Indian Autos blog

The BMW X1 was unveiled at the Auto Expo. More than one variant will be sold

BMW India unveiled the X1 at Auto Expo 2010. It plans to sell this small SUV in India by the end of this year with a 2.0-litre diesel engine. Autocar India reports the price of this model will be around 25 lakh making it the cheapest new BMW in India.

The BMW X1 is based on the 3 Series sedan and assembly will begin at the Chennai plant in the next few months. The 25 lakh rupee car is touted as a solid SUV despite just the rear-wheel drive layout and basic level of equipment. The top-spec variant will have 4×4 and will be filled with features.

The SUV will be available with a 4×4 and a rear-wheel drive option and it’s the latter that will be the cheaper of the two. The compact SUV is based on the 3 series saloon and will be shipped to India as a CKD unit and will be assembled at the company’s plant in Chennai where the 3 series is built.

The X1 will supplement the existing lineup of big BMWs X3, X5 and X6.

800cc Spark will serve as backup if the Beat and Spark fail to live up to expectations

The 800cc Chevrolet Spark is Plan B for GM India who days ago unveiled the Chevrolet Beat with a ridiculously low price tag. The Chevrolet Beat is roped with a task to do more volumes than the 1,000cc Spark and challenge the might of the i10 and others.

Question – But what happens if the Beat doesn’t click?

Answer – The 800cc Chevrolet Spark saves the day. Well hopefully.

P Balendran, vice-president of General Motors India -

The 800 cc Spark is on the drawing board

The low capacity version of this popular hatchback will not see production lines if its older siblings turn out to be market rattlers. GM is looking at certain number of cars for this year (around 100,000) and if it does not end up achieving it, the 800cc Spark will be out to boost numbers.

There are not many cars in India employing a sub-1000cc engine. The Nano, 800 and Alto come to mind. These are cars which are not fun to drive and serve the purpose of plainly transporting people from A to B.

The i10 EV stands next to a pretty woman at the Auto Expo

Looks reality from the company’s perspective. The Korean auto manufacturer who showcased the i10 EV at the Auto Expo last week (Don’t know? Then definitely Shah Rukh stole its limelight) is finding ways to put it in our homes.

The demand for EVs isn’t much in India, but will likely balloon in the future if the government takes steps to strengthen infrastructure and encourage use of non-polluting vehicles. Whenever that happens, Hyundai sees an opportunity to slide the i10 EV into the choice list.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) Director (Marketing and Sales) Arvind Saxena -

A growing awareness among consumers for all things green inspired us to introduce the electric version of our compact car i10

The i10 electric was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September last year and the company will make limited volumes for Korean market. The 5-door i10 EV hatchback is run by 49kW / 65HP electric motor and a 16kWh lithium-ion polymer battery that has been co-developed with Korea’s LG.

Driving range is expected to be in the range of 100 miles or 160 kilometers and a top speed of over 80 mph or 130 km/h makes it a nippy city hatch.

The petrol-engined i10 has clocked sales of over 3 lakh units since the time of its arrival in 2007.

Cars like the Skoda Superb Combi are in the Indian pipeline

Skoda apart from Yeti, has numerous model lined up for 2010 in 2010. The company is keen on enriching its portfolio with a wide variety of models and variants. This year, Skoda will launch Combi version of Skoda Superb, Octavia Scout version, Laura S, refreshed Fabia and the Fabia Greenline version if it is ready. The company will also unveil the Octavia successor (most likely to be based on the Polo platform) this year.

Skoda will also increase localization content on its models to about 50 percent by the end of this calender year.

Skoda feels its compact SUV Yeti will score higher than peers with its pricing and engine options.

click through for image gallery

Tata’s Aria comes with never before heard features and unique design

Expected price of Tata’s flagship offering Aria is around 12-15 lakh rupees reports Financial Express. The Tata Aria will be available at dealer showrooms in India by the end of April in three variants. The top-end variant will have all-wheel drive and compete against the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Chevrolet Captiva and Ford Endeavour.

Powered by a 2.2-liter 140PS DICOR engine, it is not decided if the Aria at launch will come with AWD. The Aria has all the comfort and features which none of the other Tatas can boast of. Climate control, cruise control, a total of six airbags and ESP are not heard of while discussing a Tata.

click through for Tata Aria Image Slideshow

The Delhi Auto Expo has drawn to an end leaving many of us with tired legs and pregnant minds. Most of us would have visited the Tata booth and glanced at the cute Magic Iris and well-designed Aria. While many of us would have taken stock of the off-beat hybrid bus and Vista sport concept, did anyone bother inquiring about the pink Tata Nano parked there?

There were not one, but two Nano special editions at the Expo

Called ‘Tata Nano for her, and for him’ the special editions are based on the top spec LX variants.

The ‘For her’ car is available in Cocktail Red, and features floral patterns on the door and bonnet. Inside, the patterns are also carried forward to the seats, door pads and centre console.

The ‘For him’ model comes in Wild Lime colour scheme and has leather seats and leather door pads.

Both models are fitted with stop-start technology, electrically operated front windows, air-con, fog lamps and stereo.

No prices have been announced. When Tata is struggling to keep up with the demand of the regular models, how could they pop out special editions?

Welburn speaks about why sometimes form is preferred over function

Ed Welburn, GM’s Global Design Chief was the special guest at the launch of the Chevrolet Beat last Monday. He gave a short presentation on the GM’s design division and how the present line-up of cars were designed and brought to life.

At the end of the conference, we sat down with Ed and asked him a few questions, mostly revolving around the Beat. According to Ed, some of them were “tough” while others were “interesting.”

IAB – Why is design given more importance?

Ed – A brand needs to stand for something and that is represented by design. Customers today appreciate contemporary and spirited design and that’s what we’re doing.

IAB – Will we see a Chevrolet Beat sedan, MPV with equally interesting design?

Ed – The Chevrolet Beat, right from day one, was designed to be a hatchback. The sedan and MPV were not taken into consideration while we designed this vehicle.

IAB – What about the design of the next generation Aveo (T300) which comes in next year in India under a different name?

Ed – The design of the next generation Aveo will be similar to the Beat. There will be consistent use of components across the range for cost benefit. (hints – placement of rear door handle, motorcycle inspired cluster etc)

IAB – Tell us something about GM’s design studio in Bangalore

Ed – The design studio here has progressed so well that it can now develop a full-fledged small car independently. They have developed concept cars, but many of them of internal purposes which the media or people don’t get to see.

IAB – What about the design of the Chevrolet Beat?

Ed – The Beat, from the basic design perspective is meant for the world. It was designed in Korea while the concept car was built by one of the suppliers in India.

IAB – How different is the US-spec Beat compared to the Indian version?

Ed – The wheel size, rear seat dimension, Interior fabric and engine displacement will be different.

IAB – Tell us about the placement of the door handle on the C-Pillar

Ed – We brought the door handle next to the C-Pillar which made the body aerodynamic, resulting in lesser wind noise and more fuel economy. We were able to bring the body 40-50mm inside without shrinking interior space. It also gives it a unique look as this has not been done before.

IAB – What about body colors? What’s your take on them?

Ed – Color represents a car’s personality. Many markets today have a color palette which is vibrant, while some others are not. For example Korea has more of white and gray and in Europe, people prefer gray. If the economy is tight, people go in for conventional colors which help them boost resale value of their vehicles.

IAB – What is GM’s primary goal for the future?

Ed – For GM design is a bigger priority that anything else. Developing a full product line with unique design is our aim.