Car News - Latest Indian Car News & Views | CarWalehttp://www.carwale.com/news/Latest news updates on Indian car industry, expert views and interviews exclusively on CarWale.Copyright 2012 CarWaleCarWale RSS Generator8926<![CDATA[The CarWale Daily Fuel, May 15, 2012]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8926-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-15-2012.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8926-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-15-2012.htmlCarWale Team5/15/2012 10:48:00 AM1248http://img.carwale.com/ec/8926/img/m/8926_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8926/img/m/8926_lMahindra is facelifting the Verito, Audi A3 sedan in India by 2014,new E-class spotted in Europe while India gets its first online tyre store.

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  • Mahindra is working on the Verito facelift as the product’s life cycle is reaching maturity a bit too fast. Expected to be in line with the new Xylo and XUV design style, the new Verito should appeal to the Indian customer.
  • Mahindra is launching the Thar AC version, with a factory-fitted AC. Watch this space.
  • Mercedes Benz India is officially launching the new facelifted ML 350 SUV, today, in Delhi. The Blue-Tec diesel Mercedes, launched globally in January, prices will be announced by noon.
  • The Tamil Nadu government scored an ace amidst policy paralysis by signing pacts with five automotive giants ensuring a total investment of Rs 5700 crore in the state and roughly 10000 job opportunities. Companies like Daimler CV, Yamaha, Nissan-Ashok Leyland, Eicher Motors and Philips Carbon Black are investing in Oragadam near Chennai which is developing as an extensive automotive hub in south India.
  • India’s first online store for tyres, ChangeMyTyre.com, has started business with its launch and will deliver tyres across all major cities in India. CEO and co-founder, Mr. Neeraj Chauhan hopes to make the tyre market transparent and convenient thereby gaining big business.
  • The Audi A3 Sedan, based on the A3 MQB platform will be positioned just below the Audi A4. Technically competing with the VW Passat, Skoda Superb, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, the speculated Mercedes CLA, Audi hopes to take the segment head on.
  • Mercedes Benz India is beaming after registering a 30 per cent growth in sales year on year in spite of the said global slowdown. Around 7430 Mercs went on sale compared to last year’s 5810 units.
  • Hyundai is now offering the rear-view camera as standard fitment on the fluidic Verna albeit at increased cost for the customer.
  • General Motors have forayed into the competition by revealing pictures of the Trax, a mini-SUV that competes with the Ford EcoSport and Maruti XA-Alpha. The Trax will be showcased at the Paris Motor Show in September this year. They will have to rename the model when it comes to India given the existence of Force Trax.
  • The Mercedes Benz E-class facelift was spotted testing in Europe. Though heavily camouflaged, the new E-class gave up a few details. Integrated daytime running lights into the headlamp, re-styled bumpers and tail are some of the features. We expect this car to debut in India with its world debut as the new A6 and current ruling BMW 5-series are eating away at Mercedes’ share in the segment.
  • An American military research facility is working on using the exhaust gas thermodynamics of battle tanks to generate electricity to run the on board computers and other systems as far as possible. This would improve the efficiencies and also reduce emissions. It sounds similar to the electrical turbocharger that is rumoured to debut on the next Subaru Impreza WRX.
  • Porsche has denied that it will develop a sports car that will slot under the Boxster. The Pajun, which we reported just days ago will compete with the E-Class, ‘may become reality’ in five or six years.
  • McLaren has developed a convertible MP4-12C. It will go on sale after the McLaren F1 successor, we imagine. 
  • Eterniti Motors has garnered their first sale of the Artemis super-SUV at the Bejing Auto Show.
  • The US senate has okayed the installation of ‘black boxes’ in cars from 2015 onwards. This should help settle more than a few lawsuits quickly! 
  • Jay Leno has added a Tata Nano to his garage. This wouldn’t have been remarkable if his garage didn’t house over 200 cars, some of them one-offs and really rare masterpieces. 

 

The CarWale Daily Fuel is your quick daily dose of automotive news from India and around the world. If you want to know whatever's in the news but want it short and sweet, here's your solution.

 

]]>7234<![CDATA[Mercedes Benz India announces a growth of 80 percent in 2010]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/7234-mercedes-benz-india-announces-a-growth-of-80-percent-in-2010.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/7234-mercedes-benz-india-announces-a-growth-of-80-percent-in-2010.htmlCarWale Team1/12/2011 12:28:44 PM1344http://img.carwale.com/ec/7234/img/m/7234_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/7234/img/m/7234_lMercedes-Benz India announced their year-end sales performance for 2010. The company has sold 5819 cars from Jan – Dec 2010 which is a growth of 80% over 2009. The key growth drivers were the E–Class with 2490 units, C-Class with 2070 units as well as the SUV range comprising the M-Class, GL-Class and the R-Class with 523 units.

