HONDA LAUNCHES NEW CBF STUNNER 125 CC IN INDIA

Honda launched a new version of its CBF Stunner 125cc bike in India priced at Rs. 64,630 ex-showroom Delhi. The new CBF Stunner comes with Honda’s PGM-FI (Program Fuel Injection) technology which gives out more power with increased fuel efficiency and lower emissions.

“Last fiscal we sold about 10.7 lakh units of two-wheelers and this year we are targeting 12 per cent increase at 12.5 lakh units. And the CBF Stunner will play an important role,” HMSI Chief Executive Officer Shinji Aoyama. The new bikes will be available in the market June 2009 onwards across all Honda showrooms.

Honda is already selling CBF Stunner FI in Europe and intends to increase its sales volumes in India as well. The launch of this new model comes as a part of Honda’s strategy to increase its market presence in India. The new bike is targeted at youth and features 125 cc air-cooled four-stroke self-start engine which delivers 11.6 bhp power.

MARUTI TO LAUNCH SEDAN KIZASHI IN INDIA

Maruti Suzuki India Limited is gearing up to launch a new sedan in India. The new model Kizashi is expected by early 2010 and is still in the concept stage for India. The car was first unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007 and later at the 9th Auto Expo in New Delhi in 2008. The car is expected to be priced at Rs. 10 lakh or above which means it will come with all the desired luxuries of a mid-level sedan.

Kizashi sports a superb aero-dynamic design with front view featuring a completely stylish look. The tapering headlights and classic front design lend a view to the model that is unseen so far in Maruti small car models in India. This new upcoming model can rightfully be attributed as a cross-over sports sedan.

Maruti has recently launched another small car model, Ritz, in India but the model is yet to make its impact in the Indian market. Maruti Suzuki India Limited is India’s largest car manufacturer and sells nearly every second car in India. The company intends to expand its product portfolio especially in the sedan segment as its major sales comes from its small cars in the country. Out of its overall car product portfolio, Swift and Dzire are the two models that attribute for a major chunk of its sales figure. Dzire is the entry level sedan from Maruti.

"My concern is about the quality of our growth. Although we achieved good overall national numbers, the region-wise and model-wise performance was not uniform. We relied mostly on Dzire and Swift to power our growth," said MSI Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Managing Director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi.

Honda Jazz – Honda’s Small Car

Honda has been toying with the idea of launching its small car model in India, which is the largest small car market in the world. Now the company looks serious to put its plans into action by introducing Jazz or Fit as it is called in some of the overseas markets. The company has also been encouraged by the lower excise duty on the small cars in the country and has finally decided to introduce its small cars which sports trendy looks and packs plenty of power.

Under the Hood

The Honda manufacturing unit in Greater Noida in Delhi will roll out three different variants of Honda Jazz. These variants will be GLi, VTi and the fully loaded VTi-S. The model features at the Auto Expo 2008 sported a 1200cc VTEC engine. The car has a uni-body construction that includes MacPherson Struts upfront and a torsion beam suspension layout at the rear. The Indian version of Jazz will have electric power steering, 14 inch wheels with an option of 15 inch wheels along with a front stabilizer bar. The overseas models of Jazz are powered with 1.5L VTEC engines; the Indian version is expected to have a smaller engine as shown during the Auto Expo but shall deliver equally dutiful performance. The company may also introduce the 1.4L VTEC petrol engine model capable of producing 100PS of power.

Appearance

The new Jazz Indian version will have a similar dashboard as Honda Civic but without a digital speedometer. It may be lacking in steering mounted controls. However, the company does not compromise on quality and strives to deliver the best ergonomically designed model. Interiors of the car are packed with lots of cubby holes and storage areas. Interiors of the car and their comforts have already been acclaimed many times over by the international press and car lovers. Interior space is quite impressive and the seats can be folded or rolled over to increase the loading capacity of the car.

Apart from stylish and comfortable interiors the car portrays a sleek hatchback model with similar looks as Hyundai Getz. It is a premium model that will definitely pose a threat to its contemporaries.

Additional Features

Mileage of the car will be revealed only upon the launch. SIAM has also made it mandatory for the auto makers to officially declare the mileage for all the models in their product portfolio. The Indian version of Jazz will come equipped with braking system (abs), dual front airbags, dual side airbags, electronic brake force distribution (EBD), front and rear disc brakes, emergency brake assist which enhances the safety during drive.

Small Car in India from Toyota

Toyota is ready to roll out its small car in India in the price band of Rs. 5-7 lakh. The company marks its presence in India as Toyota Kirloskar Motors which is a joint venture company and sells Toyota brand of cars in India. The company already enjoys tremendous success in the SUV segment with its extremely successful models Qualis and Innova. It now plans to roll out a new small car and another SUV Fortuner in India.