On the NDTV Car and Bike show’s official Facebook page, Siddharth Vinayak Patankar, the architect of the automotive show has written what many will find easy to believe as well astonishing -
CnB’s SVP -
Next-gen Maruti Suzuki Swift has notched up over 25,000 bookings already! Pre-launch! Maruti has increased Swift capacity tho so shud not be long waitings still.
Maruti Suzuki released adverts on leading newspapers pan India a few days back and launched a teaser website (www.marutiswift.com). The official Maruti Swift Facebook page that had fewer than 1,000 inactive members, notched 47,843 fans in under two weeks.
Anything that has the word Swift in India composes history, crosses barriers and instills excitement.
The new Swift will be launched on the 17th of next month with the same pair of engines with new technology, better space and modern design. Maruti Suzuki has delayed the introduction as the predecessor still demanded months of waiting periods.
Make sure to browse our Maruti Swift ZXi spy shots post that reveal its features and interiors.
Will you buy the new Swift this Diwali?
If you hoped to see the next generation CR-V and Civic at the Delhi Auto Expo in January 2012, then you will not be a happy person. A senior Honda official told IndianAutosBlog.com that the company will not feature the new Civic or the new CR-V at the world’s biggest motor show. Honda has launched the all new Civic in Western countries and is penetrating the UAE market, where an IAB fan recently checked it out at the local dealer.
Mr Jnaneswar Sen, Senior Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, for Honda Siel Cars India -
We will not bring it (new Civic, new CR-V) to the Delhi Auto Expo.
The new Civic is an important vehicle if Honda desires to gain traction in the crowding C segment where it once was the boss. The CR-V is another hot property as crossovers like the Renault Koleos, Chevrolet Captiva facelift and Audi Q3 are lined up for India shortly. Apart from creating a small stream of volume, companies use these SUVs/crossovers as brand builders and run shoulders with some big names.
We are not sure what exactly has prevented Honda from exhibiting these two models. The intense focus on getting it right with the Brio is certainly one.
Should Honda change its mind?
Speaking to IndianAutosBlog.com last evening, Mr Jnaneswar Sen of Honda said his company is leaving no stones unturned for the Brio’s Indian innings.
Mr Jnaneswar Sen, Senior Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, for Honda Siel Cars India -
Right now all our energies are on Brio.
When we requested him for a tentative launch date, he answered -
We’ll bring it right after September, during Dussehra and Diwali time.
The Brio has gone through bad weather in Thailand as bookings were suspended upon launch due to the Tsunami/Earthquake fiasco in Japan. The natural disaster crippled production and forced Honda to suspend activities surrounding the mini car. Production resumed recently and Honda plans to ramp up to normalcy by September.
The Brio is strapped with the Jazz’ 1.2-liter petrol engine producing around 90bhp for Thai customers. This engine is expected to be made available during the launch. There is no imminent plan for a diesel engine and it could towards the end of 2013 for one to be ready. Honda could also roll out a Brio based sedan (ala Nissan Micra-Nissan Sunny) in 2013, a perfect car to challenge the Toyota Etios and Maruti Swift Dzire.
Honda is still carrying out test runs with Brio and a media drive program could take place in the next couple of months. Honda’s journey into the mass market segments is well and truly under way.
The big daddy of the Indian car Industry is flexing its muscle to gain back what it has lost in the last couple of years. Maruti Suzuki has been facing intense heat from the competitors in the past few years. Although, it has successfully managed to retain the top spot, the competition is only going to get stiffer. Clearly, this is no time to fold your hands and follow the ‘wait and watch’ strategy.
The major reason where Maruti is loosing out on is product launches. The last launch from Maruti Suzuki was the Kizashi in February 2011 and the product bombed quite badly. So Maruti Suzuki has decided to opt in for a ‘hands on’ approach in the market. By that we mean, it is investing a whopping 3,000 crores in 2012-13 financial year on various areas, including expanding capacity and new model launches.
The few products that are expected from Maruti’s stable over the next couple of years are:
- New Swift (on August 17, 2011)
- New Swift Dzire which will be based on the new Swift but will be shorter than the current Dzire.
