Hyundai 'Always Around' campaign comes back from April 26

With the novel idea of ‘Always There, Because We Care’, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the country’s largest passenger car exporter and the second largest car manufacturer, is back again with its nationwide service initiative - ‘Always Around’ campaign in a mega avatar for the third consecutive year. Starting from April 26th the ‘Always Around’ campaign will provide free check-ups for its customers at convenient locations. Last year around 80,000 Hyundai vehicles across 6,000 locations attended the camp.

Noida gets its first mother CNG station from IGL

Dr. U.D. Choubey, chairman & managing director, GAIL (India) Ltd., on 22nd April, 2009, has inaugurated the first mother CNG station of Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) in Sector 53, Noida (which is in the national capital region). IGL is the sole supplier of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) in the national capital region.

Sharing the August Issue of WheelsUnplugged!

Cover Story: Big bikes cometh
Yamaha and Ducati have become the first superbikes on Indian roads... and more are coming, explores Indu Prasad

Report: Alternate Transport- Cyling: A fresh look
There is a revival of sorts for bicycles in India. They use no gas, emit no CO2 and burn calories as well. Indu Prasad rides the story

Driving Holiday: Jalori Pass - Up the hill, down the hill
Driving the ever-faithful Maruti Zen on an impromptu trip over Jalori Pass is fun, says Namita Punjkaran and Kaushal Desai

Test Drive: Honda Accord
The eighth generation Honda Accord is built on a completely new platform and is a better car, finds Anamit Sen

F1 Races: Germany & Britain - Hamilton aims for hat-trick of wins
Stunning wins for Lewis Hamilton in Germany and Britain as he turns to Hungarian GP F1. Anamit Sen looks at the last two races

My Say: Girish T.- Indica is sakath*
It’s a great car, but Tatas haven’t mastered the art of finesse in car making, says Girish T. of Varista Technologies, Bangalore

Dream Bike: Victory Vision Bike
Clad in metal and one of the best for long-distance luxury touring... WheelsUnplugged brings you the Victory Vision

Celebrity Interview: Gaurav Jani
On top of the world

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Sharing the July Issue of WheelsUnplugged!

Cover Story: Electric bikes - The way forward
Electric bikes are generating interest again - for both economic and green reasons. Indu Prasad outlines the fastest growing segment

Magic India Discovery: Ferrari Drive Part 2
The touch of Scaglietti
Anamit Sen samples the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti in royal Rajasthan

Report: 24 Heures Du Mans
The toughest track
The Grand Prix of Endurance this year went the Audi way again

Safety: Crash Testing
Are you driving a safe car?
Anamit Sen talks about the Euro-NCAP crash test results that could make a difference to how you decide on your next car

Test Drive: Ford Endeavour Thunder+
New brawn on the block
The new Ford Endeavour Thunder+ is easily the most capable SUV in its class and a worthy contender to the Pajero, says Indu Prasad

Retro: Volkswagen Beetle
Loving the bug
What is it about the cute li’l car that made it a favourite for six decades? Indu Prasad finds out

My Say: Sushil Pandit
Honda CR-V: Understated but obscenely expensive spares
A great SUV, but it’s time it was upgraded to match the competition, says Sushil Pandit of Hive Advertising in New Delhi

Dream Car: Tesla’s Roadster
Go green, go Tesla
Honda and Toyota aren’t the only ones making green cars… Tesla’s Roadster is a superb sportscar and its fully electric!

Celebrity Interview: Rohit Giri
Riding and aiming high
Every little boy dreams of being Valentino Rossi. But few follow their dreams to reality. Riding a Honda Racing CBR600 at Sepang or talking about his dream to ride in the Moto GP, Bangalore’s Rohit Giri is one of the few in the country on the international road racing circuit

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Sharing the June Issue of WheelsUnplugged!

Cover Story:Bringing the Green Message
NDTV and Toyota have set out to spread the message about environmental degradation and road safety. Indu Prasad tells you more...

Report: International Engine of the Year Award 2008
The recently announced IEOTY award at Engine Expo in the UK aims at rewarding engineering and technical excellence

Magic India Discovery: Ferrari Drive Part 1
Ranthambhor to Bikaner, the Ferrari way!
Anamit Sen accompanied two Ferraris from Ranthambhor to Bikaner on its Magic India Discovery tour

Comment: Anamit Sen
F1 heads to Canada
A look at how the first three European races - Barcelona, Istanbul & Monaco GP1 panned out

Test Drive: Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire
Give in to DZire
Why should you get excited for a Swift with a butt? Indu Prasad test drives DZire and comes back satisfied

Car Care: Tyre Technology
Rest assured
After volcanic ash and carbon fibre, Goodyear has now added Kevlar to its tyres

My Say: Swapna Perikal
Honda Activa: A good buy, but beware of its after-sales service!
Honda Activa is a good bike for tall people but they need to include some value-add gizmos and improve their after-sales, says Swapna Perikal, a content associate with Indya.com

Dream Car: Nissan GT-R
Lapping the Sendai
Nissan is enjoying the blitz of bouquets, it is receiving for its GT-R

