June seems to be an exciting month for the Indian car-industry as a number of cars are scheduled to be launched. First up is the Toyota Land Cruiser SUV on June 9. Then we have the car that promises a lot-the Honda Jazz on June 10. June 17 will see Fiat gamble for attention in the premium hatchback with its Grande Punto. Let us see which cars win the race.
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Loading ...Putting all speculations to rest the iconic American auto-giant General Motors filed for bankruptcy on Monday. The company has been plagued by problems in the past decade and lost its sheen to compact fuel-efficient cars from Japanese car-makers. Now it remains to be seen how Obama and his team can save GM.
With regard to the Indian operations arm of GM, its chief executive Karl Slym said hat the Indian operations will not be affected and that consumers have nothing to fear.
Only time will tell what the future holds for GM.
Mumbai, 28th May 2009: The Board of Directors of Mahindra and Mahindra Limited today announced the financial results for the quarter ended 31st March 2009 of the company and the audited results for the year ended 31st March 2009 for the company and the consolidated Mahindra Group.
Q4 F2009 – M&M Standalone results
The Gross Revenues and Other Income of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. for the quarter ended 31st March 2009 is Rs.4171.6 crores as against Rs.3666.3 crores during the corresponding period last year – a growth of 13.8%. The Net Profit before tax from ordinary activities for the quarter is Rs. 508.6 crores as against Rs.304.8 crores in Q4 last year – a growth of 66.9%. After providing for tax, the same is Rs. 418.1 crores for the current Q4 as against Rs. 221.1 crores in the same period last year – a growth of 89.1%.
The company achieved a dominating market share of 63% in the UV market during the quarter. This strong performance was mainly due to the excellent sales of Bolero and Xylo. The response to the launch of Xylo was especially heart-warming with bookings crossing the 15000 mark in the first three months of the launch. The domestic tractor demand witnessed a decline of 2.3% during the quarter.
Folks good news for all motorbike enthusiasts. In our endeavour to offer more services to our dedicated readers and users we have launched the Used Bikes section on Indiaautomobile.com. So now in addition to posting used cars for sale, you can also post used motorbikes for sale. We thank all our readers for their patronage and encouragement.
New Delhi, May 26, 2009
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), the market leader in the utility vehicle category, today unveiled the CNG variant of its hugely successful Maxx Maxi Truck. The vehicle is priced at Rs 3,79,900/- (ex-showroom New Delhi).
Mahindra is the market leader in the 2 to 3 ton G.V.W. pick-up category with a market share of 85% for FY09; witnessing a healthy growth in an industry that has declined.
“Since its launch in 2006, the Maxx Maxi Truck has been the key growth-driver in the small-4-wheeler load category with its powerful positioning of Bada Socho and built around the benefits of speed, payload and power. We are confident the CNG variant will add significantly to this success story. This initiative is also in line with our drive to bring in environment friendly vehicles,” said Mr. Vivek Nayer, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
The Maxx Maxi Truck CNG addresses the need of a large section of small and medium scale enterprise businessmen and traders in Delhi for a vehicle which is competitively priced and environment friendly.
A large loading area of 36 square feet and a payload of 820 kg allow the owner to ferry a larger volume of heavier goods per trip, resulting in greater earnings and fewer trips. The Maxx Maxi Truck CNG, thus, offers owners the opportunity to expand the geographical scope of their business.
The vehicle incorporates the latest CNG technology to deliver the best performance; it offers savings of up to 40 per cent on fuel costs in comparison to a diesel-powered small-4-wheeler load carrier and can go up to 250 km without having to refill.
In addition to complying with BS III emission norms, it has a powerful 69.5 HP engine with 170 Nm of torque, which enables effortless load-carrying ability, even in dense traffic conditions. The 15 inch wheels give the MMT CNG go-anywhere capability and safety with added grip.
