Global sales of Toyota Prius crosses 3 million units

Toyota holds a special place in our hearts for always being a few big steps ahead of its competitors in 'hybrid vehicle' technology and, more importantly, popularizing it to the masses. While most other manufacturers were still contemplating on which amongst 'hybrid', 'pure electric' and 'fuel cell' is the best alternative to internal combustion engines to plonk in their resources and were taking baby-steps towards them, Toyota plunged chest-deep, pooled in its funds and came out with the Prius, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid passenger car, in 1997. Remember, they had no clue then on what would be the result of this highly-expensive experiment.

But now, a decade and half later, Toyota is laughing all the way, with an enormous technical, commercial and marketing lead in 'hybrids' over competitors that are trying to catch up quickly. The Prius, that started off as a single model, has grown into a sub-brand of its own now, encompassing a family of hybrid vehicles. If that wasn't enough, catching up with the Prius just got a bit more difficult as it’s cumulative global sales crossed 3 million units in the month of June-2013. Add the fact that the combined global sales of all ‘Hybrid’ models of Toyota crossed the 5 million milestone earlier this year (March-2013), and it calls for a celebration.

Thanks to Toyota's website, we now know that the Prius was born of a comment made by its president Eiji Toyoda in September-1993. “In the 21st century, is it acceptable to go on making cars the same way? Shouldn’t we rethink manufacturing from the ground up?” were the statements that eventually led to the launch of Prius on October-14, 1997. The car was a result of loads of research done on user-friendliness, body size, design, fuel economy and environmental and social issues in a 21st century automobile, which led to the concept of a motor and engine working together as a "hybrid" system.

The Prius was not a sensational hit immediately on launch. But, slowly and steadily, it became the darling of the automotive industry with both the general public and a host of celebrities embracing the new ‘green’ thing in town. When its sales ended in 2003, the first-generation Prius had found 123,000 customers. The second-generation model, that was launched in 2003 and was on sale until 2011, was more successful and touched a cumulative sales figure of 1.19 million units globally. Launched in 2011, the third-generation model has already raced to 1.69 million units, with the number increasing steadily.

A point to be noted is that these numbers do not include the sales of Prius off-springs like Alpha, c, v, Plug-in Hybrid, etc. which would add up another 0.5 million units approximately.

Though Toyota did launch the third-generation Prius in India, the lack of incentives from the government and the duties and taxes charged on importing the Completely Built Units (CBU) into the country meant that the Prius retails at an astronomical price tag of INR 32 Lakhs ex-showroom Chennai for the top-end variant. Not surprisingly, sighting a Prius on our roads is as rare as spotting an Italian exotic. Here is us wishing to see more Prii (plural of Prius) in India.

Ford celebrates production of 7 millionth Transit van

This seems to be a season of landmarks in the automotive industry. Merely days after Volkswagen celebrated a production milestone of 30 million units of its Golf, Ford Motor Company has announced reaching a production milestone of its own. The American manufacturer recently witnessed the roll-out of the seven millionth Transit van. Considering that commercial vehicles like the Transit don’t enjoy popularity and sales unlike cars do, this is a significant moment for Ford.

The story of Transit began in 1965 in Europe, with the model becoming an instant hit in the continent thanks to its practicality and versatility. Since then, Ford has developed a range of body-styles and variants of the Transit including parcel vans, tipper trucks, campers and bare chassis as well.

Production and sales of the Transit van crossed the first million in 1976, while the subsequent million milestones were reached in 1985, 1994, 2000, 2005 and 2010. Until 1996, Europe remained the sole production location of the Transit, with new plants in Nanchang, China and Hai Duong, Vietnam starting production in 1997. The plant in Nanchang, China is a joint-venture between Ford Motor Company and its strategic Chinese partner Jiangling Motors Corp (JMC) and produces both Ford-branded vehicles and JMC-branded vehicles for the burgeoning Chinese market. It was this Chinese plant that rolled out the seven millionth Transit last week with the celebrations coinciding with the opening of a new assembly line for the commercial vehicle.

Participating in the celebrations along with Wang Xigao, Chairman, Jiangling Motors Corp, Ford Motor Company’s President and CEO Alan Mullaly said, “The Ford Transit plays a significant role in the lives and jobs of millions of people. From getting workers to a building site, to delivering important packages, or even rushing a patient to the hospital, people all over the world rely on Ford Transits to get the job done. The Ford Transit has a superb heritage and an even brighter future. As we pass this incredible seven million milestone, we look forward to helping even more customers get their businesses moving forward with a Transit.”

