Vicky.in Blog

This time for africa. Hero motocorp enter african market with their entire range of products. Ever since the Hero-Honda split happened, hero overseas foray is expected especially in the african, latin america and south east asean market where its peers like honda and bajaj auto have a significant volume in sales.

Hero motocorp  today launched its operations in Kenya where it has also set-up its international assembly unit. The company’s operations are slated to commence in Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast next week.

Hero MotoCorp has roped in the reputed business house of Kenya, RYCE EAST AFRICA, to bring its two-wheelers to the country. Under the alliance, Sameer Group, which is a part of RYCE EAST AFRICA, has been appointed as the authorised distributor of Hero MotoCorp range of two-wheelers in Kenya. These products will be distributed through a network of outlets spread across the country.

Mr. Pawan Munjal, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Hero MotoCorp Ltd, said “We are delighted to see Brand Hero make its debut in the African continent with the first launch in Kenya. This is a strategic market for us in our overall plan for the continent, which is why we are also starting our first Africa CKD assembly operations here. Our vision is to provide convenient, fuel-efficient mobility to every customer, and with our wide range of products, we are committed to serving two-wheeler customers across Africa. We are confident our products will appeal to customers across a wide price spectrum and create a new benchmark for mass mobility in Kenya. Indeed, our Africa business is going to play a crucial role in our plans of taking Hero global.”

The range of Hero two-wheelers being launched in these markets include successful brands across categories – the entry-level segment (Dawn), the Deluxe segment (Splendor Pro, Glamour & Hunk) and the premium segment (Karizma)

 

Toyota has introduced the Innova Chrome Edition in order to celebrate its success of sales in India. It has sold 400,000 Innova, since its launch in the country in 2005.

There will be no mechanical changes for this edition. It comes with two engine options as a 2.5 liter D-4D turbo diesel engine which can produce maximum power of 102 PS and a peak torque of 200 Nm. Another one is a 2 liter petrol engine which can develop 132 PS of maximum power and 181 Nm of maximum torque. Both this motors come mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox.

It includes Chrome touches to the front grille, Door handles, Wheel Arch Molding, Muffler cutter, Surrounds for the turn indicators, chrome bumper protectors and inserts on wing mirrors. It will be available on the GX Edition which has both petrol and diesel variants. The Innova Chrome Edition accessory pack is priced at Rs 31,000.

Nissan plans to launch its Micra Nismo model in India. This Micra Nismo is christened March in Japan. Nissan’s global HQ does not allow the launch of Micra Nismo in India. But Nissan has been working hard for its launch in the country.

It offers the convenience of a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) gearbox. It’s the first in segment technology for better fuel efficiency and smooth city driving experience, more convenient as compared to a normal automatic transmission. It will be available in two variants. The two variants are base Micra Nismo and Micra Nismo S.The 1.2 litre Petrol engine which is available in current Micra will be mated to XTRONIC CVT gearbox. The 1.5 litre Petrol engine coupled with 5 speed manual transmission.

The international version also gets a different exhaust, stiffer suspension and bigger brakes. It gets sporty interior and exterior styling upgrades, including bumpers, skirts and wheels, lined with Nismo’s trademark red accents. If it does go on Sale in India, then we can expect the cost of this car will be in the range of Rs 8- 9 lakh.

Piaggio today launched a new and advanced variant of vespa called Vespa VX. The vespa vx comes with lots of new features over the the existing vespa lx.

The features of vespa vx includes

1) grab rail bar for pillion

2) two tone colours

3) disc brake at the front

4) dual tone colours

5) redesigned speedometer

6) beige coloured seats

7) Vespa vx also gets MRF zapper tyres

Vespa vx is priced Rs71,380  nearly Rs10,000 higher than the vespa lx

The new Skoda Octavia vRS comes with a new front bumper with a bigger air dam,lower ride height, new sporty alloy wheels,and red brake calipers.The new sporty allot wheels will be available in the range from 17 to 19 inches.The rear bumper gets a large black air diffuser.The station wagon version of the new Octavia vRS gets a roof-edge spoiler.It also comes with sports suspension as standard.The car will make its world debut at the Good wood Festival of Speed on the July 10,2013.

It will be available in both Petrol and Diesel variants which are shared with the current avatar of Volkswagen Golf GTI and GTD.The Petrol engine can produce 223PS of power and is mated to six-speed manual gear box.This petrol engine can reach the top speed of 248 km/hr.The diesel engine can develop 186PS of power and it can go from 0-100 Km/hr in 8.1 seconds.It can achieve a top speed of 232 km/hr.The car also gets bi xenon headlights and LED tail lights.

