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 Generator8961<![CDATA[The CarWale Daily Fuel – May 26, 2012]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8961-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-26-2012.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8961-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-26-2012.htmlCarWale Team5/26/2012 12:26:00 PM1264http://img.carwale.com/ec/8961/img/m/8961_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8961/img/m/8961_lGM announces weekend bonanza for Spark and Beat buyers, Mercedes to get the ML 250 CDI to India after the new ML 350 sold like hot cakes, BMW showed off the stunning Zagato Coupe concept while Maruti Suzuki gears up for Gujarat.

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  • General Motors has announced a weekend bonanza this weekend from 25th to 27th May where each booking would get an assured gift and a lucky customer can have his Spark for free. The offer is only on Spark and Beat with the showrooms open from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm.
  • Maruti Suzuki will sign an agreement with the Gujarat government on June 2 to set up a 2.5 lakh car per annum facility near Mehsana in north Gujarat ending the 5 months of speculation. Capacity of the Rs 6000 crore 500 acre facility will be scaled up in future as per the requirements.
  • As we have been reporting earlier, Fiat is working hard to gain formidable foothold in the Indian market after the failure if it previous joint ventures in India. Going solo this time, the company faces an uphill task to regain the diminishing customer confidence.
  • Toyota’s Etios sedan and Liva Hatch specifically made for the Indian market have crossed the one lakh sales mark in less than two years after their launch in December 2010. Toyota has also started expoting the cars to the African market eyeing around 20000 units per year.
  • Ssangyong unveiled the new Rexton at the Busan Auto show with radical changes in the looks as well as under the hood. The Rexton W as it is known, has a new 2.0 litre diesel engine that producs 154bhp and 367 Nm torque and returns a fuel economy of 13.7 kmpl for the automatic transmission. The new ‘work of art’ Rexton W would certainly help the Mahindra owned Korean manufacturer rebrand itself in the Chinese market.
  • After the overwhelming response for the new ML 350, where 100 cars got sold within a week of launch when Mercedes were targeting 500 units for the year, Mercedes are planning to launch the ML 250 CDI with a 2.2 litre four cylinder diesel engine making 205bhp and 500NM of torque. Probably priced about 5 lakhs below the ML 350, the Mercedes SUV range would start from 50 lakh in India luring the BMW X3 and Q5 buyers to upgrade to a bigger car by spending some more money.
  • Fiat has now suspended its exports to Iran due to the economic sanctions imposed for its nuclear activity. Fiat has joined Hyundai, Peugeot-Citroen and Porsche as automakers no longer doing business in Iran.
  • Fiat is developing the 500X crossover to compete with the Ford EcoSport and Nissan Juke and Renault Duster. Carrying forward the highly popular 500 brand, the sub 4.2 meter crossover is expected to debut at the 2013 Geneva Auto show.
  • BMW has showcased the Zagato Concept coupe at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este show in Italy. Based on the Z4 and body work by the famed Italian coach-builders Zagato, the stunning coupe is a treat to the eyes with the trademark BMW kidney grille,an old school long bonnet, the signature Zagato double bubble roof and the Kamm tail section.
  • After the Passat Alltrack for the US, Volksagen is keen on offering the Jetta and Golf in the lifted and cladded avatar. The Passat Alltrack may later house 3 roews of seating pushing it to the upper segment,.
  • Lotus CEO Dany Bahar has been temporarily suspended from office following an operational review. The parent company DRB Hicom stressed that it is business as usual at Lotus and onthing is to be onferred from the developments.

    • 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.

     

    ]]>    8958<![CDATA[The CarWale Daily Fuel – May 24, 2012]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8958-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-24-2012.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8958-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-24-2012.htmlCarWale Team5/24/2012 11:51:00 AM783http://img.carwale.com/ec/8958/img/m/8958_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8958/img/m/8958_lPetrol prices up by a mind-boggling Rs 7.50 from today, engineering students in Punjab develop a driverless golf car while Ferrari claims the fastest unofficial lap around the Laguna Seca.

