Maruti's fully indigenous car will hit roads by 2011

Maruti Suzuki India plans to develop and design a car from scratch and launch a 'Made in India' model in two years. Maruti, which is now being developed as a global R&D hub for its Japanese parent, Suzuki Motor Corp, has announced significant investments in enhancing its overall R&D capThe company will invest Rs 1,000 crore in two phases to establish a full fledged R&D centre and a vendors' park at Rohtak (Haryana).
The land allotment agreement was signed on Friday by Maruti Suzuki managing director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi and the MD of Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, Rajeev Arora.
The Rohtak R&D complex will house a R&D centre for passenger cars -- including India's first state-of-the-art test track with a proving ground, wind tunnel, crash facility etc. While the development of the allotted land and construction of the test tracks will be completed during the first phase by 2012, the overall R&D facilities will be progressively completed by 2015.
"This facility in Rohtak would be a big step forward in building the R&D capability of Maruti Suzuki, and enable us to offer superior products to our customers in the future as well," Nakanishi said.
This complex will augment the full vehicle design and development capability of Maruti, thereby meeting the specific needs of the Indian customer. The first phase of this project will see Rs 400 crore investment by 2012.
Maruti has two manufacturing facilities at Gurgaon and Manesar with a combined manufacturing capacity of 1 million units per year.ability.

Volvo plans to launch SUV XC60 in India next year

Volvo Car Corporation on Tuesday said it plans to launch its sports utility vehicle XC60 in India next year.

The company, which unveiled the XC60 at the ongoing Geneva Motor show, said the new SUV would find its way into India in 2009 as part of its product portfolio expansion in the country.

"With the launch of Volvo XC60 in India we will be broadening our model range to attract more customers with an active, urban lifestyle," Volvo Car India Managing Director Paul de Voijs said in a statement.

"With the expansion of our product offerings in 2009 we will further expand our customer base in the country," he added.

Volvo Car India, a division of Ford Motor Company launched two of its flagship models, Volvo S80 and Volvo XC90 in the country in September 2007.

The company currently market its products through 3 dealerships, one each in Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh.

World's Greenest cars

From hybrids to hydrogen cells, almost every automaker is busy experimenting furiously to increase its production of alternative fuel and high mileage cars, popularly referred to as "Green cars." As crude oil hovers at an all-time high of $100 and an imminent fuel hike looms large the world over, it has sparked a huge interest in clean, green cars.

In India too, the leading carmaker Tata Motors has unveiled a blueprint to introduce hybrid and hydrogen cars within eight years. The rest of the world, however, already has a number of green cars that are not only running on the roads, but some of these are even giving serious competition to the ones that emit large amounts of CO2.

We, therefore, decided to look at the entire spread of green cars commercially available in the world today and chose some of the most popular ones for you. These cars may not be headed to India in the near future, but it would do Planet Earth a lot of good if more and more buyers have green on their mind. Have a look as these cars give a glimpse into the shape of things err… cars to come.

Is there a market for new small cars?

The future is with the small car

India might be a rapidly growing economy too, but it's the small car that's going to dominate our roads, generate volumes and strengthen manufacturers' bottomlines in future. Consider a few market realities: firstly, many more people are buying cars now than even a year ago and this number is growing exponentially. Overall, the Indian market for small cars – has grown 17% annually.

Secondly, with rising disposable incomes, Indians are graduating from bare-bones mini-cars to premium hatchbacks that offer a lot more in terms of space, comfort and aspirational value. This has been illustrated by the tremendous response to Chevrolet Spark since its launch few months ago.

Baby, You Can Plug In My Car-India's electric car Reva sets the wheels in motion in climate-conscious UK

Where's my wire: A Reva charging point in London's Covent Garden area

Thrifty Lady
* No engine, only a motor. No fuel tanks, no exhaust, no emissions, and no noise.
* Drive 10 km every day for a year for the price of a single tank of petrol
* Speed 70 km an hour, range 80 km on a single charge from a normal socket for a
few hours. Charging stations introduced in central London.
* Parking free, and no congestion charge either in the UK. Savings on this alone
pays for the car in a year.
* Zero emissions; save the climate, and money
* Car service at your door
It's only a little longer than a longish stride and as silent as tip-toeing; it's a car without a conventional engine or fuel tank that so far only Bangalore and London really share.

