Hatchback Car Comparison - An Overview

Hatchback Car Comparison

India has witnessed a flurry of car launches in the hatchback segment within a short span of time.

Gone are the days when there were only a limited choices when it came to selecting your dream vehicle. Now there are plenty of options in front of a consumer to make that right choice after considering all important aspects such as daily usage, maintenance cost, car design, space, cost, etc.

Recent launches which hogged the limelight included the K-12M Engine powered Maruti Suzuki Ritz, the stylish and spacious Honda Jazz and the breathtaking Fiat Grande Punto. All these launches have given the Indian consumer a reason to celebrate as they can now choose the car they want without compromising on any aspect. Competition in the hatchback space has certainly brought the best out of the leading car manufacturers of India.

The festive season is coming up and the auto sales are sure to pick up during this time when the spendings on automobiles would see a rise especially around Diwali time.

So make your choice and make it wise . . .

Bentley Mulsanne

Owners of re-defining Bentley cars will all vouch for the strength of the Bentley brand. The cars from Bentley Motors are a fine specimen of excellent engineering and designing. The Bentley cars go through the highest standards of manufacturing and are one of the most sought after auto brand in the world.

Bentley Mulsanne is set to be bigger and better than any of its previous versions. Redefining luxury-driving the Mulsanne will set benchmark standards when it comes to performance and comfort.

The all new Bentley Mulsanne is expected to go on sale from June 2010 and will also be displayed in the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Awaiting more details on this fine beauty on wheels. . .

The Royal Thunder

Royal Enfield Thunderbird

I am in total awe of this amazing machine by Royal Enfield. The Thunderbird has always been my favorite motorcycle as it commands that ruthless aggression on road. Royal Enfield Thunderbird gives to its riders that ultimate feel of a great riding experience.

The powerful 350 cc Thunderbird has always caught my eye for its beautiful looks and amazing features. All throughout its existence the Thunderbird has continuously re-modelled itself around the latest markets trends. The newest Thunderbird TwinSpark is another popular variant from Royal Enfield which is set to win the hearts of many Thunderbird fans.

Time to Relish the Thunder

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show

A Popular Auto Event of The Year...

Frankfurt 2009 Auto Show, the much anticipated International Auto event of the year is fast approaching and all the major automobile manufacturers are gearing up to showcase the best of the auto models from their arsenal.

The Frankfurt Auto Show 2009 will be thrown open to public between 17-27 September. Leading auto brands like Porsche, Ferrari and BMW would be participating in this auto show.

The highlight of the event is expected to be the debut of BMW Green Sports car which would be an environment friendly launch from BMW.


Event Organizer:

Verband der Automobilindustrie e.V. (VDA)

Westenstrasse 61
D 60325 FRANKFURT AM MAIN
Tel: + 49 69 97507-0
Fax: + 49 69 97507-261, -305
Web site : www.iaa.de

Watch out for more on this event as it unfolds in September.

Hyundai i30 ~ What's In a Name?

What's In a Name?

Everything...

I'd say: A Brand Name is what makes or breaks it when it comes to the launch of any New Product. It is the 'X' Factor. The product in question here is the soon to be launched Hyundai i30 car in India.

Close on the heels of the immense success of Hyundai i10 and Hyundai i20 in India, the Hyundai i30 is sure to be better and more promising than its earlier siblings. Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has rarely disappointed the Indian car enthusiast and has always come up with exciting car launches suiting the Indian requirements.

However, what I fail to understand is that why drag on to the fascination with the 'i' name when Hyundai could've branded each of its gems under exciting name tags other than in some boring arithmetic fashion i.e. i-10,20,30,40...

An i10 owner is bound to feel left out if the company keeps rolling out variants which make their purchase sound out of date.

I hope Hyundai, the second largest car manufacturer of India pays attention to this observation and no other car maker follows suit.

Name is the Game That Ought To have Been Set Right Here...

{Just a Thought Folks, Hope To Get Some Endorsements On This}

P.S.==> I am Sure the upcoming i-30 is another impressive addition to the portfolio of HMIL. It's Only The Name That Seems a Misfit Here.

Honda Jazz 2009

One Life, Why So Serious?

June 10 witnessed the entry of another stylish entry into the small car space called 'Honda Jazz'. The Euro-4 compliant Jazz is one Winner of a car from Honda Siel Cars India Limited (HSCI).

True to the catchy tagline: "One Life, Why So Serious", why be serious and enter the price debate that has revolved around the launch of the Honda Jazz.

