Toyota sells 40 million Corollas in 47 years

Courtesy- indianautosblog

Toyota Motor Corporation has announced that worldwide sales of the Toyota Corolla has surpassed 40 million as on July 31, 2013. Toyota estimates to have sold 40.013 million units of the car since the launch.

This is the first generation Toyota Corolla which commenced production in 1966.

The Corolla, which was launched in 1966, hit the 1 million mark after being on the market for 4 years. Comparatively, Toyota sold approximately 1.161 million units of the Corolla, in 2012 alone! The current statistic is that 3,180 Corolla’s are sold on an average, daily, globally.

The Corolla is currently made in 14 worldwide locations such as Japan, Thailand, South Africa, Canada, Pakistan, India, etc. Production of the next generation Corolla (US spec model) began in Mississippi recently, while that of the Euro and ASEAN model commenced in Turkey.

2014 Toyota Corolla (Euro-spec) entered production in Turkey in July.

Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa, MD and CEO, Toyota Kirloskar Motor -

We are delighted to celebrate this important milestone in the 46 year history of Corolla sales across the globe. This milestone stands testimony to Corolla’s popularity and worldwide acceptance. We are glad that we introduced this flagship model of Toyota in India in the year 2003.

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Mahindra Scorpio sells more than Renault Duster in August

The fight between the Mahindra Scorpio and Renault Duster is neck and neck in terms of sales in the recent past. For seven consecutive months (January to July 2013), the Renault Duster was ruling the roost in the entry level SUV segment. Just after the launch of the Ford EcoSport with an aggressive price tag, the Renault Duster saw significant decline in sales. The urban audience started shifting their tastes towards the EcoSport and the countryside’s favourite SUV Mahindra Scorpio also saw a slight decline in demand.

Mahindra managed to sell over 3356 units of the Scorpio in August 2013 against 2967 units of Renault Duster. In July, Mahindra sold 3256 units of Scorpio versus Duster’s 3089 units. If you notice the number of units sold by Mahindra, it remains more or less at the same place. The reason behind the dwindling sales of the Duster is the Ford EcoSport that sold 5372 units in August. Despite the increasing competition, Mahindra managed to collect brownie points for the Scorpio, which has a relatively stronger network in the rural markets.

Mahindra Scorpio’s key selling facts also includes the bigger size (7-seats against 5-seats) and more features the customers are getting at the same price compared to the Renault Duster. The basic Renault Duster RxE 85 PS diesel variants retails at Rs. 8.73 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi), while the Mahindra Scorpio EX is priced at Rs. 8 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). According to Pravin Shah (chief executive automotive, Mahindra) the Scorpio is churning out respectable volumes for the company and in the near future they will further update the Scorpio with facelifts, refreshes and addition of more features.

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Ford EcoSport bookings cross the 40,000 mark

news courtsey:-www.indianautosblog.com
Ford India says that the EcoSport has gathered over 40,000 bookings since its launch on June 26th this year. The compact crossover, which was launched with prices starting from INR 5.59 lakhs, has given sleepless nights to many manufacturers even as its waiting list continues to stretch to 1 year!

That’s right, some readers inform us that they are being asked to wait for a year for the EcoSport 1.5-liter AT model. Bookings for the 1.0-liter EcoBoost and the 1.5-liter petrol MT have been halted temporarily. The top-end diesel variant on the other hand, though it continues to be available for booking, will not reach your home for another 9 months at least!

Exports of the Chennai-made Ford EcoSport has already commenced with South Africa being the first market. Ford India has announced today that they will increase their exports to “meet rising demand” and to adapt to the country’s changing market conditions.

Waiting period for the EcoSport 1.5 AT stretches to a year!

Dave Schoch, Ford group vice president and president of Asia Pacific, said -

Despite current macroeconomic factors and ongoing market challenges, India is a big part of our global strategy. Exports from India have always been an integral part of that strategy and will help us to stay on track for turbocharged growth in the region, while going further to provide our customers with the vehicles that they want and value.

