Mahindra launch limited edition Logan called Edge

Mahindra have come up with a special edition/variant of the Logan called the edge to cater to higher segment of customers[ironical considering the Logan is supposed to be the cheap people's car after all].

Not very sure what's new in this special edition but according to ET there would be a new music system and a marginally improved interior trim.Right now I am unable to confirm but I read from the internet that Mahindra have added ABS and Parking sensors in the limited edition Logan[edge].

The Logan Edge is priced between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 7.15 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi).

This comes on the back of renault India cutting sales targets of the logan to a down to earth figure[25,000-30,000] from the earlier target of selling 50,000 logans in India in 2008.So far for half the year they have not been on course and the sales are a dismal 12,700 units for the first six months of the year. Mahindra plan to counter this lack of demand in the domestic market by exporting the logan to other emerging markets.

Remember the Logan in India is due for a facelift soon.

[source:The Wall Street Journal]
[Image source: ecofin.files.wordpress.com]

Facelifted Logan now officially unveiled

Dacia have now officially unveiled the all new facelifted logan[it is called the new Logan].Thanks to the spy pictures from the production lines there is no real suprise in store.

Please read:
Logan to get a Facelift soon

The amount of chrome used makes me wonder if Mahindra had a word or two with the design engineers.The interiors too have been touched upon to give it more of a modern look.Not sure when this facelifted logan will make it to India but yes it will make it to the indian markets in the near future alright.

The facelifted Logan may finally have the ABS option which is missing presently hopefully Mahindra renault adds an airbag for the front passenger's safety too.

[source:Autoblog.com]

Renaults answer to the Honda city

Renault plan to launch a new c-segment car but his time unlike the claims this car is actually a proper c-segmenter capable of taking on the likes of the Honda city,Toyota vios and the Maruti SX4.lengthwise it should be approximately 4.6 meters.

This car seems to have the same front grille as the facelifted logan and since it is just an extension of the same platform there will be much more in common between the two cars.Renault definitely could have added a few radical french design touched to the car.

Although this new model would be launched by early next year[2009] in Europe,I am not sure about the Indian launch although I do have a hunch that renault will definitely consider this car for markets like India as well.

[source:Worldcarfans]

Logan to get a Facelift soon

A facelifted model of the Logan has been spotted in Europe.This new Logan sports a lot more chrome and ask Mahindra how much we Indians love Chrome.


Its just a matter of time before get the new facelifted Logan.Will this facelift revive interest and sales,well lets hope so.



There seem to be slight alterations in the interiors as well.

[Spource:worldcarfans via loganclub.ro]

Mahindra Renault Logan- An owners Perspective

Here's what a Logan owner has to say about his Logan:

1. How I bought my new Mahindra Renault Logan - space, value for Money- Review
2. Why Mahindra Logan, Renault Logan, Dacia Logan?
3. Mahindra Logan - Usability Explored
4. Is your Mahindra Logan in safe hands - After sales, What service
5. Mahindra Logan - Look out for the new version
6. Mahindra Renault Logan free service - unveiled
7. The Devil in my Mahindra Renault Logan
8. Tested on animals - Mahindra Renault Logan[the secret behind those mileage runs]
   

Mahindra to Introduce Special edition of the Logan

Flagging sales have meant Mahindra Renault have to look at new means at attracting customers towards the Logan.Mahindra-Renault now shall do a Tata[remember the Indigo XL] and come up with a special edition/variant of the Logan[not sure what this variant would be called] to cater to higher segments[ironical considering the Logan is supposed to be the cheap people's car after all].However unlike the Indigo XL this is not expected to be long wheelbase version of the Logan.The special edition is expected somewhere by July 2008.

Not very sure what would be in this special edition but according to ET all that would be special would be new music system,a slightly better interior trim.Now hopefully Mahindra do take inspiration from the scorpio M-hawk and throw in a few of the features presently available in the scorpio m-hawk for the Logan.

As it stands Logan sales are not very encouraging and after the introduction of the Maruti Dzire as was expected customers have switched to the Maruti camp.Right from the beginning have always felt the Logan was completely out of place and its high initial pricing just did not help.


[Source:Economic Times]
[Image source: ecofin.files.wordpress.com]

Renault to develop 4 new variants of the Logan

Although at present we only have the sedan version of the Logan here in India.Renault sells five versions of the Logan globally which includes a sedan[sold here],station wagon, car-derived van, pickup and a hatchback version[called the sandero and which is likely to make it to the Indian markets].

