Nissan SUNNY launched in India

If you are planning to buy a mid – size sedan then Nissan is offering it’s newbie ‘SUNNY’ this festive season. It is powered by 1.5 litre petrol engine which will has a capacity to produce maximum power of 100 bhp and utmost torque of 146 Nm. It will have 5 speed manual gearboxes with 16 valves and 4 cylinders. This premium vehicle is built on the popular V (Versatile) platform, the one used in the Nissan Micra. It was first launched in Japan in 1966 and has evolved over the time with the 10^th generation being sent to India. According to the company, the car has been tuned to meet the requirements of India market & perform well on Indian roads.

The package offers a refreshing look with sophisticated and aerodynamic styling. Neatly scratched lines on the outer body will attract you. It is a five seater sedan which is expected to come with dual tone dashboard with instrumental cluster. You will get a hell lot of room inside the car. It gives you enough head and leg room. The other features like rear centre armrest with cup holders, keyless entry system, push button start/stop system, electrically adjustable outside rear view mirrors, overhead console box, shift knob, panel box, foot operated parking brake, power windows etc will makes you even more comfortable. 

The Nissan Sunny will compete with the sedans like Volkswagen Vento, Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Corolla Altis, Honda Civic, Maruti SX4 Diesel, Toyota Etios, and Hyundai Verna Fluidic in India.

Etios - The No-Nonsense Toyota

We thought Toyota didn't want us to drive it's small cars but they've proved us wrong. With the launching of Etios the Japanese car maker has told us that they see Indian as a potential market.

I have heard that Etios has been desperately designed for the Indian market at an R&D cost of Rs.3200 crore. So that means Toyota is ready to give a tough competition to the premium hatchbacks & entry-level sedans in the country.

Seeing the Etios reminds me of the no-nonsense image of the Toyota automobiles. But under the hood this calm looking demon has a 1496cc engine which is enough to give its contenders sleepless nights.

Space was never an issue with Toyota cars & same has been proved on Etios. Legroom, headroom & strorage space is much to fanticise an Indian who is under the influence of Dzire.

Handling is flawless, thanks to the brand Toyota which always makes its European counter-parts jealous in this department. So, finally if you are looking for quality (Q-class) then this one priced at Rs.4.96 ex-showroom is for you.

Forget the looks (if u can) & enjoy the comfort !

The All New WAGON - R From Maruti Suzuki Stable

Maruti Suzuki, which is pulling out all stops to defend its 50 per cent market share in the domestic market, is reportedly planning to launch the new WagonR model in India by March 2010. Even though India's largest passenger carmaker has remained tigtlipped about it, there is a lot of buzz that the new WagonR will be fitted with the the Bharat Stage- IV compliant compliant KB series engine and will also be offered with a CNG version additionally. It is widely believed that the aforesaid 5-door htachback car will be based on Maruti's parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation's MR Wagon platform (like the existing model), but the exterior and interior will be throughly made-over. Furthermore, speculation is pretty rife that the upgraded version of WagonR will also be ewquipped with ABS and airbags in the top-end variants.

A couple of dealers have claimed that Maruti Suzuki WagonR will get styling changes both in exterior and interior. The exterior changes include an all new headlamp,new front fascia and new tail lamp styling. On the interiors, the new WagonR will get an all-new instrument panel.

According to a leading blogsite 'vicky.in', "The new WagonR will be powered by Bharat IV compliant 998cc KB series engine developing 67PS(50KW) of maximum power at 6200rpm and 90Nm of maximum torque at 3500rpm (the current WagonR powered by 1061cc engine developing 64PS of max power and 84Nm of max torque)."

Although Maruti Suzuk's spokesperson could not be immidiately contacted, a senior official of the company had earlier said, "We have exhausted our quota of new cars with eight new launches in India in the past three years. Now we are looking at strengthening our leadership by refreshing our old portfolio." The company has developed the new KB series petrol engines with an investment of Rs. 1,200 crore, which will be strapped in several of these cars". However, when queried about the proposed models which will undergo a facelift, he maintained, "Maruti follows a policy of refreshing models every five years," without revealing anything.

800 to drive out of 13 major cities

Maruti has decided not to upgrade its entry level 800 model to meet the upcoming BS IV norms which come into effect in 13 cities from April this year.

As a result this iconic little car will no longer be available for sale in these cities, but will continue to remain in showrooms for the rest of the country. Among the cities upgrading to BS IV are Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Kanpur, Ahmedabad, Surat and Agra.

According to R C Bhargava, chairman, Maruti Suzuki India, the company has decided against upgrading the 800. In recent years, the 800 has lost popularity due to rising buyer aspirations and its more sophisticated sibling, the Alto, which is currently the best selling car model in the country.

Indian auto industry on top flight

India, China, Brazil and Russia will account for one in three global car sales within the next four years, according to a new report from a US analyst, Boston Consulting Group.

By 2014 collective sales in the four countries (known as BRIC) are predicted to rise to around 25 million, says BCG, a continued increase from last year’s 19 million sales. By contrast, the developed markets in the West will have barely recovered by then to pre-economic crisis levels of 55 million units.

