Motor Authority - blog Tag: India

India has become an increasingly important player on the global car scene, with the rise of companies like Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra. Mahindra is poised to enter the American market for the first time this year and now Tata has announced its plans to take Jaguar and Land Rover into the Indian market, tapping a whole new customer base.

Tata promised during the Jaguar-Land Rover purchase process that none of the vehicles from either brand would be built in India. How that plays into the new plans to tackle the Indian market with its range of luxury cars and SUVs is anyone's guess, though importing the cars will certainly make them... India has become an increasingly important player on the global car scene, with the rise of companies like Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra. Mahindra is poised to enter the American market for the first time this year and now Tata has announced its plans to take Jaguar and Land Rover into the Indian market, tapping a whole new customer base. Tata promised during the Jaguar-Land Rover purchase process that none of the vehicles from either brand would be built in India. How that plays into the new plans to tackle the Indian market with its range of luxury cars and SUVs is anyone's guess, though importing the cars will certainly make them even more expensive - and exclusive - on the Indian market. David Smith, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, commented on the importance of the Indian market to the company's competitive position in the global market. "We are delighted to be formally entering the Indian market, an economy which is still growing appreciably, and able to offer our premium products to a whole new group of customers," said Smith. "It is an important strategic move for Jaguar Land Rover and will enable us to realise our competitive potential in this significant market." Tata likewise feels the move makes sense both from a business perspective and in a corporate synergy sense. "This is a natural move for both businesses and will allow Jaguar and Land Rover to establish a strong and deserved presence in India. We are very pleased to develop our relationship with Jaguar Land Rover in this way and to provide the opportunity for Indian customers to access their premium products for the first time," said Ravi Kant, managing director of Tata Motors. The first showroom will be opened at Ceejay House in Worli, Mumbai, in June. This dealership will set the standard for all to follow in India. Tata Motors' newly-formed Premier Car Division, a subset of the Tata Motors Passenger Car Business unit, will be responsible for the showroom and for distribution of all Jaguar Land Rover vehicles in the country. To see what's in store for India, check out the new Indian-market websites for Jaguar and Land Rover.2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged2010-Range-Rover-Sport Read More

Violent protests closed its plant in West Bengal, soaring materials prices threatened to drive its price well beyond the targeted $2,500 mark and yet Tata soldiered on with its Nano, billed as the world's cheapest car. The diminutive car has overcome those hurdles and more on the way to its official sales launch, which took place today in Mumbai, India.

The debut comes months after the company had originally planned, but thanks to changes in the currency markets and global economy, what was once billed as a $2,500 car will go on sale for just a tick over $2,000 – essentially Tata has kept its promise of offering the car for 1 lakh.

... Violent protests closed its plant in West Bengal, soaring materials prices threatened to drive its price well beyond the targeted $2,500 mark and yet Tata soldiered on with its Nano, billed as the world's cheapest car. The diminutive car has overcome those hurdles and more on the way to its official sales launch, which took place today in Mumbai, India. The debut comes months after the company had originally planned, but thanks to changes in the currency markets and global economy, what was once billed as a $2,500 car will go on sale for just a tick over $2,000 – essentially Tata has kept its promise of offering the car for 1 lakh. Deliveries for the car aren’t expected to start until halfway through next month, although Tata's production capabilities remain severely hampered due to last year’s protests at the West Bengal production site ceased construction of the Nano’s main plant. A replacement plant is under construction in Gujarat but it won’t be ready for full production until the end of the year. While the Gujarat plant is being built, Tata's other Indian production facilities in Pune and Pantnagar will produce the iconic Nano until 2010. With the Gujarati plant online, Tata's production capabilities for the Nano should rise to around 250,000 units per annum. The car will be available in both standard and deluxe versions, but both versions will offer a wide range of body colours, and other accessories so that the car can be customised to an individual's preferences. In terms of the drivetrain, the Nano's all-aluminum 623cc engine features just two-cylinders but the 33hp (25kW) rating will still send it to a top speed of around 60mph (96km/h). The body is made of thin-pressed steel, and modern safety features such as crumple zones, seat belts and intrusion-resistant doors are all included. While no one is really expecting the Nano to be the safest car on the road, it definitely beats a similarly-priced motorbike in terms of safety. Meanwhile, international export of the Nano is a strong possibility, with Tata showing off a special European variant of the car nicknamed the Nano Europa at the recent Geneva Motor Show. The Nano Europa featured a host of uprated safety features, including ABS and ESP, and featured a more powerful engine. Whether this variant makes it to the U.S. seems unlikely, but if Tata can make it work for Europe then with enough effort the American market could also be conquered.Tata Nano minicarRatan Tata speaks at the launch of the Tata Nano in India Read More

