In 1998, Tata Indica dazzled the Indian Auto Expo. Ten years later, Tata Nano, the cheapest car of the world stole the limelight. At the 10th Indian Auto Expo, we will not see such showstoppers but there will be many launches, especially small cars. Maruti Suzuki alone will display seventeen cars. It will unveil ‘Eeco,’ a small car sporting 1200 cc petrol engine. The car will be priced at Rs.400,000. Then there is the Concept R3, a compact multi-purpose vehicle.
This year, Tata Motors booked the largest space in the show; 5,500 square meters. This is followed by Maruti Suzuki with 4,700 sq meters. Toyota will unveil its new EFC (Entry Family Car). Toyota’s small concept car, codenamed 800 L, will be unveiled at the expo. Till now, I have been reading in news reports that Ford is not going participate in the show but Hindu Business Line reported that Ford will display its Figo small car which was unveiled by the company’s president, Mr. Alan Mulally, in New Delhi, few months ago.
In India in 2009, car sales is set to jump at least 16 per cent to 1.4 million vehicles in India, the second most populous country in the world. Three quarters of the Indian car market is made up of cars shorter than four meters. Passenger car sales, which showed tremendous growth so far, will rise by 14.5% to 2.4 million cars annually by March 2014.
Despite cutting short by two days due to uncertain economic condition, Rajive Kaul, Chairman, Steering Committee for Auto Expo 2010, is expecting 1.8 million visitors at the expo this year. Dilip Chenoy, Director General, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) expected it to be the largest show in terms of footfalls. This year there will be 2100 participants from 30 different countries (in the official website it was 25).
International automakers will unveil ten new cars in the upcoming Indian Auto Expo. Since, small cars make up two-thirds of the total car sales in India, many concept small cars will be unveiled at the show. Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. will premiere, a concept version of its first small car for the Indian market. The car will sport a 1.2 litre gasoline engine and it will be launched in stores by the end of 2010. Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. will unveil its second concept small car model at the show which will be launched in 2011 (Times of India says 2012). Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., the largest automaker in India will showcase its 17 cars including its Kizashi Sedan. It will launch a new van named Eco at the show. It will also unveil its concept small multi-utility vehicle.
Chevrolet Beat by GM and Polo by Volkswage will be displayed at the show. The two cars will be launched in March 2010.
The show will also display electronic vehicles and focus on green auto technology. There will few hybrids and electronic cars at the show the famous Toyota Prius hybrid from Toyota. Honda will unveil its concept model hybrid, CR-Z Concept 2009. GM will unveil an electronic version of its Spark mini car that the company is building in collaboration with Reva Electric Car of Bangalore. Hyundai will also unveil the electric version of Hyundai i10.
The Indian auto Industry was not badly affected by the global recession. Following a four month decline, the auto sales started to pick up in February. In November 2009, it registered a 61% growth to 133,687 units which became the “largest percentage gain since February 2004.” Small cars makes up about two-thirds of annual car sales in India. By 2016, annual car sales would grow up to 3 million units per year in the country.
The 10th Indian Auto Expo is going to be held in January next year. Many national and International companies are going to present their products in the show. India is considered to be one of the emerging auto markets in the world along with China and Brazil and currently it is the largest market for compact cars. The auto expo was first organized in 1986 followed by the second in 1993 and the third in 1996. After 1996, it became a biennial show. The Auto Expo is the biggest and most important event in India. In this post you will get all the necessary information about the Indian Auto Expo 2010.
Facts about the 10th Indian Auto Expo:
Time:January 5, 2010-January 11, 2010.
Venue: Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India. The entire fair covers an area of 1,40,000 square meters. The entire are will be divided in 18 halls and hangers. Halls 1,3,18 and hangers will display auto components, accessories and garage equipments. Halls 2-12, 14 and 15 will display cars, utility vehicles, commercial vehicles, buses, trucks, two-wheelers and three-wheelers.
Visit the following link to see the location plan of the venue: http://www.autoexpo.in/images/Auto_expo_2010_Exhibition_Layout.jpg
To locate the venue on Google Map visit: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=pragati+maidan+new+delhi&ie=UTF8&ll=28.618545,77.243457&spn=0.012752,0.020084&z=16&om=1
Number of participants: More than 2100. This year participants from 25 countries are going to participate in the show.
Event highlights: Conferences and seminars, International delegations, new car launching.
Display highlights: vehicles, components, accessories, theme pavilion, IT for Auto Industry, garage equipments, oil and lubricants, auto electronics, leasing/financial companies, insurance companies, battery operated vehicles, CAD/CAM Solutions, CNG units, coach builders/”design” vehicles, design concepts and auto finance.
Special features and attractions: International business lounge, exclusive media lounge, exclusive five star restaurant, meeting and conference facilities, vintage car display, go-carting, award nights, design contest, diesel pavilion, Asli / Naqli Pavilion
Exhibition Schedule
January 5, 2010:
Media Day
Goodwill Day: Special arrangements for visit of Physically Challenged.