Motoholics: Dilip Sawant
Bhutan bound...
Inddie Thumpers are the biggest gang of Bulleteers in the country. So dedicated have they been in their passion for the stately Bullet that BBC’s Wheels, Channel [v] and even Femina spoke about them. For Thumpers its a passion. Dilip Sawant has been riding with the Thumpers for six years now. WheelsUnplugged talked to him about his Red Hawk & his upcoming Bhutan trip

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Ford exit makes JLR cars face emission penalties in Europe

Yet another news on Tata Motors Jaguar and Land Rover foray in Europe. As Tata Motors gets ready to formalize the deal by June, there is news that the two iconic brands may face stiff penalties on new car sales as their average carbon dioxide emissions would be much higher than the proposed European Commission norms which get in force from 2012. The proposal aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meet Kyoto Protocol targets, and will reduce the average CO2 emissions from new passenger cars in Europe from around 160 gms per km to 130 gms per km in 2012.

The emission issue has the potential to become a major roadblock for Tata Motors. While JLR could have offset higher CO2 emission of its fleet by balancing it by Ford’s fleet of light low-emission cars, the same is not possible under Tata Motors as it does not sell cars in Europe. So the exit of Ford from the basket means trouble for JLR.

Company however informs that is already looking at the overall reduction of its fleet emission by as much as 18 per cent over the next few years. Investment of £700 million is being done to develop and implement new environmental technologies including bio-fuels and hybrids, introduce new manufacturing materials and get light-weight structure for their cars.
Tata Motors says it does not come as a surprise to them and steps are being taken to meet the norms.

Crude oil crisis to unleash a price hike in petrol and diesel in India

Now it's the turn of the common man who dreams of owning a vehicle take a serious re-look.

In a press meet, Petroleum Secretary M S Srinivasan informed that with the surge in crude oil prices which have touched US$ 135 per barrel the situation had become alarming and to stem the rot from the beginning, the ministry was now seeking a hike of Rs 10 per litre in petrol and Rs 5 a litre in diesel prices. The cabinet is expected to take a final decision in the next 2/3 days to lower the projected Rs 2,00,000 crore under-realisation on sale of petrol, diesel, LPG and kerosene.

What becomes of the auto companies who already reeling under the input costs have been forced to announce price hikes of their models? Would that lead to a glut in the auto market sales? Time only will tell.

Cash discounts to compensate for auto price hikes in India

With the increase in car prices comes discounts. Most car companies are reported to be offering attractive discounts and freebies at the dealer's end thereby ensuring that sales do not peter off. For example, a mere hike of Rs. 2,000 on the WagonR petrol version is not deterring consumers to buy it when they are already availing a cash discount of Rs. 20,000 on its retail price.

Similarly other models like Zen Estilo are already getting a cash discount of Rs. 25,000 against its minuscule price rise of Rs. 1,000. It's other money-spinning model, Alto is also available with hefty discounts. Plus there is one year’s insurance thrown in free.

Also, Tata Motors are offering a cash discount of Rs. 20,000 on Indica while General Motors is offering an air-conditioned base version of the Spark at a 'special price' of Rs. 2.89 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), making it nearly Rs. 30,000 cheaper.

Hydrogen Cars Won't Make a Difference for 40 Years

President Bush, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the big automakers agree on this much: They love hydrogen-powered fuel cell technology and its promise of a zero-emission, petroleum-free future.

read more | digg story

The 21 Most Expensive Cars To Repair

(15) Hummer H3 [Base MSRP: $30,595] Five-Year Estimated Repair Cost: $1,244. Estimated Maintenance Cost: $2,055.

read more | digg story

Toyota India Dy.MD K K Swamy moves on

Interesting yet a bit startling. K K Swamy quits Toyota Kirloskar Motors...

The man who has been since the inception of Toyota Kirloskar Motors been the face of growth and prosperity for the company has decided to move on. His new stop is still not decided. Question remains: Why would a successful executive move when he can see the consolidation and fruition of all the efforts put in so far just round the corner? Or, is it the proverbial fatigue that plagues successful executives who then look for more challenges, but we feel, this is far from over at Toyota Kirloskar it self? Or, better still, is there something more which is beyond the public domain? Time will tell. We wish K K Swamy a great stint ahead - be it Volkswagen or others!

Now competition for Tata Nano?

It's official now. Bajaj Auto & Renault-Nissan JV to produce yet another small car from India in the US$ 2,500 price bracket.

The Indian mainline newspapers were awash yesterday with the news of yet another small car from India. Bajaj Auto who had released the prototype two days before the commencement of Delhi AutoExpo 2008 in January has finally declared that they will be launching the small car, codenamed ULC (ultra-low-cost) in 2011 in a joint venture with Renault-Nissan. Except that the engine of this small car will be positioned in the front of the vehicle like other cars and unlike Nano which has the engine placed at the back of the car, time will tell what all similarities or dis-similarities it will have with the Tata Nano and whether it will succeed in creating the hype and market presence that Nano has succeeded in doing till now.

Though consumers will get another choice in the small car segment, the ever-increasing fuel prices will require them to rethink for upgradation from two-wheelers to this four-wheel small. Time only will tell what the ingredients will be for the success of these vehicles in the market place?

