Toyota Indonesia would be expanding the capacity of its Indonesian manufacturing plant to cater to the huge demand in the home market as well as export markets like the Middle-East and Philippines. The expansion would be complete by August of this year and Toyota Indonesia plans to export around 10,000 units of the Toyota Fortuner in 2010.
This manufacturing facility produces the Toyota Fortuner fitted with the new mammoth 4.0l VVT-i petrol engine that produces 235bhp. This engine is neither for the home market nor for Phillipines but exclusively for the Middle-East. The Indonesian and Filipino Fortuners are fitted with a 2.7l VVT-i petrol engine that churns out 160bhp.
When Indian Autos Blog contacted Mr.Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director of Toyota Kirloskar Motors on this development, this is what he said -
We have no plans to introduce petrol-engined Fortuner in India. As you know, we’re facing a shortage for the existing model (diesel).
This comment from the higher official puts a lid to all speculation on Toyota’s petrol engine plans for Fortuner. Toyota would neither be bringing the 4.0l VVT-i petrol engine nor the 2.7l VVT-i to India anytime soon. Even though the 3.0l diesel Fortuner is selling extremely well in India and is in huge demand, there are customers who would not like the clatter of a diesel engine under the hood. For these customers, it will be a long wait before their call is answered.
The SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile, a joint venture between Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation(SAIC), General Motors and Wuling Motors to produce low cost minivans has also revealed plans to launch a new mid-size sedan completely developed in-house.
Codenamed GP50, the new midsize sedan is going to be pitted against the Guangzhou-Honda’s upcoming self-developed midsize car. SAIC-GM-Wuling is planning to complete formalities within August and sanction it for production by the end of this year.
There has been widespread speculation about the GP50 being based on the Buick Excelle (old Chevrolet Optra) platform. Styling can be expected to be sharp and edgy as the Chevrolet Beat.
Indian Autos Blog feels GM could bring the GP50 to India but would not sell it with ‘Tavera’ brand name, which GM is planning to tag its SAIC commercial vehicles with. We expect the new GP50 sedan to be selling as a ‘Chevrolet’ alongside the low cost hatchback and possibly produce it at the Talegon facility along with the new GM-Wuling’s low cost car speculated as the Nano’s competitior.
GM India could possibly position this new sedan between the upcoming Chevrolet Aveo and the Chevrolet Cruze. GM India could also retain the Optra badge for this vehicle, possibly market it as the next generation Optra.
Salon de Madrid was held from May 20-23 and unlike Geneva or Frankfurt, it did not get under the global spotlight. Perhaps in next decade, the show will attract more investment, public interest and car manufacturers as Spain’s auto market expands.
Arguably, the most significant display at the biannual function was the Tata Nano EV. This car premiered at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year and it is likely to clinch the title of the cheapest electric car in the world when it goes into production in the next few years.
With a range of 160 km, a top speed of 100kph and an acceleration of 0-60 kmph in under 10 seconds, the Nano EV is not a golf cart with doors.
Tata will first launch the Europa in some European markets by 2012, and along with it, cars like the Indica Vista EV, Indigo Manza will also be sold.
Thanks to our good friend Oscar and his team mates at Diario Motor, we’re able to bring you pictures of the Nano EV parked in the Tata stall of the Madrid Motor Show.
click through to see more
Fiat has released renderings of it new concept car, the Fiat Mio FCC III that is to be showcased at the Salão do Automóvel Auto Show in São Paulo, Brazil in October 2010. There are two potential designs for the final concept car, ‘Precision’ and ‘Sense’, both based on ideas and suggestions submitted to Fiat by customers/fans through the Mio FCC III microsite.
The Fiat Mio FCC III is expected to feature a zero-emission drivetrain and focus on a new array of connectivity options including modes to communicate with other cars. The final shape of the concept car, either a boxy shape or a fluid shape is yet to be decided.
Why this news finds its way to the pages of Indian Autos Blog is because this concept car has immense potential to be developed into a small car for the Brazilian market and naturally the whats good for Brazil is good for India too.
