“Tough Time For Automobile Industry”

The Indian automobile industry is facing tough times. The industry's overall sales fell 4% during the last fiscal as compared to a growth of 13.5% during the previous year. Only some segments within the industry posted growth. Here’s what a finance portal had to say about the situation.

The post I read says -:

“The Indian automobile industry is fighting hard to keep driving on the growth lane. Only two of the four segments within it grew during the last fiscal and only one posting a double-digit growth. Passenger vehicles grew 12%, with the passenger car category growing a shade below it.

Hyundai, which grew 11% during the period, says industry growth has been slower than expected and the reasons could also be due to the sub prime crisis in the US.

Other players like HS Lheem, MD, Hyundai Motor India, says, "Much less than expected I feel. Many IT cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Chennai may be affected by subprime mortgages from US. It looks like industry demand is down but I hope that by Q2, Q3 it should recover."

And volumes in the commercial vehicles segment, also considered as a barometer of the economy fell over 4%. The figures may not give the actual picture, as the industry is moving towards multi-axle vehicles with better carrying capacity than the conventional trucks. Sales of medium and heavy commercial vehicles fell close to 2% and light commercial vehicles grew a little over 12%. Three-wheeler sales, which fell close to 10% also impacted overall industry growth”.

I guess after such a tough year, the Indian auto industry will have to devise new ways to fight the problems of rising inflation and interest rates to avoid a tougher year this time.

Maruti Dzire, Indigo, Logan Comparison

I was really keen to know about the comparisons if any has been made so far between the Maruti Swift DZire and other sedans in the same segment. I found some comparisons of Maruti Swift Dzire with indigo, logan etc.

Found a well-written comparative review – DZire vs. Logan vs. Indigo on mouthshut. Just read through this post to understand these cars better:

With the launch of the Swift Dzire, Maruti has definitely set the cat among the pigeons in the lower A3 segment. Till now this segment was populated by mundane cars like the Indigo and Logan. To say that the Dzire will be a best seller is a safe bet. But what impact would it actually have on the lower A3. How much further would it move the goalposts.

Well, to find out I visited the nearest Maruti showroom.
The Dzire I saw parked in the showroom was a ZDI variant in a dark shade of blue that looked really handsome.
The styling is definitely more striking and contemporary if compared to the Indigo - Logan brigade. The rear end especially with it’s “pinched bootlid” (that’s what the sales guy said) and chrome embellishments etc. give the car it’s premium look.
In comparison the Logan with its slab-sided (cost- cutting) surfaces looks horribly outdated. All straight lines and almost devoid of curves (it even has a flat front windshield!) The Logan looks like a car from the eighties era. The safely styled Indigo too is quite pleasing to look at.

The insides of the car had me pleasantly surprised. Maruti has gone a long way in equipping the car with all the bells and whistles in its kitty and hence is leagues ahead of the competition.

The in dash CD player with controls on the steering wheel (whoa!), climate control etc. the list is impressive.

The twin tone interiors lighten up things inside and add to that feeling of luxury.
Three passengers at the rear could mean a snug fit for the Dzire which is not as wide as the Logan. But it comes equipped with a flip down centre armrest that adds to the premium feeling. The Logan on the other hand is quite utilitarian in this regard with its wide flat bench rear seat but is blessed with loads of space. The Indigo is the only car among the three which has a 60:40 rear seat split which helps in increasing lugging capacity.

Later I went for a test drive and was pleasantly surprised to know that the addition of the boot had done very little to dent the sporty performance and efficiency of the excellent Swift diesel engine. In terms of cubic capacity it is the smallest engine among the trio but has the highest power and torque output. This translates into a peppy and sporty drive on the road. The Logan too is an able performer and has good in-gear acceleration. Indigo is the least refined with poor NVH characteristics.

ABS and EBD works perfectly, and along with airbags make the Dzire a very safe car to live with. Ride and handling is very sporty because of the fantastic steering of the Dzire. I found the rear suspension slightly softer than the Swift too. Over a rough patch the Logan does have a slight edge in the comfort area when compared to the Dzire. But personally I liked the slightly harder setting in the Maruti.

Well, striking looks, feature loaded, killer pricing and brand Maruti make the Dzire a formidable rival. The Dzire is definitely in a league of its own here.

So now we know, why is DZire so dzirable.

