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Xenitis Rs20000 bike the Rock 100cc

Xenitis the first company which rolled out sub-10,000 PCs (five years ago) and India’s first laptop to be priced under Rs 20,000(recently) has now launched a 100cc motorcycle for under Rs 20,000. Xenitis has launched the mobike for Rs 19,990, with equated monthly installments (EMIs) fixed at Rs 490. Xenitis set up its two-wheeler manufacturing plant in West Bengal in April this year at an investment of Rs 300 crore and an installed capacity of 90,000 units per month. At present, it is manufacturing close to 30,000 two-wheelers every month – mainly a model called Xpression since April 2007 and a second brand Xpression Plus, since then. “A range of bicycles, from another group subsidiary, is also on the anvil,” said Ghosh, The Chairman and Managing Director, Xenitis Group. Global Auto has already sold 10,000 pieces of the 125cc bike, called Xpressions, which it had launched in April. Global Auto plans to export bikes to middle East, Russia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and some African countries,. Ghosh said it had booked orders for 160,000 bikes this fiscal already.

is adding to its existing dealer and distributor network of 81 dealers and 350 sub-dealers to have a total of 350 dealers.

About Rock 100cc:

Global Auto’s Rock 100cc is featured with 4-stroke engine, electronic self start and kick start facility, tachometer, gear indicator, aerodynamic headlight with halogen bulbs

Mr. Ghosh felt that the low price point and the 115-km per km mileage were the two factors that would enable the bike to penetrate mass markets.

Hero Honda is one of the prominent players in the 100cc segment, with models such as the CD Dawn and the CD Deluxe priced between Rs 31,000 and 35,000. The company is also offering a discount of Rs 2,020 on the CD Deluxe. Bajaj Auto is planning to replace its 100cc models with 125cc ones. TVS Motor Company has the StaR series, with models such as the StaR, the StaRCity and the StaRSport, which are priced between Rs 32,000 and Rs 35,000. The Yamaha Alba, a 106cc bike, is available for Rs 43,500

Global Auto’s future launches:

Xenitis plans to roll out 150cc gearless scooters, as well as 150cc and 200cc motorcycles and 250cc cruiser bikes soon – all based on such aggressive pricing.

Honda new CR-V with sunroof

Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI) on Wednesday launched a new version of its sports utility vehicle Honda CR-V priced between Rs 18.4 lakh and Rs 19.1 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
The new CR-V comes in two variants of 6-speed manual and 5-speed automatic transmissions powered by a 2.4l petrol engine. It also has added luxury features such as electrically operated sun roof and real-time 4 wheel-drive. “It is our constant endeavour to study customers emerging demand and introduce features that make our cars even more desirable,” Honda’s Senior General Manager Jnaneswar Sen said.

Honda also plans to launch 2.0-litre version of the CR-V soon. Honda CR-V is likely to be priced similar in the range of Suzuki’s Grand Vitara.

Bajaj takes stake in KTM Sports

Bajaj Auto Ltd said it has bought a 14.5 pct stake in Europe’s second-largest sports motorcycle maker KTM Power Sports AG for a sum of Rs300 crores. Bajaj acquired the KTM stake through its wholly owned Dutch unit, Bajaj Auto International Holdings BV. Bajaj and KTM also signed a cooperation deal. Under this deal, the two companies will jointly develop engines and share each other’s dealer network. Under this agreement, KTM will provide the know-how for joint development of the water-cooled 4 stroke 125 and 250 cc engines, and Bajaj will take over the distribution of KTM products in India and some other Southeast Asian nations. These engines will be used by the KTM for the future with a 125-ccm street product The joint developments will also be available as basis for Bajaj products. Also Bajaj and KTM will jointly develop new vehicle platforms through this deal. Bajaj will entail its chakan manufacturing plant for the manufacturing KTM’s products. Bajaj will get access 720 KTM dealers in Europe through which it can retail its products.

Stefan Pierer, CEO of KTM, while welcoming the Bajaj participation said: “The executive board of KTM Power Sports AG appreciates this measure and sees in the co-operation a great chance to strengthen the KTM Group in its sustained growth strategy in a global environment.”

