Is XCD xcding the Expectations?

XCD 125 DTS-SI one of the most expected bike from Bajaj Auto. Bajaj Auto claimed this bike is revolutionary and hopes the XCD will help to win the battle against Hero Honda for the top spot. The advertisement for this bike created lot of expectations among the consumers. Adding to expectation is the Bajaj – TVS feud over the twin spark plug. Let’s see whether the XCD will exceeds the expectations?

Design and Engineering:

XCD follows the Bajaj chracteristic forward design, the headlamp design and the sleek graphics makes the bike more dynamic. The seats are wider and comfy. Shrouds on both sides bounds the tank. The lines are continuous and is facilited by the dummy cowls and sharp mudflap. The wider flanks at the rear makes the LED tail lamp cluster to look smaller. XCD comes with the electric start option and features first in class digital console. The orange back lit console shows the fuel level and the speed(cable free).The prismatic pilot lamp and flexible number plate mechanism is another new. Though the glove box on the sari guard is innovative, it is impractical and in the long term you have find place to keep the documents. Panel gaps are minimal and the fit and finish are nice. Espescially the painting and graphics are top class.

Engine and gearbox:

125cc XCD’s DTS-SI engine is mated with a 4-speed gearbox and produces 9.53PS @7000rpm and 10.85Nm@5000rpm. To improve the efficiency in a single cylinder engine manufacturers has to adopt Fuel Injection(FI) technology and by finding a mean to burn the lean mixture. Since low cost Baja has followed the 2nd way, DTS-SI engine produces adequate swirl to burn even the lean mitures. In our test drive(city) the XCD 125cc DTS-Si returns around 65kmpl, really good on any scale for a 125cc bike. Another plus in the XCD is without the bike moves without any thudding in top gear. We managed to chug our test bike at 14kmph in fourth gear without any knocking. This makes XCD one of the best bikes for the city commuting. The vibrations are minimal and it is dampened by the rubberised brake pedal and gear-shifters.

Ride and Handling:

XCD is build on a rectangular frame to give more stability which is supplemented by rectangular swingarm section. The wider seats and high handlebar position tells XCD meant for commuting. The upright seating position is the result. Since the bike weighs only 112kg, the XCD lacks the solid factor. But XCD excels in manoeuverablity similar to the TVS star city. But unlike the star city, the tall riders will love this XCD as it is 1200mm tall. Bajaj doesn’t offer disc brake for this city bike. Ride quality is decent, XCD features 125mm telescopic forks at the front and 5-step adjustable SNS at the rear.

Value for money?

A strong buy call for this bike though the XCD does not has the performance of an 150cc bike(as Bajaj claimed). Then what makes XCD special is its price and its value for money(VFM). The 125cc XCD not only comes cheap Rs41000 but also excels in mileage section. Few first-in-class features makes this bike more attractive offer. Yes, XCD exceeds the expectations! but with the TVS Flame round the corner, XCD’s has to meet fierce battle to be a champ.

Between September 10th and the October 1st Bajaj Auto’s XCD sold 18,131 units. Buoyed by the response Bajaj reworked its capacity plan and now it is expanding XCD capacity to 75,000 units per month.

Wanna discuss about XCD and Flame, share your thoughts at vicky.in Forums

2007 TNS consumer satisfaction ratings

Hero Honda, Bajaj Auto and Enfield motorcycles have come out tops in the customer satisfaction ratings in the 2007 TNS Motorcycle Total Customer Satisfaction Study conducted by TNS Automotive.  The study says that newly launched motorcycles including the Splendor NXG and CBZ Extreme from Hero Honda, Discover 135 from Bajaj Auto and Bullet 350 from Enfield have been ranked highest in their respective segmets.  The study was conducted by compiling responses of more than 7,000 new motorcycle buyers as regards the performance of more than 50 models across parameters like sales satisfaction, product quality, motorcycle performance and design, after-sales service, brand image, and cost-of-ownership. The index score provides a measure of satisfaction and loyalty that a given model or brand enjoys among its customers. Pradeep Saxena, senior VP, TNS India – Automotive said: “The continued efforts of the industry in bringing down the cost of ownership and providing a good sales experience have clearly borne fruit. A trend that has been continuing for the past couple of years is the strong performance of new models. They tend to get high ratings on performance and design, an indicator of the growing design capability of the Indian industry “.  Saxena adds, “The upper executive segment is a big contributor to the overall development of the Indian two-wheeler market. The right mix of performance, product design and cost of ownership is making this the preferred option among a large segment of Indian motorcycle owners who plan to buy a motorcycle in future”.

