Ford India registers 188% growth in sales

Mainly driven by its hatchback, the Figo, Ford India has recorded a 188 per cent sales growth in February 2011 as per the reports.

Ford India has seen a sudden increase in its sales ever since the launch of the hatchback, the Figo in the year 2009, taking Ford to a phenomenal new level. Ford India sold over 9,293 vehicles in February as compared to 3,223 in 2010. In all, the company has sold over 76,000 Figo's since 2009.

According to the company officials, the Indian unit of US based leading car-maker Ford Motors, has been performing well in the Indian market since last one year, and has registered a massive 188 per cent jump in its sales in the country in February 2011.

Commenting on the company's performance, Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India said, "The phenomenal Figo has taken Ford to a new level in India." He also added that the company will soon launch its all new Fiesta, a premium sedan, the first of the eight new models slated to be launched by 2015.


Expect to be quite a segment shaker, the all new Fiesta has been garnering rave reviews around Europe in its hatchback form – and has already clocked sales figures of over ten lakh units around the 100 markets in which it is sold.


Ford India has also mentioned that the new Ford Fiesta will be built at Ford's manufacturing plant in Chennai and consumers can look forward to a high-end sedan that will have a sporty design, great ride quality, dynamic performance and an array of smart features.

Ford Figo Drives Company Growth

Ford India is on an all time high with the success of the Ford Figo. The company has almost tripled sales in February 2011 as compared to the same period last year.

Ford India has achieved a 188 per cent increase in sales in February 2011 as compared to the same period last year. In February 2010 the company recorded a sale of 3,223 vehicles however in the same period this year, the number has gone up to a stellar 9,293 units.

According to Ford India officials, the growth is mainly due to the high demand of the Ford Figo, which incidentally celebrates its one year anniversary this month. The premium hatchback continues to be a big draw for it is extremely well priced and a product that is well suited to the Indian market.

The Figo has the distinction of selling over 76,000 units since its launch. It has also been coveted with the most awards in automotive history in India, including the prestigious ZigWheels Car of The Year award.

Riding on this new wave of success, Ford India is now gearing up for the launch of the new globally acclaimed Fiesta. The new Fiesta marks the first in a series of eight new arrivals planned for the Indian market. The new Fiesta will not replace the current Fiesta, which, according to company officials, will continue to sell alongside its new sibling as it is an integral part of the company’s product line up.

Gearing up for new levels of success, Ford India has also been working at effectively expanding its sales and service network across the country. The company now has 170 dealership outlets in over 100 cities across the country.

Skoda reveals its new 'corporate logo' at the Geneva Motor Show

New corporate design to herald the next era of Skoda's growth and development

Auto manufacturers that have been in the business of making cars for as long as Skoda have seen the automotive world evolve and transform into what it represents today. While some automobile manufacturers have revamped their logos and corporate identities in recent times to project a new outlook and direction for themselves, others have brought into existence an entirely new brand that will clearly cater to the future development of its sustainable mobility solutions for the world.

At this year’s Geneva Motor Show, auto enthusiasts will witness a fleet of exciting and futuristic looking automobiles from every corner of the globe, and Czech car maker Skoda has taken this opportunity to reveal to its international audience, it’s newly re-instated corporate logo in an all new chrome finish.

With plans to double its global sales of 762,600 cars by year 2018, Skoda’s new corporate design is a visual expression of its optimism and ambitions for the future. Created by Hamburg-settled CI/CD agency “Syndicate Brand & Corporate Design AG” Škoda’s winged-arrow logo now has a new, sharper design in vivid colours.

The winged arrow in the new design is much larger and more visible. The hue of the winged arrow has been changed from “natural green” to the new lush “Škoda Green”, and the outer area is highlighted with a chrome look. The previously black circle around the winged arrow has been refashioned into a simple chrome design and is now positioned further from the winged arrow, giving the logo an airier, more adventurous impression.

The “Škoda Auto” legend is no longer placed within the circle; it is now clearly visible above the logo. The new font (ŠKODA PRO font), colours, new proportions and new arrangement have resulted in a new logo exuding precision and freshness.

The new Skoda logo will find itself on the front edge of the bonnet and the rear end of Skoda cars 2012 onwards, and the new look will also be phased in at Škoda dealers as the showroom architecture and exterior design of their establishments are given a makeover.

New logo to debut on the Skoda’s Concept Car at Geneva

Amongst a host of other revelations this year, Skoda is offering a glimpse of the future by unveiling a design concept car at the Geneva Motor Show. The design concept with its clearly defined features is an accurate representation of Skoda’s rejuvenated brand image that will very soon be the face of all future Skoda cars.

Mahindra's 'globe trotter' Airvan flies over Mumbai

After circumnavigating the globe in 2010, the Mahindra GippsAero GA8TC-320 Airvan created a buzz amongst aviation enthusiasts with its brief sortie over the 'City of Dreams'

The Mahindra GippsAero GA8TC-320 Airvan lands in Mumbai

After establishing its strong presence in every automobile category in the eco-system the Mahindra group forayed into the aerospace segment in December 2009 with the acquisition of two Australian aviation companies.

Thereafter, a Mahindra Aerospace Limited (MAPL) owned GippsAero GA8TC-320 Airvan created history in 2010 after flew around the world to raise funds and spread awareness for Malaria. After receiving a enthusiastic response from customers, suppliers and visitors at Aero India 2011 in Bangalore last year, the 8-seat multi-role aircraft recently paid a visit to the city of Mumbai, where it conducted a brief sortie to get a glimpse of the cities beautiful skyline and endless towering structures and high-rises.

