Skoda Fabia sedan based Rapid espied in Pune

Skoda Rapid was espied by Overdrive being tested on the periphery of Pune city. Still under wraps and coded VW SK251, the car is expected to be launched at the Delhi Auto Expo 2012 and the company expects orders to flow in by March next year.

No details of pricing were as yet revealed by the company and one expects Skoda to keep pricing of the Rapid lower than the Vento which will have more features than the Rapid. However the spy pictures give us some details of the Rapid which has contoured rear view mirrors while the side and body of the car resembles the Vento to a large extent.

The Rapid is also expected to have a1.6 liter petrol and diesel engine, but no real statistics were available as to torque and power. Skoda is also sure that they will be exporting Rapid from India thus ensuring that it becomes a global car in 2012.

Hindustan Motors Ambassador to hit in newest avatar at the Auto Show Delhi

Hindustan Motors (HM), the makers of the iconic Indian car, Ambassador may be showcasing it in its newest form at the India Auto Expo to be held next year. The car that draws its lineage from Morris Oxford series II (Landmaster) and series III (Ambassador) is set to undergo one of the most daring changes ever.

As Motoism reported earlier the Hindustan Motors have called in styling experts from Europe to make the changes to the fading away brand, now used mostly by Taxis and the Government Babus. Hindustan Motors has also made it clear that they will continue to manufacture the present day version for the taxi segment side by side of the newer one.

The new version will be ready on paper atleast by the year-end  and post finalization in May, commercial production will commence in July 2012. Bearing in mind the timing of finalization to the car, the Auto Expo 2012 will be a really good platform to unveil the car, which according to HM will have a retro yet sporty design and will be engineered with cutting edge technology to provide the values that it has so long preached - comfort and value for money.

Although the platform on which the car is based and the dimensions will remain the same the exteriors of the car will be changed dramatically, as confirmed by the officials. Other changes will include BS-IV compliance and atleast four engine options to choose from.

Delhi Auto Expo

Auto Expo 2012 may have a second venue within the capital region because the entire space at Pragati Maidan has been sold and there is a long queue of prospective participants outside.

"We are contemplating a second location to accommodate the entire auto industry in an integrated manner," said Vishnu Mathur who heads the country's auto industry body. The Indian Auto Expo has become a priority destination for most automakers over the years when the country emerged the second fastest-growing car market and a global leader in truck and bus sales. But space is scarce.

The entire exhibition space at Pragati Maidan, which hosted all the 10 previous motor shows here, was sold in less than a week. And many multinationals are yet to ensure their participation in the world's largest motor show in attracting visitors. The venue has 55,000 square metre space, which is just about half of total demand, according to Mathur, director general of the Society of Indian Automobile Industry.

The society jointly organises the show with industry body CII and auto component body ACMA. A person close to the organisers said Expo Mart at Noida could be the second venue that will accommodate component makers and ancillaries units. Space crunch had forced some big companies including Ford India to miss the previous auto show in 2010. There were several disruptions including cancellation of promotional events.

The problem will be worse next year if Pragati Maidan remains the only venue, because there are more participants and there may be more visitors than last year's two million. There will also be 35 vehicle launches, 10 more than last time.

Ambassador's new venture

Hindustan Motors’ iconic car is set to get a radical makeover, but is it too late in the day?

The oldest face of Indian automobiles is set to get a radical makeover with a new design and styling. But not many are convinced whether nostalgia and the latest move by Hindustan Motors (HM) would be enough to ensure a smooth ride for the Ambassador (Amby) in future.

Many say that the Amby is to Indians what the iconic Volkswagen Beetle is to Germans. But the similarity ends there. While Europe’s largest car manufacturer has painstakingly resurrected the original ‘People’s Car’, making it one of the most popular small cars ever made, the Amby has had a neglected past.

The biggest problem is while the Indian auto market has changed completely, HM has remained in the past for far too long, giving almost a free run to newer models from nimble-footed competitors.