With the all-new Transit series going on sale recently with an expanded lineup that includes Transit Custom, Transit Connect and Transit Courier and the Transit series venturing into hitherto unexplored markets like North America, sales are expected to grow further. And that means the eight millionth Transit is not too far away.

Volkswagen Golf production crosses 30 Million units

Successful automobiles around the world reach and pass milestones every now and then, but this is one pretty big landmark. Volkswagen recently celebrated the roll out of the 30 millionth Golf from its Wolfsburg facility in Germany. Since its debut in 1974, the Golf has had a mighty successful run around the world and more so in Europe, enabling the German car-maker to reach this milestone in just 39 years. To help us get a better perspective of this landmark, Volkswagen says that, statistically speaking, an average of over 2000 people have purchased a new Golf every day for the past 39 years. Do you want us to say anything more?

That this huge milestone came in the same year in which the Golf has been awarded the coveted "World Car of the Year" title would make it even sweeter for Volkswagen.

When the Golf was initially launched, it was a big moment for Volkswagen as this model was an indirect successor to the ultra-successful Beetle. Klaus Bischoff, Head of Design for the Volkswagen brand says, "It all began in 1974 with a revolution. The step from the Beetle to the Golf was revolutionary. A new vehicle layout was created with the conversion from an air-cooled rear engine to a water-cooled front engine and from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive. In terms of the car's styling, Volkswagen designers switched from round shapes to a rectangular design structure - based on the legendary design study by Giorgio Giugiaro."

Since then, the Golf has become a benchmark for the industry and for Volkswagen itself, as all competing cars and every other car that Volkswagen produced was pitted against it. Since its debut in 1974, the Golf has gone through seven full generation changes with each successive model raising the bar for the segment and placing the Golf firmly on top. For us though, the best part of Volkswagen Golf was its evolving design and styling that just kept improving over the last 39 years without ever taking a radical departure from the first generation model. The 30 millionth Golf was a TDI BlueMotion variant which, incidentally, happens to be the most fuel-efficient Golf ever built.

Speaking on this landmark, Prof. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG said, "The history of the Golf is also the history of automotive progress. With technologies such as the safe front-wheel drive of the first Golf, the debut of the TDI in the third Golf, ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and the dual clutch gearbox of the fourth Golf and the standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System of the new generation, this car has continued to democratise progress. An optimum of safety, comfort and driving fun are no longer a question of money thanks to the Golf. And so our bestseller lives up to the Volkswagen name."

While all this is good to read and know, its a pity that we wouldn't be able to drive such a brilliant car on Indian roads anytime soon.

2013 Geneva - Lamborghini unveils Veneno, celebrates its 50th anniversary in style

Anniversaries don't get better and more exotic than this. In the year of it's 50th anniversary, Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A of Italy has presented itself and, of course all of us, with an all-new, outlandishly-designed and extremely-exclusive super sports car christened the 'Veneno'. Staying true to the tradition of naming its models after bulls, the Veneno, not surprisingly, owes its name to one of the fastest and strongest fighting bulls ever. Apart from this grey-coloured prototype that comes with red, white and green accents depicting the colours of the Italian flag, just 3 Venenos - one each in red, white and green will be produced and sold, each of them costing 3 Million Euros.

That's more than INR 20 Crores by the way. And, it doesn't include taxes. Before you start dreaming, let us also declare that you won't be able to buy one even if you have that kind of cash on hand. Even before it's unveiling at the ongoing 2013 Geneva Motor Show, all 3 Venenos have been spoken for by three lucky souls in the planet.

We are used to seeing evil and wicked cars from Lamborghini in the past, but the Veneno beats them all in a way that's only possible for a Lamborghini. Every single detail in the Veneno is outlandishly evil, with function taking precedence over form. As Lamborghini's press release mentions, the Veneno is all about exceptional dynamics, optimal down-force with minimal drag and perfect cooling of the high-performance engine. What that means to you and me is every vent, crease, fin, wing and recess that you see in Veneno's sheet metal, including the asymmetrical wheel wells, are there for a purpose and not just for the heck of it. Regular Lamborghini design cues such as the scissor doors and Y-shaped lights render some familiarity to the Veneno.

With statistics like 6.5 liters of engine displacement, V12 configuration, 750 hp of peak power, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 355 km/h, the Veneno is capable of road-shattering performance. Extensive usage of CFRP (carbon fiber-reinforced plastic) in and out ensures that the Veneno's power-to-weight ratio is surreal, making it a street-legal race car by all means.

