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India Auto News Tuesday, 29 Dec. 2009 |
National - Audi India launches special edition A6- 2010 Auto Expo to be the biggest ever in India; 18 lakh visitors expected - Tata Nano wins Indian Car of the Year 2010 award - Toyota Kirloskar launches Prado Diesel - Maruti to launch new car Eeco at 2010 Auto Expo - M&M to invest $40 m at R&D unit in Yancheng, China, along with Chinese partner - India races past Japan to become world-leader in super-compact car sales - Shanghai Auto buys 50 per cent stake in GM India for $500 million - Customers cancel Nano bookings due to slow delivery; price to remain the same - M&M launches Xylo D2 at Rs 6.3 lakh - Hyundai i10 overtakes Santro in monthly sales - Fiat India to increase Linea, Grande Punto prices by up to 2.5 per cent - Corrigendum International - China's Zhejiang Geely Group to buy Volvo by mid-2010- Auto companies working on safer cars for pregnant women |
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Audi India launches special edition A6
Luxury car company Audi launched a special edition version of the A6 this week, as part of its centenary celebrations. The car, priced at Rs 37 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai), will be available at dealerships across India starting from January 1, 2010. Audi India Managing Director, Mr Benoit Tiers, said that the Audi A6 is the company's most successful sedan, and has been a major growth-driver for it. The limited edition of the car, he said, is the company's way to thank its 'valued customers in India'.
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2010 Auto Expo to be the biggest ever in India; 18 lakh visitors expected
The tenth Indian Auto Expo, starting on January 5, 2010 in Delhi, is expected to be the biggest auto show ever held in the country. Mr Rajiv Kaul, chairman of the Auto Expo, said that over 18 lakh people are expected to attend the 7-day long event. It will be second to only the Shanghai Motor Show, which is the world's largest with over 20 lakh visitors every year. According to Mr Pawan Goenka, President of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), more than ten new vehicles are likely to be launched at the Delhi Auto Expo this year. |
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Tata Nano wins Indian Car of the Year 2010 award
The Tata Nano won the Indian Car of the Year 2010 (ICOTY 2010) award at a ceremony held in New Delhi this week. The award was instituted five years back by top auto magazines in the country, along with JK Tyre. Apart from the Nano, the other cars that made it to the top ten list were Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Jazz, Fiat Linea, Fiat Grande Punto, Maruti Suzuki Ritz, Mahindra Xylo, Skoda Superb, Tata Indigo Manza, and Toyota Fortuner. The Indian Motorcycle of the Year 2010 (IMOTY 2010) award went to the Kawasaki Ninja 250R. |
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Toyota Kirloskar launches Prado Diesel
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) launched a new diesel version of the Land Cruiser Prado this week, priced at Rs 57.74 lakh (ex-showroom, Bangalore). Powered by a 3.0 litre diesel engine with a Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System for driving stability, the vehicle is expected to increase TKM's market share in the SUV segment to 10 per cent. The company's Deputy Managing Director, Mr Sandeep Singh, said that the Prado's target audience includes active businessmen, industrialists and socialites, in the 35-45 year age group, who want to make a style statement. |
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Maruti to launch new car Eeco at 2010 Auto Expo
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) will launch its all-new MPV, the Eeco, at the January 2010 Auto Expo in Delhi. The BS-IV compliant car has been under development for three years, and is expected to be priced below Rs 4 lakh. It will come with both two-row and three-row seating arrangements. The Eeco is a replacement for the Versa, and will be positioned just above the Omni. It will be equipped with a 1.2 litre petrol engine and will deliver a power output of 73 bhp@6000rpm, and a high torque of 101Nm@3000rpm. |
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M&M to invest $40 m at R&D unit in Yancheng, China, along with Chinese partner
Indian auto company Mahindra & Mahindra will be investing $40 million in Yancheng, China, to establish an R&D unit and modernize engine manufacturing facilities, along with its partner Jiangu Yueda Yancheng Tractor Manufacturing Company. M&M has a 51 per cent stake in the joint venture, Mahindra Yueda (Yancheng) Tractor Company (MYYTC), signed in 2008. The tractor plant in Yancheng has an annual production capacity of 40,000 units. |
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India races past Japan to become world-leader in super-compact car sales
Even while China gets set to overtake the US as the world's largest market for cars, India is about to reach a milestone of its own - that of the world's biggest market for super-compact cars. According to Bangkok-based JD Power and Associates, at least 892,000 super-compact cars will be sold in India this year, as against approximately 708,034 cars that will be sold in Japan, the current leader in the segment. Almost half the cars sold in India every year fall in the basic or super-compact category.