- R3 MPV to challenge the Toyota Innova
- Small car below the Wagon R by end of 2012
- Next generation SX4 in 2013
- A-Star facelift by 2013
- Ritz facelift by 2013
These are the product that we are 100% sure of. Of course, there will be some facelifts and a few ‘special edition’ models (read stickered models) in the pipeline as well which cost a few bucks to
Of course, after developing these models, MSIL needs to build them at some place. So they are investing about Rs 4,000 crore in this fiscal primarily on setting new assembly lines inside its Manesar facility with an annual capacity of 2.5 lakh uints. The company is also increasing the production capacity of diesel cars to 2.9 lakh units annually from existing 2.4 lakh units.
By the looks of it, Maruti Suzuki is certainly stepping on the right stones for the future.
What do you think about these plans?
IndianAutosBlog.com readers would know that next generation BMW 3 Series (F30) scheduled for an early 2012 launch has been under testing for a long time. We have covered many of its facets through spy shots and spy videos. But now something interesting has caught our eye.
Chinacartimes is carrying spy pics of a BMW 3 Series long wheelbase version caught testing in Germany. The 3 Series is generally available in many variations such as a station wagon and with many engine options and most of them are not sold in India because there is no demand for such products. But this particular version may just be of supreme importance from the Indian perspective.
The spyshot reveals that this particular prototype in 4 inches longer than regular prototypes. There are other changes also such as a more sloping roofline and a sleeker side view of the car to make sure that the car doesn’t look out of proportion. The bad news is that the long wheel base model is being specifically developed for the Chinese market.
The long wheel base model makes a lot of sense for the Indian market and here are my arguments:
• If you have sat in the rear seat of a 3 Series before, you will realize that it is not the most comfortable place in the world. There are other cars, which are in the lower price bracket, who have a better rear seat than the 3 Series.
• Because of the cramped rear seat, ingress and egress (basically getting in and out) is not easy.
• The rear legroom of the BMW 3 Series is pitiful. The driver seat is the best place on the car.
• Yes, I know it’s the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’, but let’s get real. Most 3 Series are driven by chauffeurs with the owner sitting in the back.
• Many ‘corporate edition’ 3 Series are used as Taxis by hotels and transport companies. They certainly would appreciate room at the back.
click through to read more
Ford India has sent us a press release announcing its foray into Gujarat for a second manufacturing plant. It will be a 4,000 crore rupee investment with the first vehicle and engine scheduled to come off the line in 2014. All the details are packed into a comprehensive press release attested to this blog post.
This begs the question – Could the next generation Ford Ka roll out of this plant in 2014 sporting a Made In India 1L 3cyl Ecoboost engine?
Press Release
Ford Says “Namaste Gujarat!” Announces Manufacturing and Engine Plant in India
· Ford India signs MoU with the State of Gujarat to build assembly and engine plant in Sanand
· Ford will invest4,000 crore (approximately US$1 billion) and create 5,000 jobs on a 460-acre site
· The state government has prioritised land adjacent to the site for supplier operations
click Continue for full details
If the W201 was a man, he’d have his statue in Madame Tussauds.
It’s not only auto enthusiasts but the buzz word among the general public is the Mahindra W201 and there’s no one who understands this better than Mr Mahindra himself. Bogged by so many tweets to his personal page asking for information on the W201, Mr Mahindra was quick to utilize this opportunity to fuel the flame before the imminent launch.
Mr Anand Mahindra asks tweeters to guess the SUV’s launch date. The first one to get it right goes on a fully-paid tour around the Chakan facility where the W201 will roll out of. The contest will run till tomorrow evening. There have been hundreds of entries already, all you need to do is place the exact date along with the #W201 on your tweet. If you are a Mahindra employee or associated with the company indirectly, your entry is invalid.
Mr Anand Mahindra on his twitter page -
OK,1st one to guess #W201 launchdate gets a fully paid visit to worldclass Chakan plant where W201 will be made.
Will you participate?
Now there’s another reason to fly from the Delhi International Airport. Mercedes Benz India has inaugurated a ‘Star Lounge’ with the SLS AMG on display. The photographs released by Mercedes has an unlocked SLS AMG which you can sit in and click pictures with.
The SLS AMG coupe is promoted by Michael Schumacher driving it on the ceiling of the tunnel. It features a 6.2-liter V8 engine mated to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission.
Although the lounge does not give you a tunnel to experience this first hand, if you are a Mercedes-Benz owner, you get access to exclusive areas within the lounge.
Mercedes Benz will launch the new C-Class later this year and the SLS AMG convertible could join the Indian arsenal next year. In 2012, we expect Mercedes to assemble the latest generation ML- and GL-Class models in Pune.
