CarSalesIndia.com | Car Blog

Force One Expert Review - First Drive - Road Test

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Tue, 3 Apr 2012 06:32:00 +0530

Since the time Force One was launched, I was waiting for a good opportunity to lay my hands on one. So I joined hands with my team to find out how this SUV is. Like I said, this Saturday wasn't going to be boring and it indeed wasn't.

Read the full article here.

Hyundai launch the new iGen i20

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Tue, 3 Apr 2012 00:40:00 +0530

Hyundai recently launched the iGen i20. Read more here.

Petrol Price Drop

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Tue, 3 Apr 2012 00:34:00 +0530

Petrol prices are bound to drop in Karnataka. Read more here.

Audi Certified Used Cars

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Tue, 3 Apr 2012 00:32:00 +0530

Audi the German manufacturer is all set to launch their used car division soon... read more about this news here.

Tata Safari Storme - Defense Version

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Tue, 3 Apr 2012 00:30:00 +0530

Tata Motors displayed an interesting concept at the Defence Expo 2012 recently. Read more here.

GM Coming up with a $50 Car Navigation App

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Tue, 3 Apr 2012 00:27:00 +0530

General Motors is all set to revolutionise car navigation system by coming up with a new... Read more

VW Passat with a twin turbo oil burner

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Tue, 3 Apr 2012 00:24:00 +0530

Premier to power up consumer confidence

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Tue, 3 Apr 2012 00:21:00 +0530

Premier is almost ready with the 1.3 litre diesel Rio and is busy expanding. Read more about this here.

Ford Ecosport Scoop in Chennai - Photos, Video and more

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Tue, 3 Apr 2012 00:01:00 +0530

Ford Ecosport Scoop

At dawn and at dusk we keep our eyes wide open preying on new cars on disguise to get a glimpse of them and to bring them over to you. This gives you a chance to see what you are bound to get in a few months time.

This time our associate editor and a close aide captured these moments when they encountered this mini beast! A rather sexy beast!

Ferrari FF catches fire in China

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:46:00 +0530

Now, if you think that Tata Nano is the only car that is catching fire these days then you are in for a surprise. Ferrari’s latest and very popular supercar, the FF, recently caught fire in Shanghai, China. It is being said that the car was doing city speeds on Shi Bo Avenue before the car’s underbody was seen engulfed in smoke. Thanks to other road users warning the driver, the driver quickly managed to come out of the car. In no time, the smoke was seen being replaced by flames and thanks to the extinguishers, the entire car was saved from being totally engulfed in fire. Ferrari officials have started investigating the case. However, many are saying that it was the slow speed of the car that caused the exhaust pipes to overheat and catch fire.

Next gen Endeavour to retain the current 3-liter oil burner

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:28:00 +0530

The Ford Everest is the Endeavour in Indian market and this SUV is largely based on the Ranger. Now, the quickly aging SUV is soldiering on in our country since quite some time. However, Ford Endeavour has to be one of the few capable off roaders in India (this side of Toyota Fortuner). It may be noted that the next gen of this SUV is currently undergoing development in Ford’s Broadmeadows design and engineering centre in Australia. The news is that the upcoming generation of this SUV should continue having the current gen’s 3.0 TDCI diesel motor under its hood. A recently published report by GoAuto.com.au says that the next gen Endeavour will come in LTD and XLT variants. While the LTD will be a 4×4 automatic, the XLT will come with a manual tranny and 4×2 and 4×4 options. Under the hood should be the same 3.0 litre oil burner that powers the current generation of the SUV.

The next gen Endeavour should be unveiled at the upcoming Bangkok Motor Show. Likewise the present gen car, the new Endeavour is based on the new Ford Ranger. The CKD units of this car will continue to be imported from Thailand even after the new vehicle is introduced sometime in 2013.

Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm flags off, witnesses XUV500′s motorsport debut

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:10:00 +0530

Suzuki Desert Storm Rally has been flagged off. This year’s rally would see introduction of a truck category, and is christened ENDURE. Four trucks have confirmed participation in the ENDURE category. In its 10th edition, Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm Rally would pass through terrains of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

This year, in addition to regular participants, Maruti Suzuki has also fielded its employee teams for the rally, including a Ladies’ team driving the all new Swift. The rally also has participation by teams from several wings of the Indian armed forces. Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm is being organized in partnership with Northern Motorsport for the 10th year in the running. Northern Motorsport is one of the leading motorsport organisations of India. It organises a series of challenging motorsport events including the Maruti Suzuki Autocross, the Rally of the North, etc.

Some of the highlights of this year’s Desert Storm are:

3500 kms
6 days
9 high speed competitive sections
Largest-ever participation over 280 participants
No. of 4-wheelers : 130
No. of 2-wheelers & Quad-bikes: 16
137 cars, 4 trucks, 16 bikes to compete in the rally
Over 280 participants
Rally to traverse over 3500 kms through the great Thar Desert, Rann of Kutch, Jaisalmer, Bhuj, Pokran etc.
For the first time: added all new truck category on international format
Challenge of Night time Rallying
The rally has also become the launch vehicle for the Mahindra XUV500 in the motorsport arena. The big selling SUV is participating for the first time in a rally event. There are two XUV500s participating in the rally. One is piloted by the very well known Gaurav Gill, who is assisted by Musa Sharif. The other XUv500 is driven by Lohith Urs, navigated by PVS Murthy.

Ford India investing $72 million on a diesel plant. Will also launch one outlet every 10 days

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:40:00 +0530

Recently, we talked about Ford India inaugurating as many as 45 new sales and service outlets in 35 different locations across the country. Now, the leading auto maker is getting more aggressive in India. Also, as per Ford India, it will launch one outlet every ten days for next 2 years. However, one of the most important news is that the auto major is investing $72 million on a diesel plant.

Ford India President and Managing Director Michael Boneham recently said, “We will continue our growth commitment in India, by launching one outlet every 10 days during the current year, which has been the trend ever since the company launched Figo in March.’’

The blue oval also plans to come up with as many as eight new models in next few years. The new diesel engine plant will bump up the automaker’s diesel engine capacity to 3.40 lakh units annually from current 2.50 lakh units.

Volkswagen reacts to the Vento car fire death case

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:49:00 +0530

Some days back in Pune, a Volkswagen Vento had ended up in flmaes. The driver of the car- Mr. Kailash Gupta, had sustained serious burns and succumbed to them last week. A VW said , ‘Our dealer is in close contact with the family. The safety of our customers is of utmost priority to us‘.

It may be noted VW is a relatively new entrant in Indian car market and this is the first time that such an incident has occurred with a Vokswagen car. The burnt VW Vento was collected by the manufacturer for further investigation. Now, the Deccan Gymnkhana, Pune police will act as per the report submitted by VW. VW Spokesperson added , ‘Our technical experts are investigating‘.

While we are sad about the loss of a life, we strongly feel that VW should be quick with its investigation and come out openly with the findings.

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd increases dealer margin by 10% to push petrol car sales

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:29:00 +0530

Ever since the petrol prices have decided to start their journey to the moon, diesel cars have been finding a lot of favor from the car buying lot. One of the bread and butter models for Maruti is the Swift diesel and the diesel variants of Swift, Ritz and SX4 have eaten into the sales of petrol brothers of these cars. Now MSIL has bumped up the dealer margins on gasoline engined cars by 8% to 10%. This move is to give a new lease of life to the fast declining petrol car sales.

Another reason for this might be the dip in market share of MSIL. For the first time, the company’s share in passenger car market has gone below 40%.

It may be noted that rival Hyundai offers as much as 7% dealer commission as compared to only 4% by Maruti. MSIL’s profits have decreased by a whopping 39% in the first 9 months of this fiscal.

