Section: India
Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 28th, 2008 4:00 PM
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In the April 16th issue of its print magazine, Autocar is reporting that Toyota is looking keenly at India as a location for small car manufacturing.
Referring to “Toyota’s budget small car, which has been under development for at least two years,” quite possibly meaning the iQ shown in Geneva, Autocar envisions India as the likely building place. Toyota senior managing director, Akira Okabe, has reportedly been visiting Indian manufacturers that could serve as future suppliers for the car.
If the iQ (or another small car model?) is indeed chosen for Indian production, it would seem likely that the car would be launched on the subcontinent as well.
+ Autocar
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 28th, 2008 3:00 PM
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With the ink barely dry on the deal to acquire Jaguar and Land Rover, Tata Motors is reportedly looking at the possible investment in another European manufacturer.
This time the target is said to be Italian motorcycle company MV Agusta, with several Indian and Italian sources reporting that Ratan Tata is currently in talks with MV’s Claudio Castiglioni about purchasing a stake in the company. The Tata Motors chairman has already proven that he has expensive tastes, previously expressing interest in acquiring a portion of Ferrari, and could be a good fit for the automaker’s portfolio.
MV has developed some impressive products, even on the smallish budget the company currently operates under, and could be even more of a player with an influx of Indian cash. Have a look at one of the newer MVs, the super bad Brutale 910R, in our gallery below.
+ Autoblog: Rumormill: Tata looking to buy stake in MV Agusta
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 17th, 2008 4:00 PM
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Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra announced that it would be offering a diesel-electric hybrid version of its Scorpio SUV for Indian and Asian markets in 2009.
The powertrain was developed in conjunction with engine specialist FEV and is comprised of a 2.2-liter four-cylinder mated to an electric motor and a six-speed automatic transmission. The combined forces of the diesel and electric motors will make 154 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque. A nickel metal hydride battery pack will be used for energy storage. No economy figures for the new hybrid have been announced as yet.
Mahindra & Mahindra distributor Global Vehicles USA claim that the engine will be available in the Scorpio and Appalachian pickup when those vehicles go on sale in North America in 2010. Until then, check out the standard Scorpio in our gallery below.
+ Edmunds Inside Line: Mahindra Unveils Scorpio Diesel Hybrid
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 7th, 2008 3:00 PM
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From all accounts the streets of India’s Mumbai are a noisy place. With 1.5 million vehicles crowded together with bicycles and rickshaws (not to mention dogs, cows, and elephants) the level of noise from car horns alone can apparently get quite deafening.
But residents who are used to the bleating sound of midday traffic are getting a bit of a break today, as the city has organized a “no honking day” to go along with “World Health Day,” in the hopes that it will silently draw attention to the effects of noise pollution on personal well-being.
Mumbai police will team with an army of 2,000 volunteers to help enforce the no honking mandate. The volunteers will stand with placards that remind drivers about the ban, while police move out to put the screws to “illegal novelty horns and reverse horns.” Keep your fingers crossed that the Duke Boys aren’t jumping any closed bridges in the greater Mumbai area.
+ Motor Authority: Mumbai holds ‘No Honking Day’
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
March 17th, 2008 11:00 AM
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A General Motors executive said today that the company has plans to build a second minicar for the Indian market. GM introduced its first main competitor in the Indian segment, the Chevrolet Spark (pictured above), in April of last year.
President of GM Asia Pacific Nick Reilly told reporters at a press conference, “We believe there is space for us to have another entry in the minicar segment in India.”
While GM currently produces six Chevy models in India, including the Aveo hatchback, the automaker feels that the blooming Indian economy could support a further lift-back. Market leader Suzuki currently sells as many as five hatchbacks in Indian local markets.
GM has said that the new model will not be positioned to compete directly with Tata’s $2,500 Nano minicar.
(Check out another Chevy India offering, the Aveo, in our gallery below.)
+ CNN Money: GM plans second tiny car for India
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
March 13th, 2008 8:30 AM
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In the quickly changing world of automotive demand, luxury carmaker BMW is trying to stay ahead of the curve across the globe. The company said recently that it is considering plans to bring an electric vehicle to the U.S., and rumors have been swirling for a while that BMW may be planning a premium new take on its classic Isetta bubble car.
Now BMW may be looking to the Indian market, where the company believes that kind of premium entry into the microcar segment could be a big hit. BMW India President Peter Kronschnabl has confirmed that the company has already completed a preliminary study on the subject, but as yet has no information regarding a launch time frame for the car. BMW has made it clear that if and when they were to launch a small vehicle into the Indian marketplace, it wouldn’t be a product that would compete directly with Tata’s super cheap Nano, on price at any rate.
