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Skoda Yeti Wins 7 Awards
Skoda Sales Grew 51% In January 2011
Tata Nano Offer For Defense Personnel In India Via CSD
Chevrolet Beat LPG Specifications Features Details and Price In India
Mercedes Benz Planning Smart-Based Small Car For India
Maybach 62S Launch In India By Mercedes-Benz- Specifications Features & Price

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 02:45 AM PST

Skoda has been honored with 7 prestigious automobile awards for its SUV Skoda Yeti by various automobile publications and organizations.

Skoda Yeti

Below is the official press release from Skoda:

SkodaAuto India, a fully owned subsidiary of SkodaAuto a.s., Czech Republic and one of the most promising automobile companies in India, was honored with seven awards in a row for its newly launched and much talked about SUV – Skoda Yeti .The Skoda Yeti was bestowed with the SUV of the Year award by Economic times Zigwheels and CNBC Overdrive. BBC Top Gear recognized the Skoda Yeti as the Car of the Year 2010. Skoda Yeti was also felicitated with the Best MUV Crossover of the Year at the Car India Bike India Award 2011. The Yeti left its mark in NDTV car & bike award by winning two awards for SkodaAuto, Compact SUV of the year and Best Integrated Marketing Campaign for Skoda Yeti 'Right of Way' Expedition. SkodaAuto also won the Design of the Year award by Economic Times.

Globally launched in 2009, SkodaAuto India recently launched the Yeti amongst much anticipation. Ever since the first showcase of the Yeti at the Auto Expo 2010, the Skoda Yeti has captured the imagination of auto enthusiasts and customers alike with its inimitable style, great build quality and robust features.

Acknowledging the awards, Mr. Thomas Kuehl, Board Member & Director, Sales & Marketing, SkodaAuto India said, "We are extremely honored and delighted to achieve awards for Skoda Yeti this year. It has always been Skoda's endeavor to offer an unmatched driving experience, and the recognition given to new Skoda Yeti is a perfect testimony of our hard work and endeavor. These awards have been a boosting factor right from the beginning of the year for our new Skoda Yeti".

The Yeti, borrowing from the illustrious Skoda lineage, integrates some of the best features from the Skoda range with a unique mix of safety, functionality, comfort and contemporary design. With the launch of Yeti, SkodaAuto India expanded its product range thus catering to a wider target audience.

With the launch of Skoda Yeti, SkodaAuto India expands its product range and now caters to a wider target audience. The Skoda Yeti has all the makings of cult car in India as it offers comfort & ride quality of a premium sedan while offering fun, technology & functionality of a premium SUV. The smartly priced Skoda Yeti has attracted attention from India's young and auto-enthusiastic consumers because of its exceptional offerings, additional technology and multi-role capability.

SkodaAuto India had received numerous customer enquiries even before the commercial launch of the car. One of the most interesting aspects of the response is that customer enthusiasm for Skoda Yeti is spread nationally and not restricted to a particular region unlike the traditional SUV market.

Skoda Sales Grew 51% In January 2011

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 02:35 AM PST

Skoda has had a great start of the new year with a sales growth of 51% in the month of January 2011 with respect to the January 2010 sales number. The sales of Skoda cars in Jan 2011 has been 2858 units compared to 1881 cars last year. The major credit to this rise goes to the new version of Skoda Fabia hatchback which has been priced quite reasonably compared to the previous version. Part of this credit also goes to Skoda Yeti SUV by Skoda which has been priced quite competitively and has opened up an altogether new segment for Skoda In India.

new-skoda-fabia-launch

Speaking on the achievement Mr. Thomas Kuehl, Board Member, Sales and Marketing, SkodaAuto India said "2011 has started on a very positive note. Our sales increase of 51% is testimonial for our future growth plan in India. We are delighted with the customer response and the media response to our Yeti, which has won 8 awards, so far the most awarded SUV in the country.

