Premier begins trials of Rio 1.3
Rio will now come with the BSIV compliant 1.3-litre Fiat MultiJet motor.
Premier is gearing up to launch its compact SUV Rio, equipped with a 87bhp 1.3-litre diesel MultiJet engine sourced from Fiat.
The company has already started trials of the vehicle. Speaking to our sister-magazine Autocar Professional, Rakesh Mehta, Head – Automobile division, Premier, said “We’ll launch the vehicle shortly.”
The Rio 1.3 MultiJet will be crucial as it allow Premier to sell the diesel variant in the BS IV markets. The Rio’s petrol version meets BS IV norms but the current diesel variant with the TUD5 engine complies only to BS III norms. Unlike the TUD5 engine, which Premier manufactures at its Pune plant under license from Peugeot, the upcoming 1.3 MultiJet motor will be bought directly from Fiat.
Premier is also planning a new ad campaign that may be launched along with the forthcoming Rio 1.3 MultiJet. This will include a television commercial and will aim at a change in the brand positioning. It will focus on Rio as ‘India’s first and only compact SUV’, a move from its current positioning as ‘India’s first compact SUV’.
The compact SUV space is set to see some new players starting from this year. Global and domestic OEMs like Ford, Mahindra, Hyundai and Suzuki are lining up models for this segment. Ford and M&M are expected to launch their models this year.
Chevrolet Sail launch by June-July
GM India is gearing up to roll out the Sail hatchback, the first of its vehicles under the GM-SAIC banner, by June-July this year.
General Motors India is gearing up to roll out the Sail hatchback, the first of its vehicles under the GM-Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) banner, by June-July this year. Developed at GM-SAIC’s Pan-Asia Technical Automotive Centre (PATAC) in Shanghai, the hatchback will be followed by the launch of a B-segment MPV based on the Wuling CN-100 by end-2012.
Lowell Paddock, president and MD of GM India, says that the 7-8-seater MPV will be pitted directly against the Maruti Ertiga in a segment which is not too large at present. The Ertiga, however, does not qualify for excise duty benefits as it is above 4 metres in length.
Indian engineers from the GM India Technical Centre at Bangalore have customised both the vehicles for the Indian market in terms of installation of the engine and right-hand drive among other things.
Paddock also indicated that a facelifted Spark is on the cards during the second half of the year. The new Captiva with the 2.2-litre engine is also to be unveiled within the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, GM India launched its new BS IV-compliant Chevrolet Tavera Neo-3 MPV. The car is powered by an all-new 2.0-litre TCDi direct injection diesel engine along with a new transmission to deliver low-end torque and launch feel.
Among the new features are Chevrolet’s signature twin-port grille and a bigger Chevrolet bowtie at the front and at the back, and a dual-tone body colour combination. Pricing ranges between Rs 7.51 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) through to the premium model which costs Rs 10.34 lakh.
“GM engineers carried out an extensive upgrade of the popular Tavera based on customer feedback,” adds Paddock. “The result is a stylish yet durable vehicle perfectly suited for personal and business use.”
GM is beefing up its product portfolio both in the current year as well as in the following year with a slew of model launches planned for both the years in order to garner a larger market share.
Michelin targets 25pc growth by 2015
Michelin India is targeting ambitious double-digit growth of 25 percent in India by 2015.
Michelin India is targeting ambitious double-digit growth of 25 percent in India by 2015 on the back of a robust distribution network for passenger car radials and two-wheeler tyres as well as manufacturing base for trucks and buses.
Michelin had last year announced an investment of Rs 4,000 crore in a manufacturing facility at Chennai for producing truck and bus radials and had also signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu government for the same. The investment would fan out over seven years and would be spread across 290 acres.
At a media meet in New Delhi on March 20, Thom Clark, managing director of Michelin India, said that the plant is on track with construction underway. Production was expected to roll off by end-2012 but with Michelin going slow on its expansion projects in emerging markets, as a result of the slowdown in the automotive industry globally, production is now expected to kick off sometime next year.
Clark projected that the demand for radial tyres for the commercial vehicle market is slated to rise from the current 15 percent to 50 percent by 2021 and Michelin is optimistic of piggyback riding on this growth with its new tubeless technology for tyres for the CV segment. In the passenger car segment, Clark foresees growth of radials in the 12 to 15-inch seat segment which cover a large number of cars ranging from the Maruti Alto to the Honda City. Michelin spends about Euro 500 million in R&D every year for its North American, Asian and European markets that includes innovating new tyre technologies.
