When Skoda first started its operation in India, it was perceived as a premium brand with expensive offerings, the most popular one being the Octavia. Soon the lucrative growth of the market attracted the parent VW to set up shop in India.
As soon the German czar set foot in the Indian market, it went on a marketing blitzkrieg associating itself with cricket, Bollywood celebrities and almost everything that matters in India. The little Czech company was sidelined from picture.
The Octavia – Skoda’s star performer – suffered a massive blow with the introduction of BS4 norms in the metros. The international successor of the Octavia was already sold as Laura – a D segment sedan and was doing quite well. The hatchback Fabia wasn’t doing that bad either. So brand Octavia had to be put to a long painful sleep.
But Skoda India did not have an all rounder sedan to in the fastest growing C segment. So Skoda India decided to ring up parent VW to borrow the Vento and thus was born – Skoda Rapid. But does it have what it takes to match up in the C segment?
A paradigm shift is about to happen in the global luxury car market. Audi is all set to run four rings around Mercedes to become the second best (by sales) luxury car maker in the world. According to the latest statistics, Audi is leading Mercedes by 56,585 vehicles as of December 1st. If all goes well in December, Audi will surpass Mercedes for the first time in history.
Audi’s sales were boosted by the launch of two important models this year. First is the A6 sedan which borrowed a lot of tech from elder sister A8 thus making it an exceptional sedan in its category. But the real volume raker – Q3 finally clinched it for Audi. Our readers are well aware that they will get an exclusive glance at the Q3 come 2012 Delhi Auto Expo.
The top honors will be snapped up by BMW third year in a row with an astonishing 1,252,205 vehicles over Audi (1,193,110) and Mercedes (1,136,525).
So what is the implication of this story on Indian automotive sector?
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One of the most hotly anticipated launches of the Auto Expo is not one single car but the launch of an iconic brand. The marquee in question is the British origin, BMW-owned MINI and it has managed to create ripples even before its launch. Being regular at IAB, I am sure you must have ‘Liked’ their facebook page. Now the microsite has also gone live!
The countdown to launch has already started. The high-funda launch will happen on the eve of the Delhi Auto Expo on 4th of Jan. We will definitely be there at the launch getting you all the details from ground zero.
In what can be termed as a bolt out of the blue, Nissan today opened up bookings for the Sunny diesel model. In an email received moments ago, Nissan shared the vehicle’s spec sheet and press release describing the launch comprehensively. The car comes in two variants with a 1.5-liter CRDI engine paired to a 5-speed manual transmission.
Ex-showroom prices for Delhi for the Sunny diesel
- Rs 7,98,000 (XL) (1.1 lakh over the XL petrol variant)
- Rs 8,78,000 (XV) (1.1 lakh over the XV petrol variant)
It is powered by a 1.5-liter 4cylinder K9K diesel engine, borrowed from the Micra but produces a much better 86PS @ 3,750 RPM and 200 Nm @ 2000 rpm (IAB was bang on with the specification in our scoop post!). The mileage stands at an impressive 21.64 kmpl (ARAI certified). It is impressively spec-ed too with the both diesel variants equipped with ABS brakes, EBD, Brake Assist besides the driver side Airbag.
Nissan has sold about 3,000 examples of the three petrol variants and it looks like their strong performance in India will continue with the launch of the diesel Sunny.
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Audi India’s next rival-busting weapon after the Q3 is undoubtedly the next generation A3. The sedan concept displayed at this year’s Geneva Motor Show is the addition that could catapult Audi India into five-digit yearly sales.
The first variant in the A3 series is the hatchback spied during cold weather testing in Europe. The interior layout and components is same for different body styles, so we can ignore the hatchback body for this image. It somewhat stays true to the concept car’s interior with jet thruster inspired air vents, large dials and expanded MID tucked between them.
Audi is expected to drop the familiar two-liter diesel engine under the A3′s hood. They have a wide selection of petrol engine to pick from. Testing of the sedan model is expected to start in 2012 with market introduction scheduled for mid-to-late 2013.
The Dacia-badged Duster SUV is making competitors sweat in many parts of Europe. Despite its low-cost nature, it has outsold cars like the Volkswagen Polo, Europe’s best seller Volkswagen Golf and the Ford Fiesta in France.
The financially-unsettled Europe is buying the Duster by the thousands and has prompted the VW group to design a competitor. Ford will be eager to send out the EcoSport to stop the Duster in its tracks.
The Duster outsold many other cars in Spain to secure a position in the ten best selling cars of 2011. There’s still a while to go before the junior SUV hits India but the Duster fever has gripped auto enthusiasts already. The only roadblock for Renault is the lack of a closely-knit dealership network in India. Can they overcome the odds to make Duster the Verna or Figo of 2011?
Sources have disclosed to IndianAutosBlog.com that the next generation Ford Mondeo sedan based on the brand’s new global design language could make to India in 2014. The thematic inspiration can be derived from the sharp-edged Evos concept displayed earlier this year. Ford is testing out the new Mondeo in the US where a petrol-electric variant is rumored to be on the anvil.
The next gen Mondeo plays successor to the Fusion sedan in America. Ford is reported to have planned three body styles for the D-Segment Mondeo such as sedan, wagon and hatchback.
The CD-Platform Mondeo could be powered by EcoBoost engines of 1.6 and 2.0 liter displacements. For European markets, turbodiesel engines of 2+ liter displaced could be planned, apt for our market. There is no dearth of competing models in the 20-30 lakh rupee price bracket with the Skoda Superb ruling the roost in India. The Hyundai i45 and the Peugeot 508 are two upcoming sedans Mondeo should watch out for in the sparsely populated D-Segment.
Ford India is also expected to fill the C-Segment void using the Focus sedan but the timeline is not clear at this moment. The eight models planned till mid-decade will be built on B-, C- and CD-Platforms.
Nissan will produce 70,000 units of a new sedan bodied on the B0 Platform (that underpins Logan, Sandero and Duster) late next year in Russia, AutoMarket.ro is reporting.
Nissan Russia’s Managing Director Francois Goupil is also quoted in the article -
We will bring to the market a 4.6-meter-long sedan built on the B0 platform.
The new sedan is reported to be mimicking the design language and road presence of the Nissan Sylphy sold in parts of Asia. Considering this model is for a developing market like Russia, its bound to be an affordable proposition.
Nissan Sylphy
Renault India launches the Duster next year and there’s no doubt that the Renault-Nissan group is exploring new models on its platform. The upper-end of the C-Segment could be the right place for the new Nissan sedan here in India, not to mention the 1.5-liter K9K diesel engine is compatible with the platform.
The question is will they choose this option for India?
When Skoda first started its operation in India, it was perceived as a premium brand with expensive offerings, the most popular one being the Octavia. Soon the lucrative growth of the market attracted the parent VW to set up shop in India.
