Thursday, January 12, 2012

Pathetic After Sales Service from Fiat India





Pathetic After Sales Service from Fiat India

While ,car makers can learn from MUL on how to sell 'not-so -great "cars effectively ,people can also learn from Fiat India on how NOT TO SELL .Fiat India will be a perfect example of failing in India ,inspite of having such superb cars like the Uno,Palio,Siena,.... What a shame !

Now this isnt the first time we reading about this ...so lets not waste time in talking about "what" and "why"

My boss who is a Fiat lover ( a perfect example of the heart ruling the brain ...like most of us ) has this well maintained 1.9D Palio which he has been using extensively over long drives and also city commuting.A couple of weeks ago,he damaged the LHS front fender on his 7 year old Palio . Instead of taking the car to a local garage ,he took the car to Pratham in Kudlu Gate assuming an authorised dealership would do a quality job.

Its been close to 3 weeks and they havent been able to replace this part .The first time ,a part is ordered ( now they dont have stocks available) and reached Bangalore after 3-4 days ,only to realise that this fender is not for this car .Its some other size!!

They then say that the part has to be ordered again .Its been 2 weeks now and a simple front fender has still not arrived!

I can only pity Fiat owners here and I can only admire their love for their cars .If a small fender cannot be sourced ,imagine what would happen if its an engine part that has to be sourced .

We are now trying to source this part from a local scrap dealer who has said he can get this part ASAP !

I can now understand as to how did cars like Santros and Zens sell more than the Fiat Uno which had been best selling in all other geographies .I am only grateful ,my family didnt agree to my original choice of a Palio GTX and instead opted for a Zen as our first car .

If I had to buy a Palio GTX and if I had to maintain it the same way as I maintain my Zen ...I would have been divorced and bankrupt by now .


Rx100 at last...

Hi friends,

This is my newly aquired Yamaha RX100. 1989 model ( reg in Jan 1990).
Run around 69000 kms. It was in bad shape when i purchased it.
Spent around 10k.
Engine was not touched, just a few new bits added.

It runs like a dream and i am very happy owning it.

Now a breif history behind purchasing the RX100.
I had earlier owned a 1987 model Rx100 and used it for over 10 years.
Then later on i moved over to 4 wheelers and neglected RX which was getting deteriorated. MEanwhile i got an oppurtunity to leave to US hence sold my bike for very less money.

After coming back from US i started missing my bike badly and made up my mind to buy a bike. But this time i wanted to get my long time due dream bike YAMAHA RD350, I purchased it...but even after owning it for more than a year my heart was yearing for yamaha rx100...and i started to lookout for good RX100 and ended up buying 2002 model RX135 4 speed with cat silencer. This bike was very good and very neatly maintained too.
But somehow i was not satisfied and finally i got hold of this bike.

I dint not go for complete rebuild since the engine is running smooth and the paint was not bad. (The bike is still with Original paint)


Wish to keep it in the same stock condiition and i may add crash guard and saree guard soon.

A few pics of my old RX100 ( Red color)

Just for comparison, a pic of the bike before purchase, infact it was still in bad shape than this

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Birds in Sultanpur bird sanctuary

Recently got a Canon 7D and went to Sultanpur bird sanctuary to try it out. Some pics from the shoot.

Disclaimer - i dont have a big lens and hence reach is limited. Currently shooting with 18-135 lens.

Also - would dont know the name of all the birds - so will appreciate help in naming them.

White breated Kingfisher - psychedelic sillouthe
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Bar headed goose - Panorama attempt
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Bar headed goose
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Bar headed goose
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Landscape 1
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Abstract
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New fortuner AT or manual


New fortuner AT or manual

I am happily driving the XUV500 for over two months now.
No complaints with the vehicles,all the problems are rectified by the workshop.


I am in love with the new fortuner.I am thinking of passing the XUV to my dad and I drive the new fortuner.


I am never ever going to offroad in the fortuner,90% city driving,one trip to Goa every month Nh4 highway.

Should I buy the manual or the Automatic?What will be the FE for AT fortuner?

I really dont enjoy manual cars and the lesser FE with the AT is ok for me.