Michelin has also launched the new Michelin Energy XM2 tyre for passenger cars in India. The Energy XM2 is a new design which aims to improve fuel savings, mileage and safety. Compared to the previous-generation Energy tyre, the Energy XM2 uses less fuel thanks to an 8 percent reduction in rolling resistance, lasts up to 15 percent longer and stops 1.7m shorter.
The tyre incorporates Ironflex technology combining strength and flexibility. Coupled with an optimised casing design, the new tyre is better able to absorb and effectively dissipate peak stresses generated when it comes into contact with any type of road hazard. The new formulation of micro resilient tread compound provides a firm grip with the road surface which helps to reduce the braking distance and thus contributes to reducing accidents and improving safety. This tread compound also lasts longer giving more mileage potential.
The tyremaker says that the latest Michelin technologies from its global R&D activities have been designed into the new Energy XM2, from Alternating Bridging, Micro Adaptive Compound and Silica technology, to give the best performance for fuel saving, longevity and safety. The new tyre will be available in sizes ranging from 12 to 15 inches at prices ranging from Rs 2,475 up to Rs 6,075.
BMW recalls 5-series and 6-series models
1.3 million 5-series and 6-series vehicles recalled from model year 2003-2010.
BMW is recalling 1.3m cars globally amid fears 5-series and 6-series models could catch fire. This is for model year 2003-2010 cars.
BMW said: "In some remote cases, the battery cable inside the boot may be incorrectly mounted. This can result in the electrical system malfunctioning, the vehicle failing to start and, in some cases, to charring or fire."
Fewer than 1 per cent of cars inspected so far have exhibited the problem. BMW said it had received nine reports of the defect. An official said: "no injuries to a person have been reported to us."
The car maker will write to owners of all cars affected. It said checks will take around 30mins and be free of charge.
The recall affects around 368,000 cars in America, 283,000 in Germany, 109,000 in Britain and a further 102,000 in China.
In India, as many as 3,422 cars are affected by this recall. BMW will replace a battery-cable cover in these cars as part of the recall exercise. This is the biggest recall by BMW in India.
Nissan Sunny auto likely by Feb 2013
The saloon will come with Continuously Variable Transmission to keep costs down.
Nissan Motor India is planning to expand the Sunny range with the launch of an automatic variant by February 2013.
The automatic option will only be available only on the petrol variant and will feature a basic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) 'box for the Indian market to keep costs down. This will help Nissan pitch the Sunny AT against the Maruti Swift Dzire AT which is available with a four-speed auto 'box on the petrol variant and is the cheapest automatic-transmission equipped saloon in the market.
In terms of pricing, we expect the Sunny AT to be priced at around Rs 80,000 more than the Sunny petrol manual variant.
Renault-badged Sunny named Scala
Cosmetic changes will distinguish Scala from Sunny. Renault saloon may be priced marginally higher than Nissan.
Renault plans to introduce its own version of the Nissan Sunny in the second half of 2012. The re-badged saloon will be called the Scala, and will be mechanically identical to the Sunny. Which means that the Scala should come with the same 1.5-litre 84.8bhp diesel motor that powers the Sunny, but it’s not clear whether Renault will offer the 1.5 petrol at launch.
The Renault Pulse, re-badged Micra, is currently available with only a diesel engine. Just like the Pulse, the Scala is expected to come with some cosmetic changes to give it a Renault identity and distinguish it from its Japanese sibling. However, these changes are likely to be minor, limited only to parts such as the bumper and grille.
Keeping with brand positioning within the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the Scala is expected to be priced marginally higher than the Sunny.
Renault is hopeful that the Scala will boost the Renault brand in the same way the Sunny did for Nissan
Mercedes G-Class to get V12 power
Mercedes has prematurely revealed a facelifted G-class prior to its debut at the Beijing motor show
The updated Mercedes G-Class image has been prematurely leaked on the web. The 33-year-old G-class will receive its planned public premiere at next month’s Beijing motor show.
The reworked version of the German car maker’s iconic SUV, scheduled for a June launch, can be seen here pictured in the background of an official photograph of the facelifted Mercedes GLK posted on the carmaker's media website.
Among the subtle changes made to the G-class’s classic square rigged exterior is restyled grille, new headlamp inserts featuring LED daytime running lights and redesigned mirror housings. The tail lamps will also be re-profiled and there will be a new line of alloy wheels too.