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Shanghai Auto buys 50 per cent stake in GM India for $500 million
China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) has bought a 50 per cent stake in General Motors India for $500 million (Rs 2,350 crore). Earlier this month, the two companies had announced a 50:50 joint venture to sell cars in both India and export markets. General Motors SAIC Investment Limited (GMSIL), the new joint venture company, will have its headquarters in Hong Kong. It will invest $650 million in its first phase of operations in India.
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Customers cancel Nano bookings due to slow delivery; price to remain the same
A number of customers who had booked the Tata Nano when the car was launched in March 2009 are cancelling their bookings because of the late delivery of the car. According to media reports, 15 per cent of the 2.07 lakh customers of the Nano have already cancelled their bookings. Meanwhile, Tata Motors has said that the Nano will be sold at its original price to all those who booked the car in the first phase of its launch.
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M&M launches Xylo D2 at Rs 6.3 lakh
Mahindra & Mahindra last week launched the Xylo D2, priced at Rs 6.3 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Equipped with a new 2.5 litre mDI CRDe engine, this latest variant of the Xylo gives a fuel efficiency of 13 km/litre. It boasts of decreased emissions and lower NVH levels, and comes in three colours - gold shimmer, mist silver and fiery black. The vehicle is BS III compliant and gives a power output of 95 bhp. It has a five-speed manual gearbox.
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Hyundai i10 overtakes Santro in monthly sales
Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has been posting higher sales figures for the i10 compared to the Santro over the past few months. The average monthly sales figure of the i10 stands at 12,000 units, while the Santro's average monthly sales have fallen to 7,000 units. According to reports in the media, Hyundai India is actively promoting the i10 in urban markets and the Santro in semi-urban and rural markets. With big-city consumers preferring newer, more technologically advanced cars, the customer-base of the Santro is slowly shifting to tier-II cities.
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Fiat India to increase Linea, Grande Punto prices by up to 2.5 per cent
Fiat India is planning to increase the prices of the Linea and the Grande Punto by up to 2.5 per cent, starting from January 1, 2010. The company said that the prices of the two cars will be hiked by an average of Rs 15,000, and may go up by Rs 25,000 for some versions. The prices of the Fiat Palio Stile will remain the same. Launched in January 2009, the Fiat Linea has sold 12,000 units, while the Fiat Grande Punto, launched in June 2009, has sold more than 9,000 units.
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In the December 22, 2009 issue of India Auto News, we published that the Tata Nano would be displayed at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York from February 18, 2009 to April 25, 2009. The correct dates are February 18, 2010 to April 25, 2010. We regret the error |
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China's Zhejiang Geely Group to buy Volvo by mid-2010
US-based Ford Motor Company is likely to complete the sale of its Volvo Car Corp. to China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co by the second quarter of 2010. The two companies announced in press statements this week that Ford has agreed to most terms of the sale, and an official agreement may be signed in the first three months of 2010. On October 28 this year, Ford had said that Geely was its most preferred bidder for Volvo. According to media reports, Geely has offered $2 billion for the Swedish company.
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Auto companies working on safer cars for pregnant women
After concentrating on developing special seats and other safety features in cars for infants and children, automakers in the US are now working on making car travel safer for pregnant women. The Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences in Blacksburg, Virginia, recently concluded a research project, partly funded by Ford, on the tissue composition and dimensions of pregnant women and their foetuses. A safety researcher at Ford said that the project's findings would be used to develop more effective safety features in the company's vehicles.
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NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES - Auto News Roundup, 22-December-2009 - Auto News Roundup, 17-December-2009 |
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