For Premier Rio SUV Fiat could supply diesel engines

The CEO of Fiat India Automobiles, Rajeev Kapoor said that the company is engaged in talks with the Pune based automotive company Premier Ltd. regarding the supply of diesel engines for Premier’s compact SUV Rio. The diesel engine that Rio is planning on sourcing from Fiat India is the 1.3-liter MultiJet engine that drives a power of 75 BHP. Fiat India also supplies this engine to Maruti Suzuki India. Conveniently leaving out the details, Mr. Kapoor added that the company would disclose the duration of contract and the number of engines to be supplied by next month.
Premier Ltd. is known for its Padmini car that was manufactured from 1964 to 2000. In the 90’s decade Premier entered into a Joint Venture with Peugeot (France) and Fiat but since 2004 the company is operating as a separate company. In 2009 the company launched the compact SUV Rio and marked its re-entry in the passenger car segment. Mr. Kapoor also threw light on its contract with Maruti Suzuki India and mentioned that Fiat signed a three year contract with the country’s biggest car maker Maruti Suzuki in January. Under this contract Fiat will supply one lakh units of diesel engines to Maruti Suzuki every year for three years. He added that, Fiat will manufacture all the engines meant for Maruti Suzuki India and Premier Ltd. at the company’s Ranjangaon facility in Maharahstra.
Mr. Kapoor also indicated that the company is looking forward to enhancing its sales figures and is planning on increasing the number of exclusive showrooms from 2 to 25 in 20 locations by the end of this year There is however a condition in opening of an exclusive showroom; only those dealers who are currently operating joint showrooms with Tata Motors can open these exclusive showrooms. The company is expected to announce the product strategy and the detailed network by the end of this month.Automobile News

Dealership reached by Maruti Ertiga

As Maruti Suzuki India is advancing toward the launch date (12th April) of its new MPV Maruti Ertiga, more and more news about the car are hitting the web. It has been reported that Maruti Ertiga was recently spotted doing a TVC shoot and also that the car has started reaching the dealerships.
MSI is launching Ertiga in a diesel variant too which will make this new car the first diesel MUV for the company. The company was awaiting the announcement of the union budget for launching Ertiga as there were speculations and fears of an additional tax on diesel. Post the budget, Maruti Suzuki India without any delay set foot forward towards Ertiga’s launch. As a part of the launch process the company had initiated the delivery of the car to the dealers in the last week of March and till now 1117 units of Maruti Ertiga have been dispatched.
The Ertiga will arrive in the market with 6 variants, three each for petrol and diesel versions. The nomenclature is as follows: LXi, LDi, VXi, VDi, ZXi and ZDi. The Maruti Ertiga prices are expected to range from Rs. 6.5 lakh to Rs. 9.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The entire Ertiga series will feature a 5-speed manual gearbox. Ertiga will mark the entry of Maruti Suzuki in the utility segment and the company is referring to this new car as a Life Utility Vehicle (LUV). However, the waiting period of this upcoming MPV is not expected to be as high as Swift hatchback or Dzire sedan.Automobile News

Limited Edition of 2012 Range Rover Sport Supercharged

Anytime they attend a major auto show, the fine chaps over at Land Rover are always looking to make a splash. Look no further for all the evidence than the 2012 New York Auto Show where, to the surprise of no one, the British automaker has revealed a pair of special edition models.
Joining the LR4 HSE Luxury Limited Edition in waving to the New York crowd is the Range Rover Sport Supercharged Limited Edition. Whereas it doesn’t carry all the luxury bells and whistles of its co-debutante, the Range Rover Sport Supercharged Limited Edition is still cool enough to justify its limited edition billing.
For starters, the model will only come in a choice of two exterior paint finishes - Fuji White and Santorini Black - while also receiving slew decorative trim pieces tacked in various parts of the SUV. Inside, there’s not as much leather, but there is plenty of bespoke carbon fiber trim to go with contrast leather in red and black with contrast stitching.
As far as power goes, the Range Rover Sport Supercharged Limited Edition will make use of a supercharged V8 that delivers a tidy 510 horsepower. And just in case you’re wondering how "limited" this limited edition Range Rover is, Land Rover will only be building 500 units of this bad boy, exclusively for the US market.Automobile News

With MyTVS to service network ties up with AMW

AMW ties up with MyTVS to service networkIndia’s third largest heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer Asia Motor Works (AMW) has entered into an agreement with MyTVS on March 19, 2012, which would allow AMW customers to obtain service at MyTVS outlets across the country. The agreement covers all AMW haulage and tractor models operating on Indian roads and comes into effect from April 1, 2012.
With this agreement, AMW gains access to MyTVS’ vast service network which includes 1157 outlets spread across 763 locations. The types of services to be provided include minor repair jobs that would allow the vehicle to continue on its journey until it reaches an AMW authorized service outlet. MyTVS is part of the widely respected TVS Group and offers multi-brand car services and emergency breakdown assistance for mechanical and electrical faults. It also offers ambulances, cabs, winch and towing services as well as and legal coordination assistance. This is its first initiative for trucks in association with AMW.
The agreement also includes plans to expand this reach to more MyTVS outlets in the future. AMW would also be using these MyTVS outlets to sell spare parts, which would add to customer convenience and enhance vehicle uptime.Automobile News