India’s top automobile designer Dilip Chhabria says, “It’s an uphill ride. Apart from some very timid efforts, they haven’t done anything to it for decades. Being an icon is what has powered Amby sales since 1950’s. I believe the company should treat it the way Porsche has treated the 911, and BMW has treated the Mini.”

The five-seater Ambassador has so far largely retained its first generation styling borrowed from Morris Oxford III, even 50 years after Morris Motor Company, the UK-based auto firm discontinued the model. Dated looks, a fuel guzzling engine and raging competition pushed the Ambassador down the popularity charts as it now records less than 400 units a month in sales, with more than 50 per cent of it coming from government and institutional demand.

But HM wants to change all that and has kickstarted a development programme for a completely new Amby, sporting a new design and styling – both exterior as well as interior..

HM says the all-new range, which will debut in the second half of next year and will cost more than the present day model, shows the company’s commitment to cater to varied aspirations of new-age customers.

HM Managing Director Manoj Jha says the company is working on several variants of the Ambassador. The one with micro changes will debut soon and the one with macro changes will be introduced later.

The company, according to sources, is also planning to have a shorter version of the car, which would qualify it for the excise benefit given to compact cars having length of less than four meters. This new small car may get launched earlier than the new Ambassador.

HM is expanding its research and development wing rapidly and carrying out most the work for the new Amby in-house. Some of the complicated process such as design and styling has been outsourced to a Pune-based design firm Onio.

Design is one area which, experts believe, would require huge attention as it is crucial for engineers to carry forward the basic styling of the Amby, which has remained the same for the last 40 years, while keeping the essential and practical style elements intact.

Chhabria adds, “The success of the new Amby depends on how well the company treats it. But I believe HM lacks the creative intensity to make significant changes. It has a fabulous legacy, and if do it right, it could have a great upside.”

HM is bending backwards to remove the drawbacks of the current generation model which lies in its noisy engines. The company says it will strap the new model with a new engine that is more powerful and efficient.

“There will be different types of engines for different variants of the Ambassador. Some of these will be produced in-house . HM is also keen on establishing a partnership with a European company for technology transfer”, says a senior company executive.

While some new variants will be targeted at the mass segment with an affordable price tag, a more ‘refined’ segment of buyers will get a more luxurious Amby with added features.

The company thus expects to more than quadruple its monthly sale of the car to about 2,000 units.

HM is also keen on reducing the share of government and institutional sales and promote the Amby among individual customers. The company is doubling its dealer network to 140 to enhance the retail count.

A Chennai-based auto analyst says, “It would not be easy for the company to shed its present image. But on the upside, even today, people talk about the tank-like build of the Amby. The all-new version is hopefully built keeping in mind the basic essence of the car”.

Domestic-Foreign division in Siam

The Indian auto industry is divided with deep cracks appearing between the homegrown and foreign carmakers. Over the last few months these differences have only intensified. At the heart of the controversy is the continued demand from the players such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki for high tariff on imports to protect their investments in the country.

This was evident in the way industry lobby group Siam, which is headed by M&M president Pawan Goenka, responded to the moves to lower tariffs in the proposed trade agreement between India and the European Union.

While Goenka struck a protectionist move and opposed the move which would have lowered the duty on imported cars, foreign makers supported duty reduction. Senior officials from Audi, BMW and Mercedes openly took a line different to that of Siam, arguing that the domestic industry needs to shed protection if it wants to be globally competitive.

Then, Siam decided to ignore the new definition of completely build and completely knocked down cars, proposed in the Budget, along with changes in the duty structure. The government decided to fix customs duty on CKD-assembled cars at 30% against 10% before the Budget. On February 28, Siam feigned complete ignorance saying it was yet to study the proposal. Government officials, however, say that the revenue department had consulted the auto industry last June.

The situation was much the same last week, when the Delhi government decided to slap additional levy on diesel vehicles. Siam issued a statement criticizing the move. While Siam officials said that automakers are putting up a unified front, industry insiders said in private, "It is a divided house at Siam."