Rajiv Bajaj, CEO, Bajaj Auto, said: “KTM’s sharp brand positioning, differentiated designs, and hyper performance have inspired Bajaj to invest in this participation. Bajaj is delighted with this opportunity to co-develop a range of products for manufacture by Bajaj for both KTM and Bajaj brands. Equally, Bajaj is excited by the prospect of introducing KTM products to India and South East Asia as also to access the European market via KTM. Bajaj is confident that this co-operation represents a long term win-win situation given the entirely complementary and conflict free nature of the partners in brand positioning, market presence, product plans and supply chain structure.

About KTM:

The Austrian KTM was founded in 1934. In 1992 KTM was divided into three companies 1)KTM Sportmotocycles AG 2) KTM Fahrrad GmbH (Bicycles) and 3) KTM Kühler GmbH (Radiators). KTM is the first motorcycle manufacturer to include both front and rear disc brakes on an off road motorcycle. KTM is listed on Vienna’s stock exchange and reported revenues of 599.1 million euros in the previous business year. Through this deal with the Bajaj, KTM will be in a position to offer innovative premium entry models in the street segment. (The introduction of the new EU driving licence allows riding of 125-ccm motorcycles with a car driving licence in all EU member-states).

Hyundai i10 Pictorial Review – Interiors

1) Hyundai i10: inside the new i10 is pure excitement. All the variants boast of dual tone beige interiors. i10’s ample dimensions 3565 *1595*1550mm(l*w*h) and with the wheelbase of 2380 mm gives it the additional stability and added cabin space.

2) Hyundai i10: i10 occupant feels airy and gets enough ventilation because of the wider windshield and ellipitical glass area. Sunroof in the i10’s magna option pack paves way for open air. The cabin is well insulated from the engine noise.

3) Hyundai i10: i10 comes with front and rear door full size arm rest, rear parcel tray and seat back pocket in magna and magna option pack. Seats are not so comfy though both the driver and co-driver seats are adjustable and tiltable. Both the seats can be tilted through a wider angle what Hyundai calls as i-Relax front seats.

4) Hyundai i10: i10 is equipped with front power windows and air conditioner with heater in all variants. Rear wiper, rear power windows and defogger only in i10 magna family. While the keyless entry is offered only in i10’s magna option pack.Uniform door space and controls for all the occupants.

5) Hyundai i10: A tilt steering wheel makes it easy for the driver to find the spot-on driving position. The front seats of i10 has the back rest and head rest as a single unit. But this does not provide enough support as independent head restraint. The i-shift transmission which is mounted on the console generates ample space between the driver and the passengers. Floor console space can be used just to hold two cup holders. No additional space is available. Picture shows the steering wheel, center console and instrument panel.

6) Hyundai i10: Since the wheels are pushed out to the corners inside the i10 there is lot of space. Tubeless tires are standard on all trim levels. i10’s suspension is through Macpherson struts in the front and in the rear it is through coil springs coupled with torsion bar. The sharp MDPS(Motor Driven Power Steering) and the suspension set-up provides everything for you to drive in the traffic with ease. 165mm ground clearance for this city car

7) Hyundai i10: The i10 offers top-end safety features like Anti-lock Braking system (ABS), seat belts with pretensioner, dual airbags for the driver and the front passenger, auto-unlocking doors which automatically unlock on sensing an impact and a high-mounted rear stop lamp.There is a decent space for five occupants inside the i10. But carrying four is advisable for long run.

8) Hyundai i10:Photo shows the i10’s boot with no suspension interruption. Boot parcel shelf only for the i10’s magna family.The i10 comes with a 2 year, unlimited warranty package.

P.S: Our sincere thanks to KUN Hyundai, KUN Auto Pvt Ltd, Anna Nagar, Chennai (044-26286989).

Hyundai i10 Pictorial Review – Exteriors

Let me convey something before we go for Hyundai i10’s pictorial review. Though it is heavily raining and today is sunday(Novemeber 4th), i’m surprised to see so many fans in the showroom. Thankfully there are enough number of cars in the showroom(hats of to Hyundai! everybody loves to see the car in flesh once they heard the news that the car is launched). We managed test drive i10 ‘magna’ and able to photo few other variants too.

