Mahindra starts XYLO production at Nashik Plant

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), India’s leader in utility vehicles, today announced that production of the Mahindra XYLO is on schedule at the company’s Plant in Nashik. The vehicle will be unveiled on January 13, 2009 and will open for customer bookings a day later. The much awaited Mahindra XYLO is the most anticipated product from the Mahindra stable since the Scorpio.

The XYLO, which is all set to storm the MPV segment, blends the style and sophistication of a sedan with the ruggedness of an SUV, resulting in a truly versatile car that cuts across segments.

To generate interest around the XYLO prior to its launch, Mahindra has also created its website, a unique pre-launch website centered around the XYLO. The site has received an overwhelming response with 49,100 hits since it went online on November 26. The interactive site features videos, interviews, photographs, media coverage and a unique social media section with links to Facebook, Orkut, Del.icio.us and Digg. Various sections include a behind the scenes look at the world-class robotised assembly created for the XYLO, a sneak peek at different parts of the vehicle and several news articles. Auto enthusiasts can create their own bumper sticker related to the XYLO, giving them the opportunity to win a cool XYLO t-shirt. Test drives can also be booked via the site.

“Production for the Mahindra XYLO is well on schedule at our Nashik Plant which has an annual manufacturing capacity of about 25,000 units. The XYLO has been developed by a Project team consisting of 160 experts who have created new benchmarks in terms of styling, technology and performance. The team deployed the ReFinE methodology aimed at creating emotional surplus. The vehicle has been extensively tested and validated for Real World usage in India and several other countries, said Mr. Rajesh Jejurikar, Chief of Operations, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

“The vehicle has, in fact, generated a tremendous buzz well before its launch. Since it went online, the site has received 3895 entries for the Win a XYLO contest, 1818 requests for updates related to the XYLO and 1297 requests for test drives. Given this initial response, I am sure the Mahindra XYLO will be a big success once it is launched and will also evolve into a truly iconic brand,” he added.

Visitors can also view a special interview of world renowned car photographer, Lou D’Angelo from Australia who was commissioned to photograph the XYLO. Lou shares his experience of photographing the vehicle in all its glory and his first impressions of the Mahindra XYLO.

The much awaited Mahindra XYLO has been co-created with customers for developing a vehicle built around the lifestyle and luxury aspirations of the end consumer. This is further testimony to Mahindra’s customer centric vision of co-creating products and services based on the feedback and latent needs of its consumers.

Courtesy: Infibeam.com News

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Hyundai India launches stylish i20

Following the phenomenal success of the i10, Hyundai Motor India, the largest exporter and the second largest car manufacturer today launched its latest model – the i20, a premium compact car for its discerning Indian costumers. The premium i20 hatch is a significant addition to the new generation of Hyundai vehicles identified by the 'i' prefix.

Commenting on the launch, HMIL Managing Director, H S Lheem said, 'The Hyundai i20 that we launch today was first unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October this year. The overwhelming response to the Hyundai i20 from the automobile media in Europe continues to reaffirm the iconic place our products enjoy all across the world. Hyundai created a new era in the Indian compact segment by introducing the i10 in 2007 which significantly upped the benchmark for the compact cars.'

'The i20 is developed to meet the increasing customer expectations in terms of styling, features and safety to global standards. It is refreshing with its distinctive styling and we are confident that it will revolutionise the Indian Automobile space offering an experience of a lifetime to discerning customers in the country.'

Designed to meet the high quality standards, the five-door i20 offers a large interior cabin and stylish exteriors. Featuring Hyundai’s distinctive design motifs – a body coloured radiator grille flanked by piercing teardrop headlamps at the front and a striking rear light clusters – the i20's modern lines are further strengthened by neat detailing, including colour-co-ordinated bumpers, sills and wing mirror.

The i20's well-packaged interior boasts of generous levels of standard equipment. All the i20 models have AC/heating, tilt & telescopic steering, 60:40 split folding rear seats, dual tone beige interiors, 2 DIN CD + MP3 Music System, front & rear power windows, refrigerated glove box, a multi information display (which includes trip distance, engine running time, calendar, clock, temperature and audio display) and tachometer, as standard equipment.

While the top-end model of the i20 comes with features like fully automatic A/C, leather wrapped steering wheel and TGS knob, steering mounted audio control (a first for this segment), foldable key with keyless entry function, alloy wheels, height-adjustable driver seat, electrically foldable and adjustable outside mirrors and the category first six airbags.