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  • Petrol prices in India have gone up by around Rs 7.50 i.e. above 10 per cent, inclusive of state taxes, with effect from today. Auto stocks of companies such as Maruti and Mahindra have suffered thanks to this large price hike. 
  • The Indian Rupee has plummeted even further to touch 56 rupees to a dollar. A panel of ministers will meet tomorrow to decide on a restructuring of pricing for diesel, kerosene and LPG, whose subsidies are driving the price of petrol ever higher.  
  • The proposed annual fitness checks we had mentioned some time ago for private vehicles may be in place by the end of the year. Not only this, the vehicle's insurance renewal will be dependent on whether the vehicle passes the fitness test - a noble sentiment, but it remains to be seen the implementation of the rule. 
  • Audi has launched the Audi Car-life Advance program for customers buying the A4, A6 and Q5. The program is based on EMIs that include insurance costs, routine maintenance and extended warranty payments merged into one so that the customer does not have to shell out money over and over again.
  • Mahindra and Mahindra are trying their best to enter the growing Chinese markets astride their Korean acquisition Ssangyong. Under its previous owners, Ssangyong brand was damaged in China and M&M are facing difficulty in restructuring the brand in the Chinese market.
  • Mahindra is back in the running for the acquisition of Saab - Youngman, which was the frontrunner so far, has resigned from the race for unspecified reasons. 
  • Ford India, as a part of its CSR, had undertaken ‘Operation Goodwill’ to improve the education infrastructure in the areas surrounding its Chennai Factory. Ford India’s parent company, Ford USA has given an additional $250,000 to Ford India to go ahead with the welfare activities.
  • Engineering students from the Lovely Professional Univeristy in Punjab have built a golf cart as an engineering project that can be controlled by mobile phone through internet connectivity. This means that with the help of cameras and a smartphone, it can be driven by someone anywhere in the world - theoretically.
  • Mazda and Fiat have signed a memorandum to develop a small sports car based on the Miata MX 5. Fiat group’s Alfa Romeo will be working with Mazda to create the new roadster.
  • Renault has confirmed the unveiling of the Alpine concept at the Monaco GP this weekend. Renault has confirmed that the 400 bhp car can be homologated in the future, but is an essentially track spec car as of now. It is also mulling a new high-end brand in much the same way that Honda has Acura or Toyota, Lexus - but no concrete plans exist right now. 
  • BMW has tripled its Chinese production output with its second Chinese factory. When complete, the total Chinese production will be 200,000 units annually in 2014 - but demand is expected to be double that in the future.

      • 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.

       

      ]]>      8955<![CDATA[The CarWale Daily Fuel - May 22, 2012]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8955-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-22-2012.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8955-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-22-2012.htmlCarWale Team5/22/2012 12:18:00 PM880http://img.carwale.com/ec/8955/img/m/8955_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8955/img/m/8955_lSun films banned in Madurai from 25th May, the plummeting rupee worries auto companies, Audi rules at the Nurburgring 24 Hours while Rolls Royce have pulled the plug on the Phantom Electric.

