Jaguar cars to hit Indian roads by year-end

Indian customers can soon enjoy global premium car brands. Jaguar Land Rover, which have been bought over by Tata Motors, on Friday said they will begin selling their range of premium saloon cars and sports utility vehicles in the Indian market later this year. JLR’s retail plans for India in its edition dated February 2, 2009.

Tata Motors acquired the two British iconic brands from Ford Motor Co in early 2008 for $2.3 billion.

From the Jaguar portfolio, the Tatas will bring the Jaguar XF and XKR, while Land Rover will sell its Discovery and Range Rover models here. Top company officials say plans are underway to launch company-owned showrooms and a large number of Jaguar cars have been imported for initial use in the Tatas-owned Taj Mahal Hotels across the country.

“It is an important strategic move for JLR and will enable us to realise our competitive potential in this significant market,” Jaguar Land Rover CEO David Smith said in a statement. “We are delighted to be formally entering the Indian market, an economy which is still growing appreciably.”

According to Tata Motors MD Ravi Kant: “This is a natural move for both businesses and will allow Jaguar and Land Rover to establish a strong and deserved presence in India. This will also provide the opportunity for Indian customers to access their premium products for the first time.”

The newly-formed premier car division within Tata Motors passenger car business unit, will assume responsibility for distribution of all Jaguars and Land Rovers in India and is also due to open the first showroom at Ceejay House in Worli, Mumbai, in June this year. This flagship facility will offer a range of JLR vehicles and aims to establish a benchmark in luxury car sales in India, the company statement said.

Rohit Suri, who has extensive premium automotive sector experience, has been appointed to head the new organisation and is leading plans to develop a dealer network through 2009 and 2010. Land Rover is currently distributed through an independent Mumbai-based dealer Navnit Motors. The dealer is currently retailing Discovery and Range Rover Sport and is looking to bring in the Freelander at a price of around Rs 35-40 lakh. “We will continue to retail the Land Rover models,” said Navnit Motors MD Sharad Kachalia.

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Tesla Sedan Unveiled! Tesla Model S Hits the Road

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Tesla S An All-Electric Sedan, Awaiting Federal Aid

Tesla Motors on Thursday unveiled its Model S, an all-electric sedan it hails as the beginning of a generation of fossil-fuel-free cars and a profitable company.

The Model S is Tesla’s second car. Its first is the $109,000 Roadster sports car. An elite group of 300 own the car and the waiting list is 1,000 names long.

The Model S, which Tesla says would be the first mass-manufactured all-electric car, will cost $57,400, or $49,900 after tax credits. Mr. Musk said that, when gas savings are taken into account, buying a Model S will be comparable to buying a $35,000 Ford sedan. “Would you rather have this car or a Ford Taurus?” he asked, pointing to the sporty silver prototype.

The car will travel 300 miles on one battery charge, he said, and the battery can be recharged in 45 minutes. The car is big enough to carry five adults and fit two children in rear-facing seats in the trunk. There is a touch screen in the console connected to the Internet and storage under the hood.

The Model S is supposed to be ready in mid-2011, but that will depend on securing the government loan and finding a site for the auto plant. Mr. Musk said Thursday that Tesla was close to signing a deal to build a plant in Southern California.

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2009 Honda Accord V6 Video

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New version of Honda Accord V6 from Honda Siel

Honda Siel Cars India on Thursday launched the advanced version of its premium sedan Accord. Powered by 3.5-liter i-VTEC engine, the eighth-generation Accord V6 will come in two variants priced at Rs. 24.80 lakh and Rs. 25.35 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Equipped with advanced safety and luxury features, Accord V6 features an advanced variable cylinder management (VCM) delivering the maximum power of 275 PS during six cylinder operation and also impressive fuel economy.

The engine meets Euro-IV emission levels and is E-10 (10 per cent ethanol and 90 per cent unleaded petrol) compatible.

“We have introduced the Accord V6 which promises an ultimate performance packed driving for our customers who seek more thrill and power. The inclusion of VCM technology in this super performance car is a testimony to our commitment of providing fuel efficient cars in each segment where we are present.

“The ARAI fuel economy figure of 10 km. per litre is very promising for this high performance car,” said Honda Siel Cars India President and CEO Masahiro Takedagawa.

The seventh-generation Accord, with 2.4-litre engine and price starting at around Rs.17-lakh, will also be available in the market.

On the company’s future plans, Mr. Takedagawa said they would launch their premium hatchback Jazz in the Indian market in June-July this year. “The trail production of the car has begun,” he said.

Honda has deferred the completion of Phase II of its Rajasthan plant for two years. “The assembly line was scheduled for completion by the end of 2009, now it would be completed by end of 2011,” Mr. Takedagawa added.

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Mercedes Benz Latest Model 2010-E550 Sedan

Three weeks before its official introduction at the Geneva auto show, Mercedes released Mercedes Benz Latest Model 2010 pictures and information on the 2010 E-class coupe, which will replace the snazzy but none-too-macho CLK coupe in June of this year.

The new E coupe is not really a two-door version of the E-class sedan, but rather a blend of C- and E-class mechanical components. It hews to the styling of the Mercedes Benz Latest Model 2010  E-class sedan—which also makes its official debut in Geneva but was previewed at an off-site event during media days at the Detroit show last month—closely enough that no one will question the relationship.

