Rolls Royce opens its second showroom in India

The 100 year old super luxury British car manufacturer, Rolls Royce, opened its second showroom in Delhi today in partnership with Select Cars. Rolls Royce's Mumbai franchisee is Navnit Motors.

Costing Rs 3.15 crores upwards, Rolls Royce currently manufactures 3 models under the legendary Phantom series and expects to launch the latest and the last Phantom model this October which will be 2 door Phantom coupe. In addition, it will launch a new series of cars positioned below the Phantom series in 2010.

The super luxury car major based in Southern England, UK, grew by 25 percent last year. While it sold 1010 cars worldwide last year,, with China accounting for over 100 cars, India contributed 12. This year it plans to sell about 16 in the country.

Hyundai I-Series Cars in India

Hyundai is planning to launch its complete i-series cars in India. It has experienced a phenomenal success with the launch of its new i-10 model in the country and now plans the launch of its i20 model in October - December 2008. Subsequently, it shall launch its i30 and i40 as well in the coming years.

Hyundai has stepped up its plans to become India's largest car manufacturer and has greaed up its operations in the country. It is currently the second largest car manufacturer and exporter in India after Maruti Suzuki. It has also made India as its manufacturing and exports hub for its small cars. It recently model Hyundai i10 has been one of the most successful cars in its product portfolio.

According to Managing Director and CEO, Hyundai Motors, HS Lheem, "We plan to bring the entire portfolio of our new i-series cars to India. As a full range car company, the premium i30 and i40 cars have a significant potential in India. These new generation cars are ideal for the fast growing Indian market. Besides, we will also strengthen the i10 portfolio with a new engine and an automatic transmission in the next few months.”

Hyundai is also studying C and D car segment in India along with cars running on alternative fuels. With the rise in gasoline prices, it is also thinking of launching CNG cars and Santro hatchback and Accent Sedan in LPG variants.

Chevrolet rolls out new Tavera

After lying low for a while Chevrolet has decided to give its multi-utility-vehicle (MUV) the Tavera an update. Called the the Neo it is on sale for Rs 9.54 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). That’s only Rs 2 000 over the older car.

You can differentiate this car from the older model by the all- new chrome grille with the huge Chevrolet bow-tie. The Neo also gets two-tone paint scheme and a series of stickers running around it. You also get alloy wheels as part of the Neo package.

But the biggest changes have been saved for the interiors. The highlight of the beige cabin is the leather seats — like the Innova the Tavera gets captain seats which are hugely comfortable and have plenty of adjustments on offer to keep you comfortable. The dashboard is an all-new design and quality is much improved though it still falls short of the Innova levels. There’s a new three-spoke steering wheel and twin-glove boxes to aid utility. The centre console gets a faux-wood finish and a two-din audio system is also part of standard equipment.

But the best change seems to be the relocation of the hand-brake which is now located at a more convenient position next to the gear lever rather than below the dashboard where it was earlier.

But all the changes are purely cosmetic — there has been no upgrade to the Tavera engine. You get the same tried-and-tested 2.5-litre 80bhp diesel which offers class-leading economy figures as well as great low-end pulling power that makes it a good city commute.

The Neo is essentially a pre-emptive strike by Chevrolet against the updated Innova which is just around the corner. While the changes do make it a more comfortable vehicle to travel in the Tavera is still no Innova-beater.