Owner: Car Automobile Blog in India from Carazoo.com URL:http://blog.carazoo.com/ Join Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2008 01:52:20 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Indian car automobile blog from Carazoo.com, India's first car portal with interactive animations, gives comprehensive information on the trends in car industry, car news, reviews and automobile industry updates. It also provides information on launc Site statistics:Click here
Hyundai takes on Maruti 2008-04-24 14:21:00 Competition is good for consumers. It is not always that you get to witness a healthy competition in corporate, but the car sector is one place where you can see competition that pleases product buyers. One may remember that Maruti Suzuki SX4 was the bestselling sedan in 2007-08 fiscal years. This success has spurned the rivals to upgrade their marketing strategies to newer levels. Hyundai
Motors seems to have taken the competition very seriously. The company has announced a grand discount of up to Rs 55,000 on its premium sedan Verna. Hyundai is offering a choice of accessories worth Rs 10,500 as an exchange bonus of Rs 15,000 and 4 percent discount on car loan amount. The sum total of the sops given to buyers adds up to 8 percent of the total car value. The car buyer not gets a p
Outlander is no more an outsider 2008-04-24 02:01:00 The Mitsubishi Outlander
is one of the much awaited SUV’s in 2008. The company has already upped its preparations to welcome the beast to India. They have now released the prices of the SUV. The prices will start from Rs 15.5 lakh to Rs 16 lakh. So all those who wanted to take home the ‘tough guy’ can now make arrangements for finances. Set to hit the roads in India in August, the muscular SUV will take upon existing big players like the Maruti Grand Vitara, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Endeavour and Chevrolet Captiva. Pitched against them Outlander will be one of the cheapest SUV’s to buy. But it will have more sophisticated features than any SUV has, so far. It will come with a 2.4L MIVEC petrol engine paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission and paddle shifters
BMW aims to sell 2000 cars in 2008 2008-04-25 10:13:00 BMW has been riding high on its success in India since its entry about a year ago. After reaching a sales figure of nearly a thousand cars last year, it’s now aiming at twice the figure for 2008. They have already taken steps in this direction by increasing production capacity at their Chennai plant and are currently looking to source components locally. The BMW 3 Series and 5 Series models produced at the Chennai plant have been immensely popular with the Indian public. BMW’s strong sales encouraged it to introduce more of its car models to the Indian market such as the popular M Series and the customizable and completely imported 7 Series. BMW has also been tempted into considering the launch of the famous premium hatchback MINI Cooper. The MINI Cooper, however, is not on the list
Evo to eventually come to India 2008-04-25 09:34:00 Mitsubishi had earlier announced that it will launch one new car every six months. While it has plan to revamp its existing line of cars, it is also working on re-launching some interesting new cars in India
market. Mitsubishi is coming up with Lancer Evolution X in 2009 for Indian buyers. With this new addition in Indian sports car segment, sports car lover will have one more option to choose. In short it is called ‘Evo’. The car has impressive sporty design with many options for accessories. It will be fitted with the 2.0 liter turbocharged engine and paired with twin clutch transmission with 5-speed gearbox. The steering wheel features shift paddles. It could be a rally enthusiast delight to drive around the new and improved Lancer car. Read more:eventually
Sri Lanka loves Suzuki cars 2008-04-25 09:08:00 Maruti Suzuki
is the leading manufacturer in India and is also leading in car exports from India. But now it has also another title in Sri Lanka
car – the most preferred car manufacture for imported cars. Maruti cars tops in the list of the most preferred imported car manufacturer, released by Sri Lanka
n government. The most favored cars are M800, Alto and Swift. Several interest and business of Sri Lanka are tied to bigger Indian companies. This will add credit to rising Indian Economy. But only recently has it been found that the people of India and Sri Lanka, share the passion for same cars along with the history.
