Indian Autos Thread

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Aug 2010 18:25

b7r seems to have a soft low suspension and a huge overhang ahead of the front wheels. good for civilized countries which impose a uniform std in road construction, policies and upkeep, not yindia where every gram panchayat can erect 6" high "tank traps" because someone ran over a goat.

instead of erecting pedestrian barriers along the sides , medians and providing overbridge or preferably an underpass, the easy way out is taken and tank barriers erected to "slow down traffic". doesnt stop trucks and bratkat drunk drivers who do most of damage.

Jaeger · Post by **Jaeger** » 25 Aug 2010 14:15

^^Tell me about it. Drove back from near Malvalli village on Monday. Came via Mysore rd - Maddur - Kengeri - NICE - Banerghatta - Koramangala. At several points along the Mysore rd. and in fact even NICE, there are random barricades thrown up to 'slow down' speeders I'm guessing. However given the dismal state of the lighting on these roads esp. NICE, the barriers are more deadly than speeding - there's barely any time to see them and react.
Plus, at a village just a few kms before Shivalli restaurant on the highway, apparently some tanker had hit a biker who was crossing from one side of the highway to another. So the villagers promptly stopped all traffic for some time.
On the whole though, NICE was a pleasant experience - straight road zipping from Kengeri to Banerghatta Rd., avoiding all the pain of Mysore Rd coming into Bengaluru, Majestic etc... a boon for those in Koramangala...

Jaeger · Post by **Jaeger** » 25 Aug 2010 18:11

^^X-posted in Indian Roads thread saar...

ShivaS · Post by **ShivaS** » 26 Aug 2010 16:00

boss log there is very unique Hyderabadi tradition, suddenly over night new speed breakers (bumps in US) errupt out of the pot hole smitten road.

Once you use your logic skills you can easily conclude that
1) some body was injured in accident at that spot, even though only a few feet from there exists.

2) A pipe water or sewer was laid after digging up the road.

3)A few days later the pipe burst as it was too shallow or the debris was not compacted, now put cement on top of and make a big hump.

The bikes which have bigger tires can easily negotiate as the Radius of the wheel is large compared to compact cars therefore recalling the pure geometry or spherometer experiments ration r/R is so small that tends to zero and hence road is level to mo bikes consequently no need to reduce speed, atleast one more death occurs very next to it now a parallel speed breaker takes shape now it beomces rumble pad like (in US) before a toll gate...

The small car owner like me in M800 go up and down like sine curve in verticle and horizontal axis.
The big trucks dont care as the shocks for them are stiff enough not to budge, the motor cyles are still goin the same way...

I want a BMP used one with 800 cc engine any ideas

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 26 Aug 2010 16:36

ShivaS which part of Hyderabad, driving in Hyderabad traffic takes a lot of risk taking ability with patience and ignore the odd hit from Motorcycle, auto wallas

ShivaS · Post by **ShivaS** » 26 Aug 2010 18:29

I drive in Hitech city, Kondapur, JNTU, Banjara Nallakunta / Deshmukh colony, West Maredpalley, Safilguda, Tarnaka, Malkajgiri old airport Begumpet.

M800 with a overhead rack for luggage, I am mighty pissed against autos and Cabs, instead of being terrorised sitting as a passenger, I want to be threat on the road one and all.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 26 Aug 2010 19:31

each such speedbreaker in blr (unmarked) has deep scratches on top and near the end where cars bottom scraped and then scraped the front bumper . the devils have a nice formula of shape and height to cause the maximum damage to cars.

per indian road congress, speedbreakers can be at MOST 10cm high and MINIMUM 3m long - 9 feet with a flat section on top. only few such exist in blr.

Abhijeet · Post by **Abhijeet** » 26 Aug 2010 20:32

It's funny (if you're not the one driving) to see some of the most broken-down, narrow roads that have speedbreakers on them. If the potholes don't get you, the speedbreakers will.

When building a new road, the speedbreakers seem almost to be built before the road itself.

"In India, speedbreakers come first and the road comes later...or sometimes not at all." - Old Jungle Saying

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 27 Aug 2010 01:42

Many years ago, while driving on a modified RX135 (added a fifth gear for top speed)..I was cruising down the road near Erode to Salem sometime around 10 PM, and suddenly there were DRUMS..MANY.IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD...applied both brakes and depressed clutch...not enough and had that sinking feeling when you know you are going to crash...WHAM..hit the drum smack in the middle and went sprawling over the road.

