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India Auto News Tuesday, 12 Jan. 2010 |
National - Maruti Suzuki to launch new variants of Alto, Swift to take on competition- Auto Industry urges government to postpone implementation of BS IV norms - GM to launch electric Spark in India in October 2010 - BMW India hikes car prices - Fiat taking Tata Motors' inputs to develop compact car - M&M to launch premium SUV placed above Scorpio - Honda Siel unveils New Small Concept at Auto Expo - Maruti launches Eeco, showcases several concept vehicles at Delhi Auto Expo - Toyota Kirloskar displays Etios, launches hybrid car Prius in India - Tata Motors displays 37 vehicles at Auto Expo - DC Design to sell refurbished Nano at Rs 1 crore |
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Maruti Suzuki to launch new variants of Alto, Swift to take on competition
Market leader Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) is making extensive plans to take on the increasing competition in the small-car segment. The company plans to launch new, lower-priced variants of its bestselling models - the Alto, the WagonR and the Swift. While the new version of the Alto, expected to be launched within 3 months, will be cheaper than all its existing variants, the petrol Swift too will see a price cut of up to Rs 35,000.
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Auto Industry urges government to postpone implementation of BS IV norms
The Indian auto industry has asked the government to postpone the implementation of the Bharat Stage IV norms by 3-6 months. The original deadline for implementing the norms is April 1, 2010 in 11 major cities in the country. In the remaining parts of the country, auto companies will have to switch to Bharat Stage III norms. Representatives of the auto industry, however, say that the upgraded fuels required to meet the norms will not be available in several parts of the country by the given date. |
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GM to launch electric Spark in India in October 2010
General Motors India will be launching an electric version of the Chevrolet Spark in October 2010, at an approximate price of Rs 7 lakh. The car will be manufactured at GM's Talegaon plant in Maharashtra, with battery technology from electric car company Reva. The e-Spark was showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo last week. Meanwhile, General Motors (US) made its first mass-produced lithium-ion battery for the Chevrolet Volt at its Brownstone Battery Pack Assembly Plant last week. |
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Luxury car company BMW has hiked the prices of its models in India by up to Rs 4.3 lakh. The base variant of the 3 Series (petrol version) is now costlier by Rs 40,000, while the top-end variant of the car has seen a price hike of Rs 50,000. The base variant of the 5 Series (petrol), too, comes with a revised price of Rs 41.1 lakh (an increase of Rs 60,000). The
BMW 6 Series 650i Convertible has seen the steepest hike in its price, up from Rs 85.5 lakh to Rs 89.8 lakh. |
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Fiat taking Tata Motors' inputs to develop compact car
Italian car company Fiat is taking inputs from its partner in India, Tata Motors, to develop its new small car, scheduled for launch in 2012. Fiat India President and CEO, Mr Rajeev Kapoor, told mediapersons that the company is taking customer feedback from the Tatas, who are its front-end partners in distribution. This will help the Italian carmaker better understand the needs of its Indian customers. Fiat is also planning to bring the 'By Diesel 500'' to India by February or March 2010. |
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M&M to launch premium SUV placed above Scorpio
Auto company Mahindra & Mahindra announced last week that it will be launching a premium SUV in the country by the end of FY 2010-11. M&M President, Mr Pawan Goenka, said that the company is investing Rs 700 crore in the development of the new product, which will be positioned above the Scorpio. It will be manufactured at M&M's new plant in Chakan, Maharashtra. The company will also launch an electric version of its recently introduced mini-truck, Maxximo, by October 2010. |
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Honda Siel unveils New Small Concept at Auto Expo
Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI) unveiled its new small car concept at the 10th India Auto Expo last week. The car is being developed specifically for the Indian market, and will be launched in 2011. This is the first time in its history that Honda has had a world premiere of a car in India. HSCI President and CEO, Mr M Takedagawa, said that the car's unveiling in India bears testimony to the fact that India is a focus market for the company.
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Maruti launches Eeco, showcases several concept vehicles at Delhi Auto Expo
Maruti Suzuki this week launched its new family car, Eeco, priced at Rs 2.59 lakh. The Eeco comes with a 1200cc, BS IV compliant engine which gives a power output of 73bhp and a fuel efficiency of 15.1 km/litre. The company also unveiled several new concept vehicles at the 10th India Auto Expo currently on in New Delhi. These include its next-generation MPV, the Concept R3, the super luxury car Suzuki Kizashi, the SX4 Hybrid and the SX4 Hatchback.
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Toyota Kirloskar displays Etios, launches hybrid car Prius in India
Japanese car company Toyota unveiled a concept model of its upcoming compact car, the Etios, at the 2010 Delhi Auto Expo this week. The production of the car will begin shortly at Toyota Kirloskar's new plant in Bidadi, near Bangalore, and it will be launched by the end of 2010. Toyota also launched its hybrid car, Prius, at the Auto Expo. The hybrid is equipped with a 1.8 litre petrol engine with a 60 kilowatt battery, and is priced between Rs 26.55 lakh and Rs 27.86 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). |
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Tata Motors displays 37 vehicles at Auto Expo
Auto company Tata Motors is displaying as many as 37 vehicles at this year's Auto Expo, including Jaguar and Land Rover models. Significant among these are the Tata Aria, the Tata Venture, the Tata Magic Iris and the new Jaguar XJ. The commercial vehicles on display include the Prima range of world standard trucks, CNG-fuelled pick-up vehicles, a Winger-based special application and the all-new Starbus platform. |
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DC Design to sell a refurbished Nano at Rs 1 crore
Dilip Chhabaria's company, DC Design, announced this week that it will unveil a redesigned, hi-tech version of the Tata Nano, priced at Rs 1 crore, within a month-and-a-half. The car has not been displayed at the 2010 India Auto Expo. Meanwhile, Tata Motors displayed its own upmarket version of the Nano at the Auto Expo. Known as the 'Tata Nano Plus', the car will be priced at Rs 2.5 lakh, and will come with several interesting add-ons. It is targeted mainly at women customers. |
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NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES - Auto News Roundup, 07-January-2010 - Auto News Roundup, 05-January-2010 |
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