A Very Happy New Year 2012

Autonly.blogspot.com wishes you a very joyful New Year 2012.We're grateful to all our readers as we bring the best out of Automobiles every year and much more.

Keep Rocking,
Cheers!

Comparison Between Maruti Suzuki Swift 2011 & Existing Maruti Suzuki Swift

New Maruti Swift Engine & Transmission Vs Existing Swift Engine & Transmission

The new Suzuki Swift comes with the K12 Suzuki K series engine which is a 1200cc K series engine which is same as in the existing generation of Maruti Swift. The transmission may or may not be changed as well the existing cable shift transmission and gear ratios are working out well in the existing generation.

New Maruti Swift Exteriors Vs Existing Swift Exteriors

The new Swift 2011 is taller than the existing Swift by about 155mm. This is a good increase to new length of 3850 mm (compared to existing length of 3696mm) which still helps to keep the New Swift in small car category in terms of tax rules by keeping is less than 4 meter in length. This increase in length will add to more space inside swift and make it more appealing car to buy.
The width has also been increased from 1690mm to 1695mm which is not a considerable change. The height of the new Swift is 1510mm compared to 1530 mm of the existing swift which is slightly lesser in height. The wheelbase has been increased to 2430 mm compared to 2390 mm which will add to a better handling & performance.
The new tail light design extending to the sides and a much more attractive rear makes the visual appeal of the New swift much better. The clear crystal lamps at both front and rear makes it a beautiful looking car.
The interiors of the new style steering with improved central console, Integrated audio system, better interior space owing to the increased length of the car. The car will have better leg space for rear passengers. The quality of the plastic is also expected to become better to compete with rival cars of the same segment. The new seat fabric and door trims will give New Swift a new and more classy look compared to the existing swift.

HYUNDAI AVANTE

India's largest auto exporter and second largest auto manufacturer, Hyundai Motor Co. plans to launch Hyundai Avante in the Indian market very soon. Hyundai Avante is the fourth generation sedan model of D segment that will replace its discontinued model Hyundai Elantra. Hyundai Avante offers an excellent choice for drivers who need a stylish economic compact car with a handsome body.

Initially, the Hyundai Avante might be equipped with a 1.6 litre Gamma petrol engine and a diesel engine variant may follow. The 1.6  litre, DOHC, VVT, 4 cylinder, petrol engine is believed to pump out a top power of 118 bhp at 6200 rpm and churn out a peak torque of 156 Nm at 4200 rpm. The diesel variant of the car is reported to be loaded with a 1582cc, CRDi power-train that belts out a max power of 115 bhp at 4000 rpm and generates maximum torque of 260 nm at 1900 rpm. Both the mills are to be mated with 6 speed automatic gearbox. For better fuel economy, the petrol engine is reported to have intelligent Gasoline Direct Injection technology (GDI). This technology will ensure around 10 per cent increase in the fuel efficiency as compared to its peers.

Honda Accord V6

The New Honda Accord was completely redesigned in 2008 boasting more power and passenger space. It comes with all new styling and even better quality interiors. It was initially launched in 3 variants with an uprated version of the 2.4 litre i-Vtech engine which delivers 180 PS of power alongwith an 8% increase in fuel efficiency. Now, Honda India has come up with much more powerful Accord V6 which comes with 3741cc, 6 cylinders, V6 engine which generates maximum power of 271 Bhp at 6200 rpm and maximum torque of 344 Nm at 5000 rpm.
The 5-speed automatic may not be the most advanced gearbox on the market but it pairs well with Honda's high tech 3.5-litre V6 engine, and the shift action from the gear lever between drive and park and reverse etc. is remarkably short and sweet for an auto slushbox. Honda Accord V6 has an angular design with a touch of the BMW 5 Series about it, and the new styling is a big improvement.

Toyota Etios sedan changes the game

With over 21,000 bookings for Toyota Motor Corporation’s Etios sedan in over one-and-a-half months of its launch, industry observers see a realignment of market share in the entry-level sedan segment. The car, being delivered to customers from December, 2010, has a waiting period of seven months — the highest in this category.Maruti Suzuki DZire, which has a waiting period of two to three months, accounts for one out of every two cars sold in the entry-level sedan segment (A3-), saw sales slide by around 1,000 units last month. Tata Motors, which straddles the space with the Indigo range, also saw sales dip to 5,234 units in December. This is the lowest sales figure that the company has registered for the Indigo range in 2010.


Maruti, on an average, sells 9,000-9,500 Dzire units and another 1,800-2,300 units of SX4 in the mid-size segment (A3) on a monthly basis. In December, the company’s sales in the A3 segment fell to 9,362 units, compared with the 11,115 units that Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) had sold a month earlier. A senior company executive, however, attributed the fall to constraints in production capacity. “We sell as many Dzire units as we produce. There is a waiting list on the product. Even this month, the bookings for Dzire have been good.” The waiting period for the DZire is around 2-3 months.
An industry expert said, “With Toyota coming in, competition is bound to heat up in the space. Toyota has a good brand image in the country. Etios is an aspirational product. It is expected to sell well in India.”
Toyota Etios, which is priced between Rs4.96 lakh and Rs6.86 lakh, was launched in December last year. The company developed the Etios platform exclusively for the Indian market where it hopes to double sales to 140,000 units in the course of this year. The Etios is pitted against the likes of Maruti Suzuki DZire, Hyundai Accent, Tata Indigo and Mahindra Logan. Around 18700 cars are sold in the A3- category every month.
According to reports, the country’s largest car manufacturer is working on introducing a shorter version of sedan DZire to cash in on cuts in excise duty. Frost & Sullivan Senior Director (automotive practice) V C Ramakrishnan added, “Till now, there have largely been two volume players in the A3-segment. Now with Toyota coming in, we would definitely see a realignment of market shares in the category.”
Pricewaterhouse Coopers Leader (automotive practice) Abdul Majeed said, “Usually, when the waiting period is more, bookings slide. We have to see how the car does over the next three months.”
According to government regulations, a small car (less than four metres in length) is liable to an excise duty of 10 per cent, compared to the 22 per cent duty levied on larger cars.

By making the DZire smaller, MSIL would be able to avail of benefits in excise duty and also price the DZire aggressively.