Mahindra-Our desi version of Land Rover

Mahindra plans to make it big with its UV's[includes Muv and Suv] and pick-ups.Mahindra plan its own version the difference being we are talking about the cheapest possible UV and not a car.Being a UV prices would be a bit more and are expected to be between Rs.4-5 lakhs.Now although this is a cheap vehicle I hope mahindra designers do keep the Urban markets in mind and the fact that we live in the twenty first century.If mahindra keep this in mind then it will have be a runaway success and it will have to face no competition from any competitors at all.

Not much is known about this vehicle except that it is a five seater and that a prototype is ready so expect a few spy pictures soon.The full production version is expected in our markets by next year[2009].

And now for the next vehicle in the line-up which would surely send Toyota india back to the drawing board as far as their UV line-up is concerned.The innova's magic run could soon end with the introduction of the ingenio and somebody has told me expect some class first features in the ingenio.The ingenio would be powered by the 2.6crde engine[mhawk or not I am not sure].But the killer blow would be on the price front it is expected to be a lot more cheaper than the innova[Business Standard reports Rs.6.5 lakhs].The ingenio is expected by the year end[2008 end] yes that's right the wait is not that long any more.

Mahindra also have a new suv in the pipeline remember[expected in 2010] and it is expected to take on the likes of the Honda crv,Toyota Fortuner.

As far as the Land rover tag don't know if that is a good thing these days Mahindra would like to see themselves more as a successful brand associated with suv's.

Also read:
India: Mahindra looks at raising the bar with its next SUV

The swift Dzire launched-Heres what the price list reads

Yes the launch is over and the all important pricing,it starts at 4.49 lakhs ex showroom for the Lxi petrol while the zdi diesel costs Rs.6.70 lakhs ex-showroom new delhi.

Here's the price list[all prices ex-showroom,new delhi]:

Petrol[1.3L]:

Lxi -> Rs.4.49 lakhs
Vxi-> Rs.4.97 lakhs
Zxi-> Rs.5.90 lakhs

Diesel[1.3L]:

Ldi-> Rs.5.39 lakhs
Vdi -> Rs.5.85 lakhs
Zdi -> Rs. 6.70 lakhs

For a detailed look at the features available I suggest you visit the official maruti link:
Here

Maruti say this is only introductory and they may rise prices at a later date.This makes the dzire[zdi] more costlier than the sx4 vxi petrol and very close to the price of the sx4 zxi.Very very interesting strategy.Unlike the sx4 ,the variant with airbags and ABS on the swift dzire is attracting a huge premium and hence I feel the intermediate model would be the most popular choice with the Vdi model being the favourite.
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Maruti's press release:

Like the earlier Maruti Suzuki models, Swift and SX4, the DZire too is set to redefine the market and stir excitement in the entry level sedan segment. The DZire, which comes both in diesel and petrol engines, offers luxury feature options like integrated stereo, steering mounted audio controls, automatic climate control and power windows. It also comes with safety features like Dual Airbags, ABS with EDB, collapsible steering column and an i-CATS anti-theft facility. Many of these features are being offered for the first time in this segment.

Managing Director of Maruti Suzuki, S Nakanishi said: "The DZire is the seventh model Maruti Suzuki has launched in the last three years. It has a special place in our product strategy. Millions of Indians own compact cars. With growing incomes and better lifestyle, many of them want to upgrade to a sedan. But today, they are not able to find an entry level sedan that offers style, features and performance. The DZire offers all this, and at an attractive price."

Performance with Prestige
DZire offers customers the prestige associated with a sedan, while retaining the famed performance of the Swift hatch back. The Swift had, from the start, been conceived as a car that would be offered both as a hatchback as well as a sedan.

For the eleven Maruti Suzuki engineers who worked on the design of the DZire, the challenge was to integrate the boot into the overall personality of the Swift, while imparting the elegance of a sedan. In providing a high style quotient, the engineers have integrated the boot with just 30 Kilograms added to the car's weight ! The suspension and engine have been tuned for the sedan.Owing to this, the DZire has the highest power-to-weight ratio in its category. This ensures best performance and superior fuel efficiency.

The petrol version of DZire comes with a 1.3 litre, 16 valve, ALTec 32 engine, with a maximum 87 bhp at 6000 rpm. The diesel version comes with the 1.3 litre DDiS engine, offering a torque of 190 Nm at 2000 rpm.