TAFE to make two models of tractors for US

Two models of high horse power (hp) tractors India's Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd (TAFE) will start making later this year for US-based AGCO Corpo, said a company official.
AGCO will sell the tractors in Africa, Turkey, South America and other overseas markets.
"From November-December, we will be rolling out two models, 90 hp and 105 hp, for AGCO Corp. We expect to roll out around 150-200 units per month of these models," R.C. Banka, president of the world's third largest tractor manufacturer, told IANS.
Asked whether TAFE's Turkey plant would make the models, Banka said: "The cost of manufacture in Turkey is high compared to here. There may be saving in freight outgo but not in the manufacturing cost."
The city-based TAFE is also participating in the development of AGCO's world tractor project called Centurion.
The US company plans to roll out 50-125 hp tractors under the Centurion family and in the process save a sizeable sum by having common components across the models.
AGCO holds around 23 percent state in TAFE.
TAFE's Chairman and Chief Executive Mallika Srinivasan said the company would make the Centurion tractors in India and ship them out during the second calendar quarter of 2013.Automobile News

With more technology to move upscale Nissan overhauls Altima

NEW YORK -- The Nissan Altima - the nation's No. 2-selling car - are getting a luxury makeover inspiration for the 2013 to attract more U.S. consumers for the family sedan.
Banking U.S. economy that is coming in better times, Nissan Motor Co. plans to launch a richer picture with the Altima redesigned - not price, but with better fuel economy, luxury services and new technologies, including NASA-inspired seating - - when it goes on sale in June.
This is a bet of Nissan, a brand known for cutting edge design, as it strives to build the increased sales of the Altima and improve its market share in the U.S. amid an avalanche of restyled midsize rivals.
"We're not moving the Altima into a new segment," said Brian Carolin, Nissan North America senior vice president for Nissan and Infiniti sales and marketing. "We're refining it to create the perceived image of a much more upscale car."
The 2013 Altima comes at a critical juncture for Nissan.
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, who introduced the new Altima today at the New York auto show, is pushing the Japanese automaker to grab 10 percent of the U.S. light vehicle market, up from 8.2 percent last year and 9.3 percent so far in 2012.
Nissan said today the 2013 Altima will be priced from $22,280, including $780 destination, when it goes on sale in June. Models with a V-6 engine will be priced from $26,140, including delivery fees.
It goes into production on May 14, and it will be assembled in Canton, Miss., and Smyrna, Tenn., for the United States and 45 overseas markets.
The relatively short period between its public and showroom debuts is designed to maintain market momentum for the Altima and draw interest as competition in the mid-sized market heats up.
The styling for the new Altima has evolved only slightly, with deeper creases along the sides and across the trunk. The headlights and running lamps have been separated in front to echo the look of luxury vehicles. The door handles are now made of chrome, and chrome now encircles the car's grille and side windows.
But the car's content signals Nissan's ambitions to capture a bigger slice of the surging family sedan market.Automobile News

At 2012 New York Auto Show New edition BMW X1 to be launched

With the unveiling of the new edition of the compact crossover SUV, BMW X1 at the upcoming 2012 New York Auto Show will be enticed that will be soon marking its debut in the North American market. The German automaker, BMW has come up with this new generation of X1 just two and a half years after its launch.
However, the all new BMW X1 was set to be exclusively revealed at the auto show but the images of the SUV has already been leaked online and its appearance have raised the excitement quotient of all BMW enthusiasts.
The new X1 endows greater upbeat and contemporary looks along with some pertinent redesigning on the exteriors, shading away its black plastic draping.
The newly styled bumpers along with modified front grille with silver bars coupled with silver styling on the lower section of the new BMW X1 give a new dimension to the SUV design by the German auto giant. Even the headlamps comprise of minor changes apart from its shape such as new internal graphics with the option of LED corona ring main beam lights.
With redesigned wing mirrors that offers integrated blinkers, the rear bumpers also is restyled to become visually lightened with the incorporation of more body coloured surfaces along with expanded silver scrub-plate element.
The interiors are said to be comprise glossy air vents and a slightly revamped central console with a new package of convenience and entertainment options, which has not yet been revealed.
For the Indian market, the company is planning to launch this new generation BMW X1 by the end of this year and is expected to make a strategic entry so as to offset the rising competition from Audi and Mercedes-Benz.Automobile News