The vehicle is also fitted with an internationally proven CNG-Kit, comprising a single Electronic Control Unit to control ignition, the fuel system and engine speed. Safety comes with a battery cut-off switch, which isolates the battery from the electric system in case of an emergency and an engine cut-off facility that prevents the engine from starting while the vehicle is being refueled. The Maxx Maxi Truck CNG allows easy filling access and also sports both a user friendly CNG level indicator and a low fuel indicator.
CNG vehicles are known for low operating cost and are thus very popular. The Government’s increasing focus on developing CNG as a viable fuel, infrastructure development and increasing transportation needs will also result in rapid growth of this segment. Moreover, the popularity of CNG will increase in future not only due to rising fuel prices but also because of availability of CNG in major cities across the country.
Mahindra’s Sustainable Mobility Solutions Programme
The Maxx Maxi Truck CNG is M&M’s second CNG offering in the pickup segment and is part of the company’s Sustainable Mobility Solutions programme. This programme illustrates M&M’s commitment to the research, product development, and advancement of the most cutting-edge technologies to bring about a cleaner and greener future. Utilizing domestic and international strategic partnerships, Mahindra’s R&D team works to bring the most advanced and futuristic technologies to India. M&M has worked sustainable solutions into its long-term product plan. These solutions reduce pollution and can be found from renewable sources; this is the future of transportation.
All of Mahindra’s brands in the commercial vehicle space, including the Champion CNG, the Alfa CNG and the Bolero Pik-Up CNG now run on CNG.
Champion CNG (Large 3-wheeler) – The Champion CNG was the first commercial vehicle from M&M’s stable to run on CNG. Over the past 5 years it has grown to become the No. 1 selling 3-wheeler load carrier in Delhi.
Alfa CNG (Small 3-wheeler) – This is an ergonomically designed modern small three wheeler cargo carrier. It offers several innovative features such as a larger capacity cylinder, dual petrol and CNG options and greater comfort and safety.
Bolero Pik-Up CNG – This is the first CNG Large Pickup model to be introduced in the country. It is BS III compliant and incorporates state-of-the-art CNG technology. It provides the largest load carrying capacity in its category and also offers savings of up to 40% on operational costs, as compared to a comparable diesel vehicle.
Hyundai Motor India Ltd., launched its LPG variant of the very popular Accent on May 21. The LPG, bi-fuel variant will be priced at Rs 533,900 which is Rs 34,900 more than the existing petrol model and it is fitted with an engine immobilizer as a standard fitment for added security.
The new LPG version of Accent, named as Accent eco comes with a factory fitted LPG kit approved and certified by the Department of Explosives (DOE) and Automotive research Authority of India (ARAI), the country’s premier automobile testing and certifying authority.
Powered by the 1.5 litre engine which is mated to a 5-speed, manual transmission, the Accent eco offers its customers a unique combination of safe and reliable performance with an unmatched fuel economy. With separate Petrol (45 Litre) and LPG (27.2 litre) fuel tanks, the customers has an option to choose from both LPG and petrol driving mode. The LPG tank in the Accent eco has a special ‘Toroidal’ design that allows intelligent use of space and makes for a larger luggage room available to the customer.
The factory-fitted LPG kit in the Accent eco enjoys a full 2 year manufacturer warranty benefits thus ensuring enhanced peace of mind for the customers. Accent eco also boasts of the lowest greenhouse gas emission as it emits lower CO2, as compared to the petrol version of the car, hence making it extremely environmentally friendly.
Other highlights of the Accent eco includes reduced engine maintenance, longer life of spark plug and engine, less frequent change of engine oil, safe and reliable. In addition to that, the car offers ample luggage space, smart and ergonomic design and efficient performance. Hyundai in keeping to its high safety standards ensures that the car goes through LPG leakage detection test thrice before it is delivered to customers and has a special filler cap inside the LPG lining to prevent wear and tear of the parts. HMIL offers the Santro in CNG and LPG variants and now the Accent LPG adds to its range of offerings in the alternative fuel cars. The Accent CNG was launched in June, 2008.
Well we are waiting for the Toyota Prius to reach India.