Renault to soon come up with Petrol engined Pulse hatchback

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Fri, 3 Feb 2012 15:37:00 +0530

We have been reporting in detail about Renault Pulse since a few months. The Nissan Micra derived hatchback has received around 600 bookings withing a month and now, our sources say, Renault India is working on introducing a gasoline variant of the hatchback. It may be noted that Renault had introduced the Pulse with the 1.5 DCi diesel engine that it had borrowed from the Micra. Now, we expect that Renault Pulse will share the 1.2 Liter, 80 Bhp, 3 cylinder petrol engine from the Micra. Also interesting are the rumors of Renault planning to introduce an automatic transmission variant with the petrol sibling. It may be noted that Renault and Nissan are present in the Indian market as a group of two manufacturers and are expected to share a lot of components (and in this case, the entire car). We also feel that sooner or later, the good folks at Renault will come up with an entry level sedan that will be employ Nissan’s V platform and will be based on the Micra.

Renault Pulse diesel retails at a slight premium over the Jap manufacturer’s Micra diesel hatchback and similar case should be seen when Renault announces the pricing of Petrol variant.

Maruti Swift Dzire compact sedan spied!!

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:24:00 +0530

Recently, the good folks at Indian Autos Blog managed to capture pictures of the upcoming Dzire compact sedan. The sedan was being tested in Jammu and it may be noted that the car had no hints of being camouflaged. Just a day ago, we had reported that this car will make it to the market by mid 2012 and it seems like our sources in the industry have again manged to do a decent job. On comparing it with the current Dzire sedan, it won’t be wrong to say that the car has a lot of new design features, both on the exterior and the interiors. The sedan borrows the fascia from the new gen Swift hatchback. The car also gets a set of all new trendy wheel caps. The rear end on the Dzire compact sedan (CS) looks quite unlike the one seen on the current Dzire sedan. The tail lamps on the CS are differently styled and are little smaller in size as compared to those on the predecessors. The car benefits from the new surfaces that it has borrowed from the Swift hatchback.Talking of the current Dzire’s overall form, we have always maintained that the car’s proportions have gone for a toss.But, owing to a reduced rear overhang, the upcoming Dzire looks much more proportionate than the current Swift sedan.
On the interiors front, gone are the acres of dull grey tacky plastics of the current Dzire as the new sedan benefits from sharing the interiors with the new Swift hatchback. Dzire compact sedan offers the two tone dashboard that boasts of an upmarket integrated audio interface, stylish air-con vents and a scoop for under dash storage space. The power house is a 1.2-liter K Series petrol engine and 1.3-liter Fiat-sourced Multi-jet engine.
All over the web, this car is being called the new Dzire 3.99 and not without a reason. It may be noted that the current Dzire sedan is longer than 4 metres and this prevents the car from being entitled to the excise duty benefits. Taking cue from the Tata Indigo CS, Maruti Suzuki India Limited has decided to keep their upcoming sedan’s length below 4 metres and hence, benefit from the excise duty relaxation. The manufacturer plans to pass on this benefit to the buyers and it all simply means that the new Dzire, in all probability, will be priced lower than the current Swift Dzire. One hot seller this car should be!

MINI bags 100 bookings. Already!

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:33:00 +0530

It has been just six days since the MINI was officially launched in India and the BMW group already has about 100 bookings for the iconic British car. It may be noted that the entire line up of mini cars was launched in the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo and going by the response that the car got at the Expo, MINI brand is already a hit in the Indian market. Sources reveal that the deliveries of the MINI cars should start from April.

“We can sell around 200 units in the first year, as these models are all imported and orders have to be placed many months in advance. The highest demand is for the Countryman SUV and convertible variants,” an official said.

The MINI range will be imported into the country as Completely Built Units (CBUs). Unlike what many thought, MINI cars won’t be sold through the BMW dealerships but will get three exclusive showrooms– Deutsche Motoren and Bird Automotive in New Delhi and Infinity Cars in Mumbai.

