KTM, Europe’s second largest motorcycle maker, sold 81,200 units globally in 2011 with 18,000 units in US as its lead market, France with 8,500 and Germany with 7,800 units. “Bajaj (Auto) expects to sell 2,000 to 3,000 KTM bikes every month in India (24,000-36,000 yearly),” Trunkenpolz said. The company plans to sell 2,00,000 units globally by 2015, of which the major share is expected to come from India.

Bajaj Auto that owns 39.26 per cent stake in KTM will sell the model alongside Ninja super bikes from Bajaj’s premium pro-biking showrooms across the country. Bajaj’s premium motorcycles such as Pulsar and Avenger will thus stop being sold through the pro-biking network set up by Bajaj Auto in 2003. With the launch of KTM, the 34 pro-biking showrooms across the country will now be renamed as KTM stores and will also sell KTM’s merchandise and accessories.

“What Pulsar was in 2001, KTM is today. Bajaj and KTM will fill most requirements of motorcyclists,” said Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto. “Our own conviction about KTM is that it is a matter of time that it becomes the world’s largest selling premium motorcycle brand,” Bajaj added. The off-road Duke 200 priced at Rs 1,17,500 (ex-showroom, New Delhi), falls into a niche segment between Japanese sport bikes such as 150 cc Yamaha R15 (Rs 1.07 lakh) and Honda’s 250 cc CBR 250R (Rs 1.43 lakh). The Duke has a rigid suspension and will appeal to riders that are ‘young at heart’, according to the company. However, company officials refused to reveal the mileage of the Duke 200.

Trunkenpolz said Bajaj and KTM would together develop joint motorcycle platforms for future models. KTM plans to double exports from India to about 22,000 units this year with new markets including Indonesia, Philippines and Brazil. It exported 11,000 motorcycles in 2011 including Duke 125 and Duke 200 models produced at Chakan plant. KTM plans to launch six to seven new models in next two years, globally.

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Source:www.mydigitalfc.com 24/1/2012

“The car was launched globally in March this year and so far, we have received 1,500 orders worldwide. In India, people have to wait for about 18 months to get the delivery of their car,” Page said.The firm expects to sell about 20 cars from other models of Lamborghini and double its sales in 2012, he added.He said although volumes are small in the premium sports car segment in India, at around 100 units a year, sales are starting to pick up and Lamborghini plans to conduct owner-training programmes on the F1 track.”You will be seeing us there (on the F1 track). Earlier, we used to take our Indian customers to Europe but now we can do it here,” Page said.Powered by a 6.5-litre engine, the Aventador can give a top speed of up to 350 km per hour.

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Source:www.indiatoday.intoday.in  4-11-11

The 10th generation Sunny is based on Nissan’s popular V- (versatile) platform which is also used in the Micra – its first car in the country.The Sunny is the second car manufactured at the Chennai facility, which the company jointly owns with French maker Renault, its international alliance partner.The company sold 13,030 vehicles last fiscal, of which 12,000 were the Micra. It had sold 1,384 units in August, led by the compact car Micra.”India is an exciting market for many global auto majors. We want to tap the opportunity. We will launch three more models by 2015,” Nissan Motor Company Corporate Vice-President (Africa, Middle East & India) Gilles Normand said, adding the company is happy with the performance of Micra.Normand, however, did not reveal the name and price of the upcoming three models.The auto maker said over 85 percent of the components for the Sunny have been locally sourced, out of which as much as 40 percent parts are sourced from Chennai itself.

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Source: Financial Chronicle 20/9/11

At the event, which marked the entry of Koleos in the domestic market, Marc Nassif, Managing Director, Renault India, was quoted as saying, “It is another proud moment for all of us at Renault India to launch our brand SUV Koleos in the Indian market. The new Koleos will make its world debut a few days from now at the Frankfurt Motor Show. We are highly optimistic about the product and we are confident it will cater to the needs of all the customers who are looking for a premium, high-end SUV which combines both style and dynamic abilities.”

Renault Koleos possesses a vivacious and an attractive front-end styling, with finely-finished interiors built on a 4×4 platform making it a strong competitor. The pure dynamics of a SUV have been imbibed by Koleos, which delivers the best in class performance, with no compromise on safety and comfort aspects.