I just rolled over to the side...and fortunately there was no other traffic, and that was unfortunate too, since nobody was there to help me. The crash bar helped minimize the impact on the bike..it was driveable but not for long distance though. So drove to a nearby town, left the bike at a mechanic shop, took a bus home. Came back on a truck (a 407 from the dealer I was managing) and took the bike back. I never drove at higher speeds in unknown roads in the night again.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Aug 2010 22:04

wtf were drums in the middle of road ? fell of a truck or place by the local police?

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Aug 2010 22:05

WSJ

NEW DELHI—Ford Motor Co. said it would introduce eight new vehicles in India by 2015 to capitalize on increasing demand in the fast-expanding car market.India,

Ford is expanding its offerings in the booming Indian market. The Detroit auto maker also plans to export its recently introduced Figo small car from India to 50 new markets, including Mexico, North Africa and the Middle East, starting next year, company executives said Thursday

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 28 Aug 2010 04:32

Mahindra says it has dropped Global Vehicles as U.S. importer

Global acknowledged that Mahindra has attempted to terminate the agreement, but warned that “such attempted termination is invalid under applicable laws of the United States and the State of Georgia, something which Mahindra continues to disregard.”
Global has been battling Mahindra in court to prod the Indian company to commence U.S. operations

The statement by Mahindra hangs a question mark over the 300 to 350 U.S. retailers who have signed franchise agreements directly with Global Vehicles, if the Alpharetta, Ga., company no longer is the distributor.
Nor is it clear that Mahindra has the power to terminate the agreement without a court fight.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 29 Aug 2010 06:46

Tatas defensive after Nano fire

ith yet another Nano catching fire in New Delhi on Friday, Tata Motors is on the backfoot again as the fire incident is the third in the last six months and occurred within three months after the company declared the car safe after a "thorough investigation" in May and initiated the pre-emptive process of inspecting all the Nanos on the roads.

This adequately corroborates the Nano's reliability and safety, as was seen during the validation of the car with about 300 prototypes which covered more than 2 million km of safe operation before launch, a company spokesperson said.

In its probe report released in May, the company said that the fire in March 2010, shortly after a customer took delivery of the car, might have been caused by a foreign object in the exhaust system that its expert team found. In the other case that happened in April, it was concluded that the car that was being driven to the dealership caught fire possibly due to a ruptured fuel line. There're over 50,000 Nanos on Indian roads now.

The company is ramping up production at its Sanand plant that manufactures 20,000 units per month to reach the target of 2,50,000 units annually by this fiscal.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 29 Aug 2010 13:30

methinks that rear mounted engine has a lot of vital areas exposed to the reefs below. also in a normal car, the hot section(engine) is in front and fuel tank in the back. in nano if fuel tank is in back any leaking fuel will fall or seep into hot areas which cant be good.

ShivaS · Post by **ShivaS** » 29 Aug 2010 15:02

A short internally in the battery (due to individual cells shorting) caused by excessive jarring, improper hold down, combined with fuel vapour in the hood can cuse a fire.

Our speed bumps can easilt damage battery , my maruti Nove 2009 with 2000 km battery has failed Exide and has been replaced.

I hope tata quickly does a complete investigation with 400% transperancy and publicly demonstrates why it happens and how it is mitigated. For credibilty of Nano.

Otherwise declare it as an external combustion engine and continue.

Dileep · Post by **Dileep** » 30 Aug 2010 10:44

The battery of the Nano is under the front seat IIRC.

ShivaS · Post by **ShivaS** » 30 Aug 2010 11:29

Dileep wrote:The battery of the Nano is under the front seat IIRC.

Its location is not really an important thing because of internal short, the wires get hot and the insluation (of the wire) reaches the flah point and fire point (I Squred R)
If it so happens and then there are any flamable hoses and or air rich with fuel vapours, for that matter even a metalic fuel pipe line into the Fuel injectors is enough...

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 09 Sep 2010 04:17

As a cheaper alternative to the Nano, consider again this concept vehicle from 1968 - the Quasar:

The Quasar is an enclosed all-weather feet-forward 2-wheeler, first invented in 1968. As a derivative of the pre-WW2 feet-forward motorcycle, it has a windshield, so no bugs in your teeth. Like any 2-wheeler, it just needs the help of your feet to balance when in a stationary position, or a kickstand.

