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India Auto News Tuesday, 19 Jan. 2010 |
National - Nissan India to launch sports car 370Z on January 20, 2010- Panasonic India to enter auto sector - Tata Motors to soon launch crossover vehicle Aria - Renault may launch SUV Koleos in India - Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, M&M hike car prices - Indian auto sector expected to grow by 10-12 percent in 2010 - Trucks, buses older than 10 years may be banned - SIAM opposes move to make helmet purchase compulsory with two-wheeler buys - M&M receives top auto awards, Bolero ranked highest in customer satisfaction |
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Nissan India to launch sports car 370Z on January 20, 2010
Japanese car company, Nissan,
will be launching its sports car, the 370Z, in India on January 20, 2010. The company currently sells two models in India - the
X-Trail and the Teana. With the new sports car, it will further widen its portfolio in the country. By 2012, Nissan plans to expand its product range in India to nine models, including 5 locally manufactured cars. It will launch its much-awaited small car by May 2010. The car will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year.
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Panasonic India to enter auto sector
Panasonic India said this week that it was planning to enter the rapidly growing automotive segment in the country by the second quarter of 2011. The company will sell in-house entertainment products and sensors, among other appliances. Panasonic India Director, Operation and Planning, Mr Arjun Balakrisnan, said that the company was already selling car entertainment appliances like LCD screens and music players in India. It is now in talks with car makers in the country to sell its products to them, and venture further into the industry. |
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Tata Motors to soon launch crossover vehicle Aria
Tata Motors will soon be launching its crossover vehicle, the Tata Aria, in India. The Aria was unveiled at the 2010 India Auto Expo held recently, and generated much excitement among visitors. It will be among Tata Motors' more expensive models, and will compete with Toyota's Innova. Powered by a 140bhp 2.2 litre DiCOR engine, the Aria will come with an Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) System and three rows of seats. It will be positioned above the Tata Safari and is expected to be priced at approximately Rs 12-13 lakh. |
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Renault may launch SUV Koleos in India
French auto company
Renault may consider launching its first vehicle developed jointly with partner Nissan, the Renault Koleos, in India. While Renault worked on the initial design, Nissan pitched in with its engineering skills and 4X4 system to develop the Koleos, which has the comfort and luxury of a sedan and the off-roading capabilities of an SUV. Built at the Renault Samsung Motor Plant in Korea, the vehicle is expected to be priced competitively. |
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Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, M&M hike car prices
Maruti Suzuki
last week increased the prices of all its models except the
Eeco, the petrol Swift and the Gypsy. The hike ranges from 0.12 per cent in the
Ritz VDi to 1.9 per cent in the DZire LXi. Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra too hiked product prices shortly after Maruti announced the hike. Prices of the Tata Indica and the Tata Indigo will now go up by Rs 5,000-8,000. M&M hiked the price of the Scorpio by Rs 6,400-9,300 and that of the Xylo by Rs 4,600. |
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Indian auto sector expected to grow by 10-12 percent in 2010
Credit rating agency, Fitch Ratings, said this week that the Indian auto sector would grow by 10-12 percent in 2010. The report said that, assuming the stimulus package would not be withdrawn, the passenger vehicle segment would grow by 12-14 percent in 2010, while the commercial vehicle segment would grow by 5-6 percent. In calendar year 2009, the auto industry's total growth (including exports and domestic sales) was 15.67 percent. An analyst at Fitch, Pragya Bansal, said that the year 2009 recorded a steeper growth due to a low base effect in 2008.
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Trucks, buses older than 10 years may be banned
Commercial vehicles older than 10 years may be banned from running on Indian roads, as per a proposal by the Ministry of Roads and Highways. The Ministry formed a committee last year to make amendments in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. One of the most significant proposals made by the committee is to ban vehicles older than 10 years from operating as stage carriage. If the proposal is accepted, over 35 per cent goods carriers currently plying on Indian roads will have to be replaced.
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SIAM opposes move to make helmet purchase compulsory with two-wheeler buys
The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has challenged the Delhi High Court's order that directs two-wheeler dealers to ensure that each customer buying a new two-wheeler also purchases a helmet with it. SIAM says that the High Court has made an error in mandating a helmet buy with each vehicle purchased, as this will not allow customers to buy helmets in the open market, and limit their choices. Also, the verdict does not take into account those buyers who already own two-wheelers and helmets.
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M&M receives top auto awards, Bolero ranked highest in customer satisfaction
Mahindra & Mahindra won a slew of awards from the automotive media recently. The
Mahindra Xylo bagged three awards including MUV of the Year from the NDTV
Profit Car and Bike Awards, UV of the Year from the CNBC TV 18 Overdrive Awards and MPV of the Year from the Zigwheels Car and Bike Awards. The company also won Auto Bild's Technology of the Year award for its FuelSmart System. Meanwhile, the Bolero ranked the highest in customer satisfaction in the SUV category in the 2009 Total Customer Satisfaction study conducted by TNS Automotive.
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NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES - Auto News Roundup, 14-January-2010 - Auto News Roundup, 12-January-2010 |
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