The Honda Jazz is scheduled to be launched on June 10. In the days leading to the launch Honda have launched a microsite for the Jazz and have also set up a contest. Check out the contest to win attractive prizes.
The Ritz has been designed on the Swift platform. With its overall length of 3.7 metres height of 1.6 metres and a width of 1.7 metres, the Ritz offers a comfortable roomy cabin with ample legroom for 5 adults. Despite its large frame, the Ritz has a tight turning radius of 4.7 meters.
The suspension of the vehicle with a high ground clearance of 170 mm has been tuned for Indian road conditions, and provides excellent handling and ride comfort. The rear wheel housing has been modified to accommodate the bigger and wider tyres used only in Ritz.
The customer will find a fine balance between emotion and functionality in the Ritz. Being a car meant for the family, the rear seat has been designed for comfortable seating of three passengers. The seat profile has been modified for better comfort and to add to overall interior synergy.
As a first in the industry, two sets of dual-tone instrument panels that blend with the body colours are offered in the ZXi version.In Ritz, Maruti Suzuki brings innovative technologies for benefit of customers and the society.
Ritz is the first passenger car in India to be tested and verified for EMC (Electro Magnetic Compatibility) compliance. EMC standards are prevalent in European countries and Maruti Suzuki as the market leader has adopted them proactively.
The Ritz is ELV compliant (no use of ecologically harmful substances such as chromium, cadmium, mercury, etc). ELV (End of Life Vehicle) norms are prevalent in Europe for ensuring recyclability of material but are yet to be enforced in India.
In line with the Government of India’s intention to introduce ethanol blended fuel, Maruti Suzuki has made design modifications to make Ritz E10 compliant.
The Ritz comes with Drive-by-wire technology in both petrol and diesel variants. This alongwith the 32-bit Engine Management system provides faster signal processing and quick response..
The Heart of the Ritz
The Ritz will be available with two different power-train options:
A 1.2-litre, four-cylinder, 16-valve unit with maximum power of 85PS petrol engine (Superb fuel efficiency of 17.7 kmpl: Certified as per CMVR rule 115)
The successful 1.3-litre, Common Rail 16-valve diesel (DDiS) unit that delivers a maximum power of 75PS. (Excellent fuel efficiency of 21.1 kmpl: Certified as per CMVR rule 115)
The all-new K12M engine on the Ritz Petrol has been specifically designed for Indian applications. The BS-IV and OBD-1 compliant engine promises to be best in class fuel efficient, high performance, low emission, light weight, with lower NVH (Noise, Vibration & Harshness).
To make the all-aluminium engine lighter and more fuel efficient, high grade plastic parts have been extensively used. The skirt area of the piston has been shortened to reduce weight, which helps in lowering friction and enhance fuel efficiency.
Maruti Suzuki engineers worked as part of Suzuki’s engine teams for design, calibration and testing of the engine in Japan and in India. This is a step further in enhancing the engine development capability.
Some other salient features of the all-new K12M are:
Innovative rocker-less DOHC cam shaft, plastic intake manifold and offset crank shaft with low tension rings to reduce losses and improve fuel efficiency
Smart Distributor Less Ignition (SDLI) system with dedicated plug top coils, High pressure fuel system & advanced injectors for superior atomization to provide uniform and optimized combustion for better performance.
Optimized cylinder block, light piston and nut-less con rod for light weight configuration
Improved engine stiffness and use of advanced technology like silent timing chain to improve NVH characteristics
First engine oil change after 10,000 kms as against conventional 1,000 kms
Spark plugs first change at 40,000 kms as against conventional 20,000 kms
The Ritz Diesel is powered by the super successful 1.3L DDIS powerhouse, which propels the Swift and Swift Dzire. The engine configuration has been modified to meet the forthcoming BS-IV and OBD-1 norms and the improved calibration and tuning provides excellent combination of driveability and mileage.
