First Maruti Suzuki A-star consignment leaves for Europe from Mundra Port

The first A-star in the export consignment being flagged off by MSI's MD and CEO, Shinzo Nakanishi

The first export shipment of the Maruti Suzuki A-star left for Europe today, from the Mundra Port in Gujarat. Comprising 1,534 units of the A-star, this consignment is headed for the UK and Italy, where it’s expected to reach early next month.

The first A-star export shipment was flagged off by Shinzo Nakanishi, Managing Director and CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., Sandeep Mehta, CEO, Container and Logistic Business, Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone Ltd., and Masahiro Kato, Director and Managing Corporate Officer, NYK Line, Japan.

‘We are delighted to partner Mundra Port, Special Economic Zone Ltd., and NYK line for this important initiative. Maruti Suzuki has ambitious plans for exports and the company has the technology, skills and manufacturing capabilities to build global quality cars for international markets. However, to match our export ambitions, we needed infrastructure support like a dedicated car terminal. With this initiative and with partners like MPSEZL and NYK, we have confidence that our exports volumes would grow manifold. It is indeed a big leap in automotive logistics for India,’ said Nakanishi.

Suzuki, which aims to establish its Indian operations as its small cars manufacturing hub for exports, has designed the car for Asian and European markets. Sold in India as the A-star, the same car will be sold in Europe as the new Alto. Till date, Maruti Suzuki has exported over 552,000 units cumulatively, with about 280,000 units to Europe and Israel. In the current fiscal, Maruti Suzuki has exported close to 44,870 units, growing 18 percent over the previous fiscal.

Volvo D16G: Powering the world’s most powerful truck

From left: The Volvo FH16, the world's most powerful truck, and the 16-litre D16G engine which powers that truck, producing 700bhp and 3,150Nm of torque

With 700 horsepower and 3,150Nm of torque, the Volvo FH16 is the world’s most powerful truck, and powering it is the 16-litre D16G engine, which has been designed to handle the heaviest, most demanding haulage requirements.

The turbocharged, intercooled Volvo D16G is 40bhp up on its predecessor (the D16), is more fuel efficient, produces 40% lower emissions and is quieter by 2dB(A). The new engine complies with Euro 5 emissions norms, which come into effect from

‘Simply increasing engine power output is one thing, but doing so without raising emissions or fuel consumption is a far more difficult task,’ says Henrik Lindeberg, Chief Project Manager at Volvo for the new D16G engine. ‘The FH16 has hauled heavy road trains through Australia’s deserts, carried timber in northern Sweden, operated in severe cold and was tested at altitudes of up to 3,600m up in the Rocky Mountains,’ he adds.

Michelin expected to start work on Chennai plant in February

With SIPCOT ready to allot about 290 acres of land at Thervaikandikai (in the Thiruvallur district, near Chennai) to Michelin, the French tyre manufacturer is said to be ready to start construction work on its plant by the middle of next month.

Michelin, which already sells imported truck tyres in the Indian market, had earlier been looking at setting up its plant in Maharashtra, but later decided to go to Tamil Nadu. The site where the company’s plant will be built is near the Chennai-Kolkata NH5 highway, and is less than 40km away from Chennai.

Volvo, Nissan-Renault ready with new diesel engines

From left: The new Volvo D5 common-rail diesel engine, and the Nissan-Renault V6 dCi

Volvo Cars and Nissan-Renault have almost simultaneously unveiled their new diesel engines – a 2.4-litre, five-cylinder unit in the case of Volvo, and a 3.0-litre V6 in the case of Nissan-Renault.

Volvo’s new D5 engine is Euro 5 compliant and is said to be significantly more efficient than its predecessor. To be fitted on the Volvo S80 sedan, the engine features contemporary technologies like sequential twin turbochargers, ceramic glow-plugs and piezoelectric fuel injectors. The engine not only delivers 205 horsepower and 420Nm of torque, but is also very fuel efficient and is low on emissions and NVH.

Developed in-house by Volvo and made entirely out of aluminium, the D5 engine is said to be lightweight and efficient with heat dissipation. Its piezoelectric fuel injectors are used in combination with an efficient high-pressure fuel pump to achieve a high injection pressure of 1800 bar. According to Volvo, this type of injector has a nozzle with a response time twice as fast as that of a conventional injector nozzle, which, in turn, delivers more effective combustion, lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions of harmful substances.

Coming to Nissan-Renault’s 3.0-litre V6 diesel, this engine produces 235bhp and 449Nm of torque, and is likely to find its way on to various Nissan, Infiniti and Renault cars by 2010. Development costs for this common-rail diesel engine have been shared between Nissan and Renault and this V6 has been designed for full emissions compliance worldwide, and low fuel consumption.