Jaguar and Land Rover launch is far away 2008-04-25 08:20:00 Much has been written about acquisition of luxury brands Jaguar
and Land Rover
by Tata motors. People, who are obsessed with super luxury cars, may be waiting eagerly to put their fingers across for these luxury brands in India. But, they will have to wait for at least five years to drive home Jaguar and Land Rover
in India. So much so hype has created on JLR deal that many had thought Tata will introduce these brands in India may be within one or two years. In fact, Tata has no plans to launch these luxury brands in India for the next five to six years as it is now only concentrating to revamp these brands and roll out in USA and other western countries first. Tata might think of launching these cars in India after success of these cars in other countries. For Tata, success of these br
Small cars to be cheaper 2008-04-29 08:19:00 Small car are people’s car and they are the best suited for the Indian roads. Their popularity in India is growing in a big way. Here is great and interesting news about them. The Congress UPS government has given tax sops to the Indian auto industry and this means that small car will be cheaper now. Now this is the time to rejoice for the new car buyers. Wait there is more to small cars; they will be still cheaper by Rs. 9,000–14,000 as there will be exemption of customs duty on steel too. The excise duty is also scraped from 12%to 4%. There will be a huge difference in the price now and the sales figure of the small cars are gonnna go very high. There is another segment which has also undergone a reduction in duty from 24% to 14% and that in the hybrid section. Toyota Motors will be Read more:Small
Tic...Tic time for REVA and Nano 2008-04-29 08:09:00 This time both Tata Nano and Maini REVA is going to have a tough time. Well known clock makers Ajanta group is planning to manufacture an electric car which will be cost lesser than Nano. The electric car by Ajanta Group is expected to cost Rs 85,000. They are already manufacturing electric scooters and bikes under ‘Oreva' brand. As a part of R&D for the small car project, the company has already imported eight electric cars of different brands. At present it is Maini REVA that rules the Indian roads. Sounds great! Tough competition among car manufacturer in small car segment. Looks like India will soon be seen with more eco-friendly cars. With the growing number of eco-friendly cars, buyers will have more option to choose from small car segment. Beside this, these cars will hel
Counterfeits galore at 1,500 crore 2008-04-29 05:06:00 As counterfeits have a free hand to market their products despite efforts by manufacturers to maintain the difference, it is imperative that government steps in to stop this. The government, so far, has shown a laidback attitude. As the number of companies entering India increases, the government also needs to take quick action on this.If India does not act fast, the problem could get compounded beyond repair. It may reach the scale of China’s piracy in electronic and auto parts. The individual car part buyers are in no stage to contain the menace, as most counterfeit parts look more original than OEM products themselves. Moreover, it is not possible by the companies to monitor every nook and corner of the country. Hence, it rests on the government to enact tough laws and implement them. Read more:crore
Hyundai gets green technology 2008-04-29 04:56:00 Hyundai has always stood for innovative technologies and customer friendly policies. It has been in the forefront of several customer friendly campaigns, while releasing cars with better fuel efficiency. It has now gone a step ahead and tried to integrate alternative fuel technology in its passenger cars following other car manufacturer like Maruti, Tata and Ford. The company will be launching LPG variants of Santro and Accent in August this year. It is also likely to launch a green variant of the award winning i10 car. With the success of green model i30 in Australia, the company is now planning to introduce similar cars in India. It will be available with alternative fuel variant next year. The cars would meet the Euro V emission standards. The company has made huge investment in d Read more:Hyundai
Volt to come up in 2010 2008-04-30 07:54:00 The famed project of plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt by General Motors Corporation is progressing rapidly. The company sowed off the progress on the car to a select audience of journalist and analysts. The concept of Volt involves a 40 mile run powered by 400 pound T-shaped lithium-ion battery pack. This will be the first attempt when lithium ion batteries, now used widely in all electronic goods, will be used to run a car. It is designed to be used in any weather condition. Volt will leapfrog from the Toyota Prius hybrid design. Chevrolet Volt was supposed to participate in the 2008 Auto Expo in New Delhi. However, the car failed to make it to subsequent auto shows, across the world. The company is now planning to launch the car in 2010.
