Auto Monitor - 2 July 2012

Page 1

I N D I A ’ S N O . 1 M A G A Z I N E F O R A U T O M O T I V E N E W S , V I E W S & A N A LY S I S

Auto Monitor ns Tur w No

ly k e We

Vol. 12 No. 19

2 July 2012

w w w.am o n l i n e.i n

32 Pages

FOCUS

` 50

STUDY

TESTING

INDIAN CV INDUSTRY: STARING AT A SLOWDOWN Pg 14

Pg 17

GM aboard new Cruze to Sail across rough tide Nabeel A Khan New Delhi

G

M India is looking to sustain the excitement in the premium car segment and has recently launched the all-new diesel Chevrolet Cruze and a new diesel variant of Chevrolet Captiva. The company also plans to phase out its Aveo and AveoUVA range by September this year and launch new Sail hatchback and sedan versions. “In order to create excitement in the market, we will launch the Sail in both hatchback and sedan versions in the next few months, which will replace the Aveo U-VA hatchback and Aveo sedan,” said President & Managing Director, GM India, Lowell Paddock. It will also foray into the light com-

mercial vehicle segment (truck) under the Enjoy badge in the third quarter of this fiscal. The truck will be produced from Halol, Gujarat plant.

Changing Preferences The carmakers’ decision is in keeping with the change in the enhanced demand of the diesel vehicles, as both the above models of vehicles launched, both have a diesel powertrain. “We would be targeting the premium hatchback and small sedan market with the Sail brand and bringing both diesel and petrol offerings to cater to a larger group of customers,” Paddock added. On asking if the government accepts the recent recommendation for levying additional excise duty on diesel vehicle, Vice President GM India, P Balendran

GM Launched The New Chevrolet Cruze In New Delhi

New Cruze The Cruz comes with a new two-litre diesel engine in three variants with seven exterior colours options—the LT and LTZ with GM’s next-generation six-speed manual transmission and the LTZ with an automatic transmission. The car has been priced between `12.5 and `15.05 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The new Cruze is powered by new FAM Z two-litre diesel engine. It features a common rail fuel injection system and advanced electronically controlled Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) with an intercooler. According to the company, the engine provides maximum low-speed boost for high torque and power density with higher elasticity across the RPM range. The company claims that 16-valve DOHC

engine generates peak power of 166 ps at 3,800 RPM and peak torque of 380 nm at 2,000 RPM, enabling the Cruze to accelerate from 0 to 100 kmh in less than nine seconds. A two-piece oil pan with an acoustic metal lower section and a Balance Shaft Module (BSM) with twin counter-rotating balance shafts in the oil sump reduce noise, vibration and harshness. “We expect the newest member of the Cruze family to continue to exceed the expectations of car buyers and stand out against the competition in its segment,” President & Managing Director, GM India, Lowell Paddock said. The car will be produced at Halol facility in Gujarat, which has an installed capacity of 85,000 units annually.

Chevrolet Captiva GM Ind ia lau nched Chevrolet Captiva with 2.2 litre engine mated to an automatic transmission for `24.59 lakh. It comes with 5 + 2 Flexi Seating arrangement, which can comfortably accommodate seven adults and can be transformed into a adaptable luggage carrier. Its fold-flat seating arrangement provides up to 1,565 litre of cargo volume. Other amenities include cruise control,

third-row heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, an electric parking brake, rainsensing wipers and a sunroof. Additionally, it is equipped with a level ride suspension system, which automatically maintains nominal ride height under differing load conditions—a feature that offers assured road clearance as well as optimal ride quality for passengers.

Avtec-Assag gear-up for technology solutions

DATA MONITOR Top 5 CV Makers Company

told Auto Monitor that “We don’t see any likelihood of `1.7 lakh additional duty being levied and even if it happens, the demand for the diesel car will not stagnate.” The demand for both Aveo and UVA has fallen in the last few months as these two cars were available only in petrol variants. To avoid any inventory build-up amid the current slowdown in the domestic automobile market, it will adjust production by having no production days at its factories like many other car makers. Commenting on the Spark, the company officials said that it may relaunch the vehicle with some new design features around the festive month to spike up the sales. The carmaker’s smallest car (Spark) offered in India experienced a steep fall in sales to the tune of 78 percent to 1,541 units in the first two (April-May) months of the fiscal compared to the same period the previous fiscal. While GM India’s total sales dropped 24 percent to 13,978 cars in the like period. The carmaker also feels that the falling rupee might force it to pass on the burden to the customers. “We expect that if the rupee continues to devaluate, then in the next few months the carmakers will have to announce some price hikes as the declining rupee is causing an increase in the price of vehicles,” Balendran said.

May-11

May-12

Change

TML

34,044

34,505 1.35%

M&M

8,694

10,930

25.72%

ALL

5,082

7,717

51.85%

VECV EICHER

3,206

3,432

7.05%

FML

1,658

1,991

20.08%

Top 5 CV Exporters Company

May-11

May-12

Change

TML

6,287

3,709

-41.01%

M&M

1,283

3,055

138.11%

ALL

643

930

44.63%

VECV Eicher

309

155

-49.84%

SML Isuzu

64

10

-84.38%

* Source: SIAM/ ** Excluding exports/ *** all sub segments considered/ ^ excluding MRPL

Nabeel A Khan New Delhi

A

vtec, a CK Birla Group company, involved in powertrain manufacturing, and Assag, Switzerland have entered into a strategic partnership agreement recently. Assag is a face gear technology provider with several patents to its credit and a solution provider for high precision and high quality gears. The know-how of Assag and the capabilities of Avtec will complement each other and create synergies. In an exclusive tele-call with Auto Monitor from Switzerland during the event in progress, MD,

facility in Netherlands, which together offers the perfect synergy to Avtec.” He continued, “Our clients include Audi, Porche among automobiles and Varian Medical Systems among other companies. Assag is known for its innovaton and high technology products in Europe and Avtec shall greatly benefit from the tie-up.” Stefan Schoen shall Prabhakar Kadapa, MD, Avtec continue to lead the Avtec, P Kadapa stated, “Assag’s organisation along with S design and development centre Muralidhar, an experienced is based in Switzerland, and it manufacturing management has a proto build manufacturing professional, who will be joining

him in due course. Chairman, Avtec Ltd, CK Birla said, “I am highly delighted with the value added synergy, which will transform both the organisations, offer end-to-end solutions to the customers and provide knowledge enrichment and greater career progression opportunities to the employees.” “This partnership shall reinforce Avtec’s commitment to customers as a one-stop solution from concept to design, prototyping and series production. It would bring to the customers better technology, world class quality, on time delivery at competitive prices,” the company said in a release.


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