Don't forget to get intimidated by clicking on each of these official pictures of the Veneno released by the company. Given the fact that we may never get to lay our hands on one of these cars, that's the next best thing to do.

Hyundai celebrates world's first series production of Zero-Emission Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles

The white Hyundai ix35 that you see in this post created history on 26th of February, 2013 when it became the first series-produced fuel cell automobile in the world. Plant 5 in Hyundai's Ulsan manufacturing complex in South Korea was the venue of this landmark achievement that was attended by the company's top management and VIPs. With this, Hyundai is trying to prove the point that fuel cell vehicles are not far off from everyday usage. Though there are quite a few manufacturers working on this technology that's proving to be a great alternative to pure electric vehicles, this move from Hyundai is a giant stride in the world of Zero-Emission vehicles.

Expressing his thoughts at the event, Hyundai Motor Vice Chairman Eok Jo Kim said, “With the ix35 Fuel Cell vehicle, Hyundai is leading the way into the zero-emissions future. The ix35 Fuel Cell is the most eco-friendly vehicle in the auto industry and proves that hydrogen fuel cell technology in daily driving is no longer a dream.”

Between now and 2015, Hyundai plans to build around 1000 units of the ix35 Fuel Cell for lease to public and private fleets. Most of these would primarily be in Europe, as European Union has established a hydrogen road map and initiated construction of hydrogen fueling stations. After 2015, with lowered production costs and a further-developed hydrogen infrastructure, the company will begin manufacturing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for retail sales as well. With this, Hyundai has achieved its openly-stated claim of being a global leader in the hydrogen fuel cell race.

The ix35 Fuel Cell is a result of over 14 years and many hundred million Euros of research and development by hundreds of engineers at Hyundai's Fuel Cell R&D Center in Mabuk, Korea. Boasting proprietary technology underneath, the ix35 Fuel Cell is powered by hydrogen. A fuel cell stack converts this hydrogen into electricity, which turns the vehicle’s motor. The only emission generated by the ix35 Fuel Cell is "water", making it a true 'Zero-Emission' vehicle that doesn't draw grid power which could have been generated by polluting means.

Not only did the modularization of fuel cell stack, driving device and inverter helped Hyundai downsize the engine to match that of a gasoline engine, the company also claims that the ix35 Fuel Cell has drive-ability and performance similar to that of it's petrol sibling. With a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration time of 12.5 seconds, a top speed of 160 km/h and a single-charge range of 594 km, we don't dispute Hyundai's claim at all.

If only the top honchos here could get a hint from this and start developing infrastructure for a cleaner, greener and meaner India, we could also get a chance to drive cars like this. Until then, all we can do, even if interested, is check out the ix35 Fuel Cell in person at the upcoming 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

Sales of Tata Ace mini-truck crosses 1 Million units

It’s amazing how Tata Motors, with all the brickbats that it receives on a regular basis, continues to be a trend-setter in the automotive space, often creating whole new segments in the process. We need not remind you about the flutter that Tata created across the globe when the Nano, unfortunately popularized as the ‘world’s cheapest car’, was first unveiled at the 2008 Auto Expo. At the same time, not many would be remembering the Nano’s predecessor of sorts, a model that followed the same concept as Nano, in commercial vehicles. Yes, we are referring to the Ace mini-truck, a success story beyond description.

The Ace was conceived and developed to fill a void in the market for last-mile goods carriers, where Tata Motors thought was great potential. That was a segment dominated by rickety and noisy three-wheelers like Piaggio Ape, Force Minidor and Mahindra Champion Alfa. Boy, were they right? The arrival of Ace not only created an all-new segment in the commercial vehicle space but also spelled doom for the three-wheeled goods carriers. The advantages of Ace in terms of comfort, stability and power vis-à-vis the competing three-wheelers were glaringly obvious and too good to ignore for the customers. As a result, the Ace went from strength to strength and forced every other manufacturer out there to come out with a model to compete against it. Mahindra Maxximo, Force Trump, Piaggio Ape Truk, Ashok-Leyland Dost, etc. should thank Tata Motors for their very existence.

First launched in 2005, the Ace was an instant hit and sales during the initial period was restricted only due to limited production capacity. Once the Pantnagar plant in Uttarakhand came on steam with a capacity of 500,000 units per year, sales shot up significantly. As is the norm with Tata, they just kept adding variants to the Ace line-up, the most significant being the Ace Magic people-carrier which has stormed the semi-urban and rural marketplace. To give you an idea, Tata now sells Ace HT, Super Ace and Ace Zip in goods segment and Ace Magic, Magic Iris and Venture in the passenger segment, all of which are based on the same platform. It doesn’t end there. Tata Motors is planning to launch a facelift of the mini-truck called the Ace EX along with many new variants to keep the Ace line-up as fresh as a daisy.

