Thursday, June 10th, 2010
Nissan has indicated that it will be sourcing 35,000 more Pixo (rebadged, slightly different A-Star) cars from Maruti Suzuki for sale in European markets. The initial agreement between Nissan and Maruti Suzuki was for the supply of 50,000 Pixos to Nissan by Maruti Suzuki. But, due to an increased demand after scrappage schemes being offered to dispose off old cars and get new ones, Nissan is facing a shortage of Pixos for sale.
The recent alliance between VW and Suzuki could affect Nissan’s procurement of the Pixo from Maruti Suzuki . Nissan will need a similarly sized car to replace the Pixo, perhaps from another manufacturer. It could source the Twingo from partner Renault, re-badge it and sell it as the new Pixo, given that the current Nissan Pixo and Renault Twingo share almost the same dimensions. Also, the Twingo has a possibility of hitting Indian shores as well, given Renault’s plans to launch small hatchbacks here.
[Via: IAB]
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Thursday, April 8th, 2010
Audi - Audi India reported a jump of 36% in its sales for March this year, at 220 units, as against 162 units in March 2009. During January-March 2010, Audi sold 778 units in India, as compared to 384 units in the year-ago period. Audi is now looking at opening new dealerships across the country, in cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Chennai, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Coimbatore and Nagpur.
Maruti Suzuki - During March 2010, Maruti Suzuki sold a total of 95,123 units (79,530 units in the domestic market and 15,593 units overseas), an 11% increase over the 85,669 units sold in March 2009. Maruti sold 1,018,365 units in FY 2009-10 and this was the first time when an Indian car company sold over a million units in a financial year. The figure includes 870,790 units sold in the domestic market, and 147,575 units in exports. The A-Star (sold as the Suzuki Alto in markets other than India) continues to be Maruti’s bestseller in overseas markets. By 2012, Maruti Suzuki plans to expand its production capacity to 1,250,000 units per annum. For this, the company has announced an investment of Rs 1,700 crore at its Manesar plant.
Ford - Ford India registered a 203% hike in sales during March 2010, at 9,478 units. The company has also netted 10,000 bookings for its all-new hatchback, Figo, which was launched two months ago. ‘We are delighted at the initial response to Figo, and are incredibly proud to have struck such a positive chord with Indian consumers. The launch of Figo is the start of a transformed Ford in India,’ said Michael Boneham, President and MD, Ford India.
Tata Motors - Tata Motors sold 27,761 units in the domestic market in March 2010, as compared to 23,649 units in March 2009. During March this year, Tata Motors sold 4,710 units of the Nano, 11,618 units of the Indica range, 7,537 units of the Indigo range, and 3,896 units of the Sumo and Safari range. The company sold a total of 234,930 passenger vehicles during FY 2009-10, as compared to 200,127 units in the previous financial year.
Mahindra - Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. reported an increase of 16% in its domestic sales for March 2010, at 29,944 units as compared to 25,748 units in the year-ago period. During March this year, M&M sold 20,914 units of its utility vehicles (Scorpio, Xylo, Bolero and Pick-Ups), 351 units of the Renault Logan, and 7,695 units of three-wheelers and mini-trucks, including the new Gio and Maxximo. M&M’s total sales in the domestic market, during FY 2009-10, stood at 286,713 units – an increase of 30% over the earlier fiscal. Exports during FY 2009-10, at 10,567 units, registered a 24% increase.
Hyundai - Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL) sold 31,501 units during March 2010 in the domestic market, a 27% hike over sales in March 2009. HMIL’s total sales (including exports) for March 2010 stood at 55,035 units, as against 46,159 units in March 2009, an increase of 19%. HMIL sold 162,273 units during January -March 2010, an increase of 33.5% over the corresponding period in 2009. ‘As we close the financial year, it is reassuring to see the market retain its buoyancy which was triggered by the Government’s timely announcement of the stimulus package and the consequent reduction in interest rates for car finance,’ said Arvind Saxena, Director – Marketing and Sales, HMIL. During March this year, Hyundai sold 50,175 units in the A2 segment (Santro, i10, Getz and i20), 4,276 units in the A3 segment (Accent and Verna) and 44 units in the A5 segment (Sonata Transform).
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Friday, November 6th, 2009
Maruti Grand Vitara has continuously witnessed falling sales in past few months. Maruti intends to arrest the falling sales figures of its SUV model by bringing its advanced version to India. It currently imports the SUV from its Japanese production facility as a completely built unit which makes the model quite expensive. Now the company is contemplating its options to assemble the model in India itself to offer more features at extremely competitive prices.
