Motown India August 2015

VOL-5 • ISSUE-11 • AUGUST 2015

50

INDIA

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FIRST DRIVES

GIANTS CROSS PATH • NEW MAHINDRA THAR • SUZUKI S-CROSS • HYUNDAI CRETA

FIRST DRIVE FORD FIGO ASPIRE

Forceful RFC 2015 DRIVEN

BMW i8 Yamaha Saluto Yamaha Fascino Hero Electric E-Sprint

GENERAL MOTORS GETS READY WITH US $1 BN WAR CHEST FOR INDIA MARY BARRA, CEO, GENERAL MOTORS

RA SUV TUV300 - ALL NEW MAHIND

B2B SECTION Pages 59 - 74

TYRE SPECIAL PAGES 62- 70

P. THARYAN

I

t’s the Age of SUVs in India. When I say SUVs, it could be blue blooded SUVs, or SUV clones or crossovers. What makes these vehicles appealing are their aggressive looks, plenty of comfort features and an affordable price. The less-than-Rs-10-lakh market in India is booming big time when it comes to crossovers and SUVs. The Maruti Suzuki S-Cross, the Hyundai Creta, the new

Thar DRDe from Mahidnra, they are all trying to woo the smart and savvy Indian, who wants to drive a comfortable vehicle, yet should have a macho look about it. We drove all three vehicles and have written a lot about each. All three are great vehicles and each offers a different set of values.

While we were wrapping up the issue, in came the news that Mahindra would be launching a brand new SUV by the name of TUV300. Obviously, it would be the little brother of XUV500. The TUV300, whose sketch was revealed by the company, looks to be a solid tank like vehicle. This is just the beginning, says the company.

More vehicles built on new platforms are going to be introduced by the company in India, for the domestic market as well as the global markets. It’s high time that the company brought in new products. There is no denying the fact that the company is an SUV behemoth, lording over the off-road terrain in India.

So as to prove that its new Thar CRDE is a champion of sorts, the company invited journalists from several publications including Motown India for an off-road drive at the Mahindra Adventure Off Road Training Academy in Igatpuri near Nashik in the state of Maharashtra. It was a great experience, to say the least.

Adventure continues in our pages in the form of an extensive coverage on the Force Gurkha Rain Forest Challenge (RFC) 2015 held in Goa. This was second year running for this mother of all off-road events. As expected the heavily modified Force Gurkha vehicles driven by experienced overseas drivers came in first and second.

The Gurkha proved its mettle once again and so did our young correspondent Rahul Kapoor who defied exhaustion, mosquito bites, icky insects and inhospitable terrains to cover the week-long event in the forests of Goa. Last but not least, we have some exciting news from General Motors and the announcement comes from none other but the powerful lady at the company’s helm of affairs Ms. Mary Barra who was in India. It was her second visit to the country in a span of 12 months. We also have a smart “Tyre Special” besides several other interesting news from across the industry.

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Editor

EDITOR P. Tharyan -----------------------------------News Coordinator Jisha P Senior Photographer Mohd. Nasir Correspondents Joshua David Luther, Rahul Kapoor S. Madhavan, Tripti Singh, Jasbeer Kohli Web Correspondents Avdesh Kumar, Seema Paul ------------------------------------------For Editorial contact editorial@motownindia.com editorial.motown@gmail.com ------------------------------------------For Marketing & Sales contact Jisha P - Head-Operations Joshua David Luther - Manager Business Strategy (advertising.motown@gmail.com / +91-9958125645, 9811097399) ------------------------------------------Sheeja Sasindran - Regional Head Ad Sales (Chennai Office - 98849 50491) ------------------------------------------For Accounts Contact Ankit Sharma (ankit@motownindia.com / +91-9654005547) ------------------------------------------For Circulation & Subscription Contact Dalip Singh Bagdwal (subscription@motownindia.com / +91-9811305822) ------------------------------------------Editorial Delhi Office 145 B/9, First Floor, Kishangarh, Next to United Free Church, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110070, Tel: 011-26122758/59, Tele Fax: 011-26122757 ------------------------------------------Distributed By Central News Agency, New Delhi ------------------------------------------EDITORIAL CONTENT The publisher makes every effort to ensure that the contents in the magazine are correct. However, he can accept no responsibility for any effects from errors or omissions. Any unauthorised reproduction of Motown India content is strictly forbidden.

------------------------------------------Motown India is printed, published, edited and owned by Punnoose Tharyan and published from 4058 / D-4, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110070. Printed at Pearl Printers, C-105, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase 1, New Delhi.

------------------------------------------This issue of Motown India magazine contains 76 pages including both covers.

------------------------------------------Editorial Advisors Salil Sharma, Alexander .T & Annie Jacob

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August 2015 I 3

Contents

FORCE GURKHA RAIN FOREST CHALLENGE INDIA 2015

18

5

MAHINDRA TUV300 - A NEW SUV BY SEPTEMBER 2015

26

HYUNDAI CRETA ROAD TEST REVIEW

38

BMW i8 ROAD TEST REVIEW

6

THREE NEW MERCEDESBENZ INDIA LAUNCHES

30

FORD FIGO ASPIRE ROAD TEST REVIEW

46

HERO ELECTRIC E-SPRINT ROAD TEST REVIEW

22

SUZUKI S-CROSS ROAD TEST REVIEW

34

NEW MAHIDRA THAR CRDe ROAD TEST REVIEW

62

TYRE SPECIAL

GENERAL MOTORS GETS READY WITH US $1 BILLION WAR CHEST FOR INDIA 4 I August 2015

www.motownindia.com

59

INDIA NEWS TUV300, MAHINDRA’S all new SUV by September 2015 The compact SUV segment space in India is just getting better by the day. Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd has announced that its much awaited SUV with project code U301 has been named Mahindra TUV300.

This sub-four metre SUV, earlier codenamed U301 will go on sale in September 2015.

Pronounced as TUV, 3 double ‘Oh’, the ‘T’ in TUV300 stands for ‘TOUGH’ to highlight the tough and stylish SUV design. The numeric ‘300’ represents the series name.

In the span of next few months, the company will launch at least three new SUVs all under Rs 10 lakh with varying sizes and capabilities. The TUV300, built on a new platform will be manufactured in M&M’s Chakan plant near Pune in the state of Maharashtra. While the designing was done in-house, the company had got in Italian design house

Pininfarina as a consultant. The vehicle will also be exported within a year once the company starts producing left hand drive models.

The design of the tough and stylish Mahindra TUV300 has been inspired by a battle tank.

Raised shoulders, high front nose, flat roof, high ground clearance, and straight bonnet give the Mahindra TUV300 an iconic true blue SUV silhouette.

The new Mahindra TUV300 will be powered by the Mahindra mHawK engine.

True to the tough and rugged DNA of Mahindra vehicles, the Mahindra TUV300 is an all new SUV platform. The Mahindra TUV300 has been designed and developed in-house by the

Mahindra design team.

The research and development of Mahindra TUV300 has been carried out at the world class Mahindra Research Valley (MRV) in Chennai.

The company stated that

all research and development activities for this SUV were planned with global standards of quality, technology, testing norms, safety, regulations and emissions from the very start to delight the customer.

MAHINDRA adds new features to THAR CRDe; Price 8.25 lakh

MAHINDRA new gen Scorpio AT for 13.13 lakh

Mahindra & Mahindra, leaders in the sports utility vehicle (SUV) segment, has launched a new Thar 4X4 CRDe for Rs 8.25 lakh (ex showroom Delhi).

The vehicle was launched officially in Nasik in the state of Maharashtra in the presence of Pravin Shah, President and Chief Executive (Automotive), Mahindra & Mahindra and other senior officials of the company including Vivek Nayer, Chief Marketing Officer, M&M. Though the Thar comes in two variants---one powered by a 2498cc

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd has launched an Automatic variant of its New Generation Scorpio. Available on the top-end S10 variant of the New Generation Scorpio, the Automatic offering is priced at Rs.13.13 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi, 2WD). The Scorpio also comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission with 4WD as an option. Launched in September 2014, the New Generation Scorpio has been built on an all-new platform with cushion suspension and anti-roll technologies and comes with contemporary, more aggressive exterior styling, luxurious blue-grey interiors and advanced technology features.

It has new LED eyebrows, new cushion suspension and anti-roll technologies and is fitted with a powerful 2.2 litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged mHawk engine.

CRDe engine and the other a 2523cc DI engine (both diesel), it is only the former that has got an upgrade.

No changes have been made to the DI engine variant.

Significant improvements and additions have made to the CRDe model on the exterior as well as the interior, including some savvy technical enhancements. Enhanced exteriors include new front and rear bumpers, new muscular wheel arches, new clear lens headlamps, redesigned side footsteps and canopy. It’s the interiors that now have a premium touch and feel to it. There is a new dual tone dashboard, new steering wheel and door trims with arm rests, redesigned AC vents, new floor console with cup holders, new windshield demister, new gear knob, 12V charging point, provision for 2DIN music system and lockable glove box.

Technically, the much needed enhancement comes in the form of a mechanical locking rear differential that engages automatically without driver intervention and provides enhanced off-road capability. .

The features that continue to remain in the new Thar are the 44 degree approach angle and 27 degree departure angle, 4WD with high and low ratios, a 2500 cc CRDe engine and a ground clearance of 200mm.

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August 2015 I 5

INDIA NEWS MERCEDES AMG S63 Coupe, AMG G63 ‘Crazy Colour’ Edition, S500 Coupe in India

Mercedes Benz has launched the AMG S63 Coupe, AMG G63 ‘Crazy Colour’ Edition and the S500 Coupe in India. The company has taken this initiative to address the growing need for exclusivity and customisation in the Indian market. While the AMG S63 Coupe will cost Rs.2,60,00,000 (ex-showroom Delhi), the AMG G63 ‘Crazy Colour’ Edition will cost Rs.2,17,00,000 (ex-showroom Delhi) and the S500 Coupe will cost Rs.2,00,00,000 (exshowroom Delhi).

Mercedes Benz set a product strategy of ’15 in 15’ and has launched nine new products this year. The company has never launched three cars in a single day before this and this intense product drive re-affirms the company’s determination to provide Indian customers with the best from their global portfolio. Mercedes Benz has sold 6,659 units in India this year and has recorded a growth of 41pc.

The new Mercedes Benz AMG S63 Coupe features a 5461cc V8 Petrol engine which produces 585bhp @ 5500rpm and an earth shaking torque of 900Nm @ 2250-3750rpm.

6 I August 2015

The AMG S63 will go from 0-100kmph in 4.2 seconds and has an electronically governed top speed of 250kmph. The S500 4MATIC Coupe has a 4663cc V8 Petrol motor which produces 455hp @ 5250-5500rpm and produces 700Nm of torque @ 1800-3500rpm.

The S500 Coupe can go from 0-100 in 4.6 seconds and has a electronically limited top speed of 250kmph. The Massive AMG G63 features a 5461cc V8 Petrol mill which produces 544bhp @ 5500rpm and 760Nm of torque from 2000-5000rpm. This beast will go from 0-100kmph in 5.4 seconds and has a top speed of 210kmph.

Mercedes Benz has also launched the ‘designo’ app for the iPad in India. This app will enable a specially trained sales force to create hundreds of different customisations and combinations for customers. Using this app the customers will be able to improve the look of their car and also receive an instant price quote for the model they have designed. Customers can customise the paint finishes, interior appointment and trims on their cars.

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INDIA NEWS BMW launches the X3 M Sport in India for 59.9 lakh BMW has now launched the M Sport version of the X3 xDrive30d in India for Rs. 59.9 lakh ex- showroom Delhi.The X3 M Sport will feature a 3-litre four pot TwinPower Turbo diesel engine. The sporty variant of the X3 has 258bhp and 560 Nm of torque with the engine mated to an 8-Speed Steptronic Sport Automatic Transmission that shoots the scaled down SUV from 0-100kmph in just under six seconds with a top speed of 232kmph. The X3 M Sport gets the usual gizmos as all other Beamers get like BMW ConnectedDrive, iDrive, Navigation Professional with a 25.9 cm colour display with 3D maps, high-end Surround Sound system from Harman Kardon and Connectivity through Bluetooth and USB devices. Park Distance Control (PDC) rear and front along with rear view camera come as standard features. Exactly like all other BMWs, this one also get same the Drive Select Modes with ECOPRO, Comfort, Sport and Sport+ settings to suit the needs of the drivers. However, with the M Sport package in the X3, which is available to buy as of now, buyers will get the M Aerodynamic Package. The front and back bumpers will come in the same paint as the body with the diffuser insert in Dark Shadow metallic and side sills with big ‘M’ badges on the sides. The M Sport Package caters to not only blinging up the outside, but the inside as well. The interior gets sports seats at the front, with cloth and leather upholstery. The steering is wrapped in something called M Leather as opposed to regular leather, we presume. It has a panoramic sunroof.

MASERATI re-enters India with cars starting from 1.1 Crore Italian luxury car manufacturer Maserati has announced its re-entry into the Indian market. The company will be bringing in the new Ghibli for a starting price of Rs. 1.1 crore, the Quattroporte for Rs. 1.5 crore, the Quattroporte GTS for Rs. 2.2 crore, the GranTurismo for Rs. 1.8 crore and the GranCabrio for Rs. 2 crore.

Maserati will enter the Indian market using its synergies within the FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) Group and will operate out of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles India (FCAI). The company has planned to open three dealerships in the major cities of India -- New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore by the third quarter of 2015.

AMP Supercars Pvt. Ltd., Bagga Luxury Motorcars LLP and Jubilant Autoworks Pvt. Ltd. will represent Maserati in the respective areas of New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Maserati also plans to open dedicated service facilities, which will be fully in sync with the company’s global standards. The Indian market bears significant potential to Maserati’s growth strategy. The Italian manufacturer has increased in its global annual sales to 36,500 units in 2014 by entering new markets and adding new vehicles to its product portfolio. The GranTurismo and GranCabrio were joined by the 6th generation of the Quattroporte and the new Ghibli.

The Ghibli is Maserati’s first four-door sports executive sedan in the E-segment. All models are being produced in Maserati’s native Italy.

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VOLVO S60 T6 Petrol launched in India for 42 lakh Volvo Auto India has launched the S60 sedan with the T6 petrol engine in the country at a price of Rs. 42 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).The T6 is a 4 cylinder turbo charged petrol 1965cc engine which produces 306bhp and a massive 400Nm of torque.

With the 8-speed automatic gearbox the S60 T6 has a top speed of 230kmph and will do 0-10kmph in 5.6 seconds. The S60 also features 18-inch alloy wheels which enhance the visual appeal of this car.The interiors of the car have been finished with wood and leather giving it a sophisticated warm feel. The car comes with an Adaptive Digital Display which uses an active TFT (Thin Film Transistor) crystal display to bring the driver personalised information in three different themes -- Elegance, Eco and Performance. The S60 also has a feature IntelliSafe which is Volvo’s blanket name for all active safety systems. It also has the City Safety feature which is active at speeds up to 50 kmph.

City Safety automatically applies the car’s brakes if the driver does not react in time when the car in front slows down or stops - or if the S60 is approaching a stationary vehicle too fast.

HYUNDAI Creta SUV launched for 8.59 Lakh Hyundai Motor India Ltd. has launched their global sub-compact SUV -- Creta in Delhi for a starting price of Rs. 8,59,558 (ex-showroom Delhi). The Creta is Hyundai’s first vehicle in the growing sub-compact SUV segment and offers a boosting Hyundai Motor’s product line up. The company also offers a warranty with 3 Years Unlimited Kilometres to all Creta customers. The Creta will be available in three engine variants – a 1.6L, Gamma Dual VTVT Petrol, a 1.6L, U2, CRDi VGT (MT/AT) Diesel and a 1.4L, U2, CRDi Diesel. The 1.6L petrol engine produces 121.3bhp @ 6,400rpm, the 1.6L diesel produces 126.3bhp @ 4,000rpm and the 1.4L diesel mill produces 88.8bhp @ 4,000 rpm. Below are the prices for the various trims. As per ARAI standards the 1.6L petrol engine returns 15.29km to the litre, the 1.6L Diesel returns 19.67km to the litre for the manual version and 17.01km for the automatic and the 1.4L diesel returns 21.38km to the litre.

INDIA NEWS Isuzu launches the MU-7 Automatic at 23.9 lakh Isuzu Motors India has launched the MU-7 SUV with an automatic transmission at a price of Rs.23.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The automatic MU-7 will be powered by the same 3.0-litre 4 cylinder Intercooled VGS turbo diesel engine now available with an automatic transmission mated to it. Isuzu has also updated some of the interior of the SUV. The Automatic gets a new 3 spoke steering wheel with audio controls and a black and beige 2 tone dashboard with wood trim. The old audio system has also been replaced with an all new system with Sat Nav, rear parking sensor, reversing camera and a touch screen display.

The Isuzu MU-7 was first launched in India back in December 2013 with a 5 speed manual transmission. Since then the MU-7 is produced in CKD format at the Hindustan motors factory in Thiruvallur near Chennai.

Chevrolet launches new Enjoy for 6.25 lakh General Motors and just announced the launch of their new Chevrolet Enjoy MPV. The new Enjoy will be priced between Rs. 6.25 lakh to Rs.8.79 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

The Enjoy is available with a maximum of 8 seats and the new threespoke steering wheel with the golden Chevrolet bowtie and silver accents.

The Enjoy’s new steering wheel also features audio control buttons with added chrome bits around the air vents, gear knob and the dashboard in addition to a glossy black finished door armrests. The interior also gets more premium dual tone leatherette and fabric upholstery for 7 or 8 seat configurations. The exterior of the car hasn’t been touched apart from a chrome rear strip above the number plate as standard and a blackened B-pillar. The new Enjoy will be available in Velvet red, Switchblade Silver, Summit White, Caviar Black, Linen Beige and Sandrift Grey.

Nissan Micra CVT Automatic gets new Xl variant at 6,39,990 Nissan has introduced a new variant of its Micra CVT Automatic hatchback with a view to make the Xtronic CVT Technology closer to buyers in the automatic segment.

The Micra CVT Automatic will now be available in a new XL variant, which is positioned just below the top-of-theline XV variant and will cost Rs 6,39,990. The company also introduced a new limited edition Nissan Micra X-Shift, based on the XL variant, to celebrate the 5th anniversary of globally popular hatchback. Nissan’s premium hatchback was the first locally manufactured product in India, launched in July 2010.

Honda launches new Jazz for 5.31 Lakh On July 8, 2015 Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL) launched the new 3rd Generation Honda Jazz for starting prices of Rs. 5,30,900 (ex-showroom Delhi) for the 1.2L petrol version and Rs. 6,49,900 (ex-showroom Delhi) for the 1.5L diesel variant. The new Jazz has been developed as a compact hatchback which offers several new features. The Honda Jazz is available in both diesel and petrol fuel options in India.

While the petrol version of the car will come with the options of a 5-speed manual transmission and a CVT automatic transmission the diesel variant will be available with a 6-speed manual transmission. The 5-speed manual, 1.2 litre petrol engine returns 18.7kmpl while the CVT automatic gives 19kmpl. The 1.5 litre i-DTEC diesel engine which has been built exclusively for the Indian market offers fuel economy of 27.3 kmpl.

Goodbye Ford Classic, hello Figo Aspire In June 2015, Ford did not produce a single unit of the Ford Classic sedan or the Fiesta sedan in India.

Raj Sarkar, Head, Marketing, Ford India told journalists that Ford has ceased the production of the Classic but the car is still on sale.

Sarkar said that the car is still available to customers as the remaining stocks are being sold. The Fiesta was also not produced in the month of June as it is made in batches and the month of June was a nonproduction month for the car.

In 2005, Ford launched a sedan version of the fifth generation of the Ford Fiesta in India. The sedan was based on the Fiesta hatch back sold in the American and European markets. The Fiesta was available with a 98bhp 1.6 litre Duratec petrol Engine and a 68bhp 1.4

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TDCi diesel engine. Ford also made a 1.6 ‘S’ version of the car but only managed to sell around a 100 units of the variant. In 2011, Ford launched a new Fiesta sedan based on the sixth generation Fiesta hatchback and restyled again in July 2014. During the period of 2011 despite the new Fiesta being produced, Ford continued to make the older model renamed the “Ford Fiesta Classic”. The “Classic” name is an iconic name from Ford’s history and was revived after 50 years since 1962 when it was last used with the Consul Classic.

Ford has finally announced the demise of the Classic as they have stopped the production and put the name to rest. Sarkar said that the Classic will be replaced by their latest creation, the Figo Aspire, a sub 4 metre sedan which is to be launched soon.

Rahul Kapoor

INDIA NEWS Indian Motorcycle opens dealership in Chennai; its 3rd in India Slow and steady, Polaris India is taking its Indian Motorcycle brand across India. The company has opened its third dealership in India with an outlet in Chennai, the capital city of the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

The modern showroom was inaugurated by Pankaj Dubey, Managing Director, Polaris India Pvt. Ltd. and Satish Mehta, Executive Director, JMB Motor. Dubey said, “We are very excited and ecstatic to inaugurate our third Indian Motorcycle dealership in the country in the strategic location of Chennai. Following the successful opening of our dealership in Bengaluru in May this year, this move further underlines our confidence in the Southern part of India. It also reiterates our commitment of reaching out to Indian Motorcycle fans in this city. This facility will allow customers to experience the brand as never before. It will showcase the entire range of Indian Motorcycle models available in the Indian market along with exclusive Indian Motorcycle merchandise. I am sure the place will become the favourite destination of bike enthusiasts in days to com.”

Pankaj Dubey and Satish Mehta also handed over the keys of the legendary Indian Scout to their new owners on the occasion. The showroom is located in the hub of Chennai at at Gee Gee Universal, No. 2, MC Nicholas Road, Chetpet, Nungambakkam. It will have on display the entire range of Indian Motorcycle currently available in the Indian market such as Indian Roadmaster, Indian Chief Classic, Indian Chief Vintage, Indian Chieftain, Indian Chief Dark Horse and Indian Scout. Indian Motorcycle is a wholly-owned division of Polaris Industries Inc. and is America’s first motorcycle company.

Triumph Motorcycles launches Tiger XR 800cc 10.50 lakh Triumph Motorcycles has announced the launch of its all new Tiger 800 XR the go anywhere adventure motorcycle. On road or off, the new Tiger’s manners, riding position, handling and responsive engine give the rider everything required to enjoy every ride. The motorcycle is priced at Rs.10.50 lakh (ex showroom Delhi).

With the launch of new Tiger XR, the varied portfolio will now boast 4 adventure motorcycles within the category and a total of 14 internationally acclaimed motorcycles in 5 motorcycling categories The introduction of a full Ride by Wire system that interacts with the ECU opens up a whole new level of technology in this new motorcycle. With the inclusion of advanced ABS, traction control the new Tiger 800 leads the segment as a technological tour de force and adds new levels of active safety.

The switchable ABS system is standard on all Tiger 800 models and uses the latest technology to prevent wheel lockup, ensuring maximum confidence and control in any road conditions. On the XR the ABS can be turned On or Off. Triumph’s Traction Control (TTC) system prevents the unexpected spinning of the rear wheel, cutting the engine torque to avoid the loss of lateral grip ensuring maximum confidence and control both on or off road. The rider can select their TTC setting to either On or Off. The Tiger 800 XR features a trip computer.

The Tiger’s 94bhp three cylinder engine gives the bike a unique character and sophisticated feel.

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New Honda LIVO 110cc for 52,989/Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India has launched the new LIVO motorcycle in India.

The LIVO is a replacement for the CB Twister and is priced at Rs. 52,989/for the Self-Drum-Alloy variant and the Rs.55,489/- for the Self-Disc-Alloy variant. All prices are ex- showroom Delhi. The LIVO gets the same engine with the same power output as the CB Twister it replaces. The air cooled 109.19cc engine that produces 8.25bhp and 8.63Nm of torque is a four stroke engine and gave an economy of around 70kmpl in the CB Twister, Honda claims the LIVO will give 74kmpl on “Honda Mode” with the LIVO. With a 1285mm wheelbase and a ground clearance of 180mm, the LIVO also has an 8.5 litre fuel tank. The drum brake variant gets 130mm sized drum brakes at the front and rear, while the Disc brake gets a 240mm disc at the front with the same drum on the rear wheel. All housed on a diamond frame the front suspension is a Telescopic fork the LIVO now has a spring loaded hydraulic at the back instead of the swingarm mono suspension from the CB Twister.

Royal Enfield limited edition Despatch motorcycles priced at 2,16,607 Royal Enfield has announced the price of its limited edition range of motorcycles inspired by Despatch riders. Available in two colour variants in India - Desert Storm Despatch and Squadron Blue Despatch, the motorcycles are priced at Rs. 2,16,607 (on road Delhi). Only 200 units of each colour variant will be manufactured for sale in India.

Customers can book their motorcycles at store.royalenfield.com.

After booking, customers can take the delivery of the motorcycle from the nearest company store or dealership in their city. The limited edition motorcycles range has received tremendous response after it was unveiled at Royal Enfield’s exclusive store at Khan Market in New Delhi. These motorcycles come with an exclusive signature camouflage pattern and a distinctive embossed hallmark detailing the particulars of its manufacture.

INDIA NEWS

Splash n Dash EXPPRESS CAR WASH

Report: RAHUL KAPOOR; Photography: MOHD. NASIR

I

n India, washing a car has always been the job of either the chauffer or the local man who takes just a few hundred rupees every month for a mundane attempt at the job.