DZire is offered in seven colours: Arctic White, Silky Silver, Clear Beige, Midnight Black, Bright Red, Azure Gray and Sovereign Blue.

Best of both worlds - more features, attractive price
In recent years, Maruti Suzuki has consistently delivered more features than competitor cars, at prices that are comparable or lower. This has been the reason for the resounding success of Swift (Petrol as well as Diesel), Zen Estilo and SX4.

With the DZire, Maruti Suzuki will take the story forward. Commonising platforms is emerging as a global best practice. This enables manufacturers to minimise duplication and prevent wastage. They are able to offer more features and superior styling in car models, at an attractive price.

The DZire is the latest example. By commonising platforms, Maruti Suzuki is able to offer more features and superior styling, while keeping the price attractive.Maruti Suzuki designers and engineers have worked to control the noise, vibration and harshness levels, thus ensuring the best in class driving pleasure and comfort.

A3 segment's new leader - Maruti Suzuki
While continuing to lead India's small car market, Maruti Suzuki has emerged as the market leader in the A3 segment as well during 2007-08. The company has sold a total of 41800 units in the last 11 months (Apr-Feb 2008) in the domestic market. This is the highest number of cars for any manufacturer in the A3 segment, according to the recent industry results published by SIAM.

The popularity of Maruti Suzuki cars in A3 segment also suggests that it has successfully expanded its image from being the leader in small cars to a company offering the full range of cars. With the launch of DZire in the A3 segment, the company is set to widen choice for the customer and further increase its lead over the competition.

Source:
Maruti Suzuki

Price cuts announced by Car manufacturers in response to Budget 2008.

Following are the price cuts announced by the various manufacturers in response to the cut in excise duty,

Hyundai:
Reduction in prices in the range of Rs 8,730- Rs 13,278 on the Santro, Rs 11,047- Rs 16,324 on the i-10 and from Rs 13,169- Rs 19,419 on the Getz.

Maruti:
Reduction would range between Rs 6,500 for Maruti 800 to Rs 18,030 for Swift Diesel .Six models that qualify for lower excise benefit including Maruti 800, Omni, Zen, Wagon R, Swift Diesel and Alto.

General Motors :
To reduce prices in the range of Rs 7,500 –Rs 14,000 on the Spark and U-VA.

Tata Motors:
The prices of Indica range have been reduced in the range of Rs 8,500 to Rs 14,600 while prices of the recently launched Indigo CS have been reduced in a range of Rs 12,700 to Rs 15,300.

Skoda:
Reduction of upto Rs.18,000 on the Fabia diesel.

Fiat:
The three variants of Palio Stile will cost up to Rs 12,000 less from March 1.

Ford:
Has cut prices of the Fusion diesel by a whopping Rs.22,000 effective from March 1.

Update:
These are all the vehicles which qualify for the price cut and all manufacturers have passed on the benefit to the manufacturers.The other vehicles presently in the market do not qualify for the cut in excise duty.

[Source:The HinduBusinessline,The Statesman,Sify]

Budget 2008 impact -Hybrids,buses and small cars to become cheaper

Honda India must be having a smile on their faces,the lobbying by Japanese manufacturers has worked.Hybrid cars are all set to get cheaper.Excise duty has been cut from the present 24% will come down to 14% and the first real beneficiary is none other than Honda with concrete plans to launch the Civic hybrid in a year or two.

Although not much is been said about development of infrastructure,atleast some cheer in the form of reduction in excise duty on Buses.

Small cars,two wheelers and three wheelers would be marginally cheaper with an excise duty cut to 12% from the present 16%.Good news for the Tata Nano.

A Small car is defined as petrol car with an engine capacity not exceeding 1,200 cc and not exceeding 4,000 mm in length, or diesel car of engine capacity not exceeding 1,500 cc and not exceeding 4,000 mm in length.

Its really puzzling that when it comes to the Maruti Swift[petrol],the largest manufacturer in India is not taking advantage of this facility and providing a lower engine variant for the Swift petrol,the diesel already qualifies as a small car.