A member of the Green Party can drive to a meeting where a parked G-Wiz will say what words can never.


G-Wiz: that's what the London distributors of the Bangalorean Reva car are calling it. And that's what an excited London media is exclaiming too. Just about every newspaper and TV channel here has been smitten by this little phenomenon on wheels.

With about 900 cars on London's roads, a fair bit more than the 650 in Bangalore, G-Wiz has claimed more attention than sales so far. But this is a breakthrough car; the first car to run on batteries that works in an everyday kind of way. At 70 km an hour, it is fast enough for city driving, and with an 80 km range on a single charge of a few hours in an ordinary electric socket, it gets far enough for ordinary use. It's cheap to use; you can run it for a year averaging 10 km a day for the price of a single tank of petrol. At £7,000 (Rs 5.7 lakh), the cost is not as little as you'd like. But count in the savings, and that price can drop pretty fast.

And the price could come down. "The cars are imported from Bangalore, which means we pay import duty of 6.5 per cent, and VAT 17.5 per cent," says Keith Johnston, MD of GoinGreen, the car's London distribution company. "We're really looking for a signal from the government to cut taxes and to offer incentives for imports, in order to bring down the price further." The car does need more than 900 owners.

So, who are these 900? "They are environmentally aware, well-educated and reasonably affluent," says Johnston. "Age-wise, they are across the board, but it's mostly the middle-aged urban professional." The zero emission from the car itself answers a rapidly louder call across Europe for cutting carbon emissions from car exhausts. An industrially induced rise in carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere is thought to contribute to global warming, precipitating unwanted climate change. That makes G-Wiz perfect for a globalising conscience of the green-minded.

You'd like to think you're driving from point A to B without a speck of a glacier melting along the way. But, of course, the glacier will not remain untouched if power to the point you plug the car into has come from a power plant burning oil or coal, and therefore sending off those warming emissions. But, at least the owner is not twice the sinner. In the ideal world, power to that plug point would come from a solar panel or a wind turbine. That's when a member of the Green Party can drive to a meeting where a G-Wiz parked outside will say what words can never.

Right now the London G-Wiz driver is not doing that much to cool the allegedly warming world; it would be nasty to point out that these 900 cars, even with their Bangalore population added on, is just a minuscule fraction of the 700 million cars worldwide. But what does work, here and now, is "the saving of those other emissions from the pocket", quips Johnston.

London is peculiarly placed to cut these emissions.

Parking in central London, otherwise prohibitively priced at up to six pounds an hour, is free for G-Wiz. That could mean a saving of 20 pounds a day or more on just parking in central London. Save also the eight pounds a day congestion charge slapped on those polluting cars for driving into London. "You could save up to £600 a month on this car, in a year it will pay for itself," says Johnston.

So this, more than its 'greenery', is the car's big selling point. Well, it's certainly true for Rachel, inspecting the cars at the distribution centre in Southall. Rachel is less worried about capsizing island countries (because warming atmosphere melts glaciers and so sea levels are rising, they say) than her bills. She runs a small courier company in Hounslow, located to collect packets from nearby Heathrow. For distribution in central London, she thinks her usual petrol-driven car can take her packets up to Hammersmith just outside central London. Then on, a G-Wiz could take over, with enough room on the left seat, and with the back seat flattened to make room for parcels. This can bring substantial savings that, she says, she can pass on to clients, consequently making herself more competitive.

But the car can mean savings to just anyone. Just plug it in as you would a toaster, and away you go in a couple of hours, with 80 per cent charged. The remaining 20 per cent takes more than twice as long, for reasons that batteries know best. So it's not the car in which you'd want to explore the highlands and islands of Scotland. It's the car for local hopping. In time, people will get used to G-Wiz workers who need a power point, and guests who drop in and plug in.

But on the other side, London's eccentricities are not an unmixed blessing. The car needs off-street parking simply so a normal electricity cable can be plugged into the battery. Running an electric cable across pavement space into the car is not exactly illegal, but if someone were to trip over it and fall, you could lose a lot more than the car can save you.

