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 Generator8950<![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 PM1277http://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.

    ]]>    8621<![CDATA[Premier to expand its dealer network]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8621-premier-to-expand-its-dealer-network.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8621-premier-to-expand-its-dealer-network.htmlCarWale Team1/25/2012 6:28:00 PM1471http://img.carwale.com/ec/8621/img/m/8621_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8621/img/m/8621_lPremier Ltd. had recently given the RiO a facelift treatment and has new introduced a new petrol engine option. The company has also tied-up with Fiat for 1.3-litre multijet engine for the RiO.

    ]]>    Premier Ltd. had recently given the RiO a facelift treatment and has new introduced a new petrol engine option. The company has also tied-up with Fiat for 1.3-litre multijet engine for the RiO.

     

    Now, the company is working on expanding its existing dealership network. At present, the company has about 50 dealers across the country and they aim to add about 30 more dealerships by June 2012, increasing the total count to 80. Premier is targeting 100 dealerships and 300 service stations by December 2012. The company has also tied up with ‘India Assistance’ to provide 24x7 breakdown service. 

     

    ]]>    8107<![CDATA[Premier launches the petrol Rio]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8107-premier-launches-the-petrol-rio.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8107-premier-launches-the-petrol-rio.htmlCarWale Team10/17/2011 4:00:00 PM1610http://img.carwale.com/ec/8107/img/m/8107_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8107/img/m/8107_lPremier Ltd. had launched the Rio with a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The company has now introduced the petrol version of the Rio and this will be available across major metros and select Tier II cities in a phase-wise manner. The RiO petrol version is powered by a 1173cc engine that delivers 77bhp and offers 15kmpl, while the diesel version is powered by a 1489cc turbo diesel engine based on Peugeot technology delivering 65bhp of power, offering 16 kmpl (ARAI cycle). Based on a Daihatsu model, this vehicle is sourced from the Zotye Group (China) from its plant near Shanghai.

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    Premier Ltd. had launched the Rio with a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The company has now introduced the petrol version of the Rio and this will be available across major metros and select Tier II cities in a phase-wise manner. The RiO petrol version is powered by a 1173cc engine that delivers 77bhp and offers 15kmpl, while the diesel version is powered by a 1489cc turbo diesel engine based on Peugeot technology delivering 65bhp of power, offering 16 kmpl (ARAI cycle). Based on a Daihatsu model, this vehicle is sourced from the Zotye Group (China) from its plant near Shanghai.

    Premier assembles the Rio at its Pune plant, based in Chinchwad, and has been selling it through its dealer network in a phased rollout. Currently, the company has 50 dealers and eyes a network of 100 dealers in the next 12 months, thereby creating a pan-India network. The carmaker is now offering 3-year warranty are being offered for the Rio. According to a company spokesperson, “Our spare parts’ pricing will not be a profit centre, but rather provide customer service and delight.”

    The RiO is available in four versions, accommodates 5 people, with the base model price starting from Rs 4.7 lakhs and the top-end model at Rs 6.3 lakhs, (ex-showroom prices, Pune), making it nearly Rs.1.5 lacs cheaper than any other SUV on the Indian roads. The RiO is available in four colours i.e. red, white, silver and black. All models are equipped with power steering, front power windows, electrically operated door mirrors, roof-rails central locking and CD/MP3 players. The higher models have additional features such as anti-lock breaking system (ABS), keyless entry and alloy wheels. RiO is also equipped with foldable split rear seats, thereby providing multiple seating configurations and its unique feature is high ground clearance enabling it to operate on all types of roads.

     

    ]]>    7337<![CDATA[Peugeot eyes Andhra as it sets to re-enter India]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/7337-peugeot-eyes-andhra-as-it-sets-to-reenter-india.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/7337-peugeot-eyes-andhra-as-it-sets-to-reenter-india.htmlCarWale Team2/10/2011 11:15:00 AM2629http://img.carwale.com/ec/7337/img/m/7337_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/7337/img/m/7337_l

    The French car major Peugeot Citroen announced its plan of re-entering the Indian car market. The company plans to bring a mid-sized sedan and eyes Andhra Pradesh to set up its operations. The company had earlier entered into a partnership with the Premier group or PAL India as it was known,in 1995 but the Joint Venture soon hit rock bottom in 2001.