Bangalore: Country's first mall for multi-brand cars

Would you still get your Maruti Dzire serviced at a dedicated Maruti workshop or at a multi-brand one that has a more general attitude?

Bangalore would soon have a first-of-its-kind, 50-acres multi-brand car mall near its new International Airport. Estimated to cost Rs 100 crore, it will have all car brands under a single roof besides an expansive testing circuit helping buyers test drive the vehicles of their choice. The mall will feature driving school, single-window counters to provide facilities for providing driving licence, new car registration counters and financing outlets. For the family, it will have facilities like food courts, multiplexes, gaming sections, etc which are anyway commonplace in other malls. It is learnt that plans are afoot to have a similar format for the two-wheelers. Premium brands like Rolls Royce and BMW have already taken the mall retail route, while some of the mid-segment players like Maruti Suzuki and Toyota are also known to be toying with retail plans. Please read the cover story on 'Mega Showrooms' in May Issue of WheelsUnplugged e-tabloid http://epaper.wheelsunplugged.com/
When brands compete on the same space better prices are a given! The downside however, is the non-specialised nature of these dealerships which calls for a relook at the unbiased view and suggestions offered by the sales staff in these malls. How well would a salesman know about the attributes of 5 hatchbacks, when most of them don’t even know a single brand well enough? In-depth training would be crucial along with strong ethics to resist pushing a particular product, only because of relatively higher incentives. For the dealers it could get better as fixed and operating costs then get covered across various brands given the wafer thin margins they have to operate presently. On the flip side, smaller dealers would get eased out of the business unless they receive some lifeblood from the manufacturer. It is therefore, important that multi-brand dealerships must excel at customer service and comprehensiveness in product range for it to succeed. This concept could work better in the smaller towns, but in bigger cities and metros the challenge continues. Would you still get your Maruti Dzire serviced at a dedicated Maruti workshop or at a multi-brand one that has a more general attitude?

Sharing the May Issue of WheelsUnplugged!

Cover Story
Brand it right!
A massive image enhancing exercise is underfoot in the auto industry - from mega showrooms to innovative rallies, finds Indu Prasad

Report: Maruti Suzuki Rally Desert Storm
Operation desert storm
The 6th Maruti Suzuki Rally Desert Storm recently concluded in Jaipur. Indu Prasad gives you a lowdown...

Retro: Ford Model T
The first people’s car: Ford Model T
WheelsUnplugged doffs its cap to the oldest... and the finest

Test Drive: Chevrolet Captiva
Captivating drive
What makes the new Chevrolet Captiva a worthy contender for segment leader Honda CR-V? Indu Prasad tells you

Accessories World: GPS Funda
Find your way...
With GPS navigation systems, you can have the world on your dashboard

My Say: Madhuri Sen
Honda Civic: A clutch problem mars the glam quotient
A car that is suited for all, winning all the awards last year and one of the best in the market, Honda Civic has just one minor hitch says Madhuri Sen of Text 100, a PR firm in Mumbai

Dream Car: Ferrari Scaglietti 612
Ferrari is coming...
Anamit Sen conjectures on Scaglietti 612, the car Ferrari might bring in when it finally comes to India

Celebrity Interview: Ramji Govindrajan
Adrenalin and just adrenalin is what it gives
From an aspiring professional racer in Chennai in the 90s to running plaNETsurf Creations, one of the leading web studios in Bangalore, Ramji Govindrajan has come a long way. One thing has stayed the same though: his passion of wheels

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Aren’t we still soft to offences for Drunken Driving ?

Indian Parliament Standing Committee’s tough recommendations that death due to drunken driving should now be seen as culpable homicide not amounting to murder actually leaves a lot to be desired still. It needs to be a lot tougher. India is one place where value of human life is still considered cheap. Haven’t we heard of cases of bleeding accident victims lying on roads seeking help from passing motorists, with to no avail. What has happened to traffic offences like speaking on mobiles while driving endangering the lives of all?

Another suggestion that penalties should be linked to the level of alcohol content is absurd. Police is ill-equipped to ascertain this at the time of booking the offence. The committee also recommended that every vehicle must be insured against third-party liability and a fixed amount from the premium, which can be worked out by the government, must be collected by the insurance agencies towards the corpus of the solatium fund. Also that the compensation amount may be increased to Rs 1 lakh in case of death and Rs 50,000 in case of grievous injury. Also, the compensation amount may be revised annually to factor in inflation.

The million dollar question still remains – all these are measures which are worked to control and penalize the offenders. Should it be that the moment one is found driving with alcohol shouldn’t the licence be impounded immediately like it is in Moscow. But in India you can manage another one immediately. We must remember that allowed to drive on the roads is a privilege the government allows which cannot be taken lightly. If you have to drink, then seek other means of transport, period. Fines are hardly a deterrent. Better impound the vehicle at the first offence. And the fines should be hefty say Rs. 200,000 to Rs.500,000/- and a prison term without bail from 6 months to 2 years depending upon the consequences of the offence like death happening due to it.