounts announced after the Union Budget. Bajaj, Hero Honda and TVS which discounted upto Rs2500 has increased the prices upto Rs1000.

* Hero Honda has increased prices by Rs 500 to Rs 1,000

* Bajaj has increased the prices in the range of Rs 500-600

* The hike by TVS is between Rs 200 and Rs 1,000

Nissan’s new Teana 2

Nissan will showcase the new teana at the upcoming Beijing Auto Show. The new Teana is a production version of the Nissan Intima concept which created ripples at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show through its suicide doors.The new Teana still maintains the Intima’s CLS-like banana car look. More details are expected when the official launch happens

Ford Ikon now at Rs 4.49 lakh

Ford India has reduced its entry level sedan Ikon to Rs 4.49 lakh through a limited edition offer. “This is a variable offer for a limited period. We want to create some excitement by attracting youth through this offer,” said a Ford India spokesperson. Ikon is now available in one variant power steering, central locking and power windows. The reduction is price is seen as Ford move to take on the recently launched Tata Indigo CS and Maruti Suzuki’s Dzire. It is important to note that Ford is planning a refreshed Ikon by the end of this year.

Mahindra’s Scorpio Hybrid

yet another first information report

Auto manufacturers can no longer produce gas guzzlers. The rising crude oil price makes the buyers across the world to think twice before buying a gas-sucking behemoth particularly SUVs. Even the American started hating SUVs and switch to hybrids. Alternative energy is the need of the hour and Fuel cells will be the only power source for future automotives. But starting from the membrane to the fuel (H2) to the electrodes problems associated with fuel cells is far from over. Auto majors across the world are spending millions and millions of dollars for developing fuel cells and electric vehicles. For the present, manufacturers have opted for hybrid vehicles to make the product affordable. Hybrids reduces the dependency on fossil fuels significantly. Unlike the past when Indian manufacturers are reluctant to accept changes. Now they embrace new technology with ease and want to be in par with leaders and compete with them.

An India maker which came into automotive business by assembling willy’s jeeps imported from United States is going to sell Indian made SUV’s in USA next year. Mahindra which wishes to be the Indian Land Rover will take on Toyota, Ford and Honda in United States in 2009. Mahindra is making a superior scorpio to suit the emission and safety norms. But Mahindra makes something more than scorpio to lure US customers. What is called Scorpio Hybrid which is an important product for Mahindra’s US game plan. This is India’s first Hybrid SUV and we got some exclusive information on the vehicle.

The new hybrid scoprio will look more like a regular scorpio, the powertrain is completely new. It uses diesel-electric parallel hybrid. Mahindra hybridized the scorpio with the help of FEV an internationally recognized powertrain and vehicle engineering. Mahindra scorpio hybrid operates in four modes. You see first pictures of operation of scorpio Hybrid and automatic transmission at vicky.in before anyone in the world.

1) Mahindra scorpio hybrid Motor assist mode: Both the combustion engine and electric motor simultaneously power the vehicle.

2) Mahindra scorpio hybrid Generator mode: Combustion engine powers the vehicle while charging the batteries during partial load conditions.

3) Mahindra scorpio hybrid Regenerative Braking mode: Part of brake energy wasted as heat is recuperated using the e-machine as a generator into battery

4) Mahindra scorpio hybrid Motor Idle Charging mode: if the battery state of charge is lower than the threshold, the combustion engine recharges the battery while idling.


A 2.2 Liter, I-4, second generation diesel common rail engine producing 113bhp of maximum power and 270 Nm of peak torque is under the hood of the hybrid scorpio. Assisting the m-Hawk engine is the electric motor which produces 40bhp. The combustion engine, the electric machine and the automatic transmission are coupled together through a mechanical torque converter. Mahindra and Mahindra earns the credit of making India’s first automatic transmission. The six speed automatic transmission is a fully electronic control system and simplifies the regular gear system to just four operations – parking,reverse,neutral and drive.

Toyota to build small car in India

Toyota Motors today said that will launch a small car in the Indian market and will invest Rs 1400 crore for a new factory that will come up in Bangalore by 2010. Toyota’s new plant will have an annual capacity of 100,000 vehicles, will produce the Corolla sedan and a new low-cost small car, developed specifically for emerging markets. The new low cost car would not be a small car or a hatchback, but an equivalent of a compact sedan like Tata Motors’ Indigo or Maruti’s DZire.Toyota Kirloskar Motor will produce a series of cars between 1.2 litre and 1.5 litre engine capacities. The cars will be both in diesel and petrol versions. Toyota also plans to export the cars produced in its Indian factory later. With the transfer production of Corolla to the new plant, the existing plant is likely to produce vehicles like pick-up vans on the Innova platform. Toyota which eyes 10% market share by 2015 has only 0.6 percent of the Indian car market. Toyota sold 54,000 units in India in 2007 at a growth of 12 per cent. The company currently manufactures models like the MUV Innova, and luxury sedan Corolla apart from importing the Camry and Prado models in India. It’s important to note Toyota’s rivals such as General Motors, Honda. and Volkswagen have already announced a combined $6 billion investment in the country.

Suzuki’s Kizashi 3

Suzuki which surprised everyone with series of Kizashi 1 and Kizashi 2 has added another car to the family. Suzuki presented its sleek and athletic Concept Kizashi 3 at the ongoing Newyork Auto Show. Kizashi 3 is the final addition to its acclaimed Kizashi concept series. Suzuki unveiled the first Kizashi Concept in 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show (a sport wagon), and then the Kizashi Concept 2 debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show (a crossover). According to the Suzuki, Kizashi 3 will represent the completion of the Kizashi concept series as well as providing a closer-to-production vision of a future Suzuki sport sedan offering. Deeply drawn headlights, recessed fog lamps, the fascia and a streamlined visage points to superior aerodynamics. Suzuki says that the Kizashi 3 offers a blend of sporty handling and driver comfort. Suzuki’s 300-hp, 3.6-liter V6 drives all four wheels through Suzuki’s intelligent AWD system.
Concept Kizashi 3 Specifications
Powertrain layout: Front engine, four-wheel drive with Advanced i-AWD system
Seating capacity (persons): Five
Tires: 255/30ZR21 9.5J
Wheels: 21-inch, nine-spoke, aluminum
Engine: 3,564cm3 V6, DOHC, 24-valve
Transmission: Six-speed automatic (with paddle shifters)
Maximum power: 300 hp
Overall length: 4,650mm/183.1 in.
Overall width: 1,900mm/74.8 in.
Overall height: 1,450mm/57.1 in.
Wheelbase: 2,800mm/110.2 in.
Minimum ground clearance: 120mm
Body color: Kizashi Silver

Ford launches roadside assistance programme

Ford India has launche a new customer service initiative that offers 24*7 roadside assistance to the customers.  Under the Ford roadside assistance programme all new car buyers beginning April 1 would be offered free roadside assistance for a period of two years. The existing Ford owners too have the option to avail themselves of this facility by paying Rs 1,100 a year. “Ford’s 24-hour service comes without any additional cost to the owner and is accessible through a national toll-free number providing on site assistance services that cover mechanical services, transportation of car to service centre if required, fuel delivery among others” Mr Scott McCormack, Vice-President, Marketing (Sales &Service) , Ford India said.