2013 BMW 7 Series. Royals Only. Great Irony!!

You know what? The 2013 BMW's uber luxurious 7 Series Life Cycle Impulse (LCI) is reserved only for royals and nobles of modern India. Especially for the people from the grand palaces of Jodhpur and Dalal street! And people who associate themselves with the Sansad Bhavan too (none other than the parliament house of India). The German company may not claim exactly so, but the way it portrays and marketing the car, I feel that way. Feel free to comment, please!

Of course, the prices of the new car are by the way quite high-priced as usual. Starting from ₹ 92.90 lakhs (ex-showroom Pan-India), the high-spec 760Li is would cost around ₹ 1.73 crore. This would make the royals and higher-high-class royals of our land the potential buyers of the face-lifted BMW. 

I wonder how cunning BMW is in publicising this car. I see certain ironical bits in this case. The new car was first previewed in India at the Jodhpur One World Retreat, a charity event! (You read it right!) This was in the second week of last month, ahead of its official launch. The event, held for the first time, was to raise funds for the Jodhpur Maharaja's Indian Head Injury Foundation. And BMW was the "luxury mobility partner" of the event! (I don't know how far that's appropriate for a charity event and the cause!). The cause may be genuine, but the event was more than just lavishly staged and spectacularly entertaining. Particularly the car launch ceremony was in itself artistic and posh with folk amusements and fireworks. A very exclusive elite audience and other select invitees witnessed the event - right clientele for the product isn't it??

Sachin Tendulkar, the brand ambassador of BMW India, along with actress Dia Mirza, Maharaja Gaj Singh II of Jodhpur, socialite Suhel Seth, and industrialist Pawan Munjal took the wraps off the new 7 Series. When the auto town is facing the toughest of its times, luxury car makers are strengthening their stronghold in the market and their sales are largely unaffected. In any economic depressions, the upper class will somehow maintain their status quo and it is the poor and middle class who suffer. Luxury brands are now targeting the upper-class more clamorously. Their marketing tactics are effective - hire out the media houses for their exclusive launches and optimum use of social media. And fashionable celebrities as their brand ambassadors! Sachin Tendulkar presented the all new 3 Series sponsored by BMW to the Olympic medalist Saina Nehwal last year. I would ask why only Saina and not Mary Kom, Sushil or Yogeshwar? Because the latter three are not media kids as Saina. As simple as that!

Coming to the car, we get the extended wheel-base spec 7 Series (5.5" longer) for the very first time. The car is more attractive with more sophisticated feel compared to the last generation. The interiors gets a refresh and a new 8-speed auto gearbox is on the cards too. The engine line-up includes the 3.0l TwinPower turbo diesel delivering 258 bhp, the 3.0l Petrol V6, 4.4l V8 and the 6.0l V12 featuring at the 760Li. The LCI or the Life Cycle Impulse is nothing but an embarrassing phrase given to facelifts by the BMW.

The 730Ld model is being assembled at the company's Chennai plant, while all other versions are CBUs. Interestingly, Mercedes S-Class and Audi A8 now gets a new headache!
Image Courtesy: www.indianautosblog.com, www.netcarshow.com

Koenigsegg's spawned customer cars

The high performance Scandinavian supercar manufacturer based in Ängelholm (Sweden), Koenigsegg surprised the Auto Shanghai 2013 with its presence and exhibited few awe-inspiring supercars.

IndianAutosBlog (IAB) was covering the whole Auto Shanghai 2013 event live from its floors and I was a part of the project. Its editor Mr. Shrawan Raja had an exclusive chat with Mr. Christian von Koenigsegg, the founder of the company. Mr. Koenigsegg, who started the company in 1994, spoke about the special edition Hundra, which was present at the hall, marking the milestone of producing 100 cars by the maker. The car involves 24 carat gold leaf piping with hand pump finish, a combination of old craftsmanship technology and high tech carbon fibres.

There were two other cars too – Agera R and the Hundra, which is basically the Agera S. Both are bio-fuel and top of the line models and are owned by customers already! Mr. Koenigsegg said that they are uniquely designed on demand of the customers who know each other based on their choices, which is why those two models boast a similar color theme in contrasting colors. They are christened as “Ching” ( the Chinese name is represented on the car ) and “King”, which is to be delivered very soon to their respective buyers.

                                                                                  

Asked about their plans for the next biggest automotive mela, he said that his company usually misses Frankfurt motor show and attends the Pebble Beach fiesta at California. We were so zealous to know about the marque’s next all new model as you are. Mr. Koenigsegg said that we need to wait another 3-4 years for an all new supercar, but hinted that until then many new versions and evolutions of the Agera theme is awaiting.

