Here is a little exercise that you can do for fun. Go down to any major street and take a pan shot of the traffic. You will notice that at least one of the cars in that traffic is a Maruti Suzuki Swift.
Such is the reach of this little urban run around that change the hatchback segment forever. The reason for this reach you ask? Well the answer is Maruti Suzuki sold 12000 odd units of the Swift almost every single month from the 2005 to 2011. More than 600,000 of the original Swift have been shifted into the market.
But as competition got fiercer, more and more cars with better features invaded the Swift’s territory. The sales of the Swift looked in trouble. The Swift was still outselling the competition by a huge margin but instead of 12K units, it started to show signs of slipping to four figures. The market demanded more features, more space, more fuel economy and Maruti Suzuki finally responded with the– All new ‘More’ Swift.
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Volkswagen has chosen to not wait until the Frankfurt Motorshow to unveil the VW UP. So here we have the first official images of the VW Up which is going to be VW’s cheapest car in India ever. Of course, it will also be launched in Europe and America because fuel efficient cars are very much in demand over there as well. The UP is an entry level hatchback that [ Read More ]
What a big day it was for the Force Motors as they took the wraps of their first Premium passenger vehicle – Force One. In its testing phase, the Force one was the most photogenic SUV in India. We even got you spy pics from the northern mountains where this SUV was put to test on high altitudes.
Photograph – A proud Force Motors Team with their baby
The Force One signifies an important step in Force Motors’s future. It is the first step taken by a commercial vehicle manufacturer into the passenger car segment. Previously, Mahindra&Mahindra and Tata Motors have taken this step and now they are red-lining the Indian Automotive scene.
So will Force One establish Force Motors as an important manufacturer in India? Let’s find out.
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If you own a Chevy Cruze, here’s another reason for you to feel a sense of pride. The Chevrolet Cruze is a sales blockbuster in the US clocking 26,648 deliveries in July. It beat the Hyundai Elantra (expected in India by 2013) and the Toyota Corolla in the victorious journey.
GM USA has sold 147,620 Cruze models from January until the end of July. It has a very short distance to go before it beats the Corolla which managed a class-leading 154,324 units in the same period. International blogs reported that GM is considering a diesel Cruze for USA next year. Alongside the diesel, Chevrolet could land a Cruze coupe next year.
With the niche two-door and the high-economy diesel variants can the Cruze become the America’s best selling car in 2011?
GM’s chief marketing officer Joel Ewanick -
We are competitive for the first time ever. The buyers are completely different than the ones we have seen before.
The Cruze has clicked for GM in the States and here in India with a powerful diesel engine it makes up for a sizable volume in the overall sales. GM has introduced a Cruze hatchback in Europe and a station wagon is rumored to be in the works. GM’s Australian division Holden is working out a performance SS variant of the Cruze. GM’s strong attachment with batteries and motors could also lead to a Volt-based EV.
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The refreshed version of the Tata Indica Vista is all set for a launch on the August 22 and Tata Motors dealerships have commenced bookings for three variants. The new Vista takes heavy inspiration from its bigger sibling the Tata Manza, so much so that its front has been completely borrowed it.
The new Vista now has the same chrome grille and triple barrel headlamps. Changes in the rear are not strikingly new but a plastic embellishment aims to defeat monotony. A new set of alloy wheels are also on offer.
On the inside the car now offers a two tone dashboard layout, steering mounted audio controls, electrically adjustable ORVM’s and a similar central console dashboard placement like earlier.
Technically the car remains the same and engines are being carried over from the older model as this is a facelift/refresh and not a new generation. The next generation Indica is expected to bow in during late 2013.
Dealers are taking bookings with a deposit of between Rs.10,000 to Rs.25,000 depending on the dealership. Deliveries of the Vista facelift will begin once the car is officially launched on August 22.
The test schedule for the Mahindra W201 is like the universe – there’s no end to it. At least 2/3 Indian road users have seen one in the last two years.
Two IndianAutosBlog.com readers have sent in snaps of the Mahindra W201 test mule from Tamil Nadu. Praveen Emmanuel’s shots were taken inside the city while Mr KR Pandian’s images arrive from Coimbatore. There is a device attached to the second mule’s exhaust. Are they testing for combustion quality from fuel pumps from different suppliers?
Mahindra is expected to launch the W201 in October with the mHawk 2.2-liter diesel engine producing about 140PS power and 320Nm torque paired to a five-speed manual transmission. One allegedly leaked image of the vehicle’s nose has been posted on IndianAutosBlog.com a few weeks back.
Mahindra might sell the W201 through select dealer outlets. They can use Ssangyong’s dealer network in overseas countries to sell the global SUV.
Hyundai continues testing the D Segment i45 (Sonata in other markets) around Chennai. The latest pictures sent in by our reader Vasanth alias Killen Vassy is helpful in proving that.
What amazes us is Hyundai testing the white mule with no camouflage. They haven’t duct-taped the GDi (Gasoline Direct Injection) badge either. The i45 was used on the “New Thinking – New Possibilities” TV ad campaign and that could be a reason why they don’t believe in secrecy.
The i45′s segment is also seeing a change in fuel preference. Many people are opting for diesel. VW Group’s Superb and Passat sales are mostly bought in diesel, the latter is not even offered with a petrol engine. The Toyota Camry continues to be bought by NRI’s who are in love with it.
Many IAB readers like Sarun have spotted the i45 testing on the highway Chennai-Bangalore highway say it looks like a magnified Verna with an increase in loudness in design expression. The i45′s graceful design will be the i45′s standout highlight but missing a diesel engine and being imported mean it may only assume the role of brand shaper.
The kind of car the i45/i40/Sonata is and what it has done to Hyundai’s brand image in America and Europe, it will be a shame if it scripts a tale similar to the Suzuki Kizashi here. The lack of a diesel engine and lofty sticker price could put it in the Kizashi’s basket.
Can we expect Hyundai to launch the i45 at the Auto Expo in Delhi next January?
This morning, Force Motors launched the One, the company’s foray into the Personal Vehicle space. Packed with technology from Mercedes Benz, the company has a lot riding on the One as it plans another SUV after a family MPV for late 2012. It has 22 dealers retailing vehicles from September 1st with 28 more by the end of 2011.
Click through to read the press release. You can go through the complete technical specifications and features of the One by visiting our earlier post.
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