But if you want a good, long lasting rub down or buffing, detailing and cleaning, then you have help at hand and that too at reasonable prices. There is a new kid on the block called Exppress Car Wash, a fully automated car cleaning service that operates through 15 outlets in the entire National Capital Region and a total of 40 across the country. They have some fully automated and some semi automated car cleaning facilities around the city. They are also slowly expanding their reach across India.

Thus, when they invited us to bring our car, I took Rudyard (I call my Ford Figo hatch by that name!) down to one of their fully automated cleaning outlets in Hauz Khas, (at the Indian Oil petrol pump right opposite Siri Fort) to check out their cleaning abilities for myself.

Karan Sethi, Director, Manmachine Works, the company that operates Exppress Car Wash briefed us about the new service. “We have just launched a new concept called Exppress Car KARAN SETHI, Wash. We have tried to make the customers experience comfort and convenience where he or Director, Manmachine Works she can come and get their car washed and leave within 20 minutes,” he said.

We opted for their basic cleaning, which was a simple exterior job. The process involved the use of a special high pressure hose with which the dirt on top was washed off. Then they cleaned all the dirt on the sides, the front, back and the wheel arches with this “Special hose” and cleaned out all of the weeks’ worth of muck.

They even got to the radiator. Then the car was placed near the giant blue and yellow brushes which first had a mechanical high pressure sprayer that cleaned the underbody of the car in no more than 3 minutes. Then the automatic machine sprayed some cleaning agent all over the car and rapidly started spinning the massive brushes and closed in on the car to start the cleaning process. After going from the front to the back and then back to front and another quick cycle, the spinning stopped. A beam that ran across the top lowered down and sprayed another environment friendly agent on the car that was sort of like a polish/wax and then blew it dry. Once the machine stopped, the process was over and the car was squeaky clean.

Karan Sethi revealed a very interesting fact. “Unauthorised centres and local car washers use around 200 – 300 litres per car. With Exppress Car Wash we make sure we don’t use more than 60 – 80 litres per car which is around 70pc reduction and now we have also introduced steam systems which only use 20-25 litres of water per car,” he said.

After the entire process was over, the car paint looked much brighter than it has ever before after the cleaning. As I drove off after waiting for just 15 minutes for the whole process from start to finish, I even noticed that the engine felt smoother and responsive, thanks to the cleaning of the radiator. The washing costs a mere Rs 450 in Delhi and takes no more than 20 minutes.

Maruti Suzuki launches NEXA premium sales channel Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (MSIL) has launched NEXA, a premium sales channel in India for its premium product portfolio. Maruti Suzuki has 300 dealers who operate 1650 outlets and 3000 sub outlets. The company has offered these dealers the option to either open a brand new NEXA dealership or upgrade an existing outlet. Maruti is planning on opening 100 NEXA showrooms across 30 cities in the next 6-8 months. Since Motown India last reported on NEXA on May 14, 2015, the company has been operating through some of its NEXA outlets in some cities like New Delhi and has been selling the CIAZ from the currently operating NEXA showrooms. Maruti Suzuki has also confirmed that the new Suzuki S-Cross crossover will be launched on August 5, 2015. Once the S-Cross is launched, Maruti will cease the sales of the CIAZ from the NEXA outlets and will only be available from the regular Maruti Suzuki dealerships.

Maruti have explained NEXA in four words, “Design, Digital, Lifestyle and Hospitality”. In terms of “Design”, Maruti Suzuki has used only a Black and White colour scheme to design the outlet. Also the lighting in the store has been focused to showcase the cars more than anything else. Every showroom will have an air conditioned delivery room where the customer will get his car delivered to him in that room with his favorite song playing as he drives off. “Digital” – all Nexa showrooms will be equipped with iPads and the entire experience will be paperless.

The iPads will have virtual car configurators synched with Apple TVs that easily mirror iPads. “Lifetime” – The relationship Manager will ensure the entire buying. Another feature is the MyNEXA, a loyalty programmethat has been designed to offer rewards and recognition through cobranded credit cards and tie-ups with lifestyle brands.”Hospitality” – Maruti Suzuki has now decided to pamper its customers before selling them a car. Specially designed cubicles and separate seating areas will also provide privacy while the conversations are on.

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MOTORSPORT “If I don’t become world champion, I’d be happy if I died trying”

Jules Bianchi

Aug 3, 1989 - July 17, 2015

“Jules was a shining talent. He was destined for great things in our sport; success he so richly deserved.

He was also a magnificent human being, making a lasting impression on countless people all over the world. They recognised, as did we, that at the same time as being a fiercely motivated racer, he was also an extremely warm, humble and intensely likeable person, who lit up our garage and our lives.

“We are incredibly grateful that we were able to provide Jules with the opportunity to show the world what he could do in a Formula 1 car. We knew we had a very special driver on our hands from the first time he drove our car in pre-season testing in 2013. It has been an honour to be able to consider him our race driver, our team-mate, and of course our friend...” ~ John Booth, Manor Marussia Team Principal

16 I August 2015

VETTEL WINS FOR JULES Emerges F1 champ in Hungarian thriller

Pictures courtesy: Ferrari It was Sebastian Vettel as well as his team Ferrari’s second victory of the Formula One season in Hungary on July 26, 2015.

In a way it also broke the monotony of a Lewis / Nico win for Mercedes for several of the recent F1 races. It was a pure Hungarian thriller as Red Bull’s Daniil Kvyat scored his first F1 podium in second and team mate Daniel Ricciardo surviving clashes with both Mercedes cars for the third position.

“It has been a week with a lot of ups and downs and as I said after the race I dedicate this win to Jules and his family.

The race was difficult especially at the end with all the thoughts coming through much of the race, thanks to a great start and a my mind but for sure I’m very happy with the determined overtaking move on Rosberg under result...” said Vettel after the race. “We dedicate braking for Turn 2. Kimi was right behind his this victory to the memory of Jules Bianchi, a team-mate for two thirds of the race, but his fantastic guy whom we all miss terribly,” said chance of a podium evaporated on lap 56 when Ferrari Chairman Sergio Marchionne. a problem with his energy recovery system meant For the Silver Arrows it was a disastrous race he had to retire as the two drivers had secured a pole and a Equally unlucky was Rosberg who was set second position a day earlier. Lewis Hamilton for second, until a late coming-together with the started badly from pole, ran off track to drop charging Ricciardo at Turn 1 - deemed a racing to 10th on lap one, and later took a driveincident by the stewards - gave him a left-rear through penalty for a collision with Ricciardo. He puncture and dropped the German to eighth. eventually raced in sixth while his teammate Nico By midpoint - lap 35 in a 69 lap race (it was Rosberg managed an eight. meant to be 70 laps), Ferrari’s Vettel was leading But there was no denying that it was a Ferrari teammate Raikkonen by eight seconds and an day. A 69 lap charge around the Hungaroring off-form Rosberg a further 11.8s back. Hamilton’s ended in a win for Sebastian Vettel. The German efforts, meanwhile, had seen him climb to fourth, took the lead right after the start but saw his another 14s back.

30 second advantage wiped out when the On the 42nd lap, the front wing of Nico Safety Car came out on lap 42. Seb kept his Hulkenberg’s Force India tore off, showering concentration, doing a good job of managing the Ricciardo with debris and sending the hapless final third of the race, to take the chequered flag German out of seventh place and into a highin first place for his second win with Ferrari, his speed meeting with the tyre wall. He missed first ever in Hungary.

Valtteri Bottas’s Williams by centimetres, and Seb’s teammate Kimi Raikkonen was, however, fortunately climbed out, shaken but unharmed very unlucky. The Finn was lying second for from the wreckage.

Season Two Formula E to start in Beijing on October 17 The FIA WMSC, which met on July 10, 2015 in Mexico City, has approved the calendar for the second season of the FIA Formula E Championship. It is made up of 11 races, hosted in 10 cities, with London exceptionally hosting two races. The second edition of the FIA series for single-seaters powered completely by electricity will get underway on Saturday October 17, 2015 in Beijing and will end in London, having travelled to at least nine different countries on three continents.

Compared to last season, the main novelty is the appearance on the calendar of the Paris ePrix on April 23rd, which will take place on a circuit built up around the architectural complex of Les Invalides. The venue for the fifth round is still to be decided, while the absence of the Monaco ePrix is due to an alternation of dates with the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, which takes place only on even-numbered years.

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MOTORSPORT

SON OF A FORCE GURKHA RFC INDIA 2015

18 I August 2015

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MOTORSPORT

WINCH!!!

Tan Eng Joo, Team Force Gurkha is winner; Kabir Waraich qualifies for the Mother Event in Malaysia THE WINNERS

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Report & Photography: RAHUL KAPOOR

o begin with, 23 heavily modified 4x4s, 46 drivers and co drivers commenced on a journey that saw them through 27 daunting and intimidating Special Stages (SSs) through harsh wet terrain in the Goan rainforest spread over 7 days. They were fighting for glory available to no more than one team.

Finally it was for #101 Team Force Gurkha’s Tan Eng Joo/Tan Choon Hong to claim that glory for the 2nd time in a row at the Rainforest Challenge India with a total of 2163 points.

The #102 Gurkha of Mervyn Wei Shiong /Hamizan Bin Abdul Hamid finished in 2nd with 2095 points. Kabir Waraich/Yuvraj Tiwana have become the Indian winners of the Rainforest Challenge India with 1941 points in the #103 car, a Mahindra CJ3B and have qualified for the Rainforest Challenge mother event in Malaysia representing India at one of the toughest races in the world.

The third Force Motors’ Gurkha competitor no. 107, was led by Sanjiv Singh and his navigator Jay Shridhar who due to some setbacks finished 13th position with 1313 points.

The first two days witnessed the Prologue Stage close to populated areas of Dona Paula, Goa where spectators could come and take a look at the monstrous machines take on

the first 12 SSs. The Prologue Stage was just a warm up as Ashish Gupta, Founder of Cougar Motorsport described it.

From the looks of it, it was no warm up. The competitors were pushed to the limit from Day 1 with the first 6 set of SSs. Some of the stages were so difficult; it left some cars with broken axles, some with broken drive shafts, some lying on their roof upside down, and some finding it so difficult they retired from the competition on day 1 itself. Day 2 of the Prologue Stage was at the same location with 6 new Special Stages. After Prologue, the Indian teams of Gurmeet Virdi/ Kirpal Tung were in the lead ahead of Kabir Waraich/Yuvraj Tiwana. The Force Gurkha teams driven by the Malaysian drivers were following them closely in 3rd and 4th.

Day 3 was the start of the Predator Stage where the cars were to be driven through terrains which seemed as though no kind of vehicle could operate on. This however seemed like the natural habitat for the giant Force Gurkhas. In stages where other cars required ladders and winches, the Gurkha just used raw power and driver skill to take the lead. On the 4th day, things got even tougher at the Terminator Stage. At one point, 4 of the 6 stages were blocked and cars had to be recovered. Some cars were limping with broken axles and some lying on their sides waiting to be rescued by a crane which soon required recovering as well.

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August 2015 I 19

MOTORSPORT

A vehicle toppling over during the RFC India 2015 After the Terminator stage was over, the following day was a rest day for competitors. On that day, the RFC organisers had designed 2 special stages at the Terminator location for the inaugural “Media Challenge�. A total of 11 participants (me included) representing their respective media houses were split into two groups and were given a Polaris RZR S800 to take on each other. We took a reprieve from covering the event and got into competing. The winner of the Media Challenge was awarded a full expense paid trip to Malaysia to watch the mother event in the Malaysian rainforest in the midst of poisonous snakes, slugs and leeches and other very icky creatures that are found in that region. The organisers, marshals and competitors were also rewarded in their own way from the Media Challenge where they witnessed our incompetence and laughed and mocked us profusely.

Needless to say, everyone had a great time, every one of us including the organisers were covered in mud. The Polaris RZR S800 showed its true colours in such harsh and difficult conditions and did it gracefully leaving everyone who was on board with giant smiles on their faces.

When everyone finished mocking and celebrating post the media challenge, and we all had used the time to catch our breath, the party moved to the forest in Sattari (Morlem) for the Twilight stage the following day. It was a single 4 kilometre stage through the rainforest

Kabir Waraich/Yuvraj Tiwana have become the Indian winners of the Rainforest Challenge India

20 I August 2015

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with a time allotted of 10 hours to complete the task. The competitors entered the jungle at noon and had time till 10pm to reach the finish line. To the surprise and relief of all awaiting at the camp site, all 16 cars that attempted to enter the Twilight zone successfully completed the deadly forest stage by 8pm, 2 hours before the time specified and each of them were handsomely rewarded with full 100 points each.

The forest brought out the true mettle out of the competitors as all of them worked brilliantly, diligently and most importantly in cohesion like a brotherhood, to conquer the jungle all together or none at all, which is the true essence of RFC. Day 7 marked the very final day of the RFC India. On the last day, the drives that completed the Twilight zone were put through 2 final special stages and that concluded the event.

Team Polaris did not compete in the RFC India season 1 in 2014.

This year however they came with 2 company cars driven by Raj Singh Rathore/Ruhan Shetty in #121 and Umesh Rane/Pranay Pednekar in #122. Both teams were driving near stock Polaris RZR S800s with small tyres. Despite most competitors underestimating the machine, both the cars made it through every obstacle that was put in front of the light weight ATV including the rainforest in the Twilight Zone. Team Polaris wasn’t competing for the overall trophy,

Polaris India participates for the first time in RFC India 2015

MOTORSPORT

despite that, #121 finished 14th overall while #122 finished 16th overall.

Rathore made it clear he will be back again next year no matter what.

Knowing Polaris, this was just a warm up and next year will be the real challenge!

Force Motors Managing Director Prasan Firodia said, “I am extremely

delighted with the results. The main aim for sponsoring the RFC India was to encourage and promote off-roading in India. While the trend is still catching up, in the bargain we have proven the off-roading capabilities of the Force Gurkha. I congratulate the entire team for this success and appreciate their hard work and efforts. ”

RFC INDIA 2016 FROM JULY 22-29 As the second season of the Rainforest Challenge India drew to a close, Ashish Gupta, Founder of Cougar Motorsport confirmed that RFC India will return in 2016. At the prize distribution ceremony, Gupta announced that RFC India will return in its full glory, improved and tougher than before in 2016. The dates are July 22-29, 2016. Gupta also announced the expansion of the event in India. He mentioned that next year, 3 regional rounds will be held in Kerala, Chandigarh and North East India. The dates for the regional rounds have not been confirmed but they will soon be announced. Ashish Gupta, Founder & Director of Cougar Motorsport Pvt. Ltd, the event organizers, said, “The fact that this year we had a very interesting line-up of competitors, with national level rallyists and seasoned off-roaders participating in the challenge, made the competition even more intense. For me, each and every competitor is a winner merely because they had the willpower to compete in such a tough event. I hope that in the coming years, we will see the off-road motorsport talent of the country making a mark in the global off-road motorsport arena. Therefore, we are thinking of launching a regional version of RFC India with the intent of scouting for the talent from across the country and bringing them to Goa for the RFC India Mother Event.” Kabir Waraich/Yuvraj Tiwana was the driver and co-driver team that finished highest amongst the 21 Indian teams that participated this year. Kabir and Yuvraj, part of the Gerrari Offroaders team from Chandigarh, now qualify for the mother event in Malaysia for the second time in a row.

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WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

22 I August 2015

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WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

CROSS FIRST DRIVE

SUZUKI S-CROSS 1.6

my heart, it’s family Report: P.THARYAN / Photography: MOHD. NASIR

Step inside the S-CROSS and you step into a chic environment. There is a great element of freshness in the vehicle, be it its features, its inner fascia design, the TFT screen, the leather seats, the tilt and telescopic leather steering wheel, etc. It drives well too.

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WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

Engine & Transmission DDiS 320 DOHC 1598cc 4-cylinder diesel / 6-speed manual

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Power & Torque 118bhp @ 3750rpm 320Nm@1750rpm

e all know that Maruti Suzuki is an extremely strong brand. We also know that Maruti Suzuki sells its products, not based on the number of cylinders carved out in its engines, but the fuel efficiency the cars deliver, the affordable prices, the easy availability of spares and service and its widespread network of dealerships and service points. And we also know that the Maruti Suzuki story is good as long as it is in the mass market arena. Step into the up market world of expensive cars, Maruti Suzuki enters a shaky ground. But all that is going to change, or so says the company.

Now with the new S-Cross, the Maruti name takes a back seat and Suzuki gets a predominant role to play. This new crossover is a Suzuki Cross or an S-Cross to be precise.

The new crossover from the company will be sold exclusively through Nexa outlets that have sprung up across the country. There are 30 odd Nexa outlets already ready, and more will come up in course of time. The would-be

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Fuel Efficiency 22.7kmpl

customers of the S-Cross will have exclusive attention at these outlets. The company is promising an out of the world experience when they go out to buy the S-Cross.

So what is all the hype about the new S-Cross. We drove the crossover from Mumbai to Nashik in Maharashtra, a distance of over 160km. It was a good enough distance to check out its qualities. On the looks front, it does not have too much of the oomph factor.

It’s got a decent styling all over, with a lot of excitement in its rear design, but the body lines

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Ground Clearance 180mm

Expected Price 8 lakh + (ex-showroom Delhi)

could have been a little more exciting. One look at the car, and we can make out it’s part of the Maruti Suzuki family. Is that good? Yes and No. Yes, because when you are part of a family like Maruti Suzuki, you are assured of a lot of good things like solid build, sound engineering, good fuel efficiency, great sales and service, easy availability of spare parts etc. But when you tell the world you are part of a standalone family, and sell the car through the Nexa outlet of Suzuki, then expectations are high and the customers are different. It’s like the young boy

WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

in a family trying to set up a new home away from parents… it gets a bit difficult but they eventually succeed.

Even though the styling misses the great oomph factor, the S-Cross has everything else right about it. The vehicle is being offered with only two engine options and both are diesel.

Personally I feel that a petrol mill should have also been there because a crossover is still a sedan in a way and a lot of people prefer a petrol mill in their cars even today even though a price difference still exists between the petrol and diesel fuels.

With the green lobby gunning for diesel vehicles and wanting to reduce their life span in cities like Delhi, a petrol engine would have come as a great option for many customers. Of the two diesel engines on offer, one is a DDiS 320 DOHC engine with a capacity of 1598cc with four cylinders. It will deliver 118 bhp@3750 rpm and a peak torque of 320Nm@1750 rpm.

The other engine, the DDiS 200 DOHC will be a 1248 cc with 4 cylinders. The engine will deliver 88bhp @4000 rpm and a peak torque of 200 Nm@1750 rpm. The crossover will come with a 2 wheel drive.

The DDiS 320 will have three variants – Delta, Zeta and Alpha, the DDiS 200 will have five variants – Sigma, Sigma (O), Delta, Zeta and Alpha.

The vehicle has an overall length of 4300mm, with a width of 1765 mm and an overall

height of 1590mm with roof rail. It will have a wheelbase of 2600mm and will have a ground clearance of 180mm. While the 1.6 litre crossover will come with a 6 speed manual transmission, the 1.3 litre version will have a 5 speed manual transmission. With a tyre size of 2015/60R16, the vehicle has McPherson strut with coil spring for the front suspension and Torsion beam with coil spring for the rear suspension.

The crossover comes with special features like cruise control, rain sensing auto wiper, all wheel disc brakes, auto IRVM, self adjusting clutch and fully synchronised reverse gear mechanism and high intensity discharge projector headlamps with auto function, among others. The S-Cross has a smooth flowing roof line that slopes downward towards the rear.

Interior features include smart play infotainment system with 18cm touch panel display, Bluetooth, smart phone connectivity, navigation system. It will also have a premium meter cluster- high definition TFT screen, rear parking sensor display, adjustable front central arm, auto AC, tilt and telescopic leather steering wheel, etc. The vehicle boasts of a boot space of 353 litres which can be increased to 810 litres when the rear seats are folded. It has a 60:40 rear seat split with two step recline.

Even though the car has a kind of plain Jane look in the front, its headlamps are smart, but

the bonnet and the grille could have been a tad more stylish. But as I looked at it from all angles, I was quite impressed with its side and rear Profiles. The rear, there is no doubt, looks very chic.

Like all crossovers, the S-Cross too is based on a new sedan platform but has been designed to make it look like an SUV. Step inside the S-Cross and you step into a chic environment. There is a great element of freshness in the vehicle, be it its features, its inner fascia design, the TFT screen, the leather seats, the tilt and telescopic leather steering wheel, etc. It drives well too. The torque is very linear as one accelerates and the power too is adequate to zip along. Gear movement too is very easy and efficient. In July 2015 while Maruti Suzuki launches its S-Cross, its closest competitor Hyundai Motor India will be launching the Creta, a compact kind of SUV. The latter is definitely attractive.

But with the S-Cross one can be assured of a lot of peace of mind and sound engineering.

The S-Cross will also score on the pricing front. It’s simple when it comes to the S-Cross, it’s family for millions of Indians and there is nothing above FAMILY!

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WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

SO FAR SOO GOOD FIRST DRIVE

26 I August 2015

HYUNDAI CRETA

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WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

Report: JOSHUA DAVID LUTHER / Photography: MOHD. NASIR

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he world of automobiles is evolving, competition is intense and as avid petrol heads we are always excited by new entrants in the market. Usually it is the established players who always keep the crown and glory for themselves but just once in a while there is a new contender who will come and upset the balance.

The Hyundai Creta makes its entry into one of the latest and most competitive segments of the Indian automobile market – the Compact SUV segment. We took the Creta for a test review from Pune to Lonavla by the end of which we were sure this new contender would upset the balance.

Like the way all dictatorships and monarchies must one day end, there is no sovereign ruler in the world of automobiles. To date the segment has been ruled by the establishing Renault Duster and the second contender Ford’s Ecosport but their reign had to be short-lived.

The reason for this is simple - the Creta is Hyundai’s answer to a call for justice. While many of us have been cribbing for a lack of features or value for money in many of the compact SUVs offered today, Hyundai has been patiently watching and waiting. When they finally stepped up to answer, all heads turned and the silence was impeccable. The Hyundai Creta is an answer to the injustice being done on fronts like price, features, build quality, performance, cost of ownership and the list is endless.

The Creta follows Hyundai’s 2.0 Fluidic design philosophy and looks like a full bred SUV. While many comparisons have been made to the likes of the Santa Fe and the Evoque, I feel this SUV has an aura of its own. You have a very aggressive looking facade which features angular headlamps with LED positioning lamps and cornering lamps. You also get a three slat chrome grill among other generously garnished chrome accents. The hood of the Creta looks as if it has been chiselled off the Chest of Hercules and has a very muscular feel to it. The Vertical fog lamps are a unique offering in this segment and add to the premium feel of this SUV. The Creta also features silver painted skid plates in the front and rear. The side profile of the Creta gives it an urban SUV look with a rising belt line from front to rear and a roofline with the right slope. The black cladding on the lower edges of the Creta run seamlessly from front to back and the rear features a broad chrome strip on the boot lid.

The wrap around tail lamps looks smart and compliments the design language of this compact SUV. The exterior of the Creta has many chrome trims and the ORVMs also feature LED turn indicators.

The interiors of the Creta are uber urban and feature comfortable leather seats and a two tone beige and black interior theme. The Creta has a multi-functional steering wheel which facilitates Bluetooth and audio browsing apart from other functions. The driver display features a shift indicator and has an analogue RPM & Speed-o-meter. You can also chose to display a digital speed-o-meter apart from other driver aids. The Creta features a 7 inch infotainment system which has an in-built GPS and we found this to be one of the most user friendly systems available in the market. The audio system is Bluetooth, AUX, USB, iPod and MP3 enabled and quite ergonomically designed it also doubles up as rear parking camera with driver assist gridlines. The dash console also features a fully automated temperature control unit with a mood change bar. The mood change bar displays different colours for different temperatures and adds a more premium appeal to this SUV. You also get a height adjustable driver seat on all variants barring the base version of the Creta. Rear passenger comfort has been enhanced with the provision of a rear centre armrest and cup holder. The second

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WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

After driving the CRETA for over 140kms I was sure that this was a force to reckon with. It was definitely one of the better looking offerings in the segment, it has the most powerful engine as well and the list of features will surely keep you content. row also has air conditioning vents found on the centre floor panel. In terms of passenger comfort, the Creta has ample of legroom, headroom and shoulder room. The driver and co-passenger also get a centre armrest however we felt that a sliding armrest would have been much more convenient.

When we look at the competitors, the Creta has already cornered them on fronts they don’t score so well on. The real test begins when we analyse build quality, engine performance, drive and handling. At the heart of the Creta is a 1.6L CRDi VGT diesel mill which produces 126.3bhp@4000rpm and 260Nm of torque from 1900 to 2750rpm. The Creta is also

28 I August 2015

available with a 1.4L CRDi diesel mill and a 1.6L Dual VTVT petrol motor. The 1.6L diesel which we drove is mated to a 6-Speed manual transmission and is also available with a 6-Speed auto box as well. The 1.6L diesel is one of the most powerful engines in the segment. The flow of power is smooth thanks to the improved VGT and the turbo kicks in anywhere north of 1800rpm. While driving on highways the Creta has long legs and really loves to stretch. You can overdrive in the 4th, 5th and 6th gears which provide the option of a higher gear ratio than a direct drive and engine speeds are reduced at higher speeds to improve fuel efficiency and enable further

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acceleration. For city driving you will have to work the gears a bit more if you fall below the 1800rpm mark. In terms of fuel efficiency the Creta’s 1.6L diesel mill returns 19.67km to the litre which may not be the best in segment but is certainly not bad.