Hyundai is synonymous with class-leading safety and the new Hyundai i20 debuts with exceptionally high levels of active and passive safety equipment. The extensive use of high-tensile steel and latest generation anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) means Hyundai i20 arrives in the market as the safest car in its class putting it head and shoulders above the cars in this segment.

Adding to the safety zone are six Airbags – dual front, side and curtain, a testimony of the importance that Hyundai assigns to the well being of its proud customers. This is the first time in India that a car in this segment comes equipped with as many as six airbags to address the requirement of driver and occupant safety.

In keeping with its dynamic styling, i20 rides on an all-new platform with front MacPherson strut, rear torsion beam suspension with front and rear gas shock absorbers and tubeless tyres to deliver unmatched handling dynamics and ride comfort. The new motor driven power steering has also been tuned to deliver quick and accurate responses resulting in effortless city driving.

Focused on being fuel-efficient, the Hyundai i20 comes with a 1.2 litre, Kappa, DOHC petrol engine with a max power of 80PS@5200 rpm and a peak torque of 11.4 kgm@ 4000 rpm. The proven and reliable Kappa engine provides class leading performance and offers the maximum power for any car in this segment. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The new i20 is Euro V ready and meets all the existing emission norms. Similar to its predecessor the i10, the i20 will be manufactured exclusively in India at Hyundai Motor India’s Chennai plant.

Designed for auto enthusiasts, Hyundai i20 will be available in three variants Magna, Asta and Asta (O) and is certain to re-define the segment and set a new benchmark for this class of cars. The new Hyundai i20 arrives with a palette of 7 new solid and metallic exterior hues – including the fashionable Crystal White.

Hyundai i20 Variant Prices:
MAGNA - 4,79,900/-
ASTA - 5,59,900/-
ASTA (O) - 5,81,900/-

Source: Infibeam.com News

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Tata Motors launches limited edition of Indica Vista

Tata Motors celebrates the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Indica on December 30, 2008. To mark this milestone, a 10th Anniversary Limited Edition Indica Vista is being launched.

The car comes with an all new colour combination – Porcelain White with a Black roof. The exteriors wear alloy wheels, gold finished grill garnish, golden emblems & mascots and a specially designed number plate. The interiors have a more premium look and incorporate a new integrated music system, new seat fabrics in a double stitched pattern and subtle touches all around.

In the first decade, close to 940,000 Indicas have been produced and the platform has spawned off close to 1.2 million vehicles. The Indica has remained a bestseller throughout in the industry figuring in the top 3 selling list of cars for most of the years. It achieved a peak sale of 144,690 in 2006-07 and the new generation Indica Vista was launched in August this year to a continuing pull even in today’s depressed market conditions.

The Anniversary Quadrajet Diesel Indica Vista is priced at Rs. 504,045 (ex-showroom Delhi) and the Anniversary Safire Petrol Indica Vista is priced at Rs. 415,263 (ex-showroom Delhi).

Source: Infibeam.com News

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Car Rentals for your favorite getaways this New Year!

The year 2009 is fast approaching and party houses are bustling with activities to spice up the last day of the year. So what have you planned for the 31st of December? Want to go dancing in crowded places or wish to get away from the hustle and bustle and head to a cool destination?

Why not plan a trip to Mt. Abu or the ethereally exotic Udaipur? Diu is yet another paradise for a splendid New Year party. Looking for some serene waters, sand dunes or a blast from the past? Look no further. Infibeam.com brings to you; car rental services that help plan your trip to all these exotic locations, the hassle free way.

You may call on the following numbers for all your queries on Car Rentals and get the best deals to destinations across India. Indians may call on +91-9601281021 and our website visitors based in the US may call on 1-4252793741. The customer service team would be glad to assist you. So what are you waiting for? Log on to Infibeam.com and click on the rentals option to get started. Avail the best deals on car rentals and plan your trip right away. Hurry! The count down for 2009 has begun!

By: Amrith K.A.

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Volkswagen to Launch new Polo in India

Come 2009, and Volkswagen would lift the wraps off a new variant of its popular car, Polo. To be a competitor to Maruti’s Swift, Hyundai’s Getz and Tata Motor’s Indica, the new Polo variant will be designed and developed by Volkswagen internally for the Indian market.

The carmaker, meanwhile, inked a pact with the Maharastra government for producing Volkswagen cars from Pune. According to a Volkswagen official, the company would go for the B segment of the passenger car market, which incidentally is the largest in the country. The company sees further growth in this segment.

