Bajaj’s new Discover 150cc

To see the Discover 150cc Price, details and Pictures visit Bajaj Discover 150cc Launch post

Discover ‘s new avatar:

Discover will soon co-exist with the larger pulsar family through the 150cc Discover. Bajaj’s constant upgradation has ketp the pulsar afresh but as competetion intenses, it time for an all new bike from the successful 150cc maker. Performance will be the main theme for the Discover’s 150cc variant. Bikes of Discover family has been successful for Bajaj Auto. Last year, bajaj introduced the 135cc discover and that lured the customers who loved the mileage of 125cc and performance of 150cc bike. Discover 150cc will host LED tail lamps, Nitrox suspension and digital instrumentation similar to other permium bikes from Bajaj. Bajaj hopes to upgrade the 125cc customers with the new Discover 150cc. Watch this space for more details on bajaj discover 150cc.

Bajaj’s small car the ‘Lite’

To avoid being overshadowed by the Tata car, automobile manufacturers are scheduling their announcements for January 8-9.
It all begins with Bajaj Auto’s small car on Tuesday(january 08), followed by General Motors, Volkswagen, Fiat (Tata’s joint venture partner), Maruti, Volvo Cars and the rest. Bajaj Auto addressed a press conference today (on 8 January) and discussed some details of the small car, launch of superbikes in india and the road ahead with the partners. Bajaj will join suzuki and Yamaha by rolling out super bikes in 2008.”We will launch KTM and Kawasaki bikes sometime this year,” Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj said. Bajaj also said it will launch 3 new models in two-wheeler space in 2008. As Bajaj plans to revive its glory in scooter segment, it will launch Blade DTSi soon. Blade will be followed by Discover 150cc. Though pulsar continues to rule 150cc segment, its crown is challenged recently by apache RTR and Hero Honda Hunk. This year yamaha will roll out its premium bike (scooped as yzf R15) hence Bajaj believes uplifting discover will strengthen its presence in 150cc segment. A new variant of XCD called XCD sprint will be added to the Bajaj’s line-up

Lite – LCV and passenger carrier:

Long before Renault came into the people’s car scene, Bajaj started working for a four wheeler project (in 2005). Bajaj plans to use this new four wheeler platform for its passenger and cargo carrier vehicles. The cargo carrier will counter market leader Tata ace and piaggio ape truk. Bajaj’s new platform is named as ‘lite’.Bajaj Auto’s managing director Rajiv Bajaj said, “The middle ground (between two and four-wheelers) can spawn a range of ‘lite’ vehicles — a diet version if you will — and that’s something we will look at. We are intending to get into a family of ‘lite’ four-wheelers, both for people and goods. We will get into that business first with a goods carrier.” Bajaj Auto is building a plant at Chakan near Pune in the western state of Maharashtra will have the capacity to make 250,000 light trucks and cars a year.Bajaj Auto Ltd will launch its lite based small car in alliance with the French carmaker Renault and Japan’s Nissan Motor Co in 2-4 years. The low-cost car will be designed by Bajaj and produced at its Chakan plant in Maharashtra.

Bajaj’s lite concept: features‘tall boy’ image on the lines of Hyundai Santro. Though bajaj says lite as a concept car, it looks like it is ready for production. Fit and Finish seems good. Large raked headlamps occupies the major part of the bonnet. Connecting the headlamps is a line (not a grille). Above the grille is an unfamiliar badge, yes, bajaj’s badge looks strange on the bonnet of a car. Steeply raked large windscreen has become a rule for low cost cars. Thick B and C pillars supports the declining roof. Alloy wheels and stylish fog lamps raises suspicion whether Bajaj can bring the car around Rs1.2lakh ($3000 car). Bajaj’s lite based small car should not have unattractive rear like this. The pillar mounted tail lamps looks bad but Bajaj has time to rectify the design till 2010. Getting inside the ‘lite’ concept, the instrument panel is moved to centre similar to what we seen in chevrolet spark. The three spoke steering wheel bring the memory of cheap china made cars. The gear lever is mounted on the dash. But putting aside all this things, could you believe this is the first car made by a two- wheeler manufacturer.Really, i’m not, this is incredible. If Bajaj prices the lite based small car in between Rs1 lakh and Rs3 lakh. I can assure you that this will give other hatchbacks a run for money. Bajaj lite is perfect, nothing more can we expect from a small car.