Internationally, SkodaAuto is one of the fastest growing automobile companies worldwide. The car maker has a strong presence in Central & Western Europe; it is also extremely successful in emerging markets like China and India.

Tata Nano Offer For Defense Personnel In India Via CSD

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 12:59 AM PST

Tata Nano is doing good on sales post aggressive offers and campaigns. The recent TV commercials, 48 hour finance scheme approval, 4 Years extended Warranty Offer etc. all are the efforts Tata is making to push the sales upward further. As an icing on the cake, Tata has brought an even more tempting offer for Indian Defense Personnel including officers and personnel below officer rank (PBOR). The offers includes a 4 years free comprehensive maintenance package free of cost. This is over and above the warranty scheme which covers manufacturing defects and other major defects. The comprehensive package is valid for 4 years/60,000 km (whichever is earlier). This means that the general wear and tear and other maintenance will also be free of cost (except tyres and batteries cost).

tata-nano-tv-commercial

This offers is valid till 28th Feb 2011, so if you are a defense personnel and plan to avail this offer, you better hurry up and rush to your CSD canteen.

Chevrolet Beat LPG Specifications Features Details and Price In India

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 12:21 AM PST

The Chevrolet Beat LPG variant has been quite awaited by the Chevrolet Beat lovers who have been holding their purchase of Beat in the wait of LPG variant. The LPG variant which was under development for quite some time now has been finally launched. The Chevrolet Beat LPG variant comes with a sequential firing electronically controlled LPG kit for high performance and no power loss.

Chevrolet Beat LPG Specification and Features In India

Chevrolet Beat LPG is powered by the advanced 1.2 MPFI Litre SMARTECH Engine announced by Chevrolet recently. This is a new and advanced engine developed in India at GM Technical Centre-India in Bangalore features aluminum cylinder heads, deep skirt cylinder block and lightweight pistons with low tension rings, which decreases weight and maximizes fuel economy. It also has Dual Overhead Cam Shaft design which direct valve actuation technology for improved performance and lower noise levels.

The Chevrolet Beat LPG is also low on weight compared to Venturi type kit arrangements, with no power loss, the advanced sequential firing engine also eliminates backfired and facilitates a smooth transition from petrol to LPG and vice-e-versa. The LPG system incorporates a good routing control with no kinking problem. The LPG pipes of Chevrolet beat LPG are made up of high strength Nylon which is first of its kind in any LPG vehicle in India. These pipes are safe as well as corrosion free.

The LPG kit has been accommodated smartly inside the engine compartment and consumes very less space. This helps to provide more space for the passengers inside the car cabin. The cabin space has not been changed hence the passengers get enough room just like a petrol variant of Beat Petrol. The fuel economy goes higher for Beat LPG as the Auto LPG is cheaper fuel to run the car compared to Petrol, so the effective cost of running comes down considerably.

Mileage of Chevrolet Beat LPG in LPG mode is 13.29 KM/Liter of LPG ARAI tested. This is best in class mileage for an LPG vehicle. The max power of Beat LPG is 80.4 PS@6400RPM and max torque is 104Nm@4400RPM. The LPG kit comes with Advanced Multipoint Sequential LPG Injection Technology.

Chevrolet Beat LPG Kit safety features :

It comes equipped with factory fitted LPG kit under the supervision of GMI Safety & production standards.
Its Accessories are tested & approved by ARAI & DOE (Dept. of explosive).
Beat LPG is the first ever car in its segment to have successfully passed rear crash test as per European Safety Norms.
Beat has successfully cleared stringent AIS026 safety installation norms specified by Indian Government.

Chevrolet Beat LPG Price In India

The official price is not available as of now, but we expect an upward pricing of about Rs. 50,000 more compared to the corresponding petrol variant of Chevrolet Beat. We will update this section as soon as we get the official data from Chevrolet India.

