Indian Autos blog

By Kaustubh Shinde

Our very own ‘MINI’ got a bit more safer. The Euro NCAP has awarded the 2011 Suzuki Swift with 5 stars. This is the most number of stars that a vehicle can get in this form of crash testing.

The Swift was put through a series of simulated real-world accidents to know more about the safety characteristics. It scored 94% adults, 82% boys, 62% pedestrians, 71% in active safety with a total score of 94/100. This makes it one of the safest cars that money can buy. It is certainly a step forward from the current Swift which scored only 4 stars way back in 2004.

The new Swift is expected to hit the Indian Shores by the beginning of 2011 to take on the likes of Hyundai’s i20, Volkswagen’s Polo and Fiat’s Punto. It makes its international debut at the Paris Motor Show next month with a 1.2-liter petrol and 1.3-liter diesel engine which powers the outgoing Swift.

By Ragav Ramesh

A few months back when we got in touch with Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s top brass, we learned there were no plans for hybrid powertrain for Etios. Now though, the company has re-looked into that option is keeping the hybrid hall door wide open.

Toyota has, very keen to capture the hybrid car market in India, is thinking one step ahead by exploring options to launch the first hybrid small car using their much awaited Etios which debuts this year end.

Following the launch of Toyota Prius hybrid in the Indian market recently, they are quite enthusiastic to see the outcome of a hybrid Etios, which will be extremely fuel-efficient, the keyword for small cars in India. India is still to deploy any infrastructure for electric vehicles. Forget electricity for vehicles, many villages in India are yet to see a tungsten bulb. The petrol-electric combine is the best bet, for auto manufacturers, consumers and the government in the immediate future.

Toyota Motor Asia Pacific President Mitsuhiro Sonoda -

We are looking at every possible alternative to launch Etios, apart from diesel and petrol variant, we will study the market and demand for launching the car in other fuel options (LPG and CNG) and hybrid mode. We’ll have to discuss the issue of launching with other fuel options with the Government. It will also depend on the availability of infrastructure in the country. We will decide at the appropriate time

Toyota is a global leader in hybrid technology and has introduced path-breaking cars like the Prius, SAI and Camry hybrid. With such expertise in hybrid cars, the next step for Toyota will be to install them in smaller cars which rely on fuel efficiency for their existence. The competition in India is only increasing and the merits of hybrid technology will give Toyota an edge.

Where India is looked upon as the small car hub of the world, Toyota’s smart move to bring in their hybrid technology in the Indian small car bazaar is going to be a very wise decision, considering the conservative Indian buyers who would be looking for fuel efficient small cars. Even though the key to its success would be purely based on pricing due to the heavy alternatives in the small car space readily available, it all comes down to the market reactions for the Etios as a car. We will have to wait and watch how Toyota is going to play its cards.

By Mahir Majid

The Nissan Micra was a good launch and Nissan is underway in India. With a good product and an increasing dealer network, this is the same kind of place where Renault hopes to be in when it brings the Koleos and Fluence in the next couple of years.

Following a failed attempt when it launched the half Romanian half French Dacia Logan in collaboration with Mahindra under the Mahindra Renault Logan badge, Renault is now looking to flood the Indian market with some of the finest cars from the French stable. Renault India has recently announced that in the coming years, starting mid 2011, it will be launching 5 different models which range from the V-platform hatchback (a 2011 Suzuki swift competitor) to the Koleos crossover SUV, offered with a 2.0 liter diesel and priced around 16-19 lakhs. The Koleos is based on the Nissan X-trail platform.

Early 2011 will also see the launch of Renault Fluence sedan. Priced at around 12-14 lakhs it will most likely be powered by a 1.6-litre petrol. In European markets it is also offered with a more powerful 2.0 liter petrol engine and also a 1.5 liter diesel. At this point it is hard to make any remarks if these will be offered here in India.

Renault should also introduce a sedan based on the V-Platform, details of which are not clear. Let Nissan launch its V-Platform sedan, and we will be in a position to speculate. This sedan should be preceded by the Duster, which is a SUV from the Dacia portfolio. The locally manufactured Duster could also be exported to neighboring countries.

There’s also the ULC , which by the end of 2012, will start reaching showroom floors in India. Manufactured by Bajaj in the Renault-Nissan-Bajaj joint venture, the base variant will be cheaper than the Tata Nano.

The more interesting Renault product that will catch the eye of the Indians is the affordable V-platform hatchback which if priced around a very competitive 3.5 to 5.5 lakhs, will give the Suzuki Swift, in the most heated segment of the Indian car market, a run for its money. This segment will matter the most to Renault if it intends to gain volumes.

By Mahir Majid

The Ultra low Cost car being developed by Bajaj-Nissan-Renault is starting to take shape literally, as the French car maker has announced news of completing the prototype of the car by early 2011.

The Bajaj ULC project being jointly developed by Renault-Nissan-Bajaj has been delayed on numerous occasions due to lack of consensus between the partners on issues like design and powertrain development.

An agreement was reached where the ULC, smaller than the Suzuki Alto, will be completely developed and manufactured by the Indian 2-wheeler giant Bajaj and the branding and marketing will be taken care by Renault and Nissan.

