Yes, the Ferrari 458 Italia is now available in India!
The 26th of May, 2011, was a landmark day for Ferrari enthusiasts in India. And that’s because in a move that may have been unthinkable just a few years ago, the iconic Italian supercar manufacturer – perhaps one of the most cherished, best loved car brands in the world – Ferrari, set up its very first dealership in India. India now ranks at number 58 in the list of countries where Ferrari has a presence. Better late than never, eh? ;-)
Ferrari CEO, Amedeo Felisa, Ferrari Commercial and Marketing Director, Enrico Galliera and Shreyans Group (Ferrari importer for India) Chairman, Ashish Chordia were all present for the opening of Ferrari’s first dealership in India, situated in Connaught Place in New Delhi. ‘It's a pleasure to inaugurate this first dealership here today. We feel that this is the right moment, considering the dynamism of the country and its economy. Here in India you feel great enthusiasm and a strong connection to the Ferrari brand, which, even before officially entering India, had already around 50 clients in the country. Naturally the entire range will be available on this market, imported by the Shreyans Group, the partner we've chosen and who shares with us not just the desire to invest, but also the passion for Ferrari and its values,’ said Felisa while inaugurating the dealership.
Ferrari’s dealership in New Delhi carries the Ferrari corporate identity and is partnered by the official Ferrari service team, ensuring Ferrari customers in India will get the possible experience in terms of after-sales service and the availability of parts and accessories. However, do make sure that you have anywhere between Rs 2.25-3.50 crore in your bank account before you walk into the Ferrari dealership, for that is what the Ferrari range will cost in India.
If you don't have enough moolah to actually buy a Ferrari, you can still at least visit this website and download some high-res Ferrari wallpaper!
Sometimes, as in the case of Fiat's 'TwinAir' engines, less really is more
The Tata Nano seems to have accomplished something very significant – it has paved the way for more car manufacturers to start using extremely fuel-efficient twin-cylinder engines on some of their small cars. Yes indeed, before Tata Motors did the Nano, no car manufacturer would think of using anything less than a three-cylinder engine – as per conventional thought, twin-cylinder engines were only for motorcycles. But now, things have changed, and how!
Very recently, Fiat’s all-new 875cc twin-cylinder ‘TwinAir’ engine did very well at the 2011 International Engine of the Year Awards – this tiny unit won the award for the world’s best engine, with a jury of 76 motoring journalists from 36 countries around the world voting in its favour. The results of the awards were announced last week at the Engine Expo in Stuttgart, Germany.
Fiat’s TwinAir turbocharged engine impressed judges with its low emissions, high fuel economy and impressive power output of 85bhp. ‘Fiat has now produced one of the all-time great engines. Who would have thought that a two-cylinder unit could have won the International Engine of the Year title when we launched the Awards in 1999? Its triumph is a clear signal that less is more – people want low-emission, fuel-efficient yet powerful engines, and just two cylinders certainly seems to provide a comprehensive solution,’ said Dean Slavnich, Editor of Engine Technology International and co-chairman of the International Engine of the Year Awards.
Fiat currently offers this 85bhp TwinAir engine on the Fiat 500 hatchback and will soon launch other variants of this engine, including a naturally-aspirated 65bhp version, a turbocharged high-performance 105bhp version and even a bi-fuel version for some markets. And the best part is, the naturally-aspirated version of the TwinAir also stands a good chance of making it to the Indian market in the near future – the engine may be fitted to the all-new small, low-cost car that Fiat is said to be developing for India and other emerging markets.
And here's a Fifth Gear test of the Fiat 500 equipped with the TwinAir engine
The Fluence is a moderately good looking, reasonably competent car. Whether it can help Renault build and strengthen its presence in India remains an open question...
French car manufacturer Renault’s alliance with Mahindra proved rather short-lived, what with the Mahindra-Renault Logan failing to do well in the Indian market. Last year, Renault decided that its aims and objectives for the Indian car market are decidedly different from those of Mahindra’s, which continues to primarily focus on MUVs and for whom sedans/saloons are not a priority.
Having parted ways with Mahindra, Renault is now back with a vengeance. The French company recently launched the Fluence saloon in India, which is priced at Rs 12.99 lakh for the diesel version at Rs 14.40 lakh for the petrol. The Fluence will compete in the entry-level D-segment, going up against cars like the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Skoda Laura, Chevrolet Cruze and Volkswagen Jetta.
The Renault Fluence seems to be well-equipped for battle – the car is reasonably good looking and comes with 1.5-litre, 112bhp (diesel) and 2.0-litre, 135bhp (petrol) engines. Transmission options include a six-speed manual for the diesel and a continuously variable automatic (CVT) unit for the petrol. Both versions come with a host of safety features like anti-lock brakes and airbags, plus bits like a high-end sound system, leather upholstery, separate air-conditioner vents for rear seat passengers and parking sensors etc.
However, while the Fluence seems to be an impressive product, it’s only the beginning as far as Renault’s India offensive is considered. By the end of 2012, the French car company aims to have as many as five models in its India line-up, including the Fluence, the Koleos SUV (which will be assembled at Renault’s plant near Chennai) and three other vehicles, including one SUV and two cars.
‘The Launch of the Fluence in India is the start of a wide-reaching product offensive on one of the markets considered a pillar of Renault’s international development of our ‘2016 - Drive the Change’ plan. With the Chennai plant, along with Renault’s engineering, design and logistics centres, plus a dealer network that will number 100 outlets by the end of 2012, Renault is doing everything to offer Indian customers a range of quality vehicles well matched to local market conditions,’ said Renault India Managing Director, Marc Nassif.
With an annual growth rate of around 20 percent over the last few years, India is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. In fact, the Indian car market, which totalled 1.2 million vehicles in 2005, is expected to hit the three million mark by end-2011 and 3.7 million units by 2015, making it the fourth biggest car market in the world. Also, around 60 percent of Indian car buyers are first-time buyers and 57 percent are aged under 35, which makes the market very attractive for brands like Renault, which are still relatively new to India, since younger buyers are more likely to adopt car brands that are relatively new and unknown to them.
‘Indians love technology, ranging from the internet and latest-generation mobile phones to high-tech products of all kinds. Sure, people want affordable cars, but they also want them to bristle with new technologies. So Renault is entering the Indian market from the top end to establish a strong brand image driven by the technological virtues of its best products,’ says Renan Livet, Renault’s marketing manager for the Asia-Africa region.
Renault also recognises the fact that because of the stiff duties levied on imported cars in India, only cars assembled locally can expect to achieve competitive performance and take significant market share. Hence, the company’s manufacturing facility near Chennai, which was built by the Renault-Nissan Alliance, which now employs a workforce of around 3,600 workers and which will have a manufacturing capacity of 400,000 vehicles per annum by the year 2015, will be a major driving force for Renault’s operations in India.