Truck sales down 73.5% in December 2008

In keeping with the downturn in the worldwide economy, truck sales in the country declined by 73.5% in December last year – only 6,221 units were sold, as compared to 24,222 units in December 2007.

Apart from the general recession, the decline in truck sales was also due to excess capacity build-up and a significant reduction in cargo movement, according to the Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT).

Sales of tractor-trailers in the 30-49 tonne range was down to 114 units in December 2008, down from 2,143 units in December 2007, while sales of tipper trucks stood at 1,462 units, down from 5,358 units, in the same period. MCV sales went down from 4,159 units in December 2007 to 1,635 units in December 2008, while LCV sales went down from 3,294 units to 1,586 units in the same period.

Various commercial vehicle manufacturers in India have resorted to temporary plant shut-downs and production cutbacks. OEMs and component suppliers expect it will take at least another six months before commercial vehicle sales get back on the fast track.

Peugeot wants a slice of the Indian car market. Again

The Peugeot 309 was already obsolete when it was launched in India in 1994, and sales never took off...

Peugeot first tried its luck in India in the mid-1990s, when the French company tied up with Premier Auto and launched the 309 sedan here. Though that was a different era and there was hardly any competition for Peugeot, the 309 was already a very old, outdated car when it was launched in India, and sales never took off. Peugeot, which came to India in 1994, beat a hasty retreat in 2007.

Now, according to some reports in the media, PSA Peugeot Citroen is looking at coming back to the Indian market. The French conglomerate is said to be interested in sourcing automotive components from here and also, perhaps, setting up a production base in India for some of Peugeot’s and Citroen’s cars.

According to Rajesh Nellore, a senior management official who’s in charge of handling PSA Peugeot Citroen’s operations in India, the company is exploring the possibilities of getting into a JV with a local partner or even setting up a fully-owned subsidiary, for producing cars for the Indian market. As we reported in September last year, the carmaker has set up an office in Chennai and is now in the exploratory phase before it decides on its future course of action.

Reva L-ion: RECC announces lithium-ion electric car for Europe

Existing Reva owners will also have the option to upgrade to lithium-ion batteries

The Reva Electric Car Company (RECC) has announced the launch of the Reva L-ion – a new electric vehicle powered by lithium-ion batteries. Based on the earlier Reva-i platform, the Reva L-ion had been in development for the last two years. The car can travel 120km on one full charge and has a top speed of 80km/h. And the best part is, with RECC’s fast charge station, the Reva L-ion batteries can be 90% charged in just one hour.

Based in Bangalore, in India, RECC has been a pioneer in the world of electric cars, and its cars have been sold as the Reva in India and as the G-Wiz in the UK for many years. With the Reva L-ion, which offers increased driving range, more power, better drivability, reduced charging time, improved cold weather performance and a new proprietary battery management system, RECC hopes to up the ante in its endeavour to take EVs mainstream.

‘With the Reva-i and Reva L-ion, we are now able to offer a choice of performance options to suit commuter needs and preferences. The introduction of fast charge stations really opens up the market to reach new customers and increase the availability of EVs. Local authorities and businesses can now create the charging and parking infrastructure necessary to make zero-emission personal transport an everyday reality,’ says Chetan Maini, RECC's deputy chairman and chief technology officer.

Starting in February this year, the Reva L-ion will be available in Norway, UK, France, Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Belgium and Ireland. Customers will have the option of outright purchase or battery leasing, with prices to be announced at the end of this month.

RECC is also developing upgrade kits that will enable existing Reva owners to upgrade to the lithium-ion powertrain later in 2009. What about the availability of the Reva L-ion and/or the upgrade kit in India? RECC is expected to make an announcement regarding this, soon. In the meanwhile, the company is tying with Reliance Digital (the consumer durables arm of Reliance Retail) for selling its cars through the latter's outlets. 'Sale of electric cars at Reliance digital outlets is part of our initiative that looks at alternate methods to reach potential customers. It will also give us access to a wider customer base,' says R Chandramouli, President (sales & marketing), RECC.

Porsche Panamera Gran Turismo to be officially unveiled at Auto Shanghai 2009

The all-new four-door Porsche Panamera GT should be in India by end-2009!

The new four-door Porsche Panamera sports sedan will be publicly unveiled in China, at the Auto Shanghai 2009, which will be held between 20-28 April. The Panamera will make its world debut one day before the show starts, on the 19th of April.

