Bajaj open to partner Tata for small car
The search for a people’s small car may bring together two of the biggest local players in the Indian auto industry. Bajaj Auto is working on a “non-traditional light car concept†for which it’s open to partnering with Tata Motors which is working on a Rs 1-lakh car.
Speaking to Indiatimes Auto, Rajiv Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Auto, said, “We are new-comers to this game, and a traditional car is out of our league. But we are doing something different and if there are synergies with what Tata Motors is doing, we would be more than open to talking to them.†Indiatimes Auto had reported Bajaj Auto’s foray into light goods and passenger carriers on January 29. Bajaj Auto, which is foraying in to four-wheelers with a light goods carrier, is also developing a car concept to be showcased at the 2008 Auto Expo. “The concept is a car as not a one-box passenger carrier, but a two-box vehicle like Maruti 800 or Alto,†Mr Bajaj said. “But it is very much a concept unlike the goods carrier which is for commercial production. We are trying an entirely new technology and we are not sure if it will work.â€
The Bajaj concept will have the look and feel of a car, but will be equipped with an engine that’s as powerful as Maruti 800 engine but as cheap as an auto rickshaw’s. Because the technology is entirely new, Bajaj is not interested in talking to any of the traditional leaders of the compact car market.“Our concept will look and feel entirely like a car, but I am approaching it from a technology angle that is totally different, and the established players will not be able to help us with that. But if Tata Motors is interested, I would be open to teaming up with them,†he said. “If the two companies can complement each other in creating something as revolutionary as this, why not?â€
Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera soon to be launched in India
The italian sports car maker Lamborghini on Thursday said it will soon launch its latest model Gallardo Superleggera in the Indian market, with a price tag of at least Rs 2.2 crore (Rs 22 million). The new car would be delivered on order through its select dealer base in the country.
“We are excited to bring this international driving experience to the discerning Indian motor-sporting fans…these great machines will be retailed from our exclusive outlet,” Automobili Lamborghini SpA president and chief executive officer Stephan Winkelmann said in a statement. The Gallardo Superleggera is being sold for euro 1,26,800 (about Rs 76,08,000) in the European markets, but would be costlier in India as the country imposes massive customs duty on foreign cars.
The company had launched its sports convertible Gallardo Spyder and the Murcielago in India last year.
Source : PTI
BMW inaugurates new plant in TN, India
Car manufacturing giant BMW inaugurated its assembly plant in southern Indian state Tamil Nadu Thursday, according to India-Asian News Service. The plant, located at Chengalpattu, 40 km south of Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai, has a capacity of 1,700 vehicles a year. (Recently M&M, Renault & Nissan agreed to start a plant in TN)
“India offers big opportunities for growth, particularly in the premium automobile segment,” said Norbert Reithofer, chairman of BMW AG, at a press conference there. Three BMW models will be marketed in India. The lowest priced 3- Series vehicle will cost 2.6 million rupees (60,000 U.S. dollars) while the higher range can go up to 4.2 million rupees (96,700 U.S. dollars), he said. BMW’s Chennai plant will produce three series models to begin with, which is proposed to be launched by BMW Group’s Chairman Norbert Reithofer, along with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on March 29.
But so far only the seats of the cars are being made in India and the rest of the parts are being imported.Reithofer said the doors of the cars will be manufactured in India and the company will not export its Indian products. BMW now has a distribution network of 12 dealers in the main cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad and plans to double it by 2007, he said. “Our goal is to seize all opportunities that arise for our three automotive brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce,” Reithofer said. BMW aims to sell 1,000 cars in India this year as against 257 units sold last year.
However, Indian customers looking forward to place orders for the BMW mini models, which is a small car, will have to wait till 2009.
Tata Indigo XL: Official car at Lakme Fashion Week 2007
The long wheelbase 
Tata Indigo XL is the official car and associate sponsor for the Lakme Fashion Week 2007 being held in Mumbai at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) from March 27 to 31, 2007. Launched in January 2007 as a premium up-market sedan, the Indigo XL provides unmatched luxury and comfort at its price points. In its second month of launch, the car is acquiring a growing customer base, wooing people away from some of the D and E segment offerings in the market.
