The tussle between the Auto Manufacturers and Environmentalists has existed since a long time. The environmentalists believe that because of auto manufacturers global warming is increasing at an alarming rate and they will be the sole reason for the world’s doom.
Well, in your face environmentalist because Toyota has been named as the world’s greenest brand by an Independent analytical firm – Interbrand.
Toyota successfully clinched the title after defeating many behemoths such as 3M and Siemens. Oh yes, it is not just environmentally conscious among car manufacturers but it is the most environmentally conscious brand!
Interbrand measured environmental performance and public perception of brands across industries and calculated a Green Performance Score. This data was collected from all the major markets such as UK, France, Germany, Italy, USA, Japan, Brazil and India.
The consultancy firm also interviewed around 10,000 consumers to gauge perception of a brand’s green performance. Toyota received a score of 64.19 points because of its multiple eco efforts, such as its market leader position in terms of full hybrid technology and its green manufacturing facilities.
Other automakers listed in the survey include Volkswagen (6), Honda (7), Hyundai (11), BMW (12), Mercedes-Benz (16) and Ford (20).
If you have been following IndianAutosBlog keenly in the past 3 months, you would realize that we are kinda fixated with the 2012 Toyota Camry. Not because it is good or bad (we don’t know that) but because it has been a forbidden fruit in the Automotive Industry.
There are a number of speculations, renderings, spyshots and spy videos, but the only official information we have is a small teaser by Akio Toyoda, CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation.
Wait no more IABians, the 2012 Toyota Camry has been caught in all its glory by KGP. This is exactly what the 2012 Toyota Camry would look like and we must say that it is a major departure from where we left off. The Camry has ditched its curvaceous design for sharper lines.
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Sipradi Trading, the official distributor of Tata vehicles for Nepal began deliveries of the Tata Nano yesterday. About 250 Nanos will be delivered to customers over the next few days. Sipradi had booked 352 units of the vehicle last month anticipating a good demand despite their country’s anti-CBU duty structure.
In the first stage customers purchasing with full cash and those in possession of documents processed by the bank will receive their keys. Once the bank completes formalities with other customers, they will be allowed to take delivery of their vehicles.
Sipradi says cars will be delivered to the door step of customers. If not, they can come to Kathmandu to pick up their vehicle.
Bookings for Nano resume today in Nepal.
An IndianAutosBlog.com reader who wished to remain anonymous, sent us images of the Mahindra mini Xylo (code – U203) testing in west India. We’ve already brought readers 20 images of the mini Xylo in a post last month and the latest installation provides a clear look of the vehicle’s interior.
The area adjacent to the gear lever houses a cup holder. In the normal version you get a cup holder, but not in the same position.
The mule caught testing is a high end model with the DDAS (Digital Driver Assist System) feature. There are no steering mounted controls for audio and the rest of dashboard, from what we infer, is alike the Xylo. The previous collection of spy shots showed two small jump seats at the rear. Will that make it to the production spec model?
For the benefit of new readers, here’s a list of features we expect on the mini Xylo.
- Some variants could be equipped with a start button
- It could be a 5+2 seater. Jump seats fitted to the rear are strictly for children in the family.
- A 3 pot engine producing 70hp and 160Nm of torque will be strapped to the vehicle
- There will be no roof-mounted AC like on the normal Xylo
- The compact Xylo stands on 205/65/R15 tires
- Seat backs will have aircraft style trays on select variants
- Spare tire will be mounted on the rear door
- The tiny quarter glass behind the jump seat will make it look like a grown up Wagon R
Can Mahindra price the mini Xylo from 4.99 lakh rupees?
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Tata Motors continues development of the Safari Merlin, which could hit the market during the last quarter of this year, in time for Diwali. Seen here is a Safari Merlin on test in Pune city traffic.
The Safari Merlin will heavily borrow features from the Aria. The driving position could be a bit more like a car and the cabin will be less noisy during acceleration and cruising. The gearbox likewise could be a G76 Mk2, an improved version of the current model.
The engine could feature a reworked oil sump, dual mass flywheel and mounts designed to wipe out unnecessary vibrations and harshness. The steering could provide a bit more feedback and the clutch, likewise, will take less effort to operate. The suspension will be reworked to better low- and high- speed ride and handling
A reskinned exterior is performed with the view of improving the Safari’s already awesome road presence. The spare wheel, like on the Aria, might be mounted beneath the luggage area for a clean rear. Projector headlamps is another likely feature.
The Merlin could replace the current Safari range or Tata could offer limited variants of the existing Safari.
Toyota Motor Corporation will introduce a compact car tailored for the Chinese market by 2013, the Nikkei business daily reported. The new vehicle, powered using a 1.5-liter engine, will be a little bigger than the Etios and priced under I million yen ($12,853), the report adds. It is not clear whether it is Etios or Liva that will be enlarged.
According to the news report, Toyota plans to build a 40 billion yen facility to roll out the vehicle built using Etios parts. It hopes to boost sales by launching this vehicle through joint ventures with Chinese companies. In India, production was increased recently at Bidadi to reach 310,000 units by 2013.
Apart from China, Toyota could manufacture Etios, or its variants conforming to local tastes in Indonesia and Brazil. An Etios Liva was caught testing in Indonesia recently adding more fuel to the speculation.
Jean Aw, who is thankfully alright now, met with a weird road accident in California involving four vehicles. A Lexus RX and a Toyota Highlander were part of the pile-up, along with a 2012 Honda CR-V prototype. The details of the accident are sketchy but paramedics had to be called in to the accident site.
Jean Aw is one of the founders of NOTCOT website who clicked these pics without the knowledge that they were a car blogger’s posting material.
The good news is that everyone seems OK now while the bad news (for Honda, that is) is the 2012 CR-V gets snapped yet again.
If you didn’t know, Honda will not showcase the 2012 CR-V at the Auto Expo meaning this is no impending launch. Will it take another year for the CR-V to drift into our shores?
Head over to NOTCOT.com website to see more pics and read about the collision.
The Etios Liva has not had the traction that Verna, new Swift or even elder sister Etios enjoyed. The Liva has certainly not set sales charts afire as Toyota said in a recent press release that it has managed a modest 4,000 bookings since the launch about 5 weeks back.
The chief cause for this relatively dull pickup (remember Liva is a 5-6 lakh rupee car where 70% of the cars sold are) is the the absence of a diesel engine. Toyota justified its case stating that for a city dweller who drives less than 2,500 km, the smart option is the petrol engine.
Another possible reason why Toyota has limited variants is to decrease the load on a new production line. Toyota may not be able to stay abreast with the demand if the diesel is launched simultaneously. Waiting periods can cause frustration among buyers. This is the lesson they learned with the Etios sedan.
Having said that, Toyota is “ready with diesel technology” and is likely to launch it very soon. Will Toyota launch fire crackers into rival houses with Etios diesel this Diwali?
The tussle between the Auto Manufacturers and Environmentalists has existed since a long time. The environmentalists believe that because of auto manufacturers global warming is increasing at an alarming rate and they will be the sole reason for the world’s doom.