The study also found that the expectation of the buyer of standard motorcycles (entry level bikes) has gone up from the previous level, now the buyer also expects similar attention and commitment as the buyer of higher value bikes. Styling of the bikes in executive segment is gaining importance in overall customer satisfaction. In transacting with the service dealer, competitive pricing and explanation have gained importance as well as have high impact on retention. For the upper executive segment latest technology and style have gained importance. Explanation of feature and benefit gained in terms of stated importance while Salesperson knowledge impacts largely on retention. Premium segment buyers are at the center of focus for all of the manufacturers that have educated the customer and empowered him to buy consciously after comparing all the options, now he expects manufacturers to give him the best technology, he questions salesperson and look for the best financing options available and demands quick service.

For future purchases the preference for motorcycles with high engine capacity (150cc and above) is seen in all four regions of the country however it is almost 70% in south closely followed by west. Across the country, close to 24% of current motorcycle owners intend to upgrade to a four-wheeler as their next vehicle. The propensity to upgrade to a car is higher in the north as compared to other parts of the country.

Kinetic Flyte takes off in style!

Kinetic -Sym:

When kinetic launched its India’s first maxi scooter – blaze it expected a turnaround. 165cc blaze is the first model from kinetic-italijet JV. Yes, blaze does it but only to some extent. The reason is though Kinetic made sure that spare parts are widely available the product suffered from the lack of quality. Kinetic made a three year technical tie-up with SYM of Taiwan – which is well known for quality(it offers scooters with life long warranty). Kinetic doesn’t want to repeat this, hence this time before selecting the suppliers they were scrutinized in a tough manner and Kinetic imported 15-18% for the flyte. The 125cc segment has been left untouched by major scooter players like Bajaj,TVS and Honda. Kinetic and Suzuki want to grab this oppurtunity and want to be a niche player. The 125 cc gearless scooter Flyte priced at Rs 37,499 (ex-showroom Delhi) on par with 100cc TVS scooty pep. In the pricing front, flyte is already a winner What has to be seen is whether it scores on features, fuel efficiency and quality. Let’s check out.

Style and build:

Not so exclusive resembles TVS scooty pep plus and Bajaj kristal in many sense – headlamps and elliptical indicators on steeply raked aprons are its signs. Body coloured rear view mirrors are not just styling elements, impact resistant mirrors fold in case of impact. Flyte doesn’t looks heavy as activa it looks friendly, the tail lamp is simple and attractive. Panel gaps are minimal and flyte make use of high quality plastic. The only short-come is the painting and graphics which fails to charm.

Engine and Powertrain:

Kinetic Sym flyte’s 125cc mill generates output of 8bhp at 7000rpm and 9.1Nm at 5500rpm slightly lesser than the suzuki’s 125cc scooter access. The pick up is smooth and the torque is good enough for city commuting. Flyte reaches 70kmph with ease. Secondary air injection helps to cut the flyte’s emission and the cold starting is taken care by the powerful 9Ah battery(5Ah in other scooters). Flyte’s mileage/fuel efficiency is around 40kmpl in our test drive(city only) and similar to other scooters, Kinetic Sym flyte makes use of CVT(continuously variable transmission). Kinetic Sym drops the ceramic coating inside cylinder for the Indian flyte, hence no lifetime guarantee here. Flyte comes with a three-year warranty in India.

Ride and Handling:

Since Scooters are used for city commuting, handling dominates the ride flyte is no exception. Imported bike type telescopic forks are used at the front and single coilover is used at the rear.The ride is little bumpy. 130mm drum brakes at the fore and aft flyte offers good control over the flyte. 3.50? -10? wider tyres gives better grip and stability which is supported by a larger 1260mm wheelbase.

Nice Thoughts:

The air filter is superficially located which makes it easy for servicing. The dash choke and mobile charging point is an another useful feature. Fuel tank lid is mounted at the front hence no need to get off the vehicle for fuelling. Under the seat is an LED illuminated 22 – litre split storage space large enough to house a full helmet,gloves and even more. 4- in -1 locking system – under-seat storage lock, fuel filler lock, ignition lock and an innovative magnetic lock though useful mainly will be used for marketing.

Colours and the verdict:

Kinetic sym flyte 125cc comes in a choice of 5 colours – Black Mystique, silver flash, lavender groove, red oomph and jade charisma. If the Kinetic’s image, sales and service support and availability and cost of spares does not come in way of this 125cc flyte. Flyte will fly in Indian roads for a long time.

