Pulsar to pulsate Bajaj

With the launch of its Pulsar 135LS, Bajaj is aiming high to wrest a substantial share in the 125-150cc segment in India. The segment is currently in the hands of Hero Honda, India Yamaha and Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India. Pulsar 135LS is the next in the Pulsar series – Pulsar 220, Pulsar 150cc and 180cc all launched during April-November. Yet, Bajaj could not survive the decline of 5% in the 125-150cc sales in the same period. Now the company believes that the new Pulsar 135 will become the flagship for it and there will be a positive revival.

According to its GM (Mktg-two wheeler) the company aims to dispose some million units of Pulsars next year. The new bike is to cost Rs52010 and this bike will to least account resemble the original. Bajaj had to face the downfall in its hold- 48% from its 54% in the last year – due to heavy competition in this 125-150cc segment, which is mobbed by many two wheeler companies. This segment fetches them higher margin along with brand remembrance. It is to be noticed that Bajaj received a higher operating margin of 22% than Hero Honda’s 20% and Bajaj wants to capitalize on the sale of this new Pulsar, for which there would not be any competition in near future.

Kizashi to be the trump car(d) for Maruti

After the mammoth success in the US and Japan, Maruti Suzuki’s Kizashi would find its entry to India next year. The car is the mid-range of sports and sedan and would cost Rs10 lakhs. It is expected to arrest the attention at the Auto Expo in Delhi next month and the feedback will decide the exact launch in India. Industry viewers feel that Kizashi may hit as the alternative for Verona (GM Daewoo). Technically, the car will have 2.4lit Euro IV engine to be deemed as a big sedan.

Kizashi may be a counter to Audi A4 (Rs29lakh), Acura TSX (Rs13.4 lakh) Toyota Corolla (Rs9 lakh) Honda Civic (Rs11 lakh) and Ford Focus (Rs7.6lakh). in the US it costs $18999 and is designed with standard keyless ignition, rear seat vents, leather –wrapped steering wheels, and rear side airbags. It is fit to run 10-11 km/lit. extra accessories like rain-sensing wipers, backup camera with ultrasonic sensors, and navigation are bundled for $27000.

Maruti is not a good runner with big sedans, as its past experience reveal- Baleno and SX4 but much is expected from this Kizashi. The new one is sporty in outlook and wheels measure 21-inch. This will be one among the 17 vehicles that Maruti will display in the Auto Expo. Eeco, 1200cc 5-7 seater and five-door car will be at the display @Rs4 lakh.

The refined version of Wagon R and the Swift will also be at the Expo since these two models are slated for new forms in another two years. Maruti intends to retain its 50% share in the Indian market to keep its rivals – Tata, Ford and GM, Hyundai and Honda- at a distance. Any new investments will be let known after the Expo.

GM to arm with Spark to counter Alto

To meet the defying growth of Maruti Suzuki’s Alto, General Motors has picked up the concise version of its Spark. This new version will be 800cc resembling Alto and will have a 1.1 lit engine. GM is gradually recovering from the nightmare of bankruptcy and is to vie against the likes of Maruti, Hyundai and Tata Motors. GM is facing tough time with its small cars Spark and UV-A ( could sell 4202 units of Spark equaling one-fifth of Alto’s 22000 units). The aftermath of the sale of Beat (1.2lit engine) encouraged the company to swim along the waters with this refined Spark of 800cc cadre.

All these speculations have been denied by the company’s VP for Corporate Affairs. But the secret ploy is to initiate the fight against the upcoming Alto while defending the Beat. There is a feat of news that the new version will be indigenous (to be made in Talegaon plant) and will bear the competitive price to shine in the 800cc sector. The lessons learnt from the Spark on pricing made the company to be good enough to deliver Beat at competitive price.

GM had to face fall down of its sale due to wrong pricing and price reduction damaging its reputation. GM’s brand portfolio contains Chevrolet Spark, Chevrolet U-VA, Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Captiva made from its two plants in Halol and Talegaon. Besides there is a R&D and design plant in Bangalore. Talegaon will start engine production from next year.

