Indian Autos Thread

[Himanshu]

Now that we are discussing this,was deciding on the choice between fabia and swift.Took a test drive of both.Fabia is like a volvo truck with tempo traveller engine.no power at all wat so ever even in the second.swift looks like a ferrari when compared to this..

Swift starts rattling after 6 months of ownership.. Don't own one.. but lot of my collegues and this is their FIRST and MOST vented out gripe..

[bart]

Now that we are discussing this,was deciding on the choice between fabia and swift.Took a test drive of both.Fabia is like a volvo truck with tempo traveller engine.no power at all wat so ever even in the second.swift looks like a ferrari when compared to this..

The interiors on the Fabia are no doubt good, but maybe worth a 10 % premium over swift at best. Also the interior space esp the back seat is better, Swift is claustrophobic by comparision.

Otherwise Swift beats it hands down - ride, handling, everything. Comparing the diesel versions Swift's Fiat Diesel engine is awesome, its silent, peppy and fuel efficient, while the Fabia has a noisy, sluggish, 3-pot engine.

And all the gimmicks on the Fabia such as parking sensors etc can be fitted on to any car for about 10k..its not worth a 3-4 Lakh premium.

[bart]

Now that we are discussing this,was deciding on the choice between fabia and swift.Took a test drive of both.Fabia is like a volvo truck with tempo traveller engine.no power at all wat so ever even in the second.swift looks like a ferrari when compared to this..

Swift starts rattling after 6 months of ownership.. Don't own one.. but lot of my collegues and this is their FIRST and MOST vented out gripe..

Yupp, you are spot on. Its a problem not only with Swift but also SX4 and there are a lot of people pissed off with Maruti about it. I think Maruti is struggling to make the transition from purely entry/budget cars to more midrange/luxury cars for more demanding customers. Add to it the 6 month + waiting list for some of the cars and the take-it-or-leave it attitude of the showroom staff, and Maruti have several issues to sort out.

[kvraghav]

hmm thanks for the updates regarding swift.That now leaves me with lancer.almost the same price range as fabia and swift.somewhere in between..

[Singha]

you might consider Getz 1.3 - better quality than Swift and lower price than
Fabia. the back seat and trunk are quite roomy.

[Nayak]

Hmm when I bought my maruti the staff were very helpful.

They answered all my questions and I was happy with the staff service level.

The after sales service is also nice. They come to my place, pick up my car, get it serviced and drop it back. Insurance renewal was also no hassle.

Do you 'yen-argh-eyes' in massaland get the same treatment when you buy a car ?

PS: Also the fact the PYTs at the dealer were awesome. All decked up in traditional saree in a very provocative manner.

[kvraghav]

ok but i didnt like the getz design although.Even i had no pobs with maruti service with my existing 800.

[vina]

That now leaves me with lancer.almost the same price range as fabia and swift.somewhere in between..

Yes.. I have one. It's a great car.. Ok performance, great ride, decent handling, lots of space, right size to get into tight parking and pretty decently equipped, with a diesel option as well. Mine is a Petrol SLX I though. Very reliable, I have put some 96,000 odd Kms in 3 1/2 years. no problems at all.. Great build quality.

The problem is that it is dated and will be replaced sooner than later. But withe the price cuts and deep discounts on offer, definitely worth a look. Much better value than buying the Fabia junk at that price.!.

[kvraghav]

The problem is that it is dated and will be replaced sooner than later. But withe the price cuts and deep discounts on offer, definitely worth a look. Much better value than buying the Fabia junk at that price.!.

Hmm that leaves me a very confused guy .Have to think b/w lancer,swift and fiesta now.Lets see.

[vina]

The problem is that it is dated and will be replaced sooner than later. But withe the price cuts and deep discounts on offer, definitely worth a look. Much better value than buying the Fabia junk at that price.!.

Hmm that leaves me a very confused guy .Have to think b/w lancer,swift and fiesta now.Lets see.