“This is a radical shift,” said Xavier Mosquet, head of BCG’s Detroit-based automotive practice. “For those car makers who still ask if you can avoid [the BRIC], you can’t.”

But increasing globalisation of models isn’t necessarily the way to tackle the BRIC markets, says BCG, and global models such as the new Ford Focus may not be suitable for all markets.

“There is no [single] BRIC car,” said BCG’s Nikolus Lang. Each market is distinct - and demanding - so while China’s emerging middle class may want cars with well equipped rear seats for being chauffeured to work, added Lang, India’s future lies with super-cheap cars like the Tata Nano.

Maruti unveils Concept rIII

Maruti Suzuki India Limited, the country's leading car manufacturer, has unveiled its next generation compact Multi Purpose Vehicle, Concept rIII, at Auto Expo 2010. Maruti Suzuki's Concept rIII is a bold and aggressive initiative, wherein Maruti Suzuki designers have carefully built in features and attributes' of a sedan in a compact MPV to evolve a next generation vehicle.

 

Concept rIII showcases Maruti Suzuki's enhanced research and development capabilities. To design the Concept rIII, the company has put together a team of young people from diverse cultural backgrounds to lend richness and diversity. The concept rIII took less than nine months to roll out through various stages from sketch to prototype to final concept car.

The seats have been given a contemporary look keeping in mind comfort and usability. The simple yet futuristic design, flowing with the overall architecture of the Concept rIII, reflects the elegance of the concerpt and enhances the interior.

The forms and colours were chosen to emphasize the spaciousness and luxury of the interiors creating a soothing environment. The use of light weight material such as aluminum enhances the expression and adds to the luxurious look. The interior in the Concept rIII has richly drawn from properties of water which flows seamlessly and takes shape of the objects. Use of distinct forms, materials, and light effects from the instrument panel to the floor console creates an imagery of a water fall from the water reservoir.

Concept Theme - To bring in the togetherness flavor, the young team extensively studied the evolving urban Indian landscape. The fusion of glass and metal used in contemporary architecture became a starting point for the designers.

The challenge before Maruti Suzuki designers was to create a sporty, dynamic and compact MPV which was refreshingly different from its peers. The designers have been careful in executing this keeping exterior proportions infact. The division of the side proportions with aesthetic use of mood light theme makes the Concept rIII delightful. The ratio of the glass to sheet metal on the side gives the Concept a sporty, yet stable stance

GM launches BEAT to HEAT the small car market in India

Chevrolet has done the most audacious thing ever. When the commencement of Auto Expo is just a few hours away, chevy has launched its ultra-radical design hatchback, the Beat.

Chevy Beat is car which cannot be called cute but it certainly is a macho looking car and stands out as a towering personality against its competition, the Suzuki Ritz and Hyundai i10. The nice lines on the bonnet has a very aggressive look, while the large head lamps make it appear more substantial and less top heavy than one would like to believe.

The car is certainly spacious with roomy leg space and head space when compared to other cars in its class.Beat is powered by a 1.2-litre S-Tec engine that uses a double overhead camshaft to produce 79 bhp of power and can reach 160 kph easily. The Chevy Beat is also shod with 155 section 14-inch Apollo Acelere rubber.

The Chevrolet Beat comes in three variants such as the PS, LS and the LT. The Base PS version comes with power steering, manual AC and rear folding seats and is priced at Rs 3.34 lakh, ex-showroom, New Delhi while the LS version features a chrome grille, central locking system and rear parcel tray and is priced at Rs 3.54 lakh, ex-showroom, New Delhi. The fully-loaded LT variant has roof rails, auto AC, tilt steering and rear power windows. ABS and airbags are on the options list which is priced at Rs 3.94 lakh.

With that sort of pricing, the Chevrolet Beat has all the right ingredients to make life very difficult for Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki.

The Beat will be on display at the General Motors pavillion at the 2010 Auto Expo.

Maruti Suzuki Kizashi Coming Soon in India

Maruti Suzuki Kizashi Coming Soon in India

Maruti Kizashi is still in the concept stage in India. Maruti Suzuki Kizashi was first unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007 and later at the 9th Auto Expo in New Delhi in 2008. Maruti Kizashi will be priced at Rs. 10 lakh and therefore will be a premium car with luxury features.

Maruti Kizashi comes with an outstanding aero-dynamic design with front view featuring a completely stylish look. There is a new innovative tapering headlights and classic front design that is unseen so far in Maruti small car models in India. This new upcoming model can rightfully be attributed as a cross-over sports sedan.

Maruti has very recently launched yet another small car model, Maruti Ritz, in India but it is yet to make its impact in the Indian market. Maruti Suzuki India Limited; India's largest car manufacturer that sells nearly every second car in India is contemplating an expansion of its product portfolio; especially in the sedan segment. As of now, Maruti Swift and Swift DZire attribute to a majority of its sales.

Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Managing Director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi said "My concern is about the quality of our growth. Although we achieved good overall national numbers, the region-wise and model-wise performance was not uniform. We relied mostly on Dzire and Swift to power our growth."