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ALL NEW SKODA OCTAVIA REVIEWED BY AUTO EXPRESS

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New Audi A4 177PS diesel with Drive Select launched in India at Rs 31.74 lakh

news courtsey:- www.motorbeam.com

Audi has launched a more powerful version of the A4 in India. The 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine has been given a bump in power and now produces 177 BHP of power at 4200 RPM and 380 Nm of torque between 1750-2500 RPM. The same engine was earlier producing 141 BHP and 320 Nm in the Audi A4. The car continues to use the same Multitronic transmission. The entry-level luxury sedan also gets Audi Drive Select as standard, which offers Comfort, Dynamic, Auto and Individual modes. The German automaker has priced the more powerful Audi A4 at Rs. 31.74 lakhs (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

The Audi A4 is the only car in its segment which uses a front-wheel drive layout (quattro variants are also available), whereas competitors like the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class are rear-wheel driven. The more powerful diesel Audi A4 takes 7.9 seconds to sprint from 0-100 km/hr against 9.1 seconds taken by its predecessor. The claimed mileage is 17.11 km/l, a 3% improvement over the engine it replaces. The Audi A4 has sold more than 10 million units since its launch in 1972, making it a very successful model for the Ingolstadt automaker.

Audi is also offering step up finance schemes on the A4 sedan. Under this loan plan, the customer pays an EMI of Rs. 29,000/- per month for the first two years, which increases to Rs. 49,000/- per month for the third and fourth year, peaking in at Rs. 59,000/- for the last year. The company has 27 dealerships in India which will be expanded to 35 outlets by the end of this year. Joe King has replaced Michael Perschke as the head of Audi India. The brand with the four rings has seen tremendous growth under the leadership of Perschke, who has now headed back to Audi Germany.

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Japan – 2014 Honda Jazz (Fit) in images

news courtsey:- www.indianautosblog.com
The 2014 Honda Jazz (2014 Honda Fit) has been launched in Japan today with three engine options – a 1.3-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine (available with a CVT or a 5-speed manual transmission), a 1.5-liter DOHC (available with a CVT or a 6-speed manual) and a 1.5-liter hybrid (with a 7-speed DCT). All variants are available with 2WD or 4WD.

New Jazz is available in 11 exterior shades.

Jazz RS will cater to the performance enthusiasts. There is also a Mugen variant on offer.

All variants get these standard split-layout for the taillights.

Top-end variants get LED headlights as standard.

1.5-liter petrol gets a 6-speed manual transmission while the 1.3-liter gets a 5-speed. CVTs are available across the range.

Optional navigation system lets you ‘pinch to zoom’, just like your touchscreen phone.

Climate control will be offered on the top-end variants.

Console on extreme right gives you information about your trip, fuel economy, temperature and also promotes ‘eco’ driving.

Even base variants get a dual-tone interior as seen on this black-ivory trim.

Flat floor and an added 16mm of legroom translate to a sedan rivaling rear seat experience.

Flexible Magic Seats mean that your surfboard can be carried inside the car!

Front passenger seat swivels, so that elderly people do not have a problem getting in or out.

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Kawasaki launches ZX10R & ZX14 R priced from 15.7 lacs

 Kawasaki has announced the launch of two superbikes in India, the Ninja ZX-10R and Ninja ZX-14R. Kawasaki set up its solo India operations in July 2010 and has one engine assembly line at Chakan. The company is aiming to sell 400 bikes a year in India. Kawasaki India has an annual capacity of 5000 bikes. Every year around 400 units are sold in the 1000-1600cc segment and growth is 30%. The Japanese automaker will sell the Ninja ZX-10R and Ninja ZX-14R through a separate dealership network and these super fast machines will not be retailed through pro-biking showrooms. Kawasaki will sell their 1000cc and above machines on their own in India. Now we know why the company dropped the R tag from the Ninja 300 and Ninja 650 as it was planning to get the really R machines to our shores.

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R Price – Rs. 15.70 lakhs
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R Price – Rs. 16.90 lakhs

Superbike Competition Check –

* Suzuki GSX-R1000 Price – Rs. 15 lakhs
* Suzuki Hayabusa Price – Rs. 15 lakhs
* Yamaha R1 Price – 15.6 lakhs
* Aprilia RSV4 R APRC Price – Rs. 15.68 lakhs
* Honda CBR1000RR Price – Rs. 16.59 lakhs
* BMW S1000RR Price Price – 20.93 lakhs
* Ducati 1199 Panigale Price – Rs. 21.60 lakhs

(all prices mentioned here are ex-showroom).