Hyundai has also ensured the Creta maintains low NVH (Noise, Vibrations, Harshness) levels. Most of the noise and vibrations which filter in from the engine bay have been subdued and the ride is quite silent and peaceful. The Creta has a sturdy build and is not rattled easily even while driving off road. We took the Creta to almost 140kmph on an open stretch and to be honest I was

WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine & Transmission 1582cc CRDi VGT / 6-speed manual

Power & Torque 126.3bhp @ 4,000rpm 259.8 Nm@1900-2750rpm

Fuel Tank Capacity 55 litres

Price

surprised. While most of Hyundai’s offerings with the same 1.6L diesel start floating this vehicle was planted to the road. Even when cornering at high speeds the Creta was stable thanks to the ABS with EBD, VSM (Vehicle Stability Management) and ESC (Electronic Stability Control). The Creta also has a Hill Start Assist control which applies brakes when you begin to accelerate on an incline to prevent rolling back. The steering is a bit on the heavier side but weighs up well as you gain speed and is quite precise to driver inputs. The Creta sits on 215/ 60 R17 tubeless tyres which provide ample of grip on tarmac and give the SUV a decent stance.

In terms of ride comfort bumps and potholes are almost non-existent thanks to an efficient combination of a McPherson Strut with Coil Spring (Front) and a Coupled Torsion Beam Axle with Coil Spring (Rear) Suspension which also facilitate a highly controlled

drive. The front disc and rear drum brake combination are progressive but do not leave a hint of doubt.

After driving the Creta for over 140kms I was sure that this was a force to reckon with. It was definitely one of the better looking offerings in the segment, it has the most powerful engine as well and the list of features will surely keep you content. It all boils down to the price then. Yes it is a tad bit expensive but not at all out of place or undeserved. The Creta is available in showrooms across Delhi for an ex-showroom starting price of 8,59,558 which goes all the way up to 13,60,156 (ex-showroom Delhi) for the SX(O) variant which we reviewed. So if you have that kind of cash lying around and are looking to buy an urban compact SUV look no further because this is the best option available to date. Like they say, so far soo good!

13,60,156/(ex-showroom, Delhi)

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WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

FIRST DRIVE

FORD FIGO ASPIRE

FAST & FURIOUS

Engine & Transmission 1.2L Ti-VCT 4 Cylinder / 5-Speed Manual

30 I August 2015

Power & Torque 87bhp @ 6300rpm 112Nm @ 4000rpm

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Fuel Efficiency 18.6kmpl

Ground Clearance 174 mm

Price TBA

WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

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hen Ford told us that they are making a brand new Figo from ground up and will also make a compact sedan out of it too, to be honest I was a bit skeptical. You see, I own the current Figo Hatchback which I love and have endearingly christened him with the name Rudyard. I love to take care of him, I love to pamper him and I love to keep him obsessively clean to an extent I’d wipe my feet before getting in the car, but not my house. I am in love with him much to the annoyance of my fellow colleagues who don’t clean their cars and don’t care as much about theirs as I do of Rudyard.

So when Ford said that they will put in a new refined petrol engine, and an immensely

Report & Photography: RAHUL KAPOOR powerful and economical diesel motor, I was happy. Then I heard that the Figo Aspire will also be getting a new electric power steering system, my happiness wasn’t filled with the same goodness anymore. You see, the engine wasn’t much of a strong point in the Figo be it the diesel or the petrol versions. But the chassis and the hydraulic steering was what made the car so much fun to drive. It loved straight lines and also loved taking corners. It is the steering that made you feel so connected to the road. It tells you exactly where the front wheels are pointing and the feedback is immense. It feels analogue and organic.

Because of which I have found a huge irrational loathing for electric steering systems which i think feel wooden and disconnected. In my opinion, it’s just like instead of driving, you just

using the power of suggestions, you’re just a passenger telling it what to do and not doing it yourself.

The guys at Ford called us to take a run on the new sedan version of the brand new Figo called the Figo Aspire in Udaipur, with all my skepticism I went down there and drove it. The Figo Aspire will be offered in 3 engine options. A 1.2L, Ti-VCT, 4 cylinder, petrol and a 1.5L, TDCi, 4 cylinder, diesel mated to 5-speed manual gearbox and a 1.5L, Vi-VCT, petrol, engine bolted to a 6-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. We only got a chance to drive the manual petrol and diesel versions on one of the best highways in the country, the Mount Abu highway in Rajasthan. The automatic is expected to be launched soon and this makes the Aspire a triple threat to the

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WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience Engine & Transmission 1.5L TDCi 4 cylinder / 5-Speed Manual

99bhp @ 3750rpm 215Nm @ 1750-3000rpm

competition.

At first glance, the styling of the Figo Aspire is mesmerizing. The front trapezoidal grille makes it look like an Aston Martin and the bold bulgy design with the swept back headlamps make it seem like the MINI Countryman front the dead front. None of those are a bad thing especially when you realize that it’s not a sporty super saloon or a hot hatch. It’s a sub 4 metre compact sedan. The 14 inch tyres from the old Figo remain and somehow it just looks smaller when compared to the proportions of the car. Could Ford have done with 15 inch rims? Possibly, but they stuck with the 14 inch ones for better fuel economy. The rear ends of all the cars in this segment look so deliberately stretched out and unnatural, but the Aspire just somehow manages to work around it and actually look pretty while doing it. In a beauty pageant, it would win in this category hands down.

Inside, it’s the same story. The centre console has been switched to the Fiesta and EcoSport styled dial pad with the buttons that

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Fuel Efficiency

Power & Torque

25.83kmpl

give it a futuristic look. Housed below is the climate control system. Under the climate control assembly is a rubber padded shelf big enough to keep your mobile phones. The car will be available in 4 trims in the 1.2 petrol and the 1.5 diesel – Ambiente, Trend, Titanium and Titanium+. The 2nd and 3rd variants get a brilliant feature called “My Dock” which basically is a place to keep your phone and transforms it into a screen altogether. With a USB port inside the dock, it will also charge it as well as connect it to the infotainment system with Bluetooth or many more features about which I can go on and on.

The most convenient part about “My Dock” is that it sits right on top of the centre console in perfect view of the driver and is very accessible, so you don’t have to stretch your arm to get to it. The dock is so simple and elegant, I think it’s brilliant. We couldn’t find a single smart phone that doesn’t fit in the dock. The Titanium+ though doesn’t get the docking system.

Instead the top model gets a 4.2 inch MFD infotainment screen

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Ground Clearance 174 mm

for all the crazy features and the brilliant Ford SYNC with AppLink.

The front and rear seats are very comfortable. The seats in the front are extremely soft and provide great support from all sides. Even at high speed corners, you won’t be thrown about easily. The Aspire is also the first in its segment to offer leather upholstery. The cabin is extremely spacious with a great amount of head room and shoulder room.

Now that we have all the itty bitty bits covered, let’s talk drivability. At first I drove the 1.2L, petrol engine. Rudyard’s engine produces 70bhp and 102Nm of torque, the updated 1.2L, TiVCT now produces 87bhp and 112Nm of torque. When I first set off, I realized that the throttle is extremely smooth and it can easily just start rolling without any hesitation from the gearbox and clutch. The gearbox is essentially the same as the old and brilliant one but with updated ratios to be economical. A small green arrow also tells you when to change up so you can drive economically in city traffic. Though the petrol

Price TBA

engine only punches through anywhere above 3000rpm, in the city you won’t notice any lag of power from the engine. The ratios in the gearboxes are so good, you can rev and rev and rev the engine and the car just wants more.

The limiter is all the way up at 6500rpm. In 3rd gear at 4500rpm you’ll find yourself at half throttle at 120kmph. Push it further down and it just climbs with ease. It’s a brilliant new engine, a massive improvement from the previous one.

On the other hand the 1.5L, diesel is a meaty and torquey little thing. Again no hesitation from the clutch or the gearbox, the engine just loves to push you into your seat. The torque is just crazy when you think that it’s just a 1.5L, 4 pot, diesel and not a 10L, V8. The power is immediate as soon as you nudge the throttle you receive an almost immediate response which is linear to the pedal inputs. It’s the same power you get at low and high revs with six and a half thousands of them at your disposal. It is easy to max it out to its top speed, we were able to get 190kmph on the empty, lonely and smooth highway. The old 1.4L, Duratorq, diesel produced a terrible 68bhp in the Figo and 160Nm of torque, the 1.5L, TDCi however produces a massive 99bhp and 215Nm of torque. Ford claims that despite the power upgrades and torque, the fuel economy is pushed up even further with the petrol giving 18.6kmpl and the diesel despite the massive power gives a highly economical 25.83kmpl.

The only thing left to address is the EPAS system. Is it just like all other wooden electric systems found on modern cars? I’m extremely glad to report that it’s just not the case with this one. The

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system does feel immensely lighter than my old hydraulic, it isn’t as great as that system but it does get close to it as it can get. You do get feedback from the wheels, you do feel a slight amount of weight in the steering wheel and yet it’s easy to maneuver into tight spots without a glitch. Only when you get above 160kmph you start to lose confidence in your inputs, you start to feel disconnected.

In normal driving conditions however, it suits my love for a driver’s car feel. Yet it also meets popular demand of the “kitna deti hai” society.

So were my fears true? Ford could just ruin it or would I want to replace my old for the new? Obviously not, I have a connection with Rudyard which is like true love. He has grown on me, and I have on him it’s an emotional connection that I just can’t have with any other. But would I be disappointed to get the Aspire instead of him in the first place?

Absolutely not!

In a nutshell, the Sub

4- metre sedan segment hasn’t amazed me at all. I have never desired any of the vehicles from this segment ever, no matter how many accents you use in the name, in writing them or naming

them, those cars just don’t have that zest in them. But the way Ford has styled the Figo Aspire and provided a massive list of features, quality, optional accessories and the entire car itself makes

it a threat to other contenders.

Ford just needs to price it right at around 5 lakh to start with. If that is the first number, the Indian compact sedan market has a storm coming its way.

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FIRST DRIVE

NEW MAHINDRA THAR CRDE

Mahindra's seduction formula

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WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

Report & Photography: P.THARYAN

W

hen you look at the expansive 28 acres of the Mahindra Adventure Off-Road Academy in the town of Igatpuri, around 40 odd km from Nashik in the western state of Maharashtra, you realise it’s time to be baptised once again. But this time it would be in slush, ditches, hilly terrains and loads of spirit that goes by the name of “ADVENTURE”.

There could not have been a better place to test drive the new Thar that was launched by Mahindra & Mahindra. Apart from several new features that have been added to the new Thar CRDe, the vehicle has now got a mechanical locking rear differential that engages automatically without driver intervention and provides enhanced off-road capability.

I was among the few journalists who got an opportunity to drive the new Thar CRDe at this Mahindra Academy. I had driven the vehicle when it was launched several years ago, but then I did not have to privilege of landing up at an off-road terrain. When the boys at Mahindra told me that they would be taking me to the Off-Road Academy of theirs, I almost wore a suit. I thought it would be another of those silly academies with some even sillier obstacles. I was welcomed

by Bijoy Kumar Yatheendranathan, Chief - Adventure Initiatives and Sr General Manger - Auto Division at Mahindra & Mahindra. I have known Bijoy for a couple of decades now.

He was one of the finest auto journalists in the country and was the Founding Editor of BS Motoring that belonged to the Business Standard newspaper group. Bijoy was always

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Engine & Transmission NEF TCI-CRDe 2498cc diesel / 5-speed manual

Power & Torque 105bhp @ 3800rpm 247Nm@1800-2000rpm

an incredible auto enthusiast and still remains young and chirpy when it comes to automobiles.

Bijoy greeted me and gave me a quick hug as I walked into the Academy. For someone who started his career as a financial journalist, I have always looked up to people like Bijoy for those friendly tips to assure me that I too am good in my job! “The first batch of journalists has been burning out the clutches, so please do not use the clutch and brake when

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Fuel Tank Capacity 60 litres

Tyres P 235/70 R 16 tubeless tyres

Price 8.25 lakh (Ex-showroom Delhi)

WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

going up and down the terrain. The new Thar takes care of itself. Punnoose, you are a good driver and I know you will drive well,” he told me as I buckled myself up in my seat.

All my life I had done off-roading on the dunes of Rajasthan and Dubai, but had never got an opportunity on a horribly slushy and uneven terrain.

The new Thar CRDe is a lot more comfortable and a much better off-road beast. I was impressed by the way it climbed out of deep craters and balanced itself so well even on some of the most inhospitable terrains. And all along I barely used the clutches and brakes, with my 4X4 low ratio gears engaged. And when it came to water filled ditches, the Thar knew its swimming too well. It could put a Michael Phelps to shame!

The Mahindra Off-Road Academy spread among several hills is an off-roader’s paradise where you can actually push your 4x4 to the limits. It was started in March 2013 and here the company conducts weekend courses for enthusiasts, be it young or old. All you have got to be is 18 years and above with a heart that ticks with low levels of cholesterol and high levels of enthusiasm.

I was told that the drive is also conducted at night when it is pitch dark and the hills come alive with lights of the Thar.

Though the Thar comes in two variants---one powered by a 2498cc CRDe engine and the other a 2523cc DI engine (both diesel), it is only the former that has got an upgrade.

No changes have been made to the DI engine variant.

Enhanced exteriors include new front and rear bumpers, new muscular wheel arches, new clear lens headlamps, redesigned side footsteps and canopy.

It’s the interiors that now have a premium touch and feel to it. There is a new dual tone dashboard, new steering wheel and door trims with arm rests, redesigned AC vents, new floor console with cup holders, new windshield demister, new gear knob, 12V charging point, provision for 2DIN music system and lockable glove box.

The features that continue to remain in the new Thar are the 44 degree approach angle and 27 degree departure angle, 4WD with high and low ratios, a 2500 cc CRDe engine and a ground clearance of 200mm.

The Thar which was introduced in December 2010 has come a long way. Now with these new features added on, it’s a new off-roader completely. Among the regular production vehicles available with different car manufacturers today in the country, the Thar continues to be a leader in the off-road category. With its trendy looks and masculine features, it’s now got even better with its technical enhancements. With the chances of regular Indian roads getting to be of world class standards, as remote as India and Pakistan coming together as one nation, it’s best that you buy a Thar for your day to day drives too. The new Mahindra Thar CRDe is definitely the new seduction formula from the company. Can’t you hear the boys singing, “We live young, we live free! We are the living! We are the living! ....”?

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DRIVEN

BMW i8

THE WORMHOLE INTO THE FUTURE “Goes like hell, feels like heaven, Looks like it’s from the future and is out to save the Polar Bears”

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Report: RAHUL KAPOOR / Photography: MOHD. NASIR

“

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine & Transmission

PETROL: 1.5L 3 cylinder BMW TwinPower Turbo with VAVLETRONIC Supercharging / 6-Speed Automatic with paddle shift

ELECTRIC MOTOR: BMW eDrive technology Hybrid system with charging module and generator mode for recuperation / 355W Lithium-ion

Power & Torque 231bhp @ 5800rpm 320Nm @ 3700rpm Combined - 362bhp 570Nm

Fuel Tank & efficiency Capacity - 30 litres / 42 litres (optional) Efficiency 47.45kmpl

Tyres Front; 195/50 R20; Rear: 215/45 R20

Price 2.29,00,000/(Ex-showroom Delhi)

... As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously.” These words were said by Benjamin Franklin who discovered electricity and invented many, many things.

Because of this belief, Franklin never patented his work, which is why we are able to generate electricity so happily and so much in abundance.

Because of his discovery, we are able to harness electricity from various forms and use them in everything we do in our lives. From the invention of the light bulb to the invention of the telephone, the TV and the highly advanced computer, none of it would have been possible without Franklin’s invaluable discovery and his ideals.

Over 200 years after he had died, the car was invented. And another 100 years later, a car cannot start without the support of electricity. There are also some cars that run on only electricity itself and nothing more. So imagine what he would think if he ever saw a BMW i8. What would be going through his mind when he would see such a car?

When car manufacturers reveal concept cars, they look all radical, the shapes and sizes look all futuristic, beautifully designed, flamboyant, and breathtaking. They say instead of wipers we will have a laser instead, with square wheels, have a million horsepower and will do 0-100 in just 1 second.

Right after making these statements, the accountants step in and say, “well, we can’t afford that” and they end up with three squares and a couple of circles with no hint of imagination.

So when BMW unveiled the Vision Concept and said it will do preposterous kmpl figures, we kind of did not believe that.

When BMW unveiled the production version of the car we were all busy drooling over the styling and listening to them explain how the hybrid car will work.

We were all expecting them to say words like 5 litre V8 and a million horsepower, but the words they said were a 1.5 litre turbo charged and supercharged humble 3 cylinder petrol engine and a 355W producing Lithium-ion batteries with an electric motor and a total combined power of 362bhp. This left us all awestruck. It’s like a 20 minute progressive rock song with

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The technology in the i8 paves the way into the future, it’s what will inspire the future of making cars. Whether it is electric powered from batteries, electric powered from hydrogen, or the old greasy Internal Combustion engine, the i8 is the stepping stone for the future. In my view, the BMW i8 splits time in two. a 12 minute guitar solo may seem boring, the intricacy of the song is what makes it so amazing to listen to.

This month, we got a hold of the car and I took it out for a spin. In the flesh on the road, the amount of attention it gets is just uncanny. If I was to put Miranda Kerr’s naked butt on one side and the BMW i8 on the other, the car would still get more attention from onlookers. The reason for it is that Miranda Kerr is human and the i8 looks nothing like it is from anywhere close to this planet. People expect when the doors open they will see an alien with large green eyes, a giant head with a weird shaped body sitting inside. And not to disappoint them, that’s exactly what they got when they found me inside.

To drive it may look intimidating considering the cabin complimenting the outside with similar future like design, but it’s still quintessentially BMW and precisely German.

So it should and would seem scary and make you leave skid marks in your trousers while it itself would leave some of its own on the tarmac. But it isn’t like that in anyway. In city traffic, apart from the people leaving their

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steering wheels and almost crashing into each other trying to get a picture of the car, there is nothing to be scared of. There is a pin drop silence when you start the car and it creeps up at low speeds into rearview mirrors like a little insect. You pin the throttle and it just flies off with the instant torque delivery from the electric motor with the loud noise and massive power from the little engine.

Driving in the city (the Greater Noida Expressway or some such unfettered roads), it’s extremely confortable, even though the ground clearance is only around 4 and a half inches. You have to be extremely careful not to damage the underbody of the car, if you take the car anywhere else in India. But because of that tiny gap between your bottom and the tarmac, the i8 just devours corners like an afternoon snack. Even with the traction control off, there is just so much confidence that you will not end up on a tree. There is just so much grip from the tyres getting the back out is relatively difficult I would say, if you want to have a bit of fun. You have to be at quite significant but a double digit speed to get the back end to slide out.

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When the road opens up and you let it unleash, along with the electric power the i8 just climbs the speedo like no other car I have driven before. It’s just so smooth in climbing and even during shifts because the electric power just fills in the gaps left by the ICE you don’t feel any kind of lag for a single miniscule moment. But if you don’t have sufficient charge in the batteries, naturally it can’t power the car, so without that, even though the car can climb the speedo sufficiently quick, you do get a sense that it’s trying too hard. You do get a feeling that something is missing, that that missing element is that electric torque not exhilarating you like it should.

The combined power of the i8 with both power units is 326bhp and has a limited top speed of 250kmph. In electric mode alone the i8 can reach all the way up to 120kmph and an acceleration of 0-100 kmph in 4.4seconds.

When you drive the i8, you get a sense that it’s not a normal hybrid. The car doesn’t just look like it’s from the Jetsons, but it makes you feel like you’re actually in the future.

The way the electric motor and the petrol engine move the car around is like no other

WHEELZ & ROADZ A driving experience

hybrid ever. It’s a calm relaxed little electric car with a humble yet powerful engine which is just a different being all together.

BMW claims that on electric power and petrol combines, this car can go all the way to 440kms on a single tank and 35kms in electric power alone. While testing in controlled environments it can, on the real roads, it’s near impossible to achieve them. You would have to be extremely careful to even get close to getting those figures in real life situations.

Nonetheless, the i8 is a brilliant piece of machinery, made by people who know what they are doing with a clear vision on how to do it. The i8 is beautiful to look at, amazing to drive, and probably extremely satisfying to own. But unfortunately, you can’t buy it

anymore because it’s all sold out.

So is the BMW i8 the future? Probably not the future itself but it is the gateway, the wormhole into the future. The technology in the i8 paves the way into the future, it’s what will inspire the future of making cars. Whether it is electric powered from batteries, electric powered from hydrogen, or the old greasy Internal Combustion engine, the i8 is the stepping stone for the future. In my view, the BMW i8 splits time in two.

So it’s exactly how it all started in the first place, with the discovery of electricity in the 17th century, the 21st century i8 is just a reboot of the technology. It’s sort of like how it all began in the first place. So what would Ben Franklin think if he ever saw what his discovery

led humans to achieve? I’m sure he would have been extremely proud and electrically charged too!

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Engine & Transmission 125cc, Air-cooled, 4 – Stroke, 2-valve / 4-speed, Constant Mesh

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Power & Torque 8.2 bhp@ 7000rpm 10.1 Nm@ 4500rpm

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Fuel Tank Capacity 7.6 litres

Tyres: Front & REar 80/100 R18 Tubeless

Price 52,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi)

WHEELZ & ROADZ A riding experience

DRIVEN

YAMAHA SALUTO 125CC

SIMPLY SIGNIFICANT Report: JOSHUA DAVID LUTHER / Photography: MOHD. NASIR

W

hen you hear of brands like Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, etc the first picture that comes to your mind is a superbike or anything that would resemble that. While each of these manufacturers has a race horse of their own that was not where they began from. The winning card especially for the Indian market has always been the mass market and the commuter class of bikes is where business has always been cut throat. While each of these brands has a worthy contender in their stable, the 125cc segment is yet to get a king. Yamaha already has a few bikes in this segment but launched another contender -- the Saluto in April, 2015.

When I first saw the Saluto it reminded me of a unicorn, no i am not talking about the Honda Unicorn but the mythical creature. When you look at the headlight of the Saluto it has small addition on the top which looks like a horn. From a distance the bike reminded me of a unicorn.

To some this may look a bit abnormal but it did not bother me as it breaks the mundane design philosophy of the commuter segment. This bike has bold styling, it does not really stand out nor will it turn heads but you cannot say that it is ugly. Yamaha has ensured that this bike also carry the same design language or at least parts of their design language used on the better looking FZ & R series of bikes. The Saluto has a sleek fuel tank with plastic cladding on the sides and the Brave Black version of the bike which we reviewed looks appealing to say the least.

The side compartments have a black and silver finish while the taillamp looks aggressive. The bike comes with 80/100 R18 tubeless tyres which give it a neat stance and a decent ground clearance of 180mm.

At the heart of the Saluto is a 125cc, air cooled, 4 stroke, SOHC, 2 valve engine which produces 8.2bhp @ 7000rpm and 10.1Nm @ 4500rpm. These are not the best performance figures in the segment and one cannot say that this would be the fastest bike in the segment. But then again this is the 125cc commuter segment we are talking about. The fastest bike would be a few seconds quicker to its top speed and maybe do 4-5kmph more

than the Saluto’s top speed. What really matters in this segment is price and fuel economy of which the Saluto scores top marks in each. The Saluto returns 78kms to the litre which is quite impressive and one of the best figures in the segment. The Saluto costs Rs. 52,000 (exshowroom Delhi) which is decent for this class while it may not be the best offer it is certainly competitive. The bike performs admirably on tarmac, it has a smooth ride with the 80/100 R18 tubeless tyres from Ceat providing ample of grip. The lean profile of the tyres make for a zippy ride and the light weight of the vehicle (112kgs) ensure a good fuel economy. The telescopic forks (front) and swingarm (rear) suspension ensure a stable and smooth ride over potholes and rough roads. This is one of those bikes which give the rider a certain confidence that it is stable and can be ridden with ease. It is not meant for cornering at high speeds nor for drag races, it is a happy commuter bike which will do its job without a single squeal but if you ask it to do anything else you may be disappointed.

The Saluto has a broad and comfy saddle and can seat two full grown adults with ease. The seat height and comfort design of the handles provide for a good riding position, the switch gear is easy to operate and has been designed ergonomically. The Saluto has an electric start feature and a simple analogue speed-o-meter which is easy to read and has an ecofriendly driving indicator. The bike is available in two colour options – Victory Red and Brave Black. The Saluto has a strong significance in the 125cc commuter market simply because it is one of the best in the two most importance aspects of this segment – fuel economy and price. In terms of value for money this is one of the best offers in the market to date.