My New Love…Nokia N95

It is such an amaaaaaaaaazzzzzziiiiiiigggg phone. Features and looks both are amazing. "WOW... LOOK... A phone that knows when you are moving AND has internet browsing"

Nokia N95 8GB mobile phone has been specifically optimized for entertainment, music and games. The mobile device offers dedicated music and gaming keys, expanded flash memory, large LCD screen and extended battery performance to provide quick and easy access to entertainment content. With its expanded memory, the Nokia N95 8 GB mobile multimedia phone offers up to 20 hours of digital video or up to 6000 digital songs.
Goggle Map, I believe this particular application in the N95 is the best mobile phone GPS application. This application increases the value of the phone so much.

I am in love with the phone ever since it was launched and plan to get it ASAP.

Nokia and VISA partner to make mobile credits a reality

Remember the days when landline phones were the only mode of communication? When cell phones were first unveiled, they appeared to be the most magical thing that could happen to the world. As time passed the mobile technology evolved step by step. I mean with every new handset coming up in market there is some new and absolutely fantastic feature one has never seen before.

I recently read that Nokia and Visa have partnered to make global mobile credits a reality. Isn’t it just amazing? Now you can actually pay by your mobile. Wow

Here’s what I read - “Big mobile related news keep on rolling in as Nokia and Visa released their co-operation plans for combining credit card features to upcoming Nokia phones. Combining payment systems to mobiles is nothing new by itself, but until now mobile payment systems have been restricted mainly to trials and country specific solutions.

In use, the Nokia and Visa solution means that phone users will be able to pay for purchases globally by swiping a phone over a reader that electronically communicates with a NFC (Near-field-communication) microchip on the phone. After that phone owner must confirm the purchase with the push of a button and the deal is complete. This kind of feature will enable contact-free payments, remote payments, person-to-person payments, and mobile coupons with worldwide solutions”.

I don’t know when will all this be implemented but for the time being this news is very encouraging.

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Maruti strengthens its position in A3 segment with DZire

Maruti Swift DZire seems to be the fulfillment of every Indian’s DZire. As per Maruti the inspiration behind this car is “If there are 5 million customers of compact cars and A2 segment cars then why not A3?”

Millions of Indians own compact cars. With growing incomes and better lifestyle, many of them want to upgrade to a sedan. But definitely a good entry level sedan was missing in India earlier. People were not able to find an entry-level sedan that offers style, features and performance. But thanks to DZire, maruti has filled this gap now.

It was launched by Maruti in order to further consolidate its position in the big-car segment. And, Dzire has delivered what was expected.

While continuing to lead India's small car market, Maruti Suzuki has emerged as the market leader in the A3 segment as well during 2007-08. The company has sold a total of 41800 units in the last 11 months (Apr-Feb 2008) in the domestic market. This is the highest number of cars for any manufacturer in the A3 segment, according to the recent industry results published by SIAM.

Boom for Luxury Cars in India

A Luxury car is a styled, luxurious automobile intended for comfort and satisfaction of its owner or driver,sacrificing passenger space, cargo capacity and other practical concerns for the sake of style. The luxury cars are very expensive and its price range is above Rs 20 lakhs. Hence these cars are affordable and are preferred by high-income group.Luxury cars have the capacity to carry at the most 6 passengers. The companies like- BMW, Daimler Chrysler, Porsche, Rolls Royce manufacture these cars and companies like -Aston Martin and General Motors are still planning to launch their models in the market under this segment.


Like anywhere else in the world, cars are the most visible symbol of a country’s high spending customers. The luxury car market in India has tripled in the past five years. Last year, luxury sports car maker Porsche made its Indian debut with the iconic 911 Carrera turbo, the Boxter and its highly rated Cayenne SUV.

Within a week of a launch, Porsche dealers claim to have taken 19 orders in Delhi and 12 in Mumbai, mostly for the Cayenne SUV. Super luxury cars like Bentley’s Arnage R and its sports version are available locally at prices between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 4 crore. By next year Ferrari enthusiasts will be able to buy the Ferrari Modena in India, along with luxury models from BMW range, Audi and sports car manufacturer Maserati.

It is a sign of what economic liberalization has done for millions of Indians. Sure, there are abysmal and shameful levels of poverty and India is still very much a third world country in many respects. Yet, at the same time, country’s economic growth in the last decade, along with China's has been the envy of the world. Its per capita income has grown at an incredible rate of 70% during this period. The opening up of the Indian economy and parallel boom in the IT and service sectors have created an entire generation of wealthy Indians who are distinct from India’s traditional business families.