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In view of the reduction in the excise duty on small cars from 16% to 12% in the Union Budget 2008, Ford India has announced a price decrease on the Ford Fusion Diesel by Rs. 22,000. The revised price for the Ford Fusion’s Diesel variant is Rs. 6, 43,500 (Ex-showroom, Chennai) effective 1st March 2008.
New Pricing Details – City – Wise
| City | Previous(Rs.) | Revised (Rs.) |
| Mumbai | 698,193 | 675,081 |
| Delhi | 665,500 | 643,500 |
| Chennai | 665,500 | 643,500 |
| Bangalore | 665,500 | 643,500 |
| Kolkata | 665,500 | 643,500 |
You have to crawl, you cannot move past 50kmph,you have to expect the unexpected! this is how everyone describes driving in the city. Switching gears and hard pressing the clutch have always been a tiresome exercise. But unlike a girl who can turn on the ignition of scooty and zip away, urban male have to settle only with motorcycles. Unlike the bikes which has different segments to suit the needs of different customers, scooter industry is largely dominated by fair sex targetted scooters (the only exceptions are unisex scooters like Activa and Dio). Until 2007 manufacturers failed to find a new segment which constitutes young brigade who look for stylish and powerful scooters. Suzuki and Kinetic which desperately wanted a share in Indian two wheeler market rolled out Access and Flyte. Flyte and Access somehow fitted into his requirements. But his search is still on for a better product.
Honda which has been enjoying the market leader position in the Indian scooter segment seems has come out with a new scooter called aviator. As evident from the television commercial, Honda targets the urban male with the new aviator. We test drive the aviator to find out whether the aviator fits for the office going male.
1) Honda Aviator: The styling is completely different from the Activa and Aviator is clearly an odd breed among the Indian scooters. Its radical, acceptance of this design among consumers has to be watched.
Two large clear lens turn indicators separated by the V shaped strips will easily catch everyone’s attention. Smiley headlamps is an added attraction. The razor sharp styling is accentuated by Chunky grab rail and stylish wraparound turn indicators dominates the tail section.
2) Honda Aviator: is powered by the same engine used in Activa. 102cc engine generates peak power of 7bhp at 7000rpm. From the word go, the response is good. Engine offers smooth and silky performance. Aviator easily move past 70kmph mark without the engine straining or sounding harsh. But for these scooters more than the top speed pick-up is important. Honda has used high impact resistant ABS plastic panels which reduces the overall weight of the two-wheeler. The result is the improved pick-up when compared to Activa but still it fails short off Hero Honda Pleasure or Suzuki’s Access.
3) Honda Aviator: Fuel economy or mileage has been strongest point of any Honda product. Aviator is no exception, it manages to return 40kmpl in our city drive.
4) Honda Aviator: Aviator’s riding position is comfortable and should be ideal for most Indian riders. To suit the tall riders, Honda has given the aviator ample height and wheel base. Aviator’s dimensions (1802*707*1162mm) speaks for itself. 790mm seat height enables even a 6ft rider to sit comfortably even though the length of the foot board is small. Thicker footrest and not so bulgy
5) Honda Aviator: Triangular instrument panel comprises a large speedo and a fuel gauge. In bright sunlight its hard to see the warning indicators. Though the design of the Aviator is a generation ahead but in features its clearly a generation behind. With Aviator you have to get down whenever you visit the petrol filling station or shopping centre. There is no quadra or penta lock facility in Aviator. Surpisingly, the mobile charging point which has become more common or a glove box are left out in Aviator’s feature list. The only difference from the Activa is the usable underseat space which gives you some more space even after swallowing a full helmet.
6) Honda Aviator: The broad moulded-seat and the suspension set-up that features contemporary telescopic fork manage to do a good job of softening the impact of bad roads. You won’t develop fatigue due to this softer suspension. Vibrations transferred through the handlebar and the rear grab rail is very minimal. Credits to the Honda’s build.
7) Honda Aviator: We drove the aviator deluxe variant that comes with disc brake. It controls the vehicle well. Except for the larger appearance nothing hampers you to do zig zag in the traffic signals. Soft touch levers are nice to use.
8) Honda Aviator: is available in five exciting colours – Rebel Red Metallic, Berry purple Metallic, Space silver metallic,Monsoon Gray Metallic and Pearl Igneous Black. On the road Aviator Standard variant comes at Rs 44391 and Aviator Deluxe variant costs Rs47857. As of now, depending on the colours delivery time ranges from a week to two.
Verdict:
old wine in new bottle
Honda aviator’s target customer (urban male) needs a completely different scooter which is modern, stylish and performs like a bike. Aviator’s revolutionary design is sure to attract a few who wants to look different. The new contemporary telescopic front suspension and disc brake improves the riding experience significantly. It seems that Honda has checked all the boxes. But with a more powerful engine and usable features Aviator could have been a ideal package for him.
