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Tata Ace Electric – Pictorial Preview

Recently we reported tata is producing hybrid version of indica and electric variant of tata ace. Now Tata has showcased an ace electric at the Bologna motor show. Here is the detailed preview Tata ace electric(elektro in italy).

1) Tata Ace Electro / electric: Tata introduced indian first 4-wheeler mini trzuck way back in 2005. It redefined the whole industry and continues to be successful till now. Tata Motors already exports this to Nepal & srilanka.Tata Motors unveiled the electric variant of ace called as “ace elektro”.

2) Tata Ace Elektro / electric: In India ace is powered by 16bhp diesel motor which complies Bharat II and bharat III emission norms. But since european norms are more tough, Tata Motors has worked in collaboration with the technical support of Archimedes Energy Inc. and Ecolori SpA to develop a electric heart for the ace. Unlike popular hybrid which makes use of oil engines as well as electric motor, ace is truly electric. Ace Elektro is powered by asynchronous motor it produces 30KW of peak power. It is said that this ace electric can reach the maximum speed of 120 km / h. Melian Italy is the sole importer and distributor of Tata motors in Italy.

3) Tata Ace Elektro / electric: This plug in and ride out vehicle preserves the agility of the ace and complies tougher european emissions. Driving is also made stress free with the new electric heart. Not just it eliminates the intervention of driver to operate clutch, just press the accelerator and proceeds simply working with the foot on the brake. It also reduces the noise as the electric motor and bodies connected.

4) Tata Ace Elektro / electric: Unlike other electric manufacturers, Tata makes use of
superior Li-thio-polymers which means lighter battery and hence increased mileage. Ace also makes use of advanced regenerative braking which means you can recover energy while you slowing down and braking.

5) Tata Ace Elektro / electric: Tata Motors have already proposed it will use a electric ace to foray into the tougher United States market. In Indian context, Tata motors may use this heart in the same/different tune for its proposed electric indica.

Mahindra launches Bolero Pick-Up

Mahindra & Mahindra has made its foray into the entry-level Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) Pick-Up category with the nationwide launch of the Bolero Camper DX at Ahmedabad.

M&M plans to capture a fair market share in the pick-up vehicle segment, specially in Gujarat which according to the company, alone accounts for 85 per cent of M&M’s market share in the pick-up category.Bolero Camper DX has been priced in the range of Rs5.43 lakh, ex-showroom Ahmedabad. It is powered by a 63-horsepower diesel engine, is capable of seating five people, and carries around 710 kg of cargo.

TVS Star City 110cc – Pictorial Review

1) TVS Star City 110cc: TVS has launched the new star city with a new 110cc CVTi engine with some cosmetic upgrades. Surprisingly, TVS has retained the same price of Rs44,875 for the new star city.

2) TVS Star City 110cc: TVS has bored the 100cc engine. Star city’s 110cc CVTi (Charge motion Variable Timing intelligence) engine produces 6.1 KW (8.1 Bhp) at 7500 RPM and 8.1 Nm at 5000 RPM. The CVTi engine combines swirl and tumble motion to achieve a very high in-cylinder charge leading to improved combustion and hence higher fuel efficiency.

3) TVS Star city 110cc Instrumentation is simple and neatly laid out. New blue back lit speedometer with econometer with Karizma type “R” decal in the fuel gauge.

4) TVS Star City 110cc: The new 110 cc StaR City comes in eye catching colours with new refreshing graphics. Carefully looking at the tank, you can see a power Horse, this depicts the higher Power, Pickup and Performance according to the TVS .

5) TVS Star City 110cc: still holds the credit for being the only bike to feature electric start in its class. Alloy wheels and adjustable (2-way) suspension makes the star city an attractive option.

6) TVS star city 110cc: In a recent media interaction, Venu Srinivasan answered to quey that since the company is investing to improve quality standards and hence few roll outs were made during the past year.