This could be stretched into a tandem 2-seater configuration, to hold a rear passenger. When driving it without the rear passenger, the front seat could be slid back, to allow for the more classic reclining position of a feet-forward/chopper type of motorcycle. But when accommodating a rear passenger, then the front seat is slid more forward, so that the driver in the front is sitting more upright. This more upright position would allow the driver to use their legs better to balance the entire vehicle when stationary.

I think it looks rather stylish.
It would be great for drive-by shootings.

Dileep · Post by **Dileep** » 09 Sep 2010 06:20

ShivaS wrote:
Dileep wrote:The battery of the Nano is under the front seat IIRC.
Its location is not really an important thing because of internal short, the wires get hot and the insluation (of the wire) reaches the flah point and fire point (I Squred R)
If it so happens and then there are any flamable hoses and or air rich with fuel vapours, for that matter even a metalic fuel pipe line into the Fuel injectors is enough...

If the short is internal, the wires do not carry the current, so no heat. If the short is external, then it is a wire harness problem, not a battery problem.

Your original statement that the battery shorting out, heating and igniting fuel vapour would hold only if the battery itself is placed at a location where fuel vapours exist.

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 09 Sep 2010 06:56

Singha wrote:wtf were drums in the middle of road ? fell of a truck or place by the local police?

placed by road construction. still carry a scar on my thigh.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 09 Sep 2010 23:24

Autos see record sales in August

Domestic automobile sales continued to break record numbers with the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on Thursday stating that the total number of vehicles sold in the country during August at 12,63,293 units was the highest-ever achieved in a month.

Overall vehicles sold in the domestic market during August grew by 25.2 per cent from 10,08,712 units in the same month last year.

However, a dampner in the growth story was passenger car exports, which declined by 7.2 per cent in August, as auto makers decided to focus on robust domestic market, SIAM said.

manish · Post by **manish** » 10 Sep 2010 13:38

Some great news for people interested in the state of the Indian public transport scene, BMTC Volvo service has finally broekn even! This should be a lesson for people who wanted BMTC to run Volvos with artificially low fares (as done in some other metros) - now BMTC makes a profit while providing excellent service (and with decent fleet maintenance, something that gets overlooked with artificially low prices that force companies to cut corners).

This is a true win-win.
More commuters hop on to Volvos

BANGALORE: Here's a bit of news that may inspire more of you to get on to buses: ridership in Volvo buses has increased during peak hours as well as non-peak hours and monthly passes are selling like hot cakes. And yes, thanks to commuters, Volvos are no longer making losses.

Sample a few facts: Volvo ridership during non-peak hours, particularly at noon, has shot up from 40%-45% to 68%-70% a more than 25% jump; Volvo monthly passes which would sell at 3,000 a month now sell at 11,000 despite the cost of pass being Rs 1,350-Rs 1,400; and ridership during peak hours which one would expect to touch 100% and a bit more is as high as 200%.

"The sharp rise in ridership is the central factor that has enabled Volvos to break even. Volvos are no longer running on loss. The acceptance of Volvos by the people is larger now. There is a realisation among people that they are getting value for money reliable, comfortable public transport, a crying need of the city. The rise in ridership has also enhanced the returns per kilometre earlier Volvos would earn Rs 32 per km, now they earn Rs 46. So the cost of operation is working out for BMTC. We are thankful to the commuters and we want more of them to take to the Volvos," BMTC MD Syed Zameer Pasha told TOI.

BMTC's Volvo service was probably its only operation which was making an operational loss. This turnaround should further boost their already laudable levels of profitability (unlike most of its peers elsewhere who are unfortunately reliant on govt handouts - something that is caused mainly by unsustainable low fares forced down their throats by political lobbies), thereby proving that public transport need not necessarily mean cheap, loss-making subisidized and sub-standard transport. I am not sure about if and when they will be able to generate post-tax profits from the Volvo services, but at least operational profits coming in a very welcome development that suggests that such high-end investments can be sustainable even in the Indian urban context.

Kudos to BMTC for staying the course and not falling for populist temptations. Now they must look at making long pending improvements including improving the frequency of services during early mornings and late evenings, something which BMTC has been reluctant to do in the past (yes I am aware that there are so-called raatri-paali buses, but the frequency is woefully low). This is an area where BMTC could definitely learn something from neighbouring Chennai's MTC.