Though scooter market constitutes only 18% of the Indian two wheeler industry, it continues to post positive sales in contrast to the negative growth of bikes. Hence all the manufacturers wants a share in the segment and the competition has become more intense. We expect soon other manufacturers will come with more Unisex scooters.
TVS Motors today made its foray into the three wheeler market with the launch of new King. King was launched at a glittering function in Chennai by Mr M.K Stalin, Minister of Rural Development and Local Administration, Government of Tamilnadu. According to TVS, King would be India’s first 200cc two stroke auto rickshaw that will come electric start. The market size for three wheeler market in India is around 18lakh units per year and is largely dominated by players like Bajaj and Piaggio. TVS hopes to sell 1lakh units this year. To achieve this target TVS has launched the King with three engine options – LPG, CNG and Petrol. TVS has also planned to come out with 4stroke and cargo variant of King soon. In addition TVS will also export the King to countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Latin America, Nigeria, Indonesia and others. TVS would be leveraging its exisiting distribution and service network to market the King. On the road TVS King will cost around Rs1lakh. TVS will first launch the King in southern states and it will be available across India before the end of 2008.
getting into the heart:
To alleviate the problems in getting permits, Goindi Sr VP, international business and three-wheelers, TVS Motors said the company would work with various state governments to clear any misconceptions about this vehicle segment. TVS has also announced a special health insurance scheme for the welfare King buyers. King’s owner and his family (self, wife and three children) are covered by free personal accident-cum-health insurance and they can avail this scheme by paying Rs264 from the second year. The personal accident insurance cover will be for Rs.100,000 and the health insurance cover will be for Rs.30,000. Also, the family will be offered Rs150 every day for a period of six days. TVS Motors also announced another unique recogonition scheme to promote education through which the company will recognize and reward children of TVS king owner/owner driver who secure three highest marks in Class X and Class XII examinations in each state.
As the FM cuts the excise duty on small cars further, hatchbacks and compact sedans has become more attractive than sedans. As a result of these, sales of sedans started bleeding. Indigo CS became the highest seller with sales of around 3,322 units in February. Ford is one the prominent sedan maker in India. To retain its customers, it has come out with a host of exciting offers.
Ford March Masti to enjoy the month of March.
Ford Fiesta:
When you buy a Ford Fiesta this March pick from either one of these great deals
* Get your Fiesta at an incredibly low Interest rate of 7.5 %*
* Get a Kenwood MP3 player, anti-theft system and whole lot of other accessories worth over Rs 22,000/-* absolutely free
Ford Ikon: Hassle free ownership. Get free insurance worth Rs 15,000/- on every Ford Ikon this March
Ford Fusion: now music comes free with every Ford Fusion. Free MP3 player with every Ford Fusion this March
Fight till you get success! this seems to be Bajaj Auto’s new mantra. Bajaj which tries to poach splendor customers with the new XCD may not have succeded but it has not failed too. Bajaj plans four more 125cc bikes to lure 100cc customers. There will be one distinct 125cc bike with distinct pricing in each quarter,” managing director Rajiv Bajaj said. Bajaj expected to sell 50000 XCDs every month but it managed to sell only 20000 units. “It is very unlikely that manufacturers can produce a model in this segment which can post volumes of 1,00,000 units a month. What is required is a very clever platform strategy which will create economies of scale. The XCD’s journey over the last few months has been a valuable learning for all of us,” Bajaj said. To bolster its fight against four new 125cc products based on XCD platform. The first one of The first to roll out will be the sporty XCD Sprint showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo.XCD Sprint with its sporty look and powerful engine will target niche customers.This strategy will hold true for the other bikes that will follow in the fiscal.
Hero Honda’s new 125cc bike:
Though this strategy seems to target 100cc customers digging in we come to know that Bajaj has other reasons too. Bajaj wish to continue its top position in the 125cc plus segment. As other manufacturers plans to roll out more 125cc products – Honda will launch a sporty version of the Shine soon and TVS will finally launch the Flame this month. There are also speculations that Hero Honda will soon come out with a new 125cc motorcycle. It is obvious that Bajaj is getting ready for the fierce battle in 125cc segment.
Yamaha will soon replace its money-losing Indian motorcycle business with the new venture called India Yamaha Motor (IYM). Unlike the Yamaha Motor India which is a 100% subsidiary of Yamaha MotorCycles (YMC), this new India Yamaha Motor is a joint venture between Yamaha Motors and Mitsui Corp. Mitsui’s investment will take the form of an allocation of new stock shares to a third party issued by IYM for the equivalent of 30% of the company’s capitalization. In this way, IYM will increase its total capital to a planned 5.6 billion rupee (approx. 16 billion yen) and utilize the same factory and office facilities used by its predecessor, India Yamaha Motor will kickstart its operations in April and Yamaha will invest 174 million dollar in the next three years in this JV. “The reason for dissolving the old unit is because it has had loses since at least 2001,” said Yamaha spokesman Takashi Kitagawa. “The company will rebuild the unit with help of Mitsui.”