With cumulative sales of the Ace mini-truck crossing 1 Million units, Tata Motors recently held a press release to celebrate the occasion. The landmark was achieved in August-2012, just 2680 days from the date of its launch. While it took 2 years to cross the first 100,000 units, sales crossed 500,000 units in 2010, just 5 years after launch. The remaining 500,000 units, remarkably, were crossed in just 2 years. To put this achievement in the right perspective, the Ace has crossed 1 million unit sales quicker than some super-successful passenger cars in India like the Maruti-Suzuki Alto and Hyundai Santro.

Without a doubt, the Ace family has become a phenomenon in India like no other. The best part is that this success is all set to continue. If only Tata could replicate this in the passenger car segment with the Nano, we would be glad!

Ford Focus creates history, it is Ford's 350 Millionth Vehicle and the world's best selling car so far in 2012

Landmarks come and go in every company's life cycle but this is one almighty landmark that Ford celebrated recently. On 31-Aug-2012, the American manufacturer rolled out its, hold your breath, 350 Millionth Vehicle off its assembly line. Yes, you read that right. It is not 1, not 10, heck not even 100, it is a whopping 350 Million. Before you start counting the number of zeros in that number, here are some facts given by John Fleming, Executive Vice-President of global manufacturing at Ford, on the occasion. "Producing 350 million vehicles is equivalent to producing one vehicle every 10 seconds for our 109-year history. If placed end to end, the vehicles would stretch to the moon and back - twice. To put that in the right perspective, Ford would have rolled out a vehicle by the time you finish reading this sentence and the one immediately afterwards.

The car that marked the event was a red 2012 Focus Hatchback manufactured at Ford Thailand Manufacturing, the company's newest vehicle assembly plant inaugurated just a few months back at Rayong, Thailand. Though Ford would have preferred celebrating this landmark with a Mustang or a F150, it's head-turner and volume-churner respectively, the Focus has risen to the occasion splendidly with a huge landmark of its own. For the first six months of this year, the Ford Focus has become the best-selling car nameplate in the world, apparently beating the perennial best-seller Toyota Corolla by a handsome margin. "The Focus is a winner on so many levels because it successfully provides customers with what they want most - a safe, smart, fuel-efficient, good-looking, fun-to-drive, affordable car", said Jim Farley, Ford's group Vice-president for global marketing, sales and service.

Founded by Henry Ford in the year 1903, Ford Motor Company led the industry in its nascent stages with the phenomenally successful Model T, that paved way for affordable cars across the world. It took more than 50 years for the company to reach its first 50 Million units, while the remaining 300 Million units have been produced in the subsequent 50. Ford safely glided through the recent economic recession in 2008 even as its fellow country rivals GM and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy. Though it lost more than a few brands along the way including the iconic Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin, focusing on the core 'Ford' brand has proved to be remarkably successful for the company. The recent 'One Ford' mantra of developing and producing identical vehicles to be sold across the world has yielded huge benefits and the Focus was born out of the same philosophy.

Check out this picture below that neatly depicts the production milestones crossed by Ford in its history spanning 109 years.

While this is all well and good, for us, Ford means 'Ecosport' at the moment. Bring it on Ford, India needs a whole lot of them right now to clear the Dust(er)!

Maruti-Suzuki Alto crosses 2 Million units in sales

For the kind of volumes that India's largest car manufacturer Maruti-Suzuki churns out month on month with amazing regularity, milestones are bound to be crossed often. Don't believe us? Take this, the company crossed a domestic sales landmark of a whooping 10 million units this February and followed it up with it's 1 millionth export milestone in April. But this is a special milestone belonging to a particular model and one that no other car in India has achieved before. Smashing existing records and creating new ones isn't new for Maruti-Suzuki in general and Alto in particular. After all, this was the car that broke the two-decade old dominance of 800 and took over the mantle as India's largest selling car in 2004. And there has been no looking back ever since.

