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Here is the winners from the important Car Of The Year (COTY) awards from around the globe.
European Car of The Year (ECOTY) ——- Fiat 500 cinquecento
Japanese Car of The Year (JCOTY) ——-Honda Jazz/Fit
North American Car of The Year———- Honda Accord
Global Car Of the Year——————Lexus LS460
Interestingly the european, Japanese and North American COTY award winners will be launched in india in 2008.
race ready Indica
Tata Motors will soon launch a indica fitted with equipments often found in a race car. To be christened as indica challenge this will be the india’s first track-n-road car. Indica challenge will host a FIA spec cage, racing seats and 4 point seat belts. Racing stripes (in blue) at the bonnet,roof and rear view mirrors will reflect the Indica challenge’s true character that means Indica challenge has more than stickers to be really racy. A twin-cam 1500cc engine producing 115PS at 6000rpm will power the indica challenge . The engine is peppy with a competition air filter and a free flow exhaust. To derive the power efficiently, the gearbox is retuned. In addition, the indica challenge will feature an optional limited slip differential. Indica challenge also gets a retuned suspension system, the competition racing struts and the dampers can be adjusted for bump, rebound and ride height. The handling is improved by lowering the ground clearance.
But fortunately this indica challenge doesn’t need any special registration you can drive without the fear in normal road. Only 500 units of Indica challenge will be sold through select dealership. The ready-to-race indica challenge may costs about Rs.650,000.
About Anand of Jayem Automotive:
Tata Indica challenge was on display at the recently concluded MRF Racing challenge and is expected to make its race debut in the MRF series in 2008.The new Indica challenge is built by J. Anand, a former racer and race and rally engineer for MRF cars. Now he runs the rallying team for Team MRF from Coimbatore and is the Managing Director of Jayem Automotives Ltd. an R&D company for TATA Motors Ltd. Anand is wellknown for constructing the Tata Indica Silhouette.
Click on the link to know more about Mr Anand and Jayem Automotive
Business Standard Motoring a popular motor magazine has announced the 2008 awards for the best automotives. BSMotoring awards is the the oldest automotive award in India. According to Business Standard, they have driven the cars launched in 2007 over a period of time, over all kinds of roads, evaluated them over 21 critical parameters, tested them for fuel consumption figures in real life and ideal conditions, gone through the performance runs with the state-of-the-art testing equipment that uses a minimum of three satellites to get data that is accurate to the last decimal. BSMotoring had five awards for 2008. BSM Car Of The Year (for the overall winner), BSM Jury award (for the most significant launch other than the COTY winning car) and BSM Performance Car Of The Year (for the most exciting driver’s car) are carried forward this year too. A new award called the BSM Best Value (for a feature packed and capable car that is easy on the pocket to buy as well as run) debuted this year. Another award debuted this year is the BSM Premium Car Of The Year.
The winners of various categories are below in passenger car
Business Standard Motoring Car Of The Year 2008 (COTY) Hyundai i10
Business Standard Motoring Jury Award 2008 – Mahindra Renault Logan
Business Standard Motoring Performance Car Of The Year 2008 – BMW 325i
Business Standard Motoring Premium Car Of The Year 2008 – Volkswagen Passat
Business Standard Motoring Best Value 2008 – Chevrolet Spark
Business Standard Motoring had three awards in bike segment for 2008
The winners of various categories are below
Business Standard Motoring Bike of the Year – Bajaj XCD
Business Standard Motoring Scooter of the Year – Kinetic Sym Flyte
Business Standard Motoring performance bike of the year – TVS Apache RTR 160
replacement for esteem- the Dezire:
Long expected sedan version of Maruti’s swift will be making its world premiere at the delhi auto expo. Maruti’s new swift sedan is likely to be christened as ‘dezire’ and will replace the esteem as SX4 did with the Baleno. Take a popular hatchback,attach it with a boot and sell it is as a new sedan. If you don’t like this concept, here is a fact which is sure to bring you back into the article. Maruti has already launched the SX4 with a killer price and its new dezire will be priced below the SX4. That means Maruti would price the dezire at a rock bottom price to knock down logan and Indigo is on the line. Maruti Suzuki would launch Swift in the price range of 5 – 6.5 lakh rupees. Also to keep the check on the input cost, Maruti has sourced most components for the dezire from the swift hatchback. Hence attractive pricing is for sure.