Update:Hyundai motors india,are the first to announce a price cut,they say small cars prices could come down by as much as Rs.10,000-15,000.What interests me is by how much the prices of the Skoda fabia will come down by simply because its present price tag means the cut would have the most significant impact if implemented.Gm too has decided to cut prices of the spark and the U-VA.

I salute Hyundai India for being so proactive and ensuring the benefit of the customers being the first manufacturer to announce a price cut.

Also Visit:
Price cuts announced by Car manufacturers

Nano Bashing

Heres something I picked up from a Pakistan based newspaper[The News],The article is by an Indian environmentalist and credits the One lakh car more to the Indian and west bengal government subsidies.:

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The euphoric welcome[for the car] fails to understand that in a poor and frugal society like India's, cars cannot democratise. They polarise, not unite, society.

Even the most attractive, iconic, feature of the car--the Rs100,000 price--is probably an illusion. The price tag contains subsidies, in the first place. The Tata Motors plant coming in West Bengal, which will produce the Nano, is subsidised to the extent of Rs8.5 billion by the Left Front government, according to economist and former finance minister Ashok Mitra. This works out to one-fourth of the project's capital cost.

The Indian government has spent about Rs1.5 billion to buy 997 acres of land, but given it to the Tatas almost free. It's also advancing them a Rs20-billion loan at 1 percent interest and granting an exemption from the value-added tax for 10 years, amounting to Rs5 billion.

To further "sweeten" the deal, the state government has gifted to the Tatas 50 acres of prime land just outside Kolkata and another 200 acres in the Bhangar-Rajarhat Area Development Authority to build IT and residential townships.

The total subsidy may thus turn out to be considerably higher. Besides, that superlatively attractive price is only applicable to the bare-bones model as an introductory offer. Nevertheless, the Nano will probably remain the world's cheapest car for some time because its cost has been ruthlessly pared down. The upside of this is unconventional thinking focused on minimalism, which may trigger cost-cutting within the automobile industry.

The downside is the cutting of corners to produce a car with low longevity and high maintenance, which fails the current Western emission and safety standards, and will soon ail Indian norms too. This approach differs from dispensing with luxuries or add-ons, as in having a trunk with space for only a briefcase. For instance, the Nano's designers used a hollow shaft instead of a solid beam to connect the steering-wheel to the axle, and plastics and adhesives instead of many bolts. The car's low-performance wheel bearings will wear out rapidly beyond 70 kph.

It has only one windshield-wiper instead of two. It uses continuous variable transmission, with low acceleration. To save a mere ten dollars, devices called actuators, which adjust the angle of the car's lights to its load, were eliminated. This is likely to affect the car's safety, sturdiness and durability/longevity.

The Nano fails current western emission standards like Euro-IV, and will soon fail Indian standards too. Tata's claim that the Nano meets India's national emission standards hasn't been verified by an independent competent agency. Euro-IV norms will enter force in India's major cities in April 2010 and are much stricter than Bharat-II or III, India's own emission standards.

Similarly, long-overdue safety standards are on their way. These include full-body crash tests--which determine how cars crumple in collisions--airbags and ABS. Implementing them will raise the Nano's costs by 40 to 50 percent.

According to pollution experts, ultra-cheap bare-bones cars like the Nano lack the complex technology needed to maintain initial level of emissions, and could soon produce four to five times more.

The Nano will set a trend under which industry will rush to produce ultra-cheap cars by exploiting India's poor emission standards. Bajaj Auto, Volkswagen, Nissan and GM are already in this race. The addition of stripped-down cars will further slow down urban traffic--whose speed has almost halved recently. This will greatly increase pollution, which has reached critical levels in three-fifths of India's cities and is creating havoc.

Yet, India is following a policy under which a car can legally occupy the same space as a slum-dwelling family considered fit for eviction. This must radically change, so that public transport is given top priority and people can be moved in safe, efficient and environmentally sound ways and have equitable and affordable access to public transport.

The Nano should provoke us all to rethink transportation policies in keeping with the requirements of equity and reversing climate change.

Source:
The News Pakistan

The writer did not even bother to do his homework regarding the Euro 4 compliance of the Tata Nano.

Another bit I found funny:
To save a mere ten dollars, devices called actuators, which adjust the angle of the car's lights to its load, were eliminated. This is likely to affect the car's safety, sturdiness and durability/longevity.