" Tata Nano gives thousands of Indians a scope to dare and dream of buying a new car, and ofcourse a new reality...!! "

"With the accelerated growth of ineffective public transportation system in India,most citizen do bank on unsafe modes of private transport...!!"

"The Nano means freedom and empowerment for people caught between inadequate public transport and expensive private transportation..."

Mammoth Trap....

One of the India’s most humble forms of public transport is also one of India’s most dangerous, unreliable, uncomfortable, inefficient and very often the easiest to break traffic laws with. It’s prominently visible in every towns, cities and even in rural areas of India. This mode of transport we very often ridicule and abuse but it is one that we can never do without. If ever incidentally there gets a strike called by that one association, millions celebrate with a smile of relief on their faces that the roads will be left by with sufficient spaces to drive on. Millions more complain that they will never ever be able to get anywhere on time, if they can ever get there at all. I refer to the ubiquitous autorickshaws or as it is simply called auto or rickshaw.

The concept of the rickshaws probably made its debut in China, where in a bygone era people would cart others in a hand drawn carriage. The concept must have traveled across to India thanks to Chinese traders, most probably to Bengal, where the tradition is so deeply rooted you still see hand-drawn carriages even today. It wouldn’t stop me from saying auto’s have gone through so many facelifts that even Volkswagen Beetle haven’t gone through. Even the most contemporary design today still cannot fit more than three. That brings me to engross on the comfort features. Today’s rickshaws is still open to the elements on most sides. “Who needs a convertible in India..??”

The rickshaws offers the same wind in your hair.And when it rains, it pours. Despite the thin plastic flaps, there is no way to fasten them. So heavy rains ensure even the middle occupant would get drenched. The rain brings another complexity, that of visibility. Now some well built, industry made rickshaws do possess a motorised wipers. Most others will utilise a hand operated and still others who think they can save a few bucks more will carry a cloth, just reach out and wipe whenever the need arises. Now dragging attention towards safety and structural norms, you see the body of the rickshaw is a frame made of the metal tubes, layered over with a thin and poor quality plastic and with a windshield madeof glass. I have never heard of any rickshaw crash norms, so just how effectively it sustains a crash is just anybody's guess. God knows... . No grab rails and wide open entry point ensures the ease of falling out during a sharp cornering. But that really should not matter since these rickshaws are usually packed more than they should have been, which means they can't really go too fast.Even if you fall off, it would possibly hurt you out at these slow speeds unless a car behind runs you over.With an engine that displaces not more than 0.2 L and puts out not more than 8-9bhps you cant really go too fast. At full throttle, it gets up to the loudest thing on the road,loud enough to distract you even if you have stocked yourself in a Q7.

Whatever so may it be. It's been the most economical, easy to access, effective means of transport since years. The concept of auto-rickshaws has been serving Indian citizen since around 3 decades.

Worth of Hype..??

I feel ....we don’t give TATA motors enough credit for being a pioneer. Isn't it...??

The original Indica was the first hatchback to be launched in the late 90’s with space of an Amby within an engravation not much larger than a Maruti’s. But now everybody’s doing similarly sized and frugal hatches facing fierce competition, all we remember the Indica, is for poor quality plastics used and the plethora of badly driven cabs.

The Nano – nobody can deny it’s a revolution but all we hear these days is how it’s not a complete car, how not enough are being made and ofcourse only recently TV channels were flooded with reports of a potential fire problem.

Take the Indigo instead, it pioneered the entry-level sedan segment with a mere formula of “stick-a-boot-on-to-a-hatch” but after an initially a run away success look who’s making hay in the segment – Maruti with the Swift Dzire. But unlike the Indica or the Sumo(so right for their time at launch but so wrong so now) Tata motors is not giving up in this segment without a fight. With the hot off the press launch of Indigo Manza, this is for sure that TATA motors has found the mojo again.

In-stable it has the furious Safari, the boxy and ugly Sumo Grande Mark II, new Xenon. But all of them are prominently known for their poor build quality, creakings and boundless maintainence bills.

Whatever it’s, afterall it’s the TATA motors who built the first fully Indian diesel Hatch -the Indica and Vista following, the 1^st fully Indian Sedan – The Indigo and Manza then, the 1^st Indian MUV – the mighty Sumo, 1^st Indian SUV – massive Safari suffixed with a tagline “Reclaim your Life..!!” was like awe inspiring one. It has atleast convinced me to say like “Hats Off …….”. Now only if TATA motors could percolate some of the lessons learnt from the Manza – particularly on how to strengthen its quality – down to Vista, people might just stop with the call-centre cabbie jokes.

Exorbitant Hikes.....

Almost a "Fifty" bucks..!!

Thats how much you're shelling out on petrol today and this, ideally should neatly lead into a no-holds-barred rant into how our lives wil sink to even murkier depths. This highly inflated prices would mean "it's finally time to start walking". Now as anybody who knows me in the least will vouch for - " I'm allergic to walking "- but with the fuel prices going nowhere but up, it's time for you too took to walking. Or Short-range biking. Or the Ultimate affordable solution is the "Distinguishingly slow" EVs - Electric vehicles.

With the EV market booming in, the EV manufacturers are leaving no stones unturned. EV manufacturers like Yo-bykes and many other new entries have started gulping in the Indian 2-wheeler market slowly. Not only the new entries but also the main-stream automobile giants like TVS, Hero, Honda .etc. have also shown their interest towards this new booming segment. With the latest news making way through about Indian Automotive giant "Mahindra" picking up a whopping 55.2% equity stake in Reva through equity purchase from the promoters - has left most of the Indian automotive majors open-mouthed.

i10-petrol being one of the success milestone of Hyundai in India, Hyundai too has stepped into the EV market with "yet to reveal" i10-electric as was showcased in the last Auto-expo. These recent launches in the EV markets would certaily groom up the Indian Automobile Industry and also to the Indian Economy.

Till then though, and this might be the most irresponsible thing I'll ever say, "Fill it, Shut it and mash the pedal firmly to the floor". For all you know, by tomorrow, it'll be a one way lane laid straight to instant "Bankruptcy".

High on XYLO time...!!

Mahindra is developing a smaller version of the Xylo as can be seen from these exclusive spy pictures. The mini Xylo which is undergoing hot weather testing in Rajasthan will be less than four-metres in length and will come with a diesel engine under 1.5-litres to qualify as a ‘small car’ to avail of a substantial 12 percent saving in excise duty. The presentXYLO does have a massive 2.5 ltrs M-Eagle Diesel engine under the hood which would most probably be shortened to 1.5 ltrs. This drastic reduction would only be done on the cost removing a cylinder from its existing 4-Cylinder engine. This means the new 5-seater Xylowould have a 3-cylinder engine with reduced bore and stroke.

The junior Xylo would be priced aggressively within the range of 5 - 5.5lks. Which means it would offer a tougher than the toughest competition not only to recently lauched Premier Rio but also to Premium Hatchbacks. Its expected that the new mini-Xylo would go around forsale sometime around 2011.

Courtesy:

Autocar India

Volkswagen - All Set to Roar on Indian Roads

Volkswagen has christened the POLO saloon ..the Vento (most probable name to be in India) for the Indian market. Volkswagen certainly hopes the Vento badge clicks in India when the car goes on sale this July. The Vento will initially get two engine options - a petrol and a diesel. Both these engines displace a massive 1.6 litres and both produce a whopping 105bhp. However the diesel would posses a higher edge with a torque of 25.5 kgm against the petrol of 15.8 kgm but the driving charactrestics will differ like chalk and cheese.

Courtesy :

Autocar India