BMW to Launch the Mini Hatchback in India

BMW, the world's largest premium car manufacturer is all set to launch the mini, three door luxury hatchback in India. The plans have been delayed from 2007 according to a senior official. The BMW Mini is set to be imported and would carry a hefty price tag of 2 million rupees.

Speaking about the proposed launch, the president of BMW India unit told reporters "Last year we decided to postpone the launch of Mini in India by a year, as we had doubts regarding the viability of the project. We would again take a look at it by the end of the third quarter of the calendar year".

The luxury hatchback market was not well developed in India and the investments would be substantial. He said "So we have to re-look at the potential business opportunity before launching it".

Kronschnabl said "BMW sold 1,747 BMWs in the first half of 2009, about a quarter of total Indian luxury car sales of 7,400, and its sales growth of 12 percent was better than the sector's 1.5 percent". He added "We are confident of delivering 3,000 cars to our customers in India in the year 2009."

BMW has increased the annual capacity at its Indian plant from 1,700 to 3,000 units. This was carried out on a single-shift basis at the cost of $750,000. BMW competes with European auto giants like DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen. It makes the BMW 3 series and BMW 5 series in India and the BMW 7 series is sold by means of imported kits.

As talks about the German car maker being close to signing the agreement with global manufacturers were doing the rounds, Kronschnabl said "All I can say at this moment is that, we are very close to signing contracts with the global manufactures and it should be in place by December 2009."

BMW India has a slew of launches slated for 2009 like the new BMW 3 series, BMW 7 series, and diesel variant of BMW X3. In order to strengthen the dealership network of which presently there are thirteen, BMW will set up new dealerships in ten more cities by the end of 2010. $30 million is the investment it has made for the Indian market including the plant that was set up in Chennai.

New Ford Fiesta SXI Car Launched in India

Ford India raises the competitive bar with the new look and stylish Ford Fiesta SXI which brings added sophistication to the luxurious car with its chrome & silver finish.

The new front-fascia with the chrome facade and dramatic crystal barrel headlamps is visually strong and expressive, elevating Ford Fiesta's on-road presence.


"The new Fiesta SXI will make a statement with its premium new style persona. Based on our customer feedback, the new Fiesta SXI has been introduced to appeal to the young, suave and style-oriented professionals who want their cars to reflect their individual personality, signifying success, confidence and accomplishments," said Nigel Wark, executive director, Marketing, Sales & Service, Ford India.

Your browser may not support display of this image. Inside, the new Ford Fiesta SXI surrounds its occupants with eye-catching luxury and comfort with its grain beige leather interiors, mahogany wood-finished center console with brushed aluminum finish adorning knobs, vents and the steering wheel. The 2 DIN MP3 Player with Aux-in capability also unwinds the occupants with its whopping surround sound.

The new Ford Fiesta SXI comes with the advanced and efficient 1.6 Duratec (petrol) and 1.4 Duratorq (common-rail, turbo diesel) engines. Both engines are fuel efficient and produce class-leading performance.

The top-end Ford Fiesta SXI variant has been aggressively priced at Rs. 6.99 lakhs (petrol) and Rs. 7.99 lakhs (diesel) (Ex-showroom, New Delhi) and will be available at Ford dealerships across India starting 3rd August.

This new Ford Fiesta SXI will stand out amidst the upper midsize segment and will take Fiesta's premiumness to the next level, further strengthening what the brand Fiesta stands for - style, sophistication, quality, fuel-efficiency, unparalleled driving dynamics, advanced safety features and a head-turning chrome finish exterior look.

Apart from its style and sophisticated comfort, there is an equal emphasis on safety, which incorporates the latest in crash energy management systems with Anti-lock braking system (ABS) with EBD. Airbags are standard for driver and front passenger along with the collapsible steering column. A first in its class feature is the fuel cut-off inertia switch, which cuts off fuel incase of a crash. The SXI is secured with central locking and PATS (Passive Anti-Theft system) that immobilizes the engine when the key is turned off.

Ford Fiesta is a car known for its superior drivability and handling. Ford Fiesta continues to receive rave reviews from the auto experts and analysts. The Ford Fiesta was a runner up in vehicle dependability in the recent 2009 J.D Power Vehicle Dependability study in the mid-size segment with a score of 183 PP/100,* achieving significantly better than the segment average of 214. The awards and the accolades showcase the fact that Ford Fiesta delivers style, together with outstanding quality and performance that consumers desire.