My advice.. Wait for 2 more months. You should see the launch of the Grande Punto and Fiat Linea. I think those will be category killers, with the best diesels out there, will be feature packed and priced well.

The Fiesta diesel is good, but expensive.. Petrol, SX4 offers far better features. But Honda City is the first choice.. Fiesta 1.6 petrol is good too, but not worth the price.. But they have deep discounts on offer. Ford service in Bangalore is a horror story though..

If you want petrol, then the Lancer is a good option. It think there was a 1.8L Invex with touch shift also on offer.. Maybe that is a good buy. But if you want a value priced "big car" then the CEDIA is damn good.. Too bad it didnt sell too well.. It is the Lancer replacement and should have been positioned as such. But they wanted it to go head to head against the Corolla and Civic!..

[Singha]

I have put some 96,000 odd Kms in 3 1/2 years.

what have you been doing ? I am barely at 25k in same timeframe.
your mileage is high even for Massa where avg Joe hits that in 5 yrs.

[vina]

I have put some 96,000 odd Kms in 3 1/2 years.

what have you been doing ? I am barely at 25k in same timeframe.
your mileage is high even for Massa where avg Joe hits that in 5 yrs.

Oh.. frequent trips to chennai and places in TN and back, mysore,coorg,ooty, kodai, etc. etc.. soon add up. Commute and running errands of course..It is actually closer to 4 years now , than 3 1/2.

In Massa, when I bought a 1995 Civic (used) with around 33,000 miles on it and within 2 years, I had put in 60,000 miles more on it.. and sold it at just short of 100k miles on the OdO.. The avg 12K per year kind of thing in Massa is probably for the typical folks in one horse towns who live and work within 5 miles of work..

[Singha]

..or desis in bay area many rent vehicles on trips to preserve the resale
value of their camcords.

[pradeepe]

For me the tossup is between the Swift and the Honda City. I can probably squeeze out the moolah for the City, but the Swift is quite appealing in looks and compared to the City will leave nice li'l change for other boys' toys.

[Singha]

if you have plans for taking your dependents, parents/friends on longish out
of city trips to places like amaravati et al, the sedan honda city or hyundai
Verna or Ford Fiesta makes more sense. the back seat needs to be large
and room for stuff in trunk. the longer and wider the wheelbase more better
for desi roads.

if all you want is a in-city commute car a hatchback is ok..

[Bade]

For desi roads putting as little money as is possible for a car makes the most sense. Wonder what the overpriced accords are really for on those roads. You are not going to be traveling on the NHDP highways on most days unless run as a tourist taxi. My SDRE Hyundai Santro did very fine all the way to Ooty and back on the mule track roads within Ooty. Yeah, it struggled with countless potholes as large as the car itself, but so did the Merc and other assorted high fliers I saw there. Even for the SDRE santro you need a driver if you are an NRI.

[sanjaychoudhry]

Nissan to start selling LCVs in India

Japanese auto major Nissan today said it will start selling light commercial vehicles in India from 2010. "As previously announced, Nissan will start LCV sales in India and the US during 2010," the company said in a statement.

Link

[Sridhar K]

Agree with Singha, I own a Getz 1.3 (bought in June 2006) and it is a decent car when compared to Swift, it is
cons
a) a bit overpriced
b) Underpowered (unless it is a diesel version). Pick up sucks
c) lower fuel efficiency (I get 10-12 kmpl)
d) Dated looks
e) the AC is not very efficient for chennai

pros

a) better fit and finish,refinements
b) Smooth even after 2yrs and 25,000 kms on very bad roads with hardly any maintenance problems
c) Nice leg room at the back and boot space.
d) Back seats though it appears spacious, are not very comfortable on long drives
e) Ultra smooth gear shifts and a tolerant clutch (very good if you are not used to manual transmission)

It is not something that is designed for Indian Roads and it seems to be quite popular in Singapore - it was all over the place when I visited and I could hardly see a Suzuki.

Lancer or Fiat palio seems to be more rugged to withstand our roads. Another option is Chevy-Aveo-UVA but I am not sure how it is doing in India. Honda should have been selling JAZZ/FIT in India.

