Renault Fluence

Renault has launched its first car Fluence in India in price bracket of 13-15 Lac exshowroom which is range owned by Toyota, Skoda and Honda cars. Basically, Renault Fluence lies in Segment which is been owned by Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Civic, Toyota Altis and Skoda Laura. Fluence is a new entrant in this segment

Renault India has launched Fluence in both Petrol and diesel variant, and the car is available with full of Safety and Luxury Features in it. The petrol engine comes with power of 135 BHP in 1461 cc engine whereas diesel vvariant comes with power of 105 BHP in 1461 cc engine. This seems the only car which has a diesel variant . With the diesel variant price is 12.99 Lacs, it becomes an attractive buy with loads of luxury and safety features in the car. Skoda Laura in this segment with diesel engine seems clear winner till now. But Renault Fluence with its price tag has a more reason to say that its a perfect value for money .

Fluence seems a perfect blend of space, comfort and safety features in the car. Some of the safety features in Renault Fluence are:- 4 SRS airbags, ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution). Renault Fluence also has features like fog lamps, automatic headlamps, automatic rain sensing wipers, traction control, cruise control and rear parking sensors. The Bookings are open for Renault Fluence. Deliveries however may take some time as of now .

Looking to buy Renault Fluence check now Detailed Features of Renault Fluence

Diesel Car -- Should you buy it

Diesel Car .

Which one to choose to buy among Diesel or Petrol car  . With difference in prices of Petrol and Diesel Car getting spread out . Is Fuel economy be the only criteria while buying car ?

Petrol prices have been hiked from Rs. 40/liter (of close to 2 year back) to Rs. 63/liter now (in Delhi) with Mumbai been close to around Rs. 67/liter

In relative, diesel cost at around Rs. 38/liter in Delhi which implies gap of approx 25/liter in running cost

If on an avg you drove 1200 kms in city (which is bare average driving in city Like Delhi) , petrol car will tend to eat up around Rs. 5000 , where as diesel variant will eat up around Rs. 3000 .. implies saving of Rs. 2000 pm , 25K in a year and close to a Lac of rupees in 4 years -- the diesel variant of cars also cost anything between 75K-1 Lac expensive than the petrol car

By that logic, you would be able to recover the cost in close to 4 year if you go in for diesel car instead of petrol car

Though, the running costs seems lesser, but over a longer period of time -- the maintenance cost of a diesel car is slightly expensive than maintaining a petrol car

In-fact, there are other fuel options too -- better one is to go for CNG cars , but a word of advice CNG kits should be installed only and only by the authorized vendor as approved by Transport Office or it should be Manufacturer fitted. Again, CNG is not available in outskirt locations , Hence, if you are driving on highway you need to be slightly aware of this fact

Verdict -- Improve your driving habit if you are still fizzy on the fuel economy -- Drive at 60km/hr, avoid using clutch pedal as footrest, stop the car ignition at red lights, get the air filter cleaned regularly and check air pressure regularly. By all logic, you will surely save upto 20% of your fuel wastage if you follow these basic steps.

VW Vento takes on Honda City

Source : Economic Times Report

In just eight months since launch, sales of the Vento have nudged ahead of those of the leader of 13 years for two months in a row now. VW managed to sell 6,839 Ventos in March and April; Honda could sell 4,315 Citys in that period.

The Vento is the most visible success of Europe's largest carmaker in India, a market it which it began production only two years ago. With a major presence in four segments in India - Polo in hatchbacks, the Vento, the Jetta that competes with the likes of the Toyota Corolla, and the Passat at the luxury end - VW today has managed to carve out a 2% share of the 87,500-crore Indian car market, which grew at 30% in the last fiscal year.

That may seem insignificant, but not when you compare it to the share of the American carmakers in India who have been in the country for over a decade now. Market shares of Ford and General Motors hovered around 4% as of fiscal year 2011. Toyota and Honda trail the US car majors. VW is not too far behind the multinational pack in a market where a single manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki, accounts for almost one out of every two cars sold.

"We are lucky to have been able to make it happen in an otherwise hugely competitive Indian market," says Neeraj Garg, Director Volkswagen Group Sales. "A 360 degree approach to deliver global quality at local prices has worked for us," he adds.

VVW has unabashedly played the price card, pricing its offerings lower than the competition. The Polo hatchback was launched last March at 4.3 lakh (ex-showroom in Delhi), some 20,000 lower than Hyundai's i20.

The Vento was introduced last July at a cracker price of 6.99 lakh, making it the cheapest mid-size petrol sedan in the country. The price advantage has been juxtaposed with an emphasis on German precision and contemporary technology. And that has worked like a charm.

"The advantage of having the largest portfolio of technology and brands in the world has given VW a head start in its India strategy," said Mahantesh Sabarad, senior vice-president at Mumbai-based Fortune Financial Services.

Volkswagen is a major attraction for image-conscious young Indian customers looking to buy contemporary technology bundled in sleek European designs. The high-end Passat, for instance, has 'BlueMotion' technology, which provides improved efficiency and reduced emission.