7) TVS star city 110cc: Flame coupled with a new Star Sport (an entry-level mass market bike), which will hit the streets throughout india in January, will stem the sagging sales of the TVS hopes, the company also expects to sell 75,000 bikes a month.

P.S: Our sincere thanks to Ramkay TVS (ramkay_tvs@yahoo.com), Velachery, Chennai (044 22441271)

TVS Flame 125cc – Pictorial Review

1) TVS Flame 125cc: Much expected TVS flame is finally here. First the deciding factor for any indian bike – the price It is available in two variants with and without disc brake Flame demands Rs45000(ex-showroom, chennai). With disc it demands Rs3000 more.

2) TVS Flame 125cc: Resembles the fighter jet in many sense, starting with the sharp nose and larger tank shrouds with embedded indicators both sides. Paint quality is top notch and especially the flamboyant graphics scores full point. Contemporary black theme and Mag alloy wheels with stylish fenders adds charm to the flame.

3) TVS Flame 125cc :Dual lens projected tail lamps and delta shaped exhaust mouth (which is easily the best among indian bikes) gives a fillip to the delta edge design. The only sore point is where suspension meets the cowl(seems like stitched in).

3) TVS Flame 125cc: CCVTi engine which uses three valves and twin spark plugs produces maximum power of 10.5bhp at 8250rpm and a peak torque of 10Nm at 6250 rpm. CCVTi beats pleasant and power delivery is progressive. Similar to other 125cc bikes it consumes a litre of petrol to go 63kms in our test drive. Expect the mileage/fuel efficiency anything above 60kms. Watch the video Feel the flame’s CCVTi engine right now(video soon)

4) TVS Flame 125cc: Build on a rectangular frame, flame handles tight corners easily. But the massive feel (credit to muscular fuel tank) and the 1320mm wheelbase hinders the tendency to flick. Unlike the apache, Flame’s ride is supple. Straight handle bar and upright seating position ensures ache free commuting. Large knee recess (credit to the tank shrouds) makes even the tall riders comfortable with the flame. Seats are wider and merges with the tank(similar to what we seen in pulsar 200cc) smoothly. The proven rectangular swing arm with 5-step adjustable twin tube suspension transfers little vibration to the rider as well as the pillion.

5) TVS Flame 125cc: Hosts a number of gauges but made usable by embedding odometer,digital clock, fuel gauge, mileage meter in the digital console. Large analogue speedo is bound by a number of warning lamps.

6) TVS Flame 125cc: Storage area on top of the tank is a welcome feature. But the storage bay limits the tank capacity to just 8 litres. Another issue with the storage bay it flip before loading the coke.Chisel shaped pilot lamps sits on the top of the low mounted headlamp are quite useful.

7) TVS Flame 125cc: TVS would be selling about 200 units of Flame in Tamil Nadu December, with a target of 20,000 units per month once the all India launch happens in January 2008. Ultimately the question is, can TVS Flame score against Bajaj XCD. Let’s wait! till we check out.

8) TVS Flame 125cc: No analysis please! this one is for everyone’s heart.

P.S: Our sincere thanks to Ramkay TVS (ramkay_tvs@yahoo.com), Velachery, Chennai (044 22441271)

Mahindra’s American Scorpio to cost $25000

Scorpio is yet to make a debut in U.S, but Mahindra & Mahindra seems to be happy with the response. Mahindra and Mahindra has received firm orders for 45,000 scorpios from United states of America. The US order for Scorpios is, in fact, more than the 40,000 units M&M sold in India in the last financial year. The Scorpio would have a price tag of $25,000 in the US market. M&M plans to sell three diesel variants of the Scorpio starting March 2009, reports quoting John Perez, chief executive of Global Vehicles, which will be handling Scorpio sales in the US, said.Pawan Goenka, the president of the automotive division of M&M, said he was not surprised by the demand for Scorpio in the US, but said it had exceeded the company’s target. The company will have to expand the current annual capacity of 52,000 units of Scorpio to meet the US demand, he said.”It could either be in Nasik or Chakan (near Pune). We have not decided that,” he said, adding that the company would spend $50 million on upgrading the vehicle to meet the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requirements. M&M has already signed up 285 dealers in the US to sell the vehicle. The company also plans to invest $178 million for setting up sales and service outlets.