Renault Koleos SUV has been launched in India with 2L DCI diesel engine, having a maximum power of 148 bhp at 4000 rpm and highest torque value of 320 Nm at 2000 rpm. Besides, Koleos would have the lowest emission standards compared to other cars in the segment. It will be available in a 4×4 transmission mode, equipped with 6-speed automatic gear transmission.

The perfectionist, Renault Koleos, has been affixed with gadgets like parking sensors, hands free entry, automatic start and Bose sound system. Moreover, the Indian version of Renault Koleos SUV is equipped with plethora of features that safeguard the driver during accidents. These features include 6 airbags, load limiters for the front and outer rear seat belts and front seatbelt pretensioners, among other.

Len Curran, Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Renault India, said that “Today, Renault has achieved another milestone in its India journey, by launching the Koleos soon after launching the Fluence in May. Renault is committed to provide superior value, globally benchmarked product and service quality, network and after sales service to our Indian customers. We at present have 14 fully operational dealers and will be adding 26 more by end 2011. We expect to have around 100 dealerships in 55 cities by December 2012.”Renault India, thus, promises to offer pure luxury to the Indian customers in the form of Koleos SUV and has sincere plans to make it big in the Indian market.

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Source: www.cartradeindia.com 10-9-11

Tagged – ‘Q Class Hatch’ – Etios Liva is stylishly designed and portrays a youthful and sporty image. The stylish, sporty and trendy Etios Liva has been designed to appeal to today’s youth. Etios Liva will carry forward the ‘Q’ Class experience from Etios and will offer Toyota’s legendary QDR standard – Quality, Durability and Reliability at an affordable price. Etios Liva is Toyota’s endeavour to offer the best suited car for the Indian customer at an affordable price, while providing a vehicle that is “one class above”.

Etios Liva will be available in four variants, J, G, V and VX, competitively priced between 4,12,604 and 5,97,757 ex-showroom Mumbai. The product highlights include youthful and sporty design, best-in-class cabin space, superior ride comfort and best-in-class fuel efficiency.Etios Liva was launched by Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa (Managing Director, TKM), Mr. Sandeep Singh (Deputy Managing Director-Marketing, TKM) and Mr. Koji Nagata (Executive Managing Coordinator, TKM.

The company had earlier announced the unit localization project for Etios, which involves setting up a new engine plant and expanding the existing transmission plant. Approximately 100,000 engines will be produced per year starting in the third quarter of 2012 and approximately 240,000 transmissions per year starting in early 2013.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa, MD, TKM, said “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our Etios customers. After the good response received by the Etios, we further expanded our production in order to cater to the huge demand. The annual production capacity will be increased to 2,10,000 units by the second quarter of 2012.

In line with our ‘customer first philosophy’, we wish to keep our customers happy and satisfied by understanding the customer’s preferences and enhancing the product by incorporating their feedback. With the Etios Liva we have now entered the mass volume segment. Toyota vehicles are now available to all aspirational buyers in the middle income group. The Etios has been well accepted by our customers. We hope the Etios Liva will further reinforce the Toyota brand in India, making Toyota a household name

At Toyota, we truly believe in growing with the society. We wish to sell many more vehicles and contribute to the growth of the Indian automobile industry. Entering into the mass volume segment will help us realize this aim.”Talking about the Etios Sales and Marketing strategy in India, Sandeep Singh, DMD-Marketing, TKM, said ” The marketing campaign for the Etios Liva is exciting, innovative and abreast with the latest marketing tools, digital initiatives and promotions. Promotional activities targeting the youth have been planned in the popular youth hangouts like malls, pubs and also in colleges. Music maestro A R Rahman, the Brand Ambassador for Etios and Etios Liva has composed a special tune for Etios Liva ad campaign. He will also feature in a trendy music video. The music composed by Rahman, captures the spirit of today’s youth and the sporty image of Etios Liva – “Bari Humari Hai” (Its our turn now). Watch out for Rahman’s Etios Liva tune in the TV commercial and the music video on your television screens starting today. It is also available on our website www.toyotaetiosliva.inand www.toyotabharat.com.

