IAB is going to spend the day in VW’s Chakan plant in Pune. Posting frequency will be less, but we’ll come back tonight and posting will be back to full-throttle!
Maruti Suzuki, according to multiple reports, has decided to build the R3 MPV, shown as a concept at the Auto Expo in January this year. India’s largest car manufacturer found little success with its first MPV “Versa.” The re-engineered “Maruti Eeco” introduced earlier this year at almost a fraction of the Versa’s cost has got of to a very brisk start.
Encouraged by the success, Maruti will compete with the likes of the mini Xylo, Chevrolet’s Wuling vans and the junior Innova when it comes out next year. Based on the elongated SX4 platform, naturally it will share many vital components which should lower costs and development time.
Now the interesting bit is the R3 could come with VW’s diesel engines. For cars like the Swift and Ritz, Maruti uses the Fiat 1.3-Multi-jet engine. Due to unavailability of extra engines at the manufacturing site, Suzuki could use the 1.6-liter diesel engine that will feature on the VW Vento.
The 1.6-litre common rail diesel engine makes 105 bhp, which should be sufficient to power this seven seater. The 1.2-liter K-Series engine and the 1.6-litter VVT engine that powers the SX4 could be the petrol options. The former was designed for cars of smaller sizes, and it wouldn’t make the R3 a very engaging drive. The latter could be transplanted with ease, saving time, since its home is the engine bay of the SX4.
Maruti is yet to finalize details for this vehicle as it waits for the customer feedback to be processed.
Suzuki could take the Indian-engineered R3 MPV to markets like Brazil where it could produce it in VW plants. The Suzuki R3 knocked-down kits from the Manesar/Gurgaon plant could be exported to European and Latin American countries where it will be assembled.
If you were an automaker and you had grand plans for India, which auto manufacturer would you look to partner with?
The answer is the obvious. And VW also agrees.
Rumors of a possible tie-up between VW and Suzuki were confirmed by a popular German publication which has quoted an unnamed Suzuki official. The report goes on to say Suzuki will have access to VW’s technology in exchange for Suzuki’s resources in India and other South East Asian markets which will enable it to get a good start.
Suzuki Official -
“For Suzuki and VW this connection would be a win-win situation. Suzuki would have access to a variety of VW’s technology, while Volkswagen would have a solid supporting leg in India and Southeast Asia.”
Bugatti is celebrating its hundredth year in the Automobile business, and what better way can they do it than by putting forward a car that has a 1,350 horses hidden under the sheet metal? That would be truly exceptional.
Volkswagen’s American operations will be testing sixteen Shanghai Volkswagen Passat Lingyu fuel cell vehicles as part of the California Fuel Cell Partnership.
American television station WRCB has managed to get hold of a sketches lying around on Volkswagen NMS designer’s desk. Seen before in the form of a test mule, the NMS (temporarily called the New Mid-size Sedan) will be a car built for America at America (VW’s new plant at Tennessee, Chattanooga) and by the radical looks of this sketch, is obviously designed by an American as well.
A renewed VW Polo hatchback and a sedan based on the Polo will roll out of VW’s Chakan Plant in Pune in 2010. VW’s Chakan plant will start functioning in April, producing sister compan Skoda’s Fabia, a year before original intentions. The underlying structures of the Skoda Fabia will be used to make the Polo and Polo sedan.
The iconic VW Beetle does not need any introduction even if you live in a country that’s little known for cars. It is one of the biggest success stories ever to be recorded in the history of Automobiles, reincarnated in 1998 directing many manufacturers to look back into their earlier cars for future plans.