“The company is seriously considering bringing in an advanced version of Vitara into India, mainly to arrest the falling sales of the SUV,” a source said. Maruti is in talks with auto component manufacturers to supply the parts for the model. An advanced version of the model will be introduced in 2010 and Maruti will decide upon its assembling plans for Grand Vitara after assessing the sales figures of the new model. Grand Vitara is currently available at Rs. 16.67 – Rs 17.97 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and comes with 2.4L petrol engine with both manual and automatic transmission.
[Via: cartradeindia]
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Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
To boost the sales of diesel variant of Ritz Maruti Suzuki has launched celebration edition of its hot selling hatchback Ritz called “ Ritz Aura “. Ritz Aura comes with six additional comfort and styling features.
- MP3 player with USB port
- Body Side Moulding
- Aura decal
- Body Graphics
- Security system
- Twin front speaker set
Ritz Aura will be available only in Mumbai & Ahemdabad.
[Via: Cars India ]
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Monday, October 26th, 2009
Maruti Suzuki India is back with new improved SX4 to make the deal better in comparison to Honda City, Ford Fiesta, Chevrolet Aveo & Hyundai Verna. They have plonked new 1.6 VVT engine in SX4 so that it complies with the strict emission norms which will be in effect from April, 2011 in 11 cities in India. The new engine is a 1600cc VVT(Variable Valve Timing) powerplant producing 104 Bhp which is 2 Bhp up from previous 102 Bhp. Maruti has also given some cosmetic design upgrades to the exterior and interiors to make it look more muscular and smart in comparison to Fiat Linea and Honda City.
The New engine is a 1600cc VVT(Variable Valve Timing) powerplant producing maximum power of 104 Bhp at 5600 rpm with maximum torque of 145 Nm at 4100 rpm. ARAI has also announced the mileage figures of new SX4 – the manual version willl return 15.5 kmpl while the automatic variant is expected to return 12.5 kmpl.
The VVT or Variable Valve Timing allows the timing of the intake valve to be changed while the engine is in operation, thereby ensuring that there is never a shortage or wastage of power. This leads to improved engine efficiency, optimized fuel consumption and lesser carbon emissions. With the advanced VVT technology, the car starts, accelerates and climbs steep slopes better. In essence, the technology is an intelligent system leading to a smoother, more luxurious drive and better mileage.
8 Additions & New Features Of Maruti SX4
1) Upgraded 1.6 Litre engine with VVT head which now develops 104 bhp. It also meets the Bharat IV norms.
2) All New Brown/Beige Interiors plus option of leather interior in ZXi variants.
3) USB Input for the Dash Integrated Music System – only in ZXi variants
4) Wooden finish door console for power window buttons and control of rear view mirrors.
5) Flush fitting central rear seat arm rest – but surprisingly without cup holders
6) New Honeycomb Grille – looks much better than the grille of outgoing model
7) New 10 spoke 16″ alloy wheels – but the 5 spoke design was more muscular and sppealing
Automatic Transmission Option – only in Zxi variants
Maruti has launched New SX4 in five variants – SX4 VXi, SX4 ZXi, SX4 ZXi Leather, SX4 ZXi Automatic & SX4 ZXi Leather Automatic. The extra features in ZXi in comparsion to base model VXi are Dual SRS airbags, Alloy Wheels, ABS (Anti Lock Braking System), EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution), Audio system controls on steering wheel, Front fog lights, Body colored door moulding, Automatic control system and Silver finish interior door handles. The ZXi leather variants have leather clad steering wheel, gear knob and leather seat covers.
The Automatic variant has same features like the ZXi variant – the only difference is that it comes with 4-speed automatic transmission. A cluster of computer controlled sensors constantly manage the throttle input and optimize the engine response accordingly, thus requiring no changing of gears. The overdrive mode in the Automatic Transmission provides additional power on the tap, whenever needed.
Here is a price list of New Maruti SX4, Ex-Showrrom New Delhi:
- New SX4 VXi ————— Rs. 6,68,000.00
- New SX4 ZXi ————— Rs. 7,37,000.00
- New SX4 ZXi Leather —– Rs. 7,71,000.00
- New SX4 ZXi AT ———– Rs. 8,02,000.00
- New SX4 ZXi Leather AT – Rs. 8,35,000.00
Shades Available In New Maruti SX4
New Maruti SX4 is available in seven shades. Two new shades have also been introduced – Oyster Blue & French Eclair. Following shades are available:
- Azure Grey
- Pearl Arctic White
- French Eclair – New Shade
- Oyster Blue – New Shade
- Clear Beige
- Silky Silver
- Midnight Black
[Via: Cars India]
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Friday, October 23rd, 2009
Maruti had launched Maruti SX4 in May 2007 to compete with the likes of Honda City which is the most popular and successful sedan in its segment. But Maruti SX4 could not compete with City’s superior technology and brand image. At the time of launch SX4 has been very well recieved by indian customers, as it was a true value for money sedan which comes fully loaded with all the features at a very affordable price. But with the launch of 2009 model of Honda City, the sales of SX4 started to decline.