Enjoy Driving in summer 2008-04-30 07:44:00 There are some cars you should take out only in summer. If you like the winds blow your hair and yet to listen to your favourite songs with any disruption, then Volvo C70 is the car to drive in. The C-70 is the only car which comes with two-door and a hardtop in India. If you are driving through a sunny patch the hardtop protects you effectively against scorching sun. But once you notice sun set you can down the hardtop and drive through the cool breeze. You can also listen to your favourite songs over the 910 watt dynamic sound system with 11 speakers. The car comes with an amazing 6-speed transmission with a power of 218 bhp. You can feel safe inside Volvo, as has the title of delivering the safest cars in the world. Read more:Driving
Mercedes to get its own plant in India 2008-04-30 02:38:00 We all know that luxury car manufacturer BMW and Audi have started manufacturing cars in India
for the domestic market. But the oldest player in luxury segment Mercedes
, is coming up with a new plant at Chakan, Maharashtra. The company plans to roll out 12,500 units per year for the domestic and neighbouring markets. The plant will manufacture passenger and commercial vehicles. Mercedes has been a favourite car of high society in India. Now it has been a huge hit with the creamy layer of North India. By manufacturing passenger cars in India, the company will be able to drop down prices of some vehicles. The lower price tag will make Mercedes cars affordable to many more segments of consumers. Mercedes and BMW are running neck to neck in the luxury car segment in India. With a new
Indian culture inspires Car designers 2008-04-30 02:22:00 With Automobile Industry booming in India, Car designing course is getting popular with the youngster. Young designers are coming up with innovative designs. Now Indian culture
is inspiring them. It is “the Sidi Saiyed ki Jali”, an well know mosque in Ahmedabad that inspired a NID (National Institute of Design) student to design a luxury car symbolising the monument. Another theme they took from Indian culture is “Navras”. These outstanding designs have given them the opportunity to pursue their internship in the renowned automobile design house, Pininfarina of Italy. They also won 'Luxury Car For India' competition hosted by designers associated with manufacturers like Ferrari, Ford, GM, Jaguar and Fiat. Well, with these achievements the car designing seems to be another upcomi
Tata’s plunge in JLR was important 2008-05-02 03:59:00 Many have wondered as to why Tata took such a huge plunge
to buy the luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover when the competition in the Indian market is high. After the takeover was announced Tata’s stocks plummeted. Markets analyzed about the pro’s and cons of the buyout very critically. But we think that Tata was just being futuristic. It wanted to grab attention of global car market by putting up a show. Western countries with mature car market are at least five generation ahead of Indian car technology. To top it our government policies are very suffocating to allow comfortable market space in India. Tata is now a serious business house to reckon with. Big car companies have to go global to remain in business. This applies even for US and European car manufactures. After all, many
India important on Merc map 2008-05-01 15:50:00 Already India
is host to luxury car brands like BMW, Audi, Volvo and others, who have a market worth few thousands. Many luxury car manufacturers are moving their bases to cheaper markets to cut down costs, which will eventually lower the cost of their cars to suit local conditions. Luxury cars are witnessing an unprecedented growth in these countries. These markets may become more important than their existing markets. It is not the rich countries like US, France, Germany and UK which will be the driving forces for luxury cars anymore. The demand is getting flat in several European countries. According to a report in Daimler, manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz, the markets of India, China and Russia will be driving the auto market in 2008. The trend may also extend in the next decade.
Scorpio in Chile 2008-05-02 09:07:00 With the success of Scorpio
in India, Mahindra & Mahindra has now launched the model in Chile. This is the second model that has been launch in Chile by M&M. The company is not only expanding its wings nationally but also internationally. The successful launch of the sports utility vehicle Scorpio SUV in Chile will add up to its product portfolio in the Latin American market.Mahindra Scorpio SUV offered a strong value proposition and would emerge as the diesel off-roader of choice in the Chilean market. In addition to Mahindra, Automotores Gildemeister also represents Hyundai and Ford in Chile. Tata motors are also trying its hand in the international market. The present scenario depicts that the days are not far when Indian car manufacturer will rule the global automotive Industry