Mercedes Benz Planning Smart-Based Small Car For India

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 11:50 PM PST

Small cars are becoming the in-thing and will undoubtedly rule the future as well. But it does not mean that hatchbacks are the undergoing any development or do not prevail, in fact we all know that the Indian market itself is strengthened by hatchbacks and they contribute for more than 50% of the total count.

Such cars have been adored for over 10 years but surprisingly no small car has been smart enough. Luxury is what this segment has been lacking and will lack in the future also, if not worked upon. But now there is something very interesting going on in Mercedes-Benz's R&D centers.

If you have not guessed it then we shall tell you that soon Merc will also step into this very segment with a car purely based on Mercedes-Benz Smart. This compact car may not be competitive enough with Maruti Alto or Chevrolet Beat but will have its own charm and attraction.

For the time being nothing more has been disclosed about this plan except for a very significant thing which is that Renault and Nissan will be joining hands with this German major and will provide technical assistance in order to modify the car, making it suit the Indian conditions.

Recently in an interview, Mercedes Benz India Managing Director & CEO Peter Honegg said "Though our company doesn't currently sell anything below the C-class sedan, priced at Rs 28.44 lakh, we will definitely look at the compact car market" He added, "We are thinking in that direction. Definitely, (the Smart) is a very interesting product. The compact car segment is very competitive. It's far below all our Mercedes models, and is a segment we haven't touched, but which most of the competitors are very serious about in India,"

Repeating what we have mentioned above, the pricing is yet to be figured out to suit the pockets of Indian customers along with the element of luxury but as it has to compete against the existing small cars then its cost will have to fall in between Rs.4 to Rs.8 Lakh.

Maybach 62S Launch In India By Mercedes-Benz- Specifications Features & Price

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 11:45 PM PST

Mercedes-Benz has recently completed its 125th year as a potential and important part of the global automobile fraternity and now it is time to make yet another crucial move. Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati, Rolls Royce, Koenigsegg etc. are some of the brands who have already entered or going to enter the luxury sedan segment of our automobile market.

But never think that the seats are full as Mercedes Benz has introduced Maybach on the 1st of February 2011. This will add more excitement to the ongoing celebrations of Mercedes. In 2004 the company had taken some initial steps with their first offering priced at Rs.5 crore but the car was too expensive. Now after almost 6 years the brand is back and expectedly Maybach 62S will make its debut.

Maybach 62S Specifications & Features In India

Body Style:4 Door Sedan

Drivetrain: Rear Wheel Drive

EPA Classification: Large

Passenger Capacity: 4

Passenger Volume (ft³):114.3

Base Curb Weight (lbs):6340

EPA Fuel Economy Est – City (MPG):10

EPA Fuel Economy Est – Hwy (MPG):16

Engine Type: Gas V12

Displacement: 6.0L/365

Fuel System: Twin turbo

SAE Net Horsepower @ RPM: 620 @ 4800-5100

SAE Net Torque @ RPM: 738 @ 2000-4000

Trans Description Cont.: Automatic w/OD

Suspension Type – Front: Double-Wishbone

Suspension Type – Rear: Multi-Link

Front Tire Size: P275/45R20

Rear Tire Size: P275/45R20

Spare Tire Size: P275/45R20

Front Wheel Size (in): 20 x 8.5

Rear Wheel Size (in): 20 x 8.5

Front Wheel Material: Aluminum

Rear Wheel Material: Aluminum

Brake ABS System: 4-Wheel

Disc – Front (Yes or ): Yes

Disc – Rear (Yes or ): Yes

Rear Brake Rotor Diam x Thickness (in): 14.0 x 1.3

Fuel Tank Capacity, Approx. (gal): 29.1

Wheelbase (in): 150.7

Length, Overall (in): 242.7

Trunk Volume (ft³): 17.7

Suspension Type – Front (Cont.): w/Stabilizer Bar

Suspension Type – Rear (Cont.): w/Stabilizer Bar

Maybach 62S Price In India

Maybach 62S is priced at Rs. 5.1 Crores.

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