Kinetic’s Line- Up:

Kinetic would launch three new products over the next six months. Kinetic plans one more scooter on the Flyte platform and two electric scooters. Kinetic hopes to sell 5,000 units of Flyte every month and by June 2008 it plans to ramp it up to 8,000 units a month.

update:

Kinetic Motors will roll out five products in 12 months.Kinetic will launch its second scooter from Italjet Moto, the 135 cc Euro. There will be two new electric two-wheelers and two variants of Flyte. In fact, Korean maker, Sym, which holds an 11% in Kinetic will also bring in motorcycles.

Discuss more abt Kinetic SYM Flyte and Suzuki Access in Vicky.in Forums

For your Windshield needs!

Windscreen savers:
A good windshield not only provides good visiblity but also does not shatter on impact and it is leak proof.

As per the Central Motor Vehicles Rules which came into force in 1996, front windshield of the car should be made of laminated glass. Laminated windshield is nothing but sandwitching a layer of plastic material between two glass sheets. Apart from the laminated glasses, there is one more type of glass – tempered glass which is less expensive. Tempered glasses explode on impact into thousands of tiny fragments. Since chances of accidents are low in side and rear part of the car, tempered glasses are used in side and rear windows. Regarding the visibility, front windshield and rear window should have more than 70% visual transmission which should be 50% for the rear.

Let’s see what makes Windshields different from the company’s showroom is “time and price” according to windshield. Normally it takes 2-3 days to replace the windshield in company’s showroom but Windshield experts take barely not more than three hours to do the same job. Additionally, if your windshield is broken and unable to move your car, you can just contact your nearest windshield expert outlet or you can dial the toll free number 1800-11-3636 and tell them, Windshield will take care of the rest. Windshield Expert charges additional price for this (depends on the distance from the windshield outlet). But considering the safety, this is a valuable service. Tempered glass may be of green(with sunscreen) or clear(without sunscreen) type. WE(Windshield Experts) offers windshields even for the grandma’s car ‘padmini’ at an affordable price. Since the WE is Vendor cum manufacturer they offer windshields at 75% of showroom’s price. For example windhshield for Hyundai santro costs Rs5300 in Windshield Expert whereas in Hyundai’s showroom it may cost between Rs7000 -9000.

Similar to the company’s showroom, WE offers insurance and warranty for a year which covers the leakage and any manufacturer defect is covered. Glasses with rear wiper and defogger(heated glass) costs little over the normal glasses. Windshield claims it can repair the glasses with chips(thus saving the cost without replacing), but it can be done only on chips and cracks(if the damage area on the windshield is less than 40mm). The replacement or repair service is done by specialist who are trained to AGE(Automotive Glazing Europe) standards which ensures safety. WE not only helps in safer installation of Windshield, it also helps in insurance claims. Windshiled says, it offers cashless transactions for policy holders. WE has tied up with many leading insuarance companies to facilitate easy claim. In addition the WE offers few value added products such as

WEMark:

WEMARK is a deterrent for the Potential car thief. WEMARK involves etching your car glass with your car’s registration number. Only WE has the technology to even etch the front laminated glass of your car. It is easy for the car thief to change your car’s registration plate before re-selling it, but it is not possible for him to change all the glass of your car. The WEMARK technique comes with a Safety Sticker that makes the etching more prominent – a real deterrent against the potential car thief.

WE Clean:

It is a spray, which helps to keep the windshield and other glasses of the car spotless and clean. It is super quality Car- Glass cleaner.

WE Wipe:

Our wipers, enable you to have a clear view even through a downpour. The make of the wipers is such that the glass has no scratches after use due to their sleek and smooth edges.

WE Films:

Helps in keeping the inside temperature of car cool and enhances AC performance. This film is sunproof thus preventing the sunrays to fall into the vehicle directly.

WE Clear:

This is a rain repellent coating for the rainy season that chemically cleans the glass. Reduces wiper use & keeps the rain droplets away from the car glass. This helps in keeping the glass clear of water so as to have a better view while driving.

With nearly 45 outlets working round the clock (24*7) Windshield Experts seems to be the best alternative for your windshield needs.

P.S: Our sincere thanks to Windshield Experts ,Mount Road, Chennai (044-28542222)

Dear Readers!

Dear Readers,

As you are seeing, vicky.in/blog/forums has been started to share whatever you like. Apart from the comments you post on every article, we are receiving lot of mails every day through the contact us form demanding answers on various topics. We are sincerely working to answer your queries, but as questions piles up, it is getting harder now-a-days due to our time constraint. We believe forums will be ideal to solve this situation.