The G55 AMG’s 12-year-old 500bhp supercharged 5.4-litre V8 will makes way for a 536bhp version of AMG’s contemporary twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 in a new G63 AMG.
The big news surrounds the addition of a rapid new G65 AMG. It features the same twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 recently confirmed for the SL65 AMG. With 621bhp and a sturdy 737lb ft of torque, it is claimed to propel the 2500kg plus G65 AMG from 0-62mph in just 5.2sec on the way to a limited 155mph top speed. The G65 AMG will be the first G-class model to receive V12 power.
The new AMG models will receive different front end styling to the standard G-class model pictured here, with a deeper front bumper housing large air ducts for more efficient engine cooling. Other performance tweaks including larger brakes brought over from the new ML63 AMG. It is unclear whether the AMG models feature the extravagant side-exit exhaust pipes used on the G55 AMG.
In a move that promises substantial fuel savings, all new G-class models will be equipped with Mercedes’ seven-speed 7G-tronic gearbox in place of the five-speed 5G-Tronic unit. The G63 AMG will offer a stop/start function and brake energy recuperation.
The G-class continues to carry the internal codename W463 and will be produced at Magna Steyr in Austria. It will carry a revised instrument pack sourced from the third-generation M-class together. A 4.5 inch colour monitor and the latest Command system incorporating internet based functions will be featured.
Globally, the revised G-class will continue to be offered with the choice of two different wheelbases: 2400mm in standard guise and 2850mm in long-wheelbase form.
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Audi launches sports car TT in India at Rs 48 lakh
New Delhi: Expanding its product portfolio, German luxury car maker Audi today launched its sports car TT in India, priced at Rs 48.36 lakh (ex-showroom).
The company will start selling the car from June this year and it will be sold as a completely built unit (CBU)
'We are already a major player in the premium sports segment and I am confident that the introduction of the Audi TT will further help us consolidate our leadership position in the sports car segment in the country,' Audi India Head Michael Perschke told PTI.The company has announced the price taking into consideration of the 15% hike in customs duty in the Budget for 2012-13, he added.
'As this segment is a very niche one, so we are not expecting a very large volume. The total size of this premium sports car market is 200-250 units per year. As we will start despatching the car in the middle of this year, we are hopeful of selling 25-35 units in 2012,' Perschke said.The company is expecting to sell over 50 units of the TT Coupe in the next year, he added.
The company is present in the premium sports car category with models like R8, R8 Spyder and RS5.The new TT is powered by a 2.0 TFSI engine that can touch a speed of 100 km per hour in just 5.6 seconds.Early this week, Audi India has raised prices of its entire range of products in India by up to 14% due to hike in excise and customs duties in the Budget.
In February this year, the company's sales in India increased by 33.33% to 600 units from 450 units in the same month last year.The company had earlier announced a sales target of 8,000 units for India for 2012 compared to 5,511 units that it had sold in 2011.
Audi India, a part of the European auto major Volkswagen Group, sells various models in India such as premium sedans A4, A6 and A8, sports utility vehicles Q5 and Q7, and sports cars RS5 Coupe, R8 and R8 Spyder.
Source: PTI
Tata Motors hikes passenger vehicle prices by up to Rs 35,000
New Delhi: Auto major Tata Motors today said it has increased prices of its passenger vehicles, including the Nano, by up to Rs 35,000 with immediate effect due to hike in excise duty in the Budgetfor 2012-13 for 2012-13.
"We have raised the prices as per the excise duty hike in the Budget. In passenger cars, the increase will vary between Rs 2,000 and Rs 8,000 depending upon various models," a spokesperson for the company said.
Under the passenger car division, the company sells small car Nano, hatchback Indica series and Indigo family of sedans. The company, however, did not specified the model-wise break up of the price increase. In case of utility vehicles like Safari, Aria and Sumo, the hike will be from Rs 8,000 to Rs 35,000, he said. "Regarding the commercial vehicles, we have decided to pass on the additional burden of two per cent to consumers.
We have a wide range of products in this category," the spokesperson said. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had proposed to raise excise duty to 12 per cent from 10 per cent. The excise duties for petrol cars with engines under 1,200 cc and diesel cars with engine capacity under 1,500 cc, but the length exceeding four metres have been increased to 24 per cent from the previous 22 per cent with a fixed duty of Rs 15,000. Petrol and diesel driven vehicles having length exceeding four metres and engine capacity of over 1,200 cc and 1,500 cc respectively will now be charged with an advalorem duty of 27 per cent, instead of the earlier 22 per cent with a fixed duty of Rs 15,000.