VikB · Post by **VikB** » 15 Sep 2010 18:35

ShivaS wrote:...

Otherwise declare it as an external combustion engine and continue.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 16 Sep 2010 23:21

eBay registers first car deal in India with Nano

According to the company, Minhaj Naiyer bought a Tata Nano for his family based in Varanasi through eBay Motors from a Mumbai dealer.

"This is the first international car purchase made on eBay India Motors and we are glad that we are enabling customers to benefit from the great deals and convenience the website has to offer," said Ashish Shah, head, eBay India Motors.
eBay Motors has been in the retail business for the trade of used cars, bikes, and commercial vehicles for over eight years now.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 17 Sep 2010 00:26

Tata Opens New Bookings for Nano

India's largest auto maker by sales stopped taking new bookings for the world's cheapest car in April last year due to capacity constraints.

Reopening Nano bookings will help Tata Motors sell more minicars during the two-month season of Hindu and Muslim festivals starting in October. The season is considered an auspicious time to buy new goods, including cars.

Since its launch, the Nano has helped Tata Motors control a chunk of India's entry-level small car market, a segment that was previously dominated by Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.'s M800 model. The company has delivered 62,232 Nano cars since July last year.

In the April-August period, Tata Motors sold 31,882 Nano cars, widely outperforming Maruti's sales of 10,505 M800 cars, according to data issued by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

Dileep · Post by **Dileep** » 17 Sep 2010 11:09

Nano is doing great here at DMA. TATA offered a no wait deal for Onam/Ramzan, sold 400 cars in the month. These days I see a lot of them on road here. Most are the high end version. The go anywhere/park anywhere advantage is great.

A bunch of college kids got them too. The parents scared to death about their antics on two wheels readily offer them this one.

A Sharma · Post by **A Sharma** » 21 Sep 2010 07:15

Tata Motors' CNG-electric hybrid bus, India’s first, on Delhi roads

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 26 Sep 2010 12:30

TTX02 Electric Superbike with Agni Motor

http://www.mavizen.com/Bikes_and_Kits/TTX02.html

http://www.gizmag.com/the-worlds-first- ... cle/10459/

http://www.mavizen.com/Bikes_and_Kits/TTX02_FAQ.html

Not bad - I wouldn't mind a Sport-Touring version of this, if it was under $10K.

The TTX02 model is supposed to have 2-wheel electric drive, for enhanced stability.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 26 Sep 2010 12:37

Here's another one called Mission One:

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/05/17 ... wanted=all

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 26 Sep 2010 12:39

And here's a planned Honda product:

http://www.hondapedia.org/2009/01/08/ho ... otorcycle/

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 26 Sep 2010 15:14

TELCO is said to be developing 1 liter engine for future evolutions and derivatives of the Nano platform. look for something to compete head on with A-star, Alto and i10 in the 3-4L segment.

Marut · Post by **Marut** » 26 Sep 2010 17:28

Bhailog, this abdul has decided to buy a new car by mid Nov max. My pick is the new i10. The 1.2 kappa now has VVT belting out 80hp with 20.3kpl claimed fuel efficiency. It is tempting to go for it with the AT but cost seems to be north of 5 lacs - my budget limit. What's the word on the streets about this new baby and its previous siblings? anyone used hyundai AT, how is it? does it work well without mucho trips to the workshop? Any other cars I should be looking at? I already struck out VW polo, seems to be a rehashed design with over the top price tag just got the VW badge - no dice for me.

bart · Post by **bart** » 26 Sep 2010 19:02

Marut wrote:Bhailog, this abdul has decided to buy a new car by mid Nov max. My pick is the new i10. The 1.2 kappa now has VVT belting out 80hp with 20.3kpl claimed fuel efficiency. It is tempting to go for it with the AT but cost seems to be north of 5 lacs - my budget limit. What's the word on the streets about this new baby and its previous siblings? anyone used hyundai AT, how is it? does it work well without mucho trips to the workshop? Any other cars I should be looking at? I already struck out VW polo, seems to be a rehashed design with over the top price tag just got the VW badge - no dice for me.

i10 is a good buy if your priority is good interiors. Otherwise it gives poor mileage in actual running, despite claims from the company. The 1.2 is also not that well tuned for the city, the 1.1 is actually better for city driving. You also need to factor in the additional cost of tyre changes, the stock tyres that come on the i10 are not very good.