Force India has given the first look at of its revised car livery for 2009, revealing a much greener theme for the latest race car. On hand for the unveiling was team owner Vijay Mallya and main drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil, who were also joined by several test drivers and team officials.

Differences to the 2008 car include a green nose, more prominent use of gold on the main chassis and white sidepods instead of the former car’s red ones. Moreover, both the front and rear wings are white, no longer incandescent red, which last year often led to the car being confused for McLaren's.

The new car is powered by a... Force India has given the first look at of its revised car livery for 2009, revealing a much greener theme for the latest race car. On hand for the unveiling was team owner Vijay Mallya and main drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil, who were also joined by several test drivers and team officials. Differences to the 2008 car include a green nose, more prominent use of gold on the main chassis and white sidepods instead of the former car’s red ones. Moreover, both the front and rear wings are white, no longer incandescent red, which last year often led to the car being confused for McLaren's. The new car is powered by a Mercedes-McLaren engine, while also fitted with gearbox, hydraulic system and Kinetic Energy Recovery System from the Woking outfit – following the engine deal signed by the two teams shortly after the end of the 2008 season. Team owner Vijay Mallya has also operated several changes in terms of team management, following Force India’s poor performances in 2008. Mallya has taken full control of the team through the winter, with Simon Roberts (formerly with McLaren) as new the CEO.2009 Force India VJM-02 Read More

Earlier this week reports emerged that Mexican billionaire and second-richest man in the world Carlos Slim had all but purchased Honda's F1 team as the Japanese carmaker exits the sport, but Slim has since denied any such interest. That leaves the door open for another possible buyer in the form of Force India co-owner Vijay Mallya.

The Indian billionaire's enthusiasm for F1 is undeniable. In addition to buying into the former Spyker team, Mallya is working with Bernie Ecclestone to get India added to the F1 calendar. If such a deal does move forward, it will most likely be at a street race designed by Hermann Tilke, running through the... Earlier this week reports emerged that Mexican billionaire and second-richest man in the world Carlos Slim had all but purchased Honda's F1 team as the Japanese carmaker exits the sport, but Slim has since denied any such interest. That leaves the door open for another possible buyer in the form of Force India co-owner Vijay Mallya. The Indian billionaire's enthusiasm for F1 is undeniable. In addition to buying into the former Spyker team, Mallya is working with Bernie Ecclestone to get India added to the F1 calendar. If such a deal does move forward, it will most likely be at a street race designed by Hermann Tilke, running through the Greater Noida area of New Delhi. Other possible suitors for the remnants of Honda's F1 program include PSA Peugeot Citroen and Prodrive's David Richards. The report today from Slim's Telmex racing team, revealing that Carlos Slim has denied any involvement in the purchase of the Honda F1 program came as a surprise, as previous reports had indicated the deal was all but done. The toughest work in securing the Honda F1 bid won't be the purchase price, however - Honda has offered to bear the outstanding debts of the team and put a price tag of just $1, provided a backer can convince the company that it will develop and carry the team forward. That's where the real cost lies, in employing 700 people and their attendant facilities and operations. Honda's 2008 F1 operating budget is thought to top $300 million, though a drastic streamlining could cut the team's annual outlay back to a still-substantial $70 million per year. Read More

For anyone unfamiliar with DC Design, the firm is an Indian automotive design and coachbuilding group that has a penchant for creating wild customized vehicles with styling inspiration taken from Rolls Royce cars. The firm is probably most widely recognized for its striking scissor-door Rolls Royce coupe from a couple of years back, but it has recently unveiled another wild coupe with Rolls Royce styling, this time based on one of the oldest cars to come out of India, the Hindustan Ambassador.

