Hyundai Motor India Limited plans to launch its new 800cc car in India in next three to four years. Research teams from Hyundai in Hyderabad and Chennai shall jointly work on the new car concept that would compete with Maruti's 800cc car directly in the small car segment.
“We are working on a 800cc car which will be similar to the Maruti 800. The car is under joint development in our Indian and Korean R&D facilities. The ultimate desire is to become India’s largest car maker,” said Hyundai Motor India MD & CEO H S Lheem.
Maruti Suzuki currently leads the small car segment in India with Hyundai trailing at the second position. HMIL plans to expand its market share and occupy larger market share in the country. It has set a target of 22 percent market share in the current year.
“The small car market is going strong and will continue to do so. Our small car will be meant for both the domestic and the export market. However, we neither have the technology nor any plan to fight the Nano,” said Lheem.
Hyundai also plans to bring its new model i20 in India by the year end. The new model shall be launched in Paris Auto Show in October this year. Hyundai currently sells 20,000 i10 per month which records as the highest selling model for the company. HMIL has already sold 2 lakh units this year and exported more than one lakh cars.
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Saturday, August 8, 2009
Competes with: Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus
Looks like: A baby Camry
Drivetrain: 132-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder or 158-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder
Hits dealerships: February 2008
The Toyota Corolla is arguably Toyota's second-most-important model, and it took a long time for a new version to get here. The look certainly mimics the current-generation Camry, with an angled grille and sharp headlights. The exterior may not be radical, but Toyota rarely dares too much, especially in mainstream cars. That's why it has Scion, after all.Inside gets a nice new look — everything seems clean, simple and well-laid-out, hopefully with improved materials.Power for Standard, LE, XLE and S trims is rated at 132 horsepower from a revised version of the previous four-cylinder engine, with mileage figures of 27/35 mpg city/highway. There aren't any specifics on mileage with the different transmission choices yet. The outgoing Corolla gets 28/37 mpg using new 2008 EPA testing. A performance XRS trim level will reappear for 2009 with the same 158-hp four-cylinder found in the Scion tC and xB. It gets 22/30 mpg in this application and is mated to either a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic.We'd expect prices to stay close to the $14,405-$15,615 starting prices of the 2007s, as has been the trend for other recently redesigned models.
High Tech Concept Car
High-Tech Concept Cars
Fifty years ago, General Motors called its high-tech concept cars "Dream Cars." Most of them, like a turbine-powered car that looked like a jet airplane, remained just that—a dream. Today's high-tech dream cars are rooted in much more practical concerns, especially fuel efficiency and weight savings, which were not on the pop-culture radar in the 1950s. Today's concept cars are much closer to making dreams like fuel cells, which generate electricity from hydrogen and emit only water vapor, come true.
Honda PUYO
Mazda Taiki
Dreamy concept cars at Tokyo
In recent days, Japanese automakers have been releasing the details of concept cars to be unveiled at the upcoming 2007 Tokyo Motor Show (October 26 to November 11). Here is a roundup of some of the more fantastic designs.
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- Toyota RiN
(Toyota RiN)
Designed to promote harmony with nature and evoke a warm, fuzzy feeling inside, the eco-friendly Toyota RiN concept car features heated ergonomic seats, an oxygen level regulator, a spot humidifier, a “mood training” steering control system that monitors the driver’s psychological state, and greenish glass that protects against UV and infrared light while enhancing the natural beauty of the view outside. The exterior design was inspired by Japan’s old-growth Cryptomeria trees known as yakusugi, which are found on Yakushima island, a natural World Heritage Site known for its pristine, ancient forests.