According to the company, the Panamera offers the sporting and dynamic characteristics expected from a Porsche, combined with a very high standard of driving comfort. Despite its low and sleek coupé silhouette, the Panamera offers more than ample space, room for four passengers and space for a substantial amount of luggage.

The all-new four-door Porsche will be available with a choice of six- and eight-cylinder engines, with power outputs ranging from 300-500bhp. Each engine will be fully compliant with the latest emissions norms in Europe and will be suitably optimised for fuel economy.

Porsche’s six-speed manual and seven-speed automatic PDK gearboxes will be available on the Panamera, while Porsche Traction Management (PTM), active all-wheel-drive and adaptive air suspension will also be available as optional extras.

We expect the Porsche Panamera to be launched in India by end-2009. Stay tuned for more details on pricing and availability.

Cars to get more high-tech in 2009

Audi's 'Travolution' technology keeps the car going at a steady pace so that it automatically reaches traffic lights when they're green, so you never have to waste time stopping at red lights...

According to predictions by some automotive pundits, 2009 is going to be ‘the year of high-tech’ when it comes to cars. Many technologies that carmakers have been working on for the last few years are expected to go mainstream this year.

For starters, there will be many cars that will be able to parallel park on their own. Manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, VW, Ford, Lexus and many others are finally ready with their camera/sensor systems, which can figure out how much space is available between two cars (or between any two objects) and then proceed to park the car on their own, with no steering inputs needed from the driver. The driver still needs to use the throttle pedal and the brakes, but for those drivers who just can’t parallel park, such systems are going to be a gift from god…

New cars will also be able to alert drivers when there’s another vehicle occupying the ‘blind spot’ space, making for safer lane changes. Intelligent cruise control systems will be able to maintain a fixed distance from the vehicle in front, lane departure warning systems will help those who are wont to fall asleep at the wheel and automatic braking systems will bring cars to a complete halt on their own, in an emergency situation where the driver is unable to use the brakes.

Other automotive technologies that are expected to catch on in a big way this year are stop-start engines that conserve fuel, 'night view' systems which allow the driver to see pedestrians (and/or other objects on the road) more clearly in the dark, and next-generation petrol-electric hybrids that are far more efficient and drivable than their predecessors.

Here's a demo of a Mercedes-Benz parking itself, without any steering inputs from the driver...

Bigger bikes from Honda, Bajaj on the anvil

From left: The Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade and the CB1000R are likely to be launched in India by March/April this year, priced at around Rs 9.5-10.5 lakh

In keeping with the current trend in the Indian two-wheeler market, Honda and Bajaj are two companies that are looking at launching new sportsbikes in the country over the next few months.

In recent years, it’s been the Pune-based Kinetic which first took the lead with launching a sportsbike in the Indian market – the company did a limited launch of the 250cc, v-twin-powered Hyosung Comet in India back in 2005. Then it was Yamaha, which launched the R1 sportsbike and the MT-01 cruiser in India in 2007. And finally, Suzuki joined the party in late-2008, with the Hayabusa superbike and the Intruder cruiser.

Honda now intends to provide some competition to the R1 and the Hayabusa by launching the CBR1000RR Fireblade in the Indian market, sometime in the first quarter of this year. And for those who would rather have a naked muscle bike rather than a fully-faired racer-replica, Honda also intends to launch the CB1000R in India. Both bikes are expected to be priced at around Rs 9.5-10.5 lakh, making them marginally less expensive than the R1 and the Hayabusa.

From left: The Kawasaki-Bajaj Ninja 250R will be launched in India within the next 3-4 months, followed by the KTM 690 Duke. These bikes will be relatively more affordable for bike enthusiasts in India

Bajaj sportsbikes, on the other hand, will be coming in at a much lower price-point. The Pune-based company will first launch the Kawasaki Ninja 250R, which is likely to be priced at around Rs 1.75-2.0 lakh. Powered by a liquid-cooled, 250cc parallel twin, the baby Ninja certainly won’t performance in the same league as the R1 or Fireblade, but will at least be affordable for a much larger section of motorcycle enthusiasts in India.

After the Ninja 250, Bajaj is also expected to launch some bikes from the KTM range – perhaps the 690 Duke, which may be assembled at Bajaj’s plant at Chakan. Powered by a high-tech single-cylinder engine, the 690 Duke is a versatile, lightweight sportsbike, which might be priced at around Rs 3.5-4.0 lakh in the Indian market. Later, Bajaj may also bring in the RC8, which is KTM’s top-of-the-line superbike, and which can easily rival the likes of the R1 and Fireblade. Of course, the RC8, will be imported into India as a CBU, will not cost less than Rs 10-12 lakh.