1) Few manufacturers – Tata Motors, Mahindra and Mahindra and recently Renault have to be credited for making the Indian automotive industry in the global radar. But there is already a manufacturer who made indian cars ply in the european roads i.e. Hyundai. Hyundai exports santro(as atos prime) and getz to various markets. Hyundai says India will be the sole production hub of i10 and will be exported to more than 70 countries. This clearly elucidates importance of india in the global small car market. This is not achieved not just because of booming indian middle class customers but also because of great manufacturers like Hyundai. Hyundai has built the i10 with a localization content of 91 per cent and it is building a R&D unit with an investment of $40 million in Hyderabad. Hyundai will scale up its chennai with an investment of $528 million. A new engine and transmission unit with a production capacity of 1 lakh engine at a cot of $263 million is also coming up at the Chennai plant. Thank you Hyundai for making India pride!

2) Hyundai i10: Hyundai chose an alpha-numerical code that could represent both technology and the Hyundai brand’s core values. The letter ‘i’ recognises this fact and brings it direct to consumers. Cars featuring this naming format are already out (i30 in european and our i10). Beside the i10, Hyundai will also unveil the i20 model, developed under the project name PB, for the European market. Hyundai will name its future offerings also in this format. The Korean company plans to introduce a model called i20 replacing Getz sometime in 2008. In addition Hyundai is designing a sedan on the i30 platform for indian market. Hyundai developed the ‘i10’ under the codename pa. The i10 was developed over the past 23 months with a total investment of ($198.7 million).

3) Hyundai i10: Hyundai sells santro, getz prime, verna, sonata embera and accent in India. Last year it phased out its Terracan SUV, recently it phased out its elantra and stopped production of Accent CRDi. Tucson will be phased out soon. In the mean period Hyundai’s arch rival Maruti Suzuki launched zen estilo, SX4 and Grand Vitara. It seems that Hyundai is losing its ground in India. Infact Hyundai itself acknoweldeged, either we have to concentrate on the export or domestic market. But it comes up with a solution with its new ‘i10’. The i10 is the third compact car from Hyundai india. Hyundai Motor positioned the new compact i10 between the Santro and the Getz. “We attach a lot of significance to our i10 since it will be the next-generation main model to follow the Santro, which sold more than 1.2 million units since its launch in 1998,” a Hyundai Motor spokesman said. As of now i10 comes in three variants – era, magna and magna-opt.

4) Hyundai i10: The next generation santro – Hyundai i10’s light-weight steel body is reinforced by body coloured bumpers and detachable inserts while the front bumper features an integrated air dam. i10’s low slung grille features the number plate and between the two large wraparound headlamps is the Hyundai’s badge. Steeply raked windscreen ends in elliptical roof which in turn ends in sloppy tails section. Rear Spoiler with high mounted stop lamp is offered in topend Magna(O) variant. Body coloured door handles, curved roof and elliptical glass area gives a sporty look to the i10. In the rear i10 features santro type tail lamps.

5) Hyundai i10: i10 is highly featuristic – fog lamps in the front bumper, alloy wheels, rear wiper and defogger. Waistline moulding protects i10 from dents and nicks. Featuring one touch opening, i10 is the India’s first small car to feature sunroof that has both slide and tilt functions. Similar to Volkswagen’s passat, Hyundai has used the ‘H’ badge as boot release lid.

6) Hyundai i10: Santro xing’s well proven 1.1L petrol engine is powering the i10 but in different tune. The i10 has a reduced weight and increased power by adopting a Kappa engine whose cylinder block is made of aluminum. Hyundai i10’s iRDE(intelligent Responsive Drive Engine) develops 66.7PS at 5500 rpm and 101N-m at 2800 rpm. Hyundai’s iRDE engine is mated with short throw, i-shift five gearbox. The i10 with automatic transmission will be available from december 2007. Hyundai says that by January 2008 it will start exporting the diesel variant of i10 with a 1.1 litre engine. Hyundai will launch the same diesel engine variant in India as well sometime next year. Hyundai will import the engine from Korea.Thumbnail shows the iRDE engine

7) Hyundai i10: The intelligently driven, innovatively designed, intuitively safe and inspiringly luxurious Hyundai’s i10 comes in a range of 10 exciting exterior colors – crystal white, stone black, oyster gray, virtual yellow, electric red, deep ocean blue, champagne gold, sleek silver and alpine blue . On the Road the i10 costs between Rs4,15,551(era) and Rs5,28,421(magna -opt)

8) Hyundai i10: Hyundai expects to sell 120,000 units of the i10 in India and export 110,000 units to Europe, Asia, the Middle East and other regions in 2008.

