Chevrolet to bring in the Camaro

Sure there is no dearth of performance cars in India with almost all the premium car makers having set shop in the country. However, there are not many options if someone wants to buy something classy and exclusive without having to spend a fortune on it. It seems GM India is planning to bring all those woes to an end now.
The company is planning to bring its iconic Camaro sports car to the country. The Camaro, along with the Ford Mustang is regarded as the ambassador of Amercian muscle cars. The muscular looking car will be brought to Indian first in the two-door coupe guise. GM India has displayed the car in the 2010 Auto Expo as well.

Although the price if the car or the launch date has not been unveiled yet, the arrival of the exotic on our shores is a surety. We are expecting a price in the region of Rs 30-35 lakh. And for a car of the Camaro�s size, presence and performance, that sounds like just a small price to pay.
Although it should, we are not sure whether the Camaro will do any great numbers in the country. However, the introduction of the legendary car will surely help Chevrolet create a premium image for itself.

Internationally the Camaro is available in LS and LT models, powered by a 3.6 L V6 producing 312 horses, mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic with manual shift. The there is the special SS version which is powered by a 6.2-litre V8 producing 426 hp and is mated to a 6-speed manual box.

Ford India crosses 10,000 monthly sales for the first time in January 2011

Now this is exclusive stuff. Probably a few more websites will soon flash this story, as Ford Indian prepare and distribute the press release, but you�re reading this first on Motoroids. Our sources at Ford have revealed that the company� after having swept the auto awards for 2010 with their Figo have recorded the highest sales in their history in January 2011. The company also crossed the landmark of 10,000 monthly sales for the first month of 2011. As goes without saying the lion�s share of these sales was contributed to by the extremely successful and capable Figo.

Out of the 10,026 units of total cars sold, 8,600 units were that of the Figo. This is a more than four-fold increase, against 2453 units sold over the same period last year. The previous monthly record for Ford Indian was of 9,478 units set in March 2010.
According to Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India, the record-breaking monthly sales are a signal of more great things to come from the company in 2011.

�2010 was a landmark year for us, with Ford nearly tripling its annual sales volume. Now we�ve begun 2011 with record-setting January sales. We have carried the momentum of last year�s terrific performance into the new year by crossing the 10,000-unit sales mark,� Boneham said. �We are constantly fine-tuning our performance for maximum growth, and this is just the beginning of what I anticipate will be an incredible year for the company.�

In 2010, Ford India sold 83,887 vehicles, an impressive year-on-year increase of more than 184 percent. Ford India has sold more than 68,000 units of the best-selling compact since its launch in March 2010.

�It�s extremely gratifying to see Figo resonating with customers as a great value-for-money vehicle. It is also heartening to see Figo winning so many prestigious awards in the automobile industry, more than any other car in Indian history� Boneham added.

Congratulations to Ford India for studying the market well and coming up with the right product. We are sure the competitors are taking note.

Mercedes-Benz planning small car for India

When it comes to India, small is big. Every carmaker has been trying to get a share of the small car market pie. The turnaround Ford has managed in India with the Figo in just a year goes to explain the importance of the B-segment in the Indian context. And while it�s obvious for the mainstream car manufacturers to hustle for this space, even premium carmakers are eyeing the opportunity.

If some reports are to be believed, Mercedes-Benz is exploring the possibilities to launch a small car for the Indian market. While no specifics have been divulged about this new project, a small car with the three pointed star, and a substantially less price than even the C-class makes business sense. The company has the A and B class cars in its international line-up as options, but the interesting bit here is that M-B is mulling a ground up small car platform for this market. Although the costs involved in developing a car ground-up is enormous, and there has to be sustained volumes for such a project to be feasible, the company is still showing intent to consider the option.

The company is looking at modifying its Smart platform to suit the Indian conditions. Smart is a premium small car brand by M-B which offers two and four seater small cars with the name ForTwo and ForFour primarily in the American and European market. The car will be tweaked to suit the price and practicality sensibilities of the Indian audiences. Mercedes-Benz may utilize its alliance with Renault-Nissan to develop a cost-effective model for India. If all goes well, we may soon see Mercedes compacts zipping around on our streets.

Mercedes-Benz re-launches the Maybach in India

There was a time when parallels were drawn between the Mercedes-Benz Maybach and the Rolls-Royce Phantom, with the latter being known as the most luxurious automobile in the world. The Maybach, however, couldn�t quite keep the promise and the Phantom continued to rule the automotive world.

However, even with its not so enticing sales, Mercedes-Benz believes in the Maybach brand and have supported it with all their force. The company today re-launched the super premium sedan in the Indian market with a hope to catch the fantasy of the high and mighty. The Maybach, in its second innings in India has been priced at Rs 4.85 crore and Rs 5.10 crore (ex-Delhi) for the 57S and 62 variants.