Indian Autos blog

At a recent conference, IndianAutosBlog.com sat down with Ford India’s President and Managing Director, Mr Michael Boneham to discuss about the paradigm shift in consumer preference towards diesel cars. We fired our questions and Mr Boneham wasn’t the one to shy away or show nervousness on the facts and reality.

IAB – What is your view on the rapidly changing diesel:petrol ratio? How is Ford India coping with this shift?

MB – It’s not easy; But we got to work with the supply base. Fortunately we have a flexible engine plant both able to be made (petrol and diesel) on the same assembly line (in Chennai). That helps us but its more in the supply base. We are working with the supply base to break the constraints. For instance this month we will produce double the number of diesels for the Fiesta that we did last month.

For the Figo there’s a long waiting list for diesel. We anticipate that in 2-3 months we’ll clear the congestion.

IAB – What about EcoBoost technology? With this shift is there any change of plans?

MB – I think its all about fuel economy, performance and price positioning. Ecoboost engines are still more expensive than normal engines because of direct injection and turbocharging (technologies). What we need to do is make the examination of is there a consumer demand and pull for that level of technology in here? It gives unbelievable fuel economy, same level of hybrid so we’re looking at it very closely but we’ve still go to get the pull from the customers before we put the investment to bring it in.

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While Skoda was all about the ‘Mission L’ concept at the Frankfurt Motorshow, far away in the Alps the Czech czar has already started implementing the new design language (showcased on the VisionD concept car) on its current portfolio. Carscoop has got us first images of the face lifted Skoda Superb straight from Europe.

The test vehicle that we see over here has its front and rear fascia covered in heavy camouflage indicating that the new updates will be restricted to those portions only. According to Carscoop, the new Superb will gain a Mission L like front end but with a slightly longer grille.

The headlamps will be revised along with a new front bumper to encompasses the lower set of lights. The front fascia may also see new daytime running lamps strip just like the Octavia (Laura) RS. The rear is expected to benefit from the redesign with a new LED tail lamp design and a re-sculptured rear bumper. The facelift will be common to the wagon and sedan body style.

Back home, the Skoda Superb is pretty much dominating its segment on a month on month basis. The entry of the mighty VW Passat at a lucrative price point has managed to shake the Superb but the crown still stays with Skoda. Definitely, a small facelift will work wonders on the Superb and will make it even more competitive.

Skoda India – Will you bring the updated Superb to the Auto Expo and get a head start on the competition? TKM is bringing the all-new Camry in mid-2012 and Peugeot will soon drive in the 508 expected to launch an attack on your entrant.

Whilst the new generation X3 is now a CKD (complete knock-down kit) unlike the earlier CBU (complete built-up unit), and the X5 getting a fancy facelift in 2010, BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer now announces the X4. Due to the X6′s surprising success, BMW have confirmed that the X4 is on the way.

Now as the name suggests, we believe that the X4 is going to be a mutant brother to the X3 and the X5. Speculations are that the X4 will be at 4.65m length as compared to the X3 and X5 which are at 4.57m and 4.66 respectively. Also, the BMW X4 will be a director competitor to the Audi Q4 and the Porsche Cajun.

The appearance of the X4 is to be much like its big brother the X6, but with a smaller frame paving way for a layout of a 4 door SUV. As far as the powerhouse is concerned, the X4 will sport the same as that of an X3, including the new 2.0 litre turbocharged 4 cylinder engine and also BMW’s xDrive All wheel drive technology. This will give it somewhat off-road capabilities.

This is something to watch out for. A perfect blend if you are looking for something more stylish than an X3 and cannot afford the X6. The X4 is expected to hit the roads in 2014.

You can ignore the spyshots and design concepts for the new Honda CR-V now because the cat is finally out of the bag. Yes, you die hard Honda fans (Manpreet S Bala – are you reading this?) the Honda CR-V is finally exposed on the internet. Autoblog has managed to procure the real images of the Honda CR-V straight from the patent office.