]]>Mercedes-Benz India announced their year-end sales performance for 2010. The company has sold 5819 cars from Jan – Dec 2010 which is a growth of 80% over 2009. The key growth drivers were the E–Class with 2490 units, C-Class with 2070 units as well as the SUV range comprising the M-Class, GL-Class and the R-Class with 523 units.

The key products that contributed to the company's growth in the month of December were the E-Class with 371 units sold as opposed to 136 units in December 2009, the C-Class with 141 units sold compared to 133 units in December 2009, followed by 127 units of the SUV segment- comprising M-Class, GL-Class & the R-Class.

Mercedes-Benz India faced stiff competition with BMW this year and BMW did emerge as a winner with the 3-series digging into the sales of the other luxury sedans as well. But Mercedes-Benz did have a good year with the kind of sales growth it saw but with the growing popularity of BMW in the country it will be a challenge for the company to sustain this growth in the coming years.

]]>7024<![CDATA[Mercedes Benz registers a sales growth of 89 percent]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/7024-mercedes-benz-registers-a-sales-growth-of-89-percent.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/7024-mercedes-benz-registers-a-sales-growth-of-89-percent.htmlCarWale Team12/2/2010 6:48:33 PM1107http://img.carwale.com/ec/7024/img/m/7024_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/7024/img/m/7024_lMercedes-Benz registered a sale of 518 units for the month of November. This is a jump of 89% as compared to Nov 2009 (275 units). The key growth drivers have been the E-Class with 251 units sold in November 2010, followed by the C-Class which sold 156 units and the S-Class which sold 39 units. The SUVs GL-Class and M-Class continued their popularity run with total of 49 units thus bringing up the SUV wholesale total for Jan-Nov 2010 to 375 units.

]]>Mercedes-Benz registered a sale of 518 units for the month of November. This is a jump of 89% as compared to Nov 2009 (275 units). The key growth drivers have been the E-Class with 251 units sold in November 2010, followed by the C-Class which sold 156 units and the S-Class which sold 39 units. The SUVs GL-Class and M-Class continued their popularity run with total of 49 units thus bringing up the SUV wholesale total for Jan-Nov 2010 to 375 units.

Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India: "Mercedes-Benz clocked its best-ever November in its history with a total wholesale of 518 units in Nov 2010. The sales of Mercedes cars have grown by 86% in Jan- Nov 2010 as compared to the same period in 2009. There is a considerable demand from our customers which we are trying hard to meet despite a constraint in kits availability."

]]>6475<![CDATA[Mercedes Benz India Posts Highest Ever Sales in August 2010]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/6475-mercedes-benz-india-posts-highest-ever-sales-in-august-2010.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/6475-mercedes-benz-india-posts-highest-ever-sales-in-august-2010.htmlCarWale Team9/10/2010 3:46:53 PM1104http://img.carwale.com/ec/6475/img/m/6475_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/6475/img/m/6475_lMercedes-Benz India today announced sales of 573 units in August 2010, marking a growth of 112 % over the same period in 2009 (270 units in August 2009).  The total sales volume in Jan-August 2010 has now come to 3497units (1899 units in Jan-August 2009) which is a growth of 84% on a year-on-year basis. The E-Class accounted for the sale of 206 units while the C-Class also sold 256 units in August 2010.

]]>Mercedes-Benz India today announced sales of 573 units in August 2010, marking a growth of 112 % over the same period in 2009 (270 units in August 2009).  The total sales volume in Jan-August 2010 has now come to 3497units (1899 units in Jan-August 2009) which is a growth of 84% on a year-on-year basis. The E-Class accounted for the sale of 206 units while the C-Class also sold 256 units in August 2010.

Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India elaborated saying that, "Exciting products and exciting ways to showcase such products have been our constant endeavor. Our initiatives in 2010 have been targeted at customers from large as well as medium and small cities. Our strong sales performance continued throughout 2010 are a result of such customer focused initiatives."

Mercedes-Benz also introduced the ‘SLS AMG Play Station’ - a 3D simulator ride which will give customers a real life experience of  driving this super sports car.  Now car enthusiats willl get this exclusive opportunity to experience this automobile masterpiecee in all Mercedes-Benz markets across India.