MINI prices (ex-showroom Delhi):

Cooper: Rs. 24.9 lakh

Cooper S: Rs. 27.9 lakhs

Cooper Convertible: Rs. 29.99 lakhs

Cooper S Countryman: Rs. 31.99 lakhs

Revealed: Toyota Yaris Hybrid

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:51:00 +0530

We are seeing a lot of hybrid cars hitting the roads these days. What with the world deciding to go green. Now, the trickle down effect seems to have been in work as the hybrid technology makes it to the B-segment for the first time. The web world is full of spy pictures for the 2012 Toyota Yaris Hybrid. To make the system work with the smaller model, Japanese automotive giant Toyota went ahead and downsized their hybrid powertrain-Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD). Now, the HSD will work with a 1.5 litre petrol engine. The re-worked unit is a good 20 percent lighter than the full sized sibling being used in the Auris Hybrid. The combined power output of the system is rated at 100PS (98hp/73kW) and this alone speaks that the downsized HSD has no handicap to deal with.

The hybrid version of Yaris has received a substantial facelift. The updated styling includes a redesigned front and rear fascias. As per Toyota, the new front is also the new family face of the Toyota line up of cars.“It combines a new, more assertive Under Priority trapezoid opening frontal design element with the Keen Look design implemented on the front lamps.”

The 2012 Toyota Yaris Hybrid will be unveiled to the world at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

Honda unveils the NSX Concept: The giant killer will be revived after all!

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:23:00 +0530

American Honda today unveiled the new NSX Concept, highlighting the design and technology direction for the next-generation supercar. Badged as an Acura in the US, the new NSX, which is expected to go on sale in the next three years, will be developed by Honda R&D Americas and manufactured in Ohio. The car, however, will be available across the world.

The dynamically-styled NSX Concept gives an indication of the next great performance vehicle from Honda. Making use of lightweight materials and a mid-mounted V-6 engine, the NSX Concept employs several new technologies, including an innovative new Sport Hybrid SH-AWD® (Super Handling All Wheel DriveTM) hybrid system.

Speaking at the Detroit Motor Show, Takanobu Ito, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd, who led the development of Honda’s first NSX supercar, explained the values of the new NSX, “Like the first NSX, we will again express high performance through engineering efficiency. In this new era, even as we focus on the fun to drive spirit of the NSX, I think a supercar must respond positively to environmental responsibilities.” While most supercars opt for brute force delivered from a large engine, the NSX Concept champions the true racing philosophy of an extremely favourable power-to-weight ratio.

A powerful next-generation VTEC V-6 engine with direct-injection, works in concert with a dual clutch transmission with built-in electric motor, to create supercar acceleration while offering outstanding efficiency. This Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system will make the NSX the ultimate expression of, “the synergy between man and machine,” added Ito. “The NSX will make the driver one with the car to enhance dynamic driving abilities without getting in the way.”

Fiat India Automobile launches Fiat Caffe

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:26:00 +0530

We have been talking about FIAT’s plan of introducing Fiat Caffe in India. FIAT India Automobiles launched the first Indian Fiat Caffe at Tolstoy Marg in New Delhi. The next Caffe will be launched in Pune and that will make India the only country to possess two FIAT Caffes. As we told, the Caffe will allow visitors to go through the latest FIAT India cars, take a test drive, browse through FIAT worldwide or FIAT India details and interact with specially trained Fiat personnel.The Caffe boasts the classy Italian ambiance and serves the visitors with some authentic Italian coffee.

At the launch of the Caffe, Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, President & CEO FIAT India Automobiles Ltd said, “The launch of FIAT Caffe is an integral part of our strategy to showcase our commitment to the Indian customer and market. With this Caffe we aim to promote our Italian heritage and the ‘real’ FIAT brand, by engaging a passionate connect amongst the audience and prospects with FIAT automobiles. The Caffe will provide us with an opportunity to hold an array of events, both car and lifestyle related, demonstrating the values and culture we share at FIAT, amidst the Italian ambiance while sipping on authentic Italian coffee.”

Also, on display will be the Fiat merchandise and accessories at the Fiat Caffe brand stores. Fiat has quite a few Caffes aboad that are used to showcase Fiat brands like Ferrari, Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Maserati.

Audi confirms the new A3 sedan for 2012

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:13:00 +0530

If you have always dreamed of acquiring an Audi but the A4 sedan is a little beyond your budget, we bring to you a news that should set you excited. The German luxury car manufacturer has confirmed launching the new A3 sedan in 2012. Luckily for us, India will be one of the first countries to get the new entry-level Audi. In all probability, the Audi A3 will be priced very aggressively to take on the arch rival-BMW.

