Volvo

Updated Volvo S60 and XC60 to be launched on October 23

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As the country is going through the season of festivities, many car makers are in-line to launch their products in the Indian auto market. Recently, it was learnt that Volvo might be introducing its next generation versions of S60 sedan and XC60 Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) in the Indian car market. Now the company has officially announced that these models will roll out in the country on 23rd October 2013. These cars were previously showcased at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and both of them had gone through a lot of cosmetic updates, however, there was no significant change in the overall design.

 

Since the sales of luxury cars were not affected by the slowdown prevalent in the Indian auto market, Volvo is reportedly planning to launch a slew of vehicles in the country, which might also include the facelift version of XC90 at the upcoming 2014 Auto Expo. However, the company is still refraining from setting up its own assembly operations and is planning to bring these upcoming models through the Completely Built Unit (CBU) route In India. The significant changes seen in both the vehicles are their rounded appearance, wider front, revised grille and slimmer daytime running LEDs. The S60 sedan will now have cornering adaptive lights whereas XC60 gets torque vectoring technology on all trim levels.

At interiors, the company has given some minor updates to both the cars in the form of new 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, besides the steering mounted paddle shifters that will be available in automatic variants. However, it is worth mentioning that these features have been borrowed from the V40 Cross Country that made its debut in India earlier this year. In terms of performance, Volvo has kept the same engine configurations as given on incumbent models. As far as the competition for S60 goes, it shall compete against the likes of BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4. On the expected price, industry experts are betting that the updated models of Volvo might be around Rs. 1.5 lakh to Rs. 2.2 lakh costlier than the existing ones.

 

Earlier this year, Volvo adopted similar strategy of updating all its models comprehensively.Looking at present things, Volvo has not been able to challenge the German triplet as per the expectations of experts. Due to the small dealership network and high pricing, the sales of its vehicles have suffered a lot. However, the cars of Volvo are considered best in terms of adhering to safety norms. The organisation that checks the safety issues in a car, EuroNCAP had tagged V40 as the safest car they have ever tested. The Swedish car maker is now investing its capital in model upgrades and advanced powertrain technologies.

Meanwhile, the company had earlier introduced its compact crossover vehicle, V40 Cross Country in the Indian auto market at a price of Rs. 28.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). It is powered by a 2-litre 5-cylinder diesel engine that gave away a mileage of more than 16 kmpl. At present, the car is offering a stiff competition to the likes of BMW X1, which is priced from Rs. 28.6 lakh to Rs. 33.4 lakh (ex showroom Delhi). Although the car of Volvo boasts of advanced features, it has not performed well in the Indian car market primarily due to the stiff competition offered by its rivals.

Tata Motors

Tata Motors rolls out Nano bi-fuel variant

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Tata Motors Ltd on Tuesday launched the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) version of its small car Nano and said that the gas-run versions of Indica and Indigo models would follow soon.

This is the first-ever gas-run product launched by Tata Motors, and its delivery will begin on October 9.

The company, which has four manufacturing facilities in India, has not ruled out manufacturing Tata Motors’ brands and models other than Nano at Sanand, a senior official said.

The new bi-fuel product, ‘Tata Nano CNG emax’, that can run on gasoline as well as CNG, will cost Rs 2.45 lakh for Nano CX and Rs 2.72 lakh for Nano LX, ex-showroom Ahmedabad, which Ankush Arora, Senior Vice-President and Head-Strategy, described as the ‘Nano City’.

Arora said that the price difference between the petrol and CNG versions of Nano is about Rs 44,000. The new product is expected to attract customers in states like Gujarat, NCR, Maharashtra and Tripura, where CNG is available. Of all cars sold in India, 15 per cent are gas-run.

Nano CNG, showcased in Pune in June and commercially launched here on Tuesday, comes with a four-year warranty or 60,000 km, whichever is earlier. “It comes with factory-fitted fire extinguisher as per rules.”