Gujarat is a leader again 2008-05-05 06:18:00 Gujarat has traditionally been associated with business. It has been in the forefront of industrialisation in commerce and trade. It is now emerging as the export hub of auto majors. Car companies are intensively scouting for terminals for exporting cars from India. Car manufacturers developing and manufacturing their global cars in India are looking for sea port to exports their products to more lucrative markets in the West. Some of the ports seen the radar of car companies are Mundra port, Vansi Barsi port, Maroli port, Pipavav, Okha or Kandla, all of these located in Gujarat. Moreover, the close proximity to Mumbai and Pune where most car companies have their hubs will help Gujarat to emerge as leader in another field. Read more:Gujarat
US buyers now think small 2008-05-05 06:00:00 With the hike in petrol prices, it is now observed that US car buyers are moving to smaller cars. One in five cars sold in America is a small car. And the worst hits are the US car manufacturers who thrived on larger vehicles such as SUVs and trucks. Thanks to increased petrol prices. It is now the turn of Asian tigers to roar in the west. Toyota, Honda and Suzuki which have lots of small cars in their portfolio are doing a roaring business. It is also high time for the Indian car companies like Tata and Reva to enter the US market with their small cars. It is not difficult as an open market easily allows for Indian companies to enter USA provided that Indian car companies adhere to the stringent emission norms. If India answers’ this vital question, the west will be again looking at Read more:think
CR-V to get diesel variant 2008-05-05 05:56:00 All those who wished that Honda CR-V had dieselvariant
s can see their dream come true soon. Honda is planning to bring in a diesel variants for the modern SUV. The petrol version has already set a high standard for quality. However, the key factor will be pricing. If Honda plans to keep the prices, it will naturally cut costs on interior comforts. The diesel variants could come without automatic transmission and CD changers. The CR-V is facing stiff competition from Chevrolet Captiva. Honda would also not like to upset its customers with a high priced diesel variant as Captiva already has an affordable diesel variant below the CR-V price range. It remains to be seen whether the two will compete neck to neck or one will beat the other in technology and competition.
3B for JLR by this year end 2008-05-05 05:45:00 The Jaguar and Land Rover deal is far from over. The intended fund raising of $ 3 billion for the buyout is likely to be completed by the year end. Tata is likely to settle the deal after the payment of the amount to the ex-owner Ford Motors, USA. The deal is likely to push Tata on global map. An initial consortium of eight banks was interested to raise the desired amount. It is amazing that International banks have shown so much interest in an Indian company’s intention to buyout a luxury brand. The process is long but a very transparent one. Only Tata could accomplish such a transparent trade off where in all transaction are like an open book. Tata is surely a leader not only for its character but also for its achievements internationally.
Tata among global brands 2008-05-06 08:40:00 We know that everyone has enough of Tata lately. Since January it has been in news for several reasons like launching the world’s cheapest car to acquiring the ultra luxurious brand of Jaguar and Land Rover in March last week. But the company does not fail to impress the hardcore business houses of the world. Among the Indian car manufacturer, it is fast rising and the most well known name in the world.Tata is the first Indian brand to achieve a position in the list of largest global brands.It ranks 57th among the top hundred brands of the world. Part of the credit for achieving this position goes to acquisition of British car brands Jaguar and Land Rover. The buyout has pushed the Indian company to global limelight. We hope that the company may just scale the number higher when the
Murano to hit Indian car market 2008-05-06 05:14:00 Nissan will drive up the popular SUV Murano to India by the end of this year. Murano will be available in India in the price range of Rs 30-40 lakh. It will come equipped with six air bags and with an option for two wheel drive or four wheel drive. Murano will be a tough competitor for Toyota Prado, BMW X3, Mitsubishi Montero and Mercedes-Benz MClass. With this new add on in the luxury car segment other car manufacturers has to provide better offers for the consumer. The company is known worldwide for offering high quality cars. Its Infiniti range of products is a rage in the west. Nissan has gained fame for manufacturing speed and performance oriented cars. Now that the company is slowly bringing in its products, the SUV market is surely going to get very exciting pick up in the next f
Shopper’s Stop for cars 2008-05-06 04:46:00 Are you one of those tired executives who have no time to run from showroom to showroom to shop for a car? and still not getting a car of your choice. Here is a solution to this problem. A one-stop-shop for all cars ranging from M800 to Ferrari will be available under one roof. The multi-brand mall is likely to come up in Bangalore near the new Bengaluru International Airport. It will be spread over 50-acres of land and the car mall will cater to all the needs of a car consumer. The mall is the brainchild of leading auto dealers of Bangalore who thought of a complete customer experience from window shopping to research and purchase. It will be on the lines of Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance retail chain for two wheelers.Still in conceptual stage, the process on the mall will start so