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    • After Chennai police, Madurai has decided to enforce the blanket ban for sun films on car windows and windshields. People have time till 25th May to adhere to the new rules laid down by the Supreme Court.
    • The Indian rupee has hit a low of Rs 55 to an American dollar. With the exchange rate fluctuations and the rupee depreciating, the value of imports in rupees have increased considerably (about 5 per cent in the last two weeks). As we had reported earlier, automotive companies have passed on the cost burden to the consumers with a price hike or are planning to do the same.
    • Eaton Corp, global suppliers of commercial vehicles and heavy machinery components, have decided to diversify from the automotive field. Eaton's $11.8 billion acquisition of Cooper Industries will reduce the automotive revenue of Eaton Corp to roughly 20 per cent of overall revenue while electrical components will contribute 60 per cent of the revenues.
    • The high Performance John Cooper Works models from Mini will get new revised engines. The 1.6 litre turbocharged four cylinder petrol engine producing about 208 bhp will also have an automatic transmission option for the buyers along with the existing Manual gearbox. The revised ultra lightweight enigne is expected to run 14 kms per litre of petrol.
    • The Fiat 500 has come up with the Abarth 695 Maserati edition after the success of a similar Ferrari edition launched ath the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009. Only 499 to be made, the Maserati edition will don the Pontevecchio Bordeaux paint with a convertible grey top, Jaeger instrumentation, beige interiors, 17 inch Maserati style Neptune wheels and hexagonal tail-pipes.
    • After cutting down on the Facebook advertisements citing ineffectiveness, General Motors USA are now planning to cut down on the advertisement budgets for the SuperBowl. General Motors are reviewing their marketing startegy and plan to spend better rather than cut down the marketing budget.
    • Audi registered its first overall win at the Nurburgring 24 Hours as the R8 LMS Ultra finished at the first and second positions. Audi has been a champion at endurance events recently with the Le Mans, Spa, Bathurst and many more victories.
    • Toyota were also successful at the Nurburgring 24 Hours as their entries the Gazoo GT86, Toyta Swiss Racing GT 86 and Gazoo Lexus LFA won the SP3, V3 and the SP8 classes respectively.
    • Rolls Royce has scrapped the plans to go ahead with the Electric Phantom after the estimated range was maximum 120 miles for a single charge. The concept 102 EX was showcased at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

      • 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.

      ]]>      8952<![CDATA[The CarWale Daily Fuel – May 21, 2012 ]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8952-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-21-2012-.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8952-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-21-2012-.htmlCarWale Team5/21/2012 12:16:00 PM737http://img.carwale.com/ec/8952/img/m/8952_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8952/img/m/8952_lMaruti scores an ace in Africa, Fiat needs 18 months to get the sales and service sorted while the new race Polo is launched for the 2012 Polo R Cup.

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    • Fiat India have asked for a 18 month time frame from their valued customers to get about 100+, Fiat only, dealerships and service setups running over the country. At the Fiat Caffe launch, Fiat announced that they would be working hard to retain all the existing 160 odd dealers so that their customers are not inconvenienced.
    • Maruti Suzuki has got another ace up its sleeve. Maruti Suzuki has grown steadily in the Algerian market, predominantly a SUV market. They have sold more than 17000 cars last year, twice than the year before. This has boosted Maruti Suzuki's confidence to delve further into African markets.
    • Mahindra and Mahindra have signed a preferred financer agreement with the Satpura Narmada Kshetriya Grameen Bank (SNKGB), the largest Gramin bank in Madhya Pradesh. This will help M&M to boost its sales in central India.
      • Volkswagen India have launched the 2012 race Polo that will run for the Polo Cup season. The new car Polo R has a 1.4 litre 180bhp petrol engine mated to a 6 -speed sequential paddle shift gear-box, a significant development over the outgoing version.
      • Indian racing prodigee Aditya Patel has won the Nurburgring 24 hours event with his team Pro Handicap e.V. driving the iconic Audi TTS in Germany.
      • Market analysts IHS Automotive and Cyrrus AS have derived that it would be better for Fiat to tie-up with Suzuki after the Tata-Fiat JV ended earlier this month. With a lot to gain for Fiat and not much for the market leader Suzuki except for the engines, we wonder if Maruti Suzuki would be open for such an alliance. Globally though, the alliance could be a win -win with Suzuki going ahead to break-up with Volkswagen and Fiat's acquisition of Chrysler.
      • Fiat auctioned its first car of the limited edition Fiat 500 America series via Twitter. German Twitter user Adelheid D. Keiper won the number one car of the limited edition series with the winning tweet for 15,165 Euros.
      • The 1991 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato Sanction II coupe, one of the only four ever made, was sold for $10.3 million i.e. about Rs 54 crore at the Bonhams auction yesterday.