Replying to questions, Arora admitted that the Sanand plant of Tata Motors, having an annual capacity to manufacture 2.5 lakh cars, is currently utilising only 10 per cent of its capacity, in one shift, and producing 2,000 cars per month, mainly due to grim market conditions.

In 2012-13, the company manufactured 55,000 cars. In the first half of the current fiscal, it sold 18,000 Nano cars. “We stock cars only for a month.”

He said that the company’s policy of selling Nano directly to credit card users will continue in the ongoing festive season which has seen a 15 per cent growth over last year’s corresponding period.

Tata Motors exports about 200 Nano cars per month to Sri Lanka and Nepal, but no CNG cars will be exported for now.

For now, Tata Motors is focusing on rural areas and its pilot projects are running in a couple of states, he said, adding that nearly 600 campaigners have fanned out to villages with a minimum population of 50,000 to popularise the products. “We are also appointing more dealers in rural areas.”

At nearly Rs 66 per kg, CNG is, perhaps, the costliest in Gujarat. Nano CNG cars, having a 32-litre CNG capacity and a 15-litre gasoline tank capacity, can run up to 375 km on full tank at a speed of 36 km per kg. Its running cost will be Rs 1.32 lakh at the current price levels.

Alto 800

Maruti Suzuki launches Alto 800 anniversary edition

  Maruti Suzuki India, India's largest car maker, has launched the anniversary edition of its compact car Alto 800, with a starting price of Rs. 3.12 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), to commemorate one year of its launch in the Indian market.

"Alto has been India's favourite car since its launch. The anniversary edition is our way to celebrate success with our customers in this festive season," Manohar Bhat, vice president of marketing at Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), said on Monday.

The anniversary edition model includes new body graphics, body side moldings, new seat fabric and a convenient rear parcel tray, the company said.

Introduced in October 2012, Maruti Suzuki has sold over two lakh units of Alto 800 in the past one year.

BMW

BMW 1 Series sedan in the works

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The Active Tourer concept, seen here as a design sketch, will spawn the front-wheel drive 1 Series GT and its styling might also influence the 2017 four-door sedan.

As BMW's 3 Series continues to grow bigger and shift upmarket with each generation, so grows the void that could easily accommodate a smaller BMW sedan.

Given the positive acclaim garnered by the new Audi A3 sedan and Mercedes-Benz CLA, BMW must be itching to get in on the action - although its "better late than never" entry is still a good four years away.

Having spoken to a company insider, Autoweek revealed that BMW has given the green light to a four-door version of the 1-Series, which will see light of day in 2017.

However, here comes the kicker: the publication also reports that the new entry-level sedan will be based on BMW's new front-wheel drive architecture.

HUH? A FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE BMW?

Of course, traditional BMW petrol-heads who enjoy finely-balanced rear-wheel drive road holding will no doubt cry blue murder, but then consider that 80 percent of 1 Series owners think their car is front-wheel driven - a statistic that BMW openly admitted to a few years back.

No doubt the 1 Series sedan would aim to be a spiritual successor to the E30 3 Series of the eighties. Minus the rear-wheel drive entertainment factor of course.

Although the imminent 2-Series two-door range will be rear-wheel driven, it's already well known that BMW will soon launch a front-wheel drive 1 Series GT MPV, based on the Active Tourer concept. Now all the signs are pointing towards the 2017 sedan and 2018 hatchback also going the FWD route.

AWD TOO... AND M-POWER

Thankfully, this architecture allows for all-wheel drive versions, which at least opens the door for high-performance 'M' models.

Just don't expect a lusty straight-six to feature. According to Autocar, such models are set to follow the times with a highly-tuned 2-litre four-cylinder motor. And if AMG can squeeze 265kW from an engine of that size for its A45 AMG, surely BMW is not going to aim much lower than that mark.

As for the more humble 1 Series sedan and hatch models, our money is on BMW's upcoming 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbopetrol being the mainstay of the range. A lot gutsier than it sounds, the engine can be tuned to produce between 90kW and 165kW.