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Bajaj’s lite concept: based small car will be available in petrol and diesel variants.  We will also have a diesel option and one can always build LPG, CNG and hybrid options on to the platform as well,” Mr Bajaj said. For diesel, Bosch is “one option”, he added. The lite based small car will have twin-cylinder engine and will be positioned as an intra-city car.

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Bajaj lite concept: Bajaj plans to make the lite based small car the most fuel-efficient small car in the market. Twin cylinder engine and an innovative transmission will make the lite to return more than 30km per litre. The management of Bajaj Auto said that they will rollout the small car in 2009.
Rajiv Bajaj, managing director, Bajaj Auto, said: “This is not a Rs 1 lakh car. It will be priced competitively but not sell on the pricing. Offering the customer twice the fuel economy is more effective than offering half the price.”

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Mahindra and Mahindra news update

* Mahindra to launch ingenio MPV in 2009

* Mahindra to launch scorpio hybrid in 11/2-2 years

* Mahindra to launch its utility vehicles in Egypt in January 2008, UK in May and in Brazil by the end of 2008

* Mahindra to walk out off Renault – Nissan- M&M tripartite JV

* Mahindra in talks with Chrysler to manufacture cars in india

Ford plans Fiesta supermini for India

Ford India is gearing up to bring its Fiesta supermini hatchback from Europe into the Indian market with a new marquee. Heavily camouflaged fiesta hatchback are running across chennai and it seems that Ford is testing Fiesta supermini hatchback in Indian conditions. Ford might start sellling fiesta hatchback by the end-2009 and will compete with Skoda Fabia and upcoming Honda’s Jazz, including brands such as the Getz and the Alto. Ford is currently involved in early vendor identification for the project, which it is betting will bring in much needed volumes.  Ford’s overseas Fiesta model is one of the most successful small cars sold in the world, with sales of more than 11 million in seven generations since its launch in 1976. It is different from the Fiesta the company sells here, which is a sedan.

ICML refreshes Rhino RX

an upgraded Rhino Rx

International Cars and Motors Ltd (ICML) has launched an upgraded version of its 100 bhp MUV ‘Rhino Rx’, with prices starting from Rs6 lakh. The new Rhino Rx has a 2,000cc, BS III compatible diesel engine with four-cylinder direct injection, a maximum power of 100 bhp at 3600rpm and a maximum torque of 220 Nm (2,400rpm).   Rhino RX will be available in Delhi by February and the  older version of the car, which it had unveiled in July 2007  has been withdrawn. ICML has roped in 170 dealers for its sales and after sales services and has 45 such dealers already operational.

Tie-up and Future launches: 

ICML now has plans to launch a ‘World Car’ by 2010 in collaboration with Italy-based  Pininfarnia.Pininfarina is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Turin, founded in 1930. Over the years the company has been employed by many automobile manufacturers, notably Ferrari,Maserati, Cadillac, Nash, Peugeot, Jaguar, Volvo, Alfa Romeo,MG, Cisitalia, and Lancia. “The company will produce a family of vehicles that will include a SUV and a high end luxury car,” said the Managing Director. Mr Mittal added that the SUV will be in the C segment, and will be launched at an international motor show.

Perfect Umpiring!

Indian Judiciary may be one of the complex systems in the world. Hundreds of cases may be pending but here are three interesting cases in which consumer rights are uphold.

First case: South Korean car giant Hyundai Motors has been asked by the National Consumer Commission to pay Rs 6.8 lakh to a consumer for supplying a defective Accent car. Ruling that it is the duty of the car manufacturers to replace defective vehicles, the Commission said that in such cases, the companies are “not justified” in protracting litigation for years merely because they have money power. “Such defects may occur in one out of a thousand vehicles, but at the same time, it is the duty of the reputed and established manufacturer to replace such a vehicle,” said Commission president Justice M B Shah and member Rajyalakshmi Rao. Noting that a consumer would certainly be dissatisfied if a newly-bought car starts giving troubles within a few days of its purchase, the Commission said that it is the “duty” of the car companies to replace the vehicles if they are unable to rectify the defects. “By some measures or means, the tendency to accept the defects or faults is required to be encouraged. Otherwise, delay in disposal of such cases defeats the rights and the consumer gets frustrated,” the Commission noted, dismissing the petition of Hyundai against the State commission order. The Commission told the car maker to refund Sunny Malik, managing director of a central Delhi-based publication house, the defective vehicle’s cost (Rs 6.8 lakh) along with a compensation for harassment he faced while taking his 2004 model luxury car ‘Accent’ to the service station frequently.