Unlike the Sedan, Elegance Prevails

Indeed, pretty much every styling element found on the new E-class sedan is present and accounted for on the coupe, including the quad polygonal headlamps, LED taillamps, forward-canted rear deck, and thick bodysides with rising character lines and swollen rear fenders. Somehow, the overall look is far more elegant than that of the sedan. The E coupe mimics the latest CL-class in its arching, B-pillar-less roofline, although a small, fixed quarter window is needed to allow the rear windows to fully retract. A split, full-length moonroof will be standard. Want an even more alfresco motoring experience? The E-class convertible (which replaces the CLK convertible, natch) is scheduled to appear about a year from now, according to Mercedes.

Inside, the E-class coupe adheres to Mercedes’ current interior design ethos, which to some of us appears slightly retro in spite of featuring gazillions of modern luxury features. These include the COMAND infotainment system with console-mounted controller, sport seats with integrated headrests, and dual-zone digital climate control. The rear seats are individual buckets, also with integrated headrests, replacing the flip-down rear headrest arrangement found on most Mercedes-Benz cars these days. Options include adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and heated/ventilated front seats.

Carryover Powertrains

The new coupe will also follow a similar powertrain program as the current CLK, with the familiar 268-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 as the base motor and the 382-hp, 5.5-liter V-8 as the upgrade, each mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. Standard on all coupes is a variable-damping “Agility Control” suspension that we haven’t yet been fully briefed on, but definitely sounds like something only the Germans would think up. There are no immediate plans for an all-wheel-drive model to square off with the Audi A5/S5.

Unconfirmed thus far is an AMG version powered by the firm’s spectacular 6.2-liter V-8, although we all know that such a hot rod is inevitable. We believe it will match whatever the next E63 AMG sedan serves up—the current E63 makes 507 hp—versus “just” 475 hp for the present-day convertible-only CLK63 AMG. A source did hint at a successor to the CLK63 AMG Black Series coupe, too. Of course, it is possible that Mercedes-Benz could follow the same strategy it has with the current CLK in offering a regular AMG version of the E-class convertible and a whacked-out, beaucoup-bucks Black Series version of the coupe.

Stellar Safety

As with the 2010 E-class sedan, lots of current Benz safety features will find their way into the E coupe, including all of the expected airbags and stability controls, as well as the PRE-SAFE system (which attempts to reduce the severity of crashes by slamming on the brakes and cinching the seat belts when a collision is imminent) and a new monitoring system, called Attention Assist, that aims to detect if the car’s driver is sleepy.

U.S. Debut in New York

Stay tuned for more specific details and pricing in the coming weeks and months. The E-class coupe will make its North American debut at this April’s 2009 New York auto show.

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New Audi Q5 Video

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Audi’s Q5 to Burn Indian roads in June

Notwithstanding the slowdown in the auto industry, German luxury carmaker Audi will launch its latest sports utility vehicle ‘Q5’ in India in June, besides giving a facelift to its existing sedan ‘A6’.

“The only SUV in India from our stable is Q7, which is doing extremely good even in the present situation. But still some people prefer a smaller SUV and because of this, we have decided to offer Q5 in the Indian market,” Audi spokesperson told PTI here.

Q5 was launched in Europe in November 2008, with four versions in both petrol and diesel engines. It is priced between 38,000 Euro and 50,000 Euro in Germany.

“In June this year, we will launch only two variants of Q5 in India, homologation of which are currently on. These vehicles will be sold there as a completely-built-unit (CBU) and will be exported from the company’s Ingolstadt facility,” the official said.

The company, which has committed an investment of 30 million Euro till 2015 in India, would introduce the car with 3.0 litre TDI (diesel) and 2.0 litre TFSI (petrol) engines for Indian consumers.

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mahindra scorpio Video

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M&M launches new model of Scorpio Just in 7.21 lakh

Mahindra Scorpio

Mahindra Scorpio

Auto major Mahindra & Mahindra Friday launched its sports utility vehicle ‘New Mighty Muscular Scorpio’ at a price range of Rs 7.21 lakh to Rs 9.2 lakh.

“The Scorpio’s strong value proposition lies in versatility, its ability to morph and mould itself according to the changing template of customer needs. The new Scorpio will further enhance our domination of the UV market,” Mahindra & Mahindra Automotive Sector President Pawan Goenka said.

The Scorpio features the technologically advanced mHawk engine and also incorporates micro hybrid technology and this variant look is now available across all variants, the company said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

The price range is Rs 7.21 lakh (LX) to Rs 9.2 lakh (VLX) ex-showroom Delhi, post significant price reductions ranging from Rs 34,000 to Rs 70,000.

“Mahindra’s ingenious approach to driving efficiencies and costs has enabled us to provide additional customer value up to Rs 70,000. The new Scorpio has the ability to expand the market and appeal to a new set of customers,” Mahindra & Mahindra Automotive Sector Chief of Operations Rajesh Jejurikar said.

The company said the powerful and highly successful 2.2 litre advanced mHawk engine is now available on the Scorpio LX, SLE and VLX.

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