On the interior side,it gets a sporty 3-spoke steering wheel with perforated leather,new ambient lighting for the door handles, stainless steel pedals and the instrument panel gets a new RS design,seats,gear level,door sill panels and floor mates.The 2013 Skoda Octavia is scheduled to launch in India later of this fiscal year

Nissan has launched the new Micra Active which is the old Micra with some changes. It gets a new grille and a new bumper. It is powered by 1.2 liter petrol engine which can produce 68 PS of power at 5000 rpm and 104 Nm torque at 4000 rpm.This engine is mated to a five speed manual gear box. The Nissan Micra Active is positioned against entry level hatchbacks like the Maruti Suzuki WagonR, Chevrolet Beat and Hyundai i10.

Micra Active will be available in four trim levels. It includes XE, XL, XV and XV safety pack. XV Safety pack comes with safety features like Dual airbags, ABS, EBD, BA, immobilizer, speed sensing door locks and central locking.Micra Active range will come in six different colours.It includes Turquoise Blue (new), Blade Silver, Storm White, Onyx Black, Aqua Green and Brick Red. The Nissan Micra range comes with a standard manufacturers’ warranty of 2 years/50,000km.

Prices of Micra Active:
Micra Active XE – Rs. 3.50 lakhs
Micra Active XL – Rs. 4.02 lakhs
Micra Active XV – Rs. 4.40 lakhs
Micra Active XV Safety – 4.71 lakhs

Japanese car maker, Nissan launches a new face lifted Micra today. The petrol variants of the facelifted Micra are priced at Rs 4.80 lakh and Rs 5.43 lakh respectively and the CVT automatic version priced at Rs 6.39 lakh. It’s diesel range starts from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 7.14 lakh. The company has also introduced value pack base range called Active available at a price range of Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 4.71 lakh with four variants, via this the number of variants are extended to 11.

As we mentioned earlier, the new Micra facelift gets a new ‘Pacific Blue’ color. It also gets a new centre console, new trim and new finishing touches on the exterior side. It includes keyless entry, push start and stop, steering mounted audio control, electrically folding mirrors, alloy wheels, rear parking camera, ABS and Bluetooth connectivity. It is available with two engine options, a 75bhp, 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and the 1.5-litre K9K diesel engine. Nissan introduces their X-TRONIC CVT technology on the 1.2-liter petrol. The new Micra is considered as safer than the previous one. It offers ABS and dual air bags, but in the top end model its get an additional two air bags.

Kenichiro Yomura, President & CEO, Nissan Motor India said, “New Nissan Micra is the right product at the right time that will offer the customers ideal urban mobility with a complete package of premium design, performance, features, safety and comfort. We expect New Micra, as well as Micra Active with its excellent value proposition and its unique features, to serve wider range of customers in India.”

“We will reach out to different segments, where we have no presence so far and we will launch products in the more competitive entry level segment too. We already launched the Sunny CVT, today we are launching the new Micra and Micra Active and later in the year you will see Nissan Terrano and New Datsun hatchback,” added Yomura.

Later,Nissan will launch new compact SUV Terrano and the first compact hatchback from Datsun in this financial year.

Honda Activa 125 is one of the most expected bikes of this year.It will come with their HET (Honda Eco Technology) engine which provides reduction in weight by 8%.Honda currently sells scooters under the brand Aviator and Dio which have already dominated in the Indian market.And the launch of new Honda Activa 125 is to provide better fuel efficiency.We can expect quick and better performance from this bike.

It offers convenient and industry standard features. It also includes an electric starter.This Activa 125 will be powered by four stroke, single cylinder, liquid cooled, and 125cc engine with variator-controlled automatic transmission. It will provide the comfortable riding position to the seat riders. We can expect the launch of this bike, around the month of September.

Maruti Suzuki has introduced a sporty version of the popular Swift which will be available in limited numbers and for a short period only. Swift RS will be available in both Petrol and Diesel variants. It is priced at Rs 24,500.It has specifically designed black and blue motorsport inspired graphics and also comes with new styling.It has a high-end music system with CD player, AUX-in and USB facility.It’s new additions and changes bring higher value to the customers.

On the introduction of Swift RS, Mr Manohar Bhat Vice President (Marketing) Maruti Suzuki India said, “The Swift RS is in continuation of Maruti Suzuki’s celebrations planned around Swift model as it moves towards the “1 million” cumulative sales mark. Swift not only pioneered premium compact segment in the country, it continues to remain the no. 1 selling car in the segment. Swift has cumulatively sold over 9.6 lakh units since its launch in May 2005. We are confident that limited edition Swift RS will be ideal for customers who look to further enhance the sporty character and style of the Swift. All this comes with a much higher value worth than the price customer pays for Swift RS package.”

The new polo which is expected to hit the Indian market by 2014 may come with a fuel efficient 1.0L engine.2014 Volkswagen Polo will be available in two variants. It can produce the output ranging from 60HP to 90HP.

It will come with the changes in both inside and outside. On the interior side it gets a new dashboard, an updated infotainment system and additional assistance systems. On the exterior side it gets front grille, front bumper, revised head lights, smaller antenna and revised air intake.The revised air intake is the biggest change of this car on its exterior side. Introduction of day time LED’s on the front bumper is one of the noticeable addition.