BMW’s Strategies for India

BMW is among the top luxury cars of India and is planning big for a better tomorrow in the country. The company has set a target of selling 3,000 units, much higher than 2008, is working towards the goal.

The Mini is expected to launch by the end of the year, but it is still not sure whether the company will launch the model as the company is doubtful about how the model will be accepted in the country. This three-door hatchback is priced at Rs 20 lakh and is costlier than the highest priced car in the same segment.

Been launched at the Paris Auto show, X1 is another model from BMW that is expected to be launched in India in the near future. BMW has also launched the new model X6 in India.

BMW India will sign a sourcing contract with the parent company by the end of the year which will allow the company source auto parts from India

There are over 13 BMW dealers in India, and the company is planning to start operations, the end of next year, in 10 new cities. It has plans to increase sales in Kolkata and sell over 100 units by the end of the year.

Big cars at reduced prices

The budget of 2009-2010 does bring good news to the automakers and customers, but the big car segment is going to be profited the most. The price cut most of the companies have offered, and many are promising to offer, clearly reflects the dedication of the car makers to pass on the benefits to the customers.

The small car industry, unlike the last year, didn’t benefit from the budget, but it is the big cars, which got the most of it this year. The excise duty on big cars has been cut down by the government this year and has also announced to reduce the extra excise duty on big cars with a 2,000 cc engine capacity, by Rs 5,000.

The car manufacturers have already announced the different reduction plans they are offering for the Indian car customers.

Companies realize the need for offering the customers some cut in the prices on their big car models. Hindustan Motors was the first company was the first company to offer its models at a reduced price. It was soon followed by Ford, Honda and Hyundai. The companies are offering a reduction of up to 6,000 for their various models. These companies will be joined by Toyota, GM India, Tata, and BMW with their offers.

These small cut in prices, which the companies are offering, does not seem to make a huge difference in the pricing of these big cars that usually comes with a high price tag.

Budget – Hope for big car market

The Indian auto industry does not have much to rejoice about the 2009-2010 Budget. The Finance Minister on Monday said that the duties on the big cars will be cut.

The “component” that had been introduced June last year was Rs 15,000 for a car, which has an engine capacity below 2,000 cc and for cars having larger engine capacity it was Rs 20,000. But now, the “component” for SUV’s and large cars were brought down to Rs 15,000 in this budget.

Subsequent to the announcement of the budget, the shares, in the National Stock Exchange, dropped into a negative zone for the major auto manufacturers such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki and Ashok Leyland.

The plans to cut the cost of the high-end cars have been announced already. Hindustan Motors Ltd (HML) has already announced its plans to reduce Rs 6,000 for the vehicle of its partner, Mitsubishi. Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI) said that it does not have any plans to cut the cost and the reason is the rupee depreciation in the international market. General Motors, BMW, and Toyota have unveiled that the prices of their models will be cut; the plans of Tata are still pending, but the company has guaranteed to announce their plan very soon.

Government has also reduced the excise duty of the petrol driven trucks from twenty percent to eight percent. The auto part makers’ demand to increase customs duty on finished components and reduce duty on raw materials and the demands of the tyre makers, to cut the customs duty on natural rubber, were not addressed.

Grande Vitara 2.4 launched in India

Maruti Suzuki has launched its new model Grande Vitara 2.4 in India. Grande Vitara is a high-end SUV and has a few new features compared to the Grand Vitara model that was launched in the country previously.

The new 2009 Grand Vitara is available in two variants such as 5-speed manual transmission and 4-speed automatic transmission. It is now reloaded with a more powerful 2.4-litre petrol engine which has Variable Valve Timing (VVT) that gives out 163.5bhp. The car gives a very easy driving experience in all terrains with its all time, 4-mode, 4-wheel drive (4WD). Also added are a set of new interior features namely the Multi-Information Display (MID) system, which gives all the relevant information about the vehicle including the average speed, instantaneous fuel consumption, and cruising range, a 6-CD changer, and a centre speaker on the dashboard. Improved acoustics and a redesigned powertrain have helped reducing Noise, Vibration, and Harness (NVH). The safety and the comfort of the customers are taken into consideration and the car is been equipped with rear disc brakes and sliding centre-console armrest. It also has a vibrant look with the new front grille and bumper and 17 inch alloy wheels.

The new Grand Vitara 2.4 is priced at Rs 17.97 lakhs for the AT and Rs 16.67 lakhs for the MT variants.

New Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 Launched

Maruti Suzuki has launched the new Grand Vitara 2.4 for 2009 and Maruti has announced that all their in the country will host the model immediately. The MT variant comes at a price of Rs 16.67 Lakh and the AT at Rs 17.97 Lakh. The new SUV is now available with a larger 163.5 bhp 2.4-litre petrol engine with VVT (Variable Valve Timing) technology that replaces the older less powerful 119.5 bhp 2.0-litre VIS engine. Maruti is offering the new model in two variants: 5-speed Manual Transmission and 4-speed Automatic Transmission.

2009 Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 Car in India

Mr. Mayank Pareek, Executive Officer (M&S) Maruti Suzuki India Limited said, “The new version of Grand Vitara takes the three decades of Suzuki SUV heritage to the next level. Highly popular the world over, the Grand Vitara is one of the global strategic models in Suzuki Range. For all those customers, who are increasingly looking at SUVs, the Grand Vitara 2.4 offers more power and the best in class 4X4 drive at a highly competitive price.”

The 2009 Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 packs plenty of new features that make it even better than before. A new Multi Information Display (MID) system on the SUV provides information to the driver on cruising range, average speed, and instantaneous fuel consumption. Audio system has been upgraded to include a 6-disc CD changer coupled with an additional centre speaker on the dashboard for surround sound effect. There is now a sliding centre-console armrest for added passenger comfort.