Nissan to roll down its compact car in July

A new compact hatchback car from Nissan is expected for the kick off in July 2010, said its CEO. This will be carried out by the Chennai plant when it gets ready then. This plant will feed as the sourcing hub for this compact car to be exported to Europe. The CEO was in the country to launch EVM Nissan dealership and disclosed that the production of global compact car will cover five nations China, India, Thailand and Mexico and a new one. Form these units the company targets to deliver one lakh cars a year by 2013.

Nissan has got 5.5% in the global market share and seeks to attain that much in the Indian market. The ensuing Chennai plant will be able to export from the second half of 2010 and can reach the figure of 110000 units in 2011 covering more than 100 countries. After establishing in the Europe the company may reach the figure of 180000 units. According to the Vice-Chairman and MD of Hover Automotive India ( on behalf of Nissan’s marketing) said the dealership numbers will be increased to 55 in another two years.

Bajaj to launch Pulsar 220 streetfighter

Like me, many of you could have taken the ‘F’ sticker on Pulsar 220cc lightly. But that conveys a lot.  The ‘F refers to faired version of Pulsar 220cc. A naked / street fighter version of Pulsar 220cc is on the cards. Bajaj has taken a cue from Yamaha (Yamaha has launched three variants of Fazer – FZ-16,FZ-S and Fazer). Bajaj could launch a naked version of pulsar 220cc early 2010. The streetfighter Pulsar 220 will be lighter than the faired version and increase in pereformance is guaranteed. Also this pulsar 220cc streefighter could match-up for the phase out of pulsar 200cc. Expect a price reduction of Rs2000 – Rs 3000 for the new pulsar.

Maruti Eeco specifications, features and colours

You read it first at vicky.in

Maruti Suzuki’s new MPV (multi purpose vehicle) called Eeco is a five door vehicle. Eeco will be available in five seater and seven seater options. Eeco powered by an 1.2L  engine complies the upcoming bharat IV emission norm and returns 15.1Km to a litre of petrol (as per ARAI). The 1196ccc engine generates 73bhp of raw power at 6000rpm and a high torque of 101Nm@3000rpm. The Eeco uses the 5 speed manual transmission system with the Diagonal Shift Assistance (DSA) technology which allows for a gear change without any break in continuity of the action, thereby improving the gear shift feeling.

Interiors will not just be functional but also offer  a luxurious feel. Eeco comes with dual tone interiors – shades of beige and grey. The digital meter cluster adds to the driver convenience as well as a sophisticated feel.   The flexi design of Eeco enables the car to have 5-seater and 7 seating option. The sliding doors similar to omni will ensure easy ingress and egress of Eeco passengers. Air-conditioning could be only luxury feature of Eeco as the price would be very competitive.  Eeco would run on 155/R13LT sized tubeless tyres.

Maruti Eeco will be launched on 7th January and will be available in six exciting colours – Metallic Glistening grey, metallic silky silver,Metallic Midnight Black,Metallic Blue Blaze,Bright Red and Superior White. Expect the price of Eeco to start from Rs4 lakhs. Maruti plans to sell 40,000 units per annum.

Why Eeco?

Eeco complies upcoming Bharat IV emission norm and the Eeco is ELV (End of Life for Vehicles) compliant which means it uses Lead, Cadmium, Mercury and Chromium within permissible limits.

Prices of Maruti Eeco

* Eeco Non AC 7 seater – Rs2.78 lakhs
* Eeco AC 5 seater – Rs3.40 lakhs
* Eeco AC 7 seater – Rs3.45 lakhs

Maruti

A new family car from Maruti Eeco, at 1200cc petrol engine and Rs4 lakh is set for display in the ensuing Auto Expo. The car is exclusive domestic oriented and to comply with Bharat Stage IV norms and is the result of three years of technical development, said the engineers from Maruti. The car will have a 3-row seat with space for 5-7 passengers and will be segmented under C. according to the company’s marketing executive officer the new car will display the energized expertise of the engineers in moulding the car and making it indigenous. Thus, Maruti is transforming the apex Suzuki’s dream of converting the Indian unit as a global hub for small car with focus on R&D.