Second case: The Delhi Consumer Commission told Hyundai Motors to refund Rs 3.55 lakh, along with damages of Rs 25,000, to Gopal K Sahi, whose brand new car turned out to be defective. The Commission also directed the car maker’s Paschim Vihar-based dealer, Deep Hyundai, to cough up Rs 1.55 lakh received from Sahi a couple of years ago on account of replacing his accidental car with a new one. Sahi, a resident of Vikaspuri here, had bought a Santro car in 1999 after paying over Rs three lakh. After his car met with an accident in January 2001, he approached the Hyundai dealer with a complaint that the car was damaged completely despite it being a minor mishap. But the response from the manufacturer was mute and hence he approached the Delhi consumer commission.

Third case: General Motors (GM) is directed by the Delhi Consumer Commission to pay Rs 3 lakh in compensation to G L Sanghi, whose car malfunctioned from the day of purchase itself. It all started in 1996, when Sanghi was not even offered genuine keys of the car. Only after eight months, he was able to receive the original key. But Sanghi’s nightmare is not yet over, he found a number of defects in his car, including low mileage and engine overheating, which made driving uncomfortable. He approached the car maker that was not the solution (he wrote as many as 16 letters to dealer and the manufacturer) but the ears remained unturned. In the mean while, he approached Delhi Consumer Commission in 1998 and lodged his complaint. The manufacturer denied any manufacturing defect in its car and contended the troubles experienced by Sanghi were owing to his driving style. But the commission found no substance in GM’s claim and held it guilty of deficiency in service for manufacturing and selling a defective vehicle.It asked GM to pay damages for the loss suffered in the value of the car, mental agony due to sale of defective car.

Yamaha new150cc bike – YZF R15

Well, the wait is over, in a few days time, we will see true yamaha bike after 10 years at the auto expo. Obviously, expectations are running high and hence rumours too. Interestingly, some genuine information get hidden among those. Last year the same happened for Hero Honda Hunk. A blog called http://yzf-r15.blogspot.com/

has some interesting information on Yamaha’s new 150cc (yes, the blogger written so). According to the blog, Yamaha will blow off every other bikes manufactured in India with the new 150cc. Yamaha will christen this bike as YZF R15 and will score first -in-class/ first-in-indian bikes credits such as full fairing, front and rear disc, monoshock suspension system at the rear and twin lights. But the real attraction of the Yamaha’s 150cc R15 will be its four stroke, oil cooled,4-valve, liquid cooled and Fuel injected (FI) engine. The R15’s 150cc engine would develop maximum power in the range of 20-22bhp (if true, will make it more powerful than Karizma and Pulsar 220cc DTS-FI). Above all, Yamaha’s 150cc R15 will zoom past 60km/hr in just 3 second and 100km/hr in 9 seconds. Top speed of R15 will be around 145km/hr and it will consume a litre of petrol to go for 35-40km.

Enough! to set our dreams fire, but are these credible? let’s believe and wait.

DC supercar at Auto Expo

More details have come out on the two concepts that DC will display at the Delhi Auto Expo. Unlike in the past where DC will exhibit the customised versions of popular cars this time he will launch two sports car under his own DC brand for the first time. DC will assemble these models and sell it in India under his own brand. DC has imported the critical components like engine, brake assembly and suspension etc for the Super Car while the chassis, body, interiors and lighting would be done by DC itself. ‘DC:S’ and Ambassador inspired luxury car ‘Ambierod’ are two of DC’s wild creations.

DC:S sports

DC:S’ Super Car would cost around Rs 25 lakh. DC:S supercar would be a 3-litre, twin turbo charged vehicle which can attain a top speed of 305 km per hour and goes from 0 to 62 kmph in just 3.7 seconds. Chhabria says he wants to cater to the niche market of sports enthusiasts and youngsters, but the small order (only 300 cars in one year) also serves another purpose: in markets such as the UK and Germany, if less than 300 numbers of any car have been produced it qualifies for single vehicle certification. “It will bear the DNA of a Ferrari and a Lamborghini with similar dynamic performance. It will zoom to 100 kmph in 3.7 second and will have a host of customised options for customers but will come with a price tag of around Rs 25 lakh. There is a big market for such luxury cars and huge opportunity to tap the potential,” Mr Chhabria added.