The car comes a parking assist function whereby it can identify a suitable parking area and park itself when put in reverse gear without driver intervention. "Volkswagen has been the biggest benefactor of the huge spurt in local demand with our contemporary technology and globally proven cars - Polo and Vento - getting instant recognition in their segments," said Lutz Kothe, Volkswagen Passenger Cars head of marketing & PR.

Volkswagen also scores over rivals because of its diesel edge. Is the only car maker in the world that has its entire range - from hatchbacks to sedans to SUVs - in both diesel and petrol. In contrast, Honda lacks diesel technology in its portfolio and even market leader Maruti entered the diesel segment as late as end-2007.

VW has also jumped on the cricket bandwagon to connect with a huge, young audience. The company is the official partner for the (ongoing) fourth and fifth seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL). To coincide with the T20 tournament, VW has launched an IPL edition of the Vento adding a few features like a special colour touch screen multimedia player with a navigation system, and leatherette seats.

As official partner the German auto giant gets multiple branding and marketing opportunities during every IPL match where it displays its cars and technologies.

VW has done well to create demand for its models. But it may have problems catering to that demand. The Indian operation is grappling with production constraints as supply of components from its vendors has hit factory out put. Waiting periods for the Polo and Vento have fallen from a high of 12 weeks in 2000 to 5-7 weeks, but there will be customers who won't be in a mood to wait that long.

"We are working on ways to ensure full production of 1.1 lakh cars per annum to cut down the delivery times for the customers," says Garg. The company has started a third shift at its plant in Chakan on Pune's outskirts (where it manufactures Polo and the Vento) to take its monthly production to over 6,000 cars per month from 1,500 cars per month a year ago.

Hyundai Fluidic Verna

<p>Available in 6 colors. The New fluidic Verna is all set to storm the market with its killer looks and all new features . Available in price range of 6.99 Lac exshowroom for 1.4 VTVT Petrol -- the top end varant CRDI Sx Automatic prices at 10.75 Lac exshowroom Delhi . </p>
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Available in both Manual, Automatic in both Petrol (1386 CC & 1591 CC), Diesel (1396CC & 1582CC) the car is full of new features with comfort and luxury giving the highest output of power of 123 BHP in petrol engine and 128 BHP in diesel engine. The super-efficient 1.4 litre petrol engine gives a mileage of 17.43 kmpl (ARAI figures) while the 1.4 litre diesel version clocks 23.5 kmpl making the new Fluidic Verna the most fuel-efficient car in the segment. </p>
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The car boasts of features which are specially developed for India. The interiors have luxurious elements and textures including two-tone beige and black high gloss interiors with wood finish. One of the unique features of the Fluidic Verna is the cluster ionizer which improves the quality of air inside the cabin by producing ion-plasma that traps bacteria and other impurities and comes into operation automatically as the AC is switched on. The rear end of the car is fitted with dual chrome tipped exhaust which adds on to the sporty feel. The car also comes with the convenience of an audio hand remote that allows quick surfing though the options.
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The fluidic design concept extends to the interiors too with a Y shaped crash pad and comfortable and spacious interior seating. The longer wheelbase (2570mm) generates ample leg space and the wide seats offer comfortable seating. The interiors feature an array of luxurious elements and textures including leather upholstery to give the car an elegant look and feel.
The centre front armrest comes with segment first sliding function, whereas both front and rear armrests have storage space for enhanced convenience. Other thoughtful convenience features for the driver include driver’s side front and rear power windows with auto down and time lag function, electrically adjustable and foldable mirrors, tilt steering, electro chromic inside rear view mirror and steering mounted audio controls and Bluetooth connectivity that minimizes driver’s effort. In the new Fluidic Verna customers will enjoy unmatched audio experience. The car is loaded with fabulous infotainment system which supports Bluetooth connectivity and comes with features like Radio/CD/MP3/USB/Aux-in/i-Pod connectivity for unlimited music access. To make driving pleasurable in summers it has a Fully Automatic Temperature Control (FATC) system with a cooled glove-box.'
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In safety features , too Hyundai new Fluidic Verna is equipped with first in class 6 airbags for occupant protection as a passive safety feature while the EBD (Electronic Brake force distribution and ABS (anti lock braking system) provide the much needed active safety systems to help the driver control the car better. Hyundai is also the first to come up with Rear Parking Camera (with display on the inside rearview mirror) in the mid-size sedan segment along with reverse parking sensors which helps in ensuring safe and easy parking of the car. One of the essential safety features brought in by Hyundai in this segment is the automatic unlocking of the door on collision which facilitates quick exit of the occupants. Speed sensing auto door lock prevents accidental opening of the door while moving which adds to unparallel safety while driving. The car is also equipped with a clutch lock system which adds to the safety of the car when parked. Overall, Hyundai is all set to storm the segment -- challenging Honda City, VW Vento and Maruti Sx4 in a big way.
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