We have more than 20,000 happy Etios customers across the nation. Etios has been received well and appreciated by our customers. The sale for Etios was overwhelming, as we sold more than we actually planned. We have brought down the waiting period to less than a month by increasing the production. We look forward to serving more and more customers with Etios Liva and hope that we continue to delight our customers with the Q Class experience. Etios Liva will go on sale and is on display at all our dealerships starting today. We currently have 158 dealerships and will expand our dealer network to 175 by the end of this year. We aim to come closer to our customers and help them avail the best of Toyota’s “Q” Class Service. ”

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Source: IIFL 29-6-2011

Says Arvind Saxena, Director, Marketing and Sales, HMI, “We want to be seen as a manufacturer with a full line-up and will now continue to focus on the entire market, including the premium end. We already had a huge customer base, but needed to expand our premium-end options for customers who wanted to move up from our entry products such as the small cars or sedans such as the Verna and Accent. It also showcases our technological capabilities, while giving existing and potential customers confidence about the company.”

Underlining the importance of the Santa Fe in its product strategy, Hyundai launched the SUV in an elaborate ceremony in the middle of Rajasthan’s Thar desert, some 150 km from Jodhpur. Asked what prompted the company to think of an out-of-the-box launch, Saxena says that the desert reflects the spirit and purpose of the quintessential SUV. “The desert gives a feeling of sportiness and ruggedness – the challenging terrain reflects the personality of the Santa Fe,” he elaborated.

Imported as completely-built-units from Korea, the Santa Fe (Rs 21-23 lakh) targets the rapidly growing SUV segment in India. The SUV market is witnessing a higher growth than the overall car industry at 70-80 per cent annual growth. Currently, the Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Endeavour are the bestsellers in SUVs, say industry experts.As Saxena explains, “There has been a lot of interest in the Indian market for SUVs. We had been looking for options and were deciding between the new Tucson (iX35) and the Santa Fe. We chose the latter because the market here prefers bigger SUVs. If the volumes are encouraging, we may evaluate importing knocked down kits, which would help in reducing prices.”

Industry watchers say the Santa Fe has much higher relevance for brand Hyundai in the long-term, as it tries to break away from the mould of being just a small car maker in India. Globally, Hyundai has found success across the product range with premium products like the Genesis sedan and the Equus luxury saloon, but in India the brand is identified largely as a maker of small cars and mid-size sedans. As the global markets get further integrated and the Indian market grows, it is important that Hyundai builds a strong reputation across segments.”

Hyundai’s offering in the segment, which has come about after more than a year of study, boasts of the highest horsepower (197 bhp) in the Rs 17-23 lakh price range. It also tries to justify the higher price over its close and established competitors by adding a host of features such as the Electronic Stability Program, Traction Control System, a six-speed manual gearbox and roll-over sensors besides segment standards such as an anti-lock braking system and airbags. It is targeting yearly sales of 600-800 units for the premium SUV.

As Saxena explains, “Our product is best-in-segment in terms of power, safety and performance. Low presence of the brand image in the premium segment may be a bit of a challenge, but we’re aiming to get a reasonable share of the market.”To create excitement among potential customers of the Santa Fe, Hyundai is initially advertising in mostly newspapers and magazines. Besides, it is also marketing the SUV on various Web sites and search engines. It is, however, yet to launch a TV ad as the company feels it will not be able to match the demand created by a major nationwide advertorial campaign.

“TV ads may come by next year depending on the market response. Right now, we have low supply of cars from Korea, so advertising a lot may mean that we will not be able to match up to (potential) high demand. We’re positioning it in the luxury crossover segment and may later associate with premium events and sport such as golf. That will bring us closer to the target customers,” says a top official in Hyundai’s advertising team.

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Source: Business Line 28-10-2010

When contacted Tata Motor’s spokesperson said:  “The company does not provide any guidance on its product plans.”Experts say having a presence in the compact car is absolutely critical for Tata Motors as it is one segment where it is absent. The segment constitutes close to 50 percent of the total small car market. However, the bigger question is whether the entry a little too late.“I think a lot of people will get into that get segment but I don’t think it is too late for Tata Motors to enter in that segment. I think Tata Motors has its strength of engineering a car at a low cost and they will be able to make profits and this segment will play to its strength,” said Hormazd Sorabjee, editor of Auto Car India.

The rural demand would only drive the growth in the segment.”India is a very under penetrated market and upbeat rural growth certainly means there would be a strong demand. The rural demand is primarily into the compact segment. Rural consumers want cars which are durable, long lasting and have a lower cost of operation and that only Maruti and Tata Motors can offer,” said Prayesh Jain, an auto analyst at India Infoline.
Industry sources say it is Tata Motors’ farewell gift to Ratan Tata. The engineers are making it sure that the new car does not face any teething troubles like the Indica and the Nano did. However, what remains to be seen is its success as by the time of its launch the market will be already flooded by similar cars by global majors.

