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.

Jaguar launches the gorgeous F-Type in India

The Indian landscape just became a whole lot more beautiful, as Jaguar unleashed its gorgeous F-Type in our country today. Well, we might be exaggerating a bit here, but the F-Type is so good-looking that it makes you go weak on your knees. Just look at those incredibly sexy taillights and that curvaceous rear, if you don’t believe us. With the F-Type intended to be the spiritual successor of the legendary E-Type that is widely considered as ‘one of the most beautiful cars ever’, the designers at Jaguar had their work cut out. And boy, have they delivered!

Two variants of the F-Type have been launched in India, the V6 S and the V8 S. At INR 1.37 Crores for the V6 and INR 1.61 Crores for the V8 (Ex-showroom Mumbai), the F-Type is definitely pricey. But, with the Porsche 911 and Audi R8 as its chief competitors, the F-Type isn’t targeted at the regular Joe as well.

For its price, the F-Type comes with a host of technological advancements and features that justifies its positioning. Detailing is top-notch like, for instance, those pop-out door handles that juts out of the body only when they have to be used and the pop-up air-conditioner vents that rises from the dashboard once the ignition is turned on. Agreed, these are just electric motors that are doing nothing but increasing the kerb weight, but it is such detailing that makes you fall in love with the car. The Active Exhaust Note that gets louder at the touch of a button and a retractable soft-top are the other features that the F-Type owners can boast of.

The V6 S variant is powered by a supercharged 3.0-liter engine that puts out 375 bhp of power and 460 Nm of torque. This motor accelerates the F-Type from a 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.9 seconds and gives it a top speed of 275 km/h. The V8 S variant comes with a 5.0-liter supercharged engine that produces 488 bhp of power and 625 Nm of torque. 0 to 100 is reached in just 4.3 seconds and the top speed is limited to 300 km/h. Both the engines are mated to a 8-speed Quickshift automatic transmission.

But, with such a stunning design, are you even bothered about the specs? For once, let the specifications be damned! Go, buy the Jaguar F-Type just for its looks, if the asking price isn't a concern.

Nissan launches Micra facelift, repositions existing model as Micra Active

The Nissan Micra, that was launched in India with much fanfare as the Renault-Nissan Alliance's first model in the country, might not have been a big success in our market. But, the Micra has been a huge success internationally, which meant that the Chennai plant was busy churning out export variants of the premium hatchback. Three years have since passed, and the time has come for a mid-cycle nip and tuck.

There are mid-cycle facelifts that would just make us strain our eyes trying to spot the differences. And there are facelifts that genuinely raises the appeal of a car that is just starting to look outdated. Thankfully, the Micra facelift adopts the latter. Nissan has done a fabulous job of redesigning the front-end of the Micra that was often criticized for looking too curvy and feminine. The new Micra's sharp, peeled-out headlights, the split grille with thick chrome strips, the bigger air-dam with large hexagonal slots and the fog-light surrounds that protrude towards the edges of the front bumper have really transformed the character of the car. Though the profile and rear remains largely unchanged except for the new alloy wheels, LED taillights and a redesigned rear bumper, the Micra now looks a whole lot better than the outgoing version.

The same theme has been carried forward inside as well. The top half of the center console is all-new, with rectangular air-conditioner vents replacing the circular vents of the pre-facelift model. The interiors are refreshing with a mix of brushed metal inserts, surfaces finished in glossy black and chrome touches. The 3-cylinder 1.2-liter petrol and the 4-cylinder 1.5-liter dCi diesel engines are carried over from the old Micra, while the CVT automatic transmission makes its debut in the Micra facelift. While most of its competitors are soldiering on with old-school auto-boxes, Nissan's initiative to bring the advanced continuously variable transmission in the Micra is commendable. The top-end Micra XV Premium comes fully loaded with features that include climate control system, keyless entry and go, Bluetooth connectivity with USB and Aux-input and reversing camera with display in the rear view mirror.

While the three petrol variants - XL, XL(O) and XV CVT are priced at INR 4.79, 5.42 and 6.39 Lakhs respectively, the four diesel variants - XL, XL(O), XV and XV Premium are priced at INR 5.9, 6.43, 6.9 and 7.14 Lakhs respectively.

In what is slowly becoming a norm in India, the previous Micra is not going to be discontinued. Instead, Nissan has given the old Micra a 'blink-and-you-miss' redesign, stripped off as much features as possible and repositioned it as the Micra Active. A basic headlight cluster, a redesigned front bumper, black door handles and mirrors and plastic wheel-caps make the intentions clear. With the exception of the top-end XL (Safety) variant that comes with central locking, EBD and Airbags, the interiors of the other Micra Active variants are stripped down to just the essentials. Targeted squarely at big-sellers like the Hyundai i10 and Maruti-Suzuki Wagon-R that come with petrol engines only, the Micra Active is also available with just the 1.2-liter petrol engine under the hood. What has not changed is the abundant space inside the cabin.