Through forums you can start your own thread, post replies, direct and guide others and receive the same. We see lot of readers coming up with nice ideas and innovative answers and I’m sure that vicky.in readers will direct/give you the necessary solution for all your queries. Also, we will track the topics and answer it if at all needed. In addition to that You can share photos,videos and news in the forum. You can use the contact us form for business means. Looking for your extended support. Register for the Forum here

Regards,

karthi.

Hero Honda’s new Hunk

will ‘Hunk’ imitate Honda’s CBR?

Hero Honda is all set to launch a new premium bike named ‘junk‘ hunk. The junk  hunk is likely to be powered by an 156cc engine. While Bajaj targets the 100cc customers with its 125cc ‘XCD'(bike with the fuel efficiency of a 100cc bike combined with the performance of a 150cc one, at the price of the 100cc). Hero Honda will target the executive segment(125cc) buyers with the new ‘Hunk’. Yes, Hero Honda is likely to equip the ‘hunk’ with the features – twin discs,clip-on handle bars, tubeless tyres and split seats of high-end bikes. Will Hunk feature Monoshock supension? we have to wait! In addition to that it may also feature Karizma type yellow instrument and Honda CBR type twin headlamps. Hero Honda may create a new buzz by offering a bigger capacity and highly equipped bike at the price of a 125 cc. This junk hunk is definitely not a junk one so carefully follow this space for more details.

For Hero Honda’s Hunk 150cc price, picture and a detailed preview visit http://www.vicky.in/blog/hero-honda-hunk-150cc-is-out/

Mahindra Scorpio M2DI

* Mahindra and Mahindra has launched a new Scorpio targetting Taxi

* The new scorpio is powered by bolero engine and is termed Scorpio M2DI

* Mahindra Scorpio M2DI will meet Bharat II norms, hence it can be run only on non-metro cities.

* Mahindra Scorpio M2DI is priced around Rs6 lakhs little below the basic scorpio variant. Mahindra will target the sumo customer with the new scorpio M2DI. Mahindra might not make any major change apart from the new engine. More details are expected will update as soon as we get.

Tata’s new Sumo

Tata Motors today announced the launch of the Sumo Victa Turbo DI, the new upgraded range of its entry-level utility vehicle, the Sumo Spacio. The new range, fitted with a new 3-litre Turbocharged DI engine, delivers improved fuel economy, higher power and torque. The new engine develops maximum power and torque of 70 PS (at 3000 rpm) and 223 Nm (at 2200 rpm) respectively. This results in considerable improvement in overall performance and driveability. Fuel efficiency has significantly improved. The Sumo Victa Turbo DI delivers a best in class 15 kmpl (under test conditions), further enhancing the core appeal of the vehicle. It is also characterised by lower Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH). The Sumo Victa IDI range’s much appreciated attributes — of 4.9 mts turning circle radius, equivalent to those of small cars, spare wheel located under the body and attractive styling including clear lens head lamps and fascia — have been carried forward in the DI range. The range comprises 4 trim levels – Cx, Lx, Ex and Gx — in both BSII and BSIII emission compliance levels. It offers a wide range of seating configuration — 7,8,9, and 10 seats — to choose from, along with the comfort and convenience features of the Victa IDI range. HVAC is standard equipment on Lx, Ex and Gx variants. The top end variant, Gx, is also equipped with power steering, power windows, central locking, keyless entry, CD/MP3 music system and internally adjustable side view mirrors. The BSII range of Sumo Victa DI has been priced between Rs. 4.84 lakhs and Rs. 5.89 lakhs, (ex-showroom, Karnal), while the BSIII range is priced between Rs.4.95 lakhs and Rs. 6 lakhs (ex showroom, Delhi). Tata Motors sold nearly 48,000 utility vehicles in the domestic market last fiscal, including 32,000 of the Sumo range. Since the launch of the Sumo in 1994, over 356,000 units have been produced.