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    The French car major Peugeot Citroen announced its plan of re-entering the Indian car market. The company plans to bring a mid-sized sedan and eyes Andhra Pradesh to set up its operations. The company had earlier entered into a partnership with the Premier group or PAL India as it was known,in 1995 but the Joint Venture soon hit rock bottom in 2001.

    The company was doing well in 1995 when they introduced the company launched its first offering the Peugeot 309. The company received bookings of over a lakh but then most of the bookings were cancelled as the JV ran into major problems. We look forward to the sedan from Peugeot's stable and hope to see a few more additions to the car list drafted by the company for India. 

    ]]>    3426<![CDATA[Premier Rio Launched ]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/3426-premier-rio-launched.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/3426-premier-rio-launched.htmlCarWale Team10/28/2009 11:31:32 AM96739http://img.carwale.com/ec/3426/img/m/3426_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/3426/img/m/3426_lPremier has launched a compact SUV named 'Rio', with a price range of Rs 5.25-6 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune). The Rio is powered by a 1489cc turbodiesel engine developed with Puegeot's TUD5 technology producing a maximum power of 64bhp@4000rpm and 152Nm@2250-3000rpm. The engine fulfills the Bharat Stage III norms and the company claims the fuel efficiency to be 16kpl.

    ]]>    Premier has launched a compact SUV named 'Rio', with a price range of Rs 5.25-6 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune). The Rio is powered by a 1489cc turbodiesel engine developed with Puegeot's TUD5 technology producing a maximum power of 64bhp@4000rpm and 152Nm@2250-3000rpm. The engine fulfills the Bharat Stage III norms and the company claims the fuel efficiency to be 16kpl.

    The car will be available in three variants, and the base model will feature power steering, front power windows, central locking and an MP3 audio system. The highest variant will get ABS and alloy wheels. The colour variants will be red, white, silver, black and blue. Talking about the dealership network, the company has 30 dealers across the country and will soon expand to 100 within the next 6 months.

    ]]>    3411<![CDATA[Premier's Yet-to-be-Launched SUV 'Rio' Spotted]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/3411-premiers-yet-to-be-launched-suv-rio-spotted.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/3411-premiers-yet-to-be-launched-suv-rio-spotted.htmlCarWale Team10/24/2009 8:13:39 PM12463http://img.carwale.com/ec/3411/img/m/3411_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/3411/img/m/3411_lPremier's new mini SUV, christened the RIO, has now been spotted with badging. (See picture) This SUV will be launched on October 28 and seems fairly well finished on the exterior.

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    We did try to get a closer peek at the vehicle to see what the interiors look like, but the company personnel were quite upset when they spotted us slowing down to get a picture, and we had to beat a hasty retreat. Watch this space for further updates.

    ]]>    3406<![CDATA[Premier To Launch Compact SUV on 28th October ]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/3406-premier-to-launch-compact-suv-on-28th-october.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/3406-premier-to-launch-compact-suv-on-28th-october.htmlRachit Hirani10/23/2009 9:26:40 AM6653http://img.carwale.com/ec/3406/img/m/3406_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/3406/img/m/3406_lPremier will launch a compact SUV on the 28th of October, 2009. This will mark Premier's comeback in the passenger car segment after many years. The last passenger cars which Premier sold in India were the Fiat range  - the Uno and Siena, after which Fiat set up its current base in Ranjangaon and parted from Premier.

    ]]>    Premier will launch a compact SUV on the 28th of October, 2009. This will mark Premier's comeback in the passenger car segment after many years. The last passenger cars which Premier sold in India were the Fiat range  - the Uno and Siena, after which Fiat set up its current base in Ranjangaon and parted from Premier.

    Premier made an entry into the Light Commercial Vehicle segment with its mini pick-up Roadstar and commercial van Sigma. This new SUV will be the first of its kind in the Indian market, due to its compact size.

    Our sources tell us that this SUV should cost somewhere in the range of Rs 5.5-6.5lakh and will be powered by a 1.5-litre, 4 cylinder indirect injection engine from Peugeot which produces a power of approximately 65bhp. The design of the SUV is similar to the Daihatsu Terios, which was designed by a Chinese company. This compact SUV is manufactured by a Chinese manufacturer called Zotye and the SUV in China is known as Nomada. Premier will import the kit from Zotye and will assemble the car in its own plant.

    CarWale had previously spotted this SUV while it was being tested. For more pictures, click here.

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