Mahindra launches scorpio and Bolero in Sudan

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd said on Thursday it has launched its Scorpio sport utility and Mahindra and Bolero pickup trucks in Sudan. Mahindra will sell the Scorpio, the Mahindra Pik-Up and Bolero Pik-Up in Sudan through distributor Symex International. Mahindra already exports the Scorpio and Bolero models to countries in Europe, Asia and Africa, and will begin exports to the United States in 2009.It aims to get a fifth of its revenue from exports in the next few years, up from about 5 percent now.

TVS flame 125cc to hit market on December 14

TVS Motor said the company would roll out the new four stroke 125 CC ‘TVS Flame’ in Tamilnadu on December 14 and would reach out pan India in January 2008.TVS will also be launching a three wheeler vehicle and an electric scooter apart from its upgraded version of TVS Star City, ‘Star Sports’ with a 110 CC engine. TVS would be selling about 200 units of Flame in Tamil Nadu December, with a target of 20,000 units per month once the all India launch happens next year. TVS would also increase its dealership in Indonesia from the current 12 to 100 by March 2008 and 200 by June next year, he said.TVS also said that exports had grown by 40 per cent last year. In volume terms, TVS exported about 13,500 units per month last year, which the company aims to increase to 20,000 units per month.”We exported about one lakh two wheelers last year.This year would be around 1.40 lakh. Next year we hope to take it to about two lakh units,”he said.”Value-wise last year’s exports was about Rs 350 crore which would touch Rs 500 crore this year,”K N Radhakrishnan, President, TVS Motor said adding they expected it to increase to Rs 800 crore next year.TVS plans to sell about 40,000 units of three wheelers including exports next year, he said.It would also launch an electric scooter in January in Gujarat, which had a market of 15,000 units per month for such scooters, he said. Flame 125cc is priced at Rs 45,000 ex-showroom Chennai and comes with disc brakes as an option.

The four-stroke, twin spark engine of Flame is propelled by controlled combustion variable timing intelligent (CC-VTi) technology. The CC-VTi technology, it is claimed, enables the bike to deliver highest mileage in its class even while ensuring high power. Bajaj claimed ownership of this twin spark technolgy and had said TVS may be using this particular technology in Flame, an accusation that TVS has dismissed as baseless.

Flame top speed and mileage(according to TVS)

According to Venu Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director of TVS Motor, “this is the highest technology product in the country. A 3-valve bike has been rolled out before, but this is the first time that a mass market roll-out is happening.” According to the Indian Driving Cycle (IDC), the bike could deliver a mileage of 82 kilometres a litre. “No vehicle (in this segment) anywhere nears this on mileage,” Mr. Srinivasan added.

Mr. Srinivasan insisted that mileage was not the key selling point of Flame. “We have made this without compromising on speed. The vehicle can touch a peak speed of 95 km per hour. Clearly, this is the most distinctively styled bike,” Mr. Srinivasan added.

Maruti Suzuki A-star concept – Pictorial Preview

(Updated 19th November) To view the actual pictures, know the technical specifications, see the a-star brochure and read the test drive of A-star visit http://www.vicky.in/blog/tag/a-star/

(updated 08th August )To read our latest report on Maruti Suzuki’s A-star and see pictures visit

Maruti Suzuki’s new Alto – A-star

To read our latest report on Maruti Suzuki’s A-star and see pictures visit

http://www.vicky.in/blog/maruti-a-star-pictorial-preview/

1) Maruti Suzuki A-star: India is an important market for Suzuki which outsold Japan in the first half of 2007. Recently Suzuki hinted its desire to holding the 50% market share in indian passenger car industry for eternal. It seems that suzuki is trying hard to make this true. “Our next world car will be made in India,” Chairman Osamu Suzuki told in New Delhi today(October 11th). After swift, Maruti has worked closely with Suzuki Motors to build a car, called as A-star, this hatchback will be the fifth global car for Suzuki but first to be produced in India. Swift sedan, splash hatchback and the new car A-Star will be the part of Maruti Suzuki’s ongoing efforts to protect its market share in India, which stood at 54 percent in 2006.

