IndiBlog

After all the hurdles the Nano project has gone through, Tata is planning a grand launch on India's Republic Day on the 26th of January' 09. The Pune Mirror reports that the Rs. 1 lakh car will finally go on sale this month but we assume numbers will be limited since the primary Nano facility is still being completed. Already more than 1 lakh prospective buyers have registered on the Nano website and delivery waiting period is likely to be very long. Highly placed sources at a Tata dealer has also confirmed that the Nano will roll into showrooms by 26th January. Let us wait and watch if this news is true.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Today launched their latest i20 hatchback at a function held at The Grand hotel in New Delhi. This marks the global debut of the i20 which will soon be launched in multiple countries across Europe as well. Previewed at the 2008 Paris Motor Show the i20 is Hyundai’s crucial contender in the large hatch segment which in India has been pioneered by the Skoda Fabia. Hyundai says that the i20 is aimed at the Fabia and is a notch higher than its sibling, the Getz. The i20 was designed at Hyundai’s design facility in Germany and the design cues point to a very European brief which has been executed well. The car is considerably longer than the Getz and wider too. It thereby lends a very squat and stable image.

Though the looks aren’t that grabby they will ensure a fair share of attention as it is probably one of the most stylish hatchbacks in the country today. The long nose with the Mc Laren Mercedes SLR inspired V crease line and the chunky bumper with large air dam and fog lamp inserts look cool. The tear drop headlamps and the peeled back tail lamps make the i20 look sporty as does the swooping roofline which meets the C pillar in a very coupe like fashion. On the inside i was surprised by the amount of room, it was in the league of C segment sedans than a B+ hatchback. It can easily seat 5 adults along with a lot of luggage in its huge (for a hatch) boot.

The interiors are well appointed in brown and beige and typically of all Hyundai’s feel good to touch. Equipment levels are very lavish too with AC/heater, rake & reach adjust steering, 2 DIN CD + MP3 system, power windows, MID (multi information display) available as standard equipment. The i20 has been launched in three variants; Magna, Asta and Asta (Options) with the top model getting an array of gizmos including electric fold & adjust OVRMs, automatic climate control, fog lamps, steering mounted controls, remote locking, alloy wheels, chunkier tyres, height adjust drivers seat, ABS + EBD and 6 airbags. Yes you read that correct, 6 airbags; two front airbags, two side impact airbags and two curtain airbags are available on the Asta (Options) making the i20 India’s safest hatchback. Hyundai hopes to get a 5 star rating for the car at the NCAP crash tests.

The only disappointment with the i20 is it’s power plant which is the same 1.2 litre Kappa unit from the i10. Internationally Hyundai will sell the i20 with a choice of 1.2/1.4/1.6 litre petrol units and 1.4/1.6 litre diesels but as of now only the base 1.2 litre petrol has been launched. In January Hyundai plans to bring out the i20 diesel but the engine choice is still not clear. The 1.2 litre produces only 80 bhp and with the car’s 1200 kg + weight it will be an underperformed especially while overtaking and on the highways. As a result fuel efficiency will also be less than the i10. Hyundai should look at launching the 1.4 litre Kappa petrol soon to give the i20 the ‘go to match the show’.

We should not complain much though as Hyundai has introduced the i20 at a mouth watering price of Rs. 4,79,900 for the Magna, Rs. 5,59,900 for the Asta and Rs. 5,81,900 for the Asta with 6 airbags. At this price the i20 is a brilliant package which hits all the sweet spots and will redeem the brand in the big hatch segment, something it did not manage with the Getz.

Ex chief of Maruti Suzuki India, Mr. Jagdish Khattar in currently working towards setting up a chain of multi-brand service outlets under his brand - Carnation Auto India Ltd. He has received funding from Premji Invest (Rs. 80 crore) and IFCI Venture Funds (Rs. 28 crore) and is planning to open 100 'multi-brand auto solution hubs' in three years. Twelve such outlets are already being rollet out in Kochi, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Amritsar, and two in Noida and Mr. Khattar hopes that the first will open by March '09.

Carnation will be a third party multi-brand car service centre but will also retail consumables like tyres, batteries, accessories etc alongwith vehicle insurance. Each facility will have 20 to 40 work bays, and will be able to handle between 80-160 cars a day. Khattar has ben facing resistance from the manufacturers who are not enthusiastic about the idea and are not willing to provide spare parts for the venture as it will draw customers out of thier authorised service centres. Therefore Khattar and his team are scouting for part suppliers both within India and overseas so as to establish their own vendor base and supply chain. It is a bright idea and the market is ripe for such an initiative. Let's hope the service quality and part quality are kept top notch and provide the vehicle owner an alternative to the company service centres.

Hyundai will launch the i20 in a ceremony scheduled for the 29th December at New Delhi's Grand hotel. The i20 which was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show this year has already been in production for some time now with export consignments already having been despatched by the company. I would be at the launch function and would get you full details with pictures the same evening.

The Cenvat cut by the Indian Government has come as a boon to the Indian automobile industry which has been facing a slowdown in demand due to the credit crunch and the economic slowdown. As a part of the broader economic stimulus the Government yesterday reduced the Cenvat on automobiles by 4% across all segments. This tax cut gives companies a chance to reduce prices and get customers back into showrooms. The reduction of lending rates by the RBI will further help by reducing auto loan rates.

Maruti and Hyundai, the countries two biggest auto manufacturers have decided to pass on the entire benefit from the tax cut to customers. As a result their cars can be had for a discount of as much as Rs. 44,792 (on the Hyundai Sonata Automatic).

NEW PRICE OF SELECT MARUTI-SUZUKI MODELS AFTER TAX CUT (Ex-Showroom Delhi

Maruti 800: Rs. 1,86,968 to 2,11,488
Maruti Alto: Rs. 2,26,724 to 2,57,528
Maruti A-Star: Rs. 3,37,844 to 4,00,608
Maruti Swift: Rs. 3,87,532 to 5,08,625
Maruti SX4: Rs. 6,35,829 to 7,03,832

NEW PRICE OF SELECT HYUNDAI MODELS AFTER TAX CUT (Ex-Showroom Delhi)

Hyundai Santro: Rs. 2,56,299 to 3,60,865
Hyundai i10: Rs. 3,25,927 to 5,25,263
Hyundai Getz: Rs. 3,80,675 to 5,45,126
Hyundai Verna: Rs. 6,29,566 to 8,10,370
Hyundai Sonata: Rs. 12,00,556 to 14,02,223

Fiat's Linea which will be launched soon will be sold and serviced at a few premium Tata-Fiat dealerships only according to the source in the company. It has been noticed that the Tata dealerships have been sidelining Fiat sales and service as the volumes are low and Fiat wants Tata to dedicate certain dealerships which would focus on the Linea sedan and the Punto which is also scheduled to launch in 2009. These select dealerships would be specially trained and equipped to sell and service Fiat's premium range of cars and offer better customer service and satisfaction. Fiat knows it cannot distribute cars like the Linea which are going to cost between Rs. 7-9 lakh through all the Tata dealerships and hence this move. Fiat has also postponed the launch of the Linea to January' 09 because of the overall grim sentiment in the market.