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.

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.

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.

Audi R8 - Super Car Launched in India

Audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, today launched its Audi R8, the exclusive, mid-engine super sports car with a high degree of day-to-day drivability. The stylish and progressive Audi R8 is priced at 1,17,00,000 INR (ex-showroom Delhi without C.S.T., transportation, etc.).

“The Audi R8 is not only a strong statement about the brand, but also about Audi’s direction for the future – to be the most successful premium brand by 2015. It embodies the philosophy of “Vorsprung durch Technik”. It will revolutionise the Indian automobile space and will offer an experience of a lifetime to discerning customers in the country,” said Mr. Benoit Tiers, Managing Director Audi India.

The much-awaited Audi high performance super sports car, the Audi R8 was officially unveiled at the splendid lawns of the German Embassy in New Delhi along with two Audi racing legends: Auto Union Type D and the Audi R8 Le Mans Prototype, both chosen for their link to ground-breaking technologies of their time. These cars were introduced to the public in a rare display, after which in a stunning presentation eight Audi R8’s moved in a convoy to the historic India Gate through streets of New Delhi.

“We decided to launch the Audi R8 in the Indian market based on the enthusiastic response received from our select customers. India is a very crucial market for Audi and we are very keen to expand our presence in the country through expansion of the dealership network and bringing in our international range of models,” added Mr. Tiers.

With its technical precision and superior performance, the Audi R8 took the lead in the most demanding automotive sports car segment from the moment it was launched. The Audi R8 4.2 V8-FSI is equipped with an engine displacement of 4,163 cc, a power output of 309 kW (420 hp) at 7,800 rpm and a maximum torque 430 Nm between 4,500 and 6,000 rpm. The Audi R8 can attain a top speed of 301 km/h with 0-100 km/h in impressive 4.6 seconds.

The super sports car is endowed with a drivetrain combination of quattro permanent all-wheel drive with manual six-speed transmission or six-speed R tronic and an all-aluminum Audi Space Frame body. Its perfection in quality and finish, only to be expected of an Audi product, place the Audi R8 in a formidable position worldwide.

The Audi R8 has distinctive exterior and interior styling that offers the feel of a luxurious sports car with exclusive equipment coupled with a wide variety of customized interior options.

The Audi R8 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.

The Audi R8 is available along with the 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 Delhi, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Ludhiana, Chennai, Kochi and Kolkata.

-- Grand launch event held at the exclusive environs of The German Embassy

-- Audi brings exclusive racing fever to India with the R8 Le Mans and Auto Union Type D race car

-- Audi R8: a pure super sports car and a high degree of day-to-day drivability

-- Audi R8: Winner of 2008 “World Performance Car” and the “World Car Design of the Year” awards

AUDI AG

AUDI AG sold a total of 964,151 cars in 2007 and thus achieved its twelfth consecutive record year. With revenue of €33,617 million and profit before tax of €2,915 million, the company attained its best figures ever. Audi produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Györ (Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium). At the end of 2007, production of the Audi A6 started in Aurangabad, India. The company is active in more than 100 markets worldwide.

AUDI AG’s wholly owned subsidiaries include Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. in Sant’Agata Bolognese (Italy) and quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm. Audi currently employs around 57,000 people worldwide, including 45,000 in Germany. The brand with the four rings invests more than €2 billion each year in order to sustain the company’s technological lead embodied in its “Vorsprung durch Technik” slogan. Audi plans to significantly increase the number of models in its portfolio by 2015 to 40.

In 2007 Audi India, based in Mumbai, commenced its business activities. The Audi model range in India includes the Audi A8, Audi Q7, Audi A6, Audi A4 and Audi TT.

Toyota Small Car for India

Toyota is building its second plant in India to increase production in a growing market. The plant, which will cost more than $340 million, is to open in 2010 with an initial annual production capacity of 100,000 vehicles, including the Corolla subcompact.

Toyota already has one plant in India, on the outskirts in Bangalore, that produced 52,000 vehicles last year. It was set up in 1997 as a joint venture with the Kirloskar Group.

The People's Car - Tata Nano!

"Since, promise is a promise the standard dealer version will cost Rs 1 lakh" announced a beaming Mr. Ratan Tata in front of thousands of journalists amid cheers from the crowd.

And sitting in front of the television, zipping past news channels showing "live & exclusive" pictures, I was as animated as I've been as a kid to get a glimpse of the car, now christened Nano.

How will it look? Will it be more spacious than M-800? Will they be able to price it at Rs.1L? These were the questions running through my mind.

I had predicted earlier to my friends that it will look similar to the 3-wheeled load-carrier of theirs, Tata Ace, which was launched a couple of years ago. When they launched Tata Ace, I had a gut feeling that Tata was testing its waters with this load-carrier. Well, I believe I was right, the Tata Nano has an uncanny front-end resemblance to Tata Ace....

Now let me stop bragging and get into the finer details. The TATA's will launch Nano in different variants and only the standard variant without A/C and other amenities will cost Rs. 1 lakh. Keep in mind that one has to dishout transportation charges and VAT separately. So, at this point, it looks like that will be an additional 20 grands. The car is expected to hit the roads in October '08. The prices of the other variants are not known at this time.

Now to the big question.. How will they make money out of it? Aint' the margins too thin? Well, their answer at this point is that there can be a lot of variants to it which you can customize at different price levels. Check out this link from their website where you can actually customize the Nano the way you want it (Highly Recommended!). And going by the options available in it, there's scope for a lot of alterations!! A few options that can be customized are the Scoop Trims, Decals, Alloy Wheel, Fog Lamps and Color variants of course.

Environmentalists have already raised their eyebrows and there's a section of the population which beleieves this car will crowd the cities. Yes, there's every possibility of that, but you cannot take it away from a common man who wants to take his family in a safe environment away from the harsh weather conditions!! If you really want to save the environment, ask automakers to stop making fuel-guzzling SUVs.

What the TATA's have in the Nano is a sure-shot winner and this will bring in a paradigm shift in the worldwide auto industry.

Here's some exclusive pictures of Nano -


The Deluxe/Luxury Version



The Standard Version


Interiors!








PS: More reviews will follow. Cross posted in Car India blog also.