Now Westminster council in central London has begun to put up power points where the batteries can be charged as you park. That should make even a longish ride into central London possible. The problem is to make that mental leap from the idea of a 'proper' car to riding a trail-blazing insect. But even conventional car manufacturers now see Reva as a sign of times to come. The ceos of Nissan and Renault have just said that the future is electric. And not hybrid either, where you might mix the two; doing both is expensive, among other things. By 2012, many conventional car makers are planning to launch purely electric cars.

Reva, with its English cousin G-Wiz, is gearing up for the new competition. The insect has already metamorphosed swiftly from DC current to more efficient and powerful AC usage. Its older drive system is being changed to make the car a good deal nippier. A new generation of lithium-ion batteries will be introduced in 2008 to make charging quicker, and last longer. Software is not all that Bangalore has to show to the world.

Chetan Maini, chief technology officer of Reva Electric Car Company, got the idea of the green car from his days at the University of Michigan, US, in the 1990s. He teamed up with Dr Lon Bell from California to work out manufacturing in India. "The styling and engineering was done jointly by a team in the US and in India," Maini says. Distribution centres have now been set up in Norway and Spain, and others are planned in Cyprus, Greece and Ireland.

It's all on low budget. Reva sells in London without a showroom, without an advertising or marketing budget.There are no car salesmen; existing users offer to take new customers on a test drive. You buy online, servicing comes to your door. "Our showroom is the streets of London," says Johnston.

That means that with the distribution centre located in Southall, no one gets to see the car more than Southall Sikhs—and nobody seems less interested. There has been only one inquiry from Southall so far, and that didn't lead to a sale. "It's a bit odd, isn't it?," says Johnston. But then he doesn't understand Sikhs. The car is environment-friendly, not sardar-friendly. As seen by Southall's Sikhs, G-Wiz suffers a continuing problem: it never will be a vaddi gaddi

Pre-owned car industry to get a boom in India

What you say about used? How will it be if you buy a used Mitsubishi Lancer or a used FordIcon and alter it with sporty designs? Will it look sporty if you put a nice spoiler on the rear of your car and cut short the ground clearance? Go Vroom. The Indian youth needs more designs rather than the usual black or white or red. It’s time to get your dream cars in India’s used car market at an affordable price. The global auto majors are looking for potential buyers of their vehicles in India’s used car market

India’s used car market has had a lone voyager inMaruti and its TrueValue program. Now, Honda’s Auto Terrace, Toyota You Trust brand,Hyundai’s Hyundai Advantage, and Ford's Ford Assured used car programs have entered the Indian car market. Statistics say that the used-car market counts for one million units across India. This industry is expected to grow bigger faster than in past years.

Here is the current scenario of the pre-owned cars industry in India. Toyota’s You Trust venture is all set to roll out at leading dealerships across the country by October end 2007. Honda is ready with their new team trained to focus only on its used-car program called Auto Terrace. The company’s used-car program is currently running in a small way and is expected to be a success soon. Ford Assurance and Hyundai Advantage programs are also doing competitively well in the industry. Last, but definitely not the least, our car guruMarutiis at the top with more than 90,000 used cars units sold through its True Value network.

GM India celebrates raising car sales

GM India touched its highest sales statistics yet, in India. Since General Motors introduced its vehicles to India, this is the first time the firm has enjoyed a profit with such high margins. General Motors cruises ahead of its competitors with the extremely affordable Chevy spark and the value-for-money Aveo UV-A

GM has sold more than two times the units it sold last year in the same period. General Motors India for the first time beatFord Motors India in the market share.

With the festive season on in India, GM has cut down the price of spark by over rupees 50,000/-, which is also one of the reasons for the auto major to enjoy boosting sales. Because the offer is available only for a limited period, no wonder people are rushing to GM dealers spread all over the country.

If General Motors consider extending the offer for another few days there is no doubt that our pavements will be full of GM brands. India celebrates raising car salesGM

Porsche power soon to be in India

Quick, what comes to mind when you think of Porsche? A clean cut designed sleek, fast, and incredible handling 2-door sport car with a genuine racing heritage. The ‘Made in Germany’ Porsche is soon to be launched in India.

Porsche has recently confirmed that it will assemble its top rated cars in india. Well, here are the Porsche models that will test Indian roads first: the GT and the Cayenne GTS. After the launch of the GT and Cayenne GTS, Porsche has chosen to assemble more vehicle range in India. The GT and Cayenne GTS are Porsche’s landmark models, known for a ride that quickens an enthusiast’s heartbeat.

