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 Generator8956<![CDATA[The CarWale Daily Fuel – May 23, 2012]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8956-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-23-2012.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8956-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-23-2012.htmlCarWale Team5/23/2012 12:44:00 PM1106http://img.carwale.com/ec/8956/img/m/8956_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8956/img/m/8956_lTata may offer a limited edition Manza on its third anniversary, Volkswagen testing the Jetta petrol in India, BMW pips Toyota to gain the position of the world's most valuable car brand.

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  • The black roof and a special Tyrian Wine paint-job Tata Manza test mule has fueled speculations of a limited edition Manza as the model is nearing its third anniversary.
  • Volkswagen Jetta with TSi badge was also spotted testing. Volkswagen had launched Jetta only in the diesel variant. The petrol version may also be offered to the Indian customer at a lower price.
  • Volkswagen is said to be planning to open a factory in Gujarat after the its consulting agency met Gujarat officials some time ago. Volkswagen has put its 2000 crore Maharashtra investments plans on hold.
  • The radically designed Ferrari FF, the proper four seater tourer, was spotted in Mumbai. We hope to see some of these smoking the Indian roads soon.
  • BMW has won the coveted 'world's most valuable car brand' title from Toyota who won the crown in 2011. Toyota's brand value plummeted by 10 percent while BMW gained by similar amounts.
  • Labour unions representing auto workers are taking a tough stand towards companies in Germany. The Unions are not accepting a hike lower than their demands and organising warning strikes. German auto employees are some of the best paid across the world.
  • The Worthersee lake hot hatch festival saw the 217 bhp Polo R concept being unveiled. The Polo R is a street legal version of the rally spec WRC Polo.
  • The Skoda Citigo Rally concept was also showcased at Worthersee. The design that looked stupendous when rendered on paper, did not work up to expectations. The extra large front facia and wide body kit did not go well with the compact Citigo lines.
  • Ford had unveiled its new Fusion based NASCAR race car in January 2012.. Fans will get a glimpse of the new car this Thursday in North Carolina.
  • Toyota is also going strong into NASCAR with its 2013 Camry based stock car with a composite body over tube frame rear-wheel drive and a V8 engine.
  • Ford's logo, the Blue Oval, that was pledged against a loan package in 2006, can now be pulled out of danger as the company was able to sustain though the recession by restructuring. Now that credit rating agencies like the Fitch have upgraded the credit ratings of Ford, the loan burden will ease out and the pledged intellectual property can be taken out of the equation. 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.
    • ]]>    7596<![CDATA[Tata Manza clocks a mileage of 46.33 km per litre]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/7596-tata-manza-clocks-a-mileage-of-4633-km-per-litre.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/7596-tata-manza-clocks-a-mileage-of-4633-km-per-litre.htmlCarWale Team6/6/2011 4:27:00 PM11000http://img.carwale.com/ec/7596/img/m/7596_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/7596/img/m/7596_lThe Tata Manza (Quadrajet Aura ABS) has clocked an incredible mileage of 46.33 km per litre. This feat has been achieved by Mr. Narayanan Menon, a resident of Coimbatore who has zoomed into the Limca Book of Records.

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    The Tata Manza (Quadrajet Aura ABS) has clocked an incredible mileage of 46.33 km per litre. This feat has been achieved by Mr. Narayanan Menon, a resident of Coimbatore who has zoomed into the Limca Book of Records.

    Mr. Narayanan R Menon, Managing Director of Aromen Engineering Company and a proud owner of the Tata Manza has been certified for the remarkable drive on the Coimbatore- Avinashi by-pass on 25th of May 2011. Mr. Menon’s Tata Manza covered a long stretch of 72.3 kilometer on road by consuming only 1.58 liters of diesel, which translates to an incredible mileage of 46.33 km per litre.

    A mechanical engineer, Mr. Menon himself does not credit an amazing mileage to a ‘magic foot’ rather a combination of good driving and car maintenance.

    ]]>    7325<![CDATA[Tata Motors introduces the New Manza Elan]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/7325-tata-motors-introduces-the-new-manza-elan.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/7325-tata-motors-introduces-the-new-manza-elan.htmlCarWale Team2/7/2011 12:25:00 PM7443http://img.carwale.com/ec/7325/img/m/7325_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/7325/img/m/7325_lTata Motors today introduced the new Tata Manza. With a dual tone interiors and an exterior make-over, the new Tata Manza will be available across all Tata Motors dealerships from February 7, 2011. There have been no changes in the powertrains though and Safire and the Quadrajet engines will give out 90PS of power.

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    Apart from the oodles of space inside, the sedan will retain the fully integrated 2-DIN stereo system with Blue 5,  steering mounted control, Aux-in, USB port & DIS enhance infotainment. The top end variant of the new Tata Manza series, the Tata Manza Elan, comes with a host of premium features like dual tone alloy wheels, burgundy & beige interiors, chrome garnished bottom weather strip, fog lamps, and an all new premium and exclusive Tyrian wine color.

    Among other features, the Tata Manza Elan also has ‘follow me home headlamps’ which stay on for one minute after the car is switched off and can be extended by 30 seconds more by just pressing the lock key again. Another unique feature is the 'delayed power window'- even if the windows are left open and the key removed from ignition, they can be rolled up by just pressing the power window switch.  

    The pricing of the new Tata Manza series will start from Rs. 5.14 lakhs for the Safire petrol range and from Rs. 5.91 lakhs for the Quadrajet diesel range (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Manza has had a successfull stint in the sedan segment so far and with the feature list continuing to grow, there will be no doubt that the car will be something to watch out for!