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DRIVEN

YAMAHA FASCINO

REGAL RETRO Report: JOSHUA DAVID LUTHER / Photography: MOHD. NASIR

L

ike the fashion industry, the design philosophy of the auto industry keeps getting new trends which get out dated and then return with a vengeance. In today’s age and date, old school is the new cool with all heads turning to a more retro look. But retro is simply not enough! It would seem a fusion of old school looks and modern engineering is what makes our world tick. A few auto manufacturers have accepted this while others are still in the process of understanding it! But Yamaha has been quick and precise like the blade of a samurai. India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd. launched their new scooty the Fascino in May, 2015. The scooty is set to compete with the likes of the Vespa and create a significant space for itself in the retro scooty market.

The Fascino is not a run of the mill scooty and it has a unique appeal which is not available in the market. Yamaha has used a retro look on the Fascino but has gone a little beyond that, they have combined retro looks with a new design philosophy. The design language is inspiring with smooth and curvy lines flowing seamlessly on the sides of the scooty. The front of the Fascino has edgy styling with a triangular yet round headlamp. This scooty is curvy yet boasts of a sharp and edgy design. It has a sleek side profile and comes with chrome garnishing on the sides.

The front and rear feature the Yamaha emblem housed in a chrome finished wing blade. The side view mirror housing has subtle chrome finishing and the Fascino is available with a host of accessories.

At the heart of the Fascino is a 113cc, Air-Cooled, 4-Stroke, SOHC, 2-Valve motor which produces 7bhp @ 7500rpm and churns out 8.1Nm of torque @ 5000rpm.

This scooty has a

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kerb weight of 103kgs which makes it light and zippy, ideal for city traffic. The 90/ 100 R10 tyres grip the road well and give the scooty an impressive stance. The Fascino has a ground clearance of 128mm and the telescopic (front) and unit swing (rear) suspension which caters to a smooth hassle free ride. In city traffic and on highways the Fascino is easy to ride. It corners well and has a sharp acceleration, throttle inputs are exact from the word go and the engine does not feel stressed till the 85kmph mark. The front and rear drum brakes are progressive but never give you a feeling of uncertainty. The V-Belt automatic transmission is smooth and gives an uninterrupted flow of power. The Fascino may be a tad bit slower than competition but are you really going to use it to race? What’s more important for this segment is fuel economy and the Fascino gives one of the best averages in the segment. It returns 66kms to a litre of petrol which beats competition by leaps and bounds.

Like all the other contenders, this scooty also comes with a host of features. The Fascino has one of the biggest under seat storage areas of 21 litres, it comes with an under seat hook for bags and a bottle holding pocket for any pocket sized items and water bottles. It has a broad and comfy saddle and the rider seat height is set at 775mm. The scooty has a decent riding position and is comfortable to ride even on long journeys. The switch gear on the Fascino is easy to operate and has been placed ergonomically. The scooty has a bold analogue speed-o-meter which is easy to read and has an economical driving indicator. It also is available with an electric start and kick start function. The Fascino is available in 5 colours – Sassy Cyan, Rouge Red, Tuxedo Black, Haute White and Cool Cobalt. This scooty will cost you Rs. 52,500 (ex-showroom Delhi) which is very competitive considering that you get a unique styling, great fuel efficiency and admirable performance at a very affordable price.

WHEELZ & ROADZ A riding experience

Engine & Transmission 113cc, Air-cooled, 4 – Stroke, 2-valve / V-Belt Automatic

Power & Torque 7 bhp@ 7500rpm 8.1 Nm@ 5000rpm

Fuel Tank Capacity 5.2 litres

Tyres: Front & REar 90/100 R10 Tube Type

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Price 52,500 (ex-showroom, Delhi)

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DRIVEN

HERO ELECTRIC E-SPRINT

CLEAN SPRINTER Report: JOSHUA DAVID LUTHER / Photography: MOHD. NASIR

I

Battery & Motor Battery - 48V/ 33AH Motor - 800W (Peak Power 1200W)

Top Speed 45kmph

Tyres Wheel Size – 10 inch

Price 36,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi)

f time travel was possible and we take a peek into the future, it may not be as pretty as we imagine it to be. The natural resources of our planet may be over and skies may go black with pollution from industries. I am not really talking about an apocalypse but the time before that. Imagine if there were no fossil fuels left to power the industrial machines or to move the cog of transport. Where would the world turn to? The answer is simple; it’s still not too late to conserve our resources. By that I mean, let’s have more of electric vehicles on our roads.

When I was told we are going to be reviewing the new Hero Electric E-Sprint, I began thinking of places which would be good for a shoot. I concluded that we need a lush green backdrop for this vehicle. We took the E-Sprint to a lush green area. It was the right place for a clean sprint. The E-Sprint is an electric powered 800W scooty and is as silent as a winter night. All I could feel was the breeze blowing in my face, the sound of chirping birds and the mesmerising greenery. Then it hit me, if our world around us had to be conserved, E-Sprints need to be the order of the day.

Electric powered vehicles will be one of the major alternatives to mobility in the future and many manufacturers are moving in this direction.

The E-Sprint is a high speed scooty from Hero Electric and we took it for a test review to find out more about the product and its capabilities. At first glance this e-scooty is a handsome fellow and has a bold stance. The styling on the E-Sprint is sleek with sharp features at the front and back. For a battery operated vehicle high speed has a different definition. It is not really meant to go up to 300kmph but attain a decent speed ideal for city roads. The manufacturer’s claim for top speed on the E-Sprint

is 45kmph but with me on, it did not go beyond 38kmph and for reference I weigh 76kgs. But all said and done it has decent acceleration and did not take eternity to achieve the modest 38kmph.

The E-Sprint motor has a peak power of 1200W. The battery is a 48V/ 33AH and has a range of 65kms on power mode and 80kms on eco mode.

The E-Sprint has 10 inch wheels and a telescopic suspension, it is light with a kerb weight of just 106kgs making it zippy and easy to manoeuvre in city traffic. It handles well on tarmac and wouldn’t really pose any potential problems since it doesn’t go that fast. One must, of course, wear a helmet while riding this electric scooty. The suspension is on the softer side making for a comfy ride and smaller potholes don’t pose too much of a threat to your bottom. The disc brakes on the E-Sprint are quite accurate and do their job well considering 38-0kmph should not be a big deal. The e-scooty has a ground clearance of 150mm and even when we were wading through oversized puddles I did not wet my feet or get stuck. The switch gear on the E-Sprint is easy to operate and the build quality is good. You get a front pocket for your baggage and the analogue speed-o-meter looks neat to say the least.

I agree that there may be a few drawbacks to own an e-scooty but like every drop in the ocean counts, every fighter in a war matters. The scooty is ideal for riding within localities, in campuses and can be a boon for the young as well as the old. I will also suggest that this vehicle is ideal for beat constables who go around huge gated localities to keep an eye on suspicious elements.

The E-Sprint comes with a price tag of Rs.36,000 (ex-showroom Delhi) and I feel that if you want to make a difference then this is not too big an amount to spend.

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FEATURES & TRAVEL

An English Sojourn JYOTI BALANI visits the English countryside to discover beautiful beaches, Cornish tea, haunted manors, organic farms, hedge lined roads, fresh seafood, Elizabethan castles, serene cathedrals and lots more!

M

y recent trip to the English countryside organized by VisitBritain was an eye-opener in many ways!

Southwest England especially Devon and Cornwall offered many interesting things to do and see.

THE LANCASTER LONDON hotel is the best bet to spend a night in London especially if you plan to leave for the countryside the next morning. Being situated just a 10 minute walk from Paddington station makes it an ideal base for people who arrive into London on the Heathrow Express.

The next morning we boarded a direct train to Plymouth from Paddington station. On the borders of some of Britain’s most stunning countryside and DARTMOOR NATIONAL PARK is the coastal city of Plymouth, which boasts a strong maritime heritage. We visited the worldfamous MAYFLOWER STEPS, the spot close to the site on the Barbican from which it is believed the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for North America in 1620. Lunch was at an award-winning seafood café and restaurant called THE OLD BOATHOUSE CAFÉ, set in a unique location in the fisherman’s arches on the Mayflower Steps, its speciality being fresh fish and shellfish.

Our accommodation for the following two days was THE BORINGDON HALL. A seductive manor house hotel located in Devon, this one comes with the drama of Elizabethan architecture.

An idyllic location on the edge of Dartmoor, the beautifully designed cozy little rooms complemented

50 I August 2015

Agatha Christie’s Holiday home in Greenway by efficient staff made for a pleasant stay here.

Imposing stone towers, secret archways, curious arrow slits in the property add to make up for the hotel’s rich history.

Dinner was at TREBY ARMS which is renowned in Devon as their Chef Anton Piotrowski won MasterChef in 2012.

The restaurant is a cozy little space which was probably a house earlier and one can feel the warmth coupled with personalized service. Traditional British fare is served here in a contemporary fashion and so the menu boasted of some really interesting dishes such as Lobster Tail Dog, dill mayonnaise, skinny fries & leek ash brioche, Creedy Carver Duck, duck hearts, black pudding bon bon, duck leg, Pip’s asparagus and Roe Deer, parmesan orzo pasta, wild asparagus & snowball onion.

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The next morning we visited the popular RIVERFORD ORGANICS for a tour of the farm before dining at RIVERFORD FIELD KITCHEN. This farm sells vegetable, fruit, salad boxes which contain organic vegetables and fruits grown in tunnels such as spring onions, cucumbers, chillies and tomatoes.

Lunch at their field kitchen consisted of huge platters of fresh salads and mains and ensured that we enjoyed a hearty afternoon meal made from the freshest of produce in their farms.

Our next stop was at the

DARTMOOR NATIONAL PARK. Dartmoor is a landscape of stunning views, awe-inspiring granite tors, deep wooded valleys with fast flowing rivers, and rugged, wide open spaces.

Letterboxing’, an activity that originated on Dartmoor combines treasure hunting and puzzle solving while orienteering is the perfect chance to get to know this beautiful National Park.

The next morning we set off on board the DARTMOUTH STEAM RAILWAY where we had the chance to experience a beautiful

FEATURES & TRAVEL

Headland Hotel surrounded on three sides by Atlantic Ocean

Smuggler’s bar St.Michael’s Mount

Dartmouth steam railway in Devon

Dartmoor National Park

from the rest of the world and catch a glimpse of Portloe’s local fishermen as they set off for their daily catch. We also got an opportunity Lounge view from Mount Haven Hotel to sample their freshly caught crab trip through the countryside and haddock at dinner in the of South Devon and along the hotel’s restaurant during our stay coastline of the English Riviera. in this beautiful hotel.

This was followed by a visit to While in Newquay, staying the private holiday home of the at THE HEADLAND HOTEL is famous and much-loved author a great idea. Set high on a cliff AGATHA CHRISTIE and her above Fistral Beach, the Headland family. A tour of the relaxed and Hotel is an imposing Grade IIatmospheric house, which is set listed family run Victorian spa hotel in the 1950s and contains many of surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean the family’s collections including on all three sides. The grand lobby, archaeology, Tunbridgeward, elegant ballroom, efficient service silver, botanical china and books and historic guestrooms all make was enlightening. for a beautiful picture. For those The LUGGER looking to rejuvenate, the 5 Bubble HOTEL is a Awarded Spa in the hotel is a charming little great place to spend time. This hotel located by spa is the finest in Cornwall and the hamlet of was launched in 2014. It covers Portloe and the an area of around 8880 sq ft and surroundings has direct access to Fistral Beach. are nothing less With six luxury spacious treatment than magical. rooms, a couple’s treatment The charming room with its own hydrotherapy Roseland bath and a Rhassoul mud room, peninsula is the a Cornish salt steam room, perfect place to aromatherapy showers, the spa be in when you is very well equipped to cater to want to switch off everyone’s needs.

During the last leg of our journey, we visited the ROSEMERGY FARM in Morvah for English tea with scones topped with jam and clotted cream, an absolute treat. Our guide Sarah Marshall of Cornish Welcome Tours informed us that in Devon they layer the scones with cream first and then add a spoonful of jam, while the Cornish spread a layer of jam first on the scones and then the cream.

Our last day in Cornwall was spent at the MOUNT HAVEN HOTEL, a hotel oozing with warmth and hospitality. From its vantage point overlooking St. Michael’s Mount and the bay, Mount Haven Hotel has a distinctly contemporary feel, lending itself to a more informal, relaxed atmosphere. Wild lonely moors, secluded sandy coves, wide expanses of pristine sand, bustling towns and unspoilt villages, this is the Cornwall of stunning contrasts. What makes a stay even better at Mount Haven Hotel is the friendliness and warmth of the staff that instantly strikes a chord with guests and makes them feel at home!

Our exciting English trip ended with a great meal at GODOLPHIN ARMS, a restaurant that offered stunning views of St.Michael’s Mount!

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August 2015 I 51

CAR PRICES

Buyers’ Guide * Prices (Ex-Showroom Delhi)

CAR PRICES MODEL

VARIANTS

ENGINE*

FUEL*

FUEL EFFICIENCY*

PRICE*

* Engine in Litres | Fuel - Petrol (P), Diesel (D), CNG, LPG, Hybrid (H), Electric (E) | Fuel Efficiency in kmpl/kmpkg | Prices in lakh/Crore

MODEL

ASTON MARTIN DB9 Rapide

Vantage

Vanquish

Coupe Volante Rapide S V8 Coupe V8 S Coupe V8 Volante V8 N430 V12 S V12 S Roadster Coupe Volante

6.0 6.0 6.0 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 6 6.0 6.0 6.0

P P P P P P P P P P P

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

2.90 (Cr.) 3 (Cr.) 3.50 (Cr.) 1.86 (Cr.) 2.20 (Cr.) 2.40 (Cr.) NA NA NA 3.85 (Cr.) NA

TFSI Premium Plus + Sunroof TFSI S Line Cabriolet TDI Attraction TDI Premium + Sunroof Edition TDI Premium Plus + Sunroof TDI Technology Pack + Sunroof TFSI Premium Edition TDI Special Edition TDI Standard Edition TDI Premium Edition TDI Premium Plus TDI Technology Pack TDI Quattro Premium Plus TDI Quattro Technology TFSI Premium Edition TDI Business Edition TDI Premium Edition TDI Premium Plus TDI Technology Pack TDI Quattro Premium TDI Quattro Premium Plus TDI QuattroTechnology TFSI quattro TDI quattro TDI quattro W12 TDI quattro S Edition 35 TDI Premium 35 TDI Premium Plus 35 TDI TDI Quatrro Premium TDI Quatrro Premium Plus TDI Quatrro Technology TDI QuattroTechnology TDI Quattro Premium TDI Quattro Premium Plus TDI Quattro Technology TDI Quattro Technology TFSI Quattro TFSI Quattro TFSI Quattro V8 FSI V10 FSI V10 FSI Plus S-Tronic V10 FSI TFSI Quatrro TFSI Quattro 45 TFSI Coupe Quattro

1.8 1.8 2.0

P P D

16.30 16.30 20

31.40 44.75 24.56

3 Series

2.0

D

20

28.55

3 series Gran Turismo

2.0

D

20

32.22

2.0

D

20

34.06

1.8 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 3.0 3.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 4.0 3.0 4.2 6.3 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 4.2 4.2 4 4.0 4.2 5.2 5.2 5.2 3.0 3.0 2.0

P D D D D D D D P D D D D D D D P D D D D D D D D D D D D D D P P P P P P P P P P

15.64 17.11 17.11 17.11 17.11 17.11 14.94 14.94 NA 17.60 17.60 17.60 17.60 14.50 14.50 14.50 9.20 6 NA NA 15.73 15.73 15.73 14.10 14.10 14.10 13.20 12 12 12 11.30 9.20 10.4 10.4 8 7.60 7.60 7.70 10.30 NA 8.30

32.68 29.45 30.10 35.39 38.93 40.79 55.02 57.82 45.28 39.90 42.82 48.14 53.68 55.80 60.78 63.13 1.38 (Cr.) 1.17 (Cr.) 1.33 (Cr.) 1.87 (Cr.) 28.99 33.99 37.50 49.46 51.42 56.02 62.95 61.52 67.01 76.88 84.86 1.09 (Cr.) 1.35 (Cr.) 1.40 (Cr.) 1.71 (Cr.) 1.99 (Cr.) 2.31 (Cr.) 2.19 (Cr.) 52.64 95.25 60.35

GT W12

6.0

P

NA

NA

AUDI

A3

A4

A6

A6

A8 L A8 L

Q3 Q5 Q5

Q7 RS5 RS6 Avant RS7 R8 R8 Spyder S4 S6 TT BENTLEY MOTORS Continental

Continental

Flying Spur Mulsanne BMW 1 Series

5 Series

6 Series

7 Series

X1 X3

X5

Z4

M i8 BUGATTI Veyron (Sold out) CHEVROLET

Beat

Captiva Cruze

52 I August 2015

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VARIANTS

ENGINE*

FUEL*

FUEL EFFICIENCY*

PRICE*

* Engine in Litres | Fuel - Petrol (P), Diesel (D), CNG, LPG, Hybrid (H), Electric (E) | Fuel Efficiency in kmpl/kmpkg | Prices in lakh/Crore

GT V8 GT Speed W12 GT V8 S GTC W12 GTC V8 GT Speed Convertible GT V8S Convertible Flying Spur V8 Flying Spur W12 Mulsanne

4.0 6.0 4.0 6.0 4.0 6.0 6.0 4.0 6.0 6.8

P P P P P P P P P P

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 6.38 8 NA

3.28 (Cr.) NA 3.54 (Cr.) NA NA 4.03 (Cr.) NA 3.21 (Cr.) 3.40 (Cr.) 5.55 (Cr.)

118d Prestige 118d Sport Line 320d Prestige 320d Sport Line 320d Luxury Line Sport Line Luxury Line 520d Prestige 520d Prestige Plus 520d Luxury Line 530d M Sport 640d Gran Coupé Eminence 640d Gran Coupé Design Pure Experience 730 Ld Prestige 730 Ld Eminence 730 Ld Signature 750Li Eminence 760Li Eminence ActiveHybrid 7L sDrive20d xLine xDrive20d Expedition xDrive20d xLine xDrive30d M Sport xDrive30d Expedition xDrive30d Design Pure Experience xDrive30d Design Pure Experience (7 Seater) sDrive 35i sDrive 35i Design Pure Traction M3 Sedan M4 Coupé M5 Sedan M6 Gran Coupé i8

2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 3.0 3.0

D D D D D D D D D D D D

20.58 20.58 18.88 18.88 18.88 19.59 19.59 18.48 18.48 18.48 14.69 17.54

26.50 29.50 34.90 38.90 38.90 39.90 42.90 44.90 47.90 49.90 59.90 1.14 (Cr.)

3.0

P

10.37

75.90

3.0 3.0 5.0 4.3 1.5

P P P P H

10.75 10.75 10.10 10.10 47.45

1.23 (Cr.) 1.25 (Cr.) 1.39 (Cr.) 1.80 (Cr.) 2.29 (Cr.)

Veyron Grand Sport

8.0

P

NA

12 (Cr.)

PS LS LT LT Option PS LS LT LT Option LT LTZ LT (MT) LTZ (MT) LTZ (AT)

1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.0

P P P P D D D D D D D D D

18.61 18.61 18.61 18.61 25.44 25.44 25.44 25.44 14.60 12.12 17.30 17.30 NA

4.20 4.47 4.90 5.41 5.05 5.34 5.77 6.28 25.13 27.36 14.26 15.81 16.86

3.0

D

17.54

1.21 (Cr.)

3.0 3.0 3.0 5.0 6.0 3.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 3.0 3.0

D D D P P P D D D D D

16.46 16.46 16.46 11.62 7.46 13.85 17.05 18.56 18.56 15.35 15.35

92.50 1.06 (Cr.) 1.25 (Cr.) 1.46 (Cr.) 1.95 (Cr.) 1.41 (Cr.) 37.90 46.90 51.90 59.90 65.90

3.0

D

15.35

69.90

3.0

D

15.35

72.90

3.0

P

10.37

74.90

CAR PRICES * Prices (Ex-Showroom Delhi) MODEL

VARIANTS

ENGINE*

FUEL*

FUEL EFFICIENCY*

PRICE*

* Engine in Litres | Fuel - Petrol (P), Diesel (D), CNG, LPG, Hybrid (H), Electric (E) | Fuel Efficiency in kmpl/kmpkg | Prices in lakh/Crore

LS - 8 Seater LS -7 Seater LT - 8 Seater LT - 7 Seater LTZ - 8 Seater LTZ - 7 Seater Enjoy TCDi LS - 8 Seater TCDi LS -7 Seater TCDi LT - 8 Seater TCDi LT - 7 Seater TCDi LTZ - 8 Seater TCDi LTZ - 7 Seater PS LS LS ABS LT ABS Sail Hatchback TCDi PS TCDi LS TCDi LS ABS TCDi LT ABS PS LS LS ABS LT ABS Sail Sedan TCDi PS TCDi LS TCDi LS ABS TCDi LT ABS BS4 OBDII LS BS4 OBDII Spark LT BS4 OBDII Neo 3 -10-BS3 Neo 3 Max -10-BS3 Neo 3 Max -7-BS3 Neo 3 LS-10-BS3 Neo 3 LS-7-BS3 Tavera * Neo 3 LS-7(C)-BS3 Neo 3 LT-9-BS3 Neo 3 LT-8-BS3 Neo 3 LT-7(C)-BS3 * Only available in BS3 cities.

DATSUN D D1 Go A T D D1 Go+ A T FERRARI California T Convertible FF FF GTB Coupe 488 Spider 458 Speciale F12 Berlinetta FIAT Active Fire Dynamic Fire Active Multijet Avventura Dynamic Multijet Emotion Multijet Active Fire Active T-Jet Dynamic T-Jet Emotion T-Jet Linea Active Multijet Dynamic Multijet Emotion Multijet Classic Fire Classic Multijet Linea Classic Classic Plus Multijet Active Fire Dynamic Fire Emotion Fire Active Multijet Punto Evo Dynamic Multijet Emotion Multijet Sport 93 PS FORCE EX 6 Seater LX-ABS 6 Seater Force One SX-ABS 6 Seater SX-ABS 5 Seater Hard Top (4x4) Soft Top (4x2) Gurkha Soft Top (4x4) FORD LXi Duratec CLXi Duratec Classic Titanium Duratec LXi Duratorq

1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.0 1.0 1.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5

P P P P P P D D D D D D P P P P D D D D P P P P D D D D P P P D D D D D D D D D

13.70 13.70 13.70 13.70 13.70 13.70 18.20 18.20 18.20 18.20 18.20 18.20 18.20 18.20 18.20 18.20 22.10 22.10 22.10 22.10 18.20 18.20 18.20 18.20 22.10 22.10 22.10 22.10 16.20 16.20 16.20 13.58 13.58 13.58 13.58 13.58 13.58 13.58 13.58 13.58

6.24 6.26 6.83 6.86 7.68 7.70 7.54 7.57 8.02 8.05 8.76 8.79 4.67 5.16 5.39 5.99 5.69 6.20 6.36 7.18 5.50 5.99 6.36 6.84 6.74 7.14 7.45 8.05 3.61 3.88 4.18 7.59 8.47 8.79 9.25 9.51 9.62 10.58 11.03 11.30

1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2

P P P P P P P P

20.63 20.63 20.63 20.63 20.63 20.63 20.63 20.63

3.23 3.26 3.59 4.05 3.79 3.82 4.15 4.61

3.8 6.2 3.9 4.5 4.5 6.2

P P P P P P

9.51 6.49 6.96 8.46 8.46 6.66

NA NA NA NA NA NA

1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

P P D D D P P P P D D D P D D P P P D D D D

14.40 14.40 20.50 20.50 20.50 15.70 15.70 15.70 15.70 20.40 20.40 20.40 14.90 19.50 19.50 15.80 15.80 15.80 21.20 21.20 21.20 21.20

6.44 7.31 7.18 7.95 8.49 7 7.99 9.15 9.67 8.47 9.62 10.09 6.12 7.13 7.69 4.94 5.36 7.18 5.88 6.51 7.14 7.52

2.6 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.6 2.6 2.6

D D D D D D D

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

9.59 14.34 12.70 12.78 8.71 6.42 8.56

1.6 1.6 1.6 1.4

P P P D

14.09 14.09 14.09 19.68

5.06 5.77 6.58 6.47

MODEL

VARIANTS

ENGINE*

FUEL*

FUEL EFFICIENCY*

PRICE*

* Engine in Litres | Fuel - Petrol (P), Diesel (D), CNG, LPG, Hybrid (H), Electric (E) | Fuel Efficiency in kmpl/kmpkg | Prices in lakh/Crore

Classic

Ecosport

Endeavour

Fiesta

Figo

CLXi Duratorq Titanium Duratorq Ambiente M/T Trend M/T Titanium M/T Titanium A/T Titanium Ecoboost Titanium (O) Ecoboost Ambiente (D) Trend (D) Titanium (D) Titanium (O) (D) 4x2 M/T 4x2 A/T 4x4 A/T Ambiente Trend Titanium LXi Duratec EXi Duratec ZXi Duratec Titanium Duratec LXi Duratorq EXi Duratorq ZXi Duratorq Titanium Duratorq

1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.0 1.0 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4

D D P P P P P P D D D D D D D D D D P P P P D D D D

19.68 19.68 15.80 15.80 15.80 15.60 18.90 18.90 22.70 22.70 22.70 22.70 12.67 10.70 10.70 25.01 25.01 25.01 15.22 15.22 15.22 15.22 19.99 19.99 19.99 19.99

