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
Vol. 12 No. 41
w w w. a mo n li n e . i n
3 December 2012
FOCUS
32 Pages
` 50
INTERVIEW
TESTING
NEWS IN BRIEF New Range Rover launch
L
and Rover has announced the launch of the fourth generation Range Rover. At just under five metres, the new Range Rover has a similar footprint to the outgoing model, with a drag coefficient starting from 0.34 – the roofline sits 20mm lower in access mode. With over 118mm more legroom, the rear compartment offers more space and comfort, with the option of the desirable new two-seat executive class seating package for the ultimate in rear-seat luxury.
It is equipped with next-generation version of Land Rover’s Terrain Response system, which analyses the current driving conditions and automatically select the most suitable vehicle settings. It features an all-aluminium monocoque body structure which is 39 percent lighter than the steel body in the outgoing model. Weight savings throughout the chassis and driveline, the lightweight structure contributes to a model-for-model weight saving of up to 350kg compared to the outgoing vehicle.
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Anoop Prakash, Managing Director, Harley Davidson India
Top 5 2W Makers Company
Oct-11
Oct-12
Change
HML
494,201
515,242
4.26%
Bajaj Auto
244,468
261,771
7.08%
HMSI
171,814
236,062 37.39%
TVS
159,887
170,139
6.41%
Suzuki
11,256
36,194
221.55%
Top 5 2W Exporters Company
Oct-11
Change
Bajaj Auto
106,580
99,415
-6.72%
TVS
20,323
16,103
-20.76% 119.56%
HMSI
6,550
14,381
HML
18,037
13,973
-22.53%
IYM
9,011
10,166
12.82%
* Source: SIAM/ ** Excluding exports/ *** all sub segments considered/ ^ excluding MRPL
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Fiat edges out Manza. Making space for Jeep? Tie up with Tata Motors confined mainly to engines Anand Mohan Mumbai
F
iat CEO Ser g io Marchionne’s announcement about bringing the Jeep brand to India has created quite a stir at Fiat India. The announcement was preceded by conclusion of the sales JV with Tata Motors in May this year. Recently, industry sources have confirmed that production of Tata’s Manza will be shifted from Fiat’s Ranjangaon plant to Tata’s manufacturing facility in Pimpri. Sharing the Ranjangaon facility has helped Tata Motors maintain the quality of the Manza. The practices of Fiat, being a European manufacturer, appear to have rubbed off on the Manza. It will be interesting to see how Tata Motors will continue to maintain the quality levels of the Manza on their own. On Fiat’s part, it will continue to supply the 1.3 Multijet engine to Tata. However, Tata does have a reason for worry in the future. If sales of Fiat cars increase or if the company bags more orders from other manufacturers for the Multijet, Fiat could curtail sup-
The JV between Tata and Fiat was believed to be an understanding that Tata would undertake sales and service, while Fiat would manage production of the Manza. ply of the engines to Tata Motors, which could hurt the manufacturer. Demand for the Multijet engine has skyrocketed in the past year with new mass market cars from Maruti and Chevrolet also sourcing from Fiat. The engine plant runs on optimum capacity and although capacity can be ramped up, Fiat is at will to prioritise supplies to whosoever it pleases. Currently, Tata Motors needs Fiat more than Fiat needs Tata Motors. The JV between Tata Motors and Fiat was believed to be an understanding that TML would undertake sales and service responsibilities, while Fiat would manage production of the Manza at their plant. Tata’s
failure on the sales and service front has ended the sales JV, and now manufacturing of the Manza is also coming to an end at the Fiat plant, signaling the end of a failed tie-up between the two brands. Marchionne’s news on introduction of the Jeep brand in India means that Fiat could be making space for its own future models at the plant. This development goes hand in hand with more announcements expected to be made by Mike Manley, President and CEO, Jeep and Chrysler
Group LLC, and Chief Operating Officer, Fiat-Chrysler Asia Pacific at a press conference to be held in Mumbai soon. Industry watchers are expecting announcements with regards to Jeep operations in India. In the coming months, the entire assembly line of the Tata Manza will be shifted to Pimpri. In order to make space for the Manza, production of some slowselling models will be shifted to Tata’s 953 acre Pantnagar facility where it currently manufactures the Ace and the Magic.
ZF to offer compelling proposition with AMT Abhishek Parekh Shanghai, China
DATA MONITOR
Oct-12
“We garner a 40 percent year on year growth”
Z
F Friedrichshafen AG is looking to introduce Automated Ma nua l Transmission (AMT) in the Indian market considering that it has a rising vehicle population. It is in talks with passenger car manufacturers in India to introduce the product. The company is in advanced discussions with a Chinese OEM as well as a European car manufacturer for supplying the transmission systems. “We have the capability to offer a costeffective AMT for around $150 over and above the cost of a manual transmission and we feel this is a compelling value proposition for any manufacturer. We are in discussions with OEMs across
Asia Pacific as well,” said Dr Peter Ottenbruch, Member of the Board of Management, Corporate Operations and Technology, ZF Friedrichshafen AG. He added that AMT offered additional functionalities like stop-start, cruising with open drive train, and hill holding. He added that automatic transmission has yet to be adopted significantly in India and AMT could prove to be a cost effective option. The share of sales in Asia Pacific has grown from 14 percent in 2007 to 18 percent in 2012 and the company expects to grow to 22 percent by 2017. Sales in Asia Pacific grew by around 25 percent from January to August 2012 as compared to the corresponding period last year. The company also introduced nine-speed front transverse
The company is in advanced discussions with a Chinese OEM and a European manufacturer for the systems. transmission that would come into serial production at the company’s Gray Court facility near South Carolina in the US. It provides better fuel economy with enhanced driving performance with double shifts and direct multiple gearshifts. “We have been working towards reduction of dependency on the core market of Western Europe and have been looking to grow our presence in
Peter Ottenbruch, Member of the Board of Management, Corporate Operations and Technology, ZF Friedrichshafen AG
growth markets with suitable products,” said Dr Ottenbruch. ZF Friedrichshafen AG has been one of the more prolific patent applicants among auto component manufacturers in Europe with 629 patent applications filed in 2011.