Some say the new Hyundai Tucson/ix35 will come to the Auto Expo
A popular business channel on Indian television suggests Hyundai will display the new Tucson/ix35 at next year’s Auto Expo. Hyundai offered the first generation Tucson in India with 2.0-liter engine, but with little success. Around the world, the Tucson is thought of as a hugely successful SUV selling in millions.
Hyundai is coming with cars like the Genesis Coupe to the Expo, which are meant to be show cars. The Tucson could also be such an exhibit, but its absence in the SUV market for such a long period raises doubts on its introduction.
Hyundai would have learnt quite a few lessons selling the Tucson. Would they hand the Tucson another chance here in India? Or should I put it this way – Will the Indian customer give Tucson, the latest generation which has everything going for it, another chance to make a mark?
click through to view the Hyundai Tucson/ix35 Image Gallery
The 2010 edition of Yamaha YZF-R1 will come to India next year
After encountering the brisk response superbikes are receiving in India, Yamaha is planning to bring in the 2010 YZF-R1 model next year.
However, Pankaj Dubey, the national business head of India Yamaha Motor didn’t give anything away regarding its exact launch time and price.
Just to let our readers know that 2010 R1 was launched globally in September 2009 at $13,290. Bringing it into India will involve 110% import duty, so there isn’t going to price slash. That is for sure.
The company currently sells an earlier edition of the R1 and MT-01 along with the recently launched V-Max in its product line in India. These existing products have been brought in as CBUs with V-Max costing around a whopping 20 lakhs and the other two around 13 lakh mark.
The 2010 edition will feature an improved liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder engine.
Major players like Ducati, Harley Davidson and Suzuki along with Yamaha are keen to tap the increasing demand of big bikes in India. 2010, I think will be a blast for shoppers looking for a performance buy.
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The CB Twister debuts in Delhi day after tomorrow
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India will launch a stylish 110cc motorcycle in India day after tomorrow in Delhi. The company has been working on this motorcycle for more than a year now and could christen it CB Twister.
What Honda isn’t planning to do with its latest motorcycle is compete directly with India’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer – Hero Honda.
Honda is going to pitch its entry-level bike to youngsters. The Hero Honda counterpart Splendor is targeted at the middle class family man. Honda will also price the motorcycle roughly 10% higher than the Splendor which should draw a clear line between the two commuters.
Shinji Aoyama, president and CEO, HMSI -
We don’t expect competition with Hero Honda as a joint venture brand. I am not in a position to compete. Our position of new model introduction is to expand the market itself. I believe we can activate demand from youngsters with this 110cc motorcycle.
Honda entry point in India is the 125cc Shine, which looks plain jane. It shares its space with the stylish CBF Stunner which is aimed at the youngster looking for an element of style in that segment. Would Honda follow the same strategy with the 110cc motorcycle, only this time the stylish variant comes first?
The 2.5 crore RR Ghost is almost sold out in India
The Indian market’s thirst for exotic cars far from getting quenched despite recession or other intervening factors. Rolls Royce, which introduced the Ghost in Delhi a little over two weeks ago, has almost sold out the sixty allotted vehicles for the Indian market.
The RR Ghost costs Rs 2.5 crore rupees. If you choose to customize it, it can cost up to 4.5 crore depending on the level of individualization.
Rolls-Royce has two showrooms in India, one in Delhi and the other in Mumbai.
According to company officials, 80 percent of those who have booked the Ghost are new to the brand.
click through to view the RR Ghost Image Slideshow
More details have emerged on the Tata Nano based half tonne pickup truck that will hit the Indian market next year. Codename Penguin, the pickup will compete with players like the Mahindra Gio.
It will be powered by 350cc one cylinder diesel engine. This is essentially half the cylinder block of the engine powering the Tata Ace, which itself uses a sliced Indica cylinder block.
The Nano pickup uses the same engineering techniques like single windshield wiper, 3 wheel lugs, scooped out dashboard and short wheelbase. The engine is also mounted at the rear axle, doing away with a propeller shaft.
The Bolero returned an impressive 35.15kmpl in a promotional event
Press Release -
Mahindra Bolero Mileage Marathon takes Kochi by storm
India’s No. 1 SUV tops the fuel efficiency chart
Synopsis:
q India’s No.1 SUV clocked fantastic mileage of 35.15 kms/litre of diesel.
q A fun filled, customer centric event organized for Bolero customers at Kochi
q The superior mileage further reinforces attractive value proposition offered by Mahindra Bolero
November 29, 2009, Kochi: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), India’s undisputed leader in the utility vehicle segment, recently organised the Mahindra Bolero Mileage Marathon aimed at highlighting the superior mileage of India’s No. 1 SUV, at Kochi. A total of 32 Bolero families participated in the event which was a special customer-centric initiative.
“The Mahindra Bolero Mileage Marathon in Kochi gave a clear idea on fuel efficiency of India’s No. 1 SUV. A testament to this is the winning mileage of 35.15 kms/litre clocked by Mr. Seby K B. The Bolero’s superior value proposition, style and rugged appeal coupled with our customer-centric approach to business have been major contributors to its success over the years,” said Mr. Vivek Nayer, Senior Vice President – Marketing, Auto Sector, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd.
The 2 cylinder Nano is on display at the Thai Motor Expo
Tata is exhibiting three vehicles – Nano, Super Ace and Xenon CNG at the ongoing Thailand Motor Expo. The event commenced on the 3rd of this month and goes on till the 13th. The theme of the show is ‘Driving Sustainability.’
Tata is preparing to introduce the Nano in Thailand in future. They are also working on a small car as part of the Thai eco-car project. Tata is presently selling the Xenon pick-up truck in the Thai market.
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Silver, Black and White are three popular choices; Surprisingly the world’s cheapest car doesn’t come in all 3!
Which color is your car wearing? Your answer, I bet should be in the top 5.
1. Silver – 25% percent
2. Black – 23%
3. White – 16%
4. Gray – 13%
5. Blue – 9%
6. Red – 8%
7. Brown/Beige – 4%
8. Green – 1%
9. Yellow/Gold – 1%
10. Others – Less than 1%
White seems to be gather ground in India. At one point, it appeared like white would feature on cars only in history books. Despite religious beliefs, black is found on 23% of cars sold this year. Jazzy colors like Red and yellow/gold are also witnessing a good portion of buyers. This should be credited to the younger buyers who are open to experimenting.