Ford Fiesta comes with a 2 year/ 1,00,000 kilometers warranty and an option to purchase 'Extended Warranty' that covers the car against all electrical and mechanical failures for an additional period. Along with the new Scheduled Service Plan (SSP), first in the country Roadside Assistance (RSA) and other Ford Service initiatives, add on to make owning a Ford Fiesta a delightful experience.

Aston Martin DB9 2008 pictures

Aston Martin DB9 2008 pictures

Audi Q5 Car Wallpapers

Audi Q5



Audi Q5



Audi Q5



Audi Q5

Nissan

Nissan has finally divulged the bottom line on its 2008 Altima Coupe: $20,490. That’s the base price for the shapely Japanese coupe in 2.5-liter, four-cylinder “S

2008 Nissan Altima coupe

2008 Nissan Altima coupe

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota - While many manufacturers have shunned two-door coupes in recent forms, especially in the midsize category, Nissan is going in the positive direction. As an early 2008 model, a new Altima coupe is joining the existing Altima four-door sedan.

Now in its fourth generation, "Altima is the power brand for Nissan," said regional product manager John Curl. A coupe is expected to "add incremental sales to the Altima brand," attracting "young customers especially." Other coupes on the market, Curl believes, are "not very good, or not very interesting." Nissan's main target is the Honda Accord coupe.

Nissan "started with a clean sheet of paper" for the coupe, Curl said. It's not merely a two-door sedan. The only body panel shared with the sedan is the hood. "Everything else is completely unique to the coupe."

Wheelbase is about 4 inches shorter than the sedan's, and the roofline has been lowered by about 2 inches. Tiny rear quarter windows are installed, and the doors are considerably wider than those of a sedan. Overall, the coupe is 7.3 inches shorter than an Altima sedan, but widths are identical so the coupe gets a "wide, muscular stance" as well as interior roominess.

Powertrains match those of the Altima sedan. Placed on sale May 25, the Altima coupe has a choice of two engines: a 175-horsepower four-cylinder and a 270-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6. Either a six-speed manual transmission or Nissan's Xtronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) may be installed.

Operation of the CVT is utterly refined, as demonstrated in a four-cylinder Altima coupe. This could be the best CVT yet. It's even snappy on takeoff, and as smooth as can be. There's no shortage of energy for merging or passing, either. Because the CVT is so masterful there's little tempation to use the manual-shift mode, which can run through a sequence of virtual "gears."

This coupe is quiet, too, even while accelerating. Altimas emit virtually no buzziness or sense of high engine revs - as in many CTV applications - waiting for the car to catch up.

Ride comfort also appeals. You can feel pavement separators, but they don't affect occupants much at all because the suspension fends them off so well. Steering feel is beautifully balanced: easy to turn and positive to control.

Snugly-bolstered front bucket seats seem appropriate for the sporty coupe. Illuminated gauges have big numbers, and are among the easiest to read.

Nothing is perfect, and the Altima sags at times in terms of sounds. Considerable tire noise (actually a buzz) occurs on certain surfaces; but on others, there's none to speak of. In some areas, a notable whine appears. Rear quarter windows don't help much with visibility, which isn't the best either rearward or over-the-shoulder.

Don't even try the backseat unless you're young and/or agile - or foolish. Not only is twisting needed to make your way back there, but leg space is minuscule unless front seats are pushed well forward.

A V6 Altima with manual shift delivers loads of exuberance, as expected, joined by an exceptionally swift-shifting gearbox and an easy-to-engage clutch. This suspension feels a lot tighter than the four-cylinder's on washboard surfaces and the like. In fact, you can expect nearly constant, annoying lumpiness on imperfect pavement.

Toyota Prius Hybrid

As I begin my research into the history of hybrid cars, it appears that it all started in 1993 when Toyata began working on the car that became the most popular hybrid today - the Prius. You can read all of the details in an article here, where after several years of problems and corrections, Toyota unveiled the Prius in October of 1997 in Japan. Three months later the Prius went on sale.

It wasn’t until the summer of 2000 that the Prius made its debut in the United States, a full seven months behind the first-to-market Honda Insight. The price of the first available U.S. version of the Prius (as a 2001 model rollout) was about $20,000, and 12,000 were sold to the first 37,000 interested buyers who had preregistered on a special Toyota website.

In 2003, Toyota released the second-generation Prius in the U.S. With it’s unique hatchback style, more powerful engine, better fuel economy, and reduced emissions - sales soared. 54,000 Prius vehicles were sold in 2004 and 108,000 sold in 2005. Prius had made it, and was one of the most popular cars on the market.