Siam was again criticized by many of its constituents for the "shoddy manner" (as many described it) in which it organized the Delhi Auto Expo, for which it has industry body CII and component makers body ACMA as joint organizers. Siam was accused by many of its constituents of mismanagement, poor organization and lack of coordination.

Companies said their CEOs and MDs had to slug it out in long queues as there was no proper arrangement for them to enter the venue. "And this despite our paying such exorbitant fee to the organizers. We had to ask our senior officials, many of whom were from global headquarters, to avoid visiting the expo due to such shortcomings," an official of a German company said. "It has been an agonizing experience for us to participate at the Delhi Auto Expo," a senior official with a Japanese car company said, on condition of anonymity as nobody wanted to anger Siam by airing grievances in public.

Many of the foreign constituents of Siam are also not satisfied that the auto body has not raised crucial issues like an official recall policy for Indian automakers.

However, Siam does not agree. "Siam works on the basis of consensus. In order to generate a consensus, often the individual interests have to be viewed from the perspective of overall industry interest. In any such activity, the decisions are based on the highest common factor rather than the least common denominator," said Sugato Sen, a senior director. He said Siam had pushed for lower duty on CKD that saw it getting reduced from 60% to 30%.

On criticism of the auto expo, he said, "We are all aware of the shortcomings of the venue at which this show is held. The organizers have to bear with the constraints of the venue which can sometimes be overbearing for the organizers, exhibitors as well as the visitors."

World Famous Auto Shows

The Auto Expo has been the glittering showcase of the Indian automobile and auto-component industry for the last 18 years. Each Auto Expo has revealed to the world, the rapid developments in the industry and has been the launching-pad for many new vehicles as well as new technology components.

The neat layouts of the show provides ample opportunity to the consumers of vehicles to see the latest offerings in the market as well as to the business visitor to carry out networking in a highly enabled environment. The Auto Expo is therefore not only a networking ground, but also a place to find business partners and strategic alliances for manufacturing, outsourcing, sub-contracting, design and development as well as direct marketing.

Auto Expo is renowned not only for the hardware exhibition but also for the opportunity to interact, learn and share know-how with the brains behind them. The conferences and seminars draw the best industrialists, technocrats and policy makers of the auto industry from around the globe. A number of International Conferences are planned during Auto Expo 2006.

The AutoExpo is organized by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers Auto Component Manufacturers' Association and the Confederation of Indian Industry. The Expo drew more than a thousand participants from automakers to suppliers to parts makers, with China alone setting up sixty booths. Organizers expect financial transactions to reach over a $100 million.

"The response is enormous and we expect that business deals, valued around $55 million in the 2004 edition, will cross $100 million (this year),'' stated a senior Confederation official.

Organised jointly by Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the Auto Expo is slated to be bigger than ever before.

The Indian Auto Industry has come of age. The presence of leading global auto manufacturers; consistent growth in annual turnover and significant contribution to the Government through direct and indirect taxes have made the Indian auto industry, today a major driver of economic growth in India. Asia's Largest Automotive Show, Auto Expo has played a major role in the whole process. Over the years Auto Expo has proved to be a very effective event for facilitating the coming together of auto majors from around the world in a focussed fashion, under one roof.

Over the years Auto Expo has proved to be a very effective event for facilitating the coming together of auto majors from around the world in a focussed fashion, under one roof.

Auto Expo plays a crucial role for India because the Auto Industry in India has come of age and the presence of leading global auto manufacturers; consistent growth in annual turnover and significant contribution to the Government through direct and indirect taxes have made the Indian auto industry, today a major driver of economic growth in India.

India is becoming more and more important for the international automotive industry. Germany has long standing activities in India. OEMs have built up capacities and are building up new ones. German suppliers already operate with more than 50 production sites.

At the Auto Expo, India’s largest and most important event for automobiles and automotive, major automobile manufacturers throughout the world will be presenting new models.