[bart]

For me the tossup is between the Swift and the Honda City. I can probably squeeze out the moolah for the City, but the Swift is quite appealing in looks and compared to the City will leave nice li'l change for other boys' toys.

If you are looking at the car primarily as a mode of transport, consider the Logan as well. Rock solid build quality, ride comfort and space is excellent and can handle our roads. Petrol 1.4 top spec model is just 5.2 L on road in Chennai, and Diesel will cost between 6-7 L. Diesel mileage is said to be very good, people on Team-BHP are reporting it to be better than SwiftD or Indica.

If you are in the Honda City price range, look at the Cedia too. It offers more for the same money.

[Singha]

Honda Fit is the station wagon ancestor of City imo!

Civic front end has parts that will scrape on desi roads but so does the
Corolla rear end ..... I suppose that way Corolla is more scrape proof.

[MN Kumar]

I own a Getz Diesel. Logged 6k+ kms in 4 months. Mileage is around 15kmpl. Thats fine with me. Its a 4wheel Yamaha Rx100 on the road.

Pro's:
- Proven Verna Engine
- Excellent Pickup (no initial lag like in Swift)
- Smooth gear shift
- Spacious interiors (Sedan from inside)

Cons:
- No options with only one model (GVS)
- 50k more than the Swift (worth it)
- A/C not good enough (my Alto had a good A/C)

Test drove the Logan and Swift diesel versions before zeroing on this. Logan was good but didnt like the build quality. Swift has an excellent engine but has an initial lag in pickup and the rear seats are cramped with not enough boot space for my requirements.

[pradeepe]

Looks like it will end up being the City. I havent driven the Logan yet, and will need to give it a try sometime.

Btw, this might be stale news, but saw an ad in the local newspaper today morning. Tata's Alta (? - can't remember the name exaclty) being touted as a green vehicle with dual fuel option - LNG/Petrol. Cost around 3.5 lakhs.

[SaiK]

is desh into oil additives like slick 50 etcs?

[bart]

Looks like it will end up being the City. I havent driven the Logan yet, and will need to give it a try sometime.

Btw, this might be stale news, but saw an ad in the local newspaper today morning. Tata's Alta (? - can't remember the name exaclty) being touted as a green vehicle with dual fuel option - LNG/Petrol. Cost around 3.5 lakhs.

That is an Indica Xeta (petrol version of Indica) with factory-fitted LPG so you can use it with both petrol and LPG.

The City buying crowd (know its overpriced but buy exactly for that reason) and the Logan (can afford a City but buy a Logan for the VFM) buying crowd are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

[pradeepe]

The City buying crowd (know its overpriced but buy exactly for that reason) and the Logan (can afford a City but buy a Logan for the VFM) buying crowd are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

I have to agree .

Thanks, yeah, its the Xeta.

[Nayak]

Is This a Can of Sardines,
Or a Motorized Rickshaw?

Indian Officials (Try To) Put a Stop
To Risky Overcrowding of Three-Wheel Taxis
By SUDEEP REDDY
May 29, 2008; Page A1

HYDERABAD, India -- Mohammed Usman used to cram as many people as possible into his motorized rickshaw -- up to eight adults, twice the legal limit.

But not anymore. "If I put more than one extra person, I know I'll get a ticket," he says. "The risk is too high."

Tiny, tinny three-wheel taxis, known as autorickshaws, are ubiquitous in South Asia. They are nimble, cheap and popular: A ride costs just pennies.
[auto]
Sudeep Reddy
Passengers leaning out each side of India's crowded auto rickshaws risk being hit by passing vehicles; they can also make the auto unstable.

But they are also dangerous, and as Indian roads get increasingly crowded, passengers are paying with their lives. Here in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, autorickshaws are involved in one-third of all accidents, even though they account for only one out of every 20 vehicles on the road.