2) Few firsts: Maruti Suzuki’s A-star concept will be debuted at the forthcoming Delhi Auto expo and then it will be showcased in rest of international shows. For european market, A-star would be the Suzuki’s new Alto which is scheduled to debut at Geneva Motor show in March. For the first time, Maruti engineers in India have contributed to one of the Suzuki’s global project right from its inception.

The production model that inherits some of the design themes of the Concept A-Star will be manufactured at Maruti Suzuki India’s plant. Like the already-launched Suzuki world strategic models(swift, SX4, new vitara and splash. ), it will prove that sporty and exciting performance can be enjoyed together with outstanding fuel economy.

3) Maruti Suzuki A-star: It has almost become a rule for modern hatchbacks to feature low slung grille, A-star complies to that. Number plate will sit on the broad strip. Large front bumper and spruced up fenders gives a sporty chracter to this hatchback. The eye shaped headlamps is clearly a ‘wow’ factor. The size and front of A-star remind us the old Chevrolet Matiz, albeit with a more muscular and sporting than its competitors, at least in prototype. It seems Maruti suzuki is responding to the customer’s voice, unlike the swift the rear passenger will have more visibility. A-star’s large rear windscreen will facilate it. The only sorepoint in the concept, is the position of suzuki’s badge, could have been postioned better.

4) Maruti Suzuki A-star: A-star will have a newly developed euro 5-compliant 1.0-litre aluminium petrol engine with CO2 emissions lower than those of European competitors (lower than 109g/km). The engine and the manual transmission for the A-star will be manufactured by Suzuki Powertrain India. Suzuki would consider making a version with a small diesel engine from its powertrain unit in India.

5) Maruti Suzuki A-star: A-star, a five door hatchback woould fit into the A – segment (currently alto is the market leader of this segment). A-star is expected to be priced around the 3 lakh range($7500). Are u lured by A-star’s proportion & its dynamic lines and interested in getting one? if numbers are to be believed you dream of booking a A-star won’t be easy, it might be one of the toughest you have ever come across. Maruti will sell only 50000 A-star a year (atleast initially) though it will produce 2lakh A-star’s a year. The number of Swift being sold by maruti suzuki every month is in the range of 6000 to 7,000 units . Production of A-star will begin by october 2008. Regarding the launch, Maruti Suzuki will export the A-star first to Europe (from December 2008) and later it will be launched in india. Apart from the A-star, Suzuki will also produce a new platform(Model N) in India in alliance with Maruti.

Volkswagen polo and jetta to hit india in 2009

Betting big on India:

Volkswagen has revealed its future model plans for India, but it packs many surpises. Contrary what we believed and what Volkswagen officials already told (“Andreas Prinz, managing director, Volkswagen India, told Business Standard the mid-size car would be priced competitively, aligned with the likes of the Honda City. This places it in the Rs 7 lakh to Rs 9 lakh bracket, which has models like the Hyundai Verna, the Maruti Suzuki SX4 and the Ford Fiesta”) volkswagen will bring three new models before 2010 and a microcar based on UP! concept in 2011. According to the statement, a slew of models could see Volkswagen producing as many as 240,000 units a year in india by 2012.

Polo hathcback, polo sedan and jetta sedan:

Key to Volkswagen India plans are two mass-market models that will be produced in large volumes in the company’s upcoming factory in Chakan. The first is the sixth-generation Polo (A06) hatchback that is under development and is expected in 2009. The Polo will be positioned in the premium-hatchback segment alongside the Skoda Fabia and Honda Jazz. A sedan version of the Polo is also a possibility that would put it smack into Honda City and Suzuki SX4 territory. The next-generation Jetta, which will be spun off the future Golf platform (A6), is expected in India sometime in 2009 soon after its global launch. This three-box sedan will compete with the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Skoda Octavia.