Mr. Debashis Mitra, Director sales and Marketing of the company said "Our connect with luxury and lifestyle has been enhanced through our association with ace designer Manish Arora. His ensemble ‘Inspired by Mercedes’ has been presented at exclusive customer evenings across India. Taking this relationship forward, this exotic collection of apparels and fascinating accessories designed by Manish for Mercedes will be exclusively retailed through our dealer outlets across India".

]]>6386<![CDATA[Mercedes Benz introduces the new E 200 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/6386-mercedes-benz-introduces-the-new-e-200-cgi-blueefficiency.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/6386-mercedes-benz-introduces-the-new-e-200-cgi-blueefficiency.htmlCarWale Team8/27/2010 2:58:06 PM1924http://img.carwale.com/ec/6386/img/m/6386_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/6386/img/m/6386_lMercedes-Benz India announced the launch of the E 200 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY. The car marks the debut of the CGI technology in the E-Class range. The CGI technology combined with BlueEFFICIENCY measures ensures optimized efficiency, performance as well as environmental compatibility. The E 200 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY becomes the second Mercedes model to feature these innovative measures. The first one being the C 200 CGI.

]]>Mercedes-Benz India announced the launch of the E 200 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY. The car marks the debut of the CGI technology in the E-Class range. The CGI technology combined with BlueEFFICIENCY measures ensures optimized efficiency, performance as well as environmental compatibility. The E 200 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY becomes the second Mercedes model to feature these innovative measures. The first one being the C 200 CGI.

Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director & CEO of Mercedes-Benz India Limited said, “E-Class has been an all round success internationally; in India too it is the most popular luxury car in the country. The new E 200 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY is an irresistible combination of power, torque and luxury and further reinforces the broad range within the E-Class offerings.”

With an aggressive price tag of Rs. 38.76 lakh Ex-Showroom Pune (Rs. 39.5 lakh- Ex-showroom Delhi), the new offering from the E-Class stable is tailored to deliver the highest standards of design, technology, comfort and luxury.

]]>6342<![CDATA[Mercedes Benz Indias Latest Offering the New E Class Cabriolet]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/6342-mercedes-benz-indias-latest-offering-the-new-e-class-cabriolet.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/6342-mercedes-benz-indias-latest-offering-the-new-e-class-cabriolet.htmlCarWale Team8/18/2010 12:01:14 PM3393http://img.carwale.com/ec/6342/img/m/6342_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/6342/img/m/6342_lMercedes-Benz India today announced the launch of the E-Class Cabriolet in India. The highly stylized avatar of the award winning E-Class comes with a retractable soft top roof and offers comfortable seating for four. The E-Class was the first automobile to roll out of the Indian plant back in 1995. Till date the E-Class has sold over 12,700 units and the new E-Class has already sold 1268 vehicles between January to July 2010.

]]>Mercedes-Benz India today announced the launch of the E-Class Cabriolet in India. The highly stylized avatar of the award winning E-Class comes with a retractable soft top roof and offers comfortable seating for four. The E-Class was the first automobile to roll out of the Indian plant back in 1995. Till date the E-Class has sold over 12,700 units and the new E-Class has already sold 1268 vehicles between January to July 2010.

"The E-Class Cabriolet heralds a new era of Open top motoring. With its launch, the versatility of the E-Class range is further reinforced; the E-Class now offers the Cabriolet in addition to already present the E-Class Saloon and the E-Class Coupe. The E-Class has seven offerings for the discerning customers who seek individuality, expression and dynamism through the cars they drive" commented Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz India Pvt. Ltd.

The E-Class Cabriolet makes a lifestyle statement, promising an engaging driving experience with the top on or off. Thanks to its classic soft top, the four-seater convertible delivers that unadulterated cabriolet feeling. True to the motto "It’s about air stream and not main stream", it combines comfort, elegance and year-round usability with the premiere feature of the AIRCAP®. AIRCAP® is an automatic wind deflector that can be deployed at the touch of a button to significantly reduce turbulence in the vehicle’s interior. It also dispenses with the assembly required for conventional wind deflectors and leaves the side profile of the Cabriolet undisturbed.

The production standard sound-dampening soft top comes with extremely high-quality insulation to deliver comfortable travel with the top up. Thus, the closed E-Class Cabriolet offers one of the quietest interiors in the segment of four-seater premium soft-top cabriolets. The top can be opened or closed with the touch of a button in 20 seconds flat – even while driving at speeds of up to 40 kmph. Like all E-Class models, the Cabriolet also offers an outstanding level of safety with standard equipment that include the ATTENTION ASSIST drowsiness detection system, PRE-SAFE® predictive occupant protection and the intelligent light system among others. The E-Class E 350 Cabriolet sports a 3.5 litre engine delivering a powerful output of 272 hp and a torque of 355 Nm. The E-Class Cabriolet is priced at Rs. 64.5 lakhs (Ex-showroom Delhi).