      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.

      ]]>      8950<![CDATA[The CarWale Daily Fuel - May 19, 2012]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8950-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-19-2012.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8950-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-19-2012.htmlCarWale Team5/19/2012 3:45:00 PM1276http://img.carwale.com/ec/8950/img/m/8950_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8950/img/m/8950_lFiat launches Punto 90hp Sport and second Fiat Caffe at Pune, new Tata Safari Storme will go on sale in July, Premier Rio to use Fiat's Multijet diesel and auto manufacturers in India may get recall guidelines by end of year.

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    • Fiat India has launched the Punto 90hp Sport at a price tag of 7.36 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. The Punto Sport has decals, contrasting mirrors, interior trim with chrome accents and different fabric over the regular 90hp diesel. 
    • Fiat also launched a Fiat Caffe at Koregaon Park in Pune, the second such café in India. India is the only country to have two Fiat caffes. One can shop for a Fiat or simply sip a cup of coffee at the café.
    • The Bajaj RE60 will probably be launched by the end of 2013. It is said that the RE60 will compete with auto rickshaws for intra-city transport rather than the Nano that still owns the crown of the cheapest car in India.
    • The Tata Safari Storme is expected to hit the showrooms by July this year. Tata is planning to keep the existing Safari on sale along with the Storme at least in the initial phase.
    • The Premier Rio joins the ranks of Indian Fiat and Maruti diesels as well as some Tata diesels in being powered by the Fiat 1.3 Multijet engine. Fiat, under the new agreement, will deliver 28000 engines to Premier over the next three years.
    • Hyundai India is expecting a slow growth of about 6 to 8 per cent over the year owing to rising fuel costs, interest rates and a general perception of a dampened economy. Meanwhile, the Korean company is taking efforts to ramp up its service and dealer network.
    • Auto manufacturers in India may be required by law to issue a recall if a vehicle is found to have a defect. Nothing has been decided yet, but proposed steps include informing the government of the recall and issuing an official media statement. SIAM plans to get in the door first with its own set of voluntary guidelines, to be issued next month.
    • The state of Kerala will soon have an automated system to judge vehicle fitness, thus giving a scientific approach to vehicle testing before a fitness certificate is issued. The cost is Rs 1.8 crore per machine, and two machines have been ordered.
    • The state of Goa is going to get equally high-tech as Kerala: within six months, all the offences and accidents committed by a vehicle will be recorded on the registration card itself. Palmtop readers/writers will be provided to the traffic police to help record or retrieve the information.
    • The world's first nationwide electric car network has been launched in Israel. 'Refuelling stations' swap the depleted battery for a new one instead of merely charging it, so that a refuel takes just as much time as filling up on a fossil fuel. The vehicle of choice is the electric Renault Fluence.
    • With increasing electronic control over a vehicle's functions, it is getting harder for independent mechanics to diagnose and thus repair faults with modern cars. A law in Massachusetts, USA aims to make the necessary software available to these shops but with security restrictions beginning 2015, the same year that vehicle 'black boxes' become mandatory. However, the bill hasn't been passed yet.
    • Bentley is expected to resume its motorsport participation in an unlikely form - the Dakar rally. Parent VW has been buying up all the race Touaregs it sold to privateer teams. This move would make marketing sense to the Winged B, since the EXP 9F SUV is its biggest upcoming product.
    • British GT car manufacturer Aston Martin sees scope for further growth in the Chinese, Russian and other Asian markets besides China. They are planning to launch an SUV under the Lagonda brand to foray into the premium SUV segment.

      • 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.