Amongst other feats, the Alto was also the fastest car to reach the 1 million sales landmark, a record that is now comprehensively beaten by itself. While it took 8 years and 3 months to reach the first million, the next came in just 3 years and 6 months. Oh yes, don't be so surprised, as the last couple of years have seen the Alto break every conceivable sales landmark in India. It became the only car to cross 300,000 units in sales in one calendar year, a feat that it first achieved in 2010 and then again in 2011. Consistent performances like these have now put Alto firmly in the global map as one of the best selling cars in the world. That the Alto still ended up losing out to Swift since April inspite of this phenomenal run is another story altogether.

Talking about this historic performance, Mayank Pareek, COO, Marketing and Sales at Maruti-Suzuki India said, "The Alto’s superior fuel efficiency, compact sleek design, good maneuverability and overall low cost of ownership are the attributes that make it the best car for first time buyers. The Alto as a complete package continues to win customer's hearts and surprise everyone with its performance". As neatly summed-up, the Alto is still 'the' perfect choice for many first-time car buyers. With the 800-cc variants catering to the value-conscious and the 1000-cc K10 variants targeted towards the power-conscious, the Alto fields two interesting games in its ploy to massacre the competition. Buckle up Tata Nano and Hyundai Eon, the King still reigns supreme!

Sales of Bajaj Pulsar crosses 5 Million units

There is no denying the fact that 'Pulsar' was, and still is, a magic brand for Bajaj Auto. It not only became a huge success in the market fending off every single competitor, but also changed the face of Bajaj once and for all. A company that was considered a perennial scooter-maker became a serious contender in motorcycles all of a sudden, that too in the performance segment, no less. Now, the Pulsar has crossed yet another major milestone in terms of sales. "The (Pulsar) brand has crossed the landmark 5 million sales mark, while celebrating a decade of existence. Pulsar is the only brand in the performance segment which has crossed the 5 million mark in India," Bajaj Auto Ltd. said in a statement.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. K. Srinivas, President (Motorcycle Business), Bajaj Auto, said, "Not many brands in the Indian automobile space have crossed the 5 million mark. This holds true even for mass motorcycles. The Pulsar range has received many accolades over the years." That is quite true as the Pulsar has always been a big-seller since its launch in the year 2001. Starting off with 150 cc and 180 cc variants, Bajaj gradually expanded the range with 200 cc, 220 cc and, most recently, even 135 cc variants. Be it technological innovations (DTS-i, ExhausTEC, Nitrox) or feature additions (LED taillights, back-lit instrument cluster, digital gauges), the Pulsar has always been a trend-setter forcing the competition to follow suit.

As much as the product was good, Bajaj's advertising campaign was electric too with the 'Definitely Male', 'The Fastest Indian' and 'Pulsarmania' campaigns making the Pulsar range the default choice for motorcycle enthusiasts across the country. A market share of 44% in the performance motorcycle segment at this day and age of cut-throat competition stands testimony to the popularity of the Pulsar. All this popularity and craze is only going to soar much higher later in the year once the Pulsar 200 NS goes on sale. This bike that was recently unveiled by Bajaj and wears a stunning 'Naked Sports' design, is a technological and packaging wonder and is expected to span a host of engine variants. We are about to witness the rebirth of a legend!

Maruti 800 all set to become history by end April, 2012

"And it is my desire that this motor car will serve the ordinary people of India and they will have no complaint about it. I hope it will contribute in every aspect of the nation building", said the late Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi at the launch of Maruti 800 on December 14, 1983. The launch of the car marked the fulfillment of her late son's dream of a "people's car" for India. Suzuki came into the picture after Maruti's earlier attempts of forging a partnership with Volkswagen and Daihatsu for making an affordable car for the Indian masses failed. Looking back at it, we are pretty sure Volkswagen and Toyota (parent of Daihatsu) would be regretting that decision now. That is because the production run of the car that was born as a result of that partnership, the 800, is going to come to an end by the end of this month.

Yes, April 2012 will go on record as the car that revolutionized the Indian automotive industry finally retires after a 29-year long production run. In an industry where a 5 year old product is seen as outdated, that's quite an achievement. When it was launched, the only other cars in India were the Hindustan Ambassador and Premier Padmini, that were not only expensive and long in the tooth but also came with huge waiting lists. The 800 came and massacred those two relegating them to history slowly but steadily. We strongly believe that the ascent of the Maruti 800 sort of fueled the descent of the Ambassador and Padmini. Since the very first year of its launch, Maruti 800 has been the best selling car in India, a title that it held until 2004 when its own sibling, the Alto took over the top spot after Maruti slashed prices massively.