Amongst the crew, which included the Pilot, Tim Pryse & Arvind Mehra, Executive Director and CEO, Mahindra Aerospace Private Limited, Bollywood actor, Kunal Kapoor was also invited to experience the Airvan’s strong value proposition on a short flight over the nations financial capital.

Pilot, Tim Pryse & Mr. Arvind Mehra, Executive Director and CEO, Mahindra

Aerospace Private Limited and Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor pose in front of the Airvan

Amongst the many features of this impressive IO 540 Lycoming engine powered airvan is its unmatched load carrying capacity, its ruggedness, spacious interiors, versatility, affordability, low maintenance costs and above all its large tyres that enable it to operate on short air strips in primitive conditions, making it ideal for remote and underdeveloped areas in a country like India.


With its robust metallic construction the Airvan is available in either normally-aspirated or turbocharged variants. Both models offer unbeatable costs per seat-mile, ensuring an economical, low maintenance and reliable operations platform. Several GA8TC-320 Airvans have already been delivered to customers in Australia and New Zealand.

Looking at the potential for such durable and performance proven airvans in the country’s domestic market, Arvind Mehra said, “The Indian market has great potential for versatile and tough planes such as the Airvan and we hope to launch it in the domestic market shortly.”


With MAPL working towards becoming a globally recognised manufacturer of cost-effective, efficient and robust utility aircrafts, its immediate priority is to consolidate its achievements and build a strong foundation for itself in the global aerospace industry.

Range Rover Evoque is 2010 Car Design of the Year

The fantastic new compact SUV from the Tata Motors-owned British marque has been given top design honours in the production car category by its design peers from Car Design News

The Range Rover Evoque has been adjudged as the Best Car Design of 2010 by a poll of readers of Car Design News, one of the most reputed online resource for automotive design professionals. For the fifth year running, the design community was asked to select the designs which impressed them the most among the shortlists. The award carries a lot of weight in international design circles since members of the voting list include the design heads of almost all major carmakers and design houses.

Officially unveiled at the 2010 Paris motor show, the Range Rover Evoque took top honours since it represents the best translation from concept car to production vehicle seen in recent times, according to voters. Faithful to the LRX concept created under the direction of master designer Julian Thomson, the Evoque's exceptional stance, dramatic proportions and crisp graphics seem to have made it a clear winner from the outset.

"I am delighted to accept this prestigious award on behalf of the Land Rover Design team," said Gerry McGovern, Design Director and Chief Creative Officer at Land Rover. "This is a particularly special accolade as it is represents recognition from peers in the industry."

With 35 percent of the vote, the Evoque beat competition from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta (18%) and the Audi A7 (15%) to take top honors by a considerable margin. Fourth and fifth place spots went to Kia for the Sportage and Optima, each acquiring 12 and 10 percent of the vote, respectively.

Past winners of the award include the Aston Martin Rapide, Chevrolet Camaro, Fiat 500 and Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. The competition is also conducted every year for the best concept car design category – the real space where designers can go all-out with their concepts and imagination. Watch out for the results of that award soon in our second part of the story!

Mahindra Reva Planning REVA EV for Europe by 2011

The Bangalore based electric vehicle manufacturer, Mahindra Reva, is planning on introducing a lithium ion battery version of its REVA EV in Europe by 2011.

It truly looks like India is shining, for in an interesting twist to the tale on going green in Europe is a solution from India! Mahindra Reva is planning on introducing a lithium ion powered Reva EV for the European market. Unlike other rather expensive electric vehicles, the Reva EV for Europe promises to be keenly priced.

In order to capitalize on this, Mahindra Reva is working hard at expanding its distribution channels across Europe. Apart from the Reva EV, Mahindra Reva intends on introducing a slew of new models in the coming years which promise more features, better comfort and also an enhanced driving range.  The Lithium ion battery powered Reva EV is basically going to pave the way forward until the new models begin to arrive in 2012.

Currently Mahindra Reva is working on completing the state of the art manufacturing facility in Bangalore. The facility is set to commence production by December this year and vehicles such as the REVA NXR are set to roll out from this plant. The company has also recently taken a loan of USD 11 million from EXIM Bank towards the development and research of new models.

In Europe, Mahindra Reva has already tasted a bit of the EV pie with the REVAi model which sells as the G-Wiz through a UK distributor. It's popularity has been growing and with the new models, Mahindra Reva are sure to make further inroads in the EV market.

Tata Motors to assemble SUV Freelander in India

The local assembly will start later this year, where we will produce all available variant of the Freelander

Tata Motors will assemble Land Rover's luxury sports utility vehicle ( SUV )) Freelander in India, hoping to cash in on the lower tax benefits . India's largest automobile company plans to produce 2000 units of Freelander every year at its Chikhli plant near Pune once owned by Mercedes-Benz.

The company will assemble completely knocked down units imported from Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) in the UK. "There is immense potential in the market and after selling JLR in India for more than a year, we have decided to assemble our cars here.

The local assembly will start later this year, where we will produce all available variant of the Freelander," said Tata Motors MD and CEO Carl Peter Foster. The recent Budget has made changes in the definition of completely-knocked down (CKD) kits, upsetting the plans of foreign car-makers.

Tata Motors has sold more than 200 units of its Land Rover brand in India and plans to focus on local assembling to gain market share. Freelander 2 will be the first model to hit the market.

"While we are the fastest growing luxury brand in China, the local assembly in the Indian market would help the parent company to leverage its potential in the home market," said Land Rover's global brand director John Edwards.