Archive for November, 2011

Day 1 of the Renault Electric Vehicle media drive in Portugal was a very brief one with about 40 minutes spent behind the wheel of the Fluence Z.E. (stands for Zero Emission). This is Renault’s first electric vehicle, launched in some parts of Europe last Friday. We were provided a chance to drive them through the city of Lisbon to see whether this is the next big thing in the auto world.

Renault welcomed us at the Lisbon airport basement with refreshments and a briefing

The journey started at the Airport and concluded at the Onyaria Golf Resorts situated at Cascias, about an hour away from the airport.

click through to read on

At the launch of the Range Rover Evoque held today in Mumbai, Jaguar also displayed the XF facelift shown below at the other end of the showroom floor. Upon requesting dealer executives on details of the new model, we understood that the market introduction is due shortly, likely during the next 4-6 weeks.

Jaguar XF facelift rearJaguar XF facelift front fascia

The updated XF sports a revised grille, bi-xenon headlights having integrated LED daytime running lights. A new hood and redesigned front fenders complete changes to the front fascia. The theme extends to the rear using new LED taillights.

Likewise in the cabin, seats have been ‘improved,’ the switchgear revised, instrument cluster redesigned and an infotainment system with touch screen interface supplemented.

Story developing.

Range Rover Evoque Mumbai launch

IndianAutosBlog.com is coming to you live from the Range Rover Evoque launch in Mumbai. Keep refreshing this page for the details.

Update – Range Rover Evoque launched at 44.75 lakh rupees (ex-showroom Mumbai) in three diesel options and one petrol option with 6-speed automatic transmission. Customers can choose between 3-door and 5-door body styles and bookings are open.

brochure posted after the break

After announcing the plans of entry into the Indian car market, Peugeot finally sealed the deal with the Gujarat chief minister to set up a 4000 Cr plant. Since then, many 207 hatchbacks and 508 sedans have been spotted testing on the Indian streets. It is quite clear that Peugeot has plans to launch a hatchback in an already crowded segment in India. But news comes in from international automotive  [ Read More ]

If the Prancing horse has unveiled the FF in India, arch rival Lamborghini cannot sit back and chill. So Lamborghini has unveiled tier latest flagship V12 supercar Aventador in India for a whopping price of Rs 3.69 core (ex delhi). For that money, what you get is the best Lamborghini can offer your till date. Unveiled at Geneva last year, the Aventador replaces the Murchielago as Lamborghini’s new flagship V12  [ Read More ]

Ford India adds more features to the Figo

Ford India’s success story – the Figo is doing reasonably well in the hatchback segment. Despite of new entrants like the Swift, Brio and Liva, the Figo has managed to hold on to a respectable 5000 units a month. But with the competition getting stiffer, Ford India is not going to fold its hands. The company has decided to add more features to the Figo to snatch some competitor’s customers.  [ Read More ]

Chevrolet celebrates 100th birthday!

The iconic ‘bow tie’ is now celebrating its 100th years existence. Started a long back in 1911 by Louis Chevrolet and GM founder Billy Duran, the Chevrolet (or Chevy as it is fondly known) brand is almost operation in all countries across the world. Known to be an average American’s average car, the Chevy has indeed come a long way from where it started off. From Corvettes and Camaros to  [ Read More ]

With chaotic traffic, potholes, animals and crazy pedestrians ruining the driving streets of India, many Indians prefer to sit in the back seat and enjoy the drive instead of going hands on. But it is very difficult to find a proper chauffeur in India. Some drive too rash, others are not polite, many don’t take care of the cars.

Amidst this difficulty, someone has seen an opportunity and has established a venture to train drivers to become Chauffeurs.

Institute of Chauffeur

A blazing economy and rising incomes in India has made an ‘Automobile’ very accessible. But good chauffeurs are hard to come by. Institute of Chauffeur services plans to bridge this gap but enlightening your driver to the detailed aspects of his job.

The training program can be conducted in a myriad of languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and English. It is a 2 month, 10 sessions program that will set you back by nearly Rs 14,000 which includes three sets of uniform.

The driver will be trained on various aspects such as Appearance, Hygiene, Good Manners, Behavior, Punctuality, Communication Skills, Car Care et all. The company has already roped in big wigs such as Mercedes, Audi and Honda as their customers.

We think it is an awesome concept that is much needed in India. Sure, the price is a bit steep and the car owners will be reluctant to pay. But if the services in up to the mark, it’s a win-win situation.

What do you think about this business idea?