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India Auto News Tuesday, 15 June 2010 |
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National - Mercedes-Benz starts trial run of low-floor buses- Fiat Uno to be re-launched in new avatar - Tata Motors to increase production of Ace, other LCVs - VW India to launch new compact car positioned under Polo - Skoda to launch new version of Fabia International - Hydrogen car developed in Britian to be tested in 2012- GM wants employees to stop referring to Chevrolet as 'Chevy' |
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Mercedes-Benz starts trial run of low-floor buses
Mercedes-Benz India has started the trial run of its low-floor luxury city bus, expected to be priced at approximately Rs 85 lakh. The German automaker will start the commercial production of the 57-seat bus at its Chakan plant in the second half of 2011. Mercedes-Benz India MD and CEO, Mr Wilfried Aulbur, said that the trial run would be carried out in selected cities in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat, Haryana and Maharashtra over a period of 2-3 months. |
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Fiat Uno to be re-launched in new avatar
Fiat India
will be re-launching its compact car, Uno, with a new engine and a more contemporary design, by the end of 2010. According to media reports, the company will discontinue the Palio once the Uno is re-introduced in the country. Sales of the Palio have dwindled by a significant percentage since the launch of the Grande Punto. Also, the existing variants of the car do not meet the Bharat Stage-IV emission norms. |
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Tata Motors to increase production of Ace, other LCVs
Tata Motors is planning to ramp up the production of its mini-truck, the Tata Ace, and other vehicles built on the same platform to meet growing demand. The company currently has an annual production capacity of 2.5 lakh units for the Ace family, at its Pantnagar plant. It will either expand capacity at the Pantnagar plant itself, or set up a new production unit elsewhere. A Tata Motors spokesperson said that the company expected the plant to reach its full capacity soon. |
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VW India to launch new compact car positioned under Polo
Volkswagen India
is planning to introduce a smaller car than the VW Polo to expand its share in the country's rapidly growing compact-car market. The Volkswagen Group's Communication Head in India, Mr Kurt Rippholz, told mediapersons that the company was selling two small cars outside India - the Fox in Brazil and the Ebisa in Spain. However, it has not yet decided which car is best suited to the Indian market. The company may also launch a new variant of the Polo. |
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Skoda to launch new version of Fabia
Skoda India
is planning to launch a new version of its high-end compact car, the Skoda Fabia. The Fabia has a high percentage of imported components, making it more expensive than other models in the same segment. However, by the end of 2010, half the car's components will be sourced locally. Also, the company has stopped producing the petrol variants of the car, which are yet to be upgraded to BS-IV standards. The introduction of the new petrol variant is expected to push up the Fabia's sales by 40-50 percent. |
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Hydrogen car developed in Britian to be tested in 2012
Riversimple, a small vehicle manufacturer in Britain, has produced a two-seater hydrogen car, powered by fuel cells. The car, which produces only a few drops of water as waste, will be tested by motorists in Leicester in 2012. If the motorists' response is positive, the company will build a factory to manufacture the car for commercial use. The car weighs 350 kg, and has a top speed of 50 mph (80.46 km/hr). It can run 200 miles (321.86 km) on a full tank of hydrogen. |
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GM wants employees to stop referring to Chevrolet as 'Chevy'
American auto company, General Motors, recently sent a memo to its employees at Chevrolet, explaining to them the importance of consistency in branding. The company's heads want employees to communicate their brand only as 'Chevrolet', and to stop using the term 'Chevy' while "talking to a dealer, reviewing dealer advertising, or speaking with friends and family". The memo says that greater consistency in a brand name makes it more recognizable with the consumer, and mentions Apple and Coke as examples. |
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NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES - Auto News Roundup, 10-June-2010 - Auto News Roundup, 04-June-2010 |
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