New Honda Brio launched at a starting price of Rs 3.95 lakh

NEW DELHI: Honda Cars has entered the business end of India's car market with the aggressively-priced Brio, sending a message that it has the gumption for a fight in the world's second-fastest-growing car market. 

With a starting price of Rs 3.95 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), Brio is Honda's cheapest offering and is being launched in the middle of a trying period for the Japanese carmaker.

"Brio is our answer to the demand of mass car market. It's our most focused product," said Takashi Nagai, the president & chief executive of Honda's Indian unit. Honda Siel, the Indian arm is a joint venture with Siel, a Siddharth Shriram group company.

Honda has been struggling with falling sales, production stoppages caused by a devastating tsunami in Japan in March and the recall earlier this month of more than 70,000 City sedans to replace faulty power window switches.

Honda's forte has been the low-volume premium end of the Indian car market, where it sells the City, Civic and Accord sedans and the CR-V sports utility vehicle. The dominance of City, Honda's mainstay, has been undermined by rivals such as Volkswagen's Vento, forcing Honda to drop prices and raising questions about the company's ability to compete in India without being present in the compact car segment. Moreover, Honda does not sell diesel-powered cars. It is a vital missing element in India because of the large difference in price between petrol and the subsidised diesel.

Brio, powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine, gives Honda entry into a segment that represents three-fourths of India's car market and presents an opportunity to turn around the company's sliding fortunes, said Rakesh Batra, partner and head of the automobile practice at Ernst & Young. "Brio is the most important milestone for Honda in India. The company has enjoyed customers' confidence for long, but never had the products to play around with volumes."
 
A little more than 2.5 million cars were sold in India in the 12 months to March 2011. Honda sold a little less than 60,000 cars.

With help from Brio, Honda expects to sell at least 10,000 cars every month, eventually helping it to utilise its idle manufacturing plant in Rajasthan. For the compact car, the aim is to sell 50,000 units annually.

Honda has been unable to fully use its Greater Noida plant which can make 1.2 lakh cars a year, leading to high overhead costs and inventories. Sales fell 13.4% to 19,433 units in the April-August period. But the recent price 66,000 for the City and 1.6 lakh for the Jazz premium compact-have provided a boost: sales rose to 6,900 units in August from 2,000 in April.

To keep costs low, Honda has kept a high proportion of local content in the Brio-it is 80% now and should rise to 90% in the coming months. 

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Nissan Cars has launched Nissan Sunny now in India

Nissan Motor India Private Ltd (NMIPL) brought exuberance to the Indian buyers as it commercially launched its much awaited mid-size Sedan Sunny on 20th September, just before the upcoming festive season. What has added more zeal to the celebrations is its price. Nissan Sunny has offered the sedan at a very affordable price in the Indian market. The new mid-size sedan has been tagged with prices of Rs. 5.78 lacs for the base variant, Rs. 6.88 lacs for the mid-level variant and Rs. 7.68 lacs for the high-end variant. The three variants under Sunny's belt are XE, XL and XV. Nissan Sunny is believed to be the most completely car in the mid-size Sedan segment with luxury, class, elegance and comfort easily competing with that of premium sedans. It can surely be considered as a car that gives an all new definition to Sedan segment in the country. At the outset, the mid-size sedan is available only in the petrol variant.

Nissan SUNNY manufactured on the extremely skilled V-platform represents the car maker's abilities in a very pure form. The latest product of Nissan is available at 45 Nissan dealerships across the country. The sedan can be booked from September 21, 2011 and the delivery of the same would start from October 03, 2011. The Sunny is expected to earn laurels with an offering of a 16.95 kmpl of fuel economy, which is certified by ARAI. The car will be available to buyers across the country without an elongated waiting period before delivery.

Introducing the car to the media, Kiminobu Tokuyama, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd, said, “We are proud to present to you a true leader in the mid-size Sedan segment, a ‘made-in-India for India’ product, with attributes close to a top-end Sedan. We are sure that Indian families and young professionals alike will wholeheartedly welcome this Nissan product to their homes during the upcoming Diwali festival.”

The all-new Sunny has been designed in Japan with useful inputs hailing from India, where it is getting prepared to be sold at present. The sedan which has been manufactured at the Chennai-based plant is expected to lure youngsters and target drivers in India that give utmost preference to style and luxury. Sunny is believed to reach out to the buyers through a number of means namely sophisticated and elegant style, spacious interior and a big-size trunk which is ideal for families in India.