Here is what I wrote for IndianAutosBlog.com

Images Courtesy: www.indianautosblog.com 

Toyota's Hybrid concepts at Auto Shanghai 2013

This year at the Shanghai Auto Expo, the "Hybrid" mania is clearly discernible. What's more important is the localised research and development (R and D) of hybrid systems and technologies in China for their domestic market by the global manufacturers. 

Toyota created buzz at the floor of the Auto Shanghai 2013 by unveiling two of its hybrid concept cars – Toyota FT-HT Yuejia and Yungdong Shauangqing II.

 

The FT-HT Yuejia is a 6-seater concept which is elegant and futuristic in styling cues. The dramatic pillar-less scissor door design is admirable and the cabin signifies state-of-the-art refinement. Three rows of seating with two individual seats is attractive. It has a hybrid driveline which is under development. It is essentially a concept, but Toyota alludes the fact the it will be sold exclusively in China once entering the assembly line. FT means "Future Toyota" I guess. But what about HT? Any idea??

The Yungdong Shauangqing II, though not the most pronounceable model name (that not our problem isn’t it??), is the second developmental version of the concept, the first one made its world premiere at the Beijing Motor Show last year. This is a hybrid vehicle and again a China-only concept. It is equipped with a hybrid powertrain which was developed at the company’s research and development plant in Changshu, China. Though the names are not that comforting for us to spell, it is interesting to note their etymology. “Yundong” means ‘movement upon clouds’, the company’s corporate slogan in China. It signifies an idea of innovation, dynamism and eco-friendliness. “Shauangqing” denotes “dual support” referring to the two power sources of the petrol-electric hybrid system of the car.

                                                                                  
                                                                                   

Toyota also featured two other concepts, the important one being the Corolla-based electric saloon called Ranz.

Here is what I wrote for IndianAutosBlog.com 

Images Courtesy: www.indianautosblog.com

Toyota Vios at Auto Shanghai 2013

The world's largest automaker Toyota is well known for regional approach towards its fleet line-up and marketing. As how the Etios was specifically created for our Indian subcontinent (though latter introduced in few other markets too), the 'Vios' sedan is for South East Asia. The 2014 Toyota Vios sedan gets a limelight at the Auto Shanghai 2013, just weeks after its global debut at the 2013 Bangkok Motor Show last month. 

This car has been specifically created for growing markets of the South East Asian countries including China, Thailand and Taiwan. It is to be noted that the new Vios is based on the Dear Qin concept which was displayed at the Beijing Auto Show last year. According to the company, the Vios is designed for global market with world class standards.

The Vios, which the company claims to target first time car buyers, is simple in design and gets cues the family styling of Toyota. The design is ages ahead of the blatant looking previous iteration. The car does feature projector beam headlights, chrome trim and 15- or 16-inch alloy wheels. Decent materials fill up the stylish cabin with attractive gauges, metallic accents and a four-speaker audio system with MP3/USB/AUX connectivity. Under the hood is the 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine capable of producing 109 HP (80 kW) and 141 Nm (104 lb-ft) of torque. It is bolted to a standard 5-speed manual gearbox while the top-end variants get a 4-speed auto.

The Vios, which is certainly not for our home market, will be built in China for the domestic demand. However, considering the entry-level segment in India, the Vios is a potential car with trendy features if positioned properly.

Here is what I wrote for the IndianAutosBlog.com

Image courtesy: www.indianautosblog.com

Undue Sops. Lobbyism and Indo-EU FTA

The draft proposal of the Union government to lower import duties on luxury cars during discussions on a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) is something fishy in many senses. Considering the tumbling European economy and the details of India's free trade agreements with other auto hubs, points to phenomenal lobbyism.

A SLS AMG would be as low as ₹ 1.34 crore if tax cuts make their way

The cuts, if implemented, will help European companies sell some of their marquee brands at mouth-watering competitive prices. Luxury and posh sports cars would become cheaper by almost a crore of rupees. It is believed that fully-built car imports from European countries could see half of the 60 per cent basic customs duty waived off, especially for large and premium vehicles. The Economic Times says that a Mercedes SLS AMG, which is currently sold at ₹ 2.44 crore, would be as low as ₹ 1.34 crore once those cuts in import duties. An Audi R8 will cost just ₹ 74 lakhs against the present ₹ 1.34 crore. A BMW 7 series, Volkswagen Pheaton and Audi A8 would be cheaper by around ₹ 40 lakhs. This may bring a sense of bliss among the upper class consumers, but they are the only people in India to be offered maximum advantage by every economic policies. The reality is more than what meets our eyes.

Now there is a huge hue and cry at home. Indian automobile companies and other non-European firms have lodged their protest against the proposed tax cuts. Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has expressed its defiance too on this regard. Japanese carmakers such as Toyota, Honda and Maruti-Suzuki, which control more than 50% of the Indian market, are irked by the proposals and wants India to provide concessions similar to those likely to be offered to European auto companies. They demand a level playing field. Now, this has become a bilateral issue between India and Japan!