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Source:NDTV 12/4/10

The company said it will be exporting the car from India to various markets across the globe, with South Africa being the initial target. “For years, we have been seen as offering only premium priced products in India, and that has kept us as a small player operating in only 20 per cent of the market. With Figo, customers will see a premium product offered to the mainstream market at an affordable price,” Ford India executive Director (Marketing, Sales and Service) Nigel Wark told reporters here.

The car would be available with a 1.2 litre petrol and a 1.4 litre diesel engines. While the entry-level version of the petrol variant will come at Rs 3.5 lakh, the diesel one is priced at Rs 4.48 lakh.
The company claimed that the car would give a mileage of 15.6 kilometre and 20 kilometre in every litre in the petrol and diesel versions, respectively. The company is also looking at making India an export hub for the small car.

The large swept back headlamps, recessed fog lamps and the cleverly integrateed indicators are all hallmarks of a typical Kinetic design new generation Ford. The eye-catcher that runs from the indicator to the tail is angular, rather than a straight line, to reduce any visual heaviness that the car might have otherwise created.
“We are preparing for export and South Africa will be the first market where Figo will go out of India. We will be adding more markets to Figo’s list later,” Ford India Managing Director Michael Boneham said. The Figo would be produced at Ford India’s Chennai plant which has an annual capacity of two lakh units. “Other variants of the petrol engine are slated to be produced at the plant for eventual use in the global markets,” Ford India said.

The company started work on the small car in 2007 and the global unveiling of the Figo was done in September last year during the India visit of Ford Motor Company President and CEO Alan Mulally.
“We will become a significant player in the compact car segment with this car,” Mulally had said during the occasion. He had further added: “Our plan for India involves accelerating development of fuel efficient small cars. The small car market in India will double in the next one decade.” Currently small cars account for over 72 per cent of the 1.22 million units sold in India.

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Source: Times of India 9/3/2010

Delivery of the New Polo petrol model would begin in March, the statement said, while the diesel car would be available from May. The New Polo is being manufactured at the Volkswagen plant at Chakan, near the southern city of Pune. The plant has an annual production capacity of 110,000 cars. India recently overtook Japan as the largest market for compact and sub-compact cars, at nearly 892,000 units in 2009, according to the marketing information firm JD Power and Associates.As developed country markets go slow on economic recovery, carmakers like US giants Ford Motor Co and General Motors Co, South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co and France’s Renault SA along with Volkswagen are all competing for a share of India’s growing market.

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Source: Economic Times 24/2/2010

The company would launch both hatchback and sedan under the Etios series with 1.2 litres and 1.5 litres petrol engines respectively, he said. Nakagawa said though the price of the car would be decided before the official launch, its hatch back version would be in the range of Maruti Swift and Ritz, while the sedan version would compete with Tata Manza and Maruti Dezire in the B segment category.

The company, which is present in India through a joint venture with Kirloskar Group, has invested over Rs 3,200 crore to set up its second manufacturing facility in Bangalore for Etios with an initial capacity of 70,000 units per year. “The manufacturing capacity is spread over 425 acre and based on customer response after the Etios rolls out, the manufacturing capacity of the plant could be increased to nearly 200,000 units per year,” Nakagawa added.

Etios has been developed by Toyota specifically for the Indian market and would be manufactured to cater first for the domestic demand and would then be exported. “Most of our cars have been designed for the American and European markets first and then modified for the Indian market. But Etios has been designed specifically for the Indian conditions,” TKM Executive Managing Coordinator Koji Nagata said. The company has been developing the model for the last four years with the help of over 2,000 engineers from its Indian and Japanese operations.

“The preparation for launching the small car is on track. The plan conception, supply to our base and dealer network expansion is going on,” Nagata said. The Etios is an attractive, high quality and affordable car, he said, adding that a lot of parts are being manufactured locally, which has enabled the company to bring down the price to a competitive level. When asked about the Indian market, Nagata said it was very important and big for Toyota and it is expected to grow by up to four million units by 2015 in the country. The company plans to expand dealerships to 150 by the end of 2010 from 97 outlets now, he added.

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Economictimes:20/2/2010