Renault now has plans for four more new variants of the Logan one of them is an SUV for sure.What the other three are I am not sure but they should be seen on the roads by 2012 according to head of purchasing at Renault ,Odile Desforges.

How many of these actually make it to the Indian markets is unknown but we an surely expect a few of these variants to actually make it to the Indian market.

[source:the autochannel]

Renault to launch the Sandero in India by 2009

Come 2009 and we will get the hatchback based on the Logan platform in India.However what is interesting is this time renault is talking high-end unlike economy and cheap like in the case of the Logan.The sandero is expected to take on the likes of the Honda jazz and the Skoda fabia.

Basically this car is the Logan without the boot and it would be interesting to see if people are willing to pay more money for this than the sedan version[logan].The initial pricing strategy of the logan in India was a blunder and hope renault don't repeat that mistake with the sandero.Also Renault should note that by 2009 we would have global cars meant for the developed world and selling cars meant for the third world with a premium tag may just not work.

Interestingly renault plans to sell the logan mcv in India too which would mean that the entire logan platform would be available in India.

[image source:worldcarfans]

[source:NDTV]

The new Renault Logan SUV

Remember apart from selling the Logan in India Mahindra also have an agreement to sell a seven seater in India with renault.Till now it was thought that this would be the renault steppe MCV, but its price tag may be too steep and it could even be in Scorpio category which would be nothing but disaster.


Now worldcarfans have caught a test vehicle from Renault which they believe is the SUV version of the Renault Logan.The sedan clearly is a test mule for a much bigger vehicle.If priced right this could really have the potential to do much better than the Logan sedan even.Now don't know if this is the mass market small SUV that Mahindra has promised us within the next two years.Here's an artists impression of the new SUV.



Ofcourse another possibility is that we may just get a whole new Renault Logan a bigger one at that.

For the spy pictures please visit the link:
Here

[Source:Worldcarfans]

Renault's Indian Flopshow - The Logan

Yes now even renault admit that they are going nowhere with the Logan.Remember apart from the auto journalists a whole bunch of car lovers were very critical of the logan and its pricing strategy initially,where it was way too overpriced to be called a cheap car.It was a cheap car[not in terms of price] pretending to be an alternative to the Honda City.

After all the hype about it being a cheap car,the Tata Indigo was available at a much cheaper price.People certainly did not appreciate that which forced quite a few price-cuts for the company.Why the intermediate diesel variant was left out during launch is a complete mystery,the answer which I would surely like to know from renault.Also things like a lack of release for the boot from the inside,funny placement of the power window switches where not exactly designed keeping in mind the customer.Also Renault underestimated India and thought they could get away with a third world car here.

The official excuse from renault is:
"The sales target had been trimmed in line with the economic slowdown of the mid-sized car segment, where Renault's Logan sedan competes".

My prayers have been answered and Indian buyers have taught manufacturers a lesson.Manufacturers now know that just because it is a diesel and has a boot it will not sell.Expectations of the Indian buyer has now risen.

[Source:Reuters]

[Image source: ecofin.files.wordpress.com]

Tata Indigo CS not for the beauty conscious

I was able to spot two Indigo CS which where being tested by Tata and if people called the Indigo boot odd don't know what they would say about the Indigo CS.This car would not score very high in the looks department,pictures do not tell the whole story you should see this car in person.Not surprisingly,its the rear section of the car which you don't want to look at.

However expect the Indigo CS to give better mileage[FE] than the Indigo[full sized] and that is after what will matter the most in this segment.What is commendable is that we get a sedan for under Rs. 4 lakhs and it has very good bootspace although looks suggest otherwise.The Indigo CS is the smallest sedan in the world and driving and parking it would not be very different from its brother the Indica[a hatchback].This car in all probability would be cheaper than the third generation Indica expected soon on the roads and it would be interesting to see which of the two people would prefer.As far as the Logan is concerned Tata is really going for the kill,I am just wondering how Mahindra Renault would respond.

Another car which I saw under test was the good old Tata safari,now was it a test mule for something else or an export model I have no idea but visually there were no changes on this test vehicle.