The Micra Active is available in 4 variants - XE, XL, XV and XV (Safety). At INR 3.5, 4.01, 4.3 and 4.71 Lakhs respectively, the Micra Active is tremendous value for money. By doing so, the Nissan Micra is now straddling a whopping two and half segments, hoping to attract buyers from all these segments. Good luck Nissan!

Tata Nano CNG caught testing in Pune

Tata Motors made news last month when they launched eight face-lifted, refreshed and new variants of existing models on a single day. Among them was the CNG variant of the Nano, which was badged as 'emax'. Though the price of Nano CNG was not announced and the model has not gone on sale yet, we know that Tata Motors is planning to launch it as quickly as possible to try and stem Nano's falling sales.

This Tata Nano CNG, spotted testing in Pune a couple of days back, proves that the work is going on in full swing. What catches our eyes first is the 'Nano CNG' badge in this test car, quite different from the 'emax' sub-branding that was unveiled for all the CNG variants of Tata cars last month. Don't let the badge confuse you though. This test car might have been manufactured and put into testing many weeks or even months back, when the marketing strategy to brand it as emax wasn't finalized. Or, it could well be that Tata might just launch the car as Nano CNG, instead of bothering with the emax moniker. Whatever way it is, the CNG variant of Nano is coming soon.

Apart from the bigger air-vents in the rear bumper that is said to aid engine cooling and was officially introduced in the 2013 calendar year model launched last month, the test car was no different from the other Nanos that are plying on the roads. So, expect nothing more than a chrome strip each in the front and rear bumper to bring it in line with the current model year when the Nano CNG goes on sale.

The CNG variant of the Nano comes with a button on the dashboard that lets the driver toggle between gasoline and CNG fuel options. With a 624-cc rear-mounted engine powering the rear wheels, the Nano CNG produces 38 PS of power at 5250 rpm when run in gasoline and 33 PS of power at 5500 rpm in CNG mode. The torque ratings stand at 51 Nm at 4000 rpm in gasoline and 45 Nm at 3500 rpm in CNG. Depending on the fuel running the engine, the fuel gauge alters its reading accordingly, giving the driver a sense of the amount of fuel left on both tanks. The CNG tank is placed beneath the driver's seat and the filling nozzle is tucked under the hood. Just like you do for filling gasoline, pop the car's hood up for filling up CNG too.

With the promise of lesser running costs, the already-efficient Nano becomes even more frugal in the form of Nano CNG. Even if the sales don't pick up drastically, we expect the CNG variant to bring back some excitement into the Nano brand, which should keep it going until the diesel variant comes and shake things up completely.

Bajaj launches KTM Duke 390 at a staggering price of INR 1.8 Lakhs

If there is one automobile company in India that belts out blows to its competitors every now and then, it has got to be Bajaj. When the Pune-based Indian manufacturer launched the KTM brand in India with the Duke 200 last year, its shockingly-competitive pricing scared the daylight out of its competitors. Now, Bajaj is doing it all over again.

In what can be termed an even mightier blow, Bajaj has now launched the KTM Duke 390 in India at a staggering ex-showroom Delhi price of INR 1.8 Lakhs. Yes dear folks, that's almost 400 cc of two-wheeled bliss for less than a couple of lakhs!

Though KTM claims that the design and styling of the Duke 390 is inspired by the bigger Duke 690, we find it to be very similar to the Duke 200. That isn't surprising, as one of the main reason for the success of the Duke 200 was its attractive 'naked sports-bike' looks. The only identifiable factors differentiating the bigger-engined sibling are the huge '390' graphics in the fuel tank and the striking Trellis frame and alloy wheels that are now painted in the trademark orange colour. The vertically-stacked headlight, the super-thin taillight, the tiny indicator lamps, the sharp and angular fuel tank, the high-set rear seat, the split tyre-huggers and the exposed steel frame and mono-shocks that gave the Duke 200 its unique identity do the same job in the 390 as well. There is no doubt, this motorcycle will turn heads wherever you go.

Powered by a 373.2 cc, liquid cooled engine, the Duke 390 boasts a power output of 43 bhp at 9000 rpm and a torque rating of 35 Nm at 7000 rpm. Together with a claimed kerb weight of 154 kg, the Duke 390 promises to be an insanely quick bike. This single-cylinder, 4-stroke engine is loaded with a lot of advanced technological bits that include fuel-injection, 4 valves driven by twin camshafts, diamond-like carbon coated finger followers and a nikasil-coated cylinder. India-specific changes in the Duke 390 include a larger radiator and a tweaked suspension set-up. Antilock Braking System (ABS) is available as standard, complementing the 300 mm disc up front and the 230 mm disc at the rear. The Duke is known for its super-nimble handling and the 390 would be no different, shod with Metzeler tubeless radials.

