Hyundai has set its eyes on the micro car segment; it is planning to launch a competitor to the Tata Nano by 2011 with an estimated price tag of $3,500.
However, Hyundai has said that it has no intention to go head-to-head with the Tata Nano, which is believed to change the Indian car market forever. Hyundai’s managing director in India, Heung Soo Iheem said: “We do not have immediate plans to fight with the Nano. It is planned keeping in mind the Indian market conditions and the interest of the general public.”
The economy car is currently under development at Hyundai’s research and development center in South Korea, it would also be exported beyond India.
The competition in the segment is getting tougher as Indian company Bajaj has teamed up with Renault to create a similar low-priced car by the end of 2011. Time will tell which budget car will emerge as the lower-middle class’ favorite.
Seat announced they will launch a new ultra-small city car by 2011 based on the forthcoming Volkswagen Up. Seat didn’t announced a name for the future car, but they announced it will be a successor to the Arosa.
Seat plans to unveil expand the corporate portfolio to up to 40 models within the next decade, and the new car will be part of this dramatic model-range expansion. This plans also includes: the new Bolero saloon, based on the previous-generation Audi A4, and the forthcoming Tribu compact SUV.
The microcar will undercut the Volkswagen Up! in price – an impressive achievement considering VW’s stated aim of pricing the base Up! at around €6000 when it goes on sale in Europe.
Dacia Logan, the well-known model from the Romanian manufacturer and maybe one of the most appreciated vehicles received a new tuning kit built by the Indians from Mahindra. The tuning kit consists in a new front grill add-on in glossy black, front bumper center bezel, side skirts in body color, rear bumper center bezel in charvoal grey, rear spoiler in body color, new custom painted body shell, bonnet in glossy black and window line blackening.
At the interior the manufacturer included leather upholstery in beige, door trim in black and beige, custom floor matts, steering wheel in black with leather wrao, custom gear boot in beige, rear tray in black and an MP3 player with USB.
In order to make the Fiat 500 look even better, the well-known tuning company Novitec, specialised in Ferarri and Alfa Romeo cars, unveiled its new body kit for the small vehicle. Characterized by the front lip spoiler, 16 and 17 inch alloy wheels, rear roof spoiler and a double exhaust system, the small vehicle from the Italian manufacturer becomes car even more desirable.
Novitec also re-programmed the ECU of the engines and now the 1.3 JTD turbodiesel develops 83 hp, with 13 hp more than the standard, while the 1.4-liter petrol engine is now capable of developing 131 hp.
Press release after the jump!
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Big tuners also love small cars, not just V8 powered sports car with plenty of power. Hamann also love small cars and today unveiled their customization programme for the recently launched Fiat 500. The new programme includes 17” alloy wheels painted in black, a sport exhaust system that changes completely the sound of the engine but also a re-programming of the diesel ECU which improves the power from 75 to 90 hp and 230 Nm of torque.
For the exterior the Fiat 500 also received some stylish Hamann stickers while at the interior the aliminium pedal set which includes a footrest and a car mat set with an embroidered Hamann logo accentuate the sportivity of the car.
Press release after the jump!
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This time it’s the Toyota Matrix. The headlines say that 660,000 Toyotas are being recalled.
Over at GM, they must be smiling.
Not because of Toyota’s problem.
But because those headlines don’t include the word “Pontiac."
You, see – that 660,000 figure also includes the Pontiac Vibe.
The Matrix and Vibe are being recalled because of defects in the power windows of 2003 – 2004 model year vehicles which have lead to the windows cracking and even, reportedly, in some instances exploding. There have been 500 complaints and a few reported injuries.
But, Toyota may be showing its true colors with the way it’s handling recall issues.
With some level of class.
(more after the jump)
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Poor crash test numbers might seem to be expected with a vehicle as tiny as the Smart Fortwo, but Daimler – its manufacturer – has consistently claimed the Smart was designed to get a four star safety rating on crash tests.
However, in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing, as reported in the Detroit Free Press, the Smart’s front crash test rating was not four stars, nor five stars – the best possible rating.
It was three stars.
That’s one of the lowest ratings of any passenger vehicle on sale in America and a rating which equates to a 21% to 35% probability of serious injury in the test standard 35 mph collision. (Technically, the rating was four stars for the driver and three for the passenger.)
(more after the jump)
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Tata Motors, the newest owner of Jaguar and Land Rover revealed its luxury options of the $2,500 Nano microcar. Although you expect the car to be as simple as it can due to its low price, the Indian manufacturer introduced some „luxury” options for the cheapest car in the world.
Tata launched a customization website that allows its customers to choose between a standard and a luxury line, to decide wether they want or not alloy wheels. The clients can also choose the scoop trims, decals, fog lamps and seat covers. For all the fans of sport cars the bad news is that the 30 hp engine remains the same.
For Hyundai, it all started way back in 1998 with the 800 cc petrol engined Santro hatchback (Atos to our overseas friends). Even after the launch of its successor i10, Hyundai continues selling the Santro, indicating its strong presence and number filled sales charts.
The diesel form of the Santro is set to enter the ever-hot Indian small car market in the month of May. With that said, there are no signs of the company seizing production of this aging wonder car for a long time to come. The diesel sipper will embrace a small 3 cylinder, DOHC, 1.1 litre CRDI engine having 75 ponies at its disposal. Torque wise 153Nm @ 1900-2750 RPM will address the pulling needs. The CRDI technology for Hyundai was developed by US-based Detroit Diesel, using Fiat’s technology back in 1997. (Just for your information!)
Top speed of this car is estimated around 160 kph and a fuel economy figure of roughly 20 kilometres to the litre is expected.
The diesel small car race is getting competitive by the day. Competitors like the Fiat Palio, Tata Indica, Suzuki Swift will give a tough time for this new Santro, but the reputation and reliability of its petrol sibling, will make it a shade easier for it to sell. And the brand image of Hyundai in India is equivalent to a Toyota or a Honda in the United States.
Small, good looking, diesel heart and reliability are its plus points. Any car with those basic ingredients has more or less succeed in India. With an estimated price tag starting at Rs. 4.25 lakh (US $10,597) ex-showroom, we predict that there is a bee in Hyundai’s bonnet.
Al of you know that Smart ForTwo is a successful car, but only in Europe. Looks like things changed and seems that the little car is enjoying the same success also on the North American market. According to Roger Penske, CEO of Penske Automotive Group, the dealers in America are quite desperate for more of the cars.
Penske told to the press that the car is not bought for it’ s low price but because people are interested in its urban friendliness and its fuel economy. An average Smart ForTwo comes equipped with $1,600 in options, this representing 15% of the car’s base price while the fully loaded versions account for 10 percent of the cars sold, rather than the 4 percent the company predicted, added Penske.
According to Penske’s CEO the dealers from Pittsburgh are dying for the cars. The car is begining to be popular also on special markets like the ones from Los Angeles and New York. As you probably know, Smart is considering taking out the hybrid variant of the ForTwo in two years and according to David Schembri, president of Smart USA, the car will see even a bigger success than the petrol powered version.
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