Indian Drives

GM has established a venture capital unit back in June last year with a fund of $100mn for investing in technologies related to auto. According to recent reports, this venture capital has invested a further $7.5mn in Sunlogics Inc., a solar energy company that will make an investment of $30mn for opening their factory and global headquarters in Rochester Hills.

The auto market in US is flooded with gas guzzling vehicles, especially SUV's; however a new law in the US could help change this situation, also presenting Indian auto manufacturers with an opportunity to present their fuel saving small economical cars.

Ford India will soon shift their headquarters to New Delhi. The president of Ford Africa and Asia Pacific, Joseph Henrichs said during a press conference that Ford India would be shifting their headquarters to New Delhi, while they would open a new facility in Gujarat.

The Audi A8L model has really impressive appearance because of its simple and solid build quality in the extended and flesh wheelbase that provides additional elegance to this car. This overall looks of this model is quite similar to the stylish Audi A4.

M&M have been enjoying a lot of success following the launch of their new Verito sedan sans Renault that they will be introducing 2 new variants of it this fiscal year.

Mercedes Benz is known for creating a luxury and lifestyle experience for its customers the world over. The luxury car manufacturer recently launched its first Star Lounge in Delhi International Airport, as part of their commitment in providing customers with an international buying experience, hospitality products and ambience.

Mahindra Satyam and Mahindra Aerospace, which represent the aerospace engineering and manufacturing capabilities of India's leading industrial company, Mahindra Group, recently signed a MOU with Eurocopter Group and the company's subsidiary in India, Eurocopter India, for partnering in trade. This partnership will focus customization and engineering of civil helicopters, manufacturing sub assemblies and jointly developing specific segments in the market.

The government of Gujarat will allocate a 400 acre plot to the leading US auto company Ford Motors for setting up their second manufacturing facility in India. The INR 5,000 crore plant will be located near the main facility of Tata Nano in Sanand, about 40kms from Ahmedabad.

Maruti Suzukirecently posted a gain in net profits of 18% for the quarter ended in June 2011. In spite of a slow growth in the Indian auto industry, the company managed to record net profits to the tune of INR 549.2 crore, a growth of 18% against the INR 465.36 crores that it posted in the corresponding quarter, last year.

Audi recently introduced the high end variant of their flagship model, the Audi A8 L W12 quattro. This car is equipped with a petrol 6.3l FSI engine, and sets new luxury, efficiency and dynamism standards. With the new engine the car has an acceleration rate of 0 to 100kmph in just 4.7 seconds with a 250kmph top speed.

Adrian Sutil, the Force India F1 Team driver, recently registered his best performance this season, as the driver managed to come in at the sixth position at the German GP on Sunday. The driver for the F1 India team began at the eight position on the grid and managed to gain 2 more places by finish, with a 1:26:208 lap time.

Honda has updated its Honda CR-V for its 2012 line up. The new CR-V will boast of many important changes. The first images of their 2012 CR-V were released recently, and the new CR-V is definitely a stunner. The CR-V looks more aggressive bumper and grille, and impressive sport details to it.

Auto major, Volvo Auto India intends to introduce less costly variants of their models, as they hope to increase their sales volume in a market where competitors like Mercedes, Audi and BMW are seeing growth in their premium car sales.

The Chevrolet Cruze will be upgraded with the addition of a new engine. This engine will be from the manufacturer's Z Series engines. The car will get a new DOHC 2.0l common-rail diesel motor that is capable of delivering 163bhp of max power, an increase over its earlier 150bhp max power.

Among the most important features that the car has to offer, are probably its safety features, especially in the western auto markets, where safety features become crucial points when heading out to buy a car. One such feature which many manufacturers have been showcasing of late is a crash avoidance technology, showcased recently by Swedish auto manufacturer, Volvo.

We have mentioned or rather kept it that there are some electric cars are the future of the Indian car industry. Not only do they flash their eco-conscious thing but also are better in terms of the savings in the long term.

Renault India's manufacturing plant in Chennai for making engines will begin operations by April 2012. These engines are part of the company"s localisation process for their small new hatchback. This car is scheduled to hit Indian markets in January, and is an India specific car, which not be produced in another market.

Volvo Auto India recently announced that they have appointed a new MD, Tomas Ernberg for their domestic operations. Ernberg has been with the Swedish auto manufacturer since the past 17 years. He will replace current MD, Paul de Voijs.

The new diesel variant Chevrolet Beat will be launched in the Indian auto market by July 25, a move to capitalize on high demand for diesel variants by the company.