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Audi reports record high sales of luxury cars in February

Mar 9, 2015 by William Harper Leave a Comment

A Volkswagen subsidiary, Audi AG has reported its record high sales for the month of February. The German Automaker has reported increase in sales by up to 4.2 percent, which is about 122,550 luxury cars and sport-utility vehicles sold in February. The record high sales are primarily because of the high demand of revamped A3 compact saloon and the A6 luxury saloon by Audi.

The rise in deliveries by Audi is about 7.4 percent globally, which is 260,250 vehicles. The rise is the result of strong demands from Germany, China and the United States; Audi said in a statement.

“We are continuing our global growth and have again increased sales in all regions of the world in February,” said Luca de Meo, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at Audi AG. He further continued, “The updated A6, which is also due to be launched in the United States over the next few weeks, performs very well and will provide us with added momentum.”

Worldwide, sales of the A6 luxury saloon rose by up to 10.8 percent, which is nearly around 20,650 cars in February. Especially in Europe, the A6 sales increased by 11.8 percent, with almost one in three A6 buyers in the region opting for the particularly efficient ultra-version.

The compact saloon, A3, also experienced very high increase in demands, majorly in the overseas markets, with deliveries rising up by 47.4 percent, which is around 28,850 units.

Volkswagen AG, Audi’s majority owner, released its preliminary earning figures on February 27, with the report that net profit associable to shareholders rose to €10.85 billion (US $12.02 billion) last year, from €9.15 billion the year before. Group revenue grew by 2.8%, to €202.5 billion and sales rose by 4.2%, to 10.14 million vehicles.

Hyundai recalls 24000 Genesis sedans over faulty gearbox

Mar 7, 2015 by William Harper Leave a Comment

The South Korean automobile manufacturer, Hyundai Motor Co, is recalling its 24,000 luxury sedans, Genesis. The cause of the recall is stated to be a fault in the gearbox, causing the instrument panel to show wrong gear on the gear selector.

The primary reason, as diagnosed by automobile experts is the tendency of water leakage in the rear lights causing the malfunction. The reason being the gear shifter, which is electronically connected to the rear lights, malfunctions upon water leakage, but only in rare cases.

The recall covers the models manufactured between February 21, 2014 and January 24, 2015, and the dealers will fix the issue without any expense from the customer.

Hyundai said, the issue can cause the gear selector to malfunction, causing the car to inappropriately shift to the wrong gear modes — park, drive, reverse or neutral, which might result in a serious accident. Hyundai till date, has received no reports of crashes or injuries, caused due to gearbox malfunctioning.

Hyundai said in a statement that the problem came to light when the company received a few warranty claims because of this issue. The Genesis is the flagship luxury sedan from Hyundai, and it is a matter of embarrassment for the company to have such issues in one of its high-end luxury cars.

The company is still working out to find the permanent fix to the problem, but till then, the dealers will fit in sealing pads in the rear lights, as a prevention measure to stop the water leakage, and at no cost to the customers.

While the company figures out the proper solution to the problem, there may be some expansion in the number of vehicles recalled. Hyundai dealers will start calling the car owners from April onwards, to get their cars fixed at the respective service centers.

Nissan recalls 878000 Altima sedans due to secondary hood latch problem

Mar 7, 2015 by William Harper Leave a Comment

Nissan Motor Co. has announced a recall of 878,000 Altima sedans in the United States. The recall is done due to the problem in secondary hood latch, which may cause the hood to fly open while the vehicle is being driven. The recall includes models of Altima sedans manufactured between 2013 and 2015.

A secondary latch keeps the hood down if the primary lock is not engaged. The latch in the cars, produced in the period mentioned above, may not hold the hood correctly and it may fly open while driving, causing some serious hazards on the road. Nissan said the reasons for the problem are unknown yet, and it is indefinite whether the recall needs expansion in the United States.

“Altima drivers can be sure their hood will not fly up as long as they don’t pull the primary hood release while driving or leave the primary hood release undone prior to driving,” Nissan said in a statement. It further added, that there have been no reports of any crashes or injuries due to this issue, but there have been incidents of the fly opening of the hood, causing damage to the car.

The Altima is a treasured asset for Nissan in the United States, as it accounts for about one-fourth of the company’s sales. It was the second best-selling car in the United States, after Toyota’s Camry.

The company recalled about 238,000 vehicles in the same issue in the last October, and now the recall has expanded to 640,000 more cars, which rises the recall toll at 878,000. To rectify the problem, Nissan will be modifying the latch lever, along with cleaning and lubricating of the secondary latch joint. The faulty latch assembly will be replaced.

While Nissan finds the solution to the problem, the recall toll might expand in the near future.

Self-Driving Cars Could Save Lives and $190 Billion in Damages and Health

Mar 6, 2015 by Vamien McKalin Leave a Comment

Self-driving cars are slowly become a thing of the future that might eventually replace our current way of doing things. If everything goes according to plan, we could witness fewer road fatalities, and nearly $200 billion could be saved each year.

Cars that drive themselves without much interaction from the passengers could mean the end of dangerous accidents that take the lives of millions around the world per year. In the United States alone, 2.5 million people visit the hospital for car related injuries per year, and the cost for treatment is around $3,300.