]]>6198<![CDATA[Mercedes-Benz Achieves Highest-ever Monthly Sales in July 2010]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/6198-mercedes-benz-achieves-highest-ever-monthly-sales-in-july-2010.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/6198-mercedes-benz-achieves-highest-ever-monthly-sales-in-july-2010.htmlCarWale Team8/3/2010 11:53:03 AM1931http://img.carwale.com/ec/6198/img/m/6198_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/6198/img/m/6198_lMercedes-Benz today announced its highest-ever-month of sales in its 15-year long history in India. The company sold a total of 521 units which is a growth of 80% over corresponding period previous year (288 units in July 2009). Heading the sales figures is the E-Class with 212 units. The SUVs too showed a significant rise in sales(the SUVs GL and M-Class sold 62 units in July 2010, almost half of the annual numbers of SUVs sold in 2009). The Jan-July 2010 numbers were also impressive with 2922 units and a growth of about 80% over 2009 (Jan-July 2009 - 1670 units).

]]>Mercedes-Benz today announced its highest-ever-month of sales in its 15-year long history in India. The company sold a total of 521 units which is a growth of 80% over corresponding period previous year (288 units in July 2009). Heading the sales figures is the E-Class with 212 units. The SUVs too showed a significant rise in sales(the SUVs GL and M-Class sold 62 units in July 2010, almost half of the annual numbers of SUVs sold in 2009). The Jan-July 2010 numbers were also impressive with 2922 units and a growth of about 80% over 2009 (Jan-July 2009 - 1670 units).

Dr. Wilfried Aulbur Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India commented on the increase in sales saying, "July has been the best ever month in the history of Mercedes-Benz in India. Jan-July 2010 also has been a period of strong growth for us."

He added saying that, "While numbers are encouraging statistics, they are not the only focus for us. Commitment to exciting products, world-class ownership experience and engaging customer programs will continue to be our focus areas towards appreciation of our customers for Mercedes-Benz." Mercedes-Benz would sure be looking forward to a successful and a sales figure unmatched by the company before.

]]>5470<![CDATA[Mercedes-Benz India Record 94% Sales Growth]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/5470-mercedes-benz-india-record-94-sales-growth.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/5470-mercedes-benz-india-record-94-sales-growth.htmlCarWale Team7/7/2010 10:18:21 AM1703http://img.carwale.com/ec/5470/img/m/5470_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/5470/img/m/5470_lMercedes-Benz India announced its sales numbers for June 2010. The company notched-up 388 units in June 2010, an increase of 94% over June 2009.

]]>Mercedes-Benz India announced its sales numbers for June 2010. The company notched-up 388 units in June 2010, an increase of 94% over June 2009.

The C 200 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY introduced in mid May continued its popularity run with 320+ units sold since its launch.  In the first half of 2010 Mercedes’ sales increased by 79% (January – June 2010: 2402 units; January – June 2009: 1342 units). Powering this growth are the volume models of the E-Class (1056 units) and the C-Class (926 units).

Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India elaborated: "Our customers appreciate the Passion, Excitement and Fascination that are associated with Mercedes-Benz as a brand and our cars. Exciting products, world-class ownership experience and engaging customer programs have been our key levers; we have more excitement for our customers and enthusiasts in the second half of 2010."

]]>4773<![CDATA[Mercedes Reinforces with 59% Growth Year on Year]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/4773-mercedes-reinforces-with-59-growth-year-on-year.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/4773-mercedes-reinforces-with-59-growth-year-on-year.htmlCarWale Team6/4/2010 6:56:50 PM1920http://img.carwale.com/ec/4773/img/m/4773_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/4773/img/m/4773_lMercedes-Benz India has reinforced its numero uno position in the Indian luxury car market space and in May 2010 further increased the gap with its closest competitor. Buoyed by a string of new launches in the S-Class, E-Class, C-Class as well as the SUV category represented by the M-Class and GL-Class, Mercedes has now gained clear leadership in its segment.

]]>Mercedes-Benz India has reinforced its numero uno position in the Indian luxury car market space and in May 2010 further increased the gap with its closest competitor. Buoyed by a string of new launches in the S-Class, E-Class, C-Class as well as the SUV category represented by the M-Class and GL-Class, Mercedes has now gained clear leadership in its segment.

Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Dr. Wilfried Aulbur attributed this success to aggressive product marketing strategy and focus upon the end customer: “In 2010 we revisited every product line enhanced engines, enriched our offerings and further reinforced value proposition of our products. Our exciting product portfolio was backed-up by the broadest and deepest luxury car network spanning 56 touch points and 26 cities while the Fascination of our Brand was carried forth through the Driving Experience programs, 15 city MercedesTrophy Golf tournament, Manish Arora collection “Inspired by Mercedes” and exotic Mercedes drives. Such initiatives have helped us work ever closer with our customers, understand their needs and serve them better. While volume is important, we continue to focus upon strong profitable growth and customer delight.”

Customers in the premium luxury segment have high acceptance of new trends- be it in design, styling or technologies. Debashish Mitra, Director of Sales and Marketing elaborated: “A case in point is the C 200CGI Avantgarde: within two weeks of launch, we sold about 150 units. The class-leading technology, dynamic styling and value proposition has clearly found its niche among the target segment which explain the high success rate of the product. We will continue to maintain the excitement in the marketplace in the rest of 2010…” commented Debashish indicating the shape of things to come.

]]>4546<![CDATA[CarWale Attends Mercedes StarDrive in Mumbai]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/4546-carwale-attends-mercedes-stardrive-in-mumbai.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/4546-carwale-attends-mercedes-stardrive-in-mumbai.htmlCarWale Team4/27/2010 6:17:37 PM1863http://img.carwale.com/ec/4546/img/m/4546_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/4546/img/m/4546_lThe CarWale Team had the unique opportunity to participate in the Mercedes StarDrive event which not only showcased the vehicle's safety, but in the case of the ML and GL, their off-roading capabilities as well. Set up at the Juhu Aerodrome in Mumbai, Mercedes had an avoidance manovure and braking demo with cones on the straightline track for the C & E class and the ML and the GL tackled the custom built side-slopes hill climb and descent ramps, as well as a demo that demonstrated axle articulation and wheel-slip control. This was truly a unique way to showcase the vehicle's capabilities to existing and prospective customers so that they could learn more about the car and what they are truly capable of.

]]>The CarWale Team had the unique opportunity to participate in the Mercedes StarDrive event which not only showcased the vehicle's safety, but in the case of the ML and GL, their off-roading capabilities as well. Set up at the Juhu Aerodrome in Mumbai, Mercedes had an avoidance manovure and braking demo with cones on the straightline track for the C & E class and the ML and the GL tackled the custom built side-slopes hill climb and descent ramps, as well as a demo that demonstrated axle articulation and wheel-slip control. This was truly a unique way to showcase the vehicle's capabilities to existing and prospective customers so that they could learn more about the car and what they are truly capable of.

The programme gave the participants to experience the key safety technologies like Pro-Engineering Package, Airmatic etc and also learn the dynamics of the vehicle namely safety, agility and performance in conditions off-road and on-road.

Some of the key features that we got a 'live' demonstration of, were:

Actively Body Control (ABC)
Actively Body Control is an active suspension and damping system that automatically adjusts the chassis setting to driving conditions. Body movements like lifting, rolling and pitching are reduced by the microprocessor–controlled system within a fraction of a second and a high level of damping is provided. ABC lowers the body of the vehicle and so reduces aerodynamic drag. Even at high driving speeds, maximum stability of the vehicle is achieved and petrol consumption reduced.

ESP
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP) developed by Mercedes-Benz works by continuously comparing the actual behaviour of the car and the intended direction being taken by the driver.

In the event of a critical handling situation, ESP can not only recognise danger, it can also automatically trigger remedial reaction. For instance, if ESP detects the vehicle deviating from the driver’s intended direction during acceleration, braking or cruising, it can identify the problem and relay the data to a high performance micro computer. The computer then instantly adjusts the engine torque and applies a precisely metered brake force to one or more wheels in order to stabilise the vehicle.

This driving safety system can reduce the risk of skidding in critical driving situations. While the car is being driven, ESP computer continuously compares the actual behaviour of the vehicle with the drivers’ intended direction. Using specially developed controlled logic, it can instantly intervene by delivering precisely metered braking impulses at any single wheel, as well as adjusting the engine torque.

Pre-Safe
PRE-SAFE is based on the principle of prevention: The system is capable of recognising critical operating conditions which would lead to an accident, whereupon it swings into action to prepare both the vehicle and its occupants for possible impact. Advance detection of collisions are made possible by the PRE-SAFE® system's as yet unrivalled synergy of active and passive safety. It makes full use of the sensor technology fitted for existing systems such as ESP and BAS whose sensors pick up critical driving situations and relay the related information to PRE-SAFE systems which complement the standard-specification safety systems.

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