The word ‘ECO’ is totally in these days in the automotive sector. Prefix or suffix it to some other word and suddenly that thing becomes very desirable. Anyways, as well all know that Chevrolet is celebrating is 100 years of existence. They are making a number announcements to determine their future goals and direction. Just yesterday, they announced a facelifted version of the Beat. Now, GM has announced that by 2015 the new generation Ecotec engines will power their future cars.
GM will spend heavily on researching and developing Ecotec engines in the next 3 years. Engines of varying displacement right from 1L to 1.5L and from 3 -4 pots will co developed with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC), Shanghai General Motors (SGM) and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC).
At IAB, we very much like the Tata Manza because of it is spacious, comfortable, affordable and looks quite good too. We also like the TV ad for Manza featuring Tanuka Saan and his colleague figuring out why their product (any guesses which one?) is not as good as Tata Manza. Well now, Tanuka Saan is back with a bang!
This time Tanuka Saan is an undercover sardarji who is on a mission to find out why prospective customers are buying the Manza. Unfortunately, the colleague cocks it up again and gets beaten up by Tanuka Saan. Click on the video to find out why
Having seen the kind of reaction the Eon’s evoked, Maruti Suzuki has shown the first signs of defense. It introduced a limited edition version of the Alto K10, the car Eon stands in direct competition with, dubbed Alto Xplore.
The limited edition is limited to the Lxi and Vxi trims. Maruti has chosen to supplement variants to the top-end model as Alto sales accelerated on the introduction of the value-added K10 model having more power and better kit.
The Xplore models will be available in six colour choices. It features double-din stereo with USB and Bluetooth, leather seats, body graphics, body colored fitments and roof spoiler. Though Maruti says the K10 is pitched at the customer in the buying mood this Diwali, anyone even with shallow knowledge of the industry will tell you that this is market share-conscious Maruti’s reaction to the Hyundai Eon.
Hyundai launched its smallest car in the world, the Eon here in Delhi today. Organized at the country’s best indoor theater, Kingdom Of Dreams, the event was an extravagent affair thought it marked the entry of the least expensive vehicle in the global Hyundai stable.
Here are the pointers from the event.
The EON has been conceptualized, designed and tailor made for India.
Hyundai says with the launch of the EON, the era of compromise in terms of quality, space, features, performance and functionality in a compact hatchback will end.
Four years and 900 crore rupees have been invested in the development of the EON and more than 1,000 engineers have worked on the project.
Hyundai is having a great time globally and is a formidable force in every market it is present in. Brand value is reaching new heights with the launch of every new product.
The design concept keyword for the EON is DYNAMIC FLOW which shows movement, balance, aesthetics and functionality.
The design keyword for the interiors is EMOTIONAL STRUCTURE where Indian feelings and beliefs have been given top priority, example, a special flat surface on the top of the dashboard to place a sculpture of a deity.
Customers demand high mileage, good performance and style in a compact hatchback – this influenced Hyundai to create the EON.
The car’s overall design is very sporty and includes elements like half moon shape tail lamps and swept back sporty headlamps.
Since 1st of October when the bookings began, 25,000 SMS’s have been received.
No plans of exporting the EON to any other country exist as of now, the company is concentrating entirely on India
Hyundai launched the 814cc Eon hatchback today afternoon and the rush at dealers is starting to build up. While many of us predicted a starting price of under 2.5 lakh rupees, Hyundai has pushed it to 2.69 possibly after it received a load of positive praise from critics and customers.
The Eon, though priced lower, is a better buy compared to the Santro with better interiors and plenty of useful features. The plastic quality, fit and finish are best in class. But Hyundai is clever not to spec it up to the brim. Despite this we are going to see many Santro owners switching over to the Eon.
The three advantages the Santro has over Eon -
Option of LPG and CNG
1-liter engine with higher outputs (63PS/89Nm compared to 56PS/75Nm)
Resale value
Three advantages Eon has over Santro
Fluidic design language makes Santro look like the original Godrej Bero
Price advantage (2.69-3.75 lakh compared to 2.84-3.96 lakh)
Better fuel economy (21.1 kmpl)
In the next three years, we expect to see Hyundai making these moves (purely speculative)
Introduce LPG variant (caught on test) and CNG variant. Will they bring a sub-1 liter diesel?
Launch 1.0-liter petrol engine variant (possibly the Kappa-based petrol motor used on the export market i10)
Offer features like height-adjustable driver seat, Bluetooth connectivity, steering-mounted audio controls, etc – Listen to the customer and upgrade variants
By doing so replace the Santro range
We’d like to see how this impacts sales of Alto brand. The Alto is India’s best selling car and manages 25k+ units every month. We’re also keeping a close watch on the Santro sales. How much will the Eon cannibalize Santro sales?
Increasing rate of interest, sky high fuel prices and dwindling stock market & economy are creating tough days for Automobile Industry. Foreseeing the tough and competitive times Mercedes has introduced the Self lease program, dubbed Star Lease. This is the first time such kind of program has been introduced in India.
There have been few companies who have entered the lease business but have been operating under corporate lease programs. Mercedes is the first one to have jumped on the opportunity of self lease.
Mercedes reasons its introduction of Lease in India as
Negative sentiments in market
Increasing rate of interest
Sky high fuel prices
Lack of capital or cash for down payment
India is market of opportunities
Benefits of Self Lease:
In some cases there’s no down payment, vehicle is handed over depending on your credibility & plan
No need to expose your capital for initial down payment
Hassle free ownership as Mercedes Benz India maintains the vehicle for you
Tax benefits as the leased car doesn’t come under your asset but as an expense
Prices of Hyundai’s Eon hatchback will be revealed to the media in less than 30 minutes. Besides the national launch in Gurgaon, simultaneous previews and launches are happening in various parts of the country. For a modest budget of four lakh rupees, the Eon seems as the likely winner. For the price of the Eon, one can buy either an Alto, Santro or a Spark. These are the three better known vehicles in the same price range.
The Hyundai Eon LPG is expected in 2012, spyshots of which were posted two days ago on IndianAutosBlog.com.
The Eon is powered by a 0.8 liter iRDE engine that raises 56PS and 76.5Nm of torque. The ARAI approved fuel efficiency figure is 21.1kmpl. A total of six variants (D-LITE, D-LITE (O), Era, Magna, Magna (O) and Sportz) make it a comprehensive lineup with the top-end model (Sportz) getting features like driver side airbag, power and tilt steering, central locking, audio system with radio, CD, MP3, USB and iPod connectivity features, and front power windows. It is offered in six colors.
Stay tuned for a detailed report on the Hyundai Eon.
Entry posted on October 13, 2011 by
Shrawan Raja;
Read More on Skoda
According to a new press release issued by Skoda, the Rapid sedan expected in mid-November in India sports 1.6-liter petrol and diesel engines producing an output of 103hp/105PS. The torque figures will not be similar with the diesel engine having a clear advantage.
Europe, China and Russia get a different Rapid sporting the design language of the MissionL next year. Select markets get a liftback body style that was first seen on the Octavia.
Measuring 4.39 meters long, 1.70 meters wide and 1.47 meters tall, the Rapid is positioned between the Fabia and Laura. Its boot volume is almost 500 liters and the release adds that Automatic transmission is offered with both engines.