So the cops are cracking down. Police are enforcing long-ignored laws against overcrowding, and officials are rounding up drivers for training sessions. Drivers must sit through an educational video and view gory photos -- autorickshaws crushed between buses, and mangled on roadsides -- to qualify for a free lunch.

Several thousand drivers have shown up for the training so far, including Nara Krishna Choudary, who has piloted autorickshaws for 25 years. But he isn't changing his driving habits. "If I try to stick to the rules, I won't get anywhere," says Mr. Choudary, 54 years old, because "everybody else is breaking the rules."

The tickets, however, have forced him to cut down on overcrowding. "The police have become very strict" about that, he says.

Fines can take a bite out of drivers' pay. Tickets start at 50 rupees (about $1.25) for each passenger over the limit, so a single ticket can erase one-quarter of a driver's typical 200-rupee daily profit.

One goal of the state's antiovercrowding effort is to persuade drivers -- and passengers -- to respect rules limiting autorickshaws to just six children at a time, instead of the dozen or more routinely carried to and from school. Officials hold meetings in schoolyards telling stories about youngsters who die when packed vehicles crash.

'Tips From Tinku'

The state has also printed 2.5 million comic books aimed at children. In one, "Traffic Tips from Tinku," a boy named Tinku nags his uncle, Chandu, about wearing seat belts and other traffic-safety issues. During a ride to meet Chandu's bride's family, he sniffs his uncle's breath to be sure he hasn't been drinking. He also warns against crowded autorickshaws: "If an accident happens, no one will be left alive," he says.
[AUTOScomic_promo.jpg]
The state of Andhra Pradesh has printed millions of comic books to teach children about traffic hazards, including autorickshaws. Read along with one of them.

The government of Andhra Pradesh has also trained thousands of teenagers to be "Traffic Commandos." Wearing blue vests and badges, they keep watch near school grounds to be sure autorickshaws don't pack children in unlawfully.

"In my school, [overcrowding] is under control now," says K. Vamsi Krishna, a 16-year-old Traffic Commando at St. Marks High School in the suburb of East Marredpally, Secunderabad.

Mr. Krishna admits he used to ride to school in rickshaws stuffed with 10 children. Now he takes the bus.

Plenty of other people still take the risk because autorickshaws remain one of the cheapest and speediest ways to get around India. The vehicle's simplicity has provided millions of young men with a steady job. Many drivers receive the three-wheelers (which can cost more than $2,500) as part of a dowry gift from a bride's family in marriage.

Drivers say packing in passengers is win-win: They get extra fares, and riders get affordable transportation.

In that camp is Mohammed Shabbir, a driver who pulled up to the main bus station here in an autorickshaw that was clearly breaking the law. A startling number of people emerged: a mother and her son, a young man and his luggage, and then several women in saris. In all, nine people.

Mr. Shabbir is unapologetic. His passengers are too poor to worry about the danger, he says, and he needs the money. "What can I do?" he says. "I have a wife and six kids."

Game of Chicken

The city's 1,200 traffic cops have their work cut out for them in a region that's home to roughly 10 million people. Driver Abdul Raheem, 32, still packs his vehicle, but only when he thinks he can get away with it. "Everybody knows that during lunchtime," he says, "the police will be away."

Overcrowding can be particularly acute in rural areas. Nighttime routes between far-flung villages can turn into terrifying games of chicken with massive trucks that dominate the road.

One recent evening in Thirumalagiri, a village 80 miles from Hyderabad, autorickshaw drivers gathered along the main street, calling out their destinations. Driver Nagulagari Baburao carefully seated 18 people in and on his autorickshaw for a 17-mile run to a village nearby. Five passengers sat on the main bench, and three children squeezed into a space behind their heads. Three people sat on a ledge on the back of the autorickshaw, dangling their legs. Three more sat on the rails of the vehicle, and another three shared the driver's seat (not including the driver).

Each person paid five rupees, or about 13 cents.

Mr. Baburao estimates that he has been stopped by police 30 times or so for overcrowding. Sometimes, he offers the cop a share of his fares -- in other words, a bribe. "I cannot live like this," he says he tells the officer, in a pleading tone. "I'll give you a little bit."