Just yesterday we brought you some very clever spyshots of the Honda CR-V caught testing in Europe. The test mule revealed the fact that the production version of the Honda CR-V will not be very different from the concept images shown by Honda. These clear image bring a lot more fascinating aspects of the Honda CR-V to the table.

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Hyundai has just released the upcoming and much awaited EON compact car expected to be launched in India during mid-October. The official sketches show a package offering compact exterior dimensions and spacious as well as functional interiors. The design is subjective, and we feel its flowing on to the road.

Earlier it was being said that the Eon will replace the Hyundai Santro but the good news for the Santro fans is Hyundai don’t have any such plans and both small cars will be sold side by side. We must note that the Santro was Hyundai’s first offering in India more than a decade back and has been selling in good numbers till date, largely because of the trust factor, space and fuel economy. The Santro has paved the way for the i10 and the Eon. The trust factor Santro built for brand Hyundai cannot be acquired through media campaigns or brand ambassadors.

The Eon will be priced a touch below the Santro and it has only one objective – to destroy the Maruti Alto which clocks over 25k units even on bad months. The Eon brings more class, well appointed interiors, a sizable boot and visually more stunning design.

It is being highly anticipated that the Eon will be priced somewhere around 2.5 lakh which pits it against the Alto.

In 2012, Fiat India plans to refresh the Punto for the Indian market. The refreshed Punto will be sold in standalone dealerships across 20 cities. The reworked retail strategy will keep the customer’s attention on the Punto which could decrease bounce rates.

The liveliness or vivacity of Punto or the Linea has not eroded and the Italian lines have only got better with time and changing environment. But it is a common practice for car manufacturers to keep their products updated. Competition has emerged in forms of the refreshed Swift and the ‘oh so beautiful’ Fluidic Verna. Both the Linea and Punto hence will go under the surgeon’s knife next year.

Fiat India has two options to choose from. They can bring down the Evo variant (outgoing model) or opt for the refreshed variant showcased at Frankfurt’s IAA. Though isn’t a drastic step forward from the original the facelift will go hand in hand with the inauguration of new dealerships. It will give people another reason or purpose to visit the newly opened stores.

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Prior to its debut at the Los Angeles Expo which is about two months away (November 18-27), Honda is aggressively testing the CR-V in various parts of the world.

A fresh set of spy pics of the Honda CR-V have made their way all the way from Europe to our table. This test mule is sporting relatively less camouflage than the earlier ones indicating that the new CR-V will be unveiled soon

Because of relatively lesser camouflage, one can easily say that the new CR-V will be very close to the concept that was displayed in July.

However, unlike the Honda Civic which is specifically developed differently for US and European markets, the Honda CR-V will be a global model. Of course, the engine options will differ considerably for both markets.

Some specific changes can be seen on the test mule that are different from the CR-V concept. These are:

• Smaller alloy wheels
• Black roof rails
• Absence of skid plates

With an extended overhang, there is a stark possibility that the new CR-V will be offered in a 7 seater configuration. Codenamed 2WS, the new CR-V will sport a 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated, 4 cylinder engine generating 201 Bhp of peak power and 240 Nm of torque. Four-wheel drive and front-wheel drive options are going to be provided depending on the markets. A smaller 2.4-liter petrol engine will also be listed at launch.

Honda SIEL told IndianAutosBlog.com that it will not bring the new Civic or the new CR-V seen above to the Delhi Auto Expo.

For further details we have to wait until the Los Angeles Auto Expo.

The Frankfurt Motorshow was quite significant for the VW group because they showcased their smallest car yet – the UP.

The UP will be VW answer to the Fiat 500, Toyota Aygo et all. VW made sure that the UP was presented to the world in a grand fashion so they booked a huge floor space to display not one, not two but nine UP models.

But being VW, that huge expenditure of moolah was not enough. VW is known for its creative advertisements and below-the-line marketing activities. Be it a ‘Talking Newspaper’ or absurd banners on the streets, VW has pretty much been there and done that.

So for the UP! VW decided to target the cars parked outside the Frankfurt Motorshow. What they did was……wait…..why don’t you have a look yourself