Besides, basic customs duty was also hiked to 75 per cent from 60 per cent for fully imported vehicles priced over USD 40,000 and with engine capacity of over 3,000 cc and 2,500 cc for petrol and diesel driven vehicles respectively.
Source: PTI
Budget 2012-13: With no tax on diesel vehicles, auto makers mull expansion
NEW DELHI: As the Budget has spared diesel vehicles from the much feared additional tax, auto firms such as M&M, Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki are expected to press ahead with plans to expand engine capacities in this segment.
Before the Budget 2012-13 was presented on Friday, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) had said that fear of diesel tax and lack of a clear roadmap on diesel pricing led auto companies to hold back investments of more than Rs 3,000 crore in India.
At present, petrol is deregulated but diesel prices are still decided by the government, which provides subsidy on the fuel that is used by the transportation sector and impacts the cost of several essential goods and services.
Rising petrol prices have increased manifold the demand for diesel vehicles over the past couple of years. Hence, of late, there has been strong demand from various quarters for an additional tax on diesel cars.
"There has been no mention of an additional tax on diesel vehicles or on the existing differential pricing of diesel in the Budget...I would therefore assume that diesel vehicles will not be treated any differently," Mahindra & Mahindra President (Automotive and Farm Equipment Sectors) Pawan Goenka told PTI.
He said this will encourage companies that had held back investments on new diesel engine capacities, awaiting clarity on the issue, to go ahead with their plans.'As far as M&M is concerned, whatever we have held back on increasing production capacity of diesel vehicles, we will be going ahead now,' Goenka said.
While he did not specify how much investment was held back on diesel expansion, the company had announced that till FY'14 it will invest Rs 5,000 crore on new products and capacity.
Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), which had put on hold its Rs 400-crore diesel engine plant last year, said it is evaluating the situation after the Budget.
'We have to weigh the pros and cons as there has been no mention of diesel tax in the Budget. Within two weeks we will be taking a decision on whether we should go ahead with our diesel plant or not,' a spokesperson for HMIL said.
The plant was envisaged to have an annual capacity of 1.5 lakh units for three types of engines -- 1.1 litre, 1.4 litre and 1.6 litre for the domestic market.
Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), which has also been awaiting clarity on the issue, said those companies with diesel manufacturing capacity would be pleased with the Budget's silence on petrol-diesel price differential.
Asked if MSI would consider going ahead with the plans for increasing diesel engine capacity, company Chairman R C Bhargava said: 'We can only say after the project report is completed and considered by the management.'
Source: PTI
Ford India launches new Fiesta at Rs 7.23 lakh
New Delhi: Carmaker Ford India introduced a new version of its mid-sized sedan Fiesta priced between Rs 7.23 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
The new version, Ford Fiesta Ambiente, is available in the petrol version only. Ambiente is a new introduction as part of the Ford Fiesta line-up.
Commenting on the launch of Fiesta Ambiente, Ford India President and Managing Director Michael Boneham said the company is trying to respond to changing market dynamics and the evolving needs of its customers in India.
The Fiesta Ambiente will compete with the likes of Honda City and Hyundai Verna which are priced between Rs 6.99 lakh and Rs 10.30 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), respectively.Last month, the company had launched the automatic transmission variant in petrol of the Fiesta, priced between Rs 8.99 lakh and Rs 9.70 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
Ford India has set a target of introducing eight new models in India by 2015.
Source: PTI
Budget fallout: Maruti, M&M hike prices
New Delhi: With an increase in the excise duty on all products in the Budget for 2012-13, carmakers like Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra and Honda Siel Cars India will hike prices of their vehicles by up to Rs 70,000.
"We are going to raise the prices of all our products and will pass on the entire additional excise duty. Currently we are working on the exact amount of the hike," Maruti Suzuki India Managing Executive Officer (Marketing and Sales) Mayank Pareek said.
Homegrown auto major Mahindra & Mahindra also said it will increase the prices of its entire range of products."Given the current economic scenario and the revenue deficit of the country, the hike in excise duty was fully anticipated. Although the industry will not cheer about this, but we have to live with it," Mahindra & Mahindra President (Automotive and Farm Equipment Sector) Pawan Goenka said.
The industry will pass on the entire burden of excise duty to customers, he added."The input costs have also gone up in recent times. Considering this, we will raise the prices of our vehicles by 2-3 per cent, translating into an increase of Rs 6,000 to Rs 30,000," Goenka said, adding the exact amount will be fixed in due course of time.