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R is the flagship bike from the company’s stable. It is not exactly a superbike as hyperbike is a more apt word for this machine (Kawasaki calls it Supersport). Powering the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R is a 1.4-litre inline-four motor which churns our 195 BHP of power and 155 Nm of torque. The ZX-14R is also known as the ZZR1400, the bike which has dethroned the Suzuki Hayabusa as the fastest bike in the world. It is the replacement for the ZX-12R.

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R accelerates from 0-100 km/hr in 2.9 seconds, 0-200 km/hr in 7.6 seconds, 0-250 km/hr in 12.5 seconds and 0-280 km/hr in 18.5 seconds (all the above figures are not claimed but tested ones from Motorrad magazine of Germany, the claimed figures will be even lesser). Top speed is limited to 299 km/hr but without the limiter, the Ninja ZX-14R can easily break the 350 km/hr speed barrier. The motorcycle comes with 3 traction control modes (2 for higher acceleration and third for higher top speed). It has a long swing arm with improved damping, lighter wheels and improved heat dissipation away from the rider.

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is powered by an inline-four, 998cc powerplant which thrusts out 194 BHP of power and 112 Nm of torque. This Ninja takes 2.8 seconds to whizz past 100 km/hr from a standstill while 160 km/hr comes up in a mere 5.5 seconds. 0-240 km/hr takes 10 seconds while 290 km/hr takes 18 seconds. Top speed is limited to 299 km/hr. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10Rgets power mode selection and is equipped with Sports-Kawasaki Traction Control (SKTRC) which has 3 modes along with an off mode. The bike has power modes to make it easy to ride – Full (100% power), Middle (75% power), Low (50-60% power). Supersport type ABS is optional.

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R gets Kawasaki Intelligent ABS (KIBS) as standard which reduces rear lift which braking and takes into account engine braking. It has a single shaft secondary balancer and cassette type transmission. The engine uses an idle speed control valve with larger bore exhaust. There is an economy model indicator and the bike uses an aluminium twin spar frame. The all LED tachometer looks super cool and the Ninja ZX-10R has a 17-litre fuel tank. In short the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is new inside-out.

Kawasaki will sell parts made in India and export it to other countries. Quality parts are available in India and poor quality in India is a myth. Indicators, headlight, tail light, mirrors, suspension will be exported to other factories which will give them 30% price benefit. 30-40% parts are made in India which are also used in the Ninja 300 and Ninja 650. Currently Kawasaki will be selling their superbikes through only one showroom in Pune which will start operations from 7th September, with deliveries commencing from end of the month. The company is aiming for 20% market share in the superbike segment by 2015.

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New Entry level Nissan Micra XE Diesel variant launched at Rs 5.57 lakh

Nissan has launched the basic (XE) entry level trim of the diesel powered Micra, which was facelifted recently. The XE trim retails at Rs. 5,57,390/- (ex-showroom, Delhi). This addition of the XE trim sums up to a total of 12 variants for the Micra including the petrol variants. The introduction of the lowest variant for the Micra diesel comes just a day after the launch of Hyundai Grand i10, which is priced at Rs. 5.24 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the basic Era diesel variant. The Micra even after getting a significant facelift couldn’t find many buyers and now the competition is getting stiffer, hence the move.

Nissan hasn’t released the XE trim for the petrol powered Micra. Until now, the XL trim was the basic trim of the Nissan Micra diesel, which costs Rs. 5,99,900/- (ex-showroom, Delhi). There is a significant price difference of around Rs. 40,000/- between the XE and XL. The Micra XE comes with bare basic features. The highlights of the basic trim includes chrome plated radiator grille, tilt steering, drive computer, driver airbag, immobilizer, follow me headlamps, dual horn, etc.

Reminding you about the tech specs of the Nissan Micra, it is powered by 1.5-litre diesel and 1.2-litre petrol engine options. The 4-cylinder, 1.5-litre diesel engine produces 64 BHP of power with 160 Nm of torque, mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The 3-cylinder 1.3-litre petrol engine produces 75 BHP of power with 104 Nm of torque, mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Nissan claims a fuel consumption of 23 km/l for the diesel version and 18 km/l for the petrol version.