With over 2.7 million families having spent their hard-earned money to own one, we know that it is going to be one emotional farewell to the 800 from each one of them. For its price, the 800 was as complete a car as it can get. Compared to the competition, it was quick, luxurious, contemporary, nimble, reliable and the best of all cheap. It is those qualities that has endeared the 800 to its owners till date. Most of the men and women who grew up in 80's and 90's would have, by default, learnt driving in this car. Stop someone by the roadside and they will definitely have a story to share with the iconic 800. It really was the car that put India on wheels and something that we can call our own like what Fiat 500 is to Italy and Volkswagen Beetle is to Germany. The 800 is a legend, for sure!

As a tribute to the iconic little car, we drove a 1984 Maruti 800 earlier this year, one of the initial lot that came with imported components. And we have to admit that it was massive fun piloting the car around. Read about that drive experience here. And, last but not the least, just like thousands of fellow Indians out there, I also learnt driving in a Maruti 800, the one in the picture to the right.  I can't really wind this post up without saying that, can I?

Chevrolet celebrates 100 years of existence with a host of events

By any standards, a hundred years is a long time. In that sense, Chevrolet has had a really long history, one that dates back to 3rd of November, 1911. That was when Louis Chevrolet and former GM founder William C. Durant founded the bowtie brand in Detroit, USA. Since then, Chevrolet, or 'Chevy' as it is fondly referred to by its fans, has really expanded its base and is now well and truly a global brand with presence in over 140 countries and an annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles. To mark its 100th year, Chevrolet celebrated with a series of events across America and around the world on Thursday (Nov-03), the day in which the brand was founded.



The activities marked the end of a year-long celebration of Chevrolet's Centennial that kicked off in January at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and included events in Chevrolet hometowns across the world. Speaking on the occasion, Chris Perry, VP, Chevrolet Global Marketing and Strategy, said "We understand Chevrolet is more than a brand - it belongs to everyone who owns, designs, builds, sells or loves Chevrolets. The past 100 years wouldn't have been possible without millions of people who have each made Chevrolet a part of their life's journey". A Centennial Edition of Chevrolet's flagship Corvette sports car was also launched this year as part of the celebrations.



Though Chevrolet has now become globally popular, the heartland of GM's mainstay brand is still the USA where 'Chevy' is more than an automobile brand. It would be no exaggeration to state that 'Chevy' and the 'bowtie' logo have formed a sort of emotional connect with thousands of Americans. To thank the customers, Chevrolet dealers across America would sponsor open houses and a number of promotional events until Nov-07. The passion and loyalty that many feel for the brand is going to be the subject of a documentary titled "Chevy 100 - An American Story". Produced by award-winning filmmaker Roger Sherman, this documentary will be aired on Nov-21 on the Velocity Channel.



The celebrations are not just consigned to USA alone. Chevrolet Europe will be erecting a monument at La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland which is the birthplace of Louis Chevrolet, the founder of the iconic brand. That's not all. In Korea, where GM has ditched the Daewoo brand in favor of Chevrolet early in the year, Chevrolet customers set a Guinness World Record by creating the world's largest car logo. 1143 customers owning Chevrolet cars that included the Spark, Aveo, Cruze, Orlando and Captiva gathered in Pyeongchang to form a huge car mosaic. In tune with the celebrations across the globe, it's time for owners of Spark, Aveo, Beat, Optra, Cruze, Captiva and Tavera in India to rejoice as, every 7.4 seconds, someone in the world are entering the Chevy family!

Ford celebrates 35th Year and 15 Million units of Fiesta

In the ever changing global automotive scenario, there are very few models that stand the test of time earning plaudits critically and financially. And when they do so, it is obviously a reason to cheer and celebrate for the corresponding stakeholders. Very recently, we witnessed Honda celebrating a similar occasion with its Civic and now, we have this. Ford, the 108 year old American company recently celebrated two historic milestones of its sub-compact car Fiesta, whose global production has touched its 35th year and 15 million units.

When the Mk I Fiesta was launched in 1976, even the top honchos at Ford would not have envisaged the phenomenal success story that this new small car was going to script. Over the next 35 years, the Fiesta has gone through six generation changes before reaching the landmark figure of 15 million units in the last week of July 2011. Remarkably, the Fiesta has not grown in size over the years and has stayed true to its origins as a sub-compact car primarily destined for Europe. But, true to the famous ‘One Ford’ policy, the Fiesta is now spreading its reach in other continents as well.