6.95 7.68 6.75 7.71 8.70 9.73 9.14 9.70 7.89 8.61 9.60 10.20 22.15 23.73 25.67 8.50 9.39 10.18 4.14 4.71 5.04 5.45 5.05 5.62 5.94 6.35

E M/T EX M/T S M/T S MT Plus (i-VTEC) SX M/T VX M/T VX (O) M/T S A/T VX A/T E M/T EX M/T S M/T SX M/T VX M/T VX (O) M/T E M/T EX M/T S M/T V M/T VX M/T VX BL M/T VX A/T VX BL A/T E M/T S M/T SV M/T V M/T VX M/T SV CVT VX CVT EMT SMT SVMT VMT VXMT 2WD M/T 2WD A/T 4WD AVN A/T E S SV V VX S CVT V CVT E S SV V VX E S V V (O) E S V V (O) RS RS (O)

1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.0 2.0 2.4 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5

P P P P / CNG P P P P P D D D D D D P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P D D D D D P P P P P P P P P P D D D D D P P P P D D D D D D

18 18 18 NA 18 18 18 15.50 15.50 25.80 25.80 25.80 25.80 25.80 25.80 19.40 19.40 19.40 19.40 19.40 19.40 16.50 16.50 17.80 17.80 17.80 17.80 17.80 18 18 26 26 26 26 25.10 13.70 13.70 12 18.7 18.7 18.7 18.7 18.7 19 19 27.3 27.3 27.3 27.3 27.3 17.30 17.30 17.30 17.30 24.20 24.20 24.20 24.20 24.20 24.20

5.19 5.55 5.94 5.99 6.48 6.87 7.32 6.95 7.78 6.20 6.52 6.97 7.39 7.75 8.20 4.21 4.43 4.78 5.12 5.51 5.99 6.31 6.78 7.53 8.19 8.78 9.37 10.34 9.81 11.42 8.75 9.40 9.94 10.55 11.53 21.09 22.85 25.09 5.30 5.94 6.44 6.79 7.26 6.99 7.85 6.49 7.14 7.64 8.09 8.59 6.75 7.80 9.06 9.75 8.19 8.93 10.09 10.77 11.19 11.87

L S SX+ L LS

1.6 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.4

P P P D D

15.29 15.29 15.29 21.38 21.38

8.59 9.57 11.19 9.46 10.42

HONDA

Amaze

Brio

City

CR-V

Jazz

Mobilio

HYUNDAI

Creta

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August 2015 I 53

CAR PRICES * Prices (Ex-Showroom Delhi) MODEL

VARIANTS

ENGINE*

FUEL*

FUEL EFFICIENCY*

PRICE*

* Engine in Litres | Fuel - Petrol (P), Diesel (D), CNG, LPG, Hybrid (H), Electric (E) | Fuel Efficiency in kmpl/kmpkg | Prices in lakh/Crore

Creta

Elantra

Eon

Elite i20

Grand i10

i10

i20 Active

Santa Fe

4S Fludic Verna

Xcent

S+ SX SX+ SX+ A/T SX (O) S M/T SX M/T SX A/T L M/T S M/T SX M/T SX A/T D-Lite D-Lite+ Era+ Era+ Lpg Magna+ Magna+ LPG Magna+ Kappa Magna+ (O) Sportz Kappa Era Kappa Magna Kappa Sportz Kappa Sportz (O) Kappa Asta CRDi Era CRDi Magna CRDi Sportz CRDi Sportz (O) CRDi Asta Kappa Era Kappa Magna Kappa Magna (LPG) Kappa Sportz Kappa Asta Kappa Asta A/T Kappa Asta (O) CRDi Era CRDi Magna CRDi Sportz CRDi Asta CRDi Asta (O) Era Magna Sportz Sportz LPG Kappa Base Kappa S CRDi Base CRDi S CRDi SX 2WD M/T 2WD A/T 4WD A/T Base S S (O) S (O) A/T SX CRDi Base CRDi S CRDi S (O) CRDi SX CRDi SX A/T Kappa Base Kappa S Kappa S (O) Kappa SX Kappa SX (O) Kappa SX (O) A/T CRDi Base CRDi S CRDi S (O) CRDi SX CRDi SX (O)

1.4 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.0 1.0 0.8 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.4 2.2 2.2 2.2 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1

D D D D D P P P D D D D P P P P/LPG P P/LPG P P P P P P P P D D D D D P P P/LPG P P P P D D D D D P P P P/LPG P P D D D D D D P P P P P D D D D D P P P P P P D D D D D

21.38 19.67 19.67 17.01 19.67 16.30 16.30 14.30 22.70 22.70 22.70 19.10 21.10 21.10 21.10 21.10 21.10 21.10 20.30 20.30 21.10 18.60 18.60 18.60 18.60 18.60 22.54 22.54 22.54 22.54 22.54 18.90 18.90 18.90 18.90 18.90 18.90 18.90 24 24 24 24 24 19.81 19.81 19.81 19.20 17.19 17.19 21.19 21.19 21.19 14.74 13.01 13.01 17.01 17.01 17.01 17.01 17.01 23.50 23.50 23.50 23.50 19.08 19.10 19.10 19.10 19.10 19.10 16.90 24.40 24.40 24.40 24.40 24.40

11.45 11.59 12.67 13.57 16.6 13.15 14.38 15.37 13.61 14.34 15.54 16.53 3.01 3.31 3.45 3.71 3.75 4.02 4.05 4.18 4.04 5.23 5.77 6.28 6.63 6.86 6.36 6.90 7.44 7.76 7.99 4.62 4.82 5.25 5.22 5.48 6.23 5.81 5.49 5.68 6.08 6.35 6.67 4.17 4.41 4.70 4.98 6.38 7.10 7.63 8.34 8.89 26.65 27.86 29.95 7.69 8.79 9.32 10.05 10.09 8.90 9.93 10.52 11.39 12.12 4.96 5.64 5.90 6.58 6.84 7.59 5.85 6.54 6.80 7.47 7.74

D-Max Single Cab D-Max Space Cab Flat Deck D-Max Space Cab Arched Deck BS4 4x2 MT BS4 4x2 MT HI Pack BS4 AT Premium

2.5 2.5

D D

NA NA

5.89 6.09

2.5

D

NA

6.99

3.0 3.0 3.0

D D D

12.08 12.08 NA

20.20 22 23.90

ISUZU D-Max

MU-7 JAGUAR

F-Type

XF

F-Type Coupe F-Type S Coupe F-Type R Coupe F-Type V6 S Covertible F-Type V8 S Covertible XF XF

54 I August 2015

3.0 3.0 5.0 3.0 5.0 2.0 2.2

P P P P P P D

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

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1.25 (Cr.) 1.37 (Cr.) 1.87 (Cr.) 1.52 (Cr.) 1.79 (Cr.) 50.23 50.55

MODEL

VARIANTS

ENGINE*

FUEL*

FUEL EFFICIENCY*

PRICE*

* Engine in Litres | Fuel - Petrol (P), Diesel (D), CNG, LPG, Hybrid (H), Electric (E) | Fuel Efficiency in kmpl/kmpkg | Prices in lakh/Crore

XF

XJ

Executive Edition XF XFR Premium Luxury Portfolio Premium Luxury Portfolio

2.2 3.0 5.0 2.0 2.0 3.0 3.0

D D P P P D D

NA NA NA NA 9.4 NA NA

46.72 58.86 NA NA 95.97 94.80 1.02 (Cr.)

LP 700-4 LP 700-4 Roadster LP 610-4

6.5 6.5 5.2

P P P

6.3 6.3 NA

3.69 (Cr.) 4.77 (Cr.) 3.43 (Cr.)

V6 SE V6 HSE TD4 S BE TD4 SE TD4 SE Sterling Edition TD4 HSE TDV6 HSE TDV6 Vogue SDV8 Vogue SE SDV8 Autobiography V8 SC Autobiography TDV6 Vogue LWB SDV8 Vogue SE LWB SDV8 Autobiography LWB V8 SC Autobiography LWB Pure Prestige Dynamic Dynamic Coupe 5 Door Pure 5 Door Dynamic 5 Door Prestige SDV6 S SDV6 SE SDV6 HSE SC Autobiography

3.0 3.0 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 3.0 3.0 4.4 4.4 5.0 3.0 4.4 4.4 5.0 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.2 3.0 3.0 3.0 5.0

P P D D D D D D D D P D D D P D D D P D D D D D D P

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

1.10 (Cr.) 1.19 (Cr.) 41.61 45.42 47.03 51.02 1.81 (Cr.) 2.06 (Cr.) 2.46 (Cr.) 2.53 (Cr.) 2.61 (Cr.) 2.18 (Cr.) 2.56 (Cr.) 2.67 (Cr.) 2.74 (Cr.) 59.49 67.80 67.50 NA 48.73 52.40 56.21 1.15 (Cr.) 1.31 (Cr.) 1.50 (Cr.) 1.74 (Cr.)

Plus Non Ac BS4 Plus Ac BS4 Ex Non Ac BS4 Ex Ac BS4 SLE BS4 SLX BS4 ZLX BS4 C2 C4 C6 C8 RX5 MT RX6 MT RX7 AT S2 S4 S4 / S4 4WD S6 / S6 PLUS S8 S10 / S10 4WD Thar DI 2WD / 4WD 4x4 CRDE D2 D4 D6 ABS D6 ABS EXECUTIVE D2 D4 D6 W4 FWD W6 FWD W8 FWD W8 AWD Xclusive Edition D2 BS IV D2 MAXX BS IV D4 BS IV

2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.5 2.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.5 2.5 2.5

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

15.96 15.96 15.96 15.96 15.96 15.96 15.96 17.21 17.21 17.21 17.21 11.18 11.18 11.18 NA NA NA NA NA NA 18.06 18.06 20.08 20.08 20.08 20.08 20.08 20.08 20.08 15.10 15.10 15.10 15.10 15.10 14.88 14.88 14.88

6.88 7.27 6.50 6.90 7.30 7.82 7.99 6.41 7.28 7.75 8.26 19.83 21.87 23.17 8.69 9.29 9.70 / 10.83 10.48 / 10.79 11.68 12.32 / 13.45 5.03 / 5.53 7.68 6.72 6.95 7.65 8.13 6 6.27 6.89 11.20 12.47 14.07 15.06 14.49 / 14.65 8.07 7.86 8.49

H4 BS IV / ABS BS IV

2.2

D

14.02

8.96 / 9.20

2.2

D

14.02

10.23 / 10.62

2.2

D

14.02

11.47

E

NA

7.19

E

NA

7.67

P P P P P

22.74 22.74 22.74 22.74 22.74

2.46 2.82 3.05 3.21 3.19

LAMBORGHINI Aventador Huracan LAND ROVER Discovery 4

Freelander 2

Range Rover

Range Rover Evoque

Range Rover Sport MAHINDRA

Bolero

Quanto

Rexton

Scorpio

Thar

Verito

Verito Vibe

XUV 500

XYLO

H8 ABS BS IV / ABS AIRBAG BS IV H9 BS IV MAHINDRA REVA T2 e2o T20

Electric Motor Electric Motor

MARUTI

Alto 800

STD LX Lxi LXi Airbag Vxi

0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8

CAR PRICES * Prices (Ex-Showroom Delhi) MODEL

VARIANTS

ENGINE*

FUEL*

FUEL EFFICIENCY*

PRICE*

* Engine in Litres | Fuel - Petrol (P), Diesel (D), CNG, LPG, Hybrid (H), Electric (E) | Fuel Efficiency in kmpl/kmpkg | Prices in lakh/Crore

Alto 800

Alto K10

Celerio

Ciaz

Eeco

Ertiga

Grand Vitara Gypsy Omni

Ritz

Swift

Swift

Swift Dzire

WagonR

WagonR Stingray MASERATI Ghibli Quattraporte Gran Turismo Gran Cabrio

VXi Airbag LXi CNG LX Lxi LXi CNG Vxi VXi (O) VXi AGS Lxi LXi AGS Vxi VXi AGS GREEN Vxi Zxi ZXi (O) LDi Vdi Zdi ZDi (O) Vdi VDi Plus VXi VXi Plus VXi Plus AT ZDi ZDi (O) ZDi Plus ZXi ZXi AT ZXi Plus 5 Seater 5 Seater Ac 7 Seater Flexi Green Flexi Green 5 Seater Non Ac Green 5 Seater Ac Lxi LXi CNG Vxi VXi ABS VXi CNG ZXi Di Vdi Zdi MT AT King Soft Top King Hard Top 5 Seater 8 Seater LXi VXi VXi ABS VXi AT ABS ZXi Mc LDi Mc VDi Mc VDi ABS Mc ZDi LXi LXi (O) VXi ZXi LDi VDi ZDi LXi LXi (O) VXi VXi AT ZXi LDi VDi ZDi Mc Lx Mc LXi LXi CNG Mc VXi Mc VXi ABS LXi VXi VXi (O)

0.8 0.8 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 2.4 2.4 1.3 1.3 0.8 0.8 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0

P CNG P P P P P P P P P P CNG P P D D D D D D P P P D D D P P P P P P CNG P CNG CNG P CNG P P CNG P D D D P P P P LPG P P P P P P D D D D P P P P D D D P P P P P D D D P P CNG P P P P P

22.74 30.46 24.07 24.07 24.07 24.07 24.07 24.07 23.10 23.10 23.10 23.10 31.79 23.10 23.10 27.62 27.62 27.62 27.62 26.30 26.30 20.73 20.73 19.12 26.30 26.30 26.30 20.73 19.12 20.73 15.10 15.10 15.10 20 20 20 20 16.02 22.80 16.02 16.02 22.80 16.02 20.77 20.77 20.77 10.40 9.24 11.96 11.96 10.90 14.70 18.50 18.50 18.50 17.16 18.50 23.20 23.20 23.20 23.20 20.40 20.40 20.40 20.40 25.20 25.20 25.20 19.10 19.10 19.10 19.10 19.10 23.40 23.40 23.40 20.51 20.51 26.60 20.51 20.51 20.51 20.51 20.51

3.37 3.62 3.13 3.29 3.92 3.46 3.66 3.95 3.90 4.40 4.20 4.70 4.86 4.50 4.96 4.65 4.65 5.25 5.71 8.25 8.85 7.17 7.74 8.87 9.70 10.05 10.31 8.45 9.58 9.03 3.09 3.39 3.26 4.15 3.37 3.76 4.12 5.99 6.61 6.79 6.87 7.39 7.59 7.42 8.06 8.72 22.68 24.60 5.95 6.09 2.51 2.49 4.38 4.78 5.03 5.97 5.39 5.47 5.79 5.98 6.38 4.58 4.70 5.32 6.17 5.76 6.22 7.21 5.08 5.20 5.85 6.67 6.80 5.99 6.86 7.82 3.64 3.96 4.50 4.22 4.53 4.15 4.43 4.72

Ghibli Quattraporte Quattraporte GTS Gran Turismo Gran Turismo Sport MC Stradale Gran Cabrio

3. 0 3. 0 3.8 4.2 4.7 4.7 4.7

D P P P P P P

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

1.1 (Cr.) 1.5 (Cr.) 2.2 (Cr.) 1.8 (Cr.) NA NA 2.0 (Cr.)

MODEL

VARIANTS

ENGINE*

FUEL*

FUEL EFFICIENCY*

PRICE*

* Engine in Litres | Fuel - Petrol (P), Diesel (D), CNG, LPG, Hybrid (H), Electric (E) | Fuel Efficiency in kmpl/kmpkg | Prices in lakh/Crore

Gran Cabrio

Gran Cabrio Sport Gran Cabrio MC

4.7 4.7

P P

NA NA

NA NA

180 Sport Standard Edition 180 CDI Standard Edition New 180 Sport New 200 CDI Sport 200 CDI 200 Sport 200 CDI Sport 180 Sport 180 CDI 180 Sport Facelift 200 CDI Sport Facelift 200 Avantgarde 220 CDI Style 200 CDI Avantgarde 220 CDI Avantgarde 200 CDI Avantgarde 250 CDI Avantgarde 350 CDI Avantgrade V6 Cabriolet 200 CDI Style 200 CDI Sport 200 Sport 350 CDI 250 CDI 350 CDI 350 CDI 500 600 Coupe 600 Guard 250 350 350 CLA 45AMG GLA 45AMG C 63 AMG E 63 AMG GL 63 AMG G 63 AMG ML 63 AMG SLK 55 AMG S 63 AMG

1.6 2.1 1.6 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.1 1.6 2.1 1.6 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.1 3.0 3.0 2.2 2.2 2.0 3.0 2.1 3.0 3.0 4.6 6.0 6.0 2.2 3.5 3.5 2.0 2.0 6.2 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5

P D P D D P D P D P D P D D D P D D P D D P D D D D P P P D P P P P P P P P P P P

15.50 20.06 NA NA 17.90 15.04 17.90 14.91 18.98 NA NA 14.74 19.27 19.27 19.27 13.82 14.21 NA NA 17.90 17.9 NA NA 14.80 8.70 NA NA NA 8.8 NA 9.26 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 10.41 NA NA

26.53 25.61 27.45 28.45 31.50 35 35.90 28.84 27.75 29.45 30.45 41.70 39.90 42.90 37.90 48.50 50.70 59.90 78.50 31.31 34.25 36 77.50 56.60 67.90 1.13 (Cr.) 1.44 (Cr.) NA 8.9 (Cr.) 76.50 91.90 71.90 68.50 69.60 1.07 (Cr.) 1.29 (Cr.) 1.70 (Cr.) NA 1.50 (Cr.) 1.26 (Cr.) NA

Cooper D Cooper S Cooper D Cooper Convertible One Countryman Cooper D Countryman Cooper D Hightrim Cooper S

1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6 2.0 1.6 1.6

D D D P P D D P

21.15 21.15 21.15 NA NA NA NA NA

32.65 34.65 36.10 36.70 26.55 28.55 31.40 38.75

Sport 4x2 A/T Sport Di-D 4x4

2.5 2.5

D D

13.5 13.5

24.98 25.28

XE XE+ XL XL (O) XV X (O) SV XL XL Comfort XV CVT DCI XE DCI XL DCI XL Comfort DCI XV DCI XV Premium Active XL Active XV Active XV S XE XL XL CVT XE D XL D XV D XV D Premium Safety XV D Premium Leather XL XE D XL D XL D PLUS XL D THP XV OPTION D THP XV OPTION D THP Premium

1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5

D D D D D D D P P P D D D D D P P P P P P D D D D D P D D D D D D

19.30 19.30 19.30 19.30 19.30 19.30 19.30 18.44 18.44 19.34 23.08 23.08 23.08 23.08 23.08 19.49 19.49 19.49 17.97 17.97 17.97 22.71 22.71 22.71 22.71 22.71 13.24 20.45 20.45 20.45 19.01 19.01 19.01

9.14 9.67 10.51 10.77 11.22 11.48 12.22 5.16 5.82 6.93 5.74 6 6.62 7.10 7.47 4.38 4.70 5.02 7.40 8.19 9.55 8.60 9.25 10 10.29 10.50 10.15 10.13 11.17 11.45 11.64 12.60 12.92

Careera

3.4

P

NA

1.29 (Cr.)

MERCEDES-BENZ A-Class

CLA-Class

B-Class

C-Class

E-Class

GLA-class GL-class ML-class

S-class

CLS-Class SLK-class

AMG

MINI Mini 3-Door Mini 5-Door Mini Convertible Mini Countryman MITSUBISHI Pajero NISSAN

Evalia

Micra

Micra Active

New Sunny

Terrano

PORSCHE 911

www.motownindia.com

August 2015 I 55

CAR PRICES * Prices (Ex-Showroom Delhi) MODEL

VARIANTS

ENGINE*

FUEL*

FUEL EFFICIENCY*

PRICE*

* Engine in Litres | Fuel - Petrol (P), Diesel (D), CNG, LPG, Hybrid (H), Electric (E) | Fuel Efficiency in kmpl/kmpkg | Prices in lakh/Crore

911

Boxter

Cayenne

Cayman Macan

Panamera

Careera S Careera 4 Careera 4S Careera Cabriolet Careera S Cabriolet Careera 4 Cabriolet Careera 4S Cabriolet GT3 Turbo Turbo S Targa 4 Targa 4 S Boxter S Cayenne Diesel Cayenne S Cayenne Platinum Cayenne S Diesel Cayenne S Hybrid Cayenne GTS Cayenne Tiptronic Cayenne Turbo Cayenne Turbo S Cayman S Turbo S Diesel Panamera Panamera Diesel Panamera 4 Panamera GTS Panamera Turbo

3.8 3.4 3.8 3.4 3.8 3.4 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.4 3.8 3.4 3.0 4.8 3.0 4.1 3.0 4.8 3.6 4.8 4.8 3.4 3.6 3.0 3.6 3.0 3.6 4.8 4.8

P P P P P P P P P P P P P D P D D P P P P P P D D P D P P P

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 10.80 15.80 NA NA NA NA NA

1.51 (Cr.) 1.42 (Cr.) 1.61 (Cr.) 1.47 (Cr.) 1.68 (Cr.) 1.57 (Cr.) 1.78 (Cr.) 2.14 (Cr.) 2.20 (Cr.) 2.67 (Cr.) 1.59 (Cr.) 1.78 (Cr.) 92.02 79.06 99.92 86.50 1.02 (Cr.) 91.05 1.16 (Cr.) 71.17 1.60 (Cr.) 2.09 (Cr.) 94.51 1.09 (Cr.) 98.18 1.20 (Cr.) 1.23 (Cr.) 1.22 (Cr.) 1.61 (Cr.) 2 (Cr.)

GX GLX DX LX CRDi

1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2

P P D D D

15 15 13 13 20

4.71 5.16 5.64 6.10 6.70

RXE RXL 85 PS RXE 85 PS RXL 85 PS RXL Plus 85 PS RXL Option 110 PS RXL 110 PS RXL AWD 110 PS RXZ AWD 110 PS RXZ Plus 110 PS RXZ Option E2 E4 4x2 MT 4X4 MT 4X4 AT 85 PS 85 PS RxE 85 PS RxL 85 PS RxZ 110 PS RxL 110 PS RxZ (7 Seater) 110 PS RxZ Stepway RxZ 110 PS 8 seater Stepway RxZ 110 PS 7 seater RXL RXL ABS RXZ RXE RXL RXL CVT RXZ CVT RXE RXL RXZ

1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5

P P D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D P P P P D D D

13.24 13.24 19.87 19.87 19.87 19.87 19.64 19.64 19.64 19.64 19.64 20.04 20.04 17.15 16.26 14.56 21.04 21.04 21.04 21.04 19.98 19.98 19.98 19.98 19.98 23.08 23.08 23.08 16.95 16.95 17.97 17.97 21.64 21.64 21.64

8.30 9.63 9.07 10.10 10.80 11.39 11.10 12.40 13.55 12.37 12.42 14.73 16.31 23.48 26.68 27.75 8.19 8.99 9.59 10.89 10.09 11.79 11.49 11.99 12.29 5.04 6.11 6.80 7.44 8.23 9.41 10.34 8.58 9.10 10.02

Ghost SWB Ghost EWB Ghost V-Specification Phantom Phantom EWB Drophead Coupe Coupe Wraith

6.6 6.6 6.6 6.7 6.7 6.7 6.7 6.6

P P P P P P P P

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

2.50 (Cr.) 3.05 (Cr.) NA 3.34 (Cr.) NA 4.01 (Cr.) 4 (Cr.) NA

Ambition TSI Elegance TSI AT Ambition TDI CR Ambition TDI CR AT Elegance TDI CR AT Active MPI Ambition MPI Plus Elegance MPI Elegance MPI Black Package Elegance Plus MPI

1.4 1.8 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6

P P D D D P P P P P

16.80 14.70 20.60 19.30 19.30 15 15 15 15 15

16.25 19.66 17.87 18.55 20.60 7.55 8.43 8.88 9.01 9.22

MODEL

Rapid

Superb

Fluence Koleos

Lodgy

Pulse

Scala

Yeti

Aria

Bolt

GenX Nano

Indica

Indigo eCS

Manza

Safari

Safari Storme

Sumo Gold

Vista Xenon XT

ROLLS-ROYCE Ghost

Phantom Series II Wraith SKODA

Octavia

Rapid

FUEL*

FUEL EFFICIENCY*

PRICE*

Elegance MPI AT Elegance MPI Black Package AT Active TDI CR Ambition TDI CR Plus Elegance TDI CR Elegance TDI CR Black Package Ambition TDI CR Plus AT Elegance TDI CR AT Elegance TDI CR Black Package AT Elegance Plus AT Elegance Plus Black Package AT Elegance TSI MT Elegance TSI AT Elegance TDI CR AT Elegance TDI CR 4x2 Elegance TDI CR 4x4