Of the 2.5 million people, over 200,000 of that number are hospitalized, and the cost of staying in the hospital along with all the treatments that come with it, is around $57,000.

Clearly this is a huge problem that needs to be solved, and chances are self-driving cars are the way out of this decades-long debacle.

The report claims that over 1.2 billion people spend 50 minutes per day driving their vehicle. It means if self-driving cars are capable of giving back that 50 minutes of time back to the driver, revenue in other sectors could improve.

For example, if a person is not driving, chances are he/she would be playing around on their mobile phone or tablet. This 50 minute of free time is more than enough time advertisers need to show off their wears and contents in hopes to make a quick buck.

“This could potentially generate global digital media revenues of [$5.6 billion] for every additional minute people spend on the mobile Internet while in the car,” the report said.

At the end of the day, not everyone will be pleased with the outcome of not being able to drive their vehicles themselves. There’s a high chance we’ll see protesting throughout the United States in the years to come, but they won’t be able to stop progress.

Those who are against self-driving cars should bear in mind that despite the amount of advertisements about drinking and driving, speeding, among other things, drivers are still breaking law.

Who knows, self-driving cars might become a dangerous thing, but we’ll cross that river when we get there.

Source: [USA Today]

Robot flies in aeroplane as passenger from LA to Germany

Dec 17, 2014 by Ambika Mahajan Leave a Comment

It was the proudest moment for all the people who work in the robotics arena as ‘Athena’, a humanoid airport boarded a fight for Germany at the Los Angeles International airport on December 15, 2014.

‘Athena’ is created by German roboticists, and it is now the first humanoid robot to have paid for a seat on a passenger plane.

‘Athena’ resembled much like a human in its design. It has a head, hands and legs, and was seen wearing stylish red sneakers during the time of boarding.

The robot is 6 feet 2 inches tall, and it weighs more than 100 pounds.

Sarcos, a Salt Lake City-based company has manufactured ‘Athena’, and it is being programmed from Schaal’s Computational Learning and Motor Control Lab at USC.

‘Athena’ is developed using the funds from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a research program with a military backdrop.

The robot is being made as a disaster relief equipment and experts will be teaching ‘Athena’ to carry out dangerous operations which cannot be completed by humans.

From Germany, the robot will learn to walk and sit as per the instructions given. In all probabilities, this teaching curve will take more than one year to get completed.

‘Athena’ traveled in Economy class during the journey, but still V I P treatment was given to this special passenger. The robot was accompanied by two researchers Alexander Herzog and Jeannette Bohg of ‘Max-Planck Institute for Intelligence Systems’.

Alto K10 launched in India: Check price and features

Nov 4, 2014 by Marian Dumitri Leave a Comment

Maruti Suzuki India is the largest car maker of the nation, and all their cars are specifically designed to meet the needs of the Indian common man.

With a right blend of luxury and price, these cars are ruling the households of Indian middle men for the last two decades, and it is continuing its glorious run in 2014 as well. Visit the official website of Maruti Alto for complete list of features and specifications.

On Monday, Maruti Suzuki India unleashed a new version of its Alto K 10 hatchback. The car is priced between 3.06 lakh to 3.82 lakh, and these figures literally symbolize the affordability of these cars among the general public of the nation.

Six versions of this hatch back car will hit the Indian roads; Rs 3.06 lakh for LX, Rs 3.22 lakh for LXi, Rs 3.38 lakh for VXi, Rs 3.57 lakh for VXi (O), Rs 3.8 lakh for VXi Automatic and Rs 3.82 lakh for LXi CNG.

Watch video:

This new Alto K 10 is said to be completely different from its predecessors. The design is sleek, and it will capture anybody’s heart within a glance.

The bonnet, the front fenders, the tail gate and even the bumpers are unique to the K10, but it has similar roofs and doors like the 800 version.

The interiors are neat, and it has some layers of Porsche in it. The elegant design of the interiors adds the look, and it gives a richer feel to the car.

Altogether, this version of Alto is going to create a revolution in the Indian roads, and there is no doubt on it.

Honda Mobilio ‘family car’ launched: Review, Price and Features

Aug 28, 2014 by Priyanka Agarwal Leave a Comment

Honda Mobilio, the promising ‘family car’ of Honda has been launched in India. This MUV segment car has created buzz in the vehicle market for its distinctive features.

It is promoted as the spacious car which is perfect for a big family to ride in. Honda Cars ltd. has added variants V (O), RS (O) to existing E, S and V. V (O) has compatible engine for both with petrol and diesel ranging from 9.46 lacs to 10.45 lacs and RS (O) that runs only on diesel, is available at 11.55 lacs in all Honda showrooms.

On the positive response received from market, Jnaneswar Sen, Sr Vice President – Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd. said, “We are delighted to offer these new grades of the Honda Mobilio to our customers in India.

It’s our endeavour to provide class leading features in our cars so that we can delight our customers. The AVN system and Rear View Parking camera are one of the most sought after features and adds to the premium feel of the car.