Yamaha Motorcycles started manufacturing of motorcycles in India by establishing a joint venture company with local partner Escorts in 1996. In 2001, Yamaha Motors India became a 100% owned subsidiary of YMC. Then in 2005, a separate sales company, Yamaha Motor India Sales Private Limited, was established, after which the Yamaha motorcycle business in India was conducted by two companies specializing in manufacturing and marketing respectively.
Hyundai has launched a nationwide ‘Always Around’ campaign that would provide free car check-ups to its customers. Always Around which covers 130 locations in 64 cities, has been launched across the country from March 2 and would continue till the end of the year. In its second phase, the campaign is being scaled to 3,000 locations in 250 cities. Hyundai would offer the services at places such as parks, shopping malls, residential apartments, a mongst others.
Following the Delhi Auto Expo, Tata’s nano today excited europeans at the Geneva Motor Show. However, Tata Motors has no plans to launch its no-frills Nano car in Europe for now. Apart from the Nano, Tata also unveiled the new generation Indica, the new Safari DICOR 2.2 VTT and the Xenon. Speaking on the occasion at the Geneva Motor Show, Ratan N. Tata, chairman of the Tata Group and Tata Motors said, “ in 1998, when we displayed the Indica at Geneva, which marked our entry into passenger cars. The last decade has been a period of significant development in Tata Motors` capabilities. The display of the Nano, which is a first for the global automobile industry, and the new generation Indica signifies this in-house progression.“
Global licensing for Nano:
It seems like Tata Motors is also considering the possibility of global licensing of the production of people’s car Nano. “Every decision must be based on demand for the car. If we cannot meet it, we will look at licensing manufacture,” Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata said.
Hybrid and electric vehicles from Tata staple:
Tata Motors today expressed its intention to develop hybrid vehicles. “We are, in fact, very keen and in course of time are looking at working on vehicles that run on biofuels. . . electric vehicles and hybrid fuels,” Tata Motors Chairman Ratan Tata said. Biofuels include ethanol and biodiesel, derived from organic matters such sugarcane or vegetable oil.He said the company was also looking at flex-fuel vehicles, which can run on petrol with a blend of up to 85 per cent ethanol.”We may not be a major player, but will definitely be in those segments by buying in technology,” Tata said
Maruti Suzuki’s new swift Dzire which will replace the esteem will hit the market in March. Maruti Suzuki’s swift dzire (not dezire) a three box version of swift comes in a G-series 1.3-litre petrol and a 1.3 litre DDiS multijet diesel engine versions. To give a different appeal visually, Maruti Suzuki has given the new swift dezire a new grille, new fog lamp insert and the tail lights with horizontal turn indicators. But what is going to make the swift dzire functionally different from the swift hatch is the spaciousness. Cramped interiors (especially the rear seats) is the only sore point with the swift hatchback. Maruti Suzuki has improved the interiors without making any change in wheelbase. Maruti has increased the shoulder room and head room at the rear. Also, Swift dzire’s new notchback style boot enables it to offer 400litres of boot space. The top end variant of swift Dzire will also come with class leading luxury features like Auto Temperature Control, new integrated DIN Stereo and an all new 6 spoke alloy wheels. Similar to the recently launched refreshed swift, audio controls is mounted on the steering wheel and Maruti will offer height adjustable steering wheel in the new swift dzire. Swift dzire will also come with ABS and twin airbags.
Swift Dzire which may not qualify small car tax sop but will come at an aggressive price to bring back the Maruti Suzuki’s dominance in the entry level sedan segment. Swift Dzire might be prices in the range of Rs4.7lakhs to Rs6lakhs. Maruti is targeting sales of at least 3,000 units of the swift Dzire per month. Seems like Maruti Suzuki is getting ready for an another blockbuster with the new swift.
Click here to know on-road price, discount and offers of Tata Sumo Grande Mk2 http://www.vicky.in/onroadprice/quote
Tata today rolled out the sumo grande in Chennai. Tata claims the new Sumo Grande have the looks of an SUV, manoeuvre like a small car with all the comfort of a family car. Sumo Grande is powerd by a 2.2L Direct Injection common rail engine fitted with Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) which delivers 120PS of power and 250Nm of torque. Sumo grande looks like a rugged SUV but comes with a turning radius of just 5.25m and it offers the best-in-class third row seating. Sumo grande is offered in three variants – LX,EX and GX and two seating options – 6+1 and 7+1. Sumo Grande is available in eye-catching colours like arctic white,arctic silver, quartz black, sunset orange, Marine Blue,Mineral Red and Zephyr green. Sumo Grande is priced in the range of Rs6.61lakhs and Rs7.57lakhs. Tata offers 2years or 75000km warranty for the new sumo grande.
