The first ever Indian GP is all set to take place in the wonderful city of Noida. I am sure most of you F1 freaks have booked their tickets and made hotel reservations to hear the awesome sound of V8s battling for supremacy. But that’s not all!
On your way to the Buddh Circuit, don’t forget to drop by the MotorMatch Auto Show – a unique motor show that will help you compare vehicles of the rival brands so that you can make an informed decision. Either that or just have some fun at ogling cars and listen to live performances from bands such as Faridkot, Half Step Down and Projeqt Square.
This format is specifically developed for the BRIC nations wherein the consumer is provided all the expert guidance that he needs to buy a car right from test drives to financing the vehicle. They will have a huge range of vehicles right from commuter cars and motorcycles to super luxury cars, hyper cars and superbikes.
The MAC group, Fiera Milano and Exhibitions India Group (EIG) have partnered together to bring MotorMatch to India. If successful, a similar auto show will be presented in Brazil, Russia and China.
Karun Chandhok is selected as a brand ambassador for MotorMatch and he will be involved in a lot of promotional activities.
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Now that the Sunny is launched, Nissan India is focusing on the testing activities on the NV200. So many of our loyal readers have sent us spy pics of completely uncamouflaged NV200 doing testing rounds in Chennai. Nissan India is betting big on the NV200 as it hopes to kill the kingpin of MPVs – the Toyota Innova.
However, Nissan’s LCV partner Ashok Leyland also has similar ambitions and wants a pie of the MPV segment. Ashok Leyland has recognized the growing demand for people movers in India and is reportedly working on an MPV based on the NV200 platform. If everything goes well, this new MPV will mark the foray of Ashok Leyland brand in the passenger segment.
This does raise a question of will there be rift between Nissan and Ashok Leyland as they are both targeting the same segment. However Dr V Sumantran, executive vice chairman, Hinduja Automotive said that their MPV will be completely different from the NV200 and will be targeted towards commercial use rather than a family car. The company is targeting tour operators and taxi operators with their new MPV.
The new MPV will be positioned below the Mahindra Xylo and is at least 12 – 15 months away from its debut. This also acts as a buffer period for Nissan as it has ample time to market the NV200.
The Toyota Innova has enjoyed a dominant run in the Indian MPV segment. However, as more and more manufacturers are diverting their attention towards the MPV segment, the heat will be more intense. The major contender for now seems like the R3 from Maruti Suzuki. Force Motors is also planning an MPV based on the Mercedes Viano. General Motors is testing many Chinese MPVs in India from its SAIC Wulling partnership. At the same time, Chevrolet is all set to refurbish the Tavera with a new BS4 complaint engine by the end of 2011.
As the competition heats up, Toyota better get the Innova facelift out fast.
If you have been reading IndianAutosBlog.com, you will know Renault is preparing the Duster as we speak for a 2012 launch. The Duster will follow the V-Platform hatchback (the concept version of which will be unveiled later this month) into India in both 2WD and 4WD formats.
Renault India said the highly localized Duster SUV will be manufactured at Oragadam, Chennai and export plans are being discussed internally. The Duster is likely to be exported to UK as there are no plans for manufacturing the LHD variant at Oragadam. We’re in the dark about Renault’s projections and production plans, but we expect not less than 25k units to roll out in the first year.
The Duster for the Indian market is powered by the 1.5-liter diesel borrowed from Micra producing around 85bhp power. Dacia badges will be absent on its body and the starting price is said to be around 7 lakh rupees.
India is waiting expectantly for the Duster and hence we’re showing two images of a red Duster released in South America.
If you want to learn more about the Duster head over to our Renault Delhi press conference post.
Mercedes Benz India is likely to launch an entry level E-Class diesel (E220 CDI) during the month of December. It will help Mercedes garner more numbers with its low price and fleet customer base. Using the same diesel engine (2,143 cc, four-cylinder) Mercedes Benz will lower the outputs.
The equipment on-board will be skimped and along with Daimler’s own financial arm for convenience, Mercedes will hope to give the recently launched A4 2-liter TDI and BMW’s 520d a tough fight. The overall numbers will also be better for Mercedes Benz as Audi threatens to take away its second place in the luxury car leader board with a lofty yet achievable target of 7,500 units in 2012.
