Indian Car Sales post hike again and again in November 2009

Maruti Suzuki = +61.6%, Hyundai Motor = +28.5%, Tata Motors = +44.5%, Mahindra & Mahindra = +102.0%, Honda Siel = +2.0%, Fiat India = +589.5%, Mahindra Renault = -7.0%, Skoda India = +182.7%, General Motor India (Chevrolet) = +65.3%

Domestic car sales in Nov.-2009
Manufacturer	Nov-08	Nov-09	Change
Maruti Suzuki	47,103	76,106	+61.6%
Hyundai Motor	43,020	55,265	+28.5%
Tata Motors	14,327	20,706	+44.5%
Mahindra & Mahindra	7,523	15,193	+102.0%
Honda Siel	5,025	5,125	+2.0%
Fiat India	285	1,965	+589.5%
Mahindra Renault	300	279	-7.0%
Skoda India	504	1,425	+182.7%
General Motor India	4,307	7,118	+65.3%

Toyota GM, Mahindra and Honda will hike prices by Jan 2010 in India

Toyota, General Motors Mahindra & Honda saying that they will hike prices by up to three per-cent due to rising input costs in the New Year, while the country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India is still evaluating the situation.

GM India sells models, including hatchback Chevrolet Spark and Aveo UVA, sedans Aveo, Optra, Cruze and SUV Captiva. Toyota Kirloskar Motor also said it will increase the prices of three of its models - Innova, Corolla Altis and Fortuner - by 1.5 to 2 per cent, Mahindra Scorpio, Maruti Swift and Honda Civic may go up by Rs 10,000-20,000 from January 1 next year or so as the raw material prices have gone up by 10-15% and also the Japanese carmakers are concerned by the rise in yen valuation.

Mr. Pawan Goenka head of the automotive division at Mahindra & Mahindra, said “We are facing pressures to increase prices to keep our profit margins in healthy territory,” and Mr. P Balendran, Vice-President of General Motors India (GMI) said that "We will be increasing the prices of our models by 2-3 per cent from January first week to offset rising input costs" and according to the Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) “price hike decision has been taken in view of increasing input costs and unfavourable exchange rate”.

Maruti Suzuki India, still has not taken a final decision on price hike, although the rising input costs are putting pressure on its margins.

Fiat set to drive small-car by 2011 and first CNG model by 2010 in India

Italian carmaker Fiat’s first small-car to be built specifically for the Indian market is off the drawing board, and will reach the road-testing stage within an year. The car has been designed at Fiat’s design studio in Turin. Sources said a clay model had already been prepared and prototypes were on the way, It will come with 700-1,000cc engine and it is already being tested on Indian roads, adapted to the country’s driving conditions to ensure optimum mileage and power.

“The small car to be positioned between the A and B segments was already off the drawing board. “The small car - conceived for the Indian market - has been designed at Fiat’s legendary design studio in Turin. There are several steps between the drawing board to actual production-grade vehicles. The car will definitely be launched in 2011,” said president and CEO Mr. Rajeev Kapoor of Fiat India. It would launch multiple CNG models in the country, as CNG would ultimately become the fuel to power most commercial applications. He said Fiat had the requisite technology to work with the fuel, and would roll out its first CNG car in India next year.

Fiat India is also on the way to launch its Hatchback model Bravo in 2-3 months. The car was scheduled to be launched in mid-2009, before the economic slowdown led to a change in plans.

Honda small car may come by 2012

Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI) plans to launch its small car earlier than 2011-12, to give competition to other small cars scheduled for launch around the same time. Codenamed 2CV, the car is being developed specifically for the Indian market. It is expected to come with a 1.1 litre petrol engine, and will be priced between Rs 4 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh. The car will be positioned below the Honda Jazz, but is likely to be built on the same platform. It may also share the iV-TEC technology with the Jazz but it will smaller than Jazz. A Honda spokesperson said that the small-car project was on track, and that nothing had changed from the earlier position. The car is expected to roll out from its stalled manufacturing plant in Rajasthan, where Honda plans to have targeted capacity of one lakh small cars per annum.

The car will compete with Maruti Swift, Hyundai i10, Fiat Grande Punto, Ford Figo, General Motors Aveo UV-A, Tata Motors’ Indica and other yet-to-be-launched premium hatchbacks. HSCI may also introduce a diesel version of the car later. The company currently sells 52,000 units in India annually, and expects the new car to be a volume generator and help it double the number

The same car will also be made in Thailand where it is expected to be developed & sold under the Thai government’s Eco-Car project, which enjoys many tax concessions. However any such eco-variant is ruled out for the Indian market for the time being.

SkodaAuto India Showcases High Performance Cars at the Auto Car Performance Show 2009

SkodaAuto India, completes 8 successful years in India today showcased its high performance cars- featuring the Laura RS, the new Skoda Laura Laurin & Klement and the All New Skoda Superb 3.6 V6 - at the Auto Car Performance Show 2009, India’s premier event for serious car and bike enthusiasts.

Mr. Ashutosh Dixit, Senior General Manager - Sales & Marketing, SkodaAuto India said, “This show is attracting car and bike enthusiasts from Mumbai, Maharashtra and across the country. We are happy to showcase our premium performance cars - the Laura RS, the new Skoda Laura Laurin & Klement & the all new Skoda Superb 3.6 V6. The Laura RS, in particular, is already attracting plenty of interest here today. Not yet available in India, this event is allowing Indian enthusiasts to finally come face to face with a car which has got acceleration of 0-100 km/h(s) time of 7.2 seconds and groundbreaking performance that has created a huge fan base.”