But that doesn't always work, he says, so he pays the fine.

Riding in an autorickshaw is a cheap thrill. The vehicle has a roof but no doors, and drivers use a squeezable horn to honk as they weave in and out of traffic, ignoring lane dividers. Dirt and fumes are constant travel companions.

For many passengers, however, that doesn't sound so bad when "the alternative is hanging out of a bus," says S.V. Subramanyam, a doctor in Hyderabad. "So we prefer this," he said recently, as he squeezed into an autorickshaw with a half-dozen other people.

--Lison Joseph contributed to this article.

Write to Sudeep Reddy at [email protected]

[Singha]

Mr. Shabbir is unapologetic. His passengers are too poor to worry about the danger, he says, and he needs the money. "What can I do?" he says. "I have a wife and six kids."

how about having less kids ?

[sanjaychoudhry]

Honda to offer India's first hybrid car

Honda Siel Cars will launch its and India's first hybrid car - the Honda Civic hybrid - on June 18 in Delhi market. The car will run on electricity as well as petrol.

"It will be available at all our 80 dealersips across the country for test drive on the same day," said Masahiro Takedagawa, president and CEO of Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. He said, while the company does not expect to sell more than 300-400 cars in the first year, the idea is to give its Indian customers an experience of the car.

The hybrid car, which will be imported from its Suzuka factory in Japan, will cost over Rs 20 lakh ex-showroom, post an import duty of 104 per cent, said Takedagawa, after inaugurating Pride Honda, the company's second dealership in Hyderabad.

[MN Kumar]

Is This a Can of Sardines,
Or a Motorized Rickshaw?

Indian Officials (Try To) Put a Stop
To Risky Overcrowding of Three-Wheel Taxis
By SUDEEP REDDY
May 29, 2008; Page A1

HYDERABAD, India -- Mohammed Usman used to cram as many people as possible into his motorized rickshaw -- up to eight adults, twice the legal limit.

In Hyderabad we have something called the 7 Seater auto, havent seen it anywhere else. Its so dangerous that they have been banned from plying in the city. Typically you can see easily around 12 people in it.

I always wondered whethere there are any transport design standards that are to be followed in India. With three wheels and a steering instead of a regular scooter like handle its the most unstable design I have ever seen on Indian roads. There are numerous cases of falling over due to lost balance.

I think M&M, Piaggio and Tempo manufacture these. They are cheap and a prefered choice as they run on a shared basis. A 10km journey costs just Rs 5/-.

[derkonig]

how about having less kids ?

You are certainly a facist & Hindu fundamentalist....
Pl. report to JNU/Jamia Millia/AMU for patliotic le-education..


/do I need to

[Vipul]

Hyundai to launch $3,500 small car by 2011.

Korean automobile giant Hyundai Motor is planning to launch a small car in India by 2011 with a price tag of 3,500 dollars (about Rs 1.45 lakh), which the company said is not aimed at competing with Tata's much talked about 'Nano' in the near future.

"We do not have immediate plans to fight with Nano. It is planned keeping in mind the Indian market conditions and the interest of the general public," Hyundai Motor India Managing Director and CEO Heung Soo Lheem said here.

The low priced car, which is currently under development at its research and development centre in Korea, would also be exported to other countries from here, he added.

The new small car would be manufactured in its Chennai plant, Lheem said.

Earlier in January, Tata Motors had launched world's cheapest car 'Nano', priced at 2,500 dollars. The country's second largest two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto also joined hands with Renault-Nissan to launch a small car in India by 2011 that would be priced at the same level of 'Nano'.

"Pricing is our first priority as we want to deliver an affordable product to the Indian customers," Lheem said.

The price of the company's existing cheapest model 'Santro' starts from Rs 2.62 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

When asked about the impact of rising fuel prices on its sales, he said, "Of course, there will be an impact, but as our models are fuel efficient, so it will be a small impact on our sales figure."