(Click through the jump to read on or on the thumbnails below to check out BMW current small offering, the 2009 135i Coupe.)
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
March 7th, 2008 10:30 AM
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While Tata Motors is in the final stages of its Jaguar and Land Rover takeover, the imperialist eye of company chief Ratan Tata has moved to a new potential target. Tata has already become strongly involved with Fiat and is now reportedly mulling the possible acquisition of a stake in Ferrari.
Fiat actually increased its stake in Ferrari to 85 percent at the same time Tata joined the Italian automaker’s board of directors in 2006. Fiat still owns an option to buy a further 5 percent of the legendary sports car builder, and it’s that option that is reportedly titillating the Tata chief.
The move would make a measure of personal sense for Mr. Tata, who has admitted to dreaming of being a participant in the running of the Ferrari empire. Meanwhile, the sale could also benefit Ferrari, which continues to explore expansion in the burgeoning Indian market.
+ Motor Authority: Tata could buy stake in Ferrari
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Written By: Dustin P. Walsh
March 5th, 2008 6:00 PM
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Despite earlier reports flying around the blogosphere that Tata Motors would acquire Jaguar and Land Rover, then sell Jag and move LR to India, Ratan Tata maintains that his company will retain the British heritage of the two.
“Our plan would be to retain the image, the touch and the feel of Jaguar and Land Rover. We will not tinker with the brands in any way. They are special global brands and whoever acquires them has a responsibility to nurture them and enable them to prosper,” Tata said at the Geneva Motor Show.
He also said that Tata would not move Jaguar or Land Rover production from the UK, as was speculated and feared by the UK labor unions. He said, “We are conscious that the brands belong to Britain. These brands will continue to belong to Britain.”
Tata also noted that the company would maintain the existing management structure for the brands.
+ Automotive News: Tata will keep Jaguar, Land Rover’s heritage
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Written By: Phil Floraday
March 5th, 2008 9:30 AM
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Tata’s $2500 Nano has been making headlines all over the world since it debuted, but this is the first time we’ve been able to examine the car in person. It’s slightly larger than a Toyota iQ and looks as cheap as you would imagine. When people closed the doors, the entire car shook. We aren’t saying that makes the Nano a bad car and we doubt anyone expected it to be bank vault-solid for such a low price.
The Nano looks pretty decent for what it is, but it’s hard to judge a car built for markets like India when you’re used to seeing half-ton pickups running around as daily drivers. We’re sure this car will sell millions of units, and that Ratan Tata will profit handily from the sales. Meanwhile, we’re trying to find an excuse to book a flight to India and give the Nano a proper test.
Written By: Dustin P. Walsh
February 25th, 2008 5:00 PM
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Tata will officially announce its purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford on March 5 or March 6, according to Automotive News.
The agreement date comes after last week’s talks with trade union leaders. Roger Maddison, national officer of Unite, the largest union in the UK auto industry, told Automotive News Europe, that Tata had agreed to meet the job guarantees sought by the unions. He said, “Everything seems fine as far as we are concerned; it’s just the lawyers working on it now.”
(More details after the jump)
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Written By: Dustin P. Walsh
February 24th, 2008 1:30 PM
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Despite the grapevine budding aplenty with talks of Tata unloading Jaguar and moving Land Rover production to India, the British union Unite dispels the rumors with confidence.
“We are confident our members’ long-term future is best served by Tata,” said Dave Osborne, national secretary for vehicle building at the Unite union. “They totally ruled out offloading Jaguar or building Land Rovers in India. There’s a couple of clarifications we still need from Ford, but I don’t see any issues arising from that.”
So, he may know more than most concerning the deal, but we’ll all have to wait and see whether Ratan Tata pulls the carpet out from under ‘em.
+ Automotive News: British union confident over Jaguar after Tata talks
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Written By: Dustin P. Walsh
February 11th, 2008 1:00 PM
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Mahindra and Mahindra is looking to expand in the global market, according to India’s Economic Times. The company is actively seeking a partner to aid it in globalization.
The company was already in the early running to purchase Land Rover and Jaguar, but, obviously, lost out to Tata. M&M vice-chairman Anand Mahindra said, “The auto industry of the future will be collaboration-driven for the benefits of scale and synergy and that’s in the DNA of Indian companies.”
The company is also reportedly in talks with Chrysler LLC over the Jeep brand – a brand the company distributed on India. However, Mahindra isn’t denying or confirming the rumor, as of yet. He said, “We are talking to automakers around the world to discover whether there are opportunities.”
Mahindra and Mahindra is already planning to bring a diesel-hybrid pickup and SUV stateside by 2010. A partnership (or flat-out ownership) of Jeep could help the company make a splash in the U.S.
+ The Economic Times: M&M in talks with Chrysler for Jeep ride
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