1.6

P

14.30

9.87

1.6

P

14.30

10.34

1.5 1.5 1.5

D D D

21.66 21.66 21.66

8.80 9.48 9.87

1.5

D

21.66

10

1.5 1.5

D D

21.66 21.66

10.83 11.18

1.5

D

21.66

11.31

1.5

D

21.66

11.52

1.5

D

21.66

11.65

1.8 1.8 2.0 2.0 2.0

P P D D D

13.10 13.70 17.20 17.72 17.67

21.65 23.30 26.25 20.10 21.80

Pure LX 4x2 BS IV Pleasure LX 4x2 BS IV Pride 4x4 BS IV XE Revotron 90PS XM Revotron 90PS XMS Revotron 90PS XT Revotron 90PS XE Quadrajet 75PS XM Quadrajet 75PS XMS Quadrajet 75PS XT Quadrajet 75PS XE XM XMA (AMT) XT XTA (AMT) ev2 LS BS IV ev2 LX BS IV emax GLS BS IV emax GLX BS IV GLX BS IV GVX BS IV LS LX VX emax GLS emax GLX Safire GLS Safire GLX Safire GVX Safire GEX Safire GEXL Quadrajet LS Quadrajet LX Quadrajet VX Quadrajet EX Quadrajet EXL Dicor EX BS 4 Dicor LX BS 4 Storme LX BS 4 Storme EX Storme VX 4x2 Storme VX 4x4 CX BS 4 CX - PS BS 4 EX BS 4 GX BS 4 Quadrajet LS BS 4 Quadrajet VX Tech BS 4 XT EX 4x2 XT EX 4x4 XE Revotron 90PS XM Revotron 90PS XMS Revotron 90PS XT Revotron 90PS XE Quadrajet 75PS XM Quadrajet 90PS XMS Quadrajet 90PS XT Quadrajet 90PS XMA Quadrajet 90PS

2.2 2.2 2.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 1.3 1.3 2.2 2.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

D D D P P P P D D D D P P P P P D D P/CNG P/CNG P P D D D P/CNG P/CNG P P P P P D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D P P P P D D D D D

15.05 15.05 15.05 17.57 17.57 17.57 17.57 22.95 22.95 22.95 22.95 23.6 23.6 21.9 23.6 21.9 25 25 NA NA 15.64 15.64 25 25 25 NA NA 13.70 13.70 13.70 13.70 13.70 21.02 21.02 21.02 21.02 21.02 11.57 11.57 14.1 14.1 14.1 14.1 15.30 15.30 15.30 15.30 16.70 21.12 13.49 13.49 17.57 17.57 17.57 17.57 22.95 22.95 22.95 22.95 22.95

10.42 12.56 15.43 4.45 5.16 5.40 6 5.50 6.12 6.35 7 1.99 2.29 2.69 2.49 2.89 4.44 4.85 3.90 4.16 4.93 5.21 5.38 5.57 5.95 4.88 5.15 5.97 6.20 6.61 7.59 7.61 6.16 6.93 7.59 8.58 8.51 10.20 8.90 9.99 11.60 13.02 14.35 6.56 6.74 7.28 7.93 5.28 5.97 9.96 10.99 4.85 5.49 5.69 6.27 5.87 6.55 6.75 7.31 7.25

A/T Hybrid JS G G (CVT) GL VL A/T D4-DJ D4-DJS D4-DG

2.5 2.5 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.4 1.4 1.4

P P P P P P P D D D

12.98 19.16 14.05 14.05 15.22 14.05 15.22 21.45 21.45 21.45

26.62 31.20 13.06 14.58 15.88 16.22 17.73 13.93 14.50 15.90

TATA

RENAULT

Duster

ENGINE*

* Engine in Litres | Fuel - Petrol (P), Diesel (D), CNG, LPG, Hybrid (H), Electric (E) | Fuel Efficiency in kmpl/kmpkg | Prices in lakh/Crore

PREMIER

Rio

VARIANTS

Zest

TOYOTA

56 I August 2015

www.motownindia.com

Camry

Corolla Altis

CARS/TWO WHEELERS * Prices (Ex-Showroom Delhi) MODEL

VARIANTS

ENGINE*

FUEL*

FUEL EFFICIENCY*

PRICE*

OFF-ROAD VEHICLE PRICES

* Engine in Litres | Fuel - Petrol (P), Diesel (D), CNG, LPG, Hybrid (H), Electric (E) | Fuel Efficiency in kmpl/kmpkg | Prices in lakh/Crore

D4-DGL J PS G V VX D-4D JD D-4D GD D-4D VD D-4D VXD J PS G V VX TRD Sportivo D-4D JD D-4D GD D-4D VD D-4D VXD D-4D TRD Sportivo Cross G Cross V D-4D GD D-4D VD 4x2 M/T 4x4 M/T 4x2 A/T 4x4 A/T 4x2 M/T (TRD Sportivo) 4x2 A/T (TRD Sportivo) E Euro IV Non AC 8 Seater E Euro IV Non AC 7 Seater E Euro IV PS 8 Seater E Euro IV PS 7 Seater G Euro IV 8 Seater G Euro IV 7 Seater GX Euro IV 8 Seater GX Euro IV 7 Seater VX Euro IV 8 Seater VX Euro IV 7 Seater ZX Euro IV 7 Seater

1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.5 1.4 1.4 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5

D P P P P D D D D P P P P P D D D D D P P D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

21.45 16.78 16.78 16.78 16.78 23.59 23.59 23.59 23.59 17.71 17.71 17.71 17.71 16.78 23.59 23.59 23.59 23.59 23.59 17.71 16.78 23.59 23.59 12.55 12.55 11.88 NA NA NA 13.31 13.31 13.31 13.31 13.31 13.31 13.31 13.31 13.31 13.31 13.31

17.54 6.03 6.33 6.73 7.35 7.13 7.43 7.83 8.45 5 5.17 5.67 6.18 6.83 6.18 6.36 6.70 7.21 7.19 6.23 7.63 7.41 7.71 24.17 25.49 25.17 26.49 24.35 25.35 10.51 10.55 11.04 11.08 12.58 12.53 13.15 13.10 15.16 15.12 15.81

Land Cruiser LC 200

VX 200 Premium

4.5

D

9.65

1.19 (Cr.)

Land Cruiser Parado

Parado VX-L

3.0

D

11.13

88.80

Z5 Z6

1.8 1.8

P P

23.91 23.91

38.10 39.80

TSI Trendline TSI Comfortline TDI Trendline TDI Comfortline TDI Highline TDI Highline A/T Trendline Comfortline Highline Trendline (Diesel) Comfortline (Diesel) Highline (Diesel) GT TSI GT TDI Cross Polo Trendline Comfortline Highline Comfortline DSG AT Highline DSG AT Trendline Comfortline Highline Comfortline DSG AT Highline DSG AT

1.4 1.4 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.2 1.6 1.2 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5

P P D D D D P P P D D D P D D P P P P P D D D D D

14.69 14.69 19.33 19.33 19.33 16.96 16.47 16.47 16.47 20.14 20.14 20.14 17.21 19.78 22.07 16.93 16.93 16.93 18.19 18.19 20.64 20.64 20.64 21.5 21.5

14.15 15.67 15.31 17.24 19.14 20.17 5.33 5.95 6.47 6.68 7.30 7.82 8.48 8.48 8.37 7.85 8.67 9.42 9.87 10.62 9.1 9.92 10.67 11.12 11.87

D3 Kinetic R-Design D3 Inscription T4 Petrol T6 Petrol D4 Kinetic D4 Momentum D5 Summum R-Design D4 Summum D5 Summum D4 Kinetic D4 Momentum R-Design D5 Inscription D5 Inscription D5 Momentum

2 2 2.0 1.6 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.4 2.0 2.0 2.4 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.4 2.0 2.0

D D D P P D D D D D D D D D D D D

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

24.75 27.7 32.50 27 40.25 32.40 35.25 38.35 40.25 42.58 46.20 43.50 46.60 52 50.20 65 72

Corolla Altis

Etios

Etios Liva

Etios Cross

Fortuner

Innova

Prius VOLKSWAGEN

Jetta

Polo

Vento

VOLVO V40 V40 Cross Country

S60

S80

XC60 XC90

SEGMENT

MODEL

ENGINE (CC)

PRICE (RS.)

Outlaw 50 Phoenix 200 RZR 170 Sportsman 400 H.O Sportsman 500 H.O Sportsman 570 EFI Sportsman 850 H.O Sportsman Big Boss 800 400 Crew 500 EFI Crew 800 Ranger Diesel Ranger EV RZR S 800 RZR XP 900 RZR XP4 900 Widetrak LS Multix

49 196 169 445 498 567 850 760 455 498 760 904 NA 760 875 875 488 NA

2.64 lakh 4.89 lakh 5.29 lakh 7.25 lakh 7.67 lakh 7.94 lakh 14.72 lakh 15.35 lakh 11.14 lakh 13.97 lakh 18 lakh 20.48 lakh 12.82 lakh 22.85 lakh 21.13 lakh 24.10 lakh 10.86 lakh 2.32 lakh

POLARIS

ATV & Youth Mode

Ranger

Ranger RZR Snowmobile Eicher Polaris

TWO WHEELER PRICES MODEL

ENGINE*

FUEL EFFICIENCY*

PRICE*

99.27 102 94.38 102 124.6 124.6 144.8 144.8 144.8 134.66 149 178.6 199.5 200 200 220 219.89

90 96.90 91 84 76 76 NA NA NA 68.10 65 58.10 58 NA NA 54.20 49.80

0.39 0.44 0.46 0.48 0.51 0.53 0.54 0.57 0.61 0.63 0.70 0.74 0.91 1.18 (Lakh) 1.30 (Lakh) 0.86 0.81

1170 1170 1170 1170 1293 1293 999 1170 1649 1649 1649

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

24.13 (Lakh) 29.73 (Lakh) 29.73 (Lakh) 25.96 (Lakh) 27.25 (Lakh) 29.41 (Lakh) 29.41 (Lakh) NA 34.35 (Lakh) 37.04 (Lakh) 44.79 (Lakh)

300 600 600 898 1131

NA NA NA NA NA

2.83 (Lakh) 5.15 (Lakh) 5.62 (Lakh) 9.48 (Lakh) 11.81 (Lakh)

249 249 647 647 647 678.2

NA NA NA NA NA NA

2.89 (Lakh) 2.74 (Lakh) 4.63 (Lakh) 3.73 (Lakh) 5.08 (Lakh) 5.79 (Lakh)

803 803 803 821 821 1198 1198 821 821 1198 1198 1198 1198 1198 1198 1198 899

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

* Engine in CC | Fuel Efficiency in kmpl/kmpkg | Prices in lakhs

BAJAJ AUTO Platina 100 Platina 100 ES Discover 100 Discover 100 M Discover 125 M (Drum) Discover 125 M (Disc) Discover 150 S (Drum) Discover 150 S (Disc) Discover 150 F Pulsar 135LS Pulsar 150 DTS-i Pulsar 180 DTS-i Pulsar 200 NS Pulsar RS200 Pulsar RS200 ABS Pulsar 220 Avenger 220 DTS-i BMW MOTORRAD R 1200 R R 1200 GS ADV 0A02 R 1200 RT R 1200 X (RnineT) 0A06 K 1300 R K 1300 S S 1000 RR HP2 Sport K 1600 GT K 1600 GTL K 1600 GTL Exclusive 0603 DSK BENELLI TNT 300 TNT 600i TNT 600 GT TNT 899 TNT R DSK HYOUSUNG GT 250R Aquila 250 GT 650R GT 650N Aquila PRO ST7 DUCATI Scrambler Icon Scrambler Classic Scrambler Full Throttle Monster 821 Monster 821 Dark Monster 1200 Monster 1200 S Hyperstrada Hypermotard Multistrada Multistrada S White Multistrada S Red Diavel Dark Diavel Carbon Red Diavel Carbon Star White Diavel Titanium (LE) Panigale 899

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August 2015 I 57

TWO WHEELERS * Prices (Ex-Showroom Delhi) MODEL

ENGINE*

FUEL EFFICIENCY*

PRICE*

* Engine in CC | Fuel Efficiency in kmpl/kmpkg | Prices in lakhs

Panigale 1299 Panigale 1299 S Panigale R Panigale R F015 HARLEY DAVIDSON Street 750 Super Low Iron 883 Forty - Eight Night Rod Special Street Bob Fat Bob Fat Boy Heritage Softail Classic BreakOut Street Glide CVO Limited HERO MOTOCORP Pleasure Maestro HF Dawn HF Deluxe HF Deluxe Eco Splendor+ Splendor NXG Splendor PRO Splendor ISMART Super Splendor Passion Pro Passion XPro Glamour Glamour PGM - FI Ignitor Achiever CBZ Xtreme Xtreme Sports Hunk Impulse Karizma Karizma ZMR HONDA Dio DLX Activa DLX Activa i Activa i DLX Activa 125 Activa 3G Aviator Aviator DLX Lvio Livo (Disc) CB Twister Dream Neo Dream Yuga CB Shine CBF Stunner CB Unicorn CB Unicorn 160 CB Trigger CBR 150R CBR 250R CB 1000R CB 1000RR VFR 1200F VT 1300 CX Gold Wing- GL 1800 INDIAN MOTORCYCLE Chief Classic Chief Vintage Chieftain Scout Roadmaster KAWASAKI Ninja 300 Ninja 650 R Ninja ZX 10R Ninja ZX 14R Ninja 1000 Ninja Z800 Ninja Z1000 ER-6n Z250 KTM KTM 200 Duke KTM 390 Duke KTM RC 200 KTM RC 390 LML NV SPL NV LS STAR EURO 150 STAR EURO 200

58 I August 2015

MODEL

ENGINE*

FUEL EFFICIENCY*

PRICE*

71.5 124.6 124.6 124.6 125 110 106.7 106.7 110

63.25 40 56.25 59.38 59 63 79.40 85.40 85.40

0.35 0.43 0.46 0.47 0.49 0.45 0.39 0.48 0.43

125 125 125 125

62 60 NA NA

0.67 0.71 0.75 0.79

346 499 346 346 500 346 499 499 499 535

53.40 NA 53.40 NA NA 53.40 53.40 39.35 39.35 NA

0.98 1.42 (Lakh) 1.11 (Lakh) 1.28 (Lakh) 1.63 (Lakh) 1.18 (Lakh) 1.51 (Lakh) 1.53 (Lakh) 1.60 (Lakh) 1.85 (Lakh)

124 112.8 124 112.8 124 149.5 154.9 250 1255 805 1783 1783 1340 999 1037

50.22 63 51 72 68.50 55.70 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

0.49 0.43 0.48 0.45 0.51 0.69 0.72 2.09 (Lakh) 10.75 (Lakh) 10.05 (Lakh) 15.95 (Lakh) 16.45 (Lakh) 15.95 (Lakh) 15.95 (Lakh) 14.95 (Lakh)

865 865 865 675 1050 675 675 800 800 800 1215 1699 1699 2294

18.12 18.13 NA NA NA 16.37 16.37 17.56 NA NA 15.93 NA NA NA

5.99 (Lakh) 6.97 (Lakh) 7.18 (Lakh) 7.91 (Lakh) 11.06 (Lakh) 10.69 (Lakh) 12.14 (Lakh) 12.34 (Lakh) 11.60 (Lakh) 12.70 (Lakh) 18.75 (Lakh) 13.95 (Lakh) 16.19 (Lakh) 21.29 (Lakh)

87.8 87.8 109.7 109.7 99.7 109.7 109.7 125 159.7 177.4

65 65 62 62 87.70 83.90 62 67 NA NA

0.42 0.44 0.47 0.42 0.40 0.42 0.44 0.50 0.69 0.73

113 113 113 106 106 123 123 153 153 150 150 153 153 153 149 998 998 1498 1679

66 66 66 75.74 70.03 71.50 NA NA NA NA NA 62.40 NA 50.81 NA NA NA NA NA

0.50 0.48 0.49 0.38 0.45 0.51 0.55 0.71 0.73 0.77 0.79 0.61 0.58 0.78 0.84 10.72 (Lakh) 15.60 (Lakh) 1.17 (Lakh) 25.65 (Lakh)

* Engine in CC | Fuel Efficiency in kmpl/kmpkg | Prices in lakhs

1285 1285 1198 1198

NA NA NA NA

NA NA NA NA

749 883 883 1202 1247 1585 1690 1690 1690 1690 1690 1801

NA 21.70 21.70 NA 15.80 18.18 17.85 17.85 17.85 13.86 17.85 NA

4.32 (Lakh) 6.32 (Lakh) 7.22 (Lakh) 8.82 (Lakh) 22.02 (Lakh) 10.37 (Lakh) 13.03 (Lakh) 15.08 (Lakh) 16.45 (Lakh) 16.30 (Lakh) 29.91 (Lakh) 49.23 (Lakh)

102 109 97.2 97.2 97.2 97.2 97.2 97.2 97.2 124.7 97.2 109.1 124.7 124.8 124.7 149.1 149.2 149.2 149.2 149.2 223 223

49 50 80 80 80 81 81 81 NA 83.10 79 60 81.10 NA 52.40 68 65.10 65.10 65.10 55 48.50 51

0.43 0.51 0.38 0.40 0.44 0.43 0.43 0.44 0.47 0.51 0.47 0.47 0.53 0.59 0.57 0.58 0.66 0.72 0.66 0.69 0.78 0.97

109 109 109 109 125 110 109 109 109 109 109 109 109 124.7 124.7 149.1 162.71 149.1 149.4 249 998 999 1237 1312 1832

60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 74 74 70 74 74 65 NA NA NA NA NA 30 NA NA NA NA NA

0.47 0.46 0.46 0.46 0.53 0.48 0.5 0.56 0.52 0.59 0.48 0.49 0.44 0.47 0.56 0.63 0.69 0.66 1.17 (Lakh) 1.52 (Lakh) 11.81 (Lakh) 15.21 (Lakh) 17.63 (Lakh) 13.99 (Lakh) 28.50 (Lakh)

1811 1811 1811 1131 1811

NA NA NA NA NA

25.50 (Lakh) 28.50 (Lakh) 32 (Lakh) 12 (Lakh) 37 (Lakh)

296 649 998 1441 1043 806 1043 649 249

26 33 14 18 15 18 15 NA NA

3.60 (Lakh) 5.14 (Lakh) 16.40 (Lakh) 17.66 (Lakh) 12.87 (Lakh) 8.13 (Lakh) 12.87 (Lakh) 4.78 (Lakh) 2.99 (Lakh)

200 373 200 373

NA NA NA NA

1.35 (Lakh) 1.87 (Lakh) 1.85 (Lakh) 2.05 (Lakh)

149.56 147.55 150.82 199.89

NA NA NA NA

0.40 0.45 0.47 0.53

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MAHINDRA 2 WHEELERS Kine Flyte Duro DZ Rodeo RZ Rodeo UZO Gusto Pantero Centuro Centuro Rockstar PIAGGIO Vespa LX Vespa VX Vespa S Vespa ELEGANTE ROYAL ENFIELD Bullet 350 Bullet 500 Electra Twinspark Thunderbird 350 Thunderbird 500 Classic 350 Classic 500 Desert Storm Classic- Chrome Continental GT SUZUKI Access 125 Lets Swish 125 Hayate Slingshot GS 150R Gixxer Inazuma Bandit 1250 SA Intruder M800 Intruder M1800R Intruder M1800R B.O.S.S Hayabusa GSX - R1000 V- Storm 1000 TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES Bonneville A3 Bonneville T 100 Thruxton A2 Street Triple ABS A2 Speed Triple ABS A1 Daytona 675 ABS Daytona 675 R Tiger 800 XC Tiger XRx Tiger XCx Tiger Explorer Thunderbird Storm Thunderbird LT Rocket III Roadster TVS Scooty Pep+ Scooty Streak Wego Zest Star Sport Star City Jupiter Phoenix Apache RTR 160 Apache RTR 180 YAMAHA Alpha Ray Ray Z Crux YBR 110 YBR 125 SS 125 FZ FZ-S FZ Version 2 FZ-S Version 2 SZ-RR SZ-S FAZER FAZER F1 Version 2.0 FZ 1 YZF R1 YZF R15 VMAX

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COVER REPORT

GENERAL MOTORS

gets ready with US $1 bn war chest for India THUMBS UP FOR TALEGAON FACILITY; HALOL FACILITY TO BE CLOSED Report: : P. THARYAN &

JOSHUA DAVID LUTHER / Photography: MOHD. NASIR

www.motownindia.com

August 2015 I 59

COVER REPORT

(L-R) Mary Barra, Arvind Saxena & Stefan Jacoby in New Delhi

I

n a major announcement

by General Motors in India that is bound to have far reaching implications on the fortunes and growth of the company in the country, the US based auto giant has confirmed that it will make US 1 billion (Rs 6,400 crore) in new investments in India. The announcement was made in New Delhi by General Motors global CEO Mary Barra. It is Ms Barra’s second visit to the country in 12 months.

The company had announced on July 28, 2015 that it is also making a US $5 billion investment to strengthen its business in global growth markets through the development of an all-new vehicle family. This family of vehicles will meet the rapidly changing demands of customers in Brazil, China, Mexico and India. General Motors has already invested US $1 billion in India since 1996.

To rationalise its domestic manufacturing operations, Chevrolet will cease production at its Halol facility in the state of Gujarat by the second half of

60 I August 2015

2016. The focus will now be on its Talegaon facility near Pune in Maharashtra. The majority of the new investment will support the strengthening of Chevrolet’s Talegaon manufacturing base. It will enable the facility to localise, industrialise and optimise its footprint to accommodate additional products for the domestic and export markets. GM also operates the GM Technical Centre-India in Bangalore, which was established in 2003.

The new investment is expected to create approximately 12,000 new jobs for GM India and its suppliers, besides growing the use of the domestic supply base to support increased product localisation, Chevrolet will also grow its domestic dealer network to support the greater availability of vehicles and service for consumers nationwide.

The Talegaon plant set up in 2008 and which has a production capacity of 130,000 vehicles will increase its base capacity to 220,000 vehicles by 2025. It will also become a global export hub for GM, with more than 30 percent

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of its annual production planned for markets outside India.

GM India is expected to roll out 10 new locally produced Chevrolet models within the space of five years. They include the Trailblazer SUV, which will go on sale in October of this year, and the Spin MPV, which will reach the market in early 2017.

Along with Ms Barra, others present during this strategic announcement in New Delhi included GM Executive Vice President and GM International President Stefan Jacoby and GM India President and Managing Director Arvind Saxena. The three had earlier in the day met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to brief him on Chevrolet’s plans. This was Ms Bara’s second meeting with Modi in India in a short span of time. She had come to India and met Modi in September 2014.

“Chevrolet is committed to India for the long term,” said Barra, adding that “We are delivering on our promise and doubling our investment in India. This will allow us to provide our Indian customers

the great vehicles they want and the world-class customer experience they deserve. It will also support the government’s Make in India programme.”

“The new global vehicle family we just announced will have several different body styles designed to meet the expectations of the Indian consumer,” said Jacoby. “The vehicles will be manufactured and sold in India and feature striking styling that has never been seen here before. They will also be exported worldwide.

With this investment, our aim is to double our market share in India by 2020,” he further added.

There are no plans to export the vehicles to mature markets such as the United States, the company informed.

“Consolidating our manufacturing in a single location in India will support the long-term sustainability of our business in a challenging emerging market,” said Saxena. “This is not a decision that we are making lightly and we are committed to treating those impacted respectfully,” said Saxena.

COVER REPORT

Mary Barra meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Also seen in the picture is Stefan Jacoby. Picture courtesy: PIB

Chevrolet has communicated directly with employees at the Halol facility and will have more information to share at a later date.

A ROUGH AND TOUGH JOURNEY SO FAR GM India which was established in Halol, Gujarat, has had a rough journey so far in the country. This has been further exacerbated with GM being mired in huge recalls globally too. General Motors in the US has had to deal with a recall of alarming proportion which was a result of faulty switches that had led to several deaths over several years. On the last count it is learnt that the death toll from faulty ignition switches in General Motors’ small cars has risen to 121. Huge compensation was offered to the victims’ families by attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who was hired by GM last year.

In India, in the summer of 2013, GM had to recall 114,000 units of its sports utility vehicle Tavera. The company was pulled up by the Indian government for committing a fraud wherein engine

specifications of the Tavera were fudged to meet emission norms.

The anomaly in fact was unearthed by a GM audit team and was then reported to the Indian government.

Several senior GM India officials who worked with the company during the period when the fraud was committed, and who had later been transferred to plum postings abroad were apparently given the marching orders. GM globally took the matter rather seriously and did not spare those involved in this controversy.

In 2015, GM India announced its biggest recall in India that involved models like the Spark, Beat and the Enjoy that were manufactured in the country between2007 and 2014. It was to address a potential safety issue related to remote keyless entry accessory. “...With some of the challenges we have had on quality and some of the products that we had, we need to earn trust of our customers. We have changed our processes and benchmarked with some other industries because we want to make zero defect.

Customers should have vehicles

that have no issues..,” said Ms Barra.

GM India currently has an accumulated loss of around Rs 2749 crore since its inception in 1996. Ms Barra pointed out that profitability is important at GM and the company needs to ensure that it is delivering returns to its shareholders. “This fresh investment will see capacity expansion and new products in the next five years,” she noted.

In 2014, it sold 56,700 vehicles, giving it market share of 1.8 percent.

The focus is now going to shift momentarily to the Halol plant in Gujarat which will cease

operations in a year or so.

Halol is situated in the western state of Gujarat. India’s present Prime Minister Narendra Modi belongs to Gujarat and as the State’s Chief Minister for several years, had encouraged industrial development there. It is not clear what transpired between Modi and Barra when the two met on July 29, 2015 at the Prime Minister’s Office and the latter conveyed the company’s decision to pull out of Halol.

“Talegaon is a newer, more modern factory and also located close to our research centre at Bangalore....It will be the hub for exports,” Ms Barra told journalists.