Now Maruti Suzuki India is back with new improved SX4 to make the deal better in comparison to Honda City, Ford Fiesta, Chevrolet Aveo & Hyundai Verna. They have plonked new 1.6 VVT engine in SX4 so that it complies with the strict emission norms which will be in effect from April, 2011 in 11 cities in India.
The new engine is a 1600cc VVT(Variable Valve Timing) powerplant producing 106 Bhp. Maruti has also given some cosmetic design upgrades to the exterior and interiors to make it look more muscular and smart in comparison to Fiat Linea and Honda City. Facelift is a regular one including new front grille, new alloys and spruced up interiors. ARAI has also announced the mileage figures of new SX4 – the manual version willl return 15.5 kmpl while the automatic variant is expected to return 12.5 kmpl.
Main Additions & Features Of New Maruti SX4
- Upgraded 1.6 Litre engine with VVT head which now develops 106 bhp. It also meets the Bharat IV norms
- All New Brown/Beige Interiors
- USB Input for the Dash Integrated Music System
- Wooden finish door mounted power window console
- Flush fitting central rear seat arm rest
- New Honeycomb Grille
- New 10 spoke 16″ alloy wheels
- Automatic Transmission Option
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Friday, September 25th, 2009
Maruti Suzuki India has temporarily stopped production of the SX4 in order to change the engine, which would be Bharat IV compliant. The current Maruti SX4 doesn’t comply with the new norms which go in effect from April, 2011 in 11 cities in India.
The new engine will be a 1.6 VVT powerplant producing 106bhp (9 Bhp more than current). Maruti will also give some cosmetic design upgrades to the exterior to keep things afresh.
[Via: motorbeam]
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Sunday, September 20th, 2009
Maruti Suzuki has roped in Bollywood actor R Madhavan as the brand face for the WagonR as it aims to increase sales of the car in South India. Maruti had carried out a consumer study before signing the actor and his signing would help increase the brand equity of WagonR nationally and more specifically in the southern parts of India. The WagonR has average monthly sales of 12,000 units and a cumulative customer base of 7.45 lakhs.
“We feel that associating with a personality such as Madhavan will certainly reinforce the brand values of WagonR at an all-India level. Going forward, we feel, the brand shall have an exceptional foothold in the Southern market as well. Given the popularity of Madhavan in the South, the masses will relate to the brand more strongly with a local icon becoming the face of the brand,” he added.
[Via: motorbeam]
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Friday, September 11th, 2009
During the recent visit of Mr. O. Suzuki, Chairman and CEO, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan, for attending the Annual General Meeting of shareholders of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, the production facilities of Maruti Suzuki India Limited were reviewed.
It was noted that the building of the existing Gurgaon Plant I was constructed in early 1970’s. It had been refurbished and modified before Maruti Udyog began production in 1983. The said building is almost 40 years old, and the building and equipment are depreciated to a large extent and, therefore, it is necessary to reconstruct the building and modernise the production facilities.
But since the land in the Maruti campus in Gurgaon has been fully utilised, and there is no space available for the expansion of the plant, it was decided that facilities from Plant I in Gurgaon should be added and shifted to Manesar Plant in a phased manner.
The Gurgaon Plant I will be gradually changed to a base for engine assembly and machining, while automobile assembly will be integrated at Manesar Plant. As the shifting of production facilities will result in increase of production volume at Manesar Plant, we have requested the Haryana Government for further support so that the railway siding at Manesar Plant can be completed as early as possible.
[Via: infibeam]
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Thursday, September 10th, 2009
Maruti Suzuki has managed to sell one lakh units of the Swift DZire within 18 months of launch. The company had launched the DZire in March 2008 in both petrol and diesel variants priced between Rs 4.49 lakh and Rs 6.70 lakh.
This follows the company’s recent milestones, including achieving 80 lakh units of cumulative production for all its brands, followed by roll-out of one lakh units of its KB-series engines and launch of the 1,00,000th units of the A-Star. The company has scaled up production of DZire from 4,000 units initially to 7,000 units a month now.
[Via: motorbeam]
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