Auto Industry News and reviews are available from other websites..... I am not stealing the content and posting here....

Courtesy will be shown on every post now on wards ....Happy Reading. Good luck

Renault Duster Review.

Renault India has launched their first genuine volume product, the Duster SUV in India. Driving it in India, it came home to me just how much the car has changed in the last two years since Bert and I drove it across Europe.
As I wrote then, the car needed to come to India looking and feeling different to appeal to Indian sensibilities and I believe Renault has made critical but smart choices in the final specification of the SUV.
The car I drove was the top model with the 110PS 1.5-liter dCI diesel engine. Since I last drove it, Renault has made significant improvements to the overall refinement levels and the cabin is quieter, engine clatter at idle and noise at speed is well controlled.

In its segment, this will be one of the quieter cabins. Driving at 130kph on the European highways was a noisy, slightly strenuous affair on the part of the engine but at Renault's test track within the Oragadam plant (near Chennai) the car proved quiet.
Also improved is the gearshift, which still feels a little long in throw but shifts are neat and positive and an engine with a long spread of torque makes driving the Duster easy.
We also got to experience, for a short stint, the 85PS version of the dCI engine which impressed with its spread of torque, though the power deficit is immediately obvious. Being a monocoque, the Duster also offered great ride and assured handling with just a bit of body roll. Certainly head and shoulders above its ladder-framed competition.
But like we noted in the European version back then, the interior is where the Duster needed to focus, and Renault have done so. The beige and black looks neat and you don't really mind the expanse of hard plastics. The music system looks smart and is integrated neatly into a flatter, smarter looking centre console. Below that are rotary dials for the aircon.
Crucially, the power windows switches have moved to the door - a good move. The mirror adjustment remains just forward of the hand brake lever, but once you know that is where it is, you don't mind it too much. The steering mounted audio controls, similarly, are placed in a usual-for-Renault place, behind the steering wheel on the right.
It takes a bit of getting used to but becomes second nature once you do. While fabric selection, inserts in the door pad mouldings etc are welcome, the really neat touch is the rear seat aircon, which connects to the extra-large compressor under the hood but the actual cooling unit is actually mounted between the front seats. The air that comes out of the single vent (controlled by a knob right below the vent) is instantly cold - a good call.
The Duster was always a spacious vehicle and this attribute remains. It looks squat and muscular outside and seats four in great comfort, while a fifth passenger will be easily accommodated.
At its price the Renault Duster is serious competition. If the Duster clicks, and we believe it will, it will establish Renault as a player in the volume end of the SUV market. Hell, they might even be able to say a few years down the line, done and Duster.

courtesy: overdrive

Ducati Monster 795 Road Test

The Italian manufacturer has done something it has never done before – launch a market specific model in the form of the Ducati Monster 795. While initial impressions were positive, we decided to straddle the bike for a full road test.

The 795 looks smashing from every angle. It has all the right elements to get you drooling the round headlight upfront, delicately sliced by the strip of daytime running LEDs, the curvy fuel tank, the trademark red trellis frame, minimal bodywork et al.

All the parts on the motorcycle are manufactured essentially at the Ducati factory in Bologna and are only shipped to Thailand for assembly. Fit and finish are near perfect and nothing on the motorcycle feels sub-standard in quality.

The Monster 795 uses the same 803cc, 90-degree V-twin, air-cooled engine as the Monster 796. Power and torque figures are identical - 87PS at 8250rpm and 78Nm at 6250rpm, which is what makes this motorcycle a real Monster.

This engine is a brilliant performer, and the Monster 795 is happy doing whatever it is asked to, you can cruise at 120-130kmph without thrashing the engine, or ride it like a maniac revving it hard.

The Monster accelerates from 30 to 70kmph in 4.75 seconds in third gear, and from 40 to 100kmph in 6.96 seconds in fourth gear, the number increasing to 8.14 seconds in fifth.

Twin 320mm Brembo discs up front ensure the Monster stops quickly whenever you need to, coming to a full-stop from 100kmph in 3.4 seconds, covering 52.16 metres in the process.

At Rs 6.99 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi, it does not burn a hole in your wallet. Its nearest competitors are the Kawasaki Ninja 650R and the Hyosung GT650N, and despite being more expensive, the Monster 795 is a lot more fun and involving to ride.