Ambierod:

Chhabria will also showcase the ‘Ambierod’, a retro futuristic luxury car based on the look of the Ambassador. In the Rs 4-crore price range, the Ambierod carries an automated instrumental panel backed by satellite navigation system, rear vision camera, three LCD televisions, internet and videoconferencing-enabled flat bed and multi-coloured mood lighting. Ambierod will be the first car in India having all these features in a single product. “We are bringing in the best of world features in the Ambierod, which is enriched with the 600 car designs we have produced. It’s a tribute to the great Ambassador in its golden year and we have blended complete digital controls in a retro car, something never showcased at the Indian Auto Expo,” Mr Chhabria added.

In 2001, Chhabria had set up some franchisee outlets where car owners could get face lifts for their existing vehicles. But this venture was soon closed down due to lack of customer response.Hence this time DC is more cautious, “We are unveiling the Super Car at the upcoming Auto Expo and will gauge customer reaction before deciding to go ahead with the project,” he said.

Hyundai raise prices of i10

Hyundai Motor India plans to increase the prices of hot sellong hatchback i10 by up to Rs 5,000. The company said price hike would be across all variants and would go up to Rs 5,000. The hike would be effective from January 12. Hyundai is also considering to revise prices of other models in the next few weeks. “We had launched the i10 in the Indian market with an introductory price to increase its appeal to a wide range of customers but with our input costs rising, we are increasing the prices marginally for the i10,” Hyundai India senior V-P, marketing and sales, Arvind Saxena said.

Mahindra to pull out off Renault – Nissan JV

strained relations:

When Mahindra it is not interested in the Renault’s ambitious $3000 car project, Renault decided to look for others and found a partner called Bajaj. Incidentally, Nissan signed four MOU’s with Ashok Leyland.  This led the alliance partners to move in different directions. When synergies are difficult to identify then what’s need to work jointly. Media reports indicated that Mahindra may pull out of tripartite JV for building a plant in chennai at an investment of over 4000 crores of rupees. In 2007, Mahindra, Renault and Nissan came together to build the plant in which Mahindra would hold 50% stake and remaining for Renault- Nissan.

There are two theories floating around, theory No .1 as logan sales failing to take off and as Renault – Nissan goes multi tie-up the relations between the alliance partners gets strained.  Also, since Renault and Nissan believe that they would be able to sell more than what they initially planned to sell, the two companies had requested M&M to manufacture its utility vehicles elsewhere. Mahindra and Mahindra had initially planned to make tractors and utility vehicles at the proposed chennai plant.

Theory No. 2 tells this way, The idea of building an integrated plant with common facilities to manufacture a range of vehicles from the three different stables(Renault,Nissan and Mahindra) looked attractive initially, Mahindra apparently did not find sufficient synergies in the project once the detailing was done. The exercise showed that the products from the Renault and Nissan portfolio had more common parts and platforms, while Mahindra products did not have enough of an overlap. Instead, by focussing on driving up its capacity utilisation at its upcoming Chakan plant on the outskirts of Pune, Mahindra would end up deriving a saving of 20% on its cost of investment. If this theory is to be believed,  Mahindra will continue with its JV with Renault to manufacture and market the Logan. The proposed joint project with Renault for a seven-seater passenger vehicle will continue.

But whatever the theory might be,  Nissan-Renault combine’s move has put a spoke in M&M’s original plan to gradually shift the production of a number of its new vehicles (including Ingenio MUV) to Chennai.

Will Ford – Mahindra partner again? 

In the mean time, whether Mahindra’s tie-up with Renault continues or not, Mahindra may find an another partner soon. In an earlier interview, M&M’s auto division president Pawan Goenka said the company is open to more partnerships, adding its existing partnership contract with Renault SA ‘is clear and well-defined. Both of us are free to hook up with other companies and do what makes sense for our business. The only defining clause is that neither can get into a segment that competes with the Logan. Incidentally, Ford CEO Alan Mulally said, the company is looking to take the partnership route in India to push-up the sales, telling international media that ‘teaming’ up in India is a ‘possibility’. Will this means a new marriage? we have to wait!

Ford had entered India in the 1990s through a joint venture with M&M, which rolled out the Escort sedan, but it subsequently bought M&M’s stake in the venture.