Gilles Normand, Corporate Vice President, Africa, Middle East & India, Nissan Motor Company said, “With unprecedented levels of sophistication and comfort, we are certain that the Nissan Sunny will redefine the dynamics of the Sedan segment in India. We have been able to aggressively position it thanks to localization in excess of 85 per cent, which also reiterates our commitment to India and the Indian customer.”

Sharing details regarding the price of three variants, G M Singh, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Hover Automotive India (HAI) said, “The Nissan Sunny is the first Sedan in the country to be a near perfect amalgam of performance and style available at a truly attractive price. We believe the long wait of the Indian families for the right Sedan at a right price has finally been met with the arrival of Sunny. We are sure the Indian customer is going to own this global Sedan with pride.”

Nissan Sunny made its public debut at the 2010 Guangzhou Motor Show in China, where it was awarded with the title of ‘Best World Premier’. Sunny, the mid-size sedan, is all set to be sold in 170 countries around the world. With the latest sedan, Nissan embeds the new global V-platform for the second time. The platform has enabled the car maker to make use of the advanced and innovative engineering techniques, to deliver a futuristic and creative lightweight body. In addition, it provides strength in its utmost form with a strong revised ride and energetic on-road behaviour.

Sunny has raised the bars of its active and passive safety furthermore, and modern features are designed and affixed to it in order to enhance both the driving and ownership experiences. The sedan will be available in Bronze Grey, Blade Silver, Storm White, Sapphire Blue, Onyx Black and Brick Red colours. All three variants of Sunny i.e. base XE, mid XL and high XV will be equipped with advanced safety features such as Anti-Lock Breaking System (ABS), Electronic Break-force Distribution (EBD), Break Assist (BA), Engine Immobilizer and airbags.

Setting different lines than the other car makers in the industry, Nissan has adopted a uniform pricing policy across the country to provide the customers with the most favourable and affordable price range. Therefore, the ex-showroom prices will be set with uniformity across India except for disparities in VAT, Entry Tax, Octroi and other local taxes levied by the states or cities.

Nissan Sunny is a perfect blend of performance and style as highlighted by G M Singh, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Hover Automotive India (HAI). The all new mid-size sedan is backed by the power of a modern 4-cylinder 1.5-litre double overhead camshaft petrol engine from Nissan’s respected HR engine family. It is capable of generating 98 bhp of peak power at 6000 rpm and a maximum torque of 134 Nm at 4000 rpm. With a smooth-shifting five speed manual transmission, the Sunny offers its buyers, a fuel efficiency of 16.95 kmpl.

Nissan SUNNY possesses a consummate design, class, a modern sedan appeal with sleek looks, dynamic proportions and an unparalleled drag coefficient of just 0.318. The front portion is subjugated by Nissan’s signature grille, affixed by jewel-like bright headlights and fine use of chrome touches. Wide-opening doors ensure comfortable entry and exit from the car. It carries giant and bulky haunches, attractive contours and neat rear spoiler provides the car with a sporty look.

The cab-forward seating arrangement and the elongated sloping roof line add to the elegance quotient of the car. The trunk of the sedan is separated without the use of seam and is finely dissolved into the body. At 4425mm in length, Sunny shares commonness with others in the class, however, the aspect that stands out for the car is the class-leading 2600mm wheelbase. The wheel base ensures unmatched space of the interior. Rear knee room is the best in its class and compete with that of some luxury sedans, providing rear seat passengers with immense comfort and the scope to cross their legs. The big centre armrest with cup holders in the rear seat strengthens the comfort aspect of Sunny. The interior is featured by a 490 litres of space in its boot.

The Sunny also features an independent front end by MacPherson struts with coil springs that make every ride a smooth experience. While a small torsion beam rear axle has been affixed to minimise any interference with the luggage area. Both suspension systems carry sub frames on them to help reduce road noise, vibration and roughness with an anti-roll bar at either end.

The long stroke suspension travel enables Sunny to offer a smooth ride even during off-road and uneven conditions. The car's accessories offer agility and responsiveness which makes the riding experience all the more satisfactory. 

The present Nissan represents the Tenth generation of the brand and is successfully heading forward with grace and signature style. The name 'Sunny' is almost a 45 years old name. It was first used in 1966 on a compact sedan which was sold in Japan and was given its refreshing name by the Japanese people from more than 8 million entries in a special naming competition. Over the time period of four-and-a-half decades, nine generations of Sunny models have passed, registering total sales of more than 16 million units to 140 countries.

However, the new tenth generation Sunny Sedan is the first Sunny to roll-out on the Indian roads.

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The Chevrolet Car adds Spark to city-car segment

The Chevrolet Spark is the third generation of the Daewoo Matiz, though it is the first to be marketed as a Chevrolet in various markets around the globe (including North America early in 2012).

