Porsche Panamera may hit Indian roads by Sep 2009

Panamera, the new car from Porsche is likely to roll out in India by Sep 2009, after making its European debut in late summer 2009. Sources say that that Precision Car India (its sole importer in the country) has already ordered 50 units of Panamera.

The new Porsche Panamera comes with a wide range of features quite unparalleled in the premium segment. Among all the characteristics typical of a genuine Porsche the extra-low and sleek coupe silhouette, that offers ample space inside for four passengers and variable loading space for luggage.

The Panamera also proudly boasts of power units offering a high standard of fuel efficiency and low exhaust emission without compromising on performance. All power units featured in the Panamera are modern V-engines with either six or eight cylinders covering a power range from 300 - 500 bhp and featuring Direct Fuel Injection. The new car will be priced above. Rs. 86 lakh for the Indian market.

Porsche India, which sold 168 units last year, has set a target of 250 units in the current year.

Source: http://news.infibeam.com/blog/news/2009/02/07/porsche_panamera_may_hit_indian_roads_by_sep_2009.html

Maruti to produce more popular cars for festive season

New Delhi: In a bid to cash-in on the ongoing festive season, India's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India has increased production of its 'hotcake' models by about 6,000 units in September after continuously reducing in the previous four months.

A company official told PTI that in September Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) hiked production of the A2 models (Alto, Zen Estilo, WagonR and Swift) by about 6,000 units to meet festival season demands.

Interestingly, as per Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers figures, the company had been constantly cutting down productions of these models from May to August this year.

In August, the company cut production by 5.22 per cent over the same period last year, making 39,241 units in the segment during the month against 41,402 units in the same month last year.

From May to July, MSI had cut production of A2 models by 3.56 per cent, 4.44 per cent and 1.57 per cent, respectively.

Market sources had pointed out that the production cut was mainly in Zen Estilo and WagonR, which are not as hot-selling as Alto and Swift.

When asked about this cut, the official said the company's productions were "as per the original plan".

"Whatever production cut were made in those months, have been already up in September and for the ongoing fiscal, our cumulative production is already more than what we did in the comparable period last fiscal," the official added.

MSI expects the demand for the A2 models to shot up during the ongoing festive season and it expected to rise it further during Diwali.

It had recorded a 1.45 per cent sales growth in July, whereas it declined by 10.07 per cent in August at 46,811 units from 52,055 units in the year-ago period.
Source: www.mid-day.com

No price cut for Maruti Suzuki India

New Delhi: Country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India, today said it has no plans to cut the price of Maruti 800 to compete with Tata Motors' Nano.
The company will be launching its new compact car A-Star, by October this year followed by Splash, next year.
"We are not in a position to get into that segment (Nano). And we have no plans to cut the price of M 800 (Maruti 800) to compete with Nano," Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director Shinzo Nakanishi told reporters on the sidelines of the SIAM Annual Convention 2008 here.
He said the company will be launching its new global compact car, A-Star in India, by October this year, and will start exports of the same by December-January.
"We will launch Splash in India next year," Nakanishi said.
He said the company is hopeful of good sales during the festive season, but added that margins are under pressure due to rising input costs.

source: www.mid-day.com