      ]]>      8946<![CDATA[The CarWale Daily Fuel – May 17, 2012]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8946-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-17-2012.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8946-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-17-2012.htmlCarWale Team5/17/2012 1:36:00 PM724http://img.carwale.com/ec/8946/img/m/8946_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8946/img/m/8946_lGujarat plans to house India's biggest automotive hub, Chennai police enters the tint fray serving a two day deadline, Enzo's hybrid successor to be the most expensive Ferrari while automobile costs set to go up as the rupee continues its slide.

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    • The Automotive Component Manufacturers' Association (ACMA) plans to build the country's largest ancillary hub in Gujarat, spread over 1100 acres, as automotive manufacturers are lining up to set up their bases in the industry-friendly Gujarat. The executive meeting will be held in June to discuss further plans.
    • The Maharashtra government has decided to go easy on big car buyers. The state has decided to cap taxation at 20 per cent on corporate and imported car registrations as many new car registrations were being done in other states – meaning less revenue for Maharashtra.
    • As the Indian rupee continues its slide against the dollar, vehicle manufacturers are mulling a price hike to compensate for increasing input costs and shrinking profit margins.
    • European car makers are lobbying for massive import duty cuts for made-in-Europe cars under the free trade agreement. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) is up in arms as it will give an unfair advantage to the Europeans which will destroy the Indian manufacturers. As they can import and sell cars really cheap in India, there will be no FDI inflow into the country, hurting its economy and growth.
    • Porsche will launch the new 911 Carrera and the Boxster by the end of 2012 or early 2013 to cater to the rising Indian market demand. Porsche has more than doubled sales to over 300 units in 2011.
    • After Bengaluru, the Chennai police has served a deadline to citizens to get rid of the window tint on their cars. The trying part is that they have given only a two day notice to start fining the offenders at Rs 100 for the first time and Rs 300 for subsequent offences.
    • Jaguar - Land Rover have signed a JV agreement with China's Chery Automobile Company to assemble Jaguar and Land Rover cars, engines etc. in China. They will need some more time to get all approvals regarding the same, but since JLR are looking at a long term perspective, they would not mind the delays.
    • Mini is revamping the basic Mini Cooper after the existing model has been around for about five years. The car will be a bit bigger than the outgoing Mini and will share its underpinnings with the next-gen BMW 1 series.
    • About 30 per cent of auto dealers in Italy are on the verge of closing business in near future due to the plummeting auto sales in the country. The market has shrunk by around 20 percent in the last quarter alone. This does not bode well for the enthusiast, as everything from Fiat 500s to Ferrari 458 Italias call this country home.
    • The Ferrari Enzo successor, dubbed the F70, will have a hybrid engine where a 12 cylinder petrol engine will be combined with two electric motors. With the pricing even higher than that of the Enzo, the most expensive Ferrari will compete with the likes of the upcoming Porsche 918.
    • Legendary sports car builders and tuners Lola Cars is applying for bankruptcy protection after more than 50 years of existence. Despite having ongoing projects in almost every form of track racing held around the world, the revenues generated are not able to suffice the expenses incurred.
    • Gazoo racing-tuned Toyota GT-86s and a Lexus LFA are participating in this year's Nurburgring 24 hours. With five cars entering the fray in various categories, Toyota is looking forward to winning.

      • 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.

      ]]>      8894<![CDATA[The CarWale Daily Fuel - May 7, 2012]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8894-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-7-2012.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8894-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-7-2012.htmlCarWale Team5/7/2012 12:11:00 PM969http://img.carwale.com/ec/8894/img/m/8894_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8894/img/m/8894_lNano reaches the Netherlands, Sahara Force India to pay $ 1 million legal costs, Aston Martin expects growth in India while a spirited wannabe buyer takes a Ferrari for a swim.

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    • After Audi launched its new A6 this month, May is going to witness the launch of the new 2012 ML 350 CDI. Expected to be launched on 15th May, the Mercedes SUV houses the 240 BHP BlueTec V6 diesel engine. Initially brought as CBUs, Mercedes plans to localise the M-class by the end of 2012.