Of course, these smaller engines will reap an economy advantage just like the front-wheel drive layout will increase interior space and reduce production costs.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen launches Polo GT TDI at Rs 8.08 lakh in India 

With the festival season less than a month away, car companies have started rolling out new launches, facelifts and variants. The latest to join the launch bandwagon is Volkswagen which launched the new Polo GT TDI on Friday. With its 1.6 L 4-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, which produces 77 kW/105 PS and 250 Nm of torque, the Polo GT TDI is the most powerful diesel hatchback in its segment and has been engineered to provide both performance and fuel economy. The Volkswagen Polo GT TDI is priced at Rs 8.08 lakh, ex showroom, Delhi.

Car makers typically line up new launches or refreshments for the festival season spanning Dussehra to Diwali. This is the most critical sales spurt season for the industry in India. The industry has seen a number of launches with Hyundai launching the Grand i10 and Maruti Suzuki launching the Stingray. Toyota Kirloskar launched the Camry Hybrid late August and Mahindra has launched the Scorpio Special edition. Even luxury brands like Audi and BMW have launched new models - the Q3S/A4 2 TDI and the 1 Series respectively.

Arvind Saxena, MD, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India, said, "We are committed to bringing in the latest and the most efficient vehicle technologies to the Indian market. The new Polo GT TDI has been created to cater to the requirements of discerning customers, who want the best possible mix of strong power delivery, outstanding driving dynamics and class-leading fuel efficiency."

Ford

 Ford India recalls 1.66 lakh cars

In one of the biggest recalls so far, Ford India, the Indian unit of the US carmaker, has recalled around 1.66 lakh units of its small car Figo and sedan Classic for potential issues related to the rear twist beam (RTB) and  power-assisted steering (PAS) hose.

Ford said a total of 1,31,922 cars (1,09,469 units of the Ford Figo and 22,453 units of the Ford Classic), produced and sold from January 2011 till June 2012, will need to be inspected, but “will not necessarily need (RTB) part replacements”.

In the case of the PAS hose, 34,099 cars (30,681 units of the Figo and 3,418 units of the Classic), produced and sold in India from January-August 2010 to March-November 2011, will be inspected and then replaced.

The recall, announced on Friday, is an extension of the initiative taken by the company last year, wherein it voluntarily recalled 1,28,000 units of the Figo and the Classic manufactured between January 2008 and December 2010.

“No injuries or accidents related to the RTB or PAS issues have been reported.
Ford India is proactively contacting owners of the potentially affected vehicles via notification letters through its nationwide dealership network,” the company said.

According to reports, auto companies have recalled more than 2 lakh vehicles in the past 12-15 months, since the adoption of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers’ ‘voluntary recall code’ in July 2012.

Industry experts said Friday’s Ford recall could well be the biggest of its kind so far in the country.

Tata Motors had replaced starter motors in 1.39 lakh units of its small car Nano in 2011, while General Motors recalled 1.14 lakh units of the Chevrolet Tavera in July this year to address issues relating to emissions and specifications.

Experts said that frequent recalls announced by various auto companies appear to be a sign that the companies concerned may be getting more customer-oriented.

“It shows that carmakers now see India as an important market. Such recalls will help product testings go to much deeper levels,” said Puneet Gupta, associate director, IHS automotive sales forecasting.

Recently, Ford had also recalled around 972 units of the diesel variant of the EcoSport, its newest compact sports utility vehicle, due to issues relating to the positioning of glow plug module.

submarine car

007 'submarine car' sells for $865,000

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 A car that transformed into a submarine in the James Bond movie " The Spy Who Loved Me" has been sold at a London auction for 550,000 pounds ($865,000).

The distinctively-shaped white Lotus Esprit, designed for an underwater scene in the 1977 film starring Roger Moore, was sold at RM Auctions on Monday.

The sale price was below the auction house's initial estimate price of 650,000 to 950,000 pounds - perhaps because the vehicle cannot be driven on the road, although it is said to be a fully operational submarine.

In the film, Moore and Bond girl Barbara Bach escape a helicopter attack by driving the Esprit off a pier into the sea.