Mr Rajiv Dube, President, Passenger Car Business Unit, Tata Motors, said , “That the Indigo XL is the official car of the 2007 Lakme Fashion Week is an apt endorsement of its style and luxury quotient. As the fashion event of the year in the fashion capital of the country, there could not be a better association of two homegrown Indian brands in the lifestyle space .” In keeping with the Indigo XL’s positioning, a specially designed area called the ‘ Indigo XL Lounge’ has been set up at the venue for interactions with top models, designers and other VIP guests.
SAARC Rally passes Lahore, Pakistan after Chandigarh
After an overnight stay at the Union Territory of ChandigarhChandigarh, the first-ever SAARC Car Rally today began the Pakistan leg after crossing the Attari/Wagah border. The cross-over was smooth with immigration authorities of both countries facilitating the process.
Federal Minister of Tourism, Government of Pakistan, Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar received the SAARC Car Rally at Wagah and the The Mayor of Lahore city, Mian Amir Mehmood was also present to welcome the rally participants. A large number of cheering school children along with a colourful cultural display rendered a festive look to the atmosphere. The rally cars were led to the city of Lahore in a procession. A special evening programme provided a flavour of the cultural facets of this part of Pakistan to the rallyists, and an opportunity to share views with the local media persons.
A total of 28 Tata Safari sports utility vehicles SUVs crossed the international border with great fanfare on both sides. Participants in the car rally, which started from Cox’s Bazaar in Bangladesh March 14, said they were overwhelmed by the response of the common people to the event. The rallyists come from all seven member-countries of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation of SAARC.
Earlier, in the morning, the Rally was flagged off from Chandigarh, also known as the City Beautiful, by H. E. the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Union Territory of Chandigarh, Shri S F S Rodrigues. For the Rally participants of other SAARC countries, it was their first visit to the city, and they were impressed by its unique architecture and greenery.Chandigarh is the hometown of one of the participants and former national car rally champions, Hari Singh.
On day 13 the rally had resumed journey from Ramnagar, Uttarakhand and reached Chandigarh. The Government of Uttarakhand organized a lunch halt, after which, the rally was flagged by the Additional Chief Secretary of Govt. of Uttarakhand.
Tomorrow, the Rally will head for Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
Road speed limits may be increased
The Ministry for Roads & Highways is planning to amend the archaic Motor Vehicles Act to increase the permissible highway speed limits for all kinds of vehicles. Under the Motor Vehicles Act, the maximum highway speed for two-wheelers is 50 km and it is 65 km for buses and trucks. As for cars, different states have varying speed limits.
Haryana and Rajasthan have fixed a limit of 90 km on highways for cars, the UP government has not specified any limit. In Maharashtra, the maximum speed limit is around 80 km.Under the planned amendment to the Act, the government is considering raising the speed limit for two-wheelers to 60-65 km and fixing the limit for cars at 90-100 km.There will be no change in the speed limit for trucks and buses.
Smoking while driving banned in New Delhi
Smoking while driving was banned in New Delhi on Monday in an attempt to reduce the hundreds of deaths from road accidents in the city annually.The Delhi High Court ruled that those caught smoking behind the wheel will be fined 500 rupees ($10).
Almost two thousand people are killed on the city’s roads with over eight thousand accidents every year, according to the Delhi Traffic Police.The court also ruled that public transport drivers — including state-run buses and taxis — must have completed a minimum of 12 years of education at school, rather than just 10 years, and that they wear name badges at all times.Extra-loud car horns and musical horns were also banned from the capital’s noisy roads.
Road rules are routinely flouted in New Delhi, which has close to three million vehicles, with drivers often skipping red lights and swerving across lanes.
It’s not the first time New Delhi’s courts have played an innovative role. A 1998 court order eventually forced all the city’s public transport to switch from petrol and diesel to compressed natural gas to cut pollution. In many instances, court orders are the only way to effect change in the city struggling with massive growth, a tangled bureaucracy, endemic corruption and lax law enforcement.
The court said it decided to step in on its own as the death toll on city roads mounted to over 1,900 annually and existing traffic laws, which have not been updated since their introduction 20 years ago, went largely ignored. While talking on a mobile phone when driving has been barred in dozens of countries, the no-smoking-while-driving law in private vehicles appears to be a precedent that could be closely watched in other countries.
New Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said Tuesday that police were “ready to enforce the court decision.” But most drivers were skeptical, noting that with the capital’s notoriously corrupt traffic police it would be easy to avoid the new penalties. “In India I doubt this can be enforced. I can just give a bribe of 50 rupees ($1) and get away without paying it (the fine),” said Chetan Rawla, 20.
The court also raised fines for traditional traffic violations — like driving through red lights or failing to halt at a stop sign — from 100 rupees (about $2) to 600 rupees (US$13), noting that the paltry sums no longer acted as a deterrent in a country where people have grown increasingly wealthy as the economy has boomed.
Source : Reuters / Canada.com | Photograph : AP, Gurinder Osan
Motor racing - New Delhi, India keen to host F1 race in 2009
India’s hopes of hosting a Formula One grand prix as early as 2009 gained a boost on Wednesday when Delhi’s chief minister welcomed the idea of having a street race like the one in Monaco.”If it comes to India, which I hope it will, I’d really welcome it,” Sheila Dixit told reporters after her meeting with leading Indian businessman Vijay Mallya, whose Kingfisher Airlines is a new sponsor of the Toyota F1 team.
“It certainly is feasible. We had an extremely positive meeting with the chief minister, who is entirely supportive of the idea,” Mallya said.”One of the areas which we believe would be beautiful and has a lot of heritage value is in and around the India Gate,” Mallya added.
Toyota driver Ralf Schumacher, on a visit to India for the new team sponsor, said: “Clearly from what I have seen, it will be a great event. I am looking forward to it and hopefully it will happen.” Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is keen to expand the sport’s reach further in Asia, with South Korea already promised a grand prix for 2010 and Singapore hoping for a street race as well.
Škoda Fabia [Review] - Finally coming to India end 2007
![Å koda Fabia [Review] - Finally coming to India end 2007](http://www.autopundit.com/wp-content/uploads/skoda_fabia.jpg)
First impression of this car is somewhat mixed. The front, as seen on skoda’s MPV, the roomster, the nose of the car is a harmonious blend of smooth curves and sharps edges.The cockpit effect is similar to the swift, windows towards rear of the car and the rear windscreen that is considerably narrower. However, cover the top and its nothing like swift .Set in a bar of chrome, a V shaped bonnet as well as the rounded nose of the car. The headlights are high mounted.
Coming to the rear, it is nicely done, although nothing speacial in the design, it has a impressive 300 litre boot space, far better than the suzuki swift. But not only boot, the 3992mm long fabia is much larger than swift. Its 2462mm wheelbase is longer than that of even the stretched Hyundai Getz. In a nutshell, Its biggest small car in India.
Å koda will be launching the Skoda Fabia by end of 2007.
Ford’s Brute SUV gets more muscle : Ford Endeavour/Everest
“This new machine will go anywhere, do anything ! it’s a Hummer you can afford”
The new Ford Endeavour (or Everest in some places) delivers much more power and all-new interiors but has the same rugged & old SUV charm. But it’s great if you’re looking for a challenging driving environment.
Drive, The new Endeavour gives a decent smooth ride even on rough terrains. Big bumps don’t ruffle its composure, the car steers faithfully over even loose rocks and gathering pace is effortless. its easy to tuck into hollows in the side of the canyons.
Build, is like an good old SUV . This everest is 75 percent new but its basic dimensions and size are almost identical to the current endeavour. Longer but narrower and built on identical wheelbase , this SUV is intimidating. The square-jawed SUV look has been retained for the new car and the design with its over sized cowling has been made to look like Ford’s successful F-150 truck. The tyres on this car though were only 245s. Still, the larger 16-inch rims give the car a nice, planted look .
Mahindra M&M unveils new Bolero variant
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) announced the launch of the a new variant of its highly successful MUV (SUV as they call it), the new Bolero. This variant has been styled with a range of interior and exterior features that according to the company would appeal to the younger generation. M&M was in the process of enhancing Bolero capacity at Nashik unit to 1.50 lakh units from the current one lakh units annually at a cost of Rs 150 crore. Although there are 450 new parts in the new Bolero, the company invested only Rs 30 crore in the development.
This SUV evolved over the years as the clear favorite across the country, evidence of it being a superior value offering with versatile application across all kinds of terrain and customer needs. Now, the new Bolero sports a host of new features and aesthetics that match the lifestyle aspirations of buyers too.