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09 November, 2011 Rising land prices in and around Ahmedabad have forced three-wheeler manufacturer Atul Auto Limited to cancel its proposed Rs 150-crore expansion plan. The listed company will now look for a 100 acre plot elsewhere in the state or even outside it.
“Arrival of Tata Motors, Ford and Peugeot at Sanand resulted in sky-rocketing of land prices in the vicinity of Ahmedabad. After Maruti’s announcement, land owners and dealers feel they can fetch higher prices and are consequently backing out on previous deals. The private owner of the land with whom we were negotiating raised the price exorbitantly at the eleventh hour, forcing us to scout for new location,” said Vijay Kedia, CMD of Rajkot-based Atul Auto Limited.
The company plans to increase the light commercial vehicles as well as enter the four-wheeler segment. The proposed plant was to have a capacity to produce 30,000 units annually. The diversification from three-wheelers to two-wheelers is part of growth strategy of the company and as hedge against downturn in any particular segment.
The company feels that the new location can affect its business plans. “But we don’t have a choice,” said Kedia.
Atul Auto will also raise capacity at its existing site in Gujarat with an investment of Rs 60 crore and is looking for technical collaboration for the expansion. It plans to double the capacity of three-wheelers from 24,000 units to 48,000 and then to 54,000 by 2013-14. New models are being lined up for launch in the January-March 2012 quarter. Some of these will be launched with better fuel efficiency figures than its current lot of products. The work on technology to improve fuel efficiency is in progress at its R&D centre at Pune.
In order to decrease the pressure on its facilities in India, Atul Auto plans to set up assembly lines in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. At 12,000 units annually, it expects a business of Rs 150 crore from its Bangladesh operations. It had stopped exports last year to meet growing demand from its domestic dealers. Unlike Bangladesh, where it has a technology alliance with its partner who has invested in the assembly infrastructure, the company plans to adapt a joint venture model in Sri Lanka. Talks are at an advanced stage with the Sri Lankan partner and a final decision is likely to be taken in few months.

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Ducati India, a part of Precision Motor India Pvt. Ltd, reported of its third dealership outlet opened in Ahmedabad with Cama Motors Pvt. Ltd. The company is here to explore more potential from all parts of the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Mirko Mordiga (CEO, Ducati, Asia pacific) said that the company sees lot of potential in Ahmedabad and opening this dealership base will provide people to experience world class biking experience the Ducati way. He further added that the dealership base at Ahmedabad will ensure that international standards regarding the quality of goods and services are met.

Mr. Mirko further added that the company has received positive response from bike enthusiasts and the company is privileged to be a part of such a growing motorcycle market.

Mr. Ashish Chordia, CEO of Ducati India operation, trading under Precision motors said that the opening of the Ahmedabad dealership base has added another feature in their cap. He also said that Precision Motors are privileged to be associated with Ducati and Cama Motors. He further added that Precision Motors is looking for long and fruitful relations with Cama motors and Ducati.

Mr. Rustom Cama, Ducati Ahmedabad (Cama motors) said that the all the three companies are on cloud 9 after the opening of first of its kind workshop and dealership base in Ahmedabad. He also promised the riders and bike enthusiasts a world class experience.

Now Ducati Bike enthusiasts can take more advantage to own a Ducati brand.

Ducati Diavel Pictures:

Ducati Diavel In India By April 2011Nicky Hayden Opens Ducati India Second Showroom In GurgaonDucati Motors Aims To Sell 100 Bikes in 2010 In IndiaDucati Plans To Open Its First Showroom In Mumbai In SummerDucati Aims To Sell 150 Units In 2010 And Will Expand Dealerships In IndiaTags: Cama Motors Ahmedabad, Ducati Ahmedabad, Ducati Cama Motors, ducati india

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) held a press meet in Ahmedabad today to announce the company's entry into the highly competitive B Segment with the launch of the Etios Sedan, the car that has been developed specifically for Indian customers - 'World First, India First, My First'. Toyota had also announced the name of the hatchback version, the Etios Liva.