At the Auto Expo in January 2012, Mercedes Benz is likely to display the B-Class MPV and debut it shortly thereafter. Mercedes Benz will gauge the reaction of the visitors and clientele to decide the final configuration. The exact launch date is not yet understood, but a mid-2012 launch is our best guess. As the B-Class is a family MPV, we are sure Mercedes will not offer heavy-weight performance under the bonnet. Goes without saying that the B-Class will be the cheapest Mercedes Benz in India.
Fiat Palio was a very successful brand in India. In fact, it was the first hot hatch in India with a 1.6L engine. However, due to lack of commitments from Fiat India’s senior management, the Palio showed a very lackluster sales numbers. Fiat did not upgrade the Palio to BS4 norms and it was left to fend for itself.
A long time back, Fiat decided that the new Palio will be initially launched in Brazil and then will make its way to the other parts of the world. Thus, Fiat Brazil was entrusted the responsibility of developing the 2012 Palio grounds up. Our good friends Eber and Moriah at NoticiasAutomotivas have kept us regularly updated on the developments surrounding the 2012 Palio.
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Today evening Volkswagen India is conducting a conference in Mumbai to announce the launch of PlanetVolkswagen.co.in. A new digital campaign, like most of its other initiatives, it is rich in creativity and ideas. It features a rotating globe with different land masses for each of Volkswagen India’s departments.
Consisting of everything you want to learn about Volkswagen, the little sounds, animations with attention to detail, color combination and smooth loading make it a treat to surf. If you don’t have a fast broadband connection, we request you to stay away.
They have designed the new website in typical Volkswagen fashion.
Since the brand is not very old but has caught on quickly with Indian people, many want to learn the heritage, technology and German company’s background.
There’s a Junior section targeted at kids who Volkswagen see as future customers. Never in India has a manufacturer taken to the internet with this much creativity.
There’s a wealth of information on board. We’d now like to see Planet Volkswagen’s natural satellites such as Skoda and Audi revolving around it. The question is will they bring something like that?
Go ahead and check PlanetVolkswagen.co.in now!
Looking at the rapid dieselification of Indian market, Audi India launched an entry level diesel variant of the A6 with a 2.0L TDI engine. Earlier, the A6 was only available in 3 engine options 2.8 TFSI, 3.0 TFSI and 3.0 TDI. Thus, if you wanted a diesel Audi A6, you had no options but to buy it in a 3.0 TDI which was a bit expensive.
However, Audi India has realized the potential of the entry level diesel executive sedan market and has dropped the 2.0L TDI from the Q5 in the A6. This 2.0 TDI does its duty in a lot of VW and Skoda models as well. This 4 cylinder oil burner produces 177 hp and has a fuel efficiency rating of 18.96 kmpl. Nothing else has been changed on the A6 spec sheet.
The new 2.0L Audi A6 will give a tough competition to the rival brands. It will go head to head with BMW’s 520d and Mercedes’s E-Class diesel in India. The company has priced this new A6 at an ex showroom Delhi price of Rs 37.7 lakhs. The BMW 525d starts at Rs 36.9L (ex-Delhi) and the Mercedes E220CDi starts at 38.74 lakh (ex Ahmedabad). Just like the brand positioning, Audi is also pricing their cars in the middle.
An unidentified IndianAutosBlog.com reader sent us snaps of the upcoming Hyundai Eon. Hyundai will launch the Alto slayer on the 13th of this month with a 814cc three-cylinder petrol engine producing 56 PS @ 5,500 RPM and 75 Nm @ 4,000 RPM.
These images could have been snapped as the vehicle was being unloaded from a truck on a public road. But let’s move our attention from the location of the car to the car itself.
The Eon does not look or feel like three lakh rupee car. Add a slightly more powerful engine and the Eon could give a tough fight to the i10 category players. The quality, fit and finish are unreal for a car at this price point. Maruti has to be worried until their new 800cc car is ready.
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The first ever Indian GP is all set to take place in the wonderful city of Noida. I am sure most of you F1 freaks have booked their tickets and made hotel reservations to hear the awesome sound of V8s battling for supremacy. But that’s not all!