P.S: Our sincere thanks to KUN Hyundai, KUN Auto Pvt Ltd, Anna Nagar, Chennai (044-26286989).

Hyundai santro LPG and people’s car

Hyundai santro LPG:

Hyundai reiterated its stand and said that it will not phase out santro. Hyundai which recently rolled out its new hatchback ‘i10’ is expected to phase out the santro (which it launched in late 90s). Hyundai is currently selling around 12000 units of santro every month and recently it stopped offering of santro top end variant. Surprisinlgy, Hyundai on November 2nd said it targets to sell 5.35 lakh units of Santro (of this 50 per cent will be constituted by exports) next year. Hence it is clear that even after the introduction of another hatchback ‘i10’, it plans to sell more than 16000 santro’s every month. To achieve the ambitous target Hyundai will roll out launched LPG version of its Santro car 2008.

Hyundai people’s car:

Hyundai is developing a ‘B’ segment car which they plan to launch in india in 2009. The car could be expected to be priced below Rs three lakh, Lheem Managing Director, Hyundai Motor India Ltd said after the launch of the i10 car.”But it is still in the concept stage. From concept stage to translating into a real car, it will take four years. The car will be for both the Indian and export markets,” he said adding that it would meet all international safety and emission norms.

Renault’s indian small car the sandero

1) Renault Sandero : Renault bets big on india, it has signed an agreement with Mahindra for a manufacturing plant, an agreement with Ashok Leyland for making LCV, holding discussions with Bajaj for the proposed $3000 car and it is scouting for a partner for making trucks. Renault has also made a design centre in Mumbai. But all this will frutify and indian specific products will be rolled out only in 2010 or 2011, until then it has to build its brand in India. Apart from the Logan sedan, Renault has made 4 models on logan platform – logan sedan, logan MCV, logan VAN, logan pick-up and the sandero hatch back. Already Mahindra -Renault is selling more than 2000 units per month amidst the intense competetion and by next year Logan MCV will be launched in india. The Sandero hatchback which was unveiled in the recent Frankfurt Motor show may join the 2008 Renault’s Indian line-up. Sandero is a modern hatchback and was designed with the expectations of South American customers in mind. But that does not hamper Renault from marketing the sandero in other parts of the world. Like the Logan sedan, Sandero will be rolled out on a global scale. In addition to Curitiba several other production facilities are being considered. Sandero thus sets the tone for a new stage in Renault’s internationalisation. In Europe a model derived from Sandero will be launched in 2008. If reports are to believed India will receive the sandero by the same time.

2) Renault Sandero :The design of the sandero is a mixture of European Clio (Renault’s popular hatchback) with some characteristics of Logan. Sandero’s appealing design suggests both dynamic performance and robustness. Its distinctive front end features very expressive headlamps, with a grille and bumper that merge seamlessly into the bodywork. The design of the flanks strengthens the suggestion of robustness thanks, in particular, to the wide protection strips along the sides of the sandero. The rear styling of the sandero emphasises the impression of a roomy, generously proportioned car.

3) Renault sandero: Sandero has everything which indian customer will love, This attractive five-door hatchback boasts all the basic qualities that are inherent for the B0 platform(logan). Sandero’s ample dimensions both at the exterior and interior are examples. It is roomy, robust and has plenty of luggage space. Sandero is 4.02 metres in length with a storage capacity of 320 litres(30L more than the getz and 88L more than the Maruti Suzuki’s swift). Its front seat shoulder room of 1,400mm is best in class, while at the rear sandero has 878mm of headroom. marks Sandero out from its competitors. Not only does the interior afford plenty of space, so do the doors, which open to an angle of up to 67° for ease of ingress. In addition, the sandero has rear bench seat split-folds 60:40.

4) Renault sandero:The logan has become synonymous for ‘frugal’, built on the logan platform, renault’s sandero also some bane of the cost cutting procedures. Hard plastics and central console mounted window buttons are few signs of such measure. Sandero will come with Anti Lock Braking system and other safety features include 3-point seat belts, honeycomb dashboard, padded doors and the roof cross-member. Sandero meets the safety requirements of European regulations.