source:Tata Motors

Tata -Fiat Joint Venture

Fiat Group Automobiles and Tata Motors on October 11th announced the signing of the definitive agreement for the establishment of the industrial Joint Venture, located at Ranjangaon in Maharashtra (India) to manufacture passenger cars, engines and transmissions for the Indian and overseas markets. Assembly of the new Fiat Palio at Ranjangaon has already commenced. The Joint Venture will manufacture Fiat’s premium cars, Grande Punto and Linea (respectively in the B and C segments), its successful 1.3 litre Multijet diesel engine, its 1.2 and 1.4 litre Fire gasoline engine and matching transmissions. The Joint Venture will also manufacture one of Tata’s next generation vehicles. The Ranjangaon facilities at regime are expected to exceed an overall output of 100,000 cars and 200,000 engines and transmissions. The overall investment will exceed €650 million. The plant will directly and indirectly employ more than 4,000 people. The distribution and service of Fiat branded cars in India will continue to be managed by Tata Motors in line with the agreement signed in March 2006. The Tata-Fiat dealership network, which is currently distributing and servicing the Fiat Palio, today numbers 65 dealers and is meant to expand to 100 dealers by mid-2008, when the new Fiat models are expected to be launched.

source:Tata Motors

Tata’s new Sumo Phoenix is ready!

Sumo Phoenix:

Following the new safari(2.2L Dicor), Tata Motors plans to launch a new multi-utility vehicle which may replace or ride along with the Sumo – its oldest passenger vehicle that has been in production since 1994. The new sumo Phoenix which will replace the sumo is likely to be launched before the end of the 2007. The launch of the this new model will mark the comeback of the Tata Motors in the utility vehicle brand. For the new sumo Phoenix, Tata will replace the sumo’s present 2-litre engine by the safari’s 2.2L Dicor engine. Sharing of the powertrain platform with the new safari will help the tata’s to bring down the cost of the vehicle. The new sumo Phoenix is designed by German engineering company, IAV GmbH (Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto und Verkehr) and is built on the platform of Tata TL sprint. The Sumo Phoenix will inherit the most of the sumo’s characteristics at the same time embracing new technologies and contemporary features to counter the rivals – the masculine bolero and the frugal tavera. The new sumo Phoenix will shed the sumo’s chracterstic boxy look instead it will get more curves and lines. The steeply raked windscreen is followed by almost flat rooflines and slopes downward towards the rear giving the new sumo phoenix a more contemporary look. The new sumo phoenix’s sharper lines, V cuts and larger headlamps are borrowed from Tata’s TL sprint pickup. New sumo phoenix will also get larger wheels, larger tail lamp cluster and the new sumo phoenix’s registration plate will be housed in the tailgate. Wheelbase, leaf-spring rear suspension system, larger rear width and side facing third row seats that has access through the rear door will be retained. Tata motors has given the new sumo phoenix a higher ground clearance to enable the vehicle to conquer jungles with ease. The refreshed interiors of the sumo phoenix will reflect the stylish exteriors. The new sumo phoenix will get the dash from the safari. Sporty dials, attractive door pads, better quality seats and a neat centre console with double row of rounded push buttons for the Tata’s new sumo phoenix.
Next generation Indica(indica V3) and new indigo:

The next generation indica V3 and indigo sedan will be launched after the sumo phoenix launch. It seems that Tata is unlikely to discontinue the existing indica and indigo sedan atleast for some time. Tata wants to ride both the next generation cars and existing products parallely, since the current indica and indigo are going strong still after the many of their debut. The next generation indigo sedan will be positioned in the premium segment and priced over the Indigo, the next generation indica v3 will also carry a premium and be positioned above Indica.

“We will have a slew of new launches in the year ahead with new products in the compact, sedan and MUV segments. The vehicles will have completely new exterior, interior, engine and platform,” Tata Motors V-P-commercial (passenger business unit) S Krishnan said. Tata Motors thinktanks are still undecided on whether the products would be launched under new brands or simply adding the pre-fix ‘New’ to the existing brands: Indica, Indigo and Sumo. “The existing brands have a tremendous brand equity. They will be definitely not flittered away,” the official said.

New gypsy, Tavera and scorpio:

The SUV market in India is estimated at around 35,000 to 40,000 units per annum. SUV segment grew by 25 per cent during the first six months of the year. Hence almost all the manufacturers are launching/upgrading the models. Here are the actions(expected) in entry level SUV and MPV segment.

The Gypsy from the Maruti Suzuki stable is also likely to be replaced with the gimny wagon or given a new look. Mahindra & Mahindra which recently facelifted its entry level SUV Bolero is planning cheaper version of the Scorpio Eagle may also be launched next year. Chevrolet’s new tavera may also get a face-lift. Few changes on exteriors such as new grille at the front, is expected. Regarding the interiors the dashboard is expected to be upgraded. The gearbox will be refined.

update: Here is the spied photo of the Tata sumo phoenix

tata-sumo-phoenix-2008.jpg

image credit to millionSwords of Team-bhp