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India Auto News Thursday, 06 May 2010 |
National - Bajaj-Renault low-cost car to deliver 30 km/litre: Rajiv Bajaj- Firefox to sell Popeye bicycles in India - Tyre companies may hike prices - Renault may sell electric vehicles in India - Force Motors to enter passenger-car market with premium SUV - Chevrolet Beat, Ford Figo gain in popularity; VW Polo trudges behind |
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Bajaj-Renault low-cost car to deliver 30 km/litre: Rajiv Bajaj
The low-cost car being developed by Bajaj Auto, in partnership with Renault-Nissan, will deliver a mileage of 30 km/litre, which is considerably higher than the Tata Nano's 20 km/litre.
The car will emit less than 100 grams of carbon dioxide in a kilometre-long drive, making it the least polluting car in the country, said Bajaj Auto MD, Mr Rajiv Bajaj. He said that the car's monthly maintenance cost would be approximately Rs 5,000, compared to Rs 3,000 for a two-wheeler and Rs 8,000-10,000 for a Maruti 800. |
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Firefox to sell Popeye bicycles in India
Firefox Bikes has launched the global bicycle brand, Popeye, in India at a price range of Rs 3,000-Rs 4,500. Popeye bikes are designed in the UK, and manufactured in Asia, and will now be available at 51 outlets across India. Firefox Bikes Managing Director, Shiv Inder Singh, told mediapersons that the company had secured exclusive distributorship rights for Popeye bicycles, and that more models would be introduced over the coming months. The bikes are targeted at children under 10 years of age. |
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Tyre companies may hike prices
Tyre companies in India may increase prices a second time in three months, with the cost of natural rubber continuing to grow. The tyre industry wants the government to reduce customs duty on rubber from 20 percent to 5 percent at the maximum. Automotive Tyre Manufacturers' Association (ATMA) Chairman, Mr Neeraj Kanwar, told reporters that companies which had earlier planned to make big investments to expand their tyre manufacturing capacities would be forced to defer their plans if input costs remained high. |
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Renault may sell electric vehicles in India
French car company Renault is planning to introduce electric vehicles (EVs) in India sometime soon. According to media reports, Renault is currently looking for an alliance partner to sell EVs with. One of these is the Bangalore-based electric car maker, Reva, which has a similar alliance with American company, General Motors. Internationally, Renault already sells a range of EVs including the intra-city goods mover, Kangoo; the mid-sized sedan, Zoe; and the two-seater concept car, Twizy. |
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Force Motors to enter passenger-car market with premium SUV
Utility vehicle (UV) manufacturer, Force Motors, will be launching its first premium SUV by the end of FY 2010-11. The vehicle is expected to be priced in the Rs 10-15 lakh range, and has been developed indigenously by the Pune-based company, earlier known as Bajaj Tempo. Built on a new platform, the SUV will seat 5-7 passengers, and will come fitted with a Daimler engine. It will be produced at Force Motors' Pithampur plant in Madhya Pradesh. |
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Chevrolet Beat, Ford Figo gain in popularity; VW Polo trudges behind
While GM and Ford have seen a considerable increase in their sales in India following the launch of their small cars Beat and Figo,
Volkswagen is yet to make a mark with its Polo, possibly because of its higher price. The VW Polo
comes at a starting price of Rs 4.34 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), compared to Rs 3.49 lakh for the Figo and Rs 3.41 lakh for the Beat. The Polo's cumulative sales in March and April stood at only 1,599 units. On the other hand, GM sold 3,852 units of the Chevrolet Beat in April 2010 alone. |
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NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES - Auto News Roundup, 05-May-2010 - Auto News Roundup, 29-April-2010 |
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