New Delhi auto expo 2010 was expected as the largest in the world

The New York Auto show in April, with 1.2 million visitors, came the closest to matching this record. The third most frequented automobile extravaganza is the Shanghai Auto Show with 600,000 visitors.

In 2009, 30 large auto shows were held around the world. Most of these were in the US, Europe and China. None matched the expected visitors for the 2010 Auto Expo.

“The 2010 Auto Expo was bigger, brighter and better than the previous shows. The growing number of visitors indicates the rising importance of India as a key automobile destination,” says Pawan Goenka, president of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) and President, Mahindra & Mahindra.

The Auto Expo is jointly organised by CII, Siam and the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India.

“The New Delhi Auto Expo is held only for seven days, while the New York Auto Show is open for 10 days and the Shanghai Auto Show is spread over nine days. The New York Auto Expo attracts a large crowd because the show venue is located in the heart of New York City’s 34th and 39th Street intersections, which are busy locations. Besides, the show is also promoted as a significant tourist attraction, while Delhi Auto Expo’s Pragati Maidan does not enjoy this benefit,” says one industry executive.

There are three reasons for the big draw. For one, India is a fast-growing market for cars and two-wheelers. Compared with China’s 27 cars per 1,000 citizens, India has only seven car owners per 1,000 citizens. “Delhi’s Auto Expo event is the bellwether for the automobile industry. Both domestic and global companies can showcase products to the largest potential audience,” says Venu Srinivasan, President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and CMD of TVS Motor.

Two, the 2010 edition holds immense significance for global vehicle manufacturers, since India and China were the fastest to recover from the financial crisis that swept the world last year. Car sales in the domestic market from April-November this year grew 21 per cent, while sales of medium and large trucks and buses in the same period dipped by barely 2.4 per cent. Much of the key markets in the US and Europe are still in the negative and yet to witness a recovery.

Three, global car and truck majors who skipped this year’s key events like the Tokyo Motor Show are lining up to showcase their products at the capital’s Auto Expo. “There could be multiple reasons as to why companies avoided participating in the global auto shows. One reason could be cost-cutting. For many of these global vehicle manufacturers, India is yet a virgin market and showcasing a concept model gives tremendous mileage. Component manufacturers benefit greatly from events like these,” says Mohit Arora, senior director, Singapore based JD Power & Associates.

Honda Brio

Honda yesterday lifted the wraps off its small car Brio designed for emerging markets India, China and Thailand. Last year the Brio was previewed as a concept car at the Thailand Motor Show while the fundamental design concept was shown at the Auto Expo in New Delhi last year.

The Brio employs a 1.2-liter i-VTEC engine borrowed from the Honda Jazz, which generates 90 horsepower and an average fuel consumption of 5 liters/100 km while complying to the Euro 4 emission standards. The engine is mated either to a manual five-speed gearbox or a CVT transmission.

Safety conscious Thailand gets two front airbags, disc brakes, ABS and EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) as part of the standard kit.

Honda will sell the Brio in India at a starting price of under 5 lakh rupees.

Indian Tradition becoming glam

Although western fashion is in the air but still Indians have not forgotten their culture and tradition as it has become a benchmark in Tellywood and Bollywood industry.

The sequins work of sherwani with precious stones in golden shaded antique fabric has made a fashion statement for ongoing wedding season. In this wedding season GOC i.e. Gaurav Chhabra And Company has captured the essence of Indian culture by primarily focusing on the design element and the quality as this traditional designing group is famous for its quality workmanship. Striking opulence, magnificent detail and lavish embellishment are the features that make GOC’s collection scintillating.

The main pillar behind this collection is our famous traditional designer Gaurav Chhabra. Gaurav celebrates the glory of ethnicity with his Men’s Collection. At a very young age Gaurav found his interest in sketching which ultimately led to his passion for designing clothes (prêt and couture lines), which have been retailing at leading stores in Delhi since the year 1992.

Backed with years of experience and a strong foundation of custom tailored garments, he launched the label ‘GOC’ in the year 1999.He had to literally start from scratch, when I started my work we were just two of us and there were only two sewing machines at our disposal. As time went by more people joined and today we have a big team, says Chhabra, a graduate from the J.D Institute of Fashion Technology.