Exterior delight
The exterior design of the Ritz embodies energy, youthfulness, and delight. Sharp lines, bold contours and flowing roofline give an appealing look and youthful sporty stance. The strong V-identity of Suzuki design language in the front is well supported by expressive headlamps. The pronounced fender flairs add solidness and sporty character. The side view is characterized by dynamic shoulder and sculpted character supporting it above the sill.
The stylish boomerang-shaped, rear combination lamps are placed at the rear corners so as to maximize the visual width. The stylish rear bumper incorporates reflex reflectors and RR fog lamp, adding to its character and overall styling of the vehicle to suit Indian requirements.
Youthful and useful Interiors
The design theme for interior is youthful and useful. The interior is focused on enjoyment and “ease of use” concept.The wrap-around character of the instrument panel brings in a feeling of freshness. The console mounted gear shift lever – another first in Maruti Suzuki cars – is an ergonomic delight for the driver and sets the interiors apart, visually.Streamlined center console accentuated by the easy flowing silver garnish adds uniqueness. The repeating oval motif forms rhythm in the interiors.
The cabin features a contemporary look defined by gentle curves and blue-toned colour scheme. A high panoramic roof gives passengers a sense of openness.The Ritz comes with ‘steering integrated audio control’ that is a hallmark for contemporary cars.
Stance & Space
The Ritz while being based on the Swift platform has a superior stance. The seating in Ritz has been moved upward by 54mm in the front and 47mm in the rear, providing a comfortable seating and panoramic driving position.With an overall vehicle height of 1620 mm enabling higher head room (+24mm in front and +31mm in rear), it allows for ample occupant space in the Ritz. This ergonomic layout provides the best in class leg room and head room along with ease of entry and exit to passengers.
Safety & Security
Ritz comes with a rigid and light weight body structure with crumple zones. The safety equipments of the Ritz includes an energy-absorbing structure, Airbags, ABS with EBD, a collapsible steering column, front seat-belt pre-tensioners and force limiters (Specifications vary according to variants). All variants of Ritz are equipped with Maruti’s iCATS Immobiliser system to provide much required security to the customers.
Groovy Variants
The car will be available in five variants, three variants with petrol engine - LXi, VXi and ZXi and two variants with Diesel engine - LDi and VDi. While Airbags and ABS are standard on ZXi, the Vxi and VDi variants have ABS as an optional feature.
Hip Colours
The Ritz comes in an array of eight vibrant colours including 5 new ones:
Glistening Grey
Racing Green
Bakers Chocolate
Firebrick Red
Blue Blaze
Silky Silver
Midnight Black
Superior White
Introductory Price
Ex-Showroom:New Delhi
Petrol Variants
Lxi: 3.90 Lakhs
Vxi: 4.20 Lakhs
Zxi: 4.80 Lakhs
Diesel Variants
Ldi: 4.65 Lakhs
VDi: 4.99 Lakhs
These are exciting times with more cars lined up for launch in the coming months. Maruti has priced the Ritz strategically and many Swift-lovers will definitely tend to give the Ritz a try. The Ritz is an ideal urban-commuter and is sure to win a lot of hearts.
Skoda launched its upgraded Laura the Laura 2009 yesterday. The new Laura is available in three engine options and six variants. The variants and their ex-showroom Delhi prices are as follows:
1.8 TSI Ambiente-Rs 12,98,767.
1.9 TDI Manual Ambiente-Rs 13,30,681.
1.9 TDI Automatic Ambiente-Rs 14,03,102.
1.9 TDI Manual Elegance-Rs 14,69,844.
1.9 TDI Automatic Elegance-Rs 15,40,801.
2.0 TDI Automatic L&K-Rs 17,55, 440.
The new Laura is targeted at the upeer middle class segment and Skoda promises that more service centres and dealers will be added across the country.
Mahindra & Mahindra Employees Union, Nashik has withdrawn its tool down strike with effect from the second shift of May 18, 2009. Following the withdrawal of this strike, production has resumed in the Nashik plant of Mahindra & Mahindra and normalcy restored.
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