Spied while undergoing testing near Koyambedu, on the outskirts of Chennai, one of our regular readers Tarun Kumar Tripathy, might have caught what could be the Hyundai H800 small car. To the naked eye, the compact hatchback appeared to be dimensionally similar to Hyundai’s i10.
The car was spotted with so much camouflage that some of it even poured on to the rear number plate. Moreover it was raining, dampening visibility.
According to Tarun Kumar Tripathy, the car caught testing had headlamps which were similar to that of the i10. The taillights also seem to possess some sort of resemblance to the i10. Only the head and tail lights of the test mule were visible with everything else heavily camouflaged.
The Hyundai H800 is expected to be launched in Q1 2011 with an 800cc engine. This could be one of the early prototypes of the car testing for a variety of reasons. It is difficult to ascertain whether this is in fact the H800 or some other car. Manufacturers testing prototypes with different badges and bumpers are not new.
But should we tell you that we will be keeping a close eye on the progress of this car through its development and you must watch this space closely?
Sources tell us that Hyundai will launch the facelifted Verna by the end of this year. The Verna Transform was launched last year in Korea with new headlamps, grille and bumper.
Reactions were mixed at the time of the launch. Many believed that the new Verna had lost touch with its family members. Compare the new Verna’s image with any of the modern Hyundais and “Fluidic sculpture” design approach, which is Hyundai’s biggest strength, doesn’t feature on it.
When we called up Hyundai regarding the launch date of the vehicle, this is what they told us -
We don’t disclose information on future launches. We don’t comment on speculation.
When Ford facelifted the Ikon in 2008 and added a diesel motor, the design team was able to somewhat apply “Kinetic design” philosophy to its front-end. This gave the old workhorse something in common with the modern Fords. Moreover, it was like Ford telling us the Ikon is very relevant and is as capable as the more recent Fiesta or Fusion, despite being ten or so years old.
Perhaps Hyundai tried adding a touch of the “Fluidic sculpture” design and felt it didn’t suit the vehicle? The competition is going to turn very fierce when the Polo sedan (which looks a million dollars) enters the arena along with the Nissan Micra sedan, possibly next year.
External differences on the Korean market model include a different radiator grill, bumper, quadra-exhaust and headlamp. Interiors receive a dose of new items like a different mp3 player/radio, speedo and tacho dials and ipod connectivity facility. There is no change to the powertrains.
The new Verna isn’t very pleasing to the eyes. When we see it flesh, we don’t think we’ll change our minds.
Tata Motors has the habit of airing interesting and humorous TV Ads. The latest TV Ad of theirs of the Indica Vista Drivetech 4, isn’t as good as the “lines” or “reclaim your life” but its certainly is the same breed as those.
If you’re already seen it, don’t hesitate to see it one more time.
Zigwheels, after AutoBild magazine and Economic Times newspaper, is the third biggest news source claiming this without a shadow of doubt – The Novo Uno is coming to India by the end of this year.
The earlier Uno was taken out of India due to problems at the production line. It was replaced by the Palio that couldn’t help the situation by much eventually forcing Fiat India to concentrate on other models.
The small car market in India is growing. Players like Ford, VW and Chevrolet have befitted because of the growth in the recent past with their vehicles. Hatchbacks, followed by sedans on the same platform, look like the sure shot formula for success.
The Uno revival makes sense for India taking into consideration the 2012 small car(Palio), which is also based on the same platform according to sources close to the company. Zigwheels adds in its story that there will be a smaller engine in den of the Novo Uno. Will it be the 1.1-liter petrol engine borrowed from Palio? Or will it be the same 1.0-liter engine from South America?
Entry posted on June 18, 2010 by
Naveen;
Read More on Jaguar, Tata
Tata-owned Jaguar has sold more than 25,000 units of the Jaguar XF in the United Kingdom alone. The Jaguar XF replaced the S-Type in March 2008 and has been selling extremely well since then.
To celebrate this milestone, Jaguar is introducing an innovative promotion called the ‘XF SMS Competition’. Participants would have to answer questions through SMSs. The proceeds from the promotion would be going to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).