January 6, 2010:
Official Opening Ceremony
Special invitees: 1000hrs-1900hrs
January 7th, 8th, and 11th, 2010:
Business Visitors:1000hrs-1500hrs
General Visitors:1500hrs-1900hrs
January 9th, 10th, 2010:
Trade / General Visitors: 1000hrs -1900hrs
Contact Info:
Rachna Jindal (Ms), Executive Officer
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
Trade Fairs Division
Plot No.249-F, Udyog Vihar Phase IV, Sector 18
Gurgaon 122 015 Haryana India
Tel: 00-91-124-4014060 to 67 Fax: 00-91-4014080 & 4014057
On May 22, 2009, Skoda India Pvt. Ltd. launched its latest luxury sedan, Skoda Laura, in India. India is one of the emerging auto markets. All the major automakers of the world, both Asian and European, are doing business in India. Skoda is famous for producing top quality luxury cars. Though India is a very price sensitive market, the company has been doing pretty well. In 2008, Skoda India sold 16,051 vehicles in India.
The new Skoda Laura offers a “perfect 10” driving experience. Skoda Laura is available in three engine variants- the 1.8 TSI Manual Transmission, 1.9 TDI PD in Manual & Automatic Transmission and 2.0 TDI PD in Automatic Transmission. Skoda is now gearing up for launching its next luxury model cross over vehicle Skoda Yeti in the second quarter of 2010.
Skoda Laura: Basic facts
Name: Skoda Laura
Length: 4569 mm
Width: 1769 mm
Height: 1485 mm
Wheel base:2578 mm
Ground clearance: 164 mm
Storage capacity: 560 liter
Storage capacity with rear seatback folded down: 1420 liter
Trim levels: Škoda Laura Laurin, Škoda Laura Klement, Škoda Laura Elegance and Škoda Laura Ambiente.
Engine types: New Skoda Laura is availabe in two diesel engines and one petrol engine.
Cylinders: 4
Design:
The Skoda Laura is a luxury sedan and its design stands out from the rest of the cars in the market. In a crowded street, people can easily recognize Skoda Laura for its unique design. The new Skoda Laura sports a subtle aggressiveness without loosing its touch of elegance, thanks to its new chrome front grille and flared headlamp brows. The side mirrors of the new Skoda Laura are fitted with turn indicators which complement the cars look. The four 16″ alloy wheels coupled with strong shoulder lines just reveal Skoda Laura’s opulence. The bold swage line and thick lower sills and a smooth slopping roof line display stability.The C- designed tail lamp sports a chrome central insert. The one piece rear bumper, which accommodates two reflective strips, makes the car very unique and the running crease lowers the visual mass. The interior has top quality materials and contemporary design. The wooden design décor and ivory upholstery give a sense of richness and increases the sense of space. The chrome interior handles adds up to the overall style quotient of the car.
Other major features:
On the front axle, the Skoda Laura has McPherson suspension.
On the rear axle, the Skoda Laura comes with multi-element axle.
The Skoda Laura has direct rack and pinion steering with electro mechanic power steering.
The Skoda Laura comes with xenon curve projector headlights which offer high visibility around turns.
The Skoda Laura has parktronic sensors integrated in the front and rear bumpers that warn the driver of possible obstacles in the front and rear spaces while parking the car.
The Skoda Laura has Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) which continuously checks the air pressure in the individual tires and provides warning of pressure loss in any of the tyres.
The Skoda Laura has six airbags including dual front airbags, dual side airbags (front), dual curtain airbags at front and rear.
The front seats of the new Skoda Laura are equipped with “Whiplash Optimised Head Restraints” to reduce neck injury in the event of an impact from the rear.
The rear view mirrors of the new Skoda Laura are equipped with photo sensors which can detect the intensity of light coming out from other vehicles and reduces glare.
The Skoda Laura comes automatic headlight system with light sensors that adjust the lights of the car in low light conditions such as tunnels, basement parking etc. It also reduces driver fatigue and increases safety.
The Skoda Laura has retracable headlight washers that spray high pressure jet of water to clean the headlamp lenses and maximize the intensity of light.
The Skoda Laura has Anti Lock Braking System (ABS) to prevent the vehicle from skidding and maintaining driving control.
The Skoda Laura has Anti Slip Regulation(ASR) to prevent the driven wheels from slipping by reducing the engine output.
The Skoda Laura comes with Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) which maintains the vehicle’s stability while driving on roads that are partially wet or gravel.
The Skoda Laura has Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) to control the car’s driving dynamics.
The Skoda Laura comes with Mechanical Brake Assistant (MBA) and Hydraulic Brake Assistant (HBA) that ensure maximum pressure on the braking system in case of a critical braking situation.
The new Skoda Laura has engine immobiliser with floating code system that changes every time after the car is switched off.
The new Skoda Laura comes with security code for central infotainment system.
The new Skoda Laura has remote controlled unlocking of doors and the boot lid.
The new Skoda Laura has remote controlled opening and closing windows.
The new Skoda Laura has 12 way electrically adjustable driver seat.
The Skoda Laura has drive seat with three programmable memory functions.
Price:
The price of Skoda Laura ranges between Rs.1.267 million and Rs.1.715 million.