Due to rising input costs, HMIL had announced to raise the prices of its products by up to 2 per cent from the first week of June. The decision to hike prices followed rival Maruti Suzuki India, which hiked the prices across various models between Rs 1,000 to Rs 18,000 in the third week of May.

Hyundai currently sells hatchback models Santro, i10, Getz along with sedans Accent, Verna, Sonata Embera in the country.

On the export front, Lheem said the company targets to export two lakh units in 2008 from about one lakh units last year.

The company is currently exporting i10, Santro, Getz and Accent in 95 countries across the world.

[sanjaychoudhry]

Chennai to house Nissan`s Micra unit

Nissan, Japan's third largest car maker in which Renault holds 44 per cent stake, today said that it will produce the next generation Micra, a small car sold in European and Pacific countries, in Chennai, along with other notified markets.

Link

[ArmenT]

The BBC takes an Exclusive look at the Tata Nano

Article + 2 videos in the link above.

All that is left is for The Stig to take one on a spin. Tata should see if they can replace the Chevy Optra with a Nano for the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car segment.

Second vid has a classic quote from Rahul Bajaj: "Some of them are saying something similar, some of the people ... the environmental people. Now I'm all for the environment, but you want a real clean environment, go back to the Cave age"

[ranganathan]

http://www.automotoportal.com/article/w ... le-testing

Tata Nano testing. Found it on Team-BHP

[SSridhar]

Renault-Nissan ground breaking for the Chennai plant

Vehicle maker Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd (RNAIPL) on Friday kicked off construction work for its new passenger vehicle plant in Chennai, which will have a capacity of four lakh units a year and will be set up with an investment of Rs 4,500 crore.

[Nayak]

Bhai-log

One question.

What is the safest CNG/LPG kit available on the market ?

What is the cost of LPG at the pumps ?

I am planning to install one on my Alto.

Thanks.

[sanjaychoudhry]

Bhai-log

One question.

What is the safest CNG/LPG kit available on the market ?

What is the cost of LPG at the pumps ?

I am planning to install one on my Alto.

Thanks.

CNG seems better as I heard that the difference between LPG and petrol is only Rs 15, and there are not many LPG filling stations around. Contrast this to CNG which is around Rs 20. CNG, being natural gas, is unaffected by hike in oil prices, unlike LPG (liquid petroleum gas).

CNG prices dropped last month from Rs 19.20 a kg to Rs 18.90. In addition to bringing down the running cost of the vehicle by almost 75%, CNG also has the added advantage of being a green fuel.

Link

I was planning to buy a Wagon R Duo, but after hearing about the prices of the LPG and the whines of some owners who said they were hardly saving anything by switching to LPG, I did a U-turn. It is much better to buy a non-Duo Wagon R or even the just launched Maruti 800 Duo and get a CNG kit installed.

[Raju]

CNG looks like the better long-term prospect. Anybody with a farm and a few buffalos can set up a biogas plant. And the biogas generated can be used as is for cooking etc or can be purified to the level of Natural gas and used in automobiles.

Also some hardy CNG kits can take cent percent pure biogas as well.

[Dileep]

Here in DMA, the only gas (well, that you can run a car on) is LPG. No CNG pumps.

I don't know how efficient is purifying and compressing biogas is, and how much as you can get from a given amount of biomass. I view ALL the alternate energy technologies with skepticism.

NOW I regret buying the gas guzzling 1.6litre Fiesta. The bitch springs like a raptor, and is as pleasureful to drive, but returns only 10kmpl. Can't fit any gas kit on her though.

[Raju]

I view ALL the alternate energy technologies with skepticism.

Constant media propaganda and negative reporting have created a negative impression in the minds of the public. Fact of the matter is CNG is being used efficiently and effectively in Scandanavia, Brazil and other countries. In Canada and US (except Cali) they do not get support from the Govts (possibly due to influence of oil lobby).

As biogas tech matures, it will be possible to create same purity and compression as CNG. But even without that it is feasible for automative purposes.