Audi wants electric cars 2008-05-06 01:28:00 Electric cars have become the new research area in auto sector. It could be the answer to the fuel problem and increasing pollution witnessed today. Fossil fuel is drying up fast, but car consumerism is increasing like never before. Almost all Asian countries have big car market. If this trend continues, one day we may have several cars but no fuel to run. In order to search an alternative to avoid this possibility, several car manufacturers are opting for electric cars. Audi is now contemplating on developing electric cars too. The company plans to launch it in 5-10 years. It will have zero emission. Audi is a late entrant in the alternative fuel research field. Although, it has a larger research department than that of Mercedes Benz, Audi has now turned its attention to develop elect Read more:wants
Skoda posts 81 percent increased sales 2008-05-08 01:37:00 It is amazing that a ‘plain Jane’ Skoda
of the west is finding so many takers in India. It has literally floored Indian car buyers with its bold European looks and solid appearance. Skoda has been showing impressive sales over the last few years. This April Skoda India reported 81.4 percent increase in domestic sales. The company sold 1,814 units in the month as against 1000 units reported last year. Guess who pushed the sales graph! It is the small car Fabia, launched in January and sold 834 units in April. The small car is carrying the Skoda brand higher solely on its shoulders. It is also the first car that pushed small car prices ranging Rs 5 lakh–Rs 7 lakh. It came with a baggage of great looking features, which helped to convince buyers that it is value for money. Read more:posts
Tyre price hike add pressure on car cost 2008-05-08 00:36:00 Car companies have citied reasons of rising costs of steel and aluminum as primary cause of hiking the car price
s. Now, it is the time for rubber to repeat the story. Major Indian Tyre manufacturers such as Ceat and JK Tyres have conveyed to car companies of a price hike. The companies have stated that the cost of rubber has increased by 22 percent in 2008 alone. The hike could be witnessed again and again unless government brings the costs under control. If this happens the price of cars may rise further. Even as car companies have been trying to achieve affordable prices for cars, while they cater to larger number of customers, market forces have not been favourable. If the price continue to increase unabated, the cars could soon become unaffordable by masses.
Nissan to conquer India 2008-05-07 08:02:00 Nissan is one of the big names in car industry. It has always created a niche in the car markets across the world. It has already brought in SUV X-Trail and luxury saloon Teana. Both these cars are priced Rs 40 lakh. It will also be introducing a premium SUV Murano with the same price tag. However, with such an ambitious plan for India
, Nissan is establishing itself in the Indian niche market and may give a tough fight for BMW and Mercedes cars. But Nissan is not stopping with it. The company is planning to bring eight of its products to India by the year 2012. There are rumours that the company is planning to bring small car Micra. The small car will be positioned in the A2 segment and will compete with Zen Estilo and Wagon R. It will be powered by a 1.2 liter petrol engine. Nissan al Read more:Nissan
, conquer
FM for cassette players 2008-05-07 05:42:00 Car owners have been bombarded every time with the new entertainment system. Many of those who proudly installed the cassette player a couple of year now find that it is history. But not all of them want to switch to expensive music systems. Many of them would be happy with FM transmitter while they still retain their cassette players. Intex EUP-802 fits into this category. Intex EUP-802 can be fitted into a cigarette lighter socket. All you have to do is to load your favourite songs on a SD card or a USB drive and the device connect instantly. The sound is wafts through the cabin without any distortion. The EUP-802 is strong even up to 50 feet away. It also comes with a remote control and a blue backlit LCD which displays the frequency, name of artist and track name, which is uncommon i
Buyers love Diesel cars 2008-05-07 05:32:00 The popularity of Diesel cars are increasing among mid-size car buyers lately. In the year 07-08 almost all mid-size car makers have reported 60-70 percent of total sales being diesel cars. Car manufacturers Ford, Hyundai, Mahindra Renault and Mitsubishi have reported that diesel cars form a bulk of the demand. If the trend continues at the same pace, diesel cars could form 50 percent of the total cars sold in India in a couple of years. The diesel cars have outnumbered petrol version in ratio of 7:3. This is because diesel technology has gone through several changes in the last couple of years. Diesel cars scores high on the fuel efficiency and emission parameters than petrol cars. Also, diesel cars give better running cost. With these differences, the petrol cars are likely to loose p Read more:Buyers
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