Volkswagen is one of the largest European group to operate in India

The proposed FTA may have serious consequences on foreign investments in the sector. Imports may be preferred by the Europeans instead of local manufacturing in India. They account for about 5 percent of market share, but is increasing in terms of sales. Major auto-giants such as Volkswagen group, Daimler, Renault and Fiat are making substantial investments for manufacturing in India. Peugeot-Citroen is establishing a new plant at an investment of about ₹ 4,000 crore. An increased local making cost would reduce further investment and expansion in the domestic car industry and its export potential will be severely impacted too.

It is worth to note the lobbyism around the trade talks. European economy is in its ugliest shape ever with stark decline in car sales and prices of consumer goods. European automobile market is one of the worst hit and there is very thin sign of recovery. Auto companies are doing their level best to secure their out land operations. US market is stagnant and only the Asian markets especially China and India are humble enough. Though sales in India too dipped, luxury cars are largely unaffected. Most of the popular brands have unleashed their costly and luxury models in India. So, in such a scenario, companies aim for a better climate in India and are increasingly lobbying for the trade agreement with their spokesperson, the EU.

With the increasing importance of the automobile sector in the economies, the auto firms put more pressure on policies for favourable upshots. Lobbyism by few and exploitation of masses is now a globalised phenomenon.

Image Courtesy: www.carazoo.com, www.thenational.ae

Mahindra e2o. Unfolding the futurity

Remember it is not 'e-twenty'! It is 'e-2-o'. But let's keep aside the puzzling naming conventions of Mahindra with words ending with an 'o' sound. This quirky little car boasts the title of India's only full-electric vehicle on production, a car with no exhaust pipe and thus pretty 'Green'! More than that, this car does have some of the cool technologies that shows some sense of futurity.

Worth to point out is the mobile interface applications of the e2o. Each car comes with an inbuilt GSM activated chip and an on-board computer that makes the difference. All you get is an e2o smartphone Android app, using which you can lock or unlock the car from anywhere. By a touch of a button, pre-cooling or pre-heating the cabin at a specific time is now easy. 

e2o smartphone app screenshot

One of the elemental limitation of the e2o is its restricted driving range of 100kms in full charge and the infrastructure to allow charging from an external power source within the range. We usually don't have power outlets at the parking areas and so a special outlet will be needed. For its part, Mahindra say that it'll do that installation at home and is included in the purchasing package. The company has also set up a network of charging stations in the eight cities, though Mahindra-Reva's home city of Bangalore as well as cities like Delhi and Mumbai have the maximum number. Drivers can locate those charging points and service stations in their mobiles using the smartphone app and also in the GPS-enabled navigation system on the dash. The e2o's on-board computer monitors the driving and sends the data to the company. It constantly tells the driver about the driving range and problems if any. 

The SOS feature REVive, as the company patented, gives you an extra 7-8 km driving range when the battery reserve dips below 10 percent. Touch a button, the feature alerts the company R & D and then they release the extra driving power. However, this can be done only three times to ensure that you do charge correctly and on time. The GSM chip sends data to the company about the car's driving and charge history and the condition of the vehicle. Electronics troubleshooting and any software upgrades can be done that prevents you from visiting the service center most of the time.

The car's on board electronics sounds great isn't it?? The e2o is a breakthrough in unfolding the future of car electronics and a good attempt indeed.

Image courtesy: www.mahindracarsindia.com, www.carblogindia.com

New Range Rover SPORT in Bond's flair

Mr. Bond unveiled the next-gen 2014 Range Rover Sport to the world. Lot more to speak about the car too.

The busy streets of the world's most happening metropolis ceased as Daniel Craig a.k.a James Bond delivered to the world the all new 2014 Range Rover Sport. The enigmatic Craig drove the epochal Ranger through the Manhattan to the Moynihan station in the New York city. Held on the eve of the New York International Auto Show, Land Rover made a big splash with a Hollywood-caliber production that included road closures, a party for 700 at Skylight, and the A-list actor: Daniel Craig. The launch hall was adorned by wall-to-wall black carpeting and graphic light tubes. More an extravagenza! 

Why New York and Mr. Bond for the launch? Such questions are hollow! Hey, come on it's all business manoeuvre.. New York is the single largest metropolitan market for the RR Sport and the US being the largest globally. And Craig may not be an official brand ambassador, but he's more a glamorous mean to promote the car. I don't think the new RR Sport will replace his Aston Martin, do you??