Gaurav participated in THE INDIA FASHION WEEK at Taj Palace Hotel by Ritu Beri Fashion Fraternity where his work was immensely appreciated and he was presented SIYARAM DESIGNER 97 AWARD for the “Best All-rounder Designer”.

Besides specializing in Wedding attire, he has also designed uniforms for renowned automobile companies like Mercedes Benz, Toyota, Maruti Udyog Limited for the Auto Expo in the capital. His label GOC has emerged as a one stop design house for weddings, especially for NRI clients, for it provides them varied range of designs to choose from for any occasion.

Today, GOC retails from twenty stores across the country, including Simaya, Millionaire, Jade Blue, Options, Telon, Origins and Meena Bazaar to name a few. His creations are also available internationally in UK, USA, Canada and Dubai. As Gaurav says, “I am trying to make my base strong in India, ten years down the line, I would like to see my clothes retailed all over the world.” Chhabra concedes that how one carry an outfit is the make or break factor. “Even a dress with very good fabric will not look good if you do not carry it the way it should be. So for me, it’s the most important thing.

Since Gaurav specializes in Men’s formal wear, he has participated in leading wedding exhibitions like Bride & Groom and Vivaaha, to showcase his work to his target clientele.  GOC has exclusively designed sherwanis in two forms i.e. band galas and classic jackets with antique embroidery on sleeves and shoulders. The fabrics used in this are tanchoi silk, banarsis, silk blends, brocade, jamavar and kinkhab which is being highly appreciated by handsome bride grooms. Chhabra’s wedding collection is priced between Rs.20, 000 and Rs.3 lakhs.

TVS launches new Apache with anti-lock gear to prevent skidding

India's third-largest two-wheeler maker TVS Motor on Friday launched a motorbike model that would make skidding and slipping not an accident, but an act of dare-devilry.  The motorcycle, a variant of the existing 180-cc Apache RTR, comes with anti-lock braking system (ABS), hitherto used in passenger cars and high-end imported mobikes. ABS is a technology that prevents wheel locking that happens during hard braking, thus minimising the risk of skidding. At Rs 78,880 (ex-showroom Delhi), it is almost Rs 10,000 dearer than a non ABS Apache, but by far the smallest and cheapest mobike to get the technology in the world.

"ABS technology prevents skidding and assists effective braking, especially in wet and muddy roads while providing for shorter cornering," said HS Goindi, president, marketing, TVS Motor. "We have tested this vehicle comprehensively at speeds of 120 kmph on wet roads and can say with some authority that falling off from this mobike will not be that easy. Unless one intends to."

The technology has been developed by component maker Continental's chasis and safety division in collaboration with TVS. The latter had first showcased the mobike during the New Delhi Auto Expo last year.

"ABS for motorcycles is a decisive step towards evolution of safety to such a level that no serious accidents happen on the road," said Murali Srinivasan, general manager, Continental.

Is Honda Brio coming next month?

The Japanese auto giant Honda has advanced the launch of its much anticipated small car Brio by as much as six months in India. The unconfirmed media reports in the country claim that Honda has decided to roll-out its small car Honda Brio in India in March 2011, one month ahead of its arch rival Toyota’s upcoming hatchback Etios Liva that is scheduled to be launched in the month of April 2011.

Recently a person close to the advertising industry, had said in a statement given to ET that Honda will roll-out its small car Brio in the Indian market on 17th of March. However, the company spokesman was quoted as saying in recent media reports, “we do not want to comment on this at the moment.’

It is to be mentioned here that Honda Brio is the first budget small car from Honda's portfolio in the Indian market. The car was showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo in January 2010. The new Brio model is expected to be rolled-out in the country with a price tag of Rs 4 to 5 lakh where it will be competing with the likes of Ford Figo, Volkswagen Polo, Chevrolet Beat and upcoming Toyota Etios Liva.

