Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Maruti hikes prices across range

Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 718 Views

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has hiked the prices of all its models except the Vitara, to counter rising input costs. This price hike came into effect on May 17, and will range from Rs 1000 - 18000, depending on the model and variant.

Tata to develop electric minicar along with Pininfarina

Friday, May 16th, 2008 1,037 Views

A few days ago we carried a report about Tata being keen on buying a stake in the famous Italian design house, Pininfarina. Luck, it seems, did not favour the Indian auto giant, but there still is good reason to be happy.

Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion: Apt for India?

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008 531 Views

The times are here for the auto manufacturers to highlight frugality as one of their premier talking points and USPs. There were times when you would keep an eye on the speed gauge as you accelerate, but now there are lights that pop up indicating the mileage you would expect ...

BMW cleans up at the Engine of the Year Awards.

Monday, May 12th, 2008 255 Views

The automotive enthusiast loves a ‘straight six’ – so does a cricket fan. The preference of the automobile manufacturer for the inline six-cylinder engine is gradually diminishing, as they give in to the packaging and safety requirements that a V6 meets much more easily. However, a select few still persist ...

Brew your own fuel – at home!

Friday, May 9th, 2008 514 Views

An increasing number of cars are running on ethanol to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels, and a US-based company called the E-Fuel Corporation has unveiled a product that will let you make 100% ethanol. The EFuel 100 MicroFueler will ferment the ethanol out of sugar, yeast and water in ...

Caparo to develop buses with Hyundai

Thursday, May 8th, 2008 186 Views

The Caparo Group, which also manufactures the Caparo T1, will begin work on a Rs 3500 crore project in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. The facility’s first product will be the assembly of luxury buses in conjunction with Hyundai – namely, the Hyundai Aerobus – from CKD kits. These buses will go ...

Hyundai Launches ‘Ghar Ghar ki Pehchaan’ for Rural India

Thursday, May 8th, 2008 583 Views

Do you recall that one television soap – the splendid (yeah, whatever!) Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki (or is it Kii? Sorry if I spelt it incorrectly, for I am not into tarot or numerology etc), by one Ms Ekta Kapoor? It reached millions of homes and even the people in ...

Lightning quick – world’s first Tesla showroom opens

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 424 Views

Tesla motors, manufacturers of the world's first electric supercar, have opened their first dealership in the city of Los Angeles, near the University of California. The Tesla roadster is an all-electric car; it uses batteries to drive an electric motor that powers the rear wheels. It is capable of 0-100kph in ...

Automotive experts battle for best mileage

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 824 Views

Those who drive Hyundai Verna please stand up. Thank you. Ever wondered about the maximum fuel efficiency that your car can return? Well, even we, the automotive journalists, during our road tests give more of ‘real-world’ mileage figures but it makes for a good sense to see what’s the best ...

Car malls to make an entry in India

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 345 Views

Now you can keep the wife happy while buying a car – Bengaluru is going to have a car mall, which does exactly what it sounds like: all car brands will be sold under its roof. Auto dealers in the city are joining hands to set up the multi-brand car ...

BMW outsells Mercedes

Monday, May 5th, 2008 414 Views

The Economic Times reported in the first week of April that the German luxury car manufacturer BMW sold a record 351,787 vehicles in the first quarter of 2008, it said on Monday, pointing to a boom in demand in India. BMW reported overall sales of 351,787 units, an increase of ...

Tata keen to buy stake in Ferrari designer

Saturday, April 26th, 2008 1,388 Views

Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo etc… are you a fan of these automotive brands? Well, I am. So, any news relating to Pininfarina is quite important to me since a lot of cars belonging to niche brands like the ones mentioned are designed at this very Italian design house.

GM to manufacture a 2 lakh car in India

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008 8,924 Views

The Tata Nano has set the pulse racing in the automotive industry. With the ever growing car market, all the major OEMs are looking at India with more focused eyes than ever before. The passenger car market has been experiencing a healthy growth year after year and the small car ...

VW Passat CC - India Calling…

Saturday, April 19th, 2008 1,585 Views

VW introduced the Indians with its luxury offering, Passat, a few months back and it’s heartening to know that this premium package has been well received here. The Passat fundamentally competes against the likes of Nissan Teana, Skoda Superb and Toyota Camry to a certain extent.

Fiat developing hybrids - A possibility for India?

Friday, April 18th, 2008 726 Views

With the fuel prices going skyward, more and more automotive manufacturers are working towards developing alternate drive systems. There’ve been a lot of alternate propulsion systems like fuel cells, solar energy, battery power etc heck, there have even been some air-powered cars!

Horn NOT OK Please

Monday, April 7th, 2008 537 Views

Today has been declared "No honking day" in Mumbai by the traffic department of the Mumbai police, as noise pollution also contributes to ill health. They have tied up with NGOs, automobile associations, schools and colleges to help spread awareness. Here's our bit – we hope you have a quiet ...

Hyundai Exports - An Observation

Friday, March 28th, 2008 588 Views

The worldwide launch of the Hyundai i10 in India was not only a landmark for the Indian Automotive Industry but it also has proven to be the lucky charm for Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), with the i10 bringing in the combined exports of HMIL to 500,000 units at the ...

Tata-LR-Jaguar: Quite a combo!

Thursday, March 27th, 2008 1,312 Views

Ford – world’s leading automotive manufacturer which has brands like Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda and Volvo in its family, just entered into a definitive agreement to give away two of its family members namely Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata Motors. The Indian automotive giant announced a $2.3 billion bid to ...

Going, going, gone! Tata bags Jaguar and Land Rover!

Thursday, March 27th, 2008 1,429 Views

Tata has done it again – after shocking the world by displaying the cheapest car ever made, it has now acquired Jaguar and Land Rover for US$2.3 billion. The deal was announced yesterday. Tata will pay the above amount on paper, but Ford will pay about $600 million into both companies' ...

CarWale Awards - India Has Spoken!

Saturday, March 8th, 2008 797 Views

Don’t blame me, please, for not having posted anything in here any sooner. It was quite an event for all of us and everyone was in high ‘spirits’, if you know what I mean! All the guests present were happy and feeling merry. The event started with the propitious diya-lighting ...