5) Renault sandero: Space does not make the car fit for India, its price and its fuel efficiency! Renault’s sandero will score in these section too. The sandero will take on the swift, getz and the upcoming new indica. The second-generation common rail direct injection 1.5 dCi is acknowledged as one of the best performing and frugal diesel engine which powers the logan sedan might be strapped under the hood of the sandero. Since, Renault has wide range of petrol engines it will pick the right one for the indian market at the time of launch.

Hot News – November 2007

* General Motors on Novemeber 1st ruled out competition from the proposed Rs 1-lakh car from the Tata Motors stable, saying it will focus on other variants of the segment.”The mini-car segment is not a segment. This includes several segments and several customers. There is no need to battle with the Rs 1-lakh car,” GM’s President and Managing Director, Karl Slym, told.

* Following Tata and Renault, Hyundai India is studying the feasibility of building a cheap small car to take on competition. Hyundai is looking at building a car priced at between 100,000 and 200,000 rupees ($2,500-$5,000), said Ashok Jha, president of Hyundai India. Hyundai is believed to be working on a new set of powertrain and chassis frames for these small cars. Hyundai india’s managing director & CEO H S Lheem also confirmed this, he said “We are working on a new class of low-cost cars which are being developed by our engineers in Korea. These are a totally different vehicles, which will meet all global safety standards and emission norms. These will not be like the typical Rs-1 lakh car, which other companies are trying to manufacture, but a totally different league of reliable cars targeted for different global markets.” Mr Lheem refused to share more details of the low-cost car project, but said that India and China are the key markets where these cars will definitely make a debut. However, he did not offer any time frame. “We are working on low-cost cars for the Indian market, besides Africa, China and South East Asia. There is no time frame as all the R&D work is currently being carried out in Korea,” Mr Lheem said.

* Hero Group which has been mulling for its four wheeler foray may tie-up with International auto major Daimler. Hero- Daimler alliance may end up like the Nissan -Ashok Leyland to manufacture commercial vehicles. It is necessary to recall that the Munjals of Hero group were in talks with Japanese auto maker Isuzu for a truck and bus venture and Daimler also negotiated with the Eicher for the same.

Chevrolet’s new Aveo limited edition

General Motor Corp, on Wednesday launched a new limited/special edition variant of its sedan Chevrolet Aveo priced at Rs 6,49,881 (Ex Showroom New Delhi). Chevrolet’s limited edition Aveo comes at a premium of Rs 54,000 over the existing base price of Rs 5.95 lakh. Limited edition Aveo would sport a refreshed instrument panel, leather upholstery, alloy wheels, audio system, remote keyless entry system, back seat armrests with cup holders, improved gear-shift and noise, vibration and harshness protection.

General Motors well on its way to reach the target:

General Motors which has an ambitious target of 10% market share in India seems to be well on its way. GM India on Thursday reported a staggering 95 per cent increase in its vehicle sales during October at 6,139 units as against 3,153 units in the same month last year.General Motors said sales in October are its highest ever in a single month in India. The sales included 1,769 units of MUV Chevrolet Tavera, 1,621 units of sedan and hatchback Chevrolet Aveo and UV-A, 436 units of premium sedan Chevrolet Optra and 2,313 units of small car Chevrolet Spark. GM India on Thursday reported a staggering 95 per cent increase in its vehicle sales during October at 6,139 units as against 3,153 units in the same month last year.General Motors said sales in October are its highest ever in a single month in India. The sales included 1,769 units of MUV Chevrolet Tavera, 1,621 units of sedan and hatchback Chevrolet Aveo and UV-A, 436 units of premium sedan Chevrolet Optra and 2,313 units of small car Chevrolet Spark. Last month General Motors announced a special discounts worth of Rs53000 for a period of 10 days. GM received more than 10000 bookings during that period.

Hero Honda Splendor Plus limited edition

Hero Honda Motors Ltd today launched a limited/special edition variant of its 100 cc motorcycle Splendor Plus priced at Rs 41,250 (ex-showroom Delhi). Hero Honda plans to manufacture only 50,000 units of the limited/special edition variant of Splendor Plus which would sport various added features such as black body colour, silver mono tone stripes, black five spoke alloy wheels, a black engine and matching chain cover. “Brand Splendor holds a special place in the hearts of millions of Indians for over a decade now. Through the launch of this bike, we would like to thank each of our customers and present to them the special edition commemorative Splendor,” Hero Honda Managing Director & CEO Pawan Munjal said.