Pixel – Tata’s new small-sized concept car

Don't get all excited yet Ratan Tata says -- it's just an idea -- but last week his company introduced a concept car for the most "package efficient" four-seater in the world at the 81st Geneva Motor Show.

The Tata Pixel, a cousin of the innovative Rs 100,000 Tata Nano, is just over three meters in length and has a turning circle radius of just under that amount.

"There is an opportunity in Europe for a city car, which is optimal in space, maneuverability and environment-friendliness. The Tata Pixel is a reflection of Tata Motors' idea of what such a car should be," says Carl-Peter Forster, managing director and group CEO of Tata Motors.

When the Hindustan Times asked Forster's boss, Ratan Tata, if the Pixel could meet the demands of Indian consumers, he said, "It may."

Indian auto blogs reckon the Pixel may feature in New Delhi's Auto Expo in 2012 and transform into a production model between the Tata Nano V2 which is due for launch this year and the Tata Indica Vista.

India's 'jeepney' – Rickshaw has a meter

NEW DELHI – It is getting late, and Suredr Kumar parked his auto-rickshaw in one of the entrances to the Indian Fort, trying his luck on any of the hundreds of locals and foreigners visiting one of the popular tourist spots here before he calls it a day.

“I earn 400 rupees (equivalent to roughly P400) a day; somehow, it is enough for my family,” said Kumar in a local dialect translated by local interpreter Om Parkash.

Kumar, 40, is just one of millions of Indian drivers of auto-rickshaw, a three-wheeled vehicle equivalent to the tricycle in the Philippines but whose popularity is similar to that of the Pinoy jeepney.

So popular that its presence is strongly felt in almost all of the roads of India, including major thoroughfares, with its yellow-on-top and green-below color.

“It is a very popular means of transportation here in New Delhi, and even in the whole India because the fare is cheap,” said Parkash.

Cheap indeed for the Indians, but unlike in the Philippines where passengers are charged individually, the rickshaw has a meter with a flagdown rate of 19 rupees and 6.50 rupees for every succeeding kilometer.

The rickshaw has a maximum of three passengers and Parkash said it is normal practice for the passengers to divide the final fare among themselves.

But outside New Delhi on the way to Agra, it will be noticed that three more passengers are accommodated at the back of rickshaw, much like the local Pinoy word “sabit.”

The meter is located at the back of the driver facing the passenger, a very good measure to prevent the drivers from tinkering with it to jack up the fare illegally, or in other words, cheating the passengers like the way some taxi drivers do in the Philippines.

What he likes about the rickshaw, Kumar said, is its maneuverability, especially in crowded areas, and during heavy traffic in busy roads.

The only problem that rickshaw drivers confront is that they are not allowed  to transport people to some fancy hotels in this city.

Parkash said all auto rickshaws in New Delhi are CNG-fed (Compressed Natural Gas) as mandated by the law, which, he said, was crafted and implemented to reduce pollution in India’s capital.

The green in the theme color of rickshaws, he said, is a sign that they are eco-friendly.

Auto rickshaw is also locally referred to as “tuktuk,” a word popularized by some foreigners which refers to the same vehicle used in Thailand.

But it was learned that the rickshaw is also being used as vehicles for hire in some parts of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and even in some parts of Europe.

Kumar is lucky that he owns the rickshaw he is driving, since he no longer has to worry over the daily rent (like the boundary system in the Philippines) to the operators, which most rickshaw drivers here do.

The rent depends on how much the owners would charge, aside from the daily CNG consumption amounting to 100 rupees.

Parkash said rickshaw is locally manufactured in India, with some financial institutions helping local residents buy one through affordable loan systems.

And it works since not only it is used as for-hire vehicle, but is also equally helpful for family use and even in the transport of some small local goods to the public market.

Meanwhile in another part of the Indian capital, businessman M. Yusoph Lone is excited again. The 31st Indian Handicrafts Gifts Fair (IHFG) has just opened and he is hoping that he could strike a deal again with foreign buyers of shawls.

