VIDEO: Indian Daredevils and the Well of Death
April 15, 2011
The ‘circle of death’ is neither new nor shocking, but it’s one thing to see a professional stuntman who follows the necessary safety precautions doing it and another a group of gifted but nevertheless amateur daredevils going at it in a shoddy well made out of wooden planks with the crowd only inches away….
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Aston Martin Enters Indian Market, Opens its First Dealership in Mumbai
British sports car-maker Aston Martin announced its first foray into India’s booming luxury market on Friday with the opening of its first dealership in the country located in the city of Mumbai. India’s car market posted sales of 1.87 million units in 2010 recording an impressive 25 percent increase over the previous year. More importantly for brands like Aston Martin, the premium car sector grew by a staggering 70 percent last year.
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Indian Firm Whips up a Ferrari F430 Replica out of a Toyota Corolla
March 17, 2011
Here at Carscoop we’ve shown you Ferrari F430 clones based on all sorts of sports cars ranging from the oh-so popular Pontiac Fiero to the Toyota MR2 and even the Toyota Celica. Now it’s time to show you an F430 doppelganger of even more humble origins as this creation is reportedly based on a Toyota Corolla. Read more »
India's Mahindra & Mahindra Seals SsangYong Acquisition
March 16, 2011
Indian industrial giant Mahindra & Mahindra announced today that it has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in South Korea's SsangYong Motor Company, with the deal also signaling that SsangYong is no longer in court receivership. Mahindra won the bid for the troubled Korean carmaker in August 2010. Read more »
Tata Nano Sales Rose by 1,136% in December
January 3, 2011
In an effort to boost sales of its US$2,900 Nano micro car, India's Tata extended the warranty and offered easier financing in December, while it also launched a new advertising campaign that included a TV spot.
It turns out that this was a smart move, as sales of the Nano spiked reaching 5,784 units, which represents a 1,136% increase over the 509 units the company shifted a month earlier. This is still below the 9,000 monthly sales record achieved in July, but it seems that the Nano is back with a vengeance for 2011.
Read more »VIDEO: Tata Tries to Boost Nano Sales with New Ad
December 21, 2010
As previously reported, Tata Nano sales in India have dropped significantly in the past few month, with just 509 customers opting for the US $2,900 micro car, down from 9,000 in July. It seems that Indian buyers have higher aspirations and are moving away from the Nano, as the nation’s market is booming. Reliability issues and a few spontaneously combusting units didn’t help sales either.
To mend the situation, the automaker has extended the car’s warranty and launched a new TV ad, depicting the Nano as the most lovable thing of Earth. Hit the jump to watch the commercial.
Read more »India's Car Market Booming yet Customers Show Little Love for Tata Nano
December 15, 2010
Sometimes being cheap and cheerful just isn’t enough. Production delays, land debates and questions over occupant safety are killing the Tata Nano faster than an unexplained engine fire. India’s people car is struggling in spite of the nation’s booming car market and a low asking price of just US$2,900, half of what its nearest rival costs.
With economic growth at a staggering 9% per annum and a 22% year-to-date increase in car sales, Tata must have felt it was onto a sure thing. Things started out good, with 200,000 advanced orders for the sub-subcompact before its 2009 launch.
However, sales have been flagging these past four months with the Indian carmaker selling just 509 Nano’s in November, down from 9,000 in July.
Read more »Toyota Tries to Break Indian Market with New Low-Cost Etios Sedan
December 3, 2010
The world's largest automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., is eyeing emerging markets with a new low cost model that was unveiled this week in India. The production version of the 2010 New Delhi Show Etios Concept is available at launch as a four-door sedan model, but will be joined by a five door hatchback called the Etios Liva in April of 2011. Read more »
Honda Brio Prototype Previews New City Car for Asian Markets
November 30, 2010
As a follow up to the New Small Concept model showcased this past January at the Auto Expo 2010 in New Delhi, India, Honda revealed the pre-production version of its new small city car called the Brio at the 27th Thailand International Motor Expo (press day: November 30, public days: December 1-12.).
Developed for Asian markets and scheduled to be introduced in Thailand and India in 2011, the Brio has a small footprint measuring just 3,610mm in length, 1,680mm in width and 1,475 mm in height. Even though the Brio keeps the basic styling theme of the concept car, the pre-production prototype's design has been watered down with the new grille looking like a last minute addition and a not very attractive one at that.
Read more »Audi Q5 - Now Also Made in India
July 7, 2010
Audi today announced that it has started assembly of its Q5 compact SUV at its Aurangabad plant in the Indian state of Maharashtra, with the company planning to build up to 1,500 units per year exclusively for the Indian market.
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2011 VW Polo Sedan: New Photo Gallery, Plus Info on India-Market Version that that Resurrects Vento Name
June 4, 2010
We've found more than two dozen fresh photos of the new Volkswagen Polo sedan (including first pictures of the interior) that was officially revealed in Moscow earlier this week.
The Russian version of the four-door Polo will be built VW's factory in Kaluga and will be offered with one engine, a 1.6-litre petrol unit producing 105HP and two transmissions, a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic with sequential shift function.
In addition to the new photos, we learned that Volkswagen will launch the Polo sedan as the Vento in the Indian market starting from this fall. It's worth noting that the Vento nameplate was used for the third-generation Jetta in Europe.
Flame on! Fifth Tata Nano Bursts into Flames...
April 7, 2010
Another Nano, the fifth from since 2009, has gone up in smoke, this time in Gujarat, western India. For reference, the last one toasted itself in Mumbai in late March, 2010. According to Business Week, an email from Tata states that "the car belonged to the company and has no design flaw."