U.S. sales of hybrid vehicles rose another 28% from 2005 to 2006, with consumers buying over 250,000 hybrids…105,000 of those were Toyota Prius vehicles. In 2007, Prius sales in the U.S. are expected to exceed 175,000. 2008 Prius are set to hit dealer lots this month (August 2007) with a base sticker price similar to last year at $26,000. Already, thousands of people are searching for the totally redesigned 2009 Prius as well. The Toyota Prius will be on my short list, as my 2007 hybrid journey continues!

The 2008 Honda Civic Si

If you are into car tuning, one of the vehicles which are legendary for tuners is the Honda Civic. The Honda Civic is a favorite car to tune for loads of reasons, but a few include the fact that a Civic is extremely budget friendly and the perfect car for those in school. Second, the Civic is perfect for tuning, because Honda never skimps on performance and quality. Even though the Civic is budget friendly, you will find lots of power under the hood, some quality engineering and a vehicle that is extremely reliable- many last for more than a decade.

The Honda Civic Si has Plenty to Offer Any Tuner Enthusiast
Honda is also loved by tuners because they go the extra mile to be tuner friendly. Honda makes it easy for after market products to be engineered, constructed and sold on the open market, making the Civic one of the most tuned vehicle today. The 2008 Honda Civic Si is no different. This vehicle offers good looks and great fundamentals under the hood. Some of the specs include:

• 4 cylinder 2.0 liter VTEC engine which produces a surprisingly snappy 197 hp
• close to 30 miles per gallon for highway and 20 for city driving
• 6 speed manual transmission with overdrive
• plenty of luxuries inside
• a great stock stereo
• MSRP of about $21,000

A Great Vehicle and a Wide Range of After Market Products Available
If you are in the market to buy a new vehicle to tune, one of the best choices you can make is a Honda Civic Si, with lots of power under the hood, a comfy interior with plenty of luxuries and an after market with tons of great accessories to modify your vehicle with, you can’t go wrong with a Civic.

Five Great Fuel Efficient Cars On The Market Today

With the price of fuel so high, along with everything else for that matter, many people who are in the market for buying a new car have decided to turn their attention to the most fuel efficient cars on the market today. When cutting back on the amount of driving isn’t possible, many people’s only recourse is to buy a vehicle that uses less gas to go the same distance. With technology continually improving, there are many versatile and full feature automobiles available today that do in fact offer good fuel efficiency.

Here are five great fuel efficient cars that are on the market today:

Ford Focus
Though most people associate foreign cars made by the likes of Volkswagen and Toyota with fuel efficiency, the Ford Focus is one of the more fuel efficient cars out there right now. The Ford Focus also has the distinct advantage of being a surprisingly economical car in terms of the cost to the car buyer. Most vehicles that feature great gas mileage tend to cost a bit more too.

Honda Civic
As one of the most economical non-hybrid cars to drive available from any manufacturer, the Honda Civic has proven popular with individuals and families alike. The Civic is particularly popular with those that have sizable commutes to and from work. For those that do want to take the step to better fuel efficiency as well as want to move into an alternatively powered vehicle, the Honda Civic is also available in a hybrid version.

MINI Cooper
Despite it being well known as one of the smaller appearing vehicles on the road today, the MINI Cooper comes packed with a very spacious interior. Even the turbocharged versions of the MINI Cooper are somewhat fuel efficient. There distinctive look combined with their great gas mileage has made them one of the more popular cars today.

Nissan Altima

The Nissan Altima provides things for the prospective owner that they would not expect to find in a fuel efficient vehicle, including a big 2.5 liter engine and a great deal of space. This is one fuel efficient vehicle that doesn’t get labeled as a small car. The Nissan Altima combines great use of space and fuel efficiency to make it a great family car.

Toyota Prius

The most famous of all hybrid vehicles, the Toyota Prius regularly gets gas mileage in the upper 40s and occasionally even into the 50s. The nice part about the fuel efficiency offered by the Toyota Prius is that to achieve it, the car doesn’t sacrifice anything else that the vehicle owner would want. There is plenty of space and luxury inside the Prius and car buyers have shown how great a car it is with their customer loyalty and word of mouth advertising.

Driving a more fuel efficient vehicle is a great way to combat the high cost of fuel, food, and everything else. When money is saved in one area of a person or family’s life, it can be put to better use in another area that is lacking. These five fuel efficient vehicles show that there are options out there for those interested in improving their gas mileage when they buy a new car. Fuel efficient cars are the wave of the future and there are already plenty of great examples available on the market.