The grille and front bumper have been re-designed to deliver better style and new design 17 inch alloy wheels appear sportier. The Grand Vitara from Suzuki has sold over 25 Lakh units worldwide raking up 32 reputed awards across the world with a number of them being achievements in challenging markets such as U.S.A and Germany.

Rolls Royce Ghost in India by end of 2009

The British car manufacturer, Rolls Royce Motor Cars, has announced its plans to launch its new model, Ghost, in India by the end of 2009. The Ghost is a small ultra-luxury sedan has an engine powered by 6.6-liter, turbocharged V12, which is designed by Ian Cameron and engineered by Helmut Riedl, who developed the fifth-generation Rolls-Royce Phantom, the Ghost shares wood, leather, and paint works with the Phantom.

Rolls Royce announced the Ghost at the Shanghai Auto Show. It will be soon launched in the global market after it will be unveiled at the the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. In India, the Ghost will be available in the company showrooms by November of December of this year.

The Ghost will be priced at Rs 1.2- Rs 1.3 crore in the global market and will be much costlier in India it will be higher because of the import duty and tax it has to pay before they are been brought to India. Rolls Royce is a luxury car manufacturer and is owned by BMW. The launch of Ghost can be seen as the company’s effort to widen its sales in the country; the Indian market will see a host of new models from BMW.

Skoda Yeti to be launched in India

Skoda Yeti is expected to hit the Indian roads by the first quarter of 2010. The Yeti is a crossover of a hatchback and an SUV, which except for the high seating position is a premium hatchback. Yeti carries in it, all the features of a Skoda with superior performance and great looks.

The model was unveiled by Skoda at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. The Indian version of the Skoda Yeti will be very different from the European version. In the Indian roads Yeti will be available in front wheel drive, powered by 1.2-litre petrol engine turbo charged engine. There may be another petrol variant that will be powered with 1.8-litre petrol engine, a diesel version of Yeti, although is available in Europe, will not be launched in India for the time being. It is also expected to be available in turbocharged engine.

The Yeti has high fuel efficiency and is eco friendly with low emission of carbon dioxide. The car is extremely spacious and has plenty of room for luggage and this is expected to make the Yeti a much loved family car. The Yeti is priced Rs 10 lakh and might appear a bit over priced, but it is not for the features it offers and for the satisfaction it gives its owners.

Small car from Ford to hit the Indian market by 2010

Ford is expected to launch a new member to its existing successful models in the Indian car market. The new small car will be launched by 2010. The small car from Ford has been designed especially for the Indian market, taking into consideration the conditions of the Indian roads and all the other necessities of the Indian customers. Ford has already started testing its prototypes, and the will be localized around 85 percent, from the stating to the production phase.

The small car model of the Ford will be available in diesel as well as petrol variants. It is expected to have a sub-1.2 petrol and sub-1.5 diesel engines. The car will take in designing ideas from the Europe and Australia. The car will be imported globally after it has been launched in India.

The Indian small car market has always accepted change and is always reviving. Ford’s plans to launch small car reflects its idea to widen its business, as small car segment being very popular in the Indian market. Any further details of the car, including price, are yet to be.

Are Electric Cars In?

“Which car to buy?” is the big question that haunts all potential car buyers. With hundreds of models in the market, it’s a confusion which one to select. But if some one is wise enough to think of the environment before the big purchase, he/she will definitely go for an alternative fuel car.

An alternative fuel car does not run on fossil fuel like conventional vehicles. It is operated by energy stored in the form of electricity in cells. That’s why an alternative fuel car can aptly be called as an electric car. The energy can come from fossil fuels, nuclear power, tidal power, the sun and the wind etc. Power derived from these sources can be stored in the form of electricity.

Electric cars have rechargeable batteries, which need to be recharged after a given mileage. The fuel cells or batteries can be recharged either by refilling or by connecting to a plug to an electric power source.

But these cars are in reality are less exciting. Electric cars come with fat price tag compared to customary fuel cars. Moreover, these cars can not provide the comfort and luxury that of fossil fuel cars. These cars just wouldn’t perform like regular gasoline-powered car if the air conditioning is turned on.

Whatsoever it is, an electric car is a green car. Apart from saving fuels, this car does not emit CO2 and contributes to the green house effect by keeping the air clean.

Honda might re-launch Civic Hybrid

Honda might re-launch its Hybrid car, Honda Civic Hybrid, in India. There are speculations that the union government will cut down the import duty on Hybrid cars or similar environment friendly vehicles. Honda was not able to continue its sale of Civic Hybrid because of the very high import duty that has been imposed by the government. Honda had to pay an import duty of 104 per cent to bring the Completely Built Units (CBU) of Civic Hybrid to India. This, combined with the VAT and excise duty, made Civic Hybrid a financially heavy vehicle.

Honda’s Civic Hybrid is the initially launched hybrid car in India. Civic Hybrid has a 3-stage i-Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) engine with the option of three valve timings such as low-speed, high-speed, and valve deactivated mode. The ‘idle-stop’ feature helps in saving fuel and minimizing emissions by turning off the engine temporarily. With very luxurious and cozy interiors and striking exteriors and a wide range of eco-friendly features, the Civic Hybrid is truly a “green” car.

In India, Civic Hybrid was priced at Rs. 21 Lakh initially but Honda had to, in two months, bring down the price to Rs 13 Lakh to clear the stock. The price of Civic Hybrid, that is expected to be re-launched, is not available, but the price of the re-launched version will surely be much less because of the dropped import duty.