“We have been participating on this event because it gives us an exposure in the international market. It is in this place where we meet with foreign businessmen and export some of our products that they would in turn sell in their respective countries,” said Lone while he was tending his stall at the India Expo Centre and Mart in Greater Noida here.

For a small trader like him, Lone has to grab this twice-a-year opportunity to meet more clients abroad, to convince them to order his products that would eventually expand his market at the international level, aside from those in Japan, some parts of Europe and Japan which he has already been supplying with shawls.

Lone is actually one of the 2,300 exhibitors of the four-day fair of more than 900 handicrafts products from all of the 28 states of India, all of them have the same objective of luring foreign buyers to try their products.

The biannual Handicrafts and Gifts Fair is the marketing strategy started by the Indian government in 1994 not only to maximize the exposure of the Indian craftsmanship globally but also to boost the export of handicrafts products that would eventually help millions of Indian artisans, mostly women and economically-deprived people.

And it worked because from the US$ 307 million generated in 1986-1987 period, the export of handicrafts has already ballooned to a whopping US$1.8 billion in the 2009-2010 period.

Indian Roads are going to meet Victory Motorcycle soon

The Indian motorcycle market is getting more racers in the growing stint and the entry of global makers is not a new phenomenon. The latest is the entry of Victory Motorcycles to the Indian roads in 2012 which may get its own manufacturing plant in the years to come.

The Delhi Auto Expo 2012 will witness the models from Victory Motorcycles and there will be CBUs initially in 2012. Victory Motorcycle has yet not disclosed it's plan for India, on the models to be derived from its native plant and the models to be made ingeniously. If it materialized, then for India Victory Motorcycle will join the US company Harley-Davidson which has already started its own facility here. The move to establish Victory Motorcycle for India the local assembling facility is to reduce the price by 30%. It is expected that Victory Motorcycles in India will erect its facility after ascertaining the feedback to its vehicles on experimental basis.

Victory Motorcycles is a unit of Polaris Industries operating in the overseas lands of Spain, France, Germany, the US, the UK, New Zealand and Scandinavia. The market in charge for Victory Motorcycles said the Polaris began its entry into India with a subsidiary unit and any installation of products will be made on the research study on phases. He narrated the company’s firm policy to please the customers of each country where the vehicles are launched.

Tata Motors Launches 3 New Models at Delhi Auto Expo

Tata Motors launched three new models today at the Delhi Auto Expo 2010. Its main highlight of the day was its brand new cross-over vehicle – Aria. It is a sports-utility and multi-utility crossover vehicle that was termed by the company as “four wheeler built by Indian engineers for the Indian customers”. Tata Motors did not give much detail about the new model or its commercial launch date in India. Used Cars Sale in India

Tata Motors currently offers Tata Sumo Grande and Tata Safari in its SUV product portfolio. The new 7-seater crossover passenger vehicle is a new product in its lineup of passenger vehicles for the Indian customers. Rata Tata, Chairman, Tata Motors stated the company as "an Indian company working with Indian people has managed to make Tata an international standard company." Hyundai Showrooms in India

Tata Motors also launched the new passenger carrier Magic Iris and another multi-purpose vehicle “Venture” for the Indian customers. It also unveiled its new Jaguar XJ model for its luxury car buyers in India. “The range of Tata, Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles is representative of our technology base, and the direction our brands are taking in pursuing market opportunities. The Company is focused on meeting the full range of customer needs while being conscious of the environment,” the Company stated.

Delhi Auto Expo 2010

The upcoming auto event is poised to be the second largest auto event in the world preceding the Shanghai Auto Show in China which has around 600,000 visitors annually. In 2009, nearly 30 Auto shows were held globally.used cars hyderabad The New York Auto Show had 1.2 million viewers.

