Friday, October 21, 2011, AutomotiveWorld.com
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has added a second shift at its Portland Truck Manufacturing Pla...Any questions? Email us or call our Member Services team on +44 29 2046 8902.Our free E-Newsletter service is an excellent way of staying up to date with news and features from around the global auto industry.
» Sign up Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.
Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.
Rate this News Article from 1 to 5, where 5 stands for
"Excellent" and 1 stands for "Poor".
24 June, 2011 The Karnataka government on Thursday extended tax concessions to the Japanese auto joint venture Toyota-Kirloskar Motor Ltd (TKML) for its second car plant at Bidadi in the state.
“The cabinet has decided to give Rs 9 crore tax relief to the Toyota joint venture on import of tools and machinery valued at Rs 450 crore. With this, cumulative tax concessions extended to the company during the last two years will be Rs 89 crore,” state cabinet minister V.S. Acharya told reporters in Bangalore.
The state government granted Rs 80 crore tax concession in 2009 when Toyota started constructing its second plant to roll out luxury cars for the Indian market.
“Toyota has committed to invest Rs 4,043 crore in its second plant to manufacture Etios car in hatchback and sedan versions, with an installed capacity of 70,000 units per annum,” Acharya said.
The company, which rolled out Etios sedan in December 2010, is scheduled to launch its hatchback version Etios Liva June 27 in New Delhi.
In the first plant that was set up in 1998 with an installed capacity of 80,000 units per annum, the world’s largest automaker manufactures the multi-utility vehicle Innova, sports utility vehicle Fortuner and sedan Corolla Altis.
Toyota’s Indian subsidiary also imports Camry, Prado, Prius and Land Cruiser in the form of completely built units.
There couldn’t have been a better start to Year 2011. Last year’s figures indicate that India has become the second fastest growing market in the world only next to China. Here is a gist of all the action:
• Car sales surged by 31% during the year to 1.9 million units
• Sales of two wheelers crossed 10 million units
• Passenger vehicle sales grew 31.3% last year to 2.4 million up from 1.8 million in 2009.
Almost each and every segment has registered double digit growth.
Of course, much of the credit certainly goes to the booming economy. But part of the credit goes to governing bodies like SIAM who have made sure that the growth is sustained and not sporadic.
All we can say is it’s FANTASTIC to be in India! Going forward, there are approximately 53 car launches planned this year. A lot of new brands are also entering the market. And IAB will be there at ground zero getting you all the updates.
So fasten your seat belts; this is going to be one heck of a ride!
Source – Hindustantimes.com
Tagged as: 2010 Auto Market India, Indian auto market
It is not secret that the Indian automotive industry is growing at a great pace, and major global car manufacturers want to leave their footprints in the Indian market. So much so that every major automobile group is now represented here with either a manufacturing, assembling, retailing or sourcing presence. One of the car manufacturers, which is ready to start a new chapter in India is the French carmaker Renault.
Renault's Plan of Action
After a bitter break-up with Indian SUV king Mahindra & Mahindra, wants to starts afresh in the Indian market. And if you thought it was going to be another small car, you could not have been more wrong. A small car is in the pipeline, but that does not come before 2012. Before that, India gets two mid-sized Renaults. In June2011, Renault will launch the Fluence, a mid-sized sedan that will compete with the Honda Civic and Skoda Laura. The Fluence will be closely followed by the Koleos, which is a compact SUV that will be pitted against the Honda CR-V and the new Skoda Yeti.
Renault Fluence
Renault will make its debut in the Indian luxury car segment with the stylish Fluence. The French carmaker had earlier showcased this awesome luxury car at the 2010 Auto Expo. The Renault Fluence is exquisitely designed. The sunken headlights look super attractive and the sharp ridge along the bonnet and the wave over the front wheels is unique. Even the taut rear and distinguished taillights are mind-boggling. The Fluence is just not about good looks. It can impart the most impressive ride and manoeuvrability. Its suspension is known for being very refined and silent Coming to the engine of the Fluence, Renault is more likely to bring the car in three engine options: a 1.5 litre diesel and a 1.6 and 2 litre petrol engines. The Renault Fluence is unexpectedly nimble and its gear shift is surprisingly quick. The interiors of the car are in line with the other cars in the segment.
The Renault Fluence is built on Nissan's "C" platform, which is nothing but the base on which a number of cars have been built. It is the same platform that also supports cars such as the Renault Megane, which is a larger sedan than Fluence. Nissan has used this platform to churn out the X-Trail SUV, Nissan Rogue, and Renault's new Koleos.
The Renault Koleos would be the second major launch from Renault in the Indian market. The Koleos and the Fluence would be rolling off the company's Chennai assembly line.
The Renault Koleos, as we said before, is based on the Nissan X-Trail, and a heavy chunk of the development work on the Koleos comes from Nissan. The exterior design and the cabin are typically Renault, though. The engine options for the Koleos may include a 2 litre diesel engine, and a 2.5 litre petrol engine.
The Renault Koleos is reasonably spacious and, much like the Skoda Yeti, does not have a third row of seats. The cargo space is very good for road trips. The Koleos has the stuff to take the heat from the recently launched Hyundai Santa Fe, but competing with vehicles such as Toyota Fortuner would be a difficult task for the Koleos.
The Renault Koleos is a compact 4x4, which, like many others in the segment, aims to offer a rugged ride complimented by urban convenience and highway power. That is exactly the segment that promised to bring big growth prospects to many car makers in the market. In India, the Koleos would compete with the CR-V and the recently launched Skoda Yeti. Skoda is offering the Yeti from Rs15.40 lakh; pricing would become very critical for Renault. BMW X1 is also awaited eagerly in the market and the fact that it is priced below Rs20 lakh, it will make it hard for Renault to position the Koleos well.
The Indian Car Mart is on a rise. All the car manufacturers are working towards tapping this potential Indian Car Mart. Ford is getting its act together. The company has approached the Gujarat government with a proposal of a second production plant.
Ford Figo has been receiving over whelming response and the company plans to maintain this momentum. Industry sources confirm Ford is planning to launch 8 new models by 2015 in India.
A spokesperson for Ford said, “We have announced aggressive growth plans with our eight new products. We have nothing else to say or add at this time.”
Ford is looking at Gujarat for its second plant. As they feel its a good automotive hub in India. Tata’s and GM’s production plants has led to component vendors in big numbers. Ford looks to benefit from this.