Of course, Bajaj will also continue to refine and evolve its homegrown sportsbike – the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi. Expect styling changes, engine tweaks, perhaps monoshock rear suspension, better brakes and revamped instrumentation. The Pulsar series will remain the sportbikes of choice for those can’t afford the Kawasaki-Bajaj Ninja 250. Yamaha will also stake its claim in this segment with the YZF-R15 and other similar machines.

So, even as the worldwide economic recession shows no signs of abating, it seems like motorcycle enthusiasts – at least the rich ones – in India still have a lot to look forward to in 2009.

Takata, Anand Automotive sign JV for manufacturing safety systems in India

Japanese company, Takata Corporation, and the Delhi-based auto components major, Anand Automotive Systems have signed a joint venture agreement for the manufacture of seatbelts, airbags and various other components for automotive OEMs in India. Takata Corp. will have majority stake holding in the new JV company, named Takata India Pvt. Ltd. (TIPL).

TIPL will have two manufacturing facilities in India – one near Chennai and the other at Neemrana, near Delhi. With automotive safety norms expected to get tighter and more stringent in India every year, TIPL will focus on various occupant safety systems for passenger cars, SUVs, MUVs and MPVs.

veriCAR service launched for used car buyers

Want to buy a used car but don't know how to pick the right one? Just ask veriCAR...

With the currently booming used cars market in India, there was need for a service which offered expert evaluation of used cars, so buyers would know exactly what they’re getting into. While there are used car dealerships all over the country, they have a vested interest in selling all their cars, and may not necessarily always provide an honest overview of the cars they’re trying to sell.

Now, salvation may be on hand for those who’re in the market for a used car. A new service – veriCAR – has just been launched for you. ‘veriCAR is India's first buyer advisory service for used-cars. We consult and advise used-car buyers through every step of the used-car purchase process. We help used-car buyers use our expertise and buy the right car, at the right price,’ says a press release from the company.

veriCAR will essentially be an inspection-and-evaluation service for used cars, where you pay a pre-determined sum of money to get a full, comprehensive report on the car(s) that you may be consider buying. Among other things, veriCAR reports will include full details on the mechanical and physical condition of the vehicle, and a price range in which buying the vehicle is recommended.

For more details, visit the veriCAR website here

AIMTC members to go on indefinite strike, ACOGOA denies support

With talks between the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) and the Road Transport Ministry, Petroleum Ministry, NHAI, CBDT and Customs having failed to provide any result, AIMTC members will go on an indefinite strike from today.

The reason for this strike is said to be that the Government refuses to comply with AIMTC’s demands, which itself may not be very simply given that the list of demands is quite long. Among others, the demands include exemption from service tax for the road transport industry, a reduction in the prices of diesel by at least Rs 10/litre, a 35% reduction in tyre prices, waiver of interest on truck finance for at least six months, scrapping of toll tax for six months and free movement of commercial vehicles all over India, without there being the requirement for obtaining national/State permits etc.

While a very few of these demands do seem reasonable, most seem to be whimsy and for the government, may be impossible to comply with. It seems the AIMTC is seeking ‘global recession’ as an excuse to get undue favours from the government, which the government should rightly deny.

Interesting enough, the All India Confederation of Goods Vehicles Owners Association (ACOGOA) is not extending its support to the AIMTC strike. For ACOGOA members, it will be business as usual and they will continue to use their vehicles unless there is threat of violence from AIMTC members.

Now it remains to be seen where this stand-off between the government and AIMTC leads to. Stay tuned for updates.

Suzuki to postpone the launch of Kizashi-based sedan

The wait for Suzuki's Kizashi-based sedan just got longer...

Suzuki Motor Corp., which was earlier planning to launch bigger cars in 2010 – especially the much-anticipated sedan based on the Kizashi concept – has now postponed its plans for the same. Given the worldwide economic recession and the ongoing slump in demand for cars, Suzuki is scaling back on new product launches and deferring capital investment till the situation improves significantly.

VECV posts 68% decline in sales of Eicher CVs in December 2008

VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a joint venture between Volvo and Eicher Motors, registered a decline of 68% in the sales of its Eicher brand of commercial vehicles in December 2008. The company sold only 748 units in December 2008 compared to 2,361 units in December 2007.

Of the 748 units sold in December 2008, domestic sales comprised 502 units (down 77.5%) while exports comprised 246 units, an increase of 92% over the corresponding period in 2007.