The latest Mk VI Fiesta that was launched in 2008 has boosted the popularity of the brand multifold and has gone on to become Europe’s best-selling car in 2009, 2010 and possibly 2011 too. It may look familiar to us Indians as Ford recently launched the sedan variant of the Mk VI Fiesta amidst huge expectations in India. The Indian connection with the ‘Fiesta’ started way back in 1999 with the launch of Ikon which was based on Mk IV Fiesta. After that, all the other successful models of Ford India including the Fiesta Classic and Figo were all based on various generations of the European Fiesta.



Roelant de Waard, VP, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe had this to say on the occasion to celebrate Fiesta’s twin milestones, “The Fiesta is a special car that has a special place in the hearts of European customers and car lovers around the world. Times and technologies have changed, but as long as the Fiesta continues to deliver the style, economy and performance elements that have been present from the very beginning, it will remain an enduring success”. To mark the occasion, Ford also launched a series of subtle revisions in the existing Fiesta.

A 1999 Ford Focus covers 1,000,000 km

Browsing through the many useless e-mails that flood our inbox every day, I stumbled upon this interesting piece of automotive trivia that has surprisingly managed to miss the eyes of Indian automotive media. The mail had this picture in it and stated that a 1999 Ford Focus in Europe has clocked a mileage of 1,000,000 km. Now, stop counting the zeros. You read it right, it is 10 Lakh or 1 Million km. Incredibly surprised by what I saw, I did some research in the internet and found out that it was indeed true.



A gentle-man in Austria by the name Mario Folger had bought this Ford Focus 1.8 TDDi 90PS model in 1999 and since then has been using this car for his personal and business trips across the country. In the first week of April 2011, 12 years after it was bought, the car had crossed a mileage of 1,000,000 km. Apparently, this was the first time ever that a Ford vehicle has achieved this historic milestone and the company obviously was elated with this landmark feat.



Speaking on the occasion to honor the car and the owner in April 2011, Steffen Knapp, Director of Ford Austria had said “This vehicle is an example of the outstanding quality of the Ford Focus. The introduction of the first Focus in 1998 was a milestone in Ford history and set new benchmarks in driving dynamics, design and quality. With the launch of the new Focus this month we continue this success story and take our entire range to a new level in terms of technology, efficiency, safety and quality.”



What is even more commendable is that the car has had just one engine repair and one clutch replacement in the entire 12 years of ownership. Almost everything else in the car is pretty much stock, just as it came out of the factory in 1999. I don’t doubt that claim as the car is absolutely spotless, shows no signs of wear and tear and still looks fresh out of the showroom floor. Maybe, it’s time to start reusing the old tagline “Built Ford Tough”, which in this case is true after all.

Honda celebrates 39 Years and 19 Million sales of Civic

Few models would have done this to their manufacturers like what the Civic did to Honda. Over the years, the Civic has clearly established itself as one of the best cars in its segment with a combination of stunning looks, superior interior quality, an engine that likes to be revved hard, a chassis that makes you smile every time you push it to the limits and technology that is truly modern and ahead of its time. While Honda may not be an aspirational brand, the Civic, especially in the sporty Type-R and Si trims, really is.

Ever since its launch in the year 1972, the Civic has gone through eight generation changes and has sold a total of an astonishing 19 million units across the globe. Very few nameplates in history, like Volkswagen’s Beetle, Toyota’s Corolla and Camry and Honda’s own Accord can boast of comparable numbers. The 8th generation model that is still being sold in India, is widely considered as the best Civic yet, with its gorgeous styling, futuristic interiors, a gem of an engine with revolutionary i-VTEC technology, sporty handling and a whole lot of body-styles and versions.

Honda has just launched the latest 9th generation model in the international markets and the initial reviews are not so great. According to critics, in its quest for lesser emissions and greater fuel efficiency in the 9th gen Civic, Honda has not only sacrificed on power output, but has also compromised on styling and handling, the three hallmarks of the previous generation model. Maybe that’s why the company has oddly decided to celebrate the 39th anniversary and 19 million sales of the car by releasing a heritage video to boast the legacy of the 'Civic' brand. Be it a marketing gimmick or a desperate move by Honda to push the all-new model, that is a legacy to die for. Let it continue forever.

Audi celebrates 40 Years of Vorsprung durch Technik

Let us be clear. This is not an usual milestone that we get to see often like a 'n' millionth number of a particular car being produced by a particular company. But this is no less significant either. This is about an ad caption that was created way back to signify the common values of a brand that was having a diverse line-up of models and trying to grow beyond its German horizons.