Post-pact with the Maharashtra government, the auto major would acquire 230 hectares of land in Chakan at Pune. The new plant would boast of an initial capacity of 110,000 units by 2009. The company is expected to invest around Rs 2,450 crore for the plant.

Further, according to reports, the car maker will also roll out its Passat model , which will don a price tag of Rs 30 lakh . The Passat would be rolled out of the Skoda Auto manufacturing facility at Aurangabad by mid-2007. Skoda officials, in the meanwhile, added that it would double production at Aurangabad from 12,000 units to 25,000 by next fiscal. He facility would manufacture Volkswagen cars and look for few models from the Audi stable.

Source: dancewithshadows.com

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BMW unveils Z4 ahead of 2009 Detroit Auto Show

The German automobile manufacturer Bavarian Motor Works German (BMW) has showcased their updated Z4 model variants.

Throughout the car's development, styling was expected to feature cues derived from the CS concept including a wider and more pronounced grille and larger intakes up front. Though the final product doesn't seem nearly as extreme as the CS Concept, there is a hint of the controversial design in the new Z4.

The 2008 Z4 is a 2-door, 2-passenger luxury sports car, or convertible sports car, available in 3 trims, ranging from the Roadster 3.0i to the Coupe 3.0si.

The Roadster 3.0i is equipped with a standard 3.0-liter, I6, 215-horsepower engine that achieves 18-mpg in the city and 28-mpg on the highway. The Coupe 3.0si is equipped with a standard 3.0-liter, I6, 255-horsepower engine that achieves 18-mpg in the city and 28-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard on both trims, and a 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional.

BMW's next-generation Z4 Roadster is due for its first public outing at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, but the new spy shots have revealed the car about a month ahead of the show. As hinted at by the spy photos and confirmed with the newly leaked images, the car features fewer Bangle-born styling cues and a smoother, more rounded appearance than the outgoing version.

The new Z4 is tipped to receive a folding metal hardtop to bring it into line with the Mercedes Benz SLK and Mazda MX5 (Miata). For BMW, the benefits of the folding hardtop (security and reliability) outweighed the disadvantages of increased weight and less trunk space. However, there is also the possibility that both a hard-top and a traditional soft-top could also be offered.

The BMW Z4 sDrive30i would feature the similar engine as their current model.

Another variant Z4 sDrive35i would feature a twin turbochargers and direct injection to enhance the performance from the engine. It would also have an optional seven-speed double clutch transmission (DCT).

BMW added that the car can be ordered with an 80 GB hard drive-based navigation system which features the new generation of iDrive. It comes loaded with a huge 8.8-inch wide-screen monitor.15 GB space on this hard drive can be used by the driver to store media for personal use.

Check Latest models from BMW

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Ford's Affordable Offer on Fiesta

The international brand master in car Ford has come out with a time-bound offer for the car lovers and the models listed under its Fiesta are earmarked for this timely offer. The offer quoted the amount up to Rs91000 on EXI petrol variant while the gain is also for diesel variants.

The offer announced for the period of 10 days, will turn the price round to Rs5.29 lakhs for the petrol variant from the original price of Rs.6.20 lakhs and Rs6.59 lakhs for diesel variant from the original price of Rs.7.10 lakhs.

All these price ranges are ex-showroom Mumbai. The executive director of Ford India is all committed to spell out the nuances in this offer and he briefed that the company believed in providing the customers with a well designed vehicle and class leading driving and that too at an affordable price. The company is on the verge of imparting the confidence on the customers for the money they pay for the vehicles.

Presently Ford runs the show with three model ranges each in petrol and diesel- 1.6 EXI, 1.6ZXI and 1.6SXI in petrol and 1.4EXI, 1.4ZXI and 1.4SXI in turbodiesel as well as common-rail variants. To please the whims and fancies of sports car lovers, Ford has fulfilled with Fiesta 1.6S.

The official is full of hope that the offer would yield tremendous feedback from the customers who pour in their valuable money for these vehicles. There is no denying this claim which is adduced by the sales figures of the Ford Fiesta models, which were driven for drive in June 2008 and the vehicles pose style, performance, safety, comfort and driving dynamics.

Ford has already won accolades for its Fiesta 1.6S, distinctively rewarded with the "Best Driver's Car in its class" and many reviews have put in their stamping on this car. That makes it many customer throng to board it.

Source: Infibeam.com News

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