Mahindra launch LPG variant of the Logan along with another delux version

Here's another option for people not so interested in the diesel engines on offer,Mahindra Renault have launched an LPG variant of the Logan called the Logan emerald for an addtional cost of Rs.35,000-40,000.BUt then with such a premium don't you get the diesel engines which would still be the preferred choice considering the fact that automotive LPG has not yet caught up in a big way in India

Heres the details:

Logan Emerald:
The Logan Emerald is equipped with an LPG kit developed in technical collaboration with Renault engineering and Landi Renzo. At present, the kit is undergoing evaluation tests and Mahindra Renault hopes to introduce it in the second quarter of this calendar year. The price of the kit will be approx. Rs. 35,000 – Rs. 45,000 with a tank capacity of 42 litres.
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Mahindra Renault have also taken a hint from Tata and gone in for a fully accessorised mode[ like the Indigo XL,however in this case there is no extra legroom].I guess you are better off getting this done at an after-mart accessory store on your own,would be cheaper and a whole lot better after all it would be according to your taste.Details below:

The Fully Loaded Accessorized Logan

The sophisticated Purple tones and brand new interiors and exteriors of the Fully Loaded Accessorized Logan add a touch of royalty and style to the car. The vehicle’s 14 inch alloy wheels enhance its overall appeal while original mud flaps not only keep the exteriors clean but also add a stylish edge. The sleek chrome muffler cutter is not just a visual treat but also prevents corrosion of the exhaust pipe. The special ‘park master’ parking sensor beeps to tell you how close you are to an obstacle.

Special grain leather upholstery gives the interiors a rich look and feel, while the wood finish centre console adds a touch of class. The Fully Loaded Accessorized Logan also boasts of a complete entertainment system, consisting of a 45 x 4 watt music system which plays CDs and is MP3 compatible. You can also use the Bluetooth facility and the ipod interface. The unique thermo cooler and warmer allows you to store food and beverages at the temperature of your choice.

Source:Moneycontrol.com

In the Aftermath of the Renault-Mahindra split should you buy the Logan

For quite some time we could see that the Renault-Mahindra JV was not exactly a happy marriage and there where differences in opinion,like for instance Mahindra did not agree with the one lakh car concept which Renault is interested in.The fact that the Logan did not really do well only added fuel to the fire.Then ofcourse Renault tied up with other manufacturers and in all probability could actually compete with Mahindra for Light commercial vehicles.Some believe Nissan may compete with Mahindra in the SUV/MUV space as well.

Predictably Mahindra pulled out of the JV but they say they would continue their co-operation with regards to the Logan.So should you go and buy the Logan.In my opinion no.The company itself seems so confused and don't know about the future prospects as to who would take care of the Logan customers.Which dealerships would cater to the Logan in future.The car itself in its first year is now depending on heavy discounting and ads so what would happen in a few years time.

However if you are the type who would change your car in the next few years but don't mind drop in resale value then you could consider the Logan.Also if you plan to use the car as a taxi then it could be the perfect vehicle with its high FE and low maintainance costs.If you are not one of these then its best to play it safe and look at the other options,one car business models for manufacturers has so far proven not to be a successful one.

Mahindra Logan now available with a Rs.35000-40000 Discount

When the Logan was launched most unbiased auto experts had pointed out the fact that for the Indian markets the Logan was overpriced.Mahindra wanted to fetch a premium on a cheap car so what was the end result.Apart from a month where Mahindra over enthusiastically claimed it as India's largest selling sedan the Logan has not really gone down well with the Indian consumers. Logan's failure could be one of the major reasons Mahindra kept away from the cheap hatch which renault planned to bring to India[Now bajaj will partner Renault for the same].

Mahindra also did not want the car to cater to the taxi segment according to their initial press release but now they are doing a complete U-turn and expect a major chunk of sales from the Taxi segment.The logan[diesel gives exceptional mileage,highway 21-22kmpl is what I heard last] and this is could attract the taxi segment and so also the low maintainance costs.Now to boost sales Mahindra are all set to offer a discount of about 35000-40000 on the Logan[must add that is a pretty high figure for a newly launched car].That means bad news for the earlier customers in terms of resale value.Also mostly likely this car could go the Indica way and be a tourist car favorite.

The Logan has important lessons for the Automobile manufacturers in India.The Indian buyer is getting more and more smarter,Don't think that we would just lap up cars for the third world anymore just because they are[rather appear to be] reasonably cheap.

As for the Logan after this discount the car now is within striking distance of the Tata Indigo[a place where it always should have been in the first place] now expect a boost in sales mostly at the cost of the Indigo but that joy may be short lived ones competitors launch new vehicles[includes Tata who plan a revamp of the Indigo as well]