In 2011, 40 years down the line, the caption still takes prime place in the company's ads and signifies the value of the brand just as perfectly as it did in 1971 when it was first created. The brand in question is Audi and it's caption 'Vorsprung Durch Technik'. Translated in English, the phrase means 'Advancement Through Technology' which is precisely what Audi is doing in its models.



That the caption was formed in its native German language did not make it any less popular outside Germany. In fact, in India where anything foreign catches the attention of the public, it became a style statement whenever someone has to refer to the brand. When Audi was introduced in our market, the caption was as much of a rage as the cars themselves.



With a global lineup extending from the sub-compact A1 to the R8 supercar, some of the recent technological innovations of Audi include aluminium spaceframe construction, all-LED lighting, the award-winning 2.5-liter 5-cylinder TFSI engine and the MMI Interface with Google mapping functionality. I just have a humble request to Audi - Lassen Sie die Innovationen weiter!

Maruti-Suzuki rolls out 10 Millionth Car

Dominating a market when there are no real competitors to boast of is one thing. But to do that amidst mounting pressure and challenges from competitors breathing down the neck is a completely different thing altogether. Yes, come what may, Maruti-Suzuki has proved wrong all the naysayers, who predicted the decline of the company when all the global majors started setting up their shops in India.



Armed with a lineup of 15 models, Maruti-Suzuki still holds a market share of more than 50% in the burgeoning Indian car market. To put things in perspective, the Alto alone sells more every month than all the models of Hyundai, Maruti’s closest competitor in India, combined together. Now, that is dominance at its absolute best. Maruti’s dominance is not restricted to volumes alone, as the company has been voted No.1 in Customer Satisfaction for years and years together.



In its journey riddled with milestones all the way, Maruti-Suzuki has crossed yet another landmark. The company, on 15-March-2011, rolled out its 10 Millionth Car, becoming the first ever Indian company, if you can call it so, to achieve this feat. A blue colored Wagon-R did the honors for the company. With this, Maruti-Suzuki joins an elite few globally who have achieved this feat earlier including Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen and General Motors.



With Japan reeling in the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, Maruti-Suzuki has rightly chosen not to celebrate this event. Any which way it is, hats off to Maruti-Suzuki! They have really come a long, long way from launching the diminutive 800 in India more than 25 years back. There is a saying “As the going gets tough, the tough gets going”. Going ahead is definitely getting tougher for Maruti. Let’s see how tough Maruti gets to get going.

Daimler celebrates 125th Anniversary of the Automobile & MB post-war deliveries touch 30 Million

“You learn something every day if you pay attention”, goes a saying. Whats so surprising is the way in which ‘life’ reminds us of this fact with amazing regularity, the most recent one for me being this news which I came to know just a couple of days back. I may boast of possessing considerable knowledge in automobiles that had made me go to the extent of blogging about it. I may have also remembered faintly the fact that Carl Benz was the inventor of motor car. But, never did I get to know all these days that, as an honor of Carl Benz’s invention, the day in which he received the patent is being observed as ‘World Automobile Day’. It was on 29th of January, 1886 that Carl Benz was awarded the patent 37435 for his ‘vehicle with gas-engine drive’.

Now, 125 years after that historic day which had changed the meaning of ‘personal mobility’, Mercedes-Benz and the parent brand Daimler are celebrating the ‘Anniversary of the Automobile’ with a slew of events. It is, quite obviously, a matter of great pride for everyone associated with Daimler. Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, emphasized the importance of the automobile on speaking on the occasion. "The invention of Daimler and Benz has changed the world for the better and it will continue to do so. History shows that when a society becomes physically mobile it also becomes socially mobile and economically successful."



The company kicked off the celebrations in the best way possible by receiving yet another patent, this time for ‘bipolar flat-cell frame’, a battery-related technology still under development at Daimler. As if to emphasize the importance of fuel cell electric vehicles, Mercedes-Benz also started a World Tour of three B-Class Fuel Cell cars which would travel across the globe in 125 days. Also unveiled during the celebrations was the latest sculpture from Mercedes-Benz Design Team, the ‘Aesthetics 125’. The sculpture not only continues the philosophy that ‘Mercedes-Benz design is art’ but also provides a glimpse of the future design language of the brand.



Also, right on time for the 125th anniversary celebrations, Mercedes-Benz also reached yet another historic milestone. Since 1945, after 65 years of post-war production, Mercedes-Benz cars with the iconic ‘three pointed star’ have been delivered to 30 million customers across the globe. Way to go MB! Now, before the reality sets in, let me start dreaming of owning a Mercedes-Benz just in time to atleast join the 150th anniversary of the automobile.