The winner of the SMS competition gets to drive away a brand new, 3.0 liter diesel XF worth 38,000 pounds (27,00,000 Indian Rupees). The contest is open only for British residents and is open till January 31, 2011. The winner would be announced on February 7, 2011.
What we find interesting with this news is that, a Tata owned company is kicking of such an innovative campaign to boost its image and reach. Jaguar is looking for new customer to the brand through such promotions and thankfully Tata has not enforced its ‘special discounts’ marketing strategy to boost sales on Jaguar.
Volkswagen is developing its global small car the UP and India would be one the most important market for the VW UP. Volkswagen would be sharing the UP platform with Skoda and Seat also. Though the Seat version of the city car wouldn’t come to India, Skoda version, which could be called the Joyster, would be coming to India in the future.
The picture posted above is a rendering of how the Seat’s version of the VW UP could look. The car looks different from the VW UP! concept, which was more like a compact tall boy design. The Seat city car is more sleeker and sportier. The Skoda Joyster also can be expected to come with sporty looks.
The reason for Seat and Skoda’s version of the city car being different from the VW UP’s tallboy, utilitarian yet attractive design could be the fact that these 3 models would be selling alongside each other in the European market and these three brands are perceived differently. VW which enjoys a better a better reputation would like to be compared to likes of Skoda and Seat which are ‘value’ brands.
For India though, the Skoda small car could come as a sporty hatchback targeting younger customers at a low price (3-4 lakh rupees) while the Volkswagen UP could be a more practical tallboy aimed at brand conscious buyers. If VW India can create different identities for the UP and the Joyster, then we would approve that VW and Skoda are complementing each other in India.
Click here to see Indian Autos Blog’s exclusive Skoda small car rendering.
While many of our friends online reported about a jump in the power and torque figures of BMW’s 320d saloon, IAB got in touch with its sources in the BMW plant to get a clearer picture.
While the car has received a minor bump in the power and torque figures, the bump in these figures is due to the engine, that has been upgraded to meet required emission standards. The engine received a software upgrade and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) about a month back, which has led to a slight increase in the power and torque figures.
Also, IAB has learnt that BMW will be commencing production of its 5-series executive saloon only from the 28th of this month. The new 5-series was launched on April 30th in the Indian market bookings are open. The commencement of production from this month end means that prospective customers will access their car’s keys only in July.
BMW has no plans to locally assemble the X3 from CKD kits sourced from abroad for the moment, like it does with its 3 Series and 5 Series and the soon-to-be launched X1. As the new X1 will be loaded with many features that the X3 possesses, the option of CKDing the X3 might not look very attractive to BMW India.
Regarding the local assembly of the 7-series luxo-barge, to price it more competitively vis-a-vis the Mercedes S-Class, the company needs a little more time for the same, since it requires more investment to carry out modifications to the existing machinery at the plant. Our source tells us that assembly of the 7-Series is certainly possible in Chennai, but only after the facilities are upgraded.
When Carwale contacted Tata inquiring about this development, Tata (was playing safe) denied the fact that current bookings are open and the company has to deliver the Nanos for over 1,00,000 customers who are waiting for their Nanos. Tata has delivered around 37,500 Nanos till now and would be looking to clear its order backlog soon.
Contradicting Tata’s announcement, a Tata dealer in New Delhi says -
The base model is almost readily available. You can book today and take the delivery tomorrow. If booked today, the top-end model can be delivered in 15-20 days
When further questioned about how they can deliver cars to new customers when there over a lakh who are waiting for their Nano, the dealer said the new bookings are being done by ‘management quota’. That is, the new customer has to write to Tata requesting his/her Nano.
What we feel is that Tata is trying to balance between its customers who are patiently waiting for their Nanos and its new customers. Tata wouldn’t want prospective Nano buyers entering showrooms to get turned off by Tata’s inability to cater to new bookings. We think Tata while trying to clear its order backlog could also be letting out a marginal number of Nanos for new customers, who Tata can’t afford to lose.
Spied while undergoing testing near Koyambedu, on the outskirts of Chennai, one of our regular readers Tarun Kumar Tripathy, might have caught what could be the Hyundai H800 small car. To the naked eye, the compact hatchback appeared to be dimensionally similar to Hyundai’s i10.