This is the second generation of the RR Sport and is a major breakthrough in the Range Rover stable evolution. Meets our eyes are the unique shape and styling cues - of course I got to admit that the modern family traits peep out in a very distinctive way. The beauty of the car tells you that the RR Sport is a median between the smaller Evoque and the larger Range Rover of the family. The state-of-the-art styling theme of the company has refreshed its all three models in a peculiar way. 

The SUV's state-of-the-art aluminium monocoque platform - engineered in parallel with the new Range Rover - is 39 percent lighter than its predecessor, leading to significantly improved agility and performance. The company's research programme to identify a next-generation suspension concept for premium AWD vehicles has finally bear fruit with this car. A light weight suspension optimises the vehicle's versatility both on- and off-road. There will be no dearth of technologies to enhance performance, safety and comfort. Also expect the formidable 510PS Supercharged V8 engine along with the new 3-litre V6 Petrol. The TDV6 and the SDV6 diesels will be there too. I'm doubtful which are to be offered in India once the car is available. 

The RR Sport is the first Rover to get a seven seat configuration, very first time in its history. A right move to be frank, it would help to address a very different kind of buyers especially the emerging markets. A valid character to take on its rivals such as Audi, BMW and Jeep more effectively too. 

And, there is lot more to say about the new RR Sport (I may have to pen an exclusive article to bring out highlighting features!). On the whole, the company claims that the new car is lighter, faster, more agile, refined and responsive that the last-gen. JLR (Jaguar Land Rover), fully owned by Tata Motors, have managed to bring good fortunes with a healthy increase in its global sales. Being an escalating premium brand has worked, while mass-markets continue to gloom. So, things are all set for a superb future to this new Rover too. Of course, it's the time of luxury cars isn't it?

Economic Suicide: Poor Resale Tales

Resale value of a car matters too. Do a standard homework before buying a car.

Always remember this. Never miss to take note of resale value while doing homework for buying a new car. Otherwise, it may turn out to be an economic suicide some years down the line. Some may rebut me that why should we think about selling the car (sometimes latter) at the time of buying? “You buy, you drive, and you sell.. It’s as simple as that!”, “You take pleasure in and you pay for it”. It is valid that you cannot foresee the resale trend years after. Nor it is hard to compromise your dream car for some unclear market trends. But, you can prevent some apparent risks and liabilities by buying right cars or to be exact, by avoiding some cars. Hey come on, it’s your hard earned penny right??

Some may reject the idea of money loss, since they feel that it is logical to shell out for satisfaction. But money too matter, otherwise you could have gone for the next segment or a costly car. Let us consider one of the worst cases for study. A customer buys a brand new Mitsubishi Montero MT for an approximate on-road price of Rs. 55 lakhs in November 2010. After two years and four months, now he wants to sell it. The car has clocked around 60,000kms with no body damages other than few paint scratches. How much is the market ready to pay for the car?

My recent encounter with a deal to buy a used SUV took me to some appalling facts about the Montero in the used car market in Tamil Nadu. Montero sales was very marginal and thus very few are available for sales. Yet, their asking prices are ridiculously low. A 2010 MT model with an odo-reading of 70,000 to 1,00,000kms, first or second owner status with good maintenance records are bargained for around Rs. 9 lakhs. Owners find it difficult to sell their Monteros and wait for a longer time to get them sold. A used car market analyst warns that customers should not pay more than 8-9 lakhs for such a car since more maintenance nightmares are awaiting them.

To know more about the maintenance costs for a 2010 Montero, WagenClub contacted the Mitsubishi dealer in Chennai. We were told that the usual overall service for every 10,000kms averages around Rs. 15,000. A clutch-plate overhaul would easily cost you around Rs. 1.2 lakhs! A turbo-charger replacement would rob you more than Rs. 2 lakhs. You cannot swap the driveline timing belt for nothing less than Rs. 50,000. Headlamps, windshield, side mirrors, bumpers and other susceptible items are exorbitantly priced too. Pricing is not the sole horror. Your Montero would be waiting at the service center for repairs from a minimum of two days to two months! Every spares are to be ordered and takes ample shipping time. Montero is a CBU, remember that!

Now rack your brains about, the loss to the first owner is colossal. The initial buying cost of the car, periodic service costs, and insurance costs are high. Frugality is just decent, which bring a reasonable fuel cost for the drives. At the end of the day when he wants to sell the car in two years, he is sanctioned a very meagre resale price. He could have done a better homework while buying the car, he may have diminished his liabilities. He could have opted a Freelander 2 or a BMW X3, they could have offered him a better brand image and more satisfaction. A 2.4l auto C-RV can take pride for a stronger resale value. And Montero is not a car of those segment standards either; it is basically the next-generation Pajero with few luxury bits.

It is nothing short to an economic suicide by buying a Montero. So, I wish you would do a better holistic homework before buying a car, will you??