File photo of Talegaon plant

www.motownindia.com

August 2015 I 61

TYRE SPECIAL

An Un-Tyre -ing Journey Report: : P. THARYAN Inputs: S. Madhavan, Tripti Singh, Jasbeer Kohli

The 50,000 crore Indian tyre industry today has a few reasons to smile and a few reasons to frown.

On the one hand, after a lull in the industry while the demand for tyres in 2015-16 is seeing a growth coupled with lower raw material costs, on the other hand, Chinese imports into India and a skewed government policy have become veritable thorns in the flesh of the Indian tyre industry.

A

ccording to a research paper

by ICRA, a credit rating agency, the demand for tyres is expected to pick up during 2015-16 with growth in domestic tyre volumes of around 9-10pc during 2015-16. This will happen because there will be a pickup in demand for automobiles and an improving economy. ICRA further maintained that the benefits of lower raw material costs will continue for the tyre manufacturers in India, particularly during H1, 2015-16 and there will also be an increase in exports.

“With fall in global demand, prices of several key inputs are currently at all time lows. Over the next two-three quarters we expect input prices to gradually increase, capping further margin expansion in 2015-16,” the ICRA study noted.

While tyre manufacturers in India will be producing more in 2015-16, one can also expect imports of

62 I August 2015

tyres to also increase. Tyre imports have witnessed a sharp 22pc YoY (annualised) growth in the first nine months of 2014-15 led by passenger vehicle and two wheeler segments. Subdued domestic market in China and anti dumping duties on passenger and light vehicle on Chinese tyres imports into the US market have led to China diverting these surplus capacities to countries like India, pointed out the ICRA study.

“We are seeing this huge influx of cheap imported tyres coming into India especially dumped from China. It is rather unfortunate if I may say, this has not received the attention of the government in a manner that it deserves and for the last many years both as an industry body as well as a tyre company we have been approaching the government but a solution still eludes us,” says Rajiv Budhraja, Director General, Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA) in an interview with Motown India.

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Picture for representation purpose only; Picture courtesy: Continental Tires

Budhraja points out that the Indian government has not given the tyre industry the encouragement and support it so rightly deserves. “One key issue that confronts the tyre industry is a very long outstanding one of correcting the inverted duty structure. We are in a situation where the customs duty on our principal raw material i.e. natural rubber is now 25pc. Until the budget it was 20 pc. Post Budget it was hiked to 25pc, perhaps the highest in the world. The customs duty on finished tyres is anywhere between zero per cent to 8.6 pc under various preferential and concessional tariffs by virtue of trade agreements. It is a very anomalous situation that we have in the tyre industry where the principal raw material duty is almost three times that of the finished product,” he says.

ATMA which is an association for automotive tyre manufacturers operating in the country has as its members Apollo Tyres, Birla Tyres,

Bridgestone, CEAT, Continental, Goodyear India, Michelin India, JK Tyre & Industries, MRF and TVS Srichakra. Yokohama will be the latest entrant to join this prestigious association. Another Indian tyre major Balkrishna Industries (BKT) which is primarily into off highway tyres may also join the association soon.

“We have been there since 1975. It’s almost forty years now. It’s an industry association of large tyre companies in India.

To become a member of ATMA, one has to have a manufacturing facility in India. One also has to have a certain size and scale in turnover. The turnover of the company has to be Rs 500 crore or above. The company should be manufacturing either 100,000 tyres annually for the truck and bus category or 2 million passenger car tyres annually. That sets the membership criteria for the company,” informs Budhraja.

Apart from the biggies that are part of ATMA, there are several

TYRE SPECIAL brands that are imported into India. Among the big brands is Pirelli. Others include Metzeler from Germany, Shinko from Japan and a whole host of brands from China. Tyre makers who are not part of ATMA include the likes of Metro Tyres, Falcon Tyres, Dunlop Tyres (the plant has been shut for a while) and Govind Rubber Ltd.

TYRE COMPANIES IN INDIA, A BRIEF APOLLO TYRES LTD. This Rs 12,726 crore company is a force to reckon with in the Indian tyre industry. Controlled

by Onkar S Kanwar who is the Chairman & Managing Director of the company, Apollo Tyres derives 71pc of its revenue from the Replacement market, 22.8pc from OEM and 6.2pc from exports.

Product wise, 47.4pc comes from Truck and Bus tyres, 34.6pc from passenger vehicles, 9.5pc from Off Highway, 6.8pc from light trucks and 1.7pc from others.

Last fiscal, the company announced an investment of Euro 475 million in a Greenfield facility in Hungary. Construction of Apollo Tyres’ first European Greenfield plant in Gyöngyöshalász, Hungary, has already started. The facility will produce both, Apollo and Vredestein branded tyres and will cater to the entire European market. The Gyöngyöshalász facility will be a state-of-the-art plant, and once completed, will

have a capacity to produce 5.5 million passenger car & light truck (PCLT) tyres and 675,000 heavy commercial vehicle (HCV) tyres per annum. This facility will complement Apollo Tyres’ existing facility in the Netherlands, bringing the whole range of Apollo and Vredestein branded tyres to the European market.

The company has manufacturing operation in Enschede in the Netherlands, while the remaining ones are in India—Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Limda (Gujarat), Perambra and Kalamassery (Kerala) in India.

The Kalamassery unit in Kerala runs under the banner of PTL Enterprises Ltd., (formerly known as Premier Tyres Ltd.) which was incorporated as a company in 1959. The tyres manufacturing facility of PTL at Kalamassery was acquired by Apollo Tyres Ltd in 1995. This facility began commercial production in September 1962 and currently the plant is leased out to Apollo Tyres on long term basis. All production is done by Apollo Tyres.

PTL Enterprises is also the holding company of Artemis Health Sciences Ltd. In 2007, a state-ofthe art tertiary care hospital called Artemis Health Institute (AHI) was established in Gurgaon and in a few other locations.

Apollo Tyres sells its products in over 100 countries worldwide including countries like Germany, UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and

Greece. Its range of tyres include those for passenger cars, light trucks, trucks, buses, off highway, agriculture tyres and retreaded tyres.

The company acquired the premium passenger car tyre manufacturer Vredestein in the Netherlands in 2009. Its bid to acquire Cooper Tire & Rubber Company of the US failed.

The company has a global R&D centre of excellence for passenger cars in Enschede, The Netherlands, while it also strengthened its global R&D centre for commercial vehicles in Chennai.

Its R&D team designed and created a variable front spoiler made with specially developed ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber for Porsche (Porsche 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S), aptly named Air Master by Vredestein.

A year or so back Sumitomo Rubber Industries took over ATL’s subsidiary Apollo Tyres South Africa, including the Ladysmith passenger car tyre plant, the Dunlop brand rights that Apollo had in 32 countries of Africa and sales and distribution network in South Africa. ATL retained its Durban plant which manufactures truck and bus radial (TBR) tyres and off highway tyres (OHT) used in mining and construction industries.

To tap the high potential ASEAN market, ATL opened its sales office in Bangkok (Thailand), Dubai for the Middle East region and

Netherlands and South Africa.

The company is also pushing its products in the Western Asian markets and sees a major demand for its tyres in Iran. Apollo Tyres has an association with Manchester United, a tie up which it is leveraging to make its Apollo brand globally recognised.

BIRLA TYRES Birla Tyres was first established in 1991, as part of Kesoram Industries Limited, flagship of the BK Birla Group headquartered in Kolkata. It then collaborated with global tyre manufacturer Pirelli, in the production and development of its tyres. The company’s factory is situated at Laksar, Uttrakhand and it has a production capacity of over 44 lakh truck tyres per year.

The company manufactures tyres for automobiles, motorcycles, commercial vehicles, farm vehicles and heavy earthmoving machinery. The company has over 170 sales depots.

Reports of the company being bought out by MRF and very recently by JK Tyre have been doing the rounds in the media.

Both MRF and JK Tyre have, however, denied any move to buy the unit. Kesoram lndustries had last year appointed a threemember committee of directors to restructure the group’s operations in cement, tyres, rayon, transparent paper and filament yarn.

FOR BKT, THE WORLD IS ITS MARKET ‘Make in India’ for the global marketplace cannot be better demonstrated than Balkrishna Industries (BKT), a company with over 25 years of global presence in the ‘Off-Highway Tyres’ segment.

In the early 1990s when every other tyre company in India was busy producing tyres primarily for mass use, the leaders at BKT foresaw a unique opportunity in international business and started production in the ‘Off the Highway’ segment.

Today, BKT enjoys principal presence in five continents around the world covering more than 130 countries. It is the preferred supplier to International OEM’s in industrial, construction and agricultural tyre segments. Since its inception in 1988, BKT has grown into a diversified industrial major exporting its expansive range of ‘Off-Highway Solutions’ to the world.

Quality conscious users which adhere to stringent conformity

standards in countries like Europe and America prefer BKT as their supplier. The international quality of BKT tyres is achieved by using the foremost quality of raw materials that are processed through the most advanced and developed technology.

“Each product passes over 450 stages of tests. The result of this rigorous practice being that BKT Products are known for their reliability and have the lowest claim ratio in the industry,” informs

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August 2015 I 63

TYRE SPECIAL

Rajeev Poddar, Joint Managing Director, BKT

Arvind Poddar, Chairman & Managing Director, BKT

Rajiv Poddar, Joint Managing Director, BKT. Currently BKT has four functioning state of the art manufacturing plants spread across India, the recent one being set up in Bhuj, Gujarat.

The company provides over 2300 different SKUs (Stock Keeping Units) for various kinds of applications.

The company has products from 5” rim diameter to 54” rim diameter for vehicles ranging from Trailers, Forklifts, Agriculture Machinery, Forestry etc. to technologically advanced machines like High Horsepower Tractors, Combines, Harvesters, GPS controlled vehicles, Articulated Dump Trucks, HighSpeed cranes, Sophisticated Port Vehicles & Container Handlers etc.

BKT is also the first tyre

company in India to produce the All Steel Radial OTR tyres which are produced at their Chopanki Plant in State of Rajasthan & Bhuj Plant in State of Gujarat. OTR vehicles ranging from Rigid Dump Trucks to Snow manoeuvring vehicles use these tyres. The company has its own R&D centre which develops these tyres that can encounter the toughest and the most hostile terrains faced during mining and industrial activities.

The tyres under this segment range from a 20” diameter Tipper Truck size to a giant 51” Rigid Dump Truck Size in Bias make and 49” in Radial make, thus covering every requirement for Industrial use and Mining.

BKT has been selling tyres to world’s leading OEMs. The company recently launched an ultra advanced range of tyres

especially for High Speed Cranes.

The tyre 445/95 R25 enables heavy high speed cranes to journey at speeds of 80 km/hr.

For the agricultural sector, the company makes a range of tractor tyres that are specially designed to carry higher loads on and off roads with minimal soil compaction in field. These are available both in Bias & Radial Make.

“We invest heavily every year into R&D, to upgrade our plant facilities and develop new products”, informs Arvind Poddar, Chairman and Managing Director, BKT. “Our competition is with global tyre giants, so we always have to have an edge over technology if we have to compete with them. If you look at all steel OTR radial tyres for mining, we are the pioneers from India”, he further states.

BRIDGESTONE INDIA PVT. LTD BridgeStone is a Japanese tyre manufacturing company and it is the world’s largest tyre manufacturing company.

Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd started its operations in 1996.

In March 1998 with the setup of its manufacturing facility in Kheda, Madhya Pradesh it started producing Bridgestone tyres for passenger cars and commercial vehicles in the country.

It expanded its facilities by setting up one more facility in Chakan, Pune recently. It has now become

one of the leading tyre companies in both the OEM & Replacement market.

Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest tyre and rubber company. In addition to tyres for use in a wide variety of applications, it also manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations and territories around the world.

On the one hand while

Bridgestone India is increasing its retail presence in the country, it is also, on the other hand, coming up with concept stores that would focus on safety and eco-friendliness, These stores will showcase Bridgestone’s complete product range as well as provide services like tyre balancing, tyre alignment, battery check up, etc.

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CEAT TYRES LIMITED With net sales Rs 5754.77 crore, Ceat Tyres, controlled by Harsh Vardhan Goenka (He is Chairman, Non-Executive Director, Ceat

Limited) is the flagship Company of the Rs 20,000 crore RPG Group and is a leading manufacturer of automobile tyres in the country.

The company has embarked on an expansion of its capacities which is expected to be completed during this current fiscal. “Our emphasis has been on building tyres which are not just worldclass but also the safest on the road and the most environmentfriendly. We are also working on leveraging the benefits of digital technology particularly in manufacturing supply chain and

TYRE SPECIAL other key business processes.

The volatility in commodity prices especially rubber remains a challenge,” said Harsh Vardhan Goenka in his Annual Report of the company.

The company has a combined manufacturing capacity of 800 MT/ day at its plants in Halol, Nashik, Bhandup and other outsourced capacities. Ceat is one of India’s leading tyre exporters, exporting its tyres to more than 100 countries. It has also established liaison offices in Indonesia and the Middle East. Last fiscal a CEAT Shoppe was set up in UAE to cater to the Company’s expanding market in the Gulf region.

The company is a major exporter of tyres for trucks, offthe-road (OTR) vehicles and Light Commercial Vehicle categories.

Specially designed tyres for export markets include tyres with good mileage, ride comfort and low noise for the Dubai taxi market, as well as the low noise tyres that surpass the stringent requirements under European regulations. Back home, the company is a major supplier to OEMs in the passenger vehicles, two-wheeler and commercial vehicles segments.

The company, according to its Annual Report, got approval from many leading OEMs in passenger and commercial category including Maruti (Swift), Honda (Activa 3G), Daimler Benz (Bharat Benz), Hero Motocorp (I-smart) and Bajaj (Discover 150).

The company sees in its OEM relationships a gateway to replacement demand.

CONTINENTAL INDIA LTD Continental India Limited was founded on July 15, 2011 when Modi Tyres Company Private Limited was acquired by Continental AG. Continental AG is a leading automotive company, headquartered in Hannover, Germany. The Modipuram plant in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh in India manufactures tyres for buses and trucks while tubes are manufactured at Partapur plant

which is located at a distance of about 20 kms from Modipuram plant.

Employing 1500 people, Continental India Limited manufactures bias and radial tyres for buses/trucks and radial tyres for passenger cars.

Modi Rubber Limited was incorporated in 1971 and started commercial production in 1974. It was the first Indian tyre company in technical collaboration with Continental AG. In 2001 the company was closed and in 2009 Modi Tyres Company Private Limited restarted production in June. Continental AG acquired Modi Tyres Company Private Limited in 2011 and in July of the year, Continental India Limited was formed.

It built the first radial PLT green tyre at Modipuram on December 14, 2015 and cured on December 31. Again in 2013 the first TBR green tyre was built on February 1 at Modipuram and cured on February 19.

In 2014 Continental started production and commercial distribution of radial tyres for commercial vehicles (TBR) as well as premium passenger car tyres (PLT) in India. Continental has established a new state-ofthe-art manufacturing facility for TBR & PLT tyres at its existing tyre plant at Modipuram with an initial capacity of 800,000 tyres p.a. for PLT and 220,000 tyres p.a. for TBR with further expansion potential, according to a company note.

DUNLOP TYRES The journey of an extremely old tyre company in India has not been good at all. Pneumatic Tyre was discovered in the year 1888 by a Scotsman John Boyd Dunlop (1840-1921). The beginning of Dunlop legacy occurred in 1888.

The first company founded by John Boyd Dunlop was Dunlop Tyres. In 1896 Dunlop started marketing cycle tyres in India.

Several decades later in 1926 Dunlop incorporated its business in India as Dunlop Rubber Company (India) Limited with an

authorised capital of Rs. 50 lakh.

In 1928 Dunlop Rubber Co (I) Ltd was renamed Dunlop India Ltd (DIL). In 2005 the Ruia Group led

by Pawan Kumar Ruia took control of DIL. At this point DIL had liabilities in excess of Rs 650 crore.

In 2006 the DIL plant at Ambattur resumed production, while Sahaganj opened its gates a little later. Subsequently, the company stopped operations.

Early this year, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra at a press conference in Kolkata said that Dunlop India is not a fit case for takeover anymore. He had made a visit to the Dunlop India factory at Sahaganj in Hooghly district. All efforts to revive Dunlop have failed till now.

FALCON TYRES LTD A company with a measly turnover of Rs 64.43 crore for the nine months ended December 31, 2014, Falcon Tyres has fallen into bad days. It was incorporated in 1973 and made tyres for twowheelers and cars. In February 2015, Falcon Tyres Ltd informed the Bombay Stock exchange of the resignation of Pawan Kumar Ruia (of Dunlop) as Chairman and Whole-time Director of the company. The Ruia group had got a controlling stake in Falcon Tyres in December 2005 through an offshore deal.

Products of Falcon Tyres were marketed under the Dunlop brand in the Indian market. The company has a plant at Mysore.

The company had entered into a Technical Aid Agreement with Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. of Japan which provided the company access to the latest International technology, new product range, upgraded product quality and the best processes.

Ensuring established global standards in quality, the production capacity of the Mysore plant was gradually augmented from 350,000 tyres a month to more than 1,000,000 tyres a month.. A 6 MW co-generation power plant was also been commissioned.

A newspaper reported very

recently that ICICI Bank had put Tulip Telecom & Falcon Tyres loans on the block, to which the company on July 30, 2015 replied to stock exchange, “We are not aware of any such development that ICICI Bank is putting Falcon loans on the block till it came out in the news paper....We re-iterate that there was no such discussion between ICICI bank and Falcon Management of such movement.”.

It further stated that the “news published in said news paper does not have impact on operation/ performance of the company too.”

As on the end of September 2014, the Ruia group had a 31.62 per cent stake in Falcon, which has considerable presence in the two-wheeler tyre segment. The Ruia group now holds just 2.12 per cent in Falcon. It is believed that the ICICI Bank is now the de facto owner, according to unconfirmed sources.

GOODYEAR INDIA Goodyear’s (an American company) presence in India is more than 92 years old, with two tyre plants/companies, one each in Ballabgarh and Aurangabad. In the passenger car segment, Goodyear in India supplies tyres to many of the leading Original Equipment Manufacturers. Goodyear in India has been a pioneer in introducing tubeless radial tyres in this segment. In the farm segment, in India, Goodyear tyres are supplied to all the major tractor companies.

A couple of months back the company had launched Assurance TripleMax, the first tyre to boast of Goodyear’s latest Hydrogrip technology which reduces braking distances by more than two metres on wet roads.

“Setting a new standard in tyre innovation, the Assurance TripleMax uses Hydrogrip technology, a Goodyear proprietary technology that allows drivers to reduce braking distances by more than 2 meters on wet roads compared to other tyres in the market today¹,” said P.K. Walia, VP Consumer Business, Goodyear India.

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TYRE SPECIAL GOVIND RUBBER LTD Govind Rubber Limited (GRL) is a global name for a range of world-class bicycle tyres and two wheelers tyres. This Rs 339 crore company was founded by late M. P. Poddar in 1964. GRL is

part of the Poddar group. The V.M Poddar Group has the following business segments its fold: Govind Rubber Limited, GRL Tires Private Limited and GRL BV, The Netherlands. In order to expand the business of tyres and tubes

across the European territory VM Poddar Group set up a wholly owned subsidiary to Govind Rubber Limited in Netherlands.

GRL International Limited is the marketing arm of Govind Rubber Limited with branch network of

45 numbers and 6,000 dealer base. This company has a sales force of 250 persons spread across India. A few years back, Govind Rubber had showcased at Eurobike, their newest range of foldable tyres.

JK TYRE & INDUSTRIES This Raghupati Singhania controlled company is part of the JK Organisation. The Rs 7328 crore company (Includes revenues of its wholly owned subsidiary JK Tornel, Mexico) was recently in the news that it was buying Birla Tyres, a part of Kesoram Industries.

JK Tyre has, however, denied this news. JK Tyre is a leading four-wheeler tyre manufacturer in India and amongst the top 25 manufacturers in the world with a wide range of products catering to diverse business segments in the four wheeler automobile industry.

The company has a global presence in 100 countries and has six plants in India and three in Mexico. Currently, the capacity across 9 plants exceeds 20 million tyres per annum.

JK Tyre pioneered radial technology in India in 1977 and is currently the leader in Truck Bus Radial segment. The company offers four wheeler tyres for the entire range - Truck/Bus, LCV, Passenger Cars, MUV and Tractors. The company is the manufacturer of India’s largest OTR Tyre weighing 3.7 tons and 12 feet high. JK Tyre is a preferred supplier to the automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers and is a partner to some of the biggest names including Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Honda, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra & Mahindra, Volvo Eicher, General Motors, Volkswagen, Fiat, Nissan, TAFE,

BEML and Caterpillar India.

Its nationwide network comprises of 143 selling locations, 4,000 dealers and over 120 retail outlets branded ‘JK Tyre Steel Wheels’, which are equipped with state-of-the-art wheel servicing equipment. It has also established 17 Truck Radial Tyre Care centres, which operate along all major National Highways on 365 day, 24x7 basis. JK Tyre has established over 14 truck radial total solution showrooms branded “Truck Wheels”. It was the first to introduce unique concepts like “Dial-a-Tyre” and is the only tyre company to launch a 24x7 on-road tyre assistance initiative called “Fix-a-Tyre”.

When it comes to motorsports, JK Tyre is a name to reckon with. The Racing and Karting programmes supported and conducted by the company are the breeding ground for the country’s young motorsport talent and JK Tyre prodigies like Karun Chandhok, Armaan Ebrahim and Aditya Patel have done India proud in the global arena.

Early this year, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd added another feather to its cap for its Passenger Radial Tyres, when it was ranked highest in the JD Power 2015 India Original Equipment Tyre Customer Satisfaction Index. JK Tyre received the highest rank for its superior quality and many years of relationship with the Indian consumers, in the TCSI Study

conducted annually by JD Power.

The company recently launched its exclusive range of highly advanced multiterrain tyres- Ranger in Panaji, Goa. With the Ranger series, JK Tyre aims to augment its presence in one of the fastest growing segments in the Indian auto industry i.e. the Sports Utility Vehicle segment. JK Tyre will export the new range of tyres to its international markets.

The tyres come in 10 sizes and therefore work best with a variety of SUVs available in the Indian market, viz., Audi Q-series, Land Rover Freelander, Fortuner, Nissan X-trail, Terrano, Pajero, EcoSport, Duster, and many more.

Vivek Kamra, President – India Operations, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd said, “Technology & R&D have been the driving forces at JK Tyre. Aspiring to augment our presence in each and every product segment, Ranger Series is yet another marvel from our state of the art R&D facilities.” He also added, “Being a customer centric company, this product reiterates our commitment to identify new and emerging customer needs and proactively introduce technologically advanced products

to keep pace with changing market scenario.”

Ranger Series has been rigorously tested globally by the company’s professional race drivers on various terrains and has been assessed as best in class in handling, grip and braking. JK Ranger AT Series stops within 4 seconds; be it dry road or wet road (Dry road 100 to 0 kmph in less than 4 seconds and for wet roads 80 to 0 kmph in less than 4 seconds).

METRO TYRES Metro tyres, since its inception in 1968, have been a major player in bicycle tyres and tubes in India. Apart from bicycle tyres, the company makes motorcycle tyres, three-wheeler tyres and auto tubes. The company has

a technical collaboration with Germany’s Continental AG. Metro International is the export division that works with the company’s overseas clients. Under the aegis of Metro Ortem Limited, the group has diversified to manufacture and export a whole range of home

appliances including fans and sewing machines.

The Group has seven certified, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, producing tyres and tubes for bicycles, motorcycles, scooters and three wheelers.

Metro Tyres has a manufacturing

capacity close to 30 million tyres and 30 million tubes annually.

Apart from a technical collaboration with Continental AG for motorcycle and scooter tyres under Continental Metro brand name in India, it also has an outsourcing agreement with

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TYRE SPECIAL Continental AG for motorcycle tyres and tubes and automobile tubes under Continental brand name for their global requirements.

MICHELIN INDIA Michelin is a French company that is second largest tyre manufacturing company in the world after Bridgestone. Michelin came to India almost a decade ago. Michelin’s range of products in India caters to the Passenger Cars, Truck & Bus and Two Wheeler & OTR (Off the Road) vehicles segments.

Michelin’s customer touchpoints spans across India and comprises of TyrePlus, Michelin Priority Partners, Michelin Truck Service Center and Recamic.

In 2009, Michelin Group and Tamil Nadu government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Michelin’s tyre manufacturing plant. This 290 acres facility is currently focussed on manufacturing a range of Radial Truck/Bus tyres.

In Q1, 2014, the manufacturing plant near Chennai started commercial production of Michelin radial truck tyres. In July 2015, the company announced that it has been awarded the ISO 9001 and ISO/TS 16949:2009 Quality Management System Certification for its Chennai manufacturing facility UTAC (Technical Union for the Automobile, Motorcycle and Cycle Industries).

According to news reports, Michelin will be significantly raising production in 2015 to 16,000 tonne from 11,000 tonne, riding on a growing demand for radial tyres.

The company is planning to set up an R&D facility in India.

MRF Limited Madras Rubber Factory, now MRF, is India’s largest tyre company. Not many may be aware, but this Tamil Nadu based company started as a balloon company in 1940’s with a funding of Rs 14,000. It has come a long way since then and boasts of a turnover of more than Rs 14,000 crore and around nine plants across the country.

