Indian Autos blog

For almost two years now Ford has been working on the new Fiesta. The study began back in early 2009, understanding what the customers are like in this segment.

Ford said that its new Fiesta saloon will have class-leading fuel efficiency. The ARAI test figures are not out yet, but for those who are anxious can take it for granted that it will be the best in the segment. Ford will position Fiesta as a premium B-Segment product.

Both the engines will be manufactured in Chennai and localization levels will be on the higher side. Changes made to the HVAC and ride height will suit Indian conditions better. Ford will not use “new” or a suffix on the naming of the car. It will adhere strictly to the One Ford global strategy where the customer has to be viewed the similar way, whether America or India.

We introduce you to a new Nissan concept called the Compact Sport Concept. Based on the current generation Nissan Micra, the Compact Sport Concept is 8cm shorter than the Micra and comes with a turbocharged 1.6-liter turbo petrol engine producing 190 horsepower and mated through a CVT gearbox.

Full details are withheld, but the highlight of this concept has to be the dynamite resting under the hood. The front intake, rear bumper and tail gate are different. As this is a concept, Nissan, after releasing more details and showcasing the model, will study the feedback and decide whether to produce it. The Compact Sport Concept is being shown at the Shanghai Motor Show.

The 2012 Fiat Palio (Project 326) has taken shape and Fiat engineers are now testing fully constructed prototypes sporting checkered sticker camouflage on Brazilian roads. Unconfirmed reports convey the debut takes place in July. Remember that Fiat India has spoken about entering the space below the Punto with an all-new small car and what you see here might be what they are talking about.

Fiat has no plans to introduce the Novo Uno in India. Instead it can take on the likes of the Ford Figo, Maruti Wagon R, Hyundai i10, etc with the Project 326. Fiat should have known by now that the Palio nameplate cannot exist on the new model. Fiat hardly sells a handful of Palios in India, and the updated diesel engine hasn’t helped boost sales. One can only imagine that it has got to do something with the image surrounding the Palio.

Having said that, it will take just one product to turn around Fiat’ fortunes. If the new Palio clicks, then consumer interest will automatically rise on some of its other products as dealerships will experience heavy activity. This might also benefit Tata products, but that debate is for another day.

Millions of cars are sold in the 3.5-5.5 lakh rupee segment which makes up 70% of the market share. The Project 326 might just be the lucky break for Fiat India.

There are no points for guessing what will be under the hood of this mini-Punto – Fiat will give it the 1.3-liter Multi-jet diesel motor and perhaps a 1.0-liter petrol engine. Fiat is not against the idea of bringing Multiair technology to India. The time and occasion has to be right and it could well be when this car premieres. Fiat, will you launch this car at the Auto Expo next year?

This rendering is not to give you a good laugh because according to our sources, the age-old Ambassador platform will indeed give rise to a single cab pickup. There is a good possibility of this vehicle landing on the marketplace by the year-end as the revival of the Amby is well and truly on. We can’t assure you of a launch date as HM’ style of working is like watching Time Warp on Discovery Channel.

Hindustan Motors will make several variants on the Amby platform including a sub-4 meter vehicle and revamped version of the existing product. There might not be groundbreaking changes under the hood as the existing 1.5-liter diesel engine producing 35bhp is capable of handling the job. There will be no fancy body graphics or silky-smooth finish as this product is meant for the commercial vehicles sector. Components from the existing Amby will be used, in some cases modified to suit the heavy-duty application. Tata Motors, Mahindra and Force Motors have implemented small pickups with their passenger vehicle platforms and that’s where the inspiration came from for HM.

Our eagle-eyed reader Siddhant Jain followed the new Swift during a round of city testing in Delhi with a camera last week. IAB readers would be aware that we have posted a video of the mule undergoing tests along with exclusive spy shots earlier in the year.

According to a newspaper report, production of the new Swift at Manesar will begin in the next couple of months and will be launched either during the end of July or the beginning of August. The report adds that the company will increase production so that the Swift can inch past the i10 (from the current 13k units to up to 17k units in August) to become the best seller in its segment.

The new Swift will be launched with the same 1.3-liter Multi-jet diesel engine and the 1.2-liter K Series engine which may be fitted with variable valve timing technology.

If Big Bazaar and Westside were not enough, Tata is planning to open exclusive showrooms just for the Nano.

Tata Motors spokesperson told PTI -

We are exploring appointing full fledged dealerships only for the Tata Nano in small towns

The company wants to replicate the success that it garnered with their mini truck – Ace, which has 600 standalone stores alongside normal dealerships in the country. As of now, Tata Nano is available through the company’s 617 regular dealerships, 151 Tata authorized service centers and can be experienced at 210 access points including Big Bazaar and Westside.

To be honest, we think that it is a bit of a wasteful expenditure to have exclusive dealerships just for one car. This will not only eat through the profits but will eventually lead to rise in the prices of the Nano itself. If they really want to increase the reach of the Nano is small towns and villages, they might as well have exclusive tie ups with rural shopping malls such as Aadhaar, Kisan Sewa Kendras and e-chaupals to sell the Nano.

Right from its testing phase, we have covered the development of the 2012 VW Beetle. Finally, VW took the wraps of the 2012 VW Beetle and boy we weren’t expecting this surprise!

The little bug has grown up and has become more stylish. Right from the coupe-like roofline, a tiny spoiler at the back to the cool embedded LEDs in the headlamps – everything about it spells ‘Fresh and Cool’

The new model is lower, wider and longer than its predecessor. Volkswagen’s head of design, Klaus Bischoff said that he has done everything that he could to make the car appeal to the male audience. Certainly we see those efforts but we believe that there is still a long way to go for that

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Talking to Indian Autos Blog from Auto Shanghai, Marin Burela, President of Changan Ford Mazda Automotive (CFMA), and Nigel Harris, General Manager of Changan Ford Mazda Sales Company said the 15 product plan for China by 2015 and 8 product plan by mid-decade for the India are going to be customer-specific, though platforms will be shared.

Ford China officials to IAB -

Shrawan – all the products that will be delivered in APA have been through our One Ford global strategy. Providing us global platforms to provide different vehicle types that are relevant to the different markets within APA (Asia Pacific). The 15 by 2015 in China will meet China’s specific customer needs, and the 8 we’ll be launching in India will be specific, but common on a global level, to the Indian market. In addition, we’ll also be launching 8 new vehicles in ASEAN in the same time frame.

IAB expects Ford to put the Focus and Mondeo on the Indian market in the next two years. The Focus is Ford’s best selling car in China with 650,000 of them sold since the debut. The Chinese market this year will witness three different types of electric vehicles on test to collate feedback, but Ford believes the way forward in India will be through internal combustion engines.