    ]]>    4359<![CDATA[India's Car Purchase is Driven by Sentiment: Rajiv Dube]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/4359-indias-car-purchase-is-driven-by-sentiment-rajiv-dube.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/4359-indias-car-purchase-is-driven-by-sentiment-rajiv-dube.htmlSreehari Nair3/10/2010 10:23:09 AM4016http://img.carwale.com/ec/4359/img/m/4359_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/4359/img/m/4359_l[caption id="attachment_4357" align="alignright" width="160" caption="Rajiv Dube at the launch of Service Edge "]Rajiv Dube at the launch of Service Edge [/caption]Be it the Nano or the Manza, Tata Motors has been making news since the launch of its first Indica in 1998. CarWale caught up with the ace man Rajiv Dube, president - passenger car division for a quick tete-a-tete during the recent launch of Service Edge - Tata's new brand identity for after sales serviceWith the launch of Service Edge, you seem to be becoming serious about providing the best after sales service?Yes, very much. When the first Tata cars were launched i.e. the Indica in 1998, we had received a lot of flak for the engineering but in less than 10 years time we have been able to overcome all the hardships and are today one the leading car manufacturers in India. So as our sales grew, we also realised that it is important for us to provide the best service to our customers as they are our mouthpiece. Service Edge brings all the services that we have been offering till now under one umbrella.

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    Be it the Nano or the Manza, Tata Motors has been making news since the launch of its first Indica in 1998. CarWale caught up with the ace man Rajiv Dube, president - passenger car division for a quick tete-a-tete during the recent launch of Service Edge - Tata's new brand identity for after sales service

    With the launch of Service Edge, you seem to be becoming serious about providing the best after sales service?
    Yes, very much. When the first Tata cars were launched i.e. the Indica in 1998, we had received a lot of flak for the engineering but in less than 10 years time we have been able to overcome all the hardships and are today one the leading car manufacturers in India. So as our sales grew, we also realised that it is important for us to provide the best service to our customers as they are our mouthpiece. Service Edge brings all the services that we have been offering till now under one umbrella.

    Most car manufacturers, including Tata Motors, have registered a stupendous growth in the last couple of months. Do you think the dream run will come to an end with rise in excise duty, with prices expected to rise from April 1?
    In India, widely car purchases are not made on price fluctuations in the market. It is more of an emotion drive. And that is what differentiates India from other countries. Yes, there might be a slight dip in demand but on a larger picture; I don’t see any drastic changes in consumer behavior. The hike in excise duty came as a shocker.

    How is the industry reacting to the hike?
    Well, surely the industry will not be able to take in the cost and so it will automatically be passed on to the customer. The price hike in cars will come effective from April 1, 2010. We don’t see much change in demand of cars and with more product launches in the next couple of months; things will be exciting for us.

    What are the launches expected from Tata Motors?
    We are planning to launch the Aria by the middle of this year and the Jaguar XJ by the first quarter of the next financial year. And as opposed to the rumours floating, there is no facelift of the Safari planned.

    Tata is launching the electric versions of the Nano and Vista

    . Do we see them coming to India?
    We would have loved to launch the electric cars in India as well, but we don’t see any point in launching them. We do not have enough electricity to power our homes, from where do we charge the cars. So, for now, no plans of brining the electric cars to India.

    It’s been almost 12 years since the first Tata car was launched. How has been the journey so far?
    It has indeed been an exciting journey for all us. Since the launch of Indica in ’98 which to quite an extent changed the industry game and then with successive launches of Indigo, then the Nano and now the Manza. With Manza, we have been able to deliver what the customer has in mind of a car that is affordable as well spacious. Many international car makers have taken decades to reach the brand recognition which we have been able to do in just a decade. So in that sense it has been run for us to match up to the standards of international manufacturers.

    ]]>    3337<![CDATA[Tata Indigo Manza Launched ]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/3337-tata-indigo-manza-launched.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/3337-tata-indigo-manza-launched.htmlRachit Hirani10/14/2009 8:27:37 PM30908http://img.carwale.com/ec/3337/img/m/3337_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/3337/img/m/3337_lTata Motors launched its new Indigo Manza in Mumbai earlier today. The car is available with petrol and diesel engine options and has four trim levels – Aqua, Aura, Aura(ABS) and the top of the line Aura+. The petrol range starts at Rs 4.8lakh, and the top diesel range costs Rs 6.75lakh (both prices ex-showroom, Delhi).

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    The petrol powered Manza sports a 1.4-litre, 89bhp SAFIRE engine and the diesel has the now familiar, 1.3-litre 89bhp Quadrajet engine, both picked from the Fiat stable. Tata says, that the Indigo Manza is the eighth new-generation car launched by the Tata-Fiat collaboration, since January 2008..

    Tata had launched its Indigo on 18th December 2002 and the new Indigo Manza is based on the platform of the Indica Vista which was launched last year. ARAI claims the diesel 21.02km/l and the petrol returns an economy of 14.5km/l. The top variant of the Manza, the Aura+ comes with ABS and dual airbags, not to mention such goodies as a Bluetooth compatible in-dash audio system, climate control, trip computer and alloy wheels.

    As you can see from the pictures, the Manza is a fairly well sized sedan and has a huge well shaped boot which will have no problems accommodating large suitcases. The interiors are also fairly roomy and the plastic quality and general fit and finish seem to have improved over what one normally has come to expect in a Tata car. The Manza, with it’s typically Tata value-for-money proposition will now take on the segment top-sellers – the Logan, Swift DZire and the Fiesta.

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