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India Auto News Thursday, 12 Nov. 2009 |
National - Bajaj-Renault small car to be launched in 2012- Honda to focus on India, China - Ford India launches special edition Fiesta 1.6 ZXI - Volvo-Eicher to start production of buses in 2010 - Ultimate Motors to launch three super-car brands in India - Fiat Grande Punto to be costlier - India's hearing impaired may soon be able to drive |
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Bajaj-Renault small car to be launched in 2012 Renault-Nissan head Carlos Ghosn said after a meeting with Bajaj Auto's Rajiv Bajaj this week that the two parties had worked out the basic contours of their low-cost car project. He said that the ultra low-cost car would be highly fuel efficient and would be launched by 2012. The Bajaj tag, however, will not figure in the branding of the car. Ghosn said that while Bajaj Auto would be involved in the car's engineering and component sourcing, Renault-Nissan would be responsible for marketing and selling it. He also said that the car would cost less than any other car developed in India so far, including the Tata Nano.
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Honda to focus on India, China
Japanese auto company Honda Motor will be focusing primarily on India and China to drive its growth in the future. Honda's President and Chief Executive Officer Takanobu Ito said this week that selling cars was becoming difficult the world over, and that it was important for the company to prioritise its markets. He also said that the company was not planning to develop an ultra low-cost car on the lines of the Tata Nano. It will, however, develop a second compact car primarily for the Indian market.
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Ford India launches special edition Fiesta 1.6 ZXI Ford India launched the special edition Fiesta 1.6 ZXI last week. Priced at Rs 6.44 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the car comes with leather seats, medium stone interiors, a premium cubic finish on the fascia and metallic trims. While there are no changes in the car's engine, Ford has added additional safety features to it including an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD).
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Volvo-Eicher to start production of buses in 2010 The joint venture between auto companies Volvo and Either Motors will start producing its entire range of semi low-floor buses in the second half of 2010. Sidhhartha Lal, Managing Director and CEO of Eicher, said that the company would produce at least 100 buses a month. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's India Economic Summit, Lal also said that the JV was in talks with several state governments and agencies that might need buses, including the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
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Ultimate Motors to launch three super-car brands in India Dubai-based Ultimate Motors, one of the world's topmost distributors of luxury vehicles, is all set to launch three super-car brands in India. These are USA's Shelby, Denmark's Zenby and UK's Arash, all three of which make Super Hyper Cars (SHCs). Shelby's Ultimate Aero is said to be the world's fastest car, with a top speed of 413 km/hr. The super cars will be introduced in India by December 2009, and will be priced between Rs 2.4 crore and Rs 5.4 crore.
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Fiat Grande Punto to be costlier
Fiat India is planning to hike the price of its high-end hatchback, the Grande Punto, sometime soon. Launched in June 2009, the car currently costs Rs 3.99 lakh for the 1.2 litre petrol variant and Rs 4.66 lakh for the 1.3 litre diesel variant (ex-showroom Delhi). After the price hike, it will be costlier by Rs 10,000-12,000 across variants. A Fiat India representative said that though raw material prices have increased considerably, the Punto will see only a marginal price-hike.
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India's hearing impaired may soon be able to drive The Government of India recently informed the Delhi High Court that it was considering amending the rules against driving for the deaf in the country. Additional Solicitor General, Mr A S Chandiok, informed the court that the government may soon start issuing driving licenses to the deaf, which is currently prohibited under the Motor Vehicles Act. The Act says that vehicles being driven by the hearing impaired may pose a danger to the public. Mr Chandiok said that the only reason the authorities had been unwilling to issue driving licenses to the deaf was that Indian vehicles lacked the special gadgets that vehicles in other countries had.
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NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES - Auto News Roundup, 10-November-2009 - Auto News Roundup, 05-November-2009 |
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