The A3 is a part of a really long list of future Audi vehicles but the others from the list might not make it to the sub continent any time soon. The list includes the hybrid version of the luxurious A8 and the all electric version of the R8 sportscar. Also, Audi should be unveiling the revamped A4 at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo.

Tata Motors is also upgrading cables of the Nano cars being recalled for replacing the starter motor

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:14:00 +0530

Only yesterday, we had talked about Tata Motors recalling as many as 140000 Nano compact cars for replacing the starter motor provided in them. We spoke about how Tata denied calling this exercise a ‘recall’ and labelled it as ‘replacement exercise’ being done to make the car perform even better. Now, it won’t be surprising if the deed is being done because of more than half a dozen incidents of the engine compartment of the car catching fire.

Today, we bring to you the information that the starter motor is not all that is being replaced by the manufacturer.The alternator and the accelerator cable of the car have shown many incidences of failure. This has lead to cases of Nanos being stranded in the middle of nowhere. The problem of snapping of the Nano’s accelerator cable is quite common. These cables are being replaced by the manufacturer to improve the reliability of the car.

The 2012 Tata Nano comes factory fitted with upgraded started motor and cables and this upgrade sure makes the latest edition of the car much more trustworthy than the initial versions. This all appears to be an experience of deja vu to us. Remember the Indica and Indica V2?

Tata to replace faulty starter motor of 140000 Nano compact cars

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:12:00 +0530

This latest recall has to be Tata’s biggest ever recall in the Indian Automobile history. Earlier today, Tata Motors announced their recall of as many as 140,000 (No, we have not made that up!) Nano small cars to replace the faulty starting motor in them.Interestingly, Tata Motors has declared that this event is not a recall but a replacement exercise (Yes, we have had our share of laughter). The starter motor of Nano will be replaced free of charge and this supposedly ‘noble deed’ by the manufacturer will set the popular Indian car manufacturer back by Rs. 110 crores (approximately Rs. 8,000 for each starter motor replaced). The replacement exercise had started in October and so far, the manufacturer has successfully replaced 50000 starter motors.

A spokesperson for Tata Motors said, “We have devised a better starter motor and so we are upgrading it in our old Nanos for improved performance. We have not received any complaint for this and this is not a recall. We will change the part in all the old Nanos that were sold before launching the Nano 2012 in November.”

Readers may remember media reporting as many as seven different incidents of Tata Nano engine catching fire without any particular reason. Tata Motors even launched an investigation which surprisingly gave a clean chit to the car. What is more interesting is that these incidents didn’t stop. We recently reported about the launch of 2012 Tata Nano. According to SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers), Tata Motors sold 140,428 Nano units till November 2011 since the car was launched in 2009.

Last year Tata Motors had launched a similar ‘replacement exercise’, where as many as 70,000 Nano small cars were installed with fire safety devices. Talking about Tata’s latest replacement exercise, Mr Deepesh Rathore, Head, IHS Automotive India, said, “Tata Motors, like any other car-maker, wants to ensure that its customers are satisfied with their product. So they are willingly replacing the starters in all available Nanos in the market”.

We appreciate the manufacturer’s efforts of ironing out the faults from their product. We hope that after the completion of the recent recall, we do not get to hear of any ‘Nano on fire’ incident.

Petrol Sedan of The Year!

info@carsalesindia.com (info@carsalesindia.com) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 04:30:00 +0530

After a thorough reflection on the year, and after answering many of our customers questions, it is obvious that the Honda City has come a long way ahead of the other Petrol sedans.

If it is a sedan you are after, and if it is a petrol engine that you definitely prefer, then our verdict strongly is with the Honda city. It holds pretty strong against all the odds with the other petrol sedans. Almost every other sedan has one or the other missing. Things like after sales service, cost of maintenance, cost of spares, resale value, customer care and I can keep going on and on, the Honda city ticks all of them.

Surely you cant ask for more. See more about the Honda city here. http://www.carsalesindia.com/Honda/City/Honda_City.html