A move that in first of its kind, the Czech auto maker Skoda has initiated to sell Fabia entirely online. Come next week and you can buy your Fabia online.
The Car will be available through dealers only it’s just the paper work and buying experience made easy. The visit to the dealership will just be limited to test drives and delivery and even if a buyer goes to a dealership to book the car, the actual booking process will be paperless.
The move is done to lure customers for the festive season and make buying easy. To work on this embryonic ploy Skoda Auto India has partnered with a popular online portal.
We think this is the great move to gratify the buying experience by the Skoda Auto India who doesn’t have a big reputation in customer satisfaction, may be this could prove a shot in right direction and give them extra brownie points.
See what Thomas Kuehl, Director of Sales and Marketing – Skoda Auto India has to share on this:-
You will get the car through the dealership, but it will be available (for booking) only online. We are working on something completely new for the first time for the Fabia.
The Australians adore their Monteros (Pajero, as they call it) and they are going to love it even more with the launch of the special upgraded model.
Reverse camera and front fog lamps are the additions on the safety front on the Pajero Platinum. They will help inexperienced drivers find their way through congestion and ill lit areas. Other safety features adopted from the top of the line model include ABS, EBD, airbags etc.
The style quotient of the new model is nothing short of A class. With body colored door mirrors, integrated side steps with front mudguards, rear deflector, and Platinum Edition signature badging and carpet mats, this is what one calls a “fully loaded Pajero/Montero.”
The special edition Pajero Platinum has useful devices like Mitsubishi’s Multi Communication System (MMCS) incorporating satellite navigation, and Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity facility.
The Pajero Platinum comes with a choice of a 3.8L petrol engine with manual or automatic transmission, or a 3.2L diesel with manual or automatic transmission.
click past the break to read the press release
The Chevrolet Matiz Creative was given Grade 1 in frontal offset crash tests conducted by Korea Insurance Development Institute (KIDI). The test implies the car is safest in its category.
The Chevrolet-Daewoo Matiz Creative tested was equipped with a wide array of safety features like airbags, ABS, EBD, Rear Parking Sensors, Pre-tensioners for seat belts, door locks with shock sensors etc.
The KIDI crash test is as demanding as ANCAP (Australia) or NHSTA (U.S.A).
Dongyoun Sohn, GM Daewoo Chief Engineer for Mini-Vehicles -
Safety and the protection of our customers were priorities in the development of our new global mini-vehicle from day one. The test results confirm we are on the right track. With its segment-transcending safety, we’re confident that our global mini will achieve high scores in other mature markets such as the U.S. and Europe.
click through to read the press release that explains the feat in detail.
Autotelegraaf is reporting the next generation Nissan Micra which will roll out of the Chennai facility next year debuts at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010. The Geneva Motor Show this year served as the stage to cars like the Indica Vista EV and Nano Europa and next year’s show should prove as interesting.
Meanwhile Nikkei newspaper reports the Micra will be launched in India in May 2010
Nissan will use the Micra’s platform to introduce a sedan in the later stages of 2010 or 2011.
I do not know if the camouflaged test mule pictured here is the production model of the ix-metro concept shown at the Frankfurt Show but it certainly looks like it.
The plans for producing the MPV variant of the i20 hatchback was brought to our notice in June earlier this year. After the shifting of a major chunk of the i20′s production to Turkey, one really wonders if Hyundai will manufacture the MPV variant here in its Chennai plant since the demand for this type of vehicle is more in Europe. Might as well make it in Turkey and distribute it faster to European countries.
The i20 MPV will be 4.10 meters long and has a width and height of 1.75 and 1.65 meters respectively. Room Inside will be allocated for five people and it will compete with models like the Opel Meriva, Renault Grand Modus and Nissan Note.
One must also not forget Mahindra’s future MPV that will be less than 4 metres long and with a 1.5-liter diesel engine, it will be suitable for excise benefits in India. That means, the Mahindra mini MPV will be offered to shoppers who want maximum space for their money. It will be a spacious vehicle competing with hatchbacks in i20 and Ritz range.
Buying an i20 is a costly affair in India and I’m sure the i20 MPV will be priced higher. Perhaps with more localization over time, a locally sourced diesel engine and slightly tinkered body, the i20 MPV could leave the Chennai plant to greet the new breed of Indian customers – the mini MPV buyers!
Fiat we are told, will not limit the Grande Punto to just a hatchback. The Punto with a wide variety of engines, makes for a perfect buy. From the 1.2-liter 8 valve economy version to the 1.4-liter T-Jet 180 PS monster, the Punto is pitched at every kind of hatchback buyer.
With the introduction of the new Punto Evo at the Frankfurt show, Fiat is not limiting it to just a hatchback. Sources tell us Fiat could look at different body styles including a convertible version shown here.
Although the day when such a model rolls out is some distance away, we thought it would be a nice idea to send Fiat lovers into their imaginary worlds. After all, the smaller Fiat 500 has its convertible version, while a SUV is also being tested.
Our regular reader Shaun Malambo, who lives in Cape Town, South Africa, had a chance to experience the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze. As you know, IAB has been keenly following the Cruze making this our 27th post on the car.
The Cruze was launched in South Africa on the 24th of this month and due to personal reasons, Shaun could not attend the launch and cover it for us. As a result he had gone a Chevy dealership close to his house and came away impressed.
Shaun Malambo -
The Chevrolet Cruze was launched on the 24 September 2009 in South Africa and has visual appeal. I couldn’t attend the launch but went over to my local dealership to have a look at what all the buzz was about since I’m following Indian Autos blog and being a Chevrolet Aveo & Spark fan.
The car oozes sophistication and grandness which is quite uncommon for a ‘budget priced’ car. The Cruze is a compact and sleek car, it looks solid and the linear lines on the exterior makes the Cruze sexy without being over the top – it is indeed a thing of beauty in the eyes of the beholder. It is well built, of a high quality and in a league of its own. It can’t really be compared to any other luxury car I encountered. You need to see it to believe it!
click through to read more
Hardly 24 hours ago, Indian Autos Blog brought spy pictures of the new Fabia. Now, we have photographs of what we think is the new Fabia, testing on the roads of India.
The chaps at Carwale have photographed the Fabia and Polo (both share the same architecture) testing in Mumbai. Both the cars were wearing European plates indicating they are not part of the pre-production run from the Pune facility.
The Fabia caught was a lovely yellow color with low-profile tyres that are not offered in India.
The VW Polo debuts at the Delhi Auto Expo next year.
