India Auto Blog

Hyundai has launched a new version of the Getz, called Getz Prime, which is meant to comply with government’s definition of small car to obtain tax discounts, and hence reduce the price tag of the car.

The Getz prime GLE with a 1.1 liter engine and body length less than 4000mm will comply to small car standards and will cost 3.89 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. Getz also comes with a 1.3 liter, 82.9bhp engine option.

See more information and specifications on Hyundai Getz website.

Logan is the much anticipated car of 2007 and it is now out. At prices starting from 4.28 lakhs for the petrol version, it does look attractive. But the diesel version, hosting a common rain engine will cost a lot more, starting at 5.47 lakhs. The Logan comes in 3 variants, named GL, GLE/DLE(Petrol/Diesel), GLS/DLS(Petrol/Diesel). The petrol versions come with a 1.4 litre engine delivering 75bhp and 1.6 litre engine with 90bhp. The diesel engine’s capacity is 1.5 litres and delivers 65bhp.

Of course, its low price means you can expect most of the comforts missing in the car. Power windows and central locking are available only in GLS/DLS versions. And the lowest version - GL is not equipped with power steering.

Logan marks the entry of Renault in India. While most of the existing players are concentrating on mid sized sedan market(like Ford Fiesta, Chevy Aveo), entry of Logan infuses some freshness into lower end of sedan market, which is now filled with relatively outdated cars.

See more details of Logan on Mahindra Renault website.

The number of luxury cars available in India are growing. BMW is launching made in India 3 series cars and will soon follow up with 5 series cars. They are also contemplating on launching their small car Mini a few years down the line.

And Lamborghini is about to launch one of its most well known models - Gallardo in India.

Now most of the car companies have made it to India, either by setting up dealerships who import fully built units or by assembling in India on a small scale. Who knows, with Detroit on the verge of collapse and more and more companies setting up a base in India, we may even become the automobile hub of the world in the next decade.

Fiat had never had things going good for them in India. It dates back to the days of tie up with Premiere whose plants were closed due to a forgettable strike and their models died a slow death. When Fiat returned to India with Uno, and then Palio, Siena and Petra, they had good cars with them but poor economy and bad after sales let them down.

Now there is some chance that Fiat may see better days in India. A new, re-worked Palio, which is expected to be more efficient and economical is hitting the Indian roads in April. Most Indian car buyers do understand that Palio is a great car from a great company, but fuel efficiency and after sales worries had kept them away. The deal with Tata Motors for sales and service should help them get over the worries of bad service. Current Palio sales have also increased marginally since the service agreement with Tata Motors. And if the new Palio can actually give a much better fuel economy, it could eat some market share from Swift and Getz, and even the smaller cars. But a 54bhp engine seems to be a very underpowered compared to its counterparts and should be something for Fiat to worry about.

Rahul Bajaj seems to be unhappy with all the publicity that Tatas are getting for their one-lakh car. He says that Bajaj will take the plunge and follow the footsteps of Tata Motors to build an ‘economy’ car. See more details here.

From the tone of his words, it looks more like a statement he made in a rush rather than a decision taken by careful analysis and discussion with his managers. So I would still wait for believing that Bajaj will actually make a budget car.

Mahindra has launched a new version of the Bolero, which is basically a face lift of the original one. But most important - the new Bolero is priced less than the old one. The changes are primarily cosmetic - both interiors and exteriors have been spruced up. Bolero is one of the best selling vehicles from Mahindra, and it sells even more than the popular Scorpio. The face lift and reduction in prices should be able to improve its sales further.

March issue of Overdrive magazine reports that Hyundai is about to launch a new small car priced at around Rs 3.5 lakhs in October. Another small car in the same range - Chevy Spark is due from the plants of General Motors later this year. With two new models on the roads, small car market could see some heated action and Maruti may see a bit of it’s market share eroding. Overdrive expects the new Hyundai to be released in both diesel and petrol versions, threatening all the Maruti models as well as the Indica.

Maruti is expected to roll out Suzuki SX, a mid-sized sedan that could compete with Hyundai Verna, Chevy Aveo, Ford Fiesta and Honda City. Maruti is also expected to come out with a series of new releases, with five new models in the cards by 2008.

Mahindra Logan is another car from Mahindra-Renault partnership, expected to roll out in mid-2007. Logan is a low-end sedan in the range of Ford Ikon and Maruti Esteem. Entry of Logan would give some life to this much neglected segment where no new models have hit the road in many years.

Car makers are now increasing the prices post-budget though the increase is marginal. Skoda alone seems to be an exception, as they are reducing the prices by a good amount aided by cut in import duties.

Read the details about increase in the prices of cars from Hyundai, Maruti,

Ford has released a new version of Ikon with some cosmetic changes. Changes are primarily in the interiors, with a new dashboard and beige seats to make it look luxurious. The Ikon still remains a good value for money with prices starting at 4.76 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi. Ford website has details on the car.

Ford website also mentions of a a CNG variant of the Ikon. But it seems to be a fitment outside the factory provided by a third party vendor and facilitated by Ford.

The new Tata Indigo XL, released recently, is a stretch version of the Tata Indigo. It comes with plenty of luxury features that you don’t get to see in many cars that are even double its price. At a price tag under 8 lakhs, there are no other cars that come anywhere close to Indigo when it comes to features. Look at some of the luxuries that the car offers -

1. Amazing rear leg room, sufficient to happily fold your one leg over other and still be left with more room.
2. Plush leather seating, standard DVD player and screens behind front seat.
3. Independent controls for rear AC vents.
4. 6 way electrically adjustable front seats.
6. Hands free communication system built into the car.

The Indigo XL comes with a 101ps petrol or 70ps diesel CRDi options. The diesel version does appear a bit underpowered. Also see the well designed Tata Indigo website, which gives all the details about the car.

Though it has luxuries that are beyond comprehension in other cars at same price, the Indigo may not be as refined as other cars in the range. A longer wheelbase may also make it cumbersome to drive and difficult to park. Unlikely it makes a good buy for someone who would want to drive his own car, but may be a great value for money for any one who would prefer the backseat.