Well, the technical specifications aside, Bajaj has yet again given the competition some sleepless nights with the launch of the Duke 390. For the price at which it retails and considering all that it has on offer, the Duke 390 is all set to storm the market.

Ford stuns the industry with an aggressive starting price for the Ecosport

It's been almost 24 hours since Ford announced the prices of the Ecosport, its most-awaited compact Sports Utility Vehicle, for the Indian market. We are yet to come out of the shock though. To be honest, Ford's pricing strategy for the base variants of the Ecosport has literally sent shock-waves across the industry and most competitors might be forced to resort to discounting or repricing in the long run. But, for all those prospective customers who hid their frustrations within and patiently waited for the Ecosport for more than a year, it has been well worth the wait.

Ever since it was unveiled to the public at the 2012 Auto Expo in New Delhi last January, the Ecosport has managed to generate such a buzz that not many new vehicles do. That's because the Ecosport's concept of butch looks, compact dimensions and high ground clearance were just 'perfect' for us Indians, given the restricted road space and less-than-perfect road conditions in our cities. After making us all wait with bated breath for 18 months, the Ecosport was finally launched yesterday and the prices of all variants were announced.

The Ford Ecosport is going on sale in four trim levels - Ambiente, Trend, Titanium and Titanium (O), with a choice of three engine options - a 1.5-liter TiVCT petrol, a 1.5-liter TDCi diesel and the hugely-anticipated, technologically-advanced, "International Engine of the Year" award-winning, turbocharged 1.0-liter petrol dubbed the 'EcoBoost'. One variant of the 1.5-liter petrol engine is also available with an option of a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. While the EcoBoost engine is making its debut in India, all the other engine and transmission options are already available in the new Fiesta.



The diesel variants that are expected to bring in much of the sales are priced at INR 6.69 Lakhs (Ambiente), 7.61 Lakhs (Trend), 8.62 Lakhs (Titanium) and 8.99 Lakhs (Titanium (O)). The 1.0-liter EcoBoost variants can be bought in only the top two trim levels and are priced at INR 7.89 Lakhs for the Titanium trim and INR 8.29 Lakhs for the top-spec Titanium (O) trim. But, it is the starting price of the 1.5-liter petrol variant that has got the industry shaking. The manual variants are priced at INR 5.59 Lakhs (Ambiente), 6.49 Lakhs (Trend) and 7.51 Lakhs (Titanium). The automatic variant is priced at INR 8.45 Lakhs. All prices are ex-showroom Delhi.

Unlike many other cars, even the base Ambiente variant of the Ecosport comes with a decent set of features. Tilt and telescopic steering, power mirrors with integrated turn indicators, remote locking, a music player with Aux-in and Bluetooth functionality and a multi-function display are standard. The only disappointment for us is the absence of rear power windows in the base model. Trend, the next variant in the line-up, adds rear power windows, Antilock Braking System (ABS), steering-mounted audio controls, driver seat height adjust and a host of other nifty features. As we move up, the Titanium variant also gets 16-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, climate control, cooled glove box, reverse parking sensor, dual Airbags and Ford's patented SYNC voice-enabled multimedia system with Emergency Assistance. The top-end Titanium (O) variant is fully loaded and adds push-button start, leather seats, keyless entry, side and curtain airbags to the kitty. The Automatic variant also gets the Hill Hold function and Brake Assist feature with Traction Control system.

With the Ecosport, Ford has made its intentions clear. It is willing to take on the competition head-on and has already unleashed the most powerful weapon in its arsenal in the form of aggressive pricing. Its now up to the competitors to decide their next moves. At these prices, the Ecosport not only undercuts the Renault Duster, its prime competitor, but also spoils the party for a whole lot of premium hatchbacks and entry-midsize sedans. Cars like the Maruti-Suzuki Swift and Dzire, Hyundai i20, Honda Amaze and Toyota Etios might be affected by this compact SUV as well.

With stunning design and styling, powerful yet frugal engine options, a long list of features and an extremely competitive pricing strategy, the Ecosport has "blockbuster" plastered all over it. This could become the one big hit apart from the Figo that Ford desperately needs in India. All the company has to do is to take care of the production and the Indian car-buying public will do the rest. Well, the Ecosport may have arrived late on the scene, but it has arrived in style!

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.