Up at Rs3lakhs

The bigger-selling model will be an all-new small car based on the up! microcar concept that Volkswagen revealed in September at the Frankfurt auto show. Volkwagenwill build a four-door hatchback off this new platform (code named MHB) which, like the Tata super-low-priced car, follows a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Dubbed the A000 in VW’s platform hierarchy, the new microcar will be built in three different markets of the world from 2010. Production of the new microcar in India could begin by 2011. With a length of only 134 inches, the microcar is shorter than a Suzuki Alto, but a longer wheelbase is under development. Volkswagen has set an aggressive price target of under $7,500, but a lot depends on the level of localization and cost management of the program. Volkswagen has been in talks with Indian companies including Bajaj Auto to help develop the car. Vlokswagen(VW) has ditched the unit injector of Pumpe Duse technology the current Passat and Skoda Laura come with. All the new Volkswagens will come with state-of-the-art direct-injection gas engines and a new range of common-rail diesel engines still under development.

Ford’s mazda2 may come from Thailand

If media reports are to believed unlike Honda and Volkswagen, Ford may not produce the small car for india in India. Ford is currently studying the feasibility of launching a compact car in India that will be imported as a completely-knocked-down (CKD) kit from a manufacturing hub in Thailand. The reason for importing rather than building a small car plant here is, Ford can leverage Free Trade Agreement between India and Thailand. Because of FTA, import duty on CKD and semi-knocked-down kits is only 10 per cent whereas from other countried it attracts more thn 50%. Ford already sources CKD kits for the Endeavour sports utility vehicle from its plant in Thailand, which are assembled at its Chennai plant.

Ford – Mazda joint venture called as AutoAlliance Thailand will start making compact cars in 2009 for the domestic and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) markets. Ford may bring the Mazda 2 to India in 2009-10 when other global giants, including Honda, Toyota and Volkswagen plan to bring competing products to the local market. Ford is also looking at launching the premium mid-sized sedan Focus from Thailand.

Many auto makers are leveraging the FTA between India and Thailand where they can build plants to cater to the vast Asean market. Given that labour costs are roughly at par with those in India and the import duty on CKD and semi-knocked-down kits is 10 per cent, car-makers may find it more viable to assemble Thai imports rather than set up fresh plants in India. For instance, Tata Motors, which has set up a pick-up manufacturing plant in Thailand, will be sourcing trucks starting next year for the Indian market. Ford already sources CKD kits for the Endeavour sports utility vehicle from its plant in Thailand, which are assembled at its Chennai plant.

Thailand raising challenger

Thailand, which is already the largest automotive manufacturer in Asia-Pacific, can potentially become the world’s small-car hub in the face of competition from China, India and Malaysia. Thailand is already a global export hub for one-ton pickup trucks. About 40% of its total production for one-ton pickup trucks is exported. Thailand’s car industry has about 15 auto assemblers, more than 700 tier-I suppliers and more than 1,000 tier-II suppliers.The country’s tier-I suppliers mostly consist of global auto-parts suppliers and their partners and a few Thai companies. Thailand has managed to turn its auto-part industry into a world-class base due to its economies-of-scale strategy and export-oriented mindset. This has resulted in automakers from all over the world making a beeline to establish their manufacturing bases in the country. Thailand has also aggressively pursued free trade agreements (FTAs) with various countries such as Australia and India, which has further strengthened its auto industry.
Ford – Mazda Thailand JV:

The US$500 million plant is a 50:50 joint investment between Mazda and Ford and it will build cars from the B and C-D segment. It will be built on the same site as the existing pick-up truck plant, which is currently pushing out 175,000 trucks a year.Cars from this plant will be sold in Thailand and exported to other countries in Asia, Australasia and Africa. B and C-D segment cars will mean the Mazda 2, Mazda 3, Mazda 6, Ford Focus, and many other cars.