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Rendering – Hyundai’s compact SUV is out to get the EcoSport and Duster

Here is another rendering of the upcoming Hyundai compact SUV from Rodrigo Camargo Losano. The rendering is based on spy images of a camouflaged Hyundai test mule which is caught on camera on a weekly basis in Korea.

The front of this rendering is identical to the many renderings we have shown to you before. The grille is large and reminds you of the new Santa Fe (which in spite of testing in India for a year, has shown no signs of of getting launched).

The rear of the compact SUV is dominated by the tall tailgate which gets the number plate holder closer to the bumper. This design will certainly facilitate easy loading and unloading from the boot. The sides of the rear windshield remind us of the Hyundai Grand i10 which is being launched today.

Noticias Automotivas report that the compact SUV would be about 4.2 meters in length. There’s no official confirmation from Hyundai though, whether this would be a sub-4 meter offering or not. All we know is that this compact SUV is part of the Korean car maker’s plans to launch four products within the next two years in India.

Hyundai’s Curb concept is believed to lend some styling inspiration for the compact SUV.

Overall, the Hyundai compact SUV in this design certainly seems to have the flair to take on the Ford EcoSport and the Renault Duster.

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Exclusive: Kawasaki to launch ZX-10R, ZX-14R motorcycles in India by September

Kawasaki is planning to launch the ZX-10R and the ZX-14R in India within a matter of weeks, our sources tell us. The price of the ZX-10R is expected to be Rs 15 lakh ex-showroom and ZX-14R is likely to be above the Rs 17 lakh mark. We have been unable to reach Bajaj, which is responsible for Kawasaki sales in India, for confirmation. The announcement of the launch and the price details are expected in September.

The ZX-10R uses a 209.9PS 998cc inline four

The move marks a big shift in strategy as well as product mix for Bajaj. The Pune-based manufacturer has been shy of entering the very top-end of the Indian motorcycle market saying that the volumes were too low to justify the cost of training service staff, stocking spares and the attendant processes that go with setting up or adding a CBU operation in India. In theory, the Kawasaki CBU setup should also open the doors to KTM CBUs to come since the back-end processes are largely similar in nature, although the origin of the kits will obviously be from two completely different places, Japan and Austria respectively.

The 210PS ZX-14R is currently regarded as the fastest bike in the world

Bajaj’s timing for the CBUs also is worthy of comment. Honda and Suzuki do sell CBUs in the India but the numbers so far have been very small. On the other hand, Yamaha is currently distancing itself from the big and premium motorcycle businesses as it tries to focus on becoming a volume player and shore up its market share in India. All of them say that the big bike business isn’t great in India at the moment. The numbers are minuscule and business is difficult. On the other hand, Harley-Davidson, which set up an assembly facility early in its India strategy, is making good progress without any locally manufactured or volume products in the Indian sense of mass market products.

At the moment, we are hearing that Kawasaki will offer two motorcycles to start with in India. The first is the ZX-10R, Kawasaki’s flagship sportsbike and is highly regarded on many counts. It is said to be the absolute best Japanese litre-class sportsbike money can buy right now. The ZX-10R uses a 209.9PS 998cc inline four, and for a Japanese litre-bike comes with an extremely well-liked, unobtrusive traction control system (branded S-KTRC) and an Ohlins electronic steering damper. Suspension is fully adjustable and ABS is standard with the 310mm front petal dual discs and the rear single 220mm petal disc. Kawasaki also makes a non-ABS variant, and it isn’t clear right now which or if both will arrive on our shores.

Kawasaki will also launch the 210PS ZX-14R, which is currently regarded as the fastest bike in the world. The engine is a massive 1441cc and the motorcycle itself is physically among the largest motorcycles you can buy in the supersport/sport touring categories. The ZX-14R uses a monocoque frame, a trend that started with the altogether more sporty ZX-12R, and among the cycles parts is a standard slipper clutch. The ZX-14R also gets traction control and also comes with ABS and non-ABS models. The price will be more than the ZX-10R, our guess is around the Rs 17-18 lakh mark.

