Peugeot Officially Enters India On 5th January

Peugeot will officially enter India on the 5th of January, 2012 at the Auto Expo. The French automaker will unveil the Peugeot brand in India by showcasing its range of cars at the biennial event. Mr. Frederic Fabre, Managing Director of PSA Peugeot Citroen, along with Mr. Thierry Poirat, Vice President, Peugeot India, will be present on the occasion and will address the press conference to the media. Just a last month the company broke the founding stone at it’s India facility, which is located at Gujarat and will start churning out cars in 2014. Till then, Peugeot will have to do its ground work to set up an dealership network.

Those living in and around Pune must have spotted Peugeot vehicles sporting MH46 plates on multiple occasion. Peugeot has given the 207 hatchback and 508 sedan to an independent agency to conduct various tests. These tests are being done to know the road worthiness of Peugeot cars on Indian soil. Peugeot will showcase the 508 sedan at the Auto Expo but we hope that the company showcases the 208 hatchback and not the 207 hatchback. The French automaker could launch the 508 in India next year, bringing it in as a CBU and following a top down approach. We will have to wait and watch to see how successful Peugeot India is in it’s second innings.

 

 

Renault To Launch Pulse On 6th January

Renault will be entering into the volume segment with the launch of the Pulse hatchback. The French automaker will launch the Renault Pulse on the 6th of January at the 2012 Auto Expo. The Renault Pulse is nothing but a re-badged Micra. Nissan realized that many buyers were put off by the feminine looks of the Micra and thus Renault has tried to make the Pulse look like a male Micra. The sporty front and alloy wheels are the distinctive changes on the Pulse, which will help it differentiate itself from its sibling. However, the overall resemblance to the Micra is very evident and the siblings are not as different as say the Volkswagen Vento – Skoda Rapid.

The Renault Pulse will not only look like the Micra but drive like one too. Underneath the skin lie the same two engines which power the Micra. The 1.2-liter petrol and 1.5-liter diesel engines are decent for the job and are quite frugal. Don’t expect tarmac burning performance as the petrol motor produces produces 75 BHP of power ar 6000 RPM and 104 Nm of torque at 4000 RPM. The diesel on the other hand produces a modest 64 BHP of power at 4000 RPM and 160 Nm of torque at 2000 RPM. Looking at how Renault has prices its vehicles in India, we expect the Pulse to be positioned above the Micra. This is certainly not good news as the Micra itself is struggling to sell amidst established rivals like the Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Hyundai i20.

If Renault wanted to position the Pulse as a premium version of the Micra, the company could have easily offered more power. Remember, the 1.5-liter dCi K9K motor’s power can be configured upto 110 BHP on step 4. More so, Nissan is a more established brand in India and for Renault to command a premium, the company should offer something more. Renault dealers have already started taking bookings for the Pulse and test drive cars are expected to arrive at showroom early next week. A wide range of accessories will be offered for the Pulse at the dealership level to help customers customize their vehicles as per their liking.

 

 

Complete Details Of The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga MPV

The country’s largest car maker, Maruti Suzuki is all set to make its debut of its MPV, the Ertiga at the 2012 Auto Expo to be held in New Delhi. Maruti Suzuki is going to enter into the all new MPV segment with this vehicle, a segment which till now has been dominated by its Japanese competitor, Toyota Innova. The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is based on the Ritz platform and carries over the front styling of the Ritz to the Eritga also. The head lights peeled all the way back show sportiness and it seems to be a carry-over from its premium hatchback, the Swift. The front bumper styling is also quite aggressive with its large air intakes and fog lamp enclosures. The rear section with relatively smaller swept back tail lamps seems to be lacking somewhat in the styling department.

The Maruti Ertiga is going to be offered both in petrol and diesel powertain options. The petrol variant is going to be powered by a 1.4-liter K-series engine that produces 95 BHP of power and 13 kgm of torque. The diesel variant employs the same Fiat sourced 1.3-liter producing 89 BHP of power and 20.39 kgm of torque. The Ertiga, a 7-seater vehicle is directly going to take on the Toyota Innova, the Tata Aria and the Mahindra Xylo. The Ertiga has a wheelbase of 2740 mm and measures 4265 mm in length and 1685 mm in height. Though, not expected to be as spacious as the Innova, the second and third row seats is likely to be sufficiently comfortable with roof mounted AC vents for better cooling. However, option of climate control is not going to be available even in the top-end variant. The dashboard is more of a carry-over from Swift with the application of lighter materials for improved fuel economy. Expect an aggressive pricing between Rs. 6 to 9 lakhs.