Honda Jazz is definitely a value-for-money buy and a smart car equipped especially for city roads with hosts of features including the 'Magic Seats' (Rear foldable seats for added space).

With a powerful 1.2 litre i-Vtec Engine Honda Jazz has already had a good response from the Indian car buyer. The Jazz is priced between 6.98 lakh INR to 7.33 lakh INR and boasts of all the state of the art features which are common to cars of this segment.

So what are you waiting for? Go get Jazzedddd ... :-)

2009 Ferrari California

A mere glance at the beautifully designed 2009 Ferrari California is set to make your heart go racing with excitement.

The 2-door Ferrari California is one of the best sports car to have come out of the Ferrari drawing board. Ferrari California is larger than the Ferrari 430 in terms of space from the interiors. Donato Coco, the chief designer at Ferrari and main person responsible for rollout of the Ferrari California has done a wonderful job with this new machine.

Striking Features:

• 2-door retractable hardtop

• Top Speed of 310 kmph

• 453 horsepower DOHC V8 Engine

• 0-100 km/ in flat 4 seconds

• Engine start button mounted on the steering wheel

• Carbon ceramic brakes

Price: Approximately $ 200,000

Ferrari experience is definitely not to be missed and for people who can afford this beautiful luxury should go for it right away and for others they can just go awe in admiration when one passes them by ;-)

One Step Closer To The Tata Nano

Tata Motors on Tuesday, announced the finalisation of the initial one lakh applicants who would get to own the world's cheapest car.

A statement from the company read:
"Tata Motors is pleased to announce that it has completed the process to select the first 1,00,000 owners of the Tata Nano from among 2,06,703 final list of applicants, who had booked the car,"

All these one lakh owners will be price protected and will get the Tata Nano delivered at the prices announced at the launch on 23rd March. Tata Motors would start delivering the Tata Nano from the month of July and will expedite the delivery of the People's Car by ramping up its operational production unit at Pantnagar and the upcoming Sanand plant.

It would be an amazing experience to witness marvellous engineering on Indian roads, where the little Nano will fulfill the dream of the millions of Indians for whom owning a car was a distant dream.

Hats off to Mr. Ratan Tata :-)

Launch of Fiat Grande Punto

FIAT GRANDE PUNTO

Another day. Another car. Looks like this is the car launch season with so many compact cars hitting the Indian roads.

Move aside Maruti Suzuki Ritz, Honda Jazz...

Now comes the Fiat Grande Punto.

The Grande Punto by Fiat India Automobiles Limited is a premium B-segment hatchback car model and the first product to come out of the joint venture between Fiat (Italian Auto Maker) and Tata Motors (Indian Auto Maker).

Fiat Grande Punto, the beauty of a car was launched in a glittering ceremony in New Delhi on 17th June 2009.

"The launch of the Grande Punto marks a new milestone for Fiat in India as we bring the quintessentially Italian design to Indian shores."
Said Mr. Rajeev Kapoor, CEO, Fiat India Automobiles Ltd

Pricing Structure of Fiat Grande Punto:

Fiat Grande Punto
Variants	*Price (INR)
1.2 Petrol (Active)	3,99,000/-
1.4 Petrol (Dynamic)	4,66,000/-
1.4 Petrol (Emotion)	5,06,000/-
1.4 Petrol (Emotion Pack)	5,61,000/-
1.3 Diesel (Active)	4,85,000/-
1.3 Diesel (Dynamic)	5,16,000/-
1.3 Diesel (Emotion)	5,56,000/-
1.3 Diesel (Emotion Pack)	6,11,000/-

*Ex-showroom Delhi prices

It is now an interesting battlefield in the hatchback space where major players like Maruti, Fiat, Honda, Hyundai and Skoda are battling for the top slot.

Honda CB 1000R - Wrooom Wrooom

Honda unveils the CB 1000R

Honda has launched its dazzling Honda CB 1000R in India.

With the launch of the Honda CB1000R, Honda has redefined super-biking and demonstrated marvelous engineering in front of the Indian bike lover. Equipped with a powerful 1000cc engine Honda CB 1000R is set to woo the Indian bike lover with its stunning features which makes it stand out in the 1000cc segment.

Prominent Features of Honda CB 1000R include:

• Breathtaking engine performance
• Eye catching design
  
• Compact and lightweight 998cm³ liquid-cooled fuel-injected engine
• 'Artistically' designed engine side covers featuring new nickel-plated bolt head look
• Independent ignition & fuel injection mapping for each cylinder
• ‘Mass forward’ design concept
  

Price: Rs. 9,50,000/- (Ex-Showroom)