It was founded in 1946 by K M Mammen Mappillai. Today, apart from making tyres, the company is actively involved in the field of motorsport, in cricket, in boxing, in toys and paints, among others. It has 6 facilities.

It was only in 1952 when the company changed course and turned to tread rubber manufacturing. By the early 60’s, MRF was exporting its quality tyres to offices overseas in the U.S. and Beirut and soon made its presence known globally across 65 different countries - with tyres rolling out of 6 interdependent facilities built across 450 acres, 3000 strong dealer networks and 180 different offices.

In the field of sports, MRF had set up the MRF Pace Foundation under the legendary Australian bowler Dennis Lillee. As for motorsports, the company is involved in racing, go karting, rallying and various other motorsport events. Its rallying team has won the prestigious FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship a few times.

It was in 1961 that MRF became a public company and established a technical collaboration with the Mansfield Tire & Rubber Company based in USA and the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu K. Kamaraj released the first tyre from MRF’s new pilot plant at Tiruvottiyur.

In 1967 MRF became the first Indian company to export tyres to the very birthplace of tyre technology, the United States. The company’s second plant opened at Kottayam in Kerala in 1970 and a year later its third plant was inaugurated in Goa. The fourth plant came up in Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu. In the years that followed, the company introduced a series of tyres for cars, trucks and two-wheelers.

In 1989 it collaborated with Hasbro International USA, the world’s largest toy makers, and launched Funskool India. The Company also entered into collaborations with Vapocure Australia to manufacture polyurethane paint formulations

and with Pirelli for MUSCLEFLEX Conveyor & Elevator Belting. The same year, the company also opened another unit in Medak (now a district in Telangana). The year 1996 was MRF’s golden jubilee and it started a special factory dedicated entirely to the manufacture of radials at Pondicherry. In the year 1997 MRF ventured into F3 cars for the very first time. In 2011 MRF commissioned its seventh plant at Ankanpally (Andhra Pradesh).

The eighth plant followed for the production of conventional tyres in Trichy (TN). In 2012 MRF commissioned its 9th plant in Trichy (TN) solely for the manufacture of Radial Tyres.

TVS SRICHAKRA LTD TVS Srichakra Limited, a part of the TVS Group, the largest auto ancillary group in India, with a group turnover of over USD 8 Billion, is the leading manufacturer of Two & Three Wheeler tyres and Off-Road tyres. Incorporated in 1982, the company manufactures and markets its products under the ‘TVS Tyres’ and ‘TVS Eurogrip’ brands. The company rolls out around 1.9 million tyres every month out of its two units located in Madurai (Tamil Nadu) and Pantnagar (Uttarakhand).

In June 2015, the company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that in order to meet the growing demand for two wheelers tyres in India, Michelin has entered into an agreement with it for setting up a new manufacturing facility within its existing plant in Madurai. The products designed

by Michelin for the Indian market will be manufactured by TVS Srichakra at this new facility under the Michelin brand name. The TVS Madurai unit with an annual capacity of 3.6 million tyres will produce bias product ranges for both Michelin as well as some tyres from TVS’s product range of two wheeler tyres.

Early this year, the company unveiled its new brand identity with the mnemonic ‘Eagle’. In 2013-14, the company made 1.7

million tyres per month in Two & Three Wheeler segment and pushed it up to 2 million tyres per month in 2014-15. “We have initiated an expansion in our capacity, to reach 2.3 million tyres per month by December 2015,” said P Vijayaraghavan, Director, TVS Srichakra Ltd. YOKOHAMA INDIA Yokohama India is a 100pc subsidiary of The Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd, Japan. The Yokohama Rubber Company (YRC) is already running into 10th decade of its establishment in Japan. The Japanese company decided to foray into the Indian market in 2007. In November 2014, Yokohama India started the first phase of commercial production at its first tyre manufacturing unit in India at HSIIDC Bahadurgarh Haryana.

With a max production capacity of 2000 tyres per day the plant can be scaled up to three to four folds in the next phases of growth. Built with an investment of over Rs.300 crore, this new manufacturing unit introduced the Yokohama Earth -1 Tyres, specially designed for the Indian road conditions for durability, mileage & noise comfort. At the event, Hikomitsu Noji, President and Representative Director, President of Tire Business – Yokohama Rubber Company, Japan, said “Yokohama India has started its operation in 2007, and since then we were thinking the necessity of manufacturing facility in India considering import duty, inter-state tax matters and some other issues. Based on such market conditions, we have decided to have our own factory here in Haryana in 2012”.

Yokohama India is currently operating on 2pc of the total market share. While tube type tyres still contribute a considerable share of the total passenger car radial market, Yokohama India is only competing in the tubeless market.

Takeshi Fujino, Managing Director – Yokohama India also noted that “Keeping the diverse

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August 2015 I 67

TYRE SPECIAL road conditions in mind Yokohama Earth-1 will cater to most of the cars in B, B+ and C-segment”.

“We plan to introduce 25 sizes of Yokohama Earth-1 and 10 S-Drive sizes” he further added.

Yokohama India currently has approx 600 point of sales which also includes 23 Yokohama Club Network (YCN) across length and breadth of India. Globally other

than replacement tyres business, Yokohama tyres is original equipment suppliers to many top of the line car manufacturers like Audi, Honda, Mercedes Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Suzuki and Toyota.

Yokohama India later introduced “Mud –Terrain (M/T+)” Tyres in it’s well accepted “Geolandar” series.

Specifically designed for serious

Off-Roading, the Geolandar M/ T+ is well-equipped to deflect lateral impacts during extreme conditions.

Yokohama in India has been part of major motorsports activities since 2007. While it has won the Himalayan car Rallies for three consecutive years--2009, 2010 & 2011, Yokohama India has had podium finishes at all rallies the

company has participated in.

Over the years Yokohama has become synonymous to global Motorsports. Currently Yokohama has been the sole official tyre supplier to FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) since 2006.

Yokohama also has been the sole tyre supplier for 31 consecutive years to the Mecca of Formula 3, which is held in Macau every year.

INTERVIEW WITH RAJIV BUDHRAJA, Director General, Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association What is the primary role of ATMA and who are its members? What is the criteria to become an ATMA member?

As the name suggests, ATMA stands for Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association.

We are an industry body of the companies which make automotive tyres in India. We have been there since 1975.

It’s almost forty years now. It’s an industry association of large tyre companies in India. Most of the large tyre manufacturers are also manufacturing Off the Road (OTR) tyres, which includes the farm tyres, the mining tyres, industrial tyres etc. There are a number of tube manufacturers who are stand alone small tube makers who are either supplying to large tyre manufacturers or are supplying in the aftermarket.

But these companies are not members of our association.

To become a member of ATMA, one has to have a manufacturing facility in India. One also has to have a certain size and scale in turnover. The turnover of the company has to be Rs 500 crore or above. The company should be manufacturing either 100,000 tyres annually for the truck and bus category or 2 million passenger car tyres annually. That sets the membership criteria for the membership.

How many members does ATMA

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vehicle segment. I put that around 55pc. The next big contributor is the passenger car segment, followed by two / three wheelers and light truck tyres, farm tyre etc.

The share of the commercial vehicle segment at one point was around two-thirds, almost 66pc. Over the years this share has declined and paved way for the passenger car segment.

have currently?

We have ten members in all which is a fair mix of home grown Indian companies as well as global players who have set up their plants in India. Among the global players we have Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear and Continental. These global majors have a manufacturing presence in India. Yokohama is the latest globally company to apply for membership. In a month or so this

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should come through. They have a manufacturing facility which came up last year. This makes them eligible for membership to ATMA. What is the current turnover of the automotive tyre industry in India? What has been the progress of this industry?

The industry turnover for the last fiscal 2014-15 is approximately Rs 50,000 crore. Most of it is accounted by the commercial

With global acquisitions and massive exports, do you think tyre companies in India have finally come of age in terms of financial clout and world class technology?

For a successful tyre company you have to have the size and the scale. That is what Indian tyre companies have also realised that it is important to have a certain size and scale and once you achieve that the next step that follows is have a global presence. That is what is driving Indian tyre companies. Three of the large Indian tyre companies are among the top 20 or 25 global tyre companies. Their position is only going to be further strengthening in years to come.

What about government policies, are they encouraging or discouraging the Indian tyre industry?

As an industry association we feel that the government has not given the tyre industry the

TYRE SPECIAL encouragement and support it so rightly deserves. One of the key issues that confronts the tyre industry is a very long outstanding issue of correcting the inverted duty structure. We are in a situation where the customs duty on our principal raw material i.e. natural rubber is now 25pc.

Until the budget it was 20 pc.

Post Budget it was hiked to 25pc, perhaps the highest in the world.

The customs duty on finished tyres is anywhere between zero per cent to 8.6 pc under various preferential and concessional tariffs by virtue of trade agreements. It is a very anomalous situation that we have in the tyre industry where the principal raw material duty is almost three times that of the finished product. As a result we are seeing this huge influx of cheap imported tyres coming into India especially dumped from China. It is rather unfortunate if I may say, this has not received the attention of the government in a manner that it deserves and for the last many years both as an industry body as well as a tyre company we have been approaching the government but a solution still eludes us.

What is the situation on the raw material front?

Rubber prices have been stable if I may say in the last three to four years. They have declined from the peak levels that were there in 2011. But even at these prices which are comparatively lower than the prices that prevailed in the recent years, rubber in India is anyway 15 to 20pc higher compared to international prices.

That is a very major concern for the tyre industry. More than the prices, it is the availability.

The demand for rubber today far exceeds the availability not only for the present but also the medium and long term. As a result imports are the only way out for the industry and that is where the duty impacts the industry very severely. Here we are in a situation where the domestic availability of rubber is inadequate and the quality is not up to the mark to meet the requirements. These are the changing requirements of the industry for new quality and new technology of the products like radial truck and passenger tyres.

The third issue is the on the duty front. All these three are impacting the tyre industry in its operations.

What about anti dumping laws?

We do have such laws but unfortunately the process is so long that it becomes virtually impossible to stop it. We have anti dumping duties for truck and bus bias tyres but it took anywhere between one and a half to two years to have that in place. Once the duties were imposed on the biased tyres, then the importers switched to import of radial truck tyres which is now the major segment where companies have invested a much as Rs 25000 crore in the last four to five years to set up manufacturing capacities in India. It is very ironical that the industry has made huge investments in capacity creations both for new projects as well as for expansion but unfortunately the dumped imports coming into the country continues to be a serious concern.

Where is rubber sourced from in India? Is it primarily Kerala or are there any other states which produce rubber?

Around 90 to 95 pc of rubber in India originates from Kerala.

Though the government has endeavoured to move into North East for growing rubber, but unfortunately considering the potential that exists from rubber cultivation, the actual cultivation is a mere 25pc of that. There is still a very large untapped resource which has not been exploited in larger natural national interest.

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What is the situation in Kerala both on the production and quality front in rubber?

First of all, as well all know, land is very scarce in Kerala.

It is oversaturated on use of land and resources. We are not seeing a lot of replanting and new

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planting of rubber in the state.

This is mainly because of the other pressures that are there on land like building infrastructure, promoting tourism etc. It is also a question of very limited manpower which is now left for skilled operation in the rubber sector. Tapping, for instance, is a very highly skilled job. Not many people are coming forward to go in for tapping. There is a huge gap between the older generation of highly skilled tappers and a new generation which is not coming forward. Also, because of the low prevailing prices, there are not enough inputs that are going into this sector. The small growers are refraining from better cultivation and farming practices that include rain gardening, use of better manure and utilisation of better seeds etc. Thus land is under pressure, manpower is not there and the current level of prices is not supporting the activities that should have happened in the farm sector. Import of rubber is the only way for the Indian tyre industry.

We have enough capacity created for tyre manufacturing within the country. Now a prudent policy says that value addition should take place within the country. So you have a choice whether to import rubber in to the country and value add it within India or you could have tyres coming into India and see your capacities that have been built with large investments say idle. From a level of 90 plus utilisation industry today is down to 60 to 65 pc. All this is happening because on the raw material front the industry is under pressure in terms of adequacy, quality, etc which is not coming forth. And on the other hand the finished goods both tyres and other non tyre rubber goods are flooding the Indian markets.

Is India seeing increased radialisation of tyres?

Yes, in the passenger car segment, radialisation has happened fully.

The current level of radialisation will be around 97pc to 98pc. In another two to three years perhaps

it will be 100pc. Even the cheapest cars rolled out by the OEMs are all fitted with radials. There is an old fleet of taxis still operating that may be donning bias or cross ply tyres. In the commercial vehicle segment, i.e. the truck and bus segment, although we started off late a compared to other countries, I must say India has done remarkably well and we have reached a level of somewhere around 35pc. This would have been actually far higher as a percentage had it not been for the slowdown that had happened in the CV segment. Radialisation normally happens with the OEMs but as we know the CV segment virtually nose dived in the last four years and because of that the process of radialisation got somewhat delayed. But I am sure the numbers are now looking up, production is coming back to earlier levels and this would gain momentum further.

How do you see the tyre industry panning out in the near future?

Everybody is very upbeat about the future, for the Indian economy in general, for the automotive sector in particular, and that is because of a host of factors. One, as are economy we are poised to grow. The government is going all out to ensure that whatever momentum we lost is not only regained but is also accelerated.

Lot of investments are going into infrastructure, into mining, into highways, ports, roads etc and we know that once the economy gains traction it is the automotive sector which is the key driver. If the automotive sector grows, it is but natural that the component industry and the tyre industry would also be a part of that progress. If you are talking about a medium to long term outlook, it is indeed positive and we expect the tyre industry to grow almost in sync and almost in same line as GDP growth. If the country grows at 7pc to 9pc, we would expect a similar or even a double digit growth for the tyre industry in the years to follow.

INDIA NEWS MapmyIndia partners with VECV GP Petroleums partners Repsol to launch lubricant range in India How often as a parent have you worried about your child when he or she is travelling by the school bus? Has my child reached school safely? Is the bus being driven properly?

After school is my child seated in the bus for home, is he or she safe? All these thoughts need not bother you any more as navigation champions MapmyIndia has partnered with VE Commercial Vehicles Limited (A JV between Eicher Motors Ltd. and Volvo Group) to provide a safe and secure transportation to school-going children by providing telematics solution.

The customers (primarily schools and institutions) have the option to purchase the Eicher range of school buses equipped with an integrated safety solution developed by MapmyIndia.

The solution provides a comprehensive safety veil for children right from the point they board the school bus till the time they come back home safe and sound, and everything in-between.

This was stated in a press release issued by MapMyIndia.

The integrated safety solution deploys state-of-the-art GPS tracking, AV and Internet technologies to build a foolproof child-safety system. It addresses most safety and compliance concerns of parents as well as the school. The solution incorporates Vehicle tracker, RFID tags for children, on-board cameras (in front and the back of the bus) and DVR along with GPRS connectivity for live two-way communications. These will track and report child’s movements during school hours.

Parents will be sent important alerts of various activities of the child during the day as they happen. In case of emergencies immediate alerts will be sounded for swift response.

GP Petroleums Ltd, subsidiary of Gulf Petrochem Group, a UAE-based leading player in the oil sector, has announced it had formed a strategic partnership with Spain’s No 1 petroleum company “Repsol” to exclusively manufacture and market Repsol’s superior and comprehensive line of premium quality lubricants across India, thus unfolding a new chapter in the history of Indian company’s operations. With this, GP Petroleums, which has a strong presence in the industrial lubricants with its flagship brand IPOL, will now unleash a new aggressive marketing strategy in the automotive segment also with Repsol, a global leader in the lubricant space. The group’s in-house Base Oil Storage facility of 17,000 KL is one of the largest in the Indian industry which uses cutting edge remote sensing technology to accurately measure and control the storage volumes. It has an annual production capacity of 80,000 KL.

Hero MotoCorp subsidiary to acquire EBR’S assets After infusing around US $ 25 million in Erik Buell Racing in 2013 which later filed for bankruptcy, India based Hero MotoCorp Ltd (HMCL ) now seems to have entered a new chapter with this US based company.

The wholly owned subsidiaries of HMCL --- HMCL NA, Inc. and

RIP Kalam Sir! October 15, 1931 - July 27, 2015

At Mahindra, President Kalam's comment at the inauguration of our Chennai Research valley is part of our folklore. As he walked around, he saw the tall hill at the property boundary. He abruptly stopped & asked me: "Is that hill part of your property? "I said no and he paused..for a long time & said: "Take it.Take the Hill" I was confused, but he just repeated himself and moved on.

When I reflected on it, I believed his words were not literal,but symbolic.

Advice to always look higher & beyond your original ideas. And so today our credo at Mahindra Research Valley is, always, to "Take the Hill." Thank you

HMCL Americas, Inc.----as per a “Settlement Agreement,” have agreed that HMCL Americas Inc. will acquire the ownership of certain tangible and intangible assets of EBR free and clear of all encumbrances, for a consideration of US$ 2.8 million (Rs 17.9 crore).

Dr Surinder Kapur of Sona Group passes away Veteran automotive industrialist Dr. Surinder Kapur, Founder and Chairman, Sona Group passed away after a brief illness in Munich, Germany at 20.00 hrs (IST) on June 30, 2015. He is survived by his wife Rani Kapur and children Sunjay Kapur, Suparna Motwane and Mandira Koirala. This was stated in a press statement issued by the Sona Group. The Sona Group consists of the flagship company Sona Koyo Steering, a leading supplier of steering columns to Maruti Suzuki. Dr. Kapur was revered as a noted industrialist and a pioneer in the Indian Auto industry.

good Doctor. R.I.P

Photo by: Mohd. Nasir

~ Anand Mahindra, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (Twitter)

Picture courtesy: PIB

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August 2015 I 71

INDIA NEWS

‘MAKE IN INDIA’ AT ITS BEST

Force Motors does a global first with BMW and Mercedes-Benz in India

Force Motors Chennai Plant

Report: P.THARYAN In what can be termed as ‘Make in India’ at its best, the Firodia family controlled Force Motors has inaugurated a modern Engine Assembly plant in Chennai in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Force Motors has been making engines for another German car maker Mercedes-Benz since 1997.

72 I August 2015

“We are also the first company that is making power trains for BMW and Mercedes-Benz, nobody else does that in the world,” said Prasan Firodia, Managing Director, Force Motors in Chennai after the inauguration of the Force Motors engine plant for BMW cars.

Built at a cost of around Rs

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200 crore, the Chennai plant has begun assembling engines and transmissions exclusively for BMW India. The plant has a capacity to make 20,000 units per annum on three shifts. Firodia mentioned that this new plant is the first such set up for BMW worldwide where they have outsourced its engine

assembly from a third party. Force Motors will be making common rail diesel engines at the Chennai facility.

The plant can make petrol and hybrid engines too. “We have enough space to expand our capacity in this five acre plot.

There are a total of 100 engineers

INDIA NEWS working here and there are no workers,” he said.

Force Motors is also setting up a new engine plant for MercedesBenz India with a production capacity of 50,000 units per annum. The BMW Chennai plant production capacity can also be enhanced to 50,000 units per annum, if need be. A Firodia owned group company Jai Hind will also be setting up a plant in Chennai for aluminium die casting, besides one in Devas in Madhya Pradesh and another in Gujarat.

The BMW and Mercedes engine business is being executed by Force Motors.

Firodia mentioned that ever since the first engine was fired in January 2015, more than 3000 engines have been made for BMW India. He said his company was even ready to make engines for export, if BMW so desired. The plant, he said was set up in a record time of seven months.

Force Motors which is also a niche OEM player that makes vehicles like the Traveller, Force One SUV, Trax, Gurkha, besides Balwan and Orchard tractors, generates almost 30pc of its income from its aggregates business wherein it makes engines for Mercedes-Benz India, BMW India, John Deere, Magna etc.

Elaborating on the engines being made for BMW India, Firodia said, “Right now it’s only for India for their Chennai facility, but the call is on them. If they want to export them outside India, it’s their call. The facility that we have built qualifies to be of BMW standards.

It’s like any BMW engine plant anywhere in the world. If they want to export engines to China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Europe, it’s their call. The engines that we are making here are the same engines that are being built in Germany.

They are not different.”

The Chennai plant was inaugurated by Union Cabinet Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Sector Enterprises Anant Geete and Member of Parliament Rajkumar Dhoot in the presence of Abhay Firodia, Chairman, Force

Anant Geete, Union Cabinet Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Sector Enterprises and dignitaries lighting the lamp Motors and dignitaries from BMW and Force Motors. This project was started in June 2014 and was completed in a record time of seven months.

With the addition of this plant, the national presence of the group company goes up to fifteen facilities. “Cumulatively since we started 1997, we have supplied excess of 50,000 engines to Mercedes-Benz India. They started with the W124 the old E-Class. We started with engines and we added axles. We are starting two new plants one in Chakan for Mercedes and the other in Devas in Madhya Pradesh (it’s for our component business). The Devas plant is for our other company Jai Hind,” he

said.

On being question about the huge production capacities at the two engine assembling plants, Firodia said, “They are looking at it from a long term perspective.

You cannot invest in a production capacity in a piece meal basis, hence the reason why capacities at Chennai plant as well as Chakan plant can be enhanced to 50,000 units. I do not know the plans of these companies. So when you building a plant you have to give it a five to eight years perspective.

I do not know the game plan for these companies whether they will export or not. Some years back they used to export cars out of India,” he added.

The Firodia family will also be setting up a second plant in Chennai for aluminium die casting business which will be under Jai Hind. “Hopefully we will have Start of Production (SOP) next year. We supply our aluminium die casting business to Renault, Nissan, Ford, Bharat Benz and Turbo Energies. All that business we shall move to Chennai area,” he noted.

“We hope to Inaugurate the Devas facility very shortly. There is a new Chakan plant coming up for Mercedes. There is a third one we are planning to build in Gujarat for Jai Hind,” Firodia informed.

He further noted that the revenue generated in the coming three to four years from this components business of Force Motors will be to the tune of around Rs 3000 crore. This year it will be close to Rs 1000 crore.

Around two year ago Force Motors had invested in a brand new engine development centre in Pune which has been certified

by ARAI. “Now all the certification process is all done in house. It’s completely audited and certified

by ARAI. We spent Rs 75 crore on the centre. This centre is capable of doing BS IV, BS V and also CNG and alternate fuels,” Firodia pointed out.

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August 2015 I 73

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW PASSENGER VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS IN INDIA

(Total Domestic Sales + Exports for the month of June 2015 = 1,98,634 Units)

UTILITY VEHICLES MANUFACTURERS IN INDIA

(Total Domestic Sales + Exports for the month of June 2015 = 59,351 Units) Maruti Suzuki India (28.07)% Mahindra & Mahindra (27.49)%

Maruti Suzuki India (49.38)%

Ford India (10.71)%

Hyundai Motor India (25.33)%

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (9.35)%

Honda Cars India (8.84)%

Renault India (6.82)%

Tata Motors (4.41)%

Tata Motors (6.67)%

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (3.44)%

Nissan Motor India (3.14)%

Volkswagen India (2.99)%

Hyundai Motor India (2.96)%

Nissan Motor India (2.39)%

General Motors India (2.18)%

OTHERS (1.32)% Skoda Auto India (0.59%) Fiat India Automobiles (0.38%) Mahindra & Mahindra (0.19%) Renault India (0.16%)

Honda Cars India (1.97)% OTHERS (0.64)% Hindustan Motors Finance Corp (0.34%); Force Motors (0.23%); Isuzu Motors (0.05%); Skoda Auto India (0.02%)

General Motors India (1.08)% Ford India (0.82)%

TWO WHEELER MANUFACTURERS IN INDIA

(Total Domestic Sales + Exports for the month of June 2015 = 15,38,718 Units)

THREE WHEELERS MANUFACTURERS IN INDIA

(Total Domestic Sales + Exports for the month of June 2015 = 79,994 Units)

Hero MotoCorp (35.24)% Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (22.67)% Bajaj Auto (18.69)% TVS Motor Company (13.71)% India Yamaha Motor (4.30)%

Bajaj Auto (54.67)%

Royal Enfield (2.43)%

Piaggio Vehicles (20.07)%

Suzuki Motorcycle India (2.13)%

TVS Motor Company (13.87)%

OTHERS (0.83)% Mahindra Two Wheelers (0.63%) Piaggio Vehicles (0.16%) H-D Motor Company India (0.02%) Triumph Motorcycles (India) (0.01%) Kawasaki India (0.01%)

Mahindra & Mahindra (6.14)%

LIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS IN INDIA

(Total Domestic Sales + Exports for the month of June 2015 = 34,223 Units)

Atul Auto(4.16)% Scooters India (1.04)% Force Motors (0.05)%

MEDIUM & HEAVY COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS IN INDIA

(Total Domestic Sales + Exports for the month of June 2015 = 25553 Units)

Tata Motors Ltd. (43.14)%

Tata Motors (52.40)%

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (35.87)%

Ashok Leyland (31.48)%

Ashok Leyland Ltd. (7.05)%

VECVs - Eicher (9.80)%

Force Motors Ltd. (5.63)%

SML Isuzu (2.86)%

VECVs - Eicher (4.56)%

Mahindra & Mahindra (2.59)%

SML Isuzu Ltd. (2.33)%

AMW Motors (0.48)%

Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. (1.14)%

VECVs - Volvo (0.43)%

Isuzu Motors (0.28)%

74 I August 2015

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