The Shanghai Auto Show and New York Motors Show have their venues in the hearts of these two bustling cities which wins them far more footage. Such is not the case with the Delhi Auto Expo which is held at Pragati Maidan and does not enjoy this benefit. Moreover, the New York Auto Show is held for 10 days and Shanghai Auto Show is spread over 9 days while Delhi Auto Expo is held only for seven days.Maruti true value Even after these limitations the Delhi Auto Expo is expected to draw at least 1.8 million visitors in a span of less than seven days.

One of the main reasons for the Delhi Auto Expo to become one of the most successful ones is India’s fast growing market for two-wheelers and passenger vehicles. Currently the car ownership in India is only 7 cars per 1000 people as compared to 27 cars per 1000 people in China.electric bike Thus, there is enormous scope of development for the new vehicle market. The event is an ideal platform for global and domestic auto manufacturers to showcase their products.

Moreover, auto component manufacturers and accessories manufacturers also find it a suitable platform to promote their products and create brand awareness. For many of these global vehicle manufacturers, India is yet a virgin market and showcasing a concept model here proves very fruitful. Component manufacturers benefit greatly from events like these,” says Mohit Arora, senior director, Singapore based JD Power & Associates.

Auto Expo missing Manufactures

Ford Motors had unveiled its small car Figo last month announcing the launch of the car sometime next year. The car will go into production by second half of 2010 and will hit the roads by the end of the year. it is losely based on Fiesta platform keeping its price tag to the minimum. There are no confirmed reports but Ford might skip the Delhi Auto expo 2010.

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Similarly, Nissan is also expected to unveil its small car Micra but the same is not confirmed officially. Thus, Nissan India may be missing from the Delhi Auto Expo in January 2010. Nissan Micra is being developed on the new global V-platform specifically designed by Nissan for the emerging markets. The car will go into production in India by late 2010 and in Brazil only by 2011.

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Mitsubishi will be a conspicuous absentee from the Auto Expo and will enter the Indian market only with its Lancer Evo X later in the year. After years of moving slowly, the Japanese company will finally show its true colours in India by launching the Lancer Evolution X in India. The car is expected to make its foray in the Indian market either by April 2010 or September 2010.

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2010 Auto Expo Delhi

“The 2010 Auto Expo will be bigger, brighter and better than the previous shows. The growing number of visitors indicates the rising importance of India as a key automobile destination,” says Pawan Goenka, president of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) and President, Mahindra & Mahindra.

The Auto Expo is jointly organised by CII, Siam and the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India.

“The New Delhi Auto Expo is held only for seven days, while the New York Auto Show is open for 10 days and the Shanghai Auto Show is spread over nine days. The New York Auto Expo attracts a large crowd because the show venue is located in the heart of New York City’s 34th and 39th Street intersections, which are busy locations. Besides, the show is also promoted as a significant tourist attraction, while Delhi Auto Expo’s Pragati Maidan does not enjoy this benefit,” says one industry executive.

There are three reasons for the big draw. For one, India is a fast-growing market for cars and two-wheelers. Compared with China’s 27 cars per 1,000 citizens, India has only seven car owners per 1,000 citizens. “Delhi’s Auto Expo event is the bellwether for the automobile industry. Both domestic and global companies can showcase products to the largest potential audience,” says Venu Srinivasan, President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and CMD of TVS Motor.

Two, the 2010 edition holds immense significance for global vehicle manufacturers, since India and China were the fastest to recover from the financial crisis that swept the world last year. Car sales in the domestic market from April-November this year grew 21 per cent, while sales of medium and large trucks and buses in the same period dipped by barely 2.4 per cent. Much of the key markets in the US and Europe are still in the negative and yet to witness a recovery.

Three, global car and truck majors who skipped this year’s key events like the Tokyo Motor Show are lining up to showcase their products at the capital’s Auto Expo. “There could be multiple reasons as to why companies avoided participating in the global auto shows. One reason could be cost-cutting. For many of these global vehicle manufacturers, India is yet a virgin market and showcasing a concept model gives tremendous mileage. Component manufacturers benefit greatly from events like these,” says Mohit Arora, senior director, Singapore based JD Power & Associates.