Honda CEO : " Hyundai is awesome "

Honda’s CEO Takanobu Ito has said he sees Korean manufacturer Hyundai as a huge threat to the future of Japanese automakers.

The Korean firm has seen strong sales growth across the world in the last few years and it is currently the top selling manufacturer in Britain for retail sales.

                            Hyundai Ix-onic concept car

“Hyundai is awesome,” said Takanobu. “They are undoubtedly a threat because their products are cheap, and the quality is improving.”

Hyundai and its sister firm Kia have been successful across Europe and America in various scrappage incentive schemes. Smaller models such as the i10, i20 and i30 have proved particularly popular.

                              Hyundai Genesis 2010 model

Takanobu’s comments have also been echoed by designer Shiro Nakamura from Nissan.

                               Hyundai HDC8 Concept car

“Hyundai is the biggest threat for the Japanese automakers,” he said. “They have the technology, but they seem to have cheaper labour.”

Ratan Tata and his Cars.......

The world knows Ratan Tata as the chairman of the Tata Group, India’s largest business conglomerate. Quiet and unassuming, Tata is a very private person and there aren’t many people who know that his life away from the office has a different dimension.

It’s a life that makes you understand why he is so emotionally involved with Tata Motors and why he single-handedly achieved the impossible with the Indica and the Nano. It’s also a life car enthusiasts would die for. Quite simply, Ratan Tata is crazy about cars. He can’t help it. Born a Parsi, the passion is deeply embedded in his DNA. Over the years Ratan has acquired quite a collection of cars and the pristine manner in which he maintains them explains why the term ‘Parsi owned’ fetches a premium. True to his clan, he is particularly possessive about his cars —
no one other than himself can drive them — and his gleaming collection, tucked away in a basement, is pampered to look nothing less than showroom-fresh.

Each car has its own bespoke cover made of a special material that doesn’t scratch and keeps moisture out. Trickle chargers keep the batteries topped up (as there is no time to drive during the week) and just in case Ratan misjudges how close the garage wall is when he slots nose first into the parking bay, there are wooden chocks in front of the front wheels to stop him short. Such is his attention to detail!

Tata spends most Sunday mornings behind the wheel of each of his cars, taking them out one after the other, for a short spin around South Mumbai. His latest pride and joy is a Ferrari California, probably the first in the country. Always happy to oblige a fellow enthusiast, it didn’t take much to convince Ratan to take me for a ride in it. The California looks absolutely stunning in ‘Rosso’ red (the colour all Ferraris should be) and beige leather interiors.

I can now see what keeps the 71-year- old Ratan Tata going in what must be a pressure-cooker environment at the top of his Rs 3,65,000 crore empire. There’s nothing like the gorgeous lines of a Ferrari and the sound of a quad-cam V8 to wash away the worries of Corus or Jaguar Land Rover. What a great way to unwind!

Ratan Tata on his cars

Ferrari California: “It’s the most exhilarating car I have. The sound is fantastic and it turns heads.”     Maserati Quattroporte: “It’s softer than the Ferrari and is also terrific to drive.”      Cadillac XLR: “This roadster is one of my favourites. The acceleration is impressive and the suspension is quite stiff by American standards.”     Chrysler Sebring: “I just love the colour of this car. In fact, the Indica we first showcased in Geneva in 1998 was painted the same colour.”     Land Rover Freelander: “It drives quite well and I love the red upholstery.”     Mercedes 500 SL: “When I got it, it was terrific but it’s now just another car.”      Mercedes S-class: “It’s for normal use and after the sports cars it feels like butter and goes like a glider!”      Indigo Marina: “I’ve removed the backseat and put a mattress to take my dogs in it.”

Abhishek Pasricha.

Maruti Launches new WagonR.......

Maruti Suzuki has raised the curtain on its blue-eyed-boy, the all-new WagonR. Maruti now prices the hatchback in par with its competition, with the base version priced at Rs 3.28 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), rising up to Rs 4.12 lakh for the top-end (Vxi) variant with ABS and airbags.
 
The all-new WagonR that replaces the existing car model is the fourth generation and is based on a completely new platform. The WagonR will now be powered by the peppy 1-litre K-series motor, the same engine powering the Estilo and A-star.

Under the skin the car is all-new. The latest WagonR is underpinned by a brand new chassis that is leagues ahead of the outgoing model. Tailored blanks are used all over and these specially treated, sandwiched and layered pieces of steel help provide stiffness without adding wasteful bulk.

On the outside, substantial styling changes have been made. The square edges of the car are rounded out, particularly at the front end. The new WagonR gets a prominent nose with large lights, a wide grille and a massive, stretched air intake below the bumper. The ‘smiling’ grille, as Maruti calls it, is part of the company’s new-found styling language also seen in the face-lifted Estilo.

The passenger cabin has improved and now sport dual tone interiors with alluminum touches all around. The WagonR’s dashboard is embellished with silver-accented surrounds for the air vents and vertical and horizontal strips. The interiors feel much more upmarket than before.

Maruti hasn’t messed around with the car’s strength; the tall roofline, high seats and ‘spacious for a hatchback’ interiors promise to keep this car on the top of the charts.

New Maruti WagonR
Variant	Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Lx	Rs 3.28
Lxi	Rs 3.57
Vxi	Rs 3.81
Vxi with ABS, Airbags	Rs 4.12

Abhishek Pasricha