The Etios sedan will be available in four variants, J, G, V and VX, competitively priced between Rs. 5,11,071 /- and Rs. 7,03,269/- ex showroom Ahmedabad. The product highlights include innovative styling, best-in-class cabin and luggage space, superior comfort, impressive fuel efficiency and the legendary Toyota QDR.

Mr. Koji Nagata (Executive Managing Coordinator & Director, TKM), Mr. Masato Kuriyama (Managing Coordinator,TKM) and Mr. Sailesh Shetty (General Manager-Sales, TKM) addressed the media.

Mr. Koji Nagata, Executive Managing Coordinator & Director, Marketing, TKM spoke about the development of the product, he said: "It was very important to understand the needs of Indian car buyers and this was done by extensive research. We found that our target customers are highly price conscious but at the same time want good mileage, space and style. One of the strong points of the Etios is its True Sedan design. The Etios has been designed as a Sedan platform and not as a Hatch with a boot. It is smartly packaged with all the attributes for Indians who love to travel with their families - boasts best-in-class cabin and luggage space, ergonomic interiors and superior ride comfort."

Mr. Sailesh Shetty, General Manager, Sales, TKM said: "We have an elaborate Marketing strategy planned for the Etios and it all started with the roping in of Mr. A.R.Rahman as our brand ambassador who we believe was a perfect fit with the brand values of our product. We are also prepared to provide our customers a one class above experience, what we refer to as the Q Class Experience. In view of this effort, we have undertaken various initiatives: (a) Express Maintenance Service - Services and delivers the vehicle to the customer in 60 mins, (b) eCRB (Evolutionary Customer Relationship Building) - A tool that keeps the customer informed about the status of the vehicle that has been given for servicing, (c) A sales and service network that will be expanded to 150 dealerships by the end of this year."

The Etios is very important for Toyota and the company believes this launch marks the beginning of a new era for Toyota in India. In fact this launch will enable Indian customers in the middle income group to own an aspirational Toyota vehicle for the first time. The production of the Etios will begin as planned in the new plant which is the most environmentally friendly automobile manufacturing plant in the country today.

Earlier this year Toyota had announced its plans to begin production of engines and transmissions at the Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts in the third quarter of 2012 that will help in increasing the localisation content of the Etios.

Vehicle Outline

Exterior: A distinctive front grille with a smile line, sculpted surface and dynamic character-line in the front and rear, enhance the presence of the Etios. The rear has a fluent flowing C pillar, rounded end and three-dimensional combination lamps that enrich the vehicle's exterior from different angles.

Interior: The seats are ergonomically designed units with integrated head rests. An instrument panel clearly divided into the information area and operation area with a large centre meter provides excellent visibility. The Etios has class best cabin and luggage space of 595L, a spacious 13L cooled glove box, seven one litre bottle holders, mobile holder and many more such useful storage spaces inside the car.

Performance and Comfort

A newly developed 1.5L, 16V DOHC engine coupled with a 5-Speed manual transmission that produces high output for best-in-class driving performance. The torque is available at low rpm for less gear shifting and stress-free city driving. The Etios has a superior mileage of 17.6kmpl which is ARAI tested.

Electric power steering for excellent maneuverability and tilt steering ensures a good ergonomic driving experience. The steering comes with audio controls for comfort at the driver's fingertips.

The flat type rear floor design offers ease of movement for rear seat passengers. With its rigid body structure and world class Mac Pherson Strut, the Etios has superior dampening performance providing superior ride comfort. A class-first 'clean air filter' which is standard across all grades for purified air in the cabin.

(d) Safety: The Etios has various active and passive safety features ensuring the car matches global safety standards. The various safety features are (i) Energy absorbing body shell (ii) Driver & Passenger Air bags and (iii) ABS with EBD. Its centrally located combimeter reduces eye movement and hence the driver can concentrate on the road.

(e) Special Treatment: To adopt to the various diverse climate and usage conditions in India, special treatment and countermeasures have been implemented:

Good ground clearance of 170mm
Under body protection to prevent damage to fuel and brake lines
Anti-corrosion steel sheets at areas prone to rusting and stone hits
Chipping resistant paint on rocker mould & fender

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