Indian Autos blog

Maruti Suzuki has gone crazy. It’s official!

The company has initiated another ambitious project to create buzz around A-Star. Termed as “wrapping” you can get your A-Star covered in what you stand for.

There are 16 different options (stickers) to choose from and Maruti is confident that Generation Y, which is target group for the A-Star, will take the bold step of covering the car reflecting his/her style and attitude.

I’d pick techie. Which one is yours?

click through to read the press release and view the 16 different options

It was Dr Andreas Schaff’s first product launch in India since the time he took over as the BMW India’s President from Mr Peter Kronschnabl. Addressing the media on two-in-one occassion of new X5 launch and dealership innauguration here in Gurgaon, Schaff , who was heading BMW’s South Korean wing before this assigment, was clearly excited to be part of the operations here in India.

Here are some of the details he discussed during the course of his chat with the media.

BMW Motorrad -

Motorrad is BMW’s motorcycle division and Schaff said investigations are going on in India to gauge the market potential for these motorcycles. An announcement on the findings and BMW’s way forward with respect to its two-wheelers will be made public in the coming months.

On the BMW X1 -

The BMW X1 is expected to reach showrooms in the first few months of 2011 and Schaff said the SUV segment is an attractive one for India with a high growth potential. It fits the Indian lifestyle, he says. He adds it’s a new entry price level for BMW in India and it’s expected to be the more affordable vehicle in the BMW range. Eighty percent of the X1 buyers are expected to be new to the BMW brand.

On the BMW 7 Series as CKD -

Schaff says the CKDing of the BMW 7 Series is an aspect the company is looking into, but no decision has been made yet.

On the X3 made into a CKD -

Schaff gave us a similar answer, he did not reveal much on this. He however did hint the X3 could come to India in 2011.

On the localization levels of the X1 -

The X1 will have about 10% localization. Items such as seats will be made here in India but there’s nothing major that’ll come from local suppliers.

On the chief markets of BMW in India -

Delhi and Mumbai continue to be the most happening markets as far as BMW is concerned. About 70% of the vehicles sold are in the Delhi and Mumbai regions.

On the 1 Series’ Indian prospects -

Schaff is quick to point out the X1 will be their entry-level model and they have no plans to bring the 1 Series hatch or sedan to India.

On the new dealerships -

Indore, Surat, Bhubaneshwar and Ludhiana are four locations where new dealerships are coming up.

Images and video along with the press release will be posted shortly

As I type this sitting at a newly opened BMW sales and service facility in Gurgaon, BMW India is announcing the new X5 for the Indian market.

Prices – (All India ex-showroom prices)

New BMW X5 xDrive50i (petrol) – 69.5 lakh rupees

New BMW X5 xDrive30d (diesel) – 52.9 lakh rupees

The vehicle can be ordered immediately at BMW dealerships anywhere in India

We have no solid evidence of Toyota developing a sub-Etios car for emerging markets like India. We do have some unverified facts and figures like the ultra-efficient 2-cylinder 800cc petrol engine that will power this 600kg car and its dimensions 3150*1535*1600 (L*W*H).

Toyota is said to be working on this small car for 2012, Its layout will be similar to the Nano – the space-efficient rear engined rear wheel drive layout.

Another awesome thing about this car is it’ll be priced around three lakh rupees which should put right in the rutheless Suzuki Alto territory.

If you look closely at this camouflaged car you can see some connection with the Suzuki A-Star. Will this vehicle be a 4-door iQ with a rounded design?

The MUV market is on a growth in India with vehicles like Bolero, Innova being the current champions. Tata will also enter the fray by bringing in the Aria, though that’s expected to be on the expensive side. All this hustle and bustle has caught the eyes of Maruti Suzuki which is putting together plans of launching a MUV in 2012

Earlier as well, Maruti made half hearted attempts to enter this market with the help of Versa but didn’t taste considerable success. The Eeco has worked for Maruti but the question is how long will it be able to sustain numbers?

Maruti, we think, has got its act together and will launch a MUV based on the R3 concept that it showcased at Delhi Auto Expo 2010. Priced in the bracket of 7-9 lakhs, it will take the the compact MUV market head on!

The R3 will be smaller than the Innova and will seat 6-7 people. It would be based on a extended and heavier SX4 platform and could come with the Swift’s 1.2 liter K-Series engine or the SX4’s 1.6 liter VVT engine.

Also the Maruti MPV could get diesel engines from Volkswagen, thanks to the latter’s 19.9% stake in Suzuki. Or Maruti could use the 1.3 liter DDiS diesel engine probably with a VGT (Variable Geometry Turbocharger).

The bigger news is that Volkswagen and Skoda are also interested in this platform to launch their own product in the Indian Market. As Maruti-Suzuki is an expert in mass volume and low cost, VW may leverage its relationship by making their own MUV’s contract manufactured by Maruti.

The model will undergo testing in the next few months post which it will also be shown to VW.

Similar to the promotional video we showed you other day of the new Chevrolet Aveo, here’s the new Captiva’s video clip. The facelifted Captiva should come to India in the next few months. GM India is contemplating on the CKD option for the SUV given the rise in SUV sales after the introduction of the Toyota Fortuner.

While returning from the supermarket after picking up groceries, I noticed a gray color van in traffic at the entrance leading to Mount Road here in Chennai. It wasn’t camouflaged and nothing was unusual about it. I assumed it belonged to one of the consulates stationed here as they regularly use imported vans from their countries for commuting.

Until I check the number plate.

And the “On Test” sign stuck in the middle of the rear windshield.

I down-shifted, hit the gas and moved near the van. With less than 40 horsepower on tap, I tried extracting as much as I could from the car in an attempt to out run him.

On closer inspection I figured this was the Nissan NV200 that was spotted last year several times roaming on outskirts of Chennai. I quickly took out my camera but a Ford Fiesta swerved in front me, slowed down and stopped at the signal which hadn’t yet turned orange.

Despite looking frantically for it after the signal turned green, I knew I was fighting a losing battle. So I head back home in dismay, it was a lost opportunity to bring a future car to the homepage of Indian Autos Blog.

Are there any secret joint ventures or partnerships between Nissan and Ford in India for “miscellaneous purposes” that you know of?

If you have spotted this vehicle and have pictures of it, why not get in touch with me at notjustshrawan (at) gmail.com

Will there be an all-new Toyota Camry in India by 2012? I guess there’s no way but for Toyota to make one.

The Toyota Camry’s performance overseas is incredibly good, it’s one of the well-known brands, but I can tell you that the Camry in few dozens every year in India. That’s mainly due to the alternatives available. Skoda, Honda, Volkswagen and even Nissan today are offering cars that customers find very enticing. The non-availability of the diesel option could be another sore point.

About seventy percent of the Camrys sold in India today are to customers who have used the vehicle overseas. Toyota Kirloskar Motors claims the decision on assembling the Camrys locally is controlled by Toyota Motor Corporation.

Toyota could assemble the next generation Camry (the face of which SRK has tried imagining) in India at its Bidadi plant sometime in 2012-13. This will make it a few lakh cheaper. Will that be enough to convince the Superb/Accord buyer to look at it?