Dezire notchback
Coming to the design, Maruti has given the swift not a regular boot but an integrated one. This kind of design was used in cars of 1950’s and 60’s and now it seems to evolve agains. Few weeks back we reported you a similar story that Tata is making a compact indigo i.e. indigo notchback to avail the tax benefits. Similar to Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki is making a notchback (sedan without a definite boot) as this kind of design would give more space inside the car. Even after two years of launch Swift’s design continues to be fresh and nearly unchallenged, hence Maruti is no necessity to work much on the design, the dezire is a lookalike of swift barring the stubby boot. Maruti may give some minor changes such as a new grille and a slightly different foglamp insert to make the dezire afresh. But the real area where Maruti engineers worked hard to convert the swift to a dezire is at the back. The chunky C-pillar is moved towards the back and rear quarter glass has grown in size. Ok what about cramped interior space of the swift? Maruti has extended the rear doors and hecne the seats are pushed to the back to give more legroom for the rear passengers. The effect of this repositioning is to be analysed? Chrome has been biggest hit among indians and now a Maruti car gets that. The boot lid of the dezire is a chrome strip connecting the two vertical tail lamps. The boomerang tail lamp gets a new horizontal type turn indicators. Similar to the SX4, the dezire gets fog lamps and reflectors integrated bumper.
Dezire petrol and diesel:
The engines for the dezire will be the same 1.3L peppy petrol engine developing 88bhp and 1.3L frugal DDIS engine developing 76PS. Suspension has been retuned for the dezire to bear the additional weight. To be more upmarket, interiors will be refreshed for the dezire with the contemporary beige upholsteries and an integrated single DIN stereo. As usual, top of the line variants will get ABS and twin airbags.
Kinetic Motor Company (KMC) will enter the electric scooter segment in early next year, for which the company, has been conducting R&D (research and development) since a year and a half. Kinetic which recently launched the flyte 125cc want to reposition the 72cc Kine scooterette to avoid any cannibalization of its product. Kinetic is going to phase the kine out and based on that design, they are going to launch an electric scooter. This will mark the kinetic’s foray into this segment, which is currently averaging at about 1,500 units per month. The electric scooter will hit the market in next two months. Kinetic’s kine based electric electric scooter(escooter) will be first launched in Maharashtra, then in Gujarat before going nationwide.
Perfect mates?
This would be easily, one of the biggest marriage in Indian automotive history. India’s 2nd largest bike maker and worlds’ pronounced may jointly develop engines of superbikes in India. Few months ago it was rumoured that Yamaha’s head visited one of the Bajaj’s plant. This seems to be true, Yamaha will rope in Bajaj as its local partner and pump in Rs 500 crore over the next two years for its new entity in india. The new joint venture company will use one of the Bajaj’s plant to create a common engine platform for high-end bikes. Through this venture Bajaj will get access to latest technolgies and Yamaha will use its Bajaj’s large vendor base and in turn this would help the japanese maker to keep the check on input costs. Yamaha may also avail of this opportunity to outsource critical components from India for its operations across the world. It is important to recall Bajaj has already a similar agreement with Japanese bike maker Kawasaki and austrian motorcycle maker KTM. However, It remains to be seen though how the things out. Obviously few questions pops-up? Whether this joint venture will be confined to contract manufacturing? what will be the equity structure in the new venture? Will Bajaj sell yamaha’s superbikes? We have to wait for some more time.
Restructuring…
Yamaha’s massive restructuring plan begins when Ishikawa who was appointed as the head of Yamaha’s indian operation will get a leap at the expo. Yamaha Motor Co global president Takashi Kajikawa who is visiting india for the expo is likely to announce the final investments sanctioned by the parent firm in the local unit. He would also announce Yamaha Motor India new initiatives during his visit for the expo. Kajikawa would also elaborate on new marketing initiatives, corporate structure and product pipeline for YMI in the near future.
new subsidiary
Yamaha also plans to diversify its Indian operation by forming a new subsidiary, Yamaha plans to form a new company which will be a 100% subsidiary of Yamaha Japan. Yamaha is believed to be investing Rs 250 crore to set up the new subsidiary which will import high-end super bikes and specialty vehicles like snow mobiles, golf carts and all terrain vehicles. Infact, Yamaha has already applied to the foreign investment promotion board (FIPB) to register a new firm. Yamaha will write off losses of Yamaha Motor India on account of restructuring.
change of guard:
Ishikawa, managing director of Yamaha Motor India who came to India about two years ago will head North America to head the recreational vehicle business in North America. Ishikawa a turn around man appointed as the head of Indian Yamaha’s Indian operation after having revived the bike maker’s fortunes in Thailand. During his Indian tenure,Ishikawa streamlined manufacturing and was responsible for introducing a productivity-based labour agreement for its employees, the first in the industry. He was also responsible for launching two superbikes from Yamaha’s global portfolio – 1,000 cc YZF R1 and 1,680 cc MT01 in india.Yamaha will announce the new CEO for its indian operation on January 10.