The Skoda Laura RS thrills with one of Skoda’s most exciting driving experiences. The 2.0 TSI petrol engine, boasting a class leading 147 KW (200 Bhp), brings to life the imaginings of boyhood dreams. Its head-pinning performance and sporty handling leaves many of the market’s pricier sports cars trailing in the rear view mirror, while the sporty styling, with double exhaust tailpipes, rear aerodynamic spoiler and Neptune alloy wheels, guarantees admiring looks from fellow enthusiasts.

Skoda Laura RS Main Features:

• Neptune Wheels
• Luxury Elements
• Driving style and comfort
• Tuning elements

The New Skoda Laura Laurin & Klement - Main Features:
Engine: 2.0 TDI PD, 103kW [140bhp], 320Nm
Transmission: 6-speed DSG
External dimensions (l/w/h): 4569mm / 1769mm / 1485mm
Boot Volume: 560 litres

Key Features:

• Xenon curve projector headlights w/ dynamic leveling
• Six airbags
• Parktronic - front & rear park distance control
• ESP (Electronic Stability Programme)
• TPM (Tyre Pressure Monitoring)
• Automatic front wiper & lighting system
• Skoda audio player with 6.5” LCD TFT colour touchscreen + 12 speakers
• Integrated 6-CD changer + SD/MMC data card reader
• Dual-zone Climatronic w/ air quality sensor + adjustable rear vents
• 12-way electrically adjustable driver seat w/ programmable memory

The All New Skoda Superb 3.6 V6 FSI 4x4 Main Features:
Engine: 3.6 V6 FSI 4x4, 191kW [260bhp], 350Nm
Transmission: 6-speed DSG
External Dimension (l/w/h): 4838mm / 1817mm / 1462mm
Boot Volume: 565 Liters

Key Features:

• Bi-Xenon AFS (Adaptive Front light System) with corner lamps
• ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) + HHC (Hill Hold Control)
• Eight airbags including rear side airbags
• Anti-theft alarm with interior monitor and tilt sensor
• Electric sunroof
• Skoda audio player with 6.5” LCD TFT color touch screen + 12 speakers
• Integrated 6-CD changer + SD/MMC data card reader
• Dual-zone Climatronic with air quality sensor and adjustable rear vents
• 12-way electrically adjustable driver & front passenger seats

Hyundai will launch new small car in lower price range

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) said that it was now developing another small car by investing around Rs 800 crore for the Indian market. The company did not declared its launch date or other details of the car.

Mr. H. W. Park, the newly appointed managing director of HMIL said, "Our Korean parent is now working on the new car. It will be smaller than Santro and priced lower than Santro. It will be totally cutting edge technology, well designed car for the Indian customer." He declined to comment further on the launch time and price, but said it would take at least 24 months to launch the car in India.

The main aim of launching one more car is to capture the growing customer preference for small cars. Mr. Arvind Saxena, senior VP - marketing, Hyundai Motor India Ltd said, "As we go forward we would need additional volumes in that space which constitutes 78% of overall passenger car market, the new small car will fit into that space. This low cost model will not compete with Tata Nano”, he said.

Mr. Park said that the company hopes to sell 5.60 lakh cars in the calendar year 2009 which will be using the capacity at 90%, of which 2.70 lakh cars would be exported "We hope to have similar production for 2010 as well. Maintaining that Hyundai would continue to be the small car hub for Hyundai globally," he said “as we move forward, we would like to re-iterate that India remains and will continue to be a key market for all our growth plans as part of Hyundai's long term commitment to one of the fastest growing economies in the world."

Mercedes-Benz launched E-Class E 350 Diesel in India

German luxury car company Mercedes-Benz launched an advanced diesel version of the E-Class in India last week. The E350 CDI is priced at Rs. 48.08 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and comes with a 3 litre BlueEFFICIENCY V6 diesel engine powered by a 2,987 cc. It features a package of fuel-saving technologies, known as ‘Blue Efficiency Technology’, which helps save fuel by up to 13 per cent.

“The company would continue to focus on its E-Class and M-Class products to maintain a healthy growth rate in the country” said India MD and CEO, Mr Wilfried Aulbur of Mercedes-Benz. He also said that though sales had picked up in October 2009, the overall sales figure for 2009 would not be able to match last year’s sales. The company sold a total of 3,625 units in India last year. In contrast, it sold 2,650 units till October this year, and is unlikely to cross last year’s sales figure. Notwithstanding the negative sales forecast, however, Aulbur felt confident that the luxury car market would soon recover.
Specification:

Cylinder arrangement/number	V6
Displacement (cc)	2987
Rated output (kW [hp] at rpm)	170 [228] @ 3800
Rated torque (Nm at rpm)	540 @ 1600–2400
Compression ratio	15.8 + - 0.6 : 1
Power transmission
Drive system	Rear Wheel Drive with ESP
Transmissions	7G-TRONIC
Fuel and consumption
Tank capacity/with reserve (l)	80/8
Cd value	0.28
Emission class	BS III
Chassis (standard) & wheels
Front axle	McPhersons axle with coil spring
Rear axle	Multi link independent suspensions with coil spring
Suspension, front/rear	Coil springs, twin-tube gas-filled with SDD/coil springs, single-tube gas filled with SDD
Front tyres/wheels	245/45 R 17
Rear tyres/wheels	245/45 R 17
Steering	Speed-sensitive hydraulic rack & pinion steering
Front brakes	Mechanical-hydraulic, dual circuit with ABS as standard
Rear brakes	Mechanical-hydraulic, dual circuit with ABS as standard
Dimensions & weights
Kerb weight/payload capacity (kg) [1]	1,825
Perm. GVW (kg)	2,350
Boot capacity (VDA) (I)	540
Turning circle (m)	11.25