India to See More of CNG Cars

Indian car market is to witness the launch of more CNG-driven cars. It is believed to one of the most popular automotive fuels of the future. The key factor driving the popularity of CNG is the fact that the supply of natural gas is to increase to 200 mmscmd (million metric standard cubic metres per day) with about 80 mmscmd flowing from the Krishna Godavari basin of Reliance Industries.

Currently, Maruti is developing engines that run on CNG and is also planning to roll out CNG-driven cars from all the segments. Following the footsteps of Maruti, car manufacturers like Mahindra, Hyundai, and Nissan are also exploring lucrative opportunities in this area.

Car manufacturers were even planning to introduce more of LPG cars. But aware of the fact that the running cost of CNG-driven cars is lower than the LPG cars, all the car manufacturers shifted to CNG. This eco-friendly and cost-efficient fuel is definitely to set new benchmarks in the Indian car industry.

M800 and Omni to Meet Bharat Stage IV Emission Norms

The talk about Maruti 800 and Omni would be phased out by 2015 has been put on hold. The company is planning to modify the engines of both the models to that they are able to meet the Bharat Stage IV emission norms that will come into effect by 2010.

Very soon all the Maruti models will receive a modifications meeting the Bharat Stage IV emission norms which will come into effect by 2010.Once the cars are in compliance with the latest emission norms there does not seem to any reason for Maruti Suzuki to remove these two models from their product line.

M800 and Omni ruled the Indian roads for quite some time and phasing out these models would be a serious decision. Many still love to drive these old players and they have created a special place in everyone’s heart.

With the engines receiving alteration, it will deliver better performance, better mileage without compromising on the emission norms.

Maruti Suzuki to Add more Diesel Variants

The Indian car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki recognizing the growing demand for diesel cars is planning to add more diesel variants to its stable. Presently the sporty hatch Swift, graceful Swift Dzire, and recently launched Ritz is available in both petrol and diesel variants.

Customers too opt for diesel version over the petrol version and the demand is so high that people have actually wait for nearly 3-5 months to get the diesel cars after booking.

Now a day’s many car manufacturers are focusing more on diesel cars as they are the first choice of consumers. Diesel cars are not only economical but also provide better fuel efficiency compare to the petrol version.

Tata Motors too is expanding its diesel line and this could be one of the reasons for its closest rival Maruti Suzuki to expand its diesel product line. The competition in the Indian car industry is really high and every car manufacturer is thinking of different ways to crown the position.

Honda to Launch Small Car with a Competitive Price Tag

Honda Jazz is still on the way to the Indian market with the price tag of Rs 7 Lakh. But looks like the Japanese car manufacturer has started liking the small car trend as the car manufacturers is working on another small car.

The new car will be seen with a competitive price of nearly Rs4.5 Lakh and to keep the low price the company decided to localize the components. This small car from Honda is going to challenge the other players of its segment. Currently the small car market is ruled by the Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai in India.

For the first time, the new model will have India as the lead market. Whereas the upcoming car Jazz will have Japan as the lead market and US was the lead market for the Accord and Civic and Thailand for City. The new small car is expected to be produced in mass volume from the company’s new Rajasthan facility.

Eight New Models from Nissan by 2012

Nissan is planning to strengthen its position in the Indian car market by introducing eight new models in the country by 2012.  All these models will comprise of both imported models as well as locally assembled models from the manufacturers plant at Chennai.

These eight models will also include a car from the small car segment called Micra which the company is planning to introduce in the Indian car market by 2012.Micra which is also known as March will be available in both petrol and diesel variants Micra which will be positioned against the sporty Maruti Suzuki Swift is first small car from Nissan for India.

Micra/March petrol variant will be come with a 1.2-litre three cylinder engine and the diesel engine will be powered by a .5-litre Renault engine which is presently used in Mahindra Renault Logan.

There is also speculation that Micra would be followed by a sedan version which would be developed on Micra platform and will compete with Swift Dzire. The other models from the lists include compact SUV and a MUV for the markets of India which will be manufactured at the at Chennai plant.

Maruti 800 and Omni to be Modified

The Indian car leader Maruti Suzuki seems to be in a chaos regarding it two models Maruti 800 and Maruti Omni. Some time back there was a buzz in the market that these two models would be discontinued by 2015. This led a few disappointments as both the models have a unique place in the Indian car industry.

Nothing has been confirmed by the car manufacturer about the phasing out of these models. But now there seem to be a twist in the story as the latest information is that the car manufacturers is planning to modify both the models so that are in compliance with the Bharat Stage 4 emission norms by 2010.

With the latest emission norms, both the models will shine again on the Indian roads and there is no genuine reason to phase them out.  The company will definitely think of some way to attract its buyers and give a tough competition to world’s cheapest car Nano.

Luxury Car and Mid-Size Cars like to have a Price Cut

Finally there is some good news to hear. It is speculated that there is chances of car prices coming down. Hold on not all the cars this is related only to sedans and the luxury cars. It is said that the government is there will be price cut up to Rs 50,000. There is no confirm news on this as the ministry of heavy industries is in talks with finance ministry to reduce the specific excise duty charged on mid-size and top-end cars last year.

How did the tax procedure worked earlier for these cars?

It was mandatory for the car’s engine sized between 1,500-2,000cc to pay an additional tax of Rs 15,000 and the vehicles above 2,000cc have to pay Rs 20,000.  But as the tax was forced on ex-factory price of vehicles, the car manufacturers put the load on the consumers in the form of sales tax and other taxes. Now it is realized that such kind of tax planning does not make any sense in terms of some particular segment.

Such unfriendly tax structure affected the sales it discouraged the consumers from buying cars like Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla. By calming down the tax structure, the price on these car segments will come down by Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 per car.

Premium Selection Programme for Used Car from BMW

BMW is planning to pioneer the global used programme called Premium Selection Programme by 2010. This programme will showcase global brand guarantying the BMW’s standards in the used car market. Under this programme,  it is mandatory for the used BMW cars to contain all the documents, it should clear  72-technical point inspection  that will be taken care by the BMW-trained technicians, and also compulsorily less than 5 years old or less than 1,20,000kms of mileage.

The car will also receive slight alterations that will attract the used car buyers. Beside this the car manufacturer will also offer its first-class services which includes comprehensive 24-month or 40,000-km warranty regardless of which comes first, 24-hour roadside assistance, test driving and also individual financing.

This programme will check for evident signs of accident damage, check paint for defects, check tyre for minimum 3mm tread across entire width including spare wheel, check complete brake system, check shock absorbers, check battery and electrical systems, check mirrors, windows sunroof, central locking and interior lights, check seat belts, check fluid levels, check clutch, brakes and transmission, check wiper blade and washing system and a test drive for performance and noise.

Maruti Suzuki Cars to Undergo Modifications -> http://www.carazoo.com/autonews/2005200902/Maruti-Suzuki-Cars-to-Undergo-Modifications

Maruti Exploring Technologies to Upgrade Maruti 800 -> http://www.carazoo.com/autonews/2005200901/Maruti-Exploring-Technologies-to-Upgrade-Maruti-800