The latest creation is the Ambierod, which was first unveiled at the New Delhi Motor Show at the start of this year. Putting the 'rod' into Ambierod,... For anyone unfamiliar with DC Design, the firm is an Indian automotive design and coachbuilding group that has a penchant for creating wild customized vehicles with styling inspiration taken from Rolls Royce cars. The firm is probably most widely recognized for its striking scissor-door Rolls Royce coupe from a couple of years back, but it has recently unveiled another wild coupe with Rolls Royce styling, this time based on one of the oldest cars to come out of India, the Hindustan Ambassador. The latest creation is the Ambierod, which was first unveiled at the New Delhi Motor Show at the start of this year. Putting the 'rod' into Ambierod, the man behind DC Design, Dilip Chhabria, claims he was inspired by GM Holden's stunning hot-rod Efijy concept, which was revealed at the 2005 Australian Motor Show. Hence, the DC Ambierod features enlarged wheel arches that partly cover the rear wheels, an extremely long bonnet, and an eye-catching design. While the car may seem unappealing to some from the outside, the inside is arguably even stranger. Hydraulic gullwing doors dramatically guide passengers into the interior, where they will find a markedly different feel to the retro exterior of the concept. Featuring a slew of LCD TV screens (three in total), the Ambierod also comes with Internet and videoconferencing facilities, an interior that can be converted into a full-sized bed and a host of other luxury features. The focus is on rear passenger comfort in the Ambierod, and even the front passenger seat has been replaced by a foot cushion for the rear passenger to put their feet up on. Up front, there is a V12 engine powering the behemoth, which reportedly sits on a BMW chassis. Currently, plans for production remain uncertain but estimates put the car's cost at around $1,000,000. Head over to MotorBeam to see the rest of the images.DC Design Rolls Royce Coupe Read More

Doubts surrounding the passage of the historically British marques Jaguar and Land Rover into Indian ownership have consistently dogged the deal since its first rumored inception. Now that Tata is well underway in its new position as owner of the brands, it is assuring customers that there are no plans to shift production to the Tata Group's homeland.

Instead, it plans to run Jaguar/Land Rover as any other of its numerous subsidiaries: as a business. Any decisions made for the business will be intended to preserve and improve its reputation, products and profitability.

Ratan Tata, chairman of the eponymous conglomerate, said, "There is no... Doubts surrounding the passage of the historically British marques Jaguar and Land Rover into Indian ownership have consistently dogged the deal since its first rumored inception. Now that Tata is well underway in its new position as owner of the brands, it is assuring customers that there are no plans to shift production to the Tata Group's homeland. Instead, it plans to run Jaguar/Land Rover as any other of its numerous subsidiaries: as a business. Any decisions made for the business will be intended to preserve and improve its reputation, products and profitability. Ratan Tata, chairman of the eponymous conglomerate, said, "There is no insistence from us to bring these brands to India. The launch of these brands in India will take their own natural course and will be a commercial decision," reports Edmunds. "Both Jaguar and Land Rover have looked at India and are rather surprised with the potential of the Indian market. However, when we do bring in these models, they will all be CBU [completely built-up] imports." The relaxed pace of Indian introduction - if it is ever to happen - and the clear intent to preserve the Jaguar/Land Rover operations as they stand, with only U.K.-sourced models for the time being, should serve to allay some of the fears of those that have been reluctant to accept the new ownership's potential to benefit the company. But there is a great deal of potential for not only preserving but improving Jaguar/Land Rover through its new ownership. Earlier this year, we reported that due to the infusion of cash and proliferation of new models expected to come through now that Tata is underwriting things, sales could as much as double by 2012. Economic and market conditions have likely darkened that forecast somewhat, but even so, news of new name registrations, halo models and high-performance variants show the company has more life now than at any time in the recent past. Read More