The pricing of this car will be cheaper than Tata’s Nano, it has been said it in the past. But will it be an extreme value for money as hinted by Mr. Rajiv Bajaj MD of Bajaj Auto, which is famous for introducing bikes like the Pulsar which truly revolutionized the Indian two-wheeler space?

The Bajaj Pulsar, without a shadow of doubt was the bike that brought rugged styling and things like power and performance to the commuter bike market.

We at IAB hope that this new car is as ground breaking as the Pulsar was in the early 2000s, it shouldn’t be a cheap car made on a serious budget constraint. Rather it should be the affordable car, fun-to-drive car that has more than just a compact chassis, a compact engine and compact expectations.

By Kaustubh Shinde

After being chosen as the preferred bidder, Mahindra & Mahindra is now looking forward to jointly building new cars with the South Korean Automaker SsangYong (SYMC). Dr Pawan Goenka, President of the Automotive department (M&M), said that the two companies will collaborate on the future models by sharing technology and platforms.

Platform sharing will allow the two companies to drastically reduce their R&D cost and lead time for development of new vehicles. This is extremely important from SsangYong perspective as it hasn’t launched any new product since the last 4 years.

M&M is also charting plans to introduce SsangYong’s products in India. The production will be carried out at the Chakan plant and the products that expected to be launched initially are Korando C and Rexton.

The Korando C is a compact SUV which is yet to be launched (pictured). It may be positioned below the current Scorpio. On the other hand, Rexton is a large-sized premium SUV based on the Mercedes M-Class platform that should be positioned to takeover Toyota’s Fortuner. Both these SUVs will be marketed under the SsangYong brand.

The acquisition will also give M&M access to Ssangyong’s 1,300 international dealer networks across South America, Russia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. Mahindra could use this terrific network to enter new markets with its Scorpio, Xylo, Xylo pickups and the World SUV.

By Kaustubh Shinde

Back in Geneva Motor Show 2010, the Malaysian Auto major, Proton revealed a concept car EMAS (short for Eco Mobility Advance Solution) to celebrate the company’s 25th Anniversary. Rumors are now circulating that Lotus (now owned by Proton) is also testing their own version of EMAS for the European markets.

By the looks of things, it seems that Proton EMAS will have 2 variants – a sophisticated one for the European markets and an inexpensive variant for the local Malaysian market. So a car that was designed by Italdesign-Giugiaro and now perfected by Lotus – seems like quite a recipe!

Powertrains options include a plug-in EV or a series hybrid model with range extender (Lotus Omnivore). Proton could employ a turbocharged 1.2-liter petrol engine for certain markets which still aren’t capable of hosting EVs. For India, Proton could ditch the turbo to lower the cost of the vehicle. They could also develop fuel efficient diesel engines specifically for our market. Expect nothing exceptional though.

Proton, according to Paultan, is benchmarking this car with the Nissan Micra which is very practical, fuel efficient, yet youthful and sporty. Should the EMAS be priced between 3.5 and 5.5 lakh rupees, it will catch the attention of the hatch-loving Indian buyer.

Proton, presently selling its cars in Pakistan China, Iran, UK and Australia, is actively scouting for partners to make a full fledged India foray. However, the initial talks with Argentum motors and Hero Motors fell apart. But the Auto Market is now rife with rumors that Proton is in final negotiations with Mahindra to launch their cars.

Considering the fact that the most profitable market in India right now is the hatchback market, EMAS seems like the ideal candidate to share a piece of this pie.

Ford Motor Company will launch 8 new vehicles in India by the middle of the decade. Speaking at the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Conference in New Delhi today, Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford Asia Pacific and Africa (APA), and Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India, however did not reveal the names of the models.

Ford will also export the Figo to 50 new markets including Mexico, North Africa and the Middle East from 2011.

Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford Asia Pacific and Africa (APA) -

We have big plans for India and for this region. As we have seen from the spectacular early success of the Ford Figo, more and more Indian consumers appreciate the fuel efficient, economical, high quality, safe, and fun-to-drive vehicles that Ford offers. This is part of our ‘better plan’ to bring more and more vehicles from our vast global portfolio to India and other markets in Asia Pacific and Africa.

By 2012, more than 70 percent of the Ford vehicles sold all over the world will be derived from 15 core platforms.

Ford launched the Ford Figo during the first quarter of this year and within 25 weeks, it has sold more than 25,000 of them. The Figo is also exported to South Africa and was launched in Nepal earlier this month.

Goa on wheels is reporting that Mitsubishi will launch the 2010 Montero in India this September. The 2010 Montero will use the same engine but power will be increased from from 165bhp (2009 model) to 200bhp (2010 model) @ 3800 rpm. Torque will go up from 383 Nm (2009) to 441 Nm (2010) @ 2000 rpm

The engine is now Euro 4 compliant thanks to the new catalytic converter and swirl control bulb addition.

The upgraded Montero gets brake assist and audio plug. Cosmetic changes come in the form of the front and rear bumper.

The new Montero is priced at Rs. 36.95 lakh, according to Goa on Wheels.

When we did a little research on this model, we came across a post on the 2010 Montero right here on IAB written in October last year. The performance figures are exactly the same, and we understand this is the model heading to India.

Though we cannot vouch completely for the information provided by Goa On Wheels, we would be delighted if the 2010 Montero indeed comes to India.