It’ll be crazy if I’ll say getting a new Porsche is a financially savvy move. But relax. Porsche has quoted that Indian buyers can sign up with all these versions at a significantly cheaper prize. All we can do is hope that the price is the only thing that will be cheaper! After all, no want wants to drive a tin even if it does have a Porsche symbol at its front!

Expect first Indian Grand Prix in 2009

Do I need to say more about the whole so-called Formula One, the global auto racing event? Maybe you’ve been following the trickle of information flowing out ever since the 1998 Indian Grand Prix attempt when the Indian government started its attempt to get a F1 racing event in India. Tata, Mahindra, Maruti, and many other Indian manufacturers are following this event closely.

Here's another effort to bring F1 to town. Even if the Indian roads are not that much advanced for a F1 race, we have a huge number of racing enthusiasts with Narain Karthikeyan on to race and Vijay Mallya to support. The Indian Olympics Authority is also on the ground to get the race to India by the October 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Critics say that the Grand Prix will meet serious infrastructural and environmental challenges in India, but there’s no denying that India is one of the fastest growing economy in Asia with a horde of Young Indians who have high incomes and F1 enthusiasm. Reports indicate that the Formula One architects have visited New Delhi and seen several sites in the National Capital Region and have handed India a race promotion contract and a circuit rights agreement contract. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope to see the first Indian Grand Prix in 2009.

Get ready for Escudo from Maruti Suzuki in India

GWhile the new season of soft roaders is in full swing, Maruti quotes the launch of its new version SUV the Suzuki Escudo. Yeah, after Grand Vitara, Maruti is working on an urban cross-country vehicle. Well, that was a quick answer from Maruti to Honda's CRV and Hyundai's Tucson! Finally we are going to see some tough competition in the SUVmarket. Could the coming days be a Suzuki SUV upstart's year?

Okay, let’s check out the Suzuki Escudo. As the saying goes Escudo is expected to own a 2.0-litre petrol and a 2.7-litre diesel engine. The biggest news is that Suzuki Escudo will be a completely imported model. When it was showcased in the last Auto Expo, one look at the all-new Suzuki Escudo and it was clear that the Suzuki designers had started focusing their inspiration towards SUVs - the reasonably large and the more clean-cut lines of luxury. If you ask the Suzuki people they'll tell you that this is a second-generation of Suzuki soft-roaders. It is expected to have a prize tag of Rs 12-15 Lakhs ex-showroom in India.

Now Maruti suzuki competes in the ever more crowded SUV field and the Grand Vitara will soon have a sibling in India. It’s up to you keen Maruti Suzuki enthusiasts to cruise on over to the nearest Maruti dealers for more news on the Suzuki Escudo and don’t forget our portal – coz we provide car info before anyone else!et ready for Escudo from Maruti Suzuki in IndiaGet ready for Escudo from Maruti Suzuki in India

Hummer coming to India: Rumor or Truth?

People often think they are safer in an SUV than a Sedan or a hatchback. If you ask me I'll say that the Hummer is the safest and coolest SUV around. Agree? Sunil Shetty’s choice and a definite yes from all Indians who want a muscular and aggressive car that laughs at looks and speaks with performance!

The Hummer is a South African SUV known for its ‘goes anywhere’ nature. It has a Vortec 3.7L engine that is astounding and makes off-roads simpler. Indian potholed roads will feel like butter on toast from inside this powerful animal.

Hummer is on its way to India. General Motors recently announced that the Hummer H3 will launch in India sometime next year. However, GM is a little worried about the market possibilities. The general feeling is that the super premium brand vehicle will represent a niche market in India, but the current Indian market psychology leans towards small cars like the Chevy spark.

I say - come on GM, take a chance! We may wait for a while to get behind the wheels of a Hummer, but if you wait too long there are companies that will take your slice of the proverbial Indian auto market pie and the Hummer will be left high and dry!

Stay tuned to see Caparo T1 on Indian Roads!

Let’s hope for a new growth in Track car productions in India in the coming years. Caparo the company known for the T1 track car is developing a new small car for India. The UK based Caparo’s ‘city car’ would be licensed for production to other manufacturers in the local market in India. As global auto makers likeToyota, Honda, and General Motors have announced plans to launch a compact cars in India; we can hope that one of these MNCs will franchise Caparo's city car for production in the Indian local market.