This concept car could be crucial as Fiat has the option of adopting design cues for its new small car for India from the Fiat Mio FCC III. If not this time, the future Grande Punto could benefit from this design study.
click through for image gallery
We reported last year about Skoda developing the Octavia successor for emerging markets. The development was confirmed by the company, but the name of the car was not revealed. Internationally, this model will debut by December 2010.
With the assistance of google translator, we are able to derive to the conclusion that the Octavia revival could be named Felicia, and not Favorite as previously noted. There has not been any official confirmation from the company, but it is widely believed that the Polo’s platform might be the base on which this low-cost model would be constructed.
The Skoda Octavia was phased out of BS4 cities, and its sales were falling anyway. This was the Czech company’s first offering in the Indian market and quite easily the best.
There’s another theory floating around the internet that this platform will give birth to a low-cost MPV which could be aimed at the best selling Toyota Innova in India. Details are sparse, but the renderings certainly look promising.
The next generation Skoda Octavia is most likely to be built here in Chakan, Pune at the VW facility next year.
We’re hearing from our sources the VW could launch the BiFuel Polo in India over the next 12-18 months.
The vehicle which Indians will have the opportunity to experience will be a LPG kit, factory fitted to the 1.2-liter Polo. The German BiFuel Polo discussed here is powered by a 1.4-liter engine, which loses just 2bhp when operated on LPG.
The LPG Polo also minimizes impact on the environment. Compared to driving on gasoline, the carbon dioxide emissions are down by 9% and since LPG costs less than petrol in Germany, fuel bills fall by almost 40%!
A 52 liter fuel tank is fitted in place of the spare wheel giving the BiFuel Polo a combined range of 807 miles (1,298 km). If you live in Germany, you can buy the Polo BiFuel in three variants – Trendline, Comfortline and Highline. Prices start at €16,325 (9.38 lakh) for the Trendline, rising to €17,625 (10.13 lakh) for the Comfortline and topping out at €18,450 (10.60 lakh) for the Highline.
Land Rover celebrated a production milestone, as the 200,000th example of the Freelander 2 rolled out of the company’s Halewood facility in Liverpool. It has taken Land Rover three years to achieve this feat.
The Freelander 2 was launched in India last September at an ex-showroom price of 33.79 lakh rupees in Mumbai.
The vehicle, though being an SUV with a high displacement engine still carries eco-friendly technology like start-stop and a diesel engine. The TD4_e model is more fuel efficient and emits fewer carbon dioxide.
Michael Straughan, Halewood Operations Director -
This achievement is thanks to the Halewood workforce, who have continuously driven improvements since the launch of Freelander 2 to maximize customer satisfaction. I’d like to congratulate the Halewood workforce on this team achievement
Land Rover is preparing to go hybrid with the diesel-hybrid LRX model that’s scheduled for a 2011 debut.
Everyone is aware of the fact that Mahindra has bought 55.2% equity in REVA Electric Car Company (REVA). The announcement was made today in Bangalore.
What not many will know is GM India is planning to break ties with REVA and the Spark EV will be engineered in-house. GM and REVA had entered into an agreement where the latter would supply electric powertrains for the Spark. It was widely believed that REVA would also supply powertrains for the next gen Aveo and Beat.
GM India vice-president P Balendran -
We may not continue the Spark EV programme with Reva in the light of this development and will pursue our own electric vehicle programme. An announcement to this effect will be issued soon.
General Motors isn’t willing to continue the partnership despite Mahindra not having any issues with the previously signed agreement.
M&M president for automotive and farm equipment sector Pawan Goenka -
We have no problems with GM continuing. We are quite open to it.
GM had showcased a working concept e-Spark at the Auto Expo in Delhi earlier this year. The company was very optimistic with its plans and said it could sell thousands of these vehicles in India citing that India will see a no-compromise electric vehicle in the e-Spark. GM was supposed to launch the e-Spark by December 2010, but that looks like a long shot after this announcement.
click through for Mahindra REVA press release