With these new features, stylish looks, best in class fuel-efficiency and uncompromising performance, the Honda Mobilio is one of the most compelling products in its segment today.”

Honda Mobilio’s both variants have stylish features like 15.7 touch screen audio visual navigation, satellite based voice navigation, bluetooth communication and hands free.

Alongside interesting add-ons like in-built entertainment system, maps and facility to check history and navigate address book while driving. The MUV engine specification has been carried on in both variants

Tata Zest Price, Features, Review and images

Aug 13, 2014 by Sohini M Leave a Comment

Keeping an eye on enhancing sales of passenger car business units, Tata Motors introduced “Zest”, a 4-meter compact sedan on August 12, 2014, which follows Aria that was launched four years ago.

Zest has been priced in the range of Rs 4.64-5.99 lakh in India for the petrol variant and runs on the Revetron petrol engine- the new one coming from Tata.

The diesel variants are priced between Rs 5.64 and 6.99 lakh, and that includes the automated manual transmission (AMT), making it the first one to offer in this segment.

Checkout the complete features and specification on Tata Zest website here.

Talking of competition, Zest will have a tough time competing with Dzire from Maruti Suzuki and Amaze from Honda Cars India. Also in the running for the same segment is Hyundai Motor India’s Accent.

Tata is looking at Zest with large hopes, given that the company has been seeing losses in the passenger vehicle (PV) business. Much of decline in sales is contributed to the fierce competition and limited competition.

As compared to last year, the sales of passenger vehicles have come down by 35.96%, between the months of April and July, according to reports and data by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

Market experts strongly believe that Tata Motors have to do their bit and face the challenges in the segment, given that manufacturers like Maruti and Honda are already minting good sales.

Zest is expected to do well for the segment of customers who are looking for swapping hatchbacks for sedans in the right price. However, Tata Motors needs to make the right moves with the dealers to ensure the momentum for sales is maintained.

Industry insiders have already predicted a growth of 20% for the sedan segment for the year, with expected sales to be around 3.3 lakh units.

Tata Motors also plans to launch two new models every year after Zest till 2020.

Hyundai Elite I20: Check Price, Features and Specifications

Aug 11, 2014 by Ambika Mahajan Leave a Comment

The All New Hyundai Elite i20 will be launched in India today, August 11, 2014.

The brand new model from Hyundai is going to be unveiled globally and it will be made available in India first.

With huge expectations from the Hyundai Elite i20, there has been a lot of discussions on the interiors, seats and much more, and recently some great photos of many elements have emerged on the web.

From what sources claim to be images from a dealership in Hyderabad in India, the new Hyundai Elite i20 has been spied.

A report on website Rush Lane shows the images of the boot space, rear air convents, boot space, the stunning backlit instrument cluster and backlit dashboard controls. Images also show the lit rear and front fog lamps.

Much in line with the Fiat Punto EVO, the all new Hyundai Elite i20 comes with light units installed at the lower portions of the rear bumper. The light on the left is the reverse lamp, while the one at the right is the fog lamp. The smartly designed LED taillights are equally unique.

Book a test drive here.

From what the images show, the boot space for the Hyundai Elite i20 seems to be tad lesser than the first generation. This can be debatable as on paper, the boot space will probably be the same. The expected price of Hyundai Elite i20 in India is around Rs. 4.81-7.77 lakhs.

Good news comes from the rear legroom, which the shots and images clearly show to be better than the i20 by many means. This can be much due to the extended wheelbase, which has been increased by 45 mm.

Check the complete review here.

As for the colors, the 1.4 litre U2 CRDI powered diesel version will get the toned dual shade of beige and black. Also there is blue backlight for the centre console, as well as for the mounted buttons on the steering wheel.

Hyundai Elite i20 Review:

The audio system has blue colored LCD display, while for the speedo & tachometer, white backlight has been given. Blue also remains the choice for Push Start / Stop button.

Audi A3 launched in India: Check review, price and features

Aug 9, 2014 by Ambika Mahajan Leave a Comment

Audi launches it’s new model A3 Sedan, starting price at Rs 22.95 lakh in India

Good news for Audi lovers. The Germany luxury car maker launched its new Sedan A3 car, which is priced between Rs 22.95 lakh and Rs 32.66 lakh.

The company is trying to expand its leadership in India by introducing this model in the country. It is also aiming to target the new segment of the compact luxury sedan besides tapping the usual buyers.

Joe King, head of Audi India said that the Sedan A3 model is the right product for self-driven, young consumers in the urban environment.

Besides, the car is also made for those who are looking to buy another Audi model with new facilities. The company is expected to get 15 percent of sales from this model. Check out the complete specifications and photos on Audi website here.

He also added that the A3 is expected to join the compact SUV Q3, Sedans A4 and A6 as the company’s growth drivers in India.

The A3 is available to the consumers in both petrol and diesel variants.

On the sales growth of the new model, King said that the industry growth was flat during the first half of the year, but the sales are expected to pick up in the second half.

For Audi, the company is expect a growth rate of double digit.

The A3 is the first model which is going to be locally produced before being launched in India. The company has started the local production of the model from VW group firm Skoda’s Aurangabad plant.