Bajaj is expected to sell both the motorcycles and other forthcoming Kawasaki (and eventually KTM CBUs as well) through their ProBiking network that currently wears full KTM branding. Bajaj has a network of 72 of these dealerships across India and in that sense, their reach with the big bikes will be larger than any of the other Japanese players.

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August 2013 : Indian Car Sales Figures & Analysis

data courtsey:- www.team-bhp.com
August 2013 : Indian Car Sales Figures & Analysis

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NOTES:

1: Only cars that sell 500+ units (and thus, the relevant ones) have been included in the gainers & losers chart.
2: A big shout-out to parrys for preparing these beautiful charts & graphs!
3: Negative numbers for the Chevrolet Tavera are because of the recall.
4: Hyundai hasn't shared the i10 Grand's petrol : diesel split yet.
5: HM isn't sharing the Ambassador's numbers.

 August 2013 : Indian Car Sales Figures & Analysis

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Australia – 2014 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport facelift launched

Mitsubishi Australia has launched the 2014 Pajero Sport (known locally as the Mitsubishi Challenger) facelift. The updated SUV sees a few cosmetic changes and interior revisions.

Note the redesigned grille, air inlet and foglight enclosure.

Current Pajero Sport’s frontal image added for comparison.

The 2014 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport gets an updated grille and front bumper along with new skid plates and a differently designed alloy wheels. New cloth seat fabrics find their way inside while the center console gets a touchscreen system with navigation. Other feature additions include park assist and Isofix seats.

Interestingly, Mitsubishi Australia has made the Pajero Sport a 5-seater! That’s right, the 2014 model loses out the third row of seats and becomes a strict 5-seater SUV.

Would Mitsubishi India incorporate this dreadful change for the Indian model when its due for a facelift? We sure hope not.

Apart from redesigned alloy wheels, there aren’t any changes to the side and the rear of the Pajero Sport facelift.

The rear of the current Pajero Sport.

The base and top-end variants of the Pajero Sport have also been deleted from the lineup. All variants offered now are only 4WD models. Mitsubishi Australia will focus only on models that make sense and that highlight the Challenger’s strengths.

Touchscreen system is 6.1-inches wide in base models and 7.0-inches wide in higher models.

The faux wood trim surrounds on the dashboard are of a darker shade on the Indian model.

Given that its going to be nearly two years since the Pajero Sport was launched in India, we would certainly expect to see the facelift arrive next year, along with thenext generation Outlander the company is working to bring

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Indonesia – New Toyota Fortuner facelift launched

While the BMW 1 Series and the Hyundai Grand i10 were launched in India, theToyota Fortuner received a mild update in Indonesia today.

The facelift changes very subtly with LED lights and a dual tone bumper introduced to the front.

PT Toyota Astra Motor, the Indonesian subsidy of Toyota, has unveiled an updated version of the Fortuner and have also introduced a refreshed TRD Sportivo kit for the SUV. Regular Fortuners now get a couple of LED strips which act as daytime running lights and they’re located on the bumper itself.

[Head to YouTube if you're unable to watch the video above.]

The TRD Sportivo edition, one of the better selling and high-margin variants, receives more revisions as you can see from these images. While the regular Fortuner gets a chrome grille, the TRD gets a black colored grille. The bumpers feature skirts and the design of the alloy wheels is also different. A new entertainment system with a DVD player has also been included.

There are no engine upgrades as such and the Fortuner in Indonesia continues with its 2.7-liter petrol and 2.5-liter diesel engine (what we see in the Innova). Two gearbox options are on offer – a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic. While India does not get a petrol, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) sells a more powerful 3.0-liter diesel and the 4-speed auto box was updated to a 5-speed automatic transmission early this year.

This is the Fortuner TRD which gets a more thorough makeover. The grille and the alloys are also new.

The updated Fortuner now starts at 396 million Rupiah (INR 24.16 lakhs) and ends at 478.55 million Rupiah (INR 29.19 lakhs). The prices have been increased by 700,000 Rupiah (INR 4,270) for the base model and 4.8 million Rupiah (INR 29,000) for the top-end model.

Unlike the Innova facelift that was recently launched in Indonesia, the update for the Fortuner is not that extensive. Nevertheless, the next generation Fortuner is not due until 2016 and we could expect another minor refresh prior to that.

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