    • Automotive Component Manufacturers' Association (ACMA) of India have tied up with SAP India to offer customised ERP and business analysis solutions to its members. SAP tech would help the indsutry to improve its standards, flexibility and competitiveness.

    • Sahara Force India now has to pay Caterham team to the tune of $ 1 million as the British court overturned its copyright issue appeal filed against the Caterham CTO Gascoyne and Aerolab.

    • World's cheapest car, the Tata Nano now runs in the Netherlands, thanks to the efforts of its current owner Mr. Blijdatikrij. The online pare parts provider had to pay about 600 euros to upgrade the car to comply to Netherlands norms after buying it for 2400 euros.

    • Nissan has confirmed the production of the Juke R, a small hatch housing the Godzilla (read the 545 HP Nissan Skyline GTR) mill.

    • The Porsche 960 will be a Ferrari FF fighting four door coupe powered by a twin turbo flat six, traditional Porsche.

    • If you are a speed enthusiast but scared of driving too fast, Jaguar has got a solution for you. Jaguar has announced the XJ Supersport taxi for a high speed blast around the Nurburgring. The four seater XJ limo is stripped of its luxuries to enhance safety of the passengers. With four point harnesses and roll cages, you do not have to worry much about the approaching hair pin. 
      • A prospective Ferrari California buyer, drove the $ 200,000 car into the bay after going a bit to hot on the pedal during the test drive. The incident was confirmed just to the north of San Francisco, CA and is the second such incident involving an exotic car in the state of California. Earlier, a Lamborghini Aventador got burnt while on test drive.

      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. 

       

       

      ]]>      8891<![CDATA[Tata-Fiat sales JV ends]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8891-tatafiat-sales-jv-ends.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8891-tatafiat-sales-jv-ends.htmlCarWale Team5/4/2012 12:31:00 PM748http://img.carwale.com/ec/8891/img/m/8891_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8891/img/m/8891_lThe Tata-Fiat JV, to sell Fiat cars through the Tata dealer network, has ended, since its start in 2006. The manufacturing and tech joint ventures between the two companies will continue to exist.

      ]]>      The joint venture that Tata and Fiat had forged in 2006, to sell Fiat cars in India through the already established Tata infrastructure, has finally ended after incurring continual losses over the years. Fiat has now decided to take over the control of commercial and distribution activities of its cars in India through a separate entity, especially created under the Fiat group. Tata will also hand over service setups to the Fiat subsidiary as a part of the deal.

      Senior vice-president of Fiat India, Enrico Anatasio, said that the decision was a part of the growth strategy in order to create a greater focus on the Fiat brand. The company has already begun the process of appointing new dealers. The existing 178 Fiat-franchised Tata dealers are being encouraged to be a part of the future Fiat network.

      The car and engine manufacturing joint ventures that were also announced in 2006 will continue to exist, unaffected by this development.

      Now that Fiat is actively focusing on its network and supply chain, Fiats would become easier to live with.

       

      ]]>      8870<![CDATA[The CarWale Daily Fuel - April 24, 2012]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8870-the-carwale-daily-fuel-april-24-2012.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8870-the-carwale-daily-fuel-april-24-2012.htmlCarWale Team4/24/2012 10:36:00 AM792http://img.carwale.com/ec/8870/img/m/8870_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8870/img/m/8870_lSBI cuts auto loan rates, lots of discounts on petrol cars, new Audi Q5 has debuted, and Maruti's Manesar employees begin negotiations for salary hikes.

