Wednesday, March 18, 2009

BMW Launches Sports Activity Coupé in India!

BMW India X6

BMW India launched the BMW X6 at Infinity Cars, a new dealership facility in Mumbai. The BMW X6 will be available on the Indian roads in two variants – X6 xDrive50i (petrol) and X6 xDrive30d (diesel). These cars are available in the country as Completely Built-up Units (CBU) and can be ordered across all BMW dealerships in India.

The new BMW X6 has all the agility and elegance of a coupé plus the impressive versatility of an SAV. The BMW X6 draws its strength from two exclusive automotive worlds to create a new one. The first Sports Activity Coupé. Equipped with BMW Dynamic Performance Control, this is a coupé that knows no limits, especially in terms of driving dynamics.

The ex-showroom prices of the new BMW X6 in INR are as follows.
BMW X6 xDrive50i: 82,90,000
BMW X6 xDrive30d: 65,90,000

PS: Ex-showroom price excludes RTO registration charges, tax, insurance, handling charges; Octroi and entry tax (if applicable).

The all-wheel xDrive system provides better traction, higher stability and more safety. If the sensors detect that the car is about to drift off course the system reacts in milliseconds. By adjusting the amount of power that goes to the front and rear wheels, xDrive effectively nips over or under steering in the bud.

For the first time in a BMW, Dynamic Performance Control gives the BMW X6 unique new cornering qualities. Seamless drive distribution to the left- and right-hand rear wheels improves track stability, allowing the driver to enter bends more precisely and cross-accelerate faster with optimised grip when accelerating out. On slippery or uneven surfaces, Dynamic Performance Control provides the further advantage of an even safer and more stable traction.

And when xDrive and Dynamic Performance Control join forces, the result is a whole new dimension in driving dynamics.

The new V8 power unit with Twin Turbo technology and direct injection in the BMW X6 makes it the most powerful drive unit ever seen in a BMW X Model. The new eight-cylinder is impressive not only through its outstanding thrust and pulling force, but also through its compact dimensions.

To the very last detail, the BMW X6 offers a unique synthesis of exclusive luxury, sporting dynamics, and powerful style. A wide range of colours and materials highlight the sporting character of the BMW X6 and add to the individual style and personality of this unique vehicle.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Reigning Discounts!



Automobile companies in India are enticing their customers by offering them great bargains on their cars. December is usually a month of discounts/great deals, but this time around the bargains seems to be even juicier considering a sharp drop in sales last month and a pile up of inventory at the showrooms.

Here's a run down on what's on offer:

Toyota Motors:
Innova - a price cut of up to Rs. 32,780.
Corolla - a price cut of up to Rs. 40,750.

Maruti Suzuki:
Wagon R - increased discount to Rs. 25,000 plus insurance vs. Rs. 12,000/insurance in November.
M-800 - a price cut of Rs. 6,500 plus insurance vs. Rs. 2,000 in November.
Alto - concession up to Rs. 7,000.
SX4 sedan - will go down by Rs.23,000 to Rs.760,542

Hyundai Motors:
Santrol GL (solid) - offering this version at Rs. 2.99 lakhs, the price that was when this model was launched 10 years ago.
Santro non-AC - free insurance plus car accessories worth Rs. 7,000
Santro GLS - free insurance plus car accessories worth Rs. 15,000
i10 - will be cheaper by Rs.11,247 and Rs.18,381 depending on its models.
Sonata - will see a drop of Rs.44,792
Also, loyalty benefit of up to Rs. 20,000 on select models of Getz, Accent & Verna.

Ford Motors India:
Ford Fiesta EXI (petrol) - a discount of Rs. 90,000, thus bringing down the sticker price from Rs. 6.2 lakhs to Rs. 5.29 lakhs.
Ford Fiesta Diesel - a discount of Rs. 51,000, thus bringing down the sticker price from Rs. 7.10 lakhs to Rs. 6.59 lakhs.
Offer valid only till Dec. 12, 2008.

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Audi Inaugurates New Exclusive Showroom


Audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, today announced the opening of a new exclusive showroom in Ahmedabad.

‘Audi Ahmedabad’ will be the first in the state of Gujarat and the third showroom in the western region.

‘Audi Ahmedabad’ showroom is spread over an area of 5,000 square feet, will display six cars and will have a total strength of 12 employees, extensively trained by Audi. The exclusive Audi workshop is specially built to service all Audi models with the latest and most advanced equipment brought in directly from Germany.

Built in accordance with the latest international standards of Audi Corporate Identity ‘Audi Ahmedabad’ will give its customers the progressive Audi brand experience. For the showroom opening the exclusive super sports car Audi R8 will be on display.

The Audi R8 that has won several awards in Germany and Europe, along with the double victory at the famous 2008 World Car of the Year awards, winning both the ‘World Performance Car” and “World Design Car of the Year’ awards, was launched in India in November 2008.

