Datsun plans to introduce Alto rival in India by 2016

Nissan revived its low-cost Dastun brand to grab more market share in developing nations including India, South Africa, Indonesia and Russia, where people opt for budget friendly cars instead of high-tech and expensive products. Go hatchback will be the first Datsun car to be introduced in India by early 2014, following by Go+ MPV by the end of the next year. We reported earlier that Nissan will launch 7 new products by 2016, out of which three comes from Datsun badge. The third Datsun product will be a small car, which will be priced around Rs. 2-3 lakh to compete against India's top selling car, the Maruti Suzuki Alto.

With its small car (Codenamed I2), Datsun aims to sell around 8,000- 9,000 units a month. Hyundai's Eon also managed to generate same sales number, while the Maruti sells about 20,000 units of Alto a month. This segment accounts for 20 per cent of total India's passenger vehicle market.

Speaking to FE, Nissan Motor India vice-president Ajay Raghuvanshi said, “First will be Go and Go+, then the third car is most likely another small car in the Alto segment which is huge. Everything will depend on the Datsun Go’s reach, because this will decide the fate of the brand. It will be the first touch point of the brand and all our energies are on to make it successful in India.”

By seeing the increasing competition, Honda Cars India is also aiming to introduce a small car, however nothing has been finalised on the same. If all goes well, the Japanese automaker will need a new third plant. 

Auto Expo tickets are available at BookMyShow.com

Organizers of the 12th Auto Expo – The Motor Show 2014 today announced the commencement of online booking of tickets for the event to be held in Greater Noida at India Expo Mart from February 7th - 11th, 2014. The advance online booking will be open for public fromFriday, December20th , 2013, 11:00 AM onwards at ‘www.bookmyshow.com’, organizers’ ticketing partner.

The organizers have introduced online booking facility keeping in mind the visitors’ convenience. The initiative will minimize the efforts to secure entry and will enable a larger number of visitors to attend the event. Visitors can also opt for home delivery of tickets in select cities within India for all tickets booked till31st January 2014, at a nominal service charge.

The ticket will cost Rs 200 for General visitors during the general hours on weekdays and Rs 300 for Weekends. For Business visitors, the ticket will cost Rs 500 for business hours on weekdays.
Announcing the development, the organizers said that, with tickets available on internet, we hope that visitors will be able to block tickets well in advance. The tickets will be available round the clock on the website offering ease for visitors to make booking on a real-time basis.

Apart from online booking options, tickets will also be available at select locations in NCR-Delhi through Bookmyshow Phone Booking facility and Direct Purchase option near the venue during the show.

Auto Expo is being jointly organized by Automotive Components Manufacturers Association (ACMA), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) at two different venues in 2014. The Motor Show is being held at India Exposition Mart Ltd, Greater Noida from 7th – 11th February, 2014and the Component Show is being held at Pragati Maidan from 6th – 9th February, 2014. Entry for the Component Show is free.

Aston Martin to open up in Mexico

Aston Martin is set to add to the company’s dealership reach across the Americas by opening a new dedicated showroom in Mexico City, marking the British brand’s first foray in the country.

Opening for business in quarter one 2014, Aston Martin Mexico City will launch with a new 4,500 sq.ft showroom capable of housing six Aston Martin sports cars. In addition to a customer reception area and new car gallery - all finished in distinctive corporate identity - the new dealership partner will also cater for the servicing needs of Aston Martin owners throughout the country.

Julian Jenkins, Regional Director, Aston Martin The Americas said: “In the continued development of our retail network across the Americas, we have carefully considered the right locations and appropriate partners to support our growth plans.

“Consequently I am delighted that in this new appointment we have found the fitting partners who share our passion for the Aston Martin brand and are well placed to help us grow our presence in the emerging Mexican market.”

The new dealership will be led by entrepreneurs and experienced automotive specialists, Martin Josephi and Fernando Macias. Located in the upscale Polanco area of northwest Mexico City, the new showroom is perfectly situated to help grow Aston Martin’s presence in the region.

Aston Martin Mexico City Dealer Principal, Martin Josephi commented: “We are extremely proud to bring to Mexico one of the most iconic and sought after automotive brands in the world.

“We are confident that Aston Martin will be very well received by the sophisticated luxury automobile clients in our market; customers that will truly appreciate the power, beauty and soul of each Aston Martin.”

The new Aston Martin Mexico City appointment brings the company’s total dealerships to 41 across the Americas and is the first retail site in Mexico.

Aston Martin is a modern, exclusive sports car brand with a unique heritage instantly recognised around the world. In distinctively fusing the latest technology, time-honoured craftsmanship and graceful styling to produce a range of critically acclaimed performance sports cars, Aston Martin has been elevated to a position as one of the world’s most revered brands.

In 2013 Aston Martin has been marking its first 100 years with a series of international celebrations highlighting the unique success of the brand worldwide. The globally-renowned British luxury sports car maker currently offers its strongest product line-up, with the introductions of three new cars in 2013 – the Vanquish Volante, V12 Vantage S and four-door Rapide S as well as the stunning CC100 Speedster Concept.

Honda introduces new advanced active safety features for Civic- UK

Honda, the Japanese automaker will introduce a new range of advanced active safety features, including advanced laser-radar cameras and sensors, in British-built Civic models from 2014.

Both the new Civic Tourer and Civic hatchback will benefit from the new Driver Assistance Safety Pack. The sophisticated sensor-based technologies included in the Pack help avoid a collision and ensure that high levels of safety are affordable and accessible to a wide range of customers within the compact family-car segment.

The Driver Assistance Safety Pack features the following systems:

City-Brake Active System

Forward Collision Warning

High Beam Support System

Traffic Sign Recognition System

Blind Spot Information

Cross Traffic Monitor

Whether dropping children to school, moving across a busy city or travelling on the motorway, Honda’s new safety technology systems will be hard at work, helping to prevent accidents wherever possible and, when an accident is unavoidable, working hard to mitigate the impact. 

Hyundai Grand i10 sedan launch on February 4, 2014

Hyundai India is all set to launch the Grand i10 based sedan in the country on February 4, 2014 in New Delhi. The vehicle has been spotted several times during its test rounds on the highways of Tamil Nadu, where Hyundai's manufacturing plant is situated.

With Grand i10 sedan, the Korean automaker will enter the growing compact sedan segment, which is currently ruled by the Maruti Swift Dzire and Honda's first ever diesel car, Amaze. The company phased out its renowned Accent from India, which would help Hyundai to position the new compact sedan nicely in the lineup.

The sedan will share most of its design and interior components from its sibling hatch. Under the hood, it will get the same 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder petrol unit that churns out a maximum power output of 82bhp and 114Nm of torque. The diesel powered compact sedan will have the 1.1-litre, 4-cylinder mill producing 70bhp and 160Nm. Hyundai i20's 1.4-litre diesel engine will not make its way to the new car.

Both the engines will carryover the same transmission options as well. While the petrol mill will be coupled to a manual and an automatic transmission, the diesel will only get a manual gearbox. The vehicle is expected to be priced around Rs. 5 lakh.