BMW targets emerging markets in India with mobile showrooms

August 8, 2012: In a bid to attract buyers in emerging markets in the country, BMW India has launched its BMW Mobile Showrooms programme. It will give potential customers an opportunity to experience the brand, test drive vehicles, interact with product experts and avail promotional financial offers from BMW Financial Services.

The BMW Mobile Showroom will reach cities that have the potential to be covered under the company’s existing sales and service network. Covering seven states, it will visit Karnal (Haryana), Agra (Uttar Pradesh), Dehradun (Uttarakhand), Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), Patna (Bihar), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), and Nashik (Maharashtra). 

Dr Andreas Schaaf, president, BMW Group India, said: “We are the first luxury car manufacturer in India to take this experience a step ahead and closer to our customers in the emerging markets with the BMW Mobile Showroom. Today, BMW India has millions of fans, many of them from emerging cities. With this unique travelling showroom, we wish to bring as many customers to the BMW fold and make them experience BMW and the sheer driving pleasure.” 

The BMW Mobile Showroom, which is a weather-proof, air-conditioned structure, will be a representation of BMW’s luxurious dealerships. It will feature a four-car display, a reception area and a VIP lounge. The cars for display and test drives will include the all-new 3-series, 5-series, X1, X3, and the X5. The BMW Mobile Showroom across different locations will also feature the BMW line-up of cars ranging from the 7-series and 6-series to the X6 and Z4, all of which are available in as CBUs (completely built-up) units.

Furthermore, extending its customer-oriented financial solutions, BMW Financial Services will provide 100 percent funding on the entire product range at the BMW Mobile Showrooms. 

Currently, BMW India has 25 sales outlets in India. By the end of 2012, the carmaker plans to aggressively expand its dealer network to 40 across major metropolitan centres and emerging markets across India.

Courtesy - Autocar Professional

Honda, UIL ends HSCI joint venture

August 11, 2012: Honda Motor Company has parted ways with Usha International Ltd, thus ending its 16-year joint venture in India. Honda bought out UIL’s 3.16 percent stake in Honda Siel Cars India for Rs 180crore.

Commenting on the agreement, UIL said “it was inevitable that someday the parting would come because automobiles are not really USHA’s direct business.”

Honda and UIL had been discussing future business expansion plans and their own priorities. UIL itself had shown an interest in divesting from the joint venture to be able to focus and strategically invest to expand its own core business.

UIL further commented that “the proceeds from the stake sale would be applied to the normal development of its business.

Commenting on the development, Hironori Kanayama, president and CEO, HSCI, said, “We have shared a very successful and fruitful relationship with UIL over the years. I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for Siddharth Shriram’s contributions to HSCI and wish UIL a bright future.”

UIL has had a relationship with Honda Motor Company since 1985 when Honda Siel Power Products was formed. When Honda Motor Company was considering manufacturing cars in India, they found a suitable partner in UIL to kickstart its automotive business in India. And to help the Japanese firm develop its Indian business, UIL had provided some of its best people to the JV.

Following the sale, UIL owner, Siddharth Shriram will cease to be the chairman and director of HSCI.

HSCI will now be a 100% Honda subsidiary in India. The process of changing the company name and other formalities will be completed over the next few months.

Honda Siel Cars may stop selling Civic sedans in Indian markets by the end of this year, Mint newspaper reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Honda Siel Cars India sold 24,462 units during the period April-July 2012 as against 12,526 units during the same period last year.

During this period, it sold just 138 units of the Civic model while City saw sales of 1,843 units.

The car market in India has seen a significant change in the last two years with customers increasingly opting for diesel models.

Quoting a senior executive of the company, the report said that Honda may be launching a diesel variant of Civic in near future.

Premier RiO

Premier Ltd (formerly known as Premier Automobile Ltd) has started deliveries of its compact SUV RiO which is equipped with a 1.3 litre multijet diesel engine.

The engine, badged as 'CRDi4', has been sourced from FIAT India. The price of RiO SUV starts from Rs 6.7 lakh (ex-showroom Pune).

The company's assembly plant will supply up to 1,000 units of RiO per month initially.

Premier claims a fuel efficiency of 19 km/litre for RiO, which will be available in four  colours.

The same FIAT engine is used by many manufacturers in India.