It is time for cornering the glory of cars and bikes

The fifth year of continuous presence made by certain automotive magazines is still on the flash. With an association from JK Tyre, the magazines offer the coveted awards for the car and bike – The Indian Car of the Year and Indian Motorcycle of the Year. The awards take the vehicles to the level of global standards and are the result of unbiased gauge and comprehensive evaluation of cars and bikes rolled out in 2009.

The jury will consist of 11 members derived from senior automobile journalists, from Auto Build India, Auto India, Business Standard Motoring, Car India, Overdrive and Top Gear. The jury will vote for the best among the probable ones to choose for the impression created on certain parameters, resembling the international standards. For this year, out of many aspirants Tata Nano clinched the award for the Indian Car of the Year with 63 points and in the Motorcycle section Kawasaki Ninja 250R wrested the prize for its title Indian Motorcycle of the year winning 53 points.

The minimum eligibility for contending in this category is that cars and motorcycles, irrespective of their origin, should have gone for sales in the country before December 1 2009. Cars or bikes existing already with the show case feasibility are not eligible at any cost. The parameters for selection of the award constitutes – price, fuel efficiency, design, comfort, safety, maneuverability, performance, function, environmental care, and drive/ride pleasure. Further, on technical side, the innovative and value for money are the key factors for consideration.

The selection is made by voting that each member of the jury is allotted with 25 points by which he/she can allot 4 cars or bikes. Each member can award 10 points for any of these vehicles. The selection of vehicles is thus transparent and credible.

Auto-rickshaws to get diesel variant from TVS

The country’s long automobile maker TVS is on the bid of delivering the diesel version in auto rickshaws to penetrate the domestic market. Just before three months TVS began its export of three wheelers and is seeking market in Bangladesh, Mexico, Peru and Guatemala. The company’s next target is to drive into the diesel passenger market with the auto rickshaw within next two years, said the company’s President (Marketing).

TVS has established its presence in 2-stroke and 4-stroke engine in petrol, diesel and CNG and the current diesel auto rickshaw is meant for semi-urban and rural markets. The company unleashed its 200cc 4-stroke CNG auto rickshaw called TVS King ZS at Rs1.24 lakh. The company’s VP for Sales and Service said that the initiative to export has been made with Srilanka, Ethiopia and Egypt and the current target is to sell a minimum of 10000 units globally in the next fiscal end. The target for this end fiscal of domestic market is 18000-20000 units of three wheelers and it may be taken to 30000 units in FY 2011.

The company procures 60% of net sales through two wheelers and the ratio is expected to be 50:50 for both two wheelers and three wheelers. This depends on the outcome of the government’s policy norms, he said. The company’s unit at Hosur has the production capacity of annual one lakh units which is likely to be increased. The current running capacity is 20% which will be increased to 40% in the next fiscal said the VP. Further there will be increase in the dealer network in three wheelers sector to 110 by March 2010 (from the current 70). The company has no instant plans for cargo mode to enter into four wheeler segment of automobiles.

Auto Expo is all set for both small and big

The ensuing Auto Expo 2010 is ready for showcasing the global small cars but without any unique brand to name. the event is not such a big show to boast about any particular brand and in 2008 it was Tata Nano. However, for the first time for an Expo, Toyota Kirloskar is launching a product – a small car built for Indian roads – outside Japan including BRIC models. Despite the production slated for 2010, this car will be displayed in both sedan and hatchback versions.

Similar is the case with Honda Siel which is expected to display the small car that is meant for India. VW is in full swing after its deal of Porsche and is on the verge of launching its Polo compact in sedan version. General Motors India is to unveil its Beat while Ford India has Figo. The country’s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India is waiting for the occasion to unveil its first complete indigenous small car slated for 2012.

Tata , for its part, is still continuing the sensation of Nano with its variants – diesel and hybrid versions- but it is to ascertained only at the Expo. Hyundai has got its Santa Fe an SUV, i30, i40 while Nissan is planning to display its MIRCA India. Thus, the Expo is expected to display small cars in a big way. All these indicate that the making of such small cars has been in the process for years past.

But the industry analysts feel that the timing of small cars is not conducive with the Indian government contemplating the excise duty hike. But the Original Equipment Manufacturers, both domestic and global, are not bothered about the hiccups, and want to make a foothold in the most potential small car market – India.