Learning from manufacturers like Renault, Volkswagen, Volvo, and Fiat, Caparo too sees the value in an Indian foray with a partner to rationalize investments and get a head start for production, sales, & service. Caparo is in talks with multiple potential automakers for a possible alliance in India. The car that is under development in Caparo’s Chennai factory will find a new space in the heart of the hard core car racing enthusiasts.

This T1 racing car is a high performance two-seater designed with the style and function that resembles a Formula One race car. T1 offers a lightweight body and chassis made out of advanced composite materials. The T1 will be showcased in India in Auto Expo 2008. Let’s wait till the show to experience the craftsmanship of Caparo.

Mercedes Viano MPV to run on Indian Roads

We’re already jealous that Europeans get all the good models of the Mercedes Benz before we do, but Mercedes will soon remedy this situation by launching the Viano for us. Yes, Mercedes has done it again and this is great news for those planning to pick up a high-end Luxury cab from Mercedes Hey the multi purpose luxury cab looks truly innovative, I must say!

Mercedes quoted Viano for Rs. 45 Lakh. If you are thinking about other luxury cabs available in India, I don’t think you are going to have a deja-vu in Viano. Inside Viano you can walk around and change the seating positions as per your convenience. Yeah, it might look like a crazy thing to say, but it’s true. The van has 8 seats with a sliding track mechanism that allows you to choose legroom space according to your need.

In India Viano has a cheaper competitor, the Toyota Innova that is available at a prize of below 10 Lakh. However, Mercedes is a class apart! So, all you Mercedes fans, you can stop reading right now and put the Viano in your 2008 wish list.

Jaguar to introduce two more models by next year in India

Jaguar is planning to introduce two new models to the Indian market by next year. Invariable of the fact of whether Tata will buy Jaguar or not, the manufacturer is all-set to launch its models XF and X-type by late next year.

The models are expected to be sold by the sole Indian Land Rover dealer Navnit Motors. The XF model holds Jaguar’s future, though the model will not be rolled-out before March 2008. XF model will pose a tough tiff to the BMW5-series and the Audi A6
The X-type is based mostly on the Ford Mondeo model and is likely to adorn a price tag that reads between rupees 35-50 lakh. Next year end is a long time. Maybe by that time Jaguar would have sold itself to one of the other strong bidders. However, Tatashould keep its hope alive!

First Step of Tata’s Expansion in Car Market

India’s auto major Tata Motors has taken a first step of its expansion. Tata has tied-up with the Italian Fiat Auto to market the Fiat car Grand Punto and Linea in the Indian Market.The vehicles will be sold in the country through Tata and Fiat dealers.

Tata is one of the strongest bidders for Jaguar and Land Rover. It has been more positive and is taking great initiatives in recent times. A tie-up with the Italian firm shows its capability and firm stance. This joint venture can be taken as a positive mark for all of Tata’s future plans.

Tata is the first name that pops-up when it comes to auto makers in the Indian market. It is all because of the One-Lakh Rupees people’s car. The world’s cheapest car is first being manufactured by our own desi firm. Indeed something to make us all proud. Let us all wish a grand success to Tata in all its future ventures!

Diesel cars - Racing to the Top in Indian Car Market

Raising petrol prices have made manufacturers think seriously of an alternative. Though air cars and gas fitted cars are in the list, it is diesel cars that are gaining popularity.

Now, diesel cars are designed to be more environment friendly without too much of a price difference. It is less money and low emissions that are bringing diesel vehicles to the top. Auto manufacturers are also taking keen interest in this front. Recently launched diesel vehicles include chevrolet optra and HyundaiGetz prime to name a few. Other auto majors are planning to launch diesel variants that can pose sturdy competitions to petrol vehicles.

Though it was initially thought that diesel vehicles give-out more pollutants and are troublesome, extensive research has put an end to this notion. Diesel vehicles spill-out lesser pollutants than the petrol engine.

I have been a petrol car lover since the beginning, but now with all these benefits that accompany diesel cars, I am definitely switching over to diesel. With low emissions and less expenditure on gas I can retain a fat wallet while avoiding guilt towards the environment.