Bursting into flames due to "faulty switches that caused smoke and plastic parts to melt" seems like a possible design flaw to me.
As for an update regarding Tata's Mumbai victim (Tata still can't determine the cause of the fire), Satish Purshotam Sawant wants some compensation for putting him and his family in danger...in the form of Rs 15 lakhs (1,500,000 Rupees or ~$33,700 US) and a Fiat Punto. Tata says no dice: it's either a new Nano or a full refund.
Spontaneous Combusting Nanos? Another Tata Goes up in Flames
March 22, 2010
Tata Motors' Nano city car is once again making headlines in India, but not for the reasons you might think. Following three separate cases in 2009 when owners of the Nano in Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Delhi reported seeing smoke and flames coming out of their vehicles' dashboard, another Nano caught fire. Only this time, Tata's much-vaunted 'world's cheapest car' literally went up in flames.
According to Indian news sites, the particular Nano was owned by insurance agent Satish Sawant who had just bought the car from a dealership in Prabhadevi, Mumbai, that provided him with a chauffeur as he -surprise, surprise- didn't know how to drive.
Mercedes-Benz' Parent Company Sells Tata Motors Stake
March 9, 2010
Daimler AG, the company that owns Mercedes-Benz, today sold its entire 5.34% stake in India's Tata Motors ending a relationship that stretches back more than five decades.
The German firm said that the sale of 25.6 million shares will generate approximately €300 million (US$401 million) of cash and earnings before interest and taxes, with around €265 million (US$362 million) to be accounted for in the first quarter of 2010.
Indian Debut for Pininfarina-Styled Tata Pr1ma Sedan Concept
January 6, 2010
Following its world premiere at last year's Geneva Salon, Tata brought its oddly named Pr1ma concept car back home for the New Delhi motor show. Designed and built by famous Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina, the Pr1ma is suppose to offer an indication of how the next generation of Tata saloons could be stylistically interpreted.
The compact-size four-door saloon is based on the platform of the first Indian sedan, the Tata Indigo, and features a wheelbase of 2.700 mm. Neither Tata or Pininfarina have released any more information about the Pr1ma.
Tata Debuts Magic Iris Mini -Minivan for those that want to Upgrade from Tricycles
Tata Motors, the Indian maker of the world's cheapest mass produced car, the Nano, and owner of Jaguar and Land Rover, swiped the covers off the Magic Iris at this week's New Delhi motor show. The odd looking (and that's an understatement...) mini version of a minivan was developed specifically for India with the company claiming that it "aims at upgrading the quality of travel for those who depend on three-wheelers".
The pint-size four-wheel passenger car is said to seat up to five people, two at the front and three at the back.
Tata Motors makes it a point to note that the Iris Magic is "controlled by a steering that provides car-like on-road stability, while the hard roof, made of sheet metal, provides car-like safety" and that it also features "car-like clear lens headlamps and tail lights". If you've ever seen the tri-cycles in India, you'll understand why.
The Magic Iris, which is expected to go on sale in India later this year, is powered by a 0.6-liter water-cooled diesel engine producing 11.3-horsepower that allows the vehicle reach speeds of up to 55km/h or 34mph.
Toyota Previews Low-Cost Small Car with Etios Sedan and Hatchback at New Delhi Show
When we first heard about Toyota's plans to introduce a compact car developed specifically emerging markets such as India and the South American region, our mind went to a Japanese version of the Renault-Nissan group's low-cost Dacia Logan. And true enough, Toyota's new Etios concept that was unveiled at the New Delhi Show is exactly that - it even looks a bit like the Logan too.
Toyota showed off both a five-door hatchback and a four-door saloon version of the Etios that will go on sale initially in India towards the end of the year. The production Etios will be offered with two newly developed petrol engines, a 1.2-liter and a 1.5-liter unit, while a diesel option could follow after.
Etios chief engineer, Yoshinori Noritake, said at the show: "I visited many Indian cities and homes to learn the market and to hear from the consumer directly. Over four years, more than 2,000 engineers have been involved in the development of the Etios, and each has devoted his or her best effort with no compromises. I am convinced in my heart that the Etios offers joy of ownership and quality of life to consumers in India."
Toyota alliance in India that's called "Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private, Ltd" will produce the Etios from late 2010 at its second plant, which is now being built specifically for the new car.
The Japanese automaker expects annual sales in India to reach 70,000 units while exports in other emerging markets such as Russia and the South American region are planned.
Suzuki R3 Concept Proposal for a Six-Passenger Compact MPV Debuts at New Delhi Auto Show
January 5, 2010
This year's Auto Expo in New Delhi, India, is turning out to be a crowd puller as many automakers chose the show to unveil an array of concept and production models designed with the domestic market in mind. Maruti Suzuki took the covers off the R3, a Compact Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) that was penned at the firm's Research and Development Department in India.
Despite its compact size, the futuristic looking concept model can accommodate a total of six passengers in three rows of seats. Suzuki didn't release any more details on the R3, but it has been speculated that the concept model may base a production version in the very near future.
Honda Showcases New Low Cost City Car in India, Production Model to Follow in 2011
The New Small Concept is Honda's proposal for a low-cost five-door hatchback in booming emerging markets such as India and it was introduced today at the Auto Expo 2010 in New Delhi. Honda was quite secretive about the five-seater supermini's underpinnings and mechanical hardware, but the company did reveal that it is planning to introduce a new model based on this concept sometime in 2011.
The supermini will initially be sold in India and in Thailand, though it has been reported that the vehicle is engineered to be a global car so don't be surprised if the small Honda makes its way in certain Western markets.
It goes without saying that the series model's styling will be toned down a notch or two compared to the concept, though some features such as the hidden rear-door handles could make it into production.