A Spark pre-production model debuted at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, with the production model introduced later that year at the Geneva Motor Show. It sits a rung lower on the sub-compact scale, slotting in below the upcoming Sonic (replacing Aveo) and taking on the likes of the Fiat 500 (which it outdoes in areas of interior room, seating and accessibility).

Four full doors open up on 1960 mm of overall legroom (1067/893 front/rear), while shoulder space of 1295mm front and 1255 rear should be plenty for four occupants (thought the car has belts for five). Luggage space of 170 litres expands to 568 when the rear seatback is down.

Outside, the Spark package is just 3640 long by 1597 wide (just slightly longer and narrower than the Fiat), meaning it should easily navigate city streets and find temporary stays in even the narrowest of grocery story parking lots. The expansive window space and high seating arrangement means good visibility out.
Spark is very much about styling and the exterior edgy cues are supported inside by a dash display that looks like a modern in-home sound system, with controls backlit in ice blue light. The sound system plays CDs and MP3s, and hooks up to portable media via USB or AUX jacks.

Power on the European Spark is provided by either a 1.0-litre or 1.2-litre dual overhead cam, 16-valve four-cylinder engine with multi-port fuel injection.

Acceleration is leisurely, with Spark making the run to 100 km/h in a reported 12.7 seconds, passing from 80 to 120 km/h in 26.6 seconds, and a top speed of 164 km/h. But as you'd expect, the Spark onus is on fuel economy, with ratings on the Euro cycles of 6.6 litres per 100 km in the city and 4.1 on the highway and CO2 emissions of just 118 grams per km.

Spark rides on MacPherson struts up front and torsion beam at the rear, with braking handled by ventilated discs up front and drums in the rear (and aided by an antilock braking system).
It will, of course, come with a full complement of airbags and other occupant protection systems, as well as GM's famous OnStar system (which now also adds Bluetooth capability to hook up a personal phone).

"We developed Spark with the aim of giving buyers more mini for their money," said chief engineer Jack Keaton.

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New Honda Cars Lineup for 2012

CR-V: Due late in 2012, Honda’s fourth-gen CR-V will feature edgier styling that we expect to be very close to that of the concept vehicle shown above. Honda Car has hinted that we can expect the 2.4-liter four-cylinder/automatic transmission powertrain to continue with incremental upticks in engine output and fuel economy. We also expect extensive interior upgrades, including improved space utilization and cargo versatility.

Civic: On sale since April, the Civic’s gen-seven makeover emphasizes fuel economy and comfort across an expanded range of models and body styles. The Civic hybrid continues to be the fuel-economy standard-bearer, with EPA ratings of 44 mpg city and highway. Honda also offers a thrifty conventional version, the HF, with a 140-hp, 1.8-liter four and low-rolling-resistance tires; it’s capable of 29 mpg city and 41 highway. A natural-gas model will be available later this year. The sporty Civic Si returns with a modest horsepower gain from a new 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine. Honda took no chances with the styling.
Crosstour: Updated features include a rearview camera, Bluetooth capability, a USB interface, and automatic on/off headlights, but the bigger news is its name: The Accord prefix is gone.
Insight: Honda has freshened the front and rear fascias, updated the interior, and upgraded the audio and nav systems. The company predicts better fuel economy through improved aero, low-rolling-resistance tires, and reduced friction in the 1.3-liter engine. It’s due in showrooms by November.
Pilot: For 2012, the Pilot goes with the contemporary crossover flow, featuring smoother contours and a more urbane appearance. The interior has upgraded feature content, a new instrument panel, improved materials, reduced control-button count in the center stack, and updates to the audio and nav systems. Honda cites improved fuel economy, but specifics will have to wait for the Pilot’s September on-sale date.
Ridgeline: Once thought to be on the discard list, Honda’s unique pickup survives, with new front styling and the addition of a Sport trim package. Honda also forecasts improved highway mileage.

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The Tata Motors launches New Vista variant at Rs 3.88 lakh

The country's largest auto-maker Tata Cars has launched a new version of its Vista model at a starting price of Rs 3.88 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

The new model, which comes in both petrol and diesel engine versions, is now available in the market, the company said in a statement issued here.

The new Vista is available in six colours -- 'summer sparkle', white, silver, red, blue and grey, it added.
The latest avatar of the hatchback would be available for Rs 3.88 lakh for the base Safire petrol and Rs 4.79 lakh for the QuadraJet diesel model (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi).

The new Vista is powered by a 1.3-litre common rail direct injection Quadrajet diesel engine and a 1.4-litre MPFi Safire petrol engine.