The company will also increase the prices of its tractors by up to Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000, he added.'In the short-term, there will be an impact on the demand for the vehicles. However, if the interest rates favourably come down, we may see revival of demand in the auto industry in future,' Goenka said.
Honda Siel Cars India Senior Vice President (Sales and Marketing) Jnaneswar Sen said prices of all locally produced cars will be raised.'We will pass on the entire burden to customers. We are currently evaluating the quantum of increase. In case of small car Brio, it will be around Rs 7,000, while the same will be Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 for the luxury sedan Accord,' Sen said.
General Motors India Vice President P Balendran too said the company will increase the prices of its all vehicles.'We have not finalised the quantum of increase yet. We are going to pass on the entire hike. This is not a good step for the industry. It will further impact the sales,' he added.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today announced raising of excise duty to 12 per cent from 10 per cent at present.Excise duties for petrol cars with engines under 1,200 cc and diesel cars with engine capacity under 1,500 cc, but the length exceeding four metres have been increased to 24 per cent from 22 per cent and a fixed duty of Rs 15,000.
Petrol and diesel driven vehicles having length exceeding four metres and engine capacity of over 1,200 cc and 1,500 cc respectively will now be charged with an ad valorem duty of 27 per cent, instead of the earlier 22 per cent and a fixed dutyof Rs 15,000.
Source: PTI
Auto companies start 2012 with good sales
Car and bike makers have begun the new year on a positive note, logging steady and stable growth in sales for the month of January.
The industry had struggled to grow sales last year as high interest rates and fuel cost dampened sentiments, keeping sales sluggish.
Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) January sales zoomed by 22 percent at 44,717 units from 36,718 units sold during the corresponding month of 2011.
The company's domestic sales grew by 20 percent at 41,369 units in the month under review from 34,601 units sold during January 2011.
Exports during the month zoomed by 95 percent at 3,348 units from 1,713 units shipped out in the corresponding period of last year.
Tata Motors too reported good sales numbers for last month growing 16 percent. This included exports at 87,465 units over 75,423 sold in the like period of 2011.
The company said its domestic sales for the month under review grew by 14 percent at 80,382 units from 70,475 units sold in the corresponding month of last year.Sales from exports at 7,083 vehicles in January 2012 were higher by 43 percent compared to 4,948 vehicles in January last year.
Domestic passenger car sales and distribution offtake of Fiat cars too grew by 14 percent at 36,770 units from 32,386 units in the corresponding period of last year.
Sales of the entry-level hatchback Tata Nano reported an upward swing of 15 percent at 7,723 units from 6,703 in January last year.
Chennai-based Hyundai Motor India closed last month with a sales growth of 15.2 percent at 49,901 units from 43,316 units in the like period of 2011.
Domestic sales grew by 11.85 percent in the month under review at 33,900 units from 30,306 units sold in January, 2011.
Exports zoomed by 22.9 percent at 16,001 units from 13,010 units shipped out in the like period of 2011.Passenger vehicle market leader Maruti Suzuki registered a 5.2 percent increase in its sales for last month at 115,433 vehicles from 109,743 units sold in January 2011.
Exports zoomed by 54.3 percent jump at 14,386 vehicles during the month under review against 9,321 units sold in January 2011.
Domestic sales, however, remained sluggish in January with a marginal growth of 0.6 percent at 101,047 units from 100,422 company sold in the corresponding period of last year.
Two-wheeler segment was led by Hero MotoCorp, which reported a growth of 11.5 percent in its sales for last month at 520,272 units over 4,66,524 units sold in the corresponding period of the previous year.The company reported an increase of 17.4 percent in sales for the period of April 2011 to January 2012 at 51,83,440 units over 44,14,537 units sold in April 2010 to January 2011.
Two- and three-wheeler maker TVS Motor closed last month with a five percent sales growth at 173,514 units, up from 165,152 units sold in January 2011.
However, the company's motorcycles saw decline of 2,113 units as compared to 67,721 units sold in January 2011.
The company's sales of scooters and mopeds saw growth. TVS Motor sold 41,469 scooters and 66,437 mopeds last month as against 40,736 scooters and 56,695 mopeds sold in January 2011.
Source: IANS
Most of the companies are hiking their vehicles prices but amid of that Chevrolet is going to launch such a low prices hatchback with all essential and stylish features in its all new Chevrolet Sail UVA.
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