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    • SBI has cut loan rates, including those on car loans. This could make other banks follow suit to keep themselves in contention with the consumer.
    • If you're in the market for a petrol car, now is the time to make a purchase. Manufacturers are offering everything from cash discounts to gold coins and LED televisions to ensure that petrol variants and models keep selling. Manufacturers are also encouraging dealers by increasing margins on petrol vehicles.
    • The negotiations for salaries at Maruti's Manesar plant have begun. The Maruti Suzuki Workers' Union has given the management a list of demands, which include things like a rise in basic salaries and linking of dearness allowance to basic pay.
    • Audi has shown the facelifted Q5 at the Beijing Auto Show. There aren't any major changes to the Q5, but it sports new headlamps, a new grille and bumper. We will see the 3.2-litre petrol V6 replaced by the new 3.0-litre supercharged one. The hybrid version will debut in the US market. There will even be an sporty S variant slated for a June launch, to coincide with the 24 hours of Le Mans. 
    • Fiat is launching the Viaggio sedan in the Chinese market. The Viaggio is a sedan based on the Dodge Dart (itself based on an Alfa design) and it is slightly bigger than the Linea. It looks modern and we think it would make a nice addition to Fiat India's range - here's to hoping they make a right-hand drive version. 
    • Audi has showcased the A6 e-Tron concept at the Beijing Auto Show. The A6 e-Tron is a plug-in hybrid that runs primarily off its electric motors, with a four-cylinder petrol engine to help either acceleration or range when needed. 
    • Ford USA is undertaking an interesting project to use old money - literally, old paper money that is shredded in the USA - to use in the construction of its vehicles. It already uses soy beans, denim and plastic bottles in its products, instead of substances derived from petroleum.
    • BMW has shown the i8 Spyder Concept at the Beijing Auto Show. Even accounting for the practicality that will be added to the concept, it will be one desirable yet fuel efficient car.
    • Bentley is considering petrol/hybrid powertrains for its upcoming SUV, the EXP 9F. The existing engines in the Bentley range, the 6.0-litre W12 and the 4.0-litre V8 will be options for sure, but a plug-in hybrid V6 might also be under development. All powertrains promise the performance that Bentley is renowned for. However, will we ever see a diesel Bentley? If they can make one refined enough, we can just imagine it delivering the 'wave of torque' that Bentleys are so famous for...

      •  

      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. 

      ]]>      8854<![CDATA[Jeep to enter India with Wrangler and Grand Cherokee.]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8854-jeep-to-enter-india-with-wrangler-and-grand-cherokee.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8854-jeep-to-enter-india-with-wrangler-and-grand-cherokee.htmlCarWale Team4/17/2012 12:10:00 PM1495http://img.carwale.com/ec/8854/img/m/8854_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8854/img/m/8854_lLegendary American off-roader Jeep is finally entering the Indian market. Off-road enthusiasts, rejoice!

      ]]>      American auto manufacturer Jeep, now owned by the Fiat group, will be introduced in the Indian market by the Italian giant. From the wide range of SUVs, Jeep is looking forward to introduce the Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler in India.

      India has always been a land well-suited to big cars. The presence, size and the ability of SUVs to smoothen the bad roads, make them a clear favourite. The introduction of Jeeps will please the offroader enthusiasts as well as the old-school SUV lovers.

      The 2012 fourth-generation Grand Cherokee is muscular and modern. It shares components like the chassis and suspension with the Mercedes ML-class and will be offered only as a five-seater rather than the expected seven-seater. The Grand Cherokee features spacious interiors that are packed with features, but quality may not be as good as others in the same price bracket. The Jeep will most probably be available with the Fiat-developed 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine producing 240PS and 550Nm torque that is fuel efficient thanks to Multijet II technology.

      The Wrangler will be the tough, lifestyle product as against the premium luxury status of the Grand Cherokee. The 2012 Wrangler has redesigned interiors with better quality, and the new sound insulation has lowered cabin noise significantly.

      Fiat should be able to offer the Grand Cherokee at under Rs 50 lakhs in India, if it is able import it as a CKD kit and assemble it here. The Wrangler would be worth a buy if priced around Rs 15-20 lakh.

       

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