The new Tata Vista diesel model delivers a mileage of 22.3 km per litre, while the petrol variant offers 16.7 km per litre.

The car comes with a new front chrome grill,complemented with a new triple-barrelled head lamp to ensure better visibility in low-light conditions.

The new Vista also comes with added safety and security features like ABS with EBD, dual airbags, crumple zones and side intrusion beams, an engine immobiliser and remote keyless entry.

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Tata Cars Launched Tata Gold Nano car worth Rs 22 Crore

Mumbai, Sept 20 (TruthDive): The “world’s cheapest car” may now well be the world’s most expensive. The Tata Group on Monday unveiled a Nano car – made with gold and silver, and studded with precious stones – worth over Rs 22 crore in Mumbai. The golden Tata Nano has been built to commemorate the 5000th year of jewellery designing in India.

A Tata Nano, which sells in showrooms for about $3,000, was covered in gold and jewellery. Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata, whose company also controls Jaguar and Land Rover, was a hand at the Tata Theatre in Mumbai to help launch the publicity stunt.

Covered in 80kg of 22 carat gold and 15kg of silver, and inlaid with 10,000 semi-precious stones and gems, the ‘bling’ version of the Nano is a one-off showpiece that will tour Tata-owned jewellery stores across the country. The car incorporates beautiful designs, made with the semi-precious stones of different colors, set on the gold and silver body of the car.

“As many as 14 techniques of jewellery making have gone behind the effort — from the intricate filigree work to the delicate and colorful meenakari work, the stunning kundan to the traditional naqashi, marking the convergence of diverse and culturally distinct jewellery making techniques from around India,” the official told.
The original Nano, which launched with a 100,000-customer waiting list in 2008 and was aimed at an emerging middle class, has seen sales plummet. In August the Mumbai-based group shipped just 1,202 units, down 88 per cent from April’s 10,012 units.

Analysts blame the fall on safety issues, poor marketing and a misunderstanding of the Indian consumer. Analysts blame the Nano’s poor safety record for the decline in sales. Several incidents of the cars spontaneously erupting into flames were widely reported, pushing Tata Cars to offer its existing 70,000 Nano customers a safety upgrade.

However, a more fundamental issue, according to Mr. Rathore is that the car has been marketed in the wrong way from the beginning. Indians, he said, generally do not want to be known as buyers of the world’s cheapest car.

The golden Nano will not be on sale and will be retained by the Tata Group. This car might be used as a marketing tool to prop up the sagging sales of the Nano. After its glittering launch in Mumbai Monday evening, the Goldplus Nano Car will travel to all the Goldplus showrooms at 29 locations around the country.

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The Ford Fiesta Cars claims Australia 1-2

MANILA, Philippines — The Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team claimed a dominant one-two finish in Rally Australia last Sunday with Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen winning the 10th round of the FIA World Rally Championship by 14.7sec in a Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car, ahead of fellow Finns Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in a similar car. Peter Solberg claimed third place aboard the Citroen DS3.

It was the team’s first double success since May 2009 in Italy and the result promoted Hirvonen to second in the drivers’ standings, just 15 points from the lead with three rounds remaining.

Overnight leader Latvala, whose own hopes of championship success vanished earlier in the season, was happy to support his teammate’s title bid.  He went into the penultimate speed test with a 13.4-second advantage over 31-year-old Hirvonen, but slowed near the finish to allow him to move ahead.

Hirvonen was quick to pay tribute to his colleague. “At the start of the season we agreed to help each other, and Jari-Matti showed today what a team player he is.  He had a great opportunity to win this rally but he gave it up to help me in my fight for the championship and I appreciate that.  Two years ago I lost the world title by a single point, so every point counts,” he said.

Ford held the upper hand since midway through Friday’s treacherously slippery rain-soaked opening leg near the east coast rally base of Coffs Harbour, midway between Sydney and Brisbane.  Hirvonen headed Latvala after the first day, before Latvala took advantage of more favorable conditions on the rapidly drying gravel roads to move ahead.

The 26-year-old started today with a 22.7-second advantage and with no pressure from behind, the pairing were able to control their pace to the finish after 26 special stages and 368.96-km of predominantly dirt-road competition.  Latvala claimed two bonus points after setting second fastest time on the final live TV Power Stage.

Ford paid tribute to the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks by carrying memorial stickers on its Fiesta RS WRCs to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the tragic events in Washington and New York.
The championship returns to asphalt when Rallye de France takes place from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2. The rally is based in the Northeastern city of Strasbourg, close to the German border.

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