India’s biggest automotive trade show – Auto Expo, may soon become an annual affair. Currently, the programme is held once in two years at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan. Though the programme’s organising bodies – Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India, CII and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers – are yet to take a final decision, there have been requests from various states for holding the premier event alternatively between Delhi and their regions.CII national trade fair committee chairman Rajive Kaul said: “The decision to organise regional trade shows will be considered after the 9th Auto Expo slated for January 2008. Financial, manpower and other logistical factors affecting member firms will be taken into account before reaching a decision.”
On the one side Suzuki has raised apprehensions on Tata 1 lakh car (jeh) , but on the other side it seems to be preparing to face the battle. Maruti Suzuki’s newly assumed Shinzo Nakanishi recent comments is clear indicator of Maruti’s plan. “We have been saying for the past few quarters that the current profit margins are not sustainable and will be under pressure. Given our massive investments, changing product mix, and new model launches, these profit margins are not sustainable in the future. We will focus on complete customer satisfaction and overall consolidation, even if it means sacrificing some profits in the short term,” Nakanishi told. Cutting prices may help Suzuki maintain dominance in its biggest market as the company faces greater competition from Tata and foreign rivals including General Motors Corp. and Hyundai Motor Co. Other automakers including Renault SA have also proposed selling ultra-cheap cars in India, the world’s second- fastest-growing major auto market. But cutting prices cannot save the Maruti Suzuki from losing it market share. According to CSM Worldwide estimates Suzuki’s share in India may drop to 24 percent in 2013 as cheap cars increase competition. Maruti Suzuki currently holds 50 percent share in India’s passenger car market. “So far, it’s been easy to maintain a 50 to 55 percent share, because there weren’t strong competitors,” Nakanishi said yesterday. “But from now on, it won’t be the case.” Maruti Suzuki may cut the price of its cheapest car ‘800’ to counter Tata Motors Ltd.’s proposed 100,000 rupee ($2,500) car.“We will have to do at least that,” Shinzo Nakanishi, said in an interview at the company’s head office in Hamamatsu, Japan, yesterday.
* The delhi auto expo covers a floor size of over 1.4 lakh square metres makes it one of the biggest in asia in terms of size. This compares with almost the same amount of space at the Shanghai show.
* For the first time, New Delhi Auto Expo is accredited to the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles (Oica), an international industry group formed in Paris in 1919.
* SIAM – Society of Indian Auto Manufacturers says 2008 Delhi Auto Expo could be even bigger than the annual India International Trade Fair organised by the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation.
* The prices for stalls has already hitted the roof. This could cost as little as Rs6,600 per sq. m for domestic exhibitors to Rs12,000 per sq.m for overseas companies. It also depends on their size and where in the venue they are located.
* There are close to 250,000 exhibitors in the queue waiting for space to display their products. SIAM functionaries are negotiating hard for more space but it is certain that a large number of companies will still be left out.
* A host of 2,000 participants (1,200 in 2006), including 42 vehicles manufacturers and 1,900 component manufacturers from both domestic and international Markets will gather at the delhi auto expo.
* Around 30 new vehicles are expected to be launched by 45 domestic and foreign automobile manufacturers during the eight-day event.
* 2008 Delhi auto Expo will clash with the Detroit Auto Show.
* CEOs of top automotive bodies like the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), the German Association of Automotive Industry (VDA) and the Centre for Automotive Research (CAR) from the US that will participate and explore business opportunities in India.
* A special floating pavilion is built on a lake to make the visitors feel unique. A team of engineers has specially been called from Germany to design the pavilion. The material for construction is also being imported from Germany to give it a state-of-the-art look. The I-shaped pavilion, spread over an area of around 1,500 sq mt, is further divided into two pavilions. While a major portion of around 1,200 sq mt will showcase the entire product portfolio of Mahindra & Mahindra, Renault India, and their JV Mahindra-Renault, the remaining has been taken by General Motors.
* There will be a separate robotics pavilion, design pavilion and vintage car pavilion at the auto expo