The Audi R8 is available along with the entire Audi model range in India consisting of the new Audi A4, Audi A6, Audi A8, Audi Q7 and Audi TT at twelve dealerships across the country: in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ludhiana, Chennai, Kochi and Kolkata.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Superman's Two Wheeler!

BSA Motors Launches Largest Range of eScooters in India

BSA Motors, a Strategic Business Unit of Tube Investments of India (TII), part of the Rs.9582 crore (USD 2.4billion) Murugappa Group, launched five models of BSA eScooters today in the city. The eScooters are manufactured at the BSA Motors new plant in Ambattur, with an investment of Rs.200 million for the first phase. The Ambattur plant has an initial production capacity of 150 eScooters a day which can be ramped upto 300 units per day as and when required. The first batch of eScooters would be rolled out from Chennai on 10th November 2008.

BSA Motors announced Actress Tamannah, the rising star in south Indian movies as the brand ambassador for BSA eScooters, to create strong linkage with the target audience of the age group between 14 to 30 years. She has acted in trendsetting films like ‘Happy Days’ in Telugu and ‘Kalloori’ in Tamil.

Mr. M A Alagappan, Executive Chairman, Murugappa Group launched the product range. The management of BSA Motors comprises of Mr. M M Murugappan, Chairman, Tube Investments of India, Mr L Ramkumar Managing Director, Tube Investments India, Mr. Arun Alagappan, Senior Vice President, BSA Motors and Mr. K B Srinivasan, General Manager, BSA Motors.

The five models of the BSA eScooters are,

Smile - The most competitively priced e-Scooter in the country for the age group of 13 to 18 years; 250 W, top speed of 25kmph. License and Registration is not required for riding this eScooter

Diva - First e-Scooter designed exclusively for girls in the age group of 16 to 20 years; 250 W, top speed of 25kmph. License and Registration is not required for riding this eScooter

Street Rider - Unisex sportz model from teen to twenties; 250 W, top speed of 25kmph. License and Registration is not required for riding this eScooter

Roamer - For working men and women for the age group of 18 to 25 years; 500 W, top speed of 40kmph, requires license and registration.

Roamer+ - The Family eScooter; 800W, top speed of 45kmph, requires license and registration

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. M M Murugappan, Chairman, Tube Investments of India said, “We see our entry into the electric two wheeler market as a logical extension of our current business, from bicycles to electric two wheelers. The eScooters is presently a Rs.450 crore market in India and the industry is expected to double in a year’s time. BSA’s foray into the eScooters category helps us to expand our portfolio in the two wheeler market. He also added, “BSA eScooters will undoubtedly be the next big success from TII.”

The Ambattur plant will have facility for painting, assembly and testing of eScooters. Key parts like motor, controller, battery, lamps, wheel discs, tyres & tubes have been sourced from reputed automotive vendors. The plant is equipped with State-of-the-Art technology with comprehensive full vehicle performance testing with a test track, motorized conveyor assembly line with modern assembly tools.

The BSA eScooters are certified by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) to be used in public roads in India. Maintenance free batteries and motors make BSA eScooters 100% trouble free. The BSA eScooters have an efficiency of 82-85% in comparison to petrol run vehicles which has an efficiency of 35-38%.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Arun Alagappan, Senior Vice President, BSA Motors, said, “BSA Motors, a Strategic Business Unit was consciously formed to ensure focus and attention to the growing eScooter market in India. The BSA marketing team is constantly tracking leading style and fashion trends among the youth and their way of life. Hence, care has been taken on every aspect of the marketing mix to suit it to the target group. He also added, “Our initial thrust will be in the south Indian market and would be accessible with wide range of dealership network shortly.”

BSA Motors has carried out extensive market research to understand customer preferences in terms of features, colours, graphics and product names. The products have been specifically designed to suit Indian conditions. Every model has gone through extensive tests and validation to suit to the Indian roads and weather.

Each eScooter will have four colour options with the exception of Diva which will have five colour options. The unique features of these eScooter models are its protective safety switch, twin passenger foot rest, ergonomically designed seats, great storage space, side reflectors and many more innovative features that are not currently available in the market. The forte of BSA Motors lies in product design and top notch quality. Out of the five models, three models are in 250 watts, one in 500 watts and one in 800 watts.

Press advertisements of BSA Motors calling for 40 dealerships in South India had an overwhelming response from 400 applicants. Strict criteria were applied for dealer selection and the best 45 applications were selected for the launch phase. BSA Motors initially plans to set up 45 exclusive dealerships before December 2008 in states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry and Goa. All BSA Motors showrooms in the country will also have service centres with best in class equipment to provide complete service and satisfaction to the BSA customers.

For effective after sales service, BSA Motors plans to set up a centralized customer care call centre. BSA Motors’ customers can shortly call on GSM and Toll free VSNL number or SMS for product queries, test rides and service related issues.