If you are going for Petrol, I would suggest that you go for Ritz. Great engine, a bit bigger and decent mileage.

If you are very particular about Auto, there is also the new A-Star Auto that has been released, which should be within your budget.

I would also suggest taking a look at the Ford Figo, if you are ok to deal with Ford resale value and dealers, then its probably the best hatch around. The diesel is really good, and the petrol is not bad either.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 29 Sep 2010 14:31

^^^ The major issue with figo is milage one of my freinds has one tha gives only 11 kmpl int he city conditions. Way below Ritz or the Beat.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 29 Sep 2010 15:34

imo the I20 looks like a better made car. not too fond of some of the cheap plastics ford prefers to use.

i10 is ok as a purely commute or front seat car but severely limited in back seat and luggage. if you have kids/parents and want to carry a couple suitcases and bags for the occasional long drive then i10 doesnt make the mark.

perhaps if budget is not a severe constraint, the i20 or Indica can be considered imho. esp if you plan to
retain the car for a while

the Ritz also has more room than i10, though its trunk looks caved in, like someone hit with a mallet. MUL should have used some practical sense and made its trunk bigger by 6" to have some serious use.

2nd hand ford fiesta or hyundai verna could be an option - much useful vehicles than the i10.

diesel swift is another FE friendly option - but apparently has a 6 month waitlist because MUL wants to push
people into Ritz.

Marut · Post by **Marut** » 03 Oct 2010 17:35

Thanks for the feedback guys!

I already have an Indica (used by dad for his business). I wanted a second car for me and sis to take to work and weekend driving around the city. After traveling between my sites using public transport, I can no longer deal with waiting for BEST buses that are packed to the gills by the time it comes to my stop or with the auto-nazis who drive around with the meter halfway down - they can't be fined for refusing fare in this situation. A mere 8km distance becomes a harrowing 1h45m ordeal on the way back due to traffic and the endless waiting for transport

I zeroed in on the i10 as it has a newer version being introduced recently. Also the ritz wasn't approved by sis for its weird looks and figo was declared to be bland in the looks department. Since its primary use is commuting and driving through the rush hour traffic moving at snail's pace, a small car is what I want preferably with AT. Don't want to deal with Rheumatism and arthritis in my 30's itself and also make it easier for sis (and shq in future) to drive in peak traffic.

My secret wish is the i20 but then the whole pocket will have to be cut

Maybe if the RE market tanks then will have some leftover cash to plonk for the iBees

GD saar, you had/have a Santro AT right? How's the AT working out? any major issues?

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 03 Oct 2010 17:42

>> you had/have a Santro AT right? How's the AT working out? any major issues?

none. major or minor in ~6 yrs. 44,000km on the clock from smooth NHDP pavement to village roads in all weathers.
it has passed the "Arjun test"

this question is asked only in india, nobody abroad bothers to ask about whether a auto trans
has any issues specifically....they ask about car problems in general and most likely it will be
rattles , suspension or electrical problems like window motors that bother people.

the sources of problems will be no different in india. transmission problems are very rare
in general with auto trans. and there is no clutch plate etc to wear out.

Marut · Post by **Marut** » 03 Oct 2010 22:27

Singha wrote: this question is asked only in india, nobody abroad bothers to ask about whether a auto trans
has any issues specifically....they ask about car problems in general and most likely it will be
rattles , suspension or electrical problems like window motors that bother people.

the sources of problems will be no different in india. transmission problems are very rare
in general with auto trans. and there is no clutch plate etc to wear out.

Well the question needs to be asked in India due a to a couple of reasons:
1. The minuscule number of auto trannies mean any problems they encounter will not be easily fixed at a roadside shop or even the dealership in the hinterland and such places. So need to know these issues.
2. Given that all components get India proofed, it doesn't matter how well the auto works in other countries. The change if not done properly can result in a mismatched tranny with the engine leading to a less than stellar experience.

Hence my question to you. Btw, glad to know that your chariot passed the Arjun test. Well I should be getting one soon.

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 04 Oct 2010 05:21

Does the "Agni" motor have any connection to India? Excuse my ignorance.

rgsrini · Post by **rgsrini** » 04 Oct 2010 06:56

Varoon,
Agni Motors is an Indian company based at Gujarat. Please google for additional info. Here is something for your pleasure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRAL_QRDORQ