Called up Lakozy and they said they are accepting the bookings and delveries start Jan end.


Which one should I go for?




BMW Group India 2012 model updates,







BMW Group India 2012 model updates,

Hello,

here are some references for anyone buying a BMW this year,

Mini - All Details can be found in the Auto Expo thread,

BMW 5 Series F10 - 2012

Has a few model updates, While I have posted them on the 530d Test drive thread below is the repost for the same,

The BMW 5 series range has been upgraded for the year 2012 with the following,

1. Drive dynamic control in basic models also
2. Auto start stop function
3. Eco mode
4. A new rear seat design, according to them it improves on comfort.
5. Dynamic experience control.
6. 525d now has a 2 liter engine and 530d is now updated to 560nm.
7. New alloys for 520i, a better design.

525d is a 2 liter 1995cc 4 cylinder unit producing 218 bhp and 450nm of torque, and gets to 100 in 7 seconds, While the displacement is lower its as powerful and in some areas even better but the best is the fuel efficiency is up by 21%

530d is the same old engine but with higher bhp and torque,

BMW X1,

Continues with the same specifications but adds a model between the Corporate and the Highline called the Innovation, and sits in between the two with a price tag of about 29 Lac Ex-Showroom. A lot will be upgraded during the arrival of Q3.

BMW 3,

E90, Will continue to be sold as there is a pile of inventory, and sometime towards the start of Q2 2012, will we see the press launch of the F30, there are big plans for it, and will have a lot more engines and trims compared to the outgoing models, and for now initially only 320d and 320i will come in with more models joining in later, higher spec diesel too is planned but will happen after global release as currently the 20d is the only model sold and does a job well enough.

In the pipeline later to keep momentum running planned are 325d or 330d, and towards the lower end of the spectrum is 316d, which will be a segment beater when launched.

BMW 7,

Has been equipped with BMW Apps since some weeks now, and no other major changes, but expect this to go CKD in next few months, but thats at least 6 months or more from now so do not hold back if you need to buy one now.

BMW 6 GranCoupe,

Car will be delivered by September, I will update once you can start placing custom orders.

X3 has no major changes, and 1 is not coming at all this year.

Pricing of most models is pretty similar with a marginal price hike on a few cars. But I expect the 5 to continue to dominate with BMW's pro active stance, and with the arrival of the new 3 expect that segment also to be theirs in a big way,


Regards,


SMS confirmation on renewing PUC

I renewed the PUC for my Corsa and before the guy could even hand over the receipt, I heard my phone ring.

Here's the SMS I received :

"Vehicle AB 12 CD 3456 is Passed emission test, with certificate no. A123456789 valid till 11-07-12. Commited to Reduce Pollution:Transport Department,Karnataka"

Another thing I noticed - the PUC certificate has the amount of the certificate mentioned i.e. Rs. 75/-

Going by the message, I guess the Transport Dept. has a computerized record of a lot of details for a vehicle.

MODS : I'm not sure if this SMS is sent in other cities in Karnataka or other states so please edit the title accordingly.




Ford Working on Global Platform Consolidation







Ford Working on Global Platform Consolidation

One of the main focus points when Alan Mullaly took over was to ensure consolidation of platform.
Later, Ford has done a great job of ensuring that all the platforms are worked on and consolidation where ever possible was done.
Few years back, Ford had set a target of having 11 Global platforms by 2014. People were skeptical about this but Ford ensured all were proven wrong.

Today Ford has gone a step ahead and got aggressive and announced that Ford will be having 9 Global platform and that too get this done by 2013 (by the time Alan retires). It would be interesting what all vehicle lines would be stopped owing to this.
Additionally, it would be interesting to know what will end up coming to India.

LINK




Renault Pulse Diesel vs Nissan Micra DCi




Renault Pulse Diesel vs Nissan Micra DCi

It is the inevitable question on ones mind is which one to buy when we think of the two siblings The Renault Pulse and Nissan Micra siblings or shall we say Twins separated at birth. We consider the Diesel avatars since the Pulse is currently available only with this heart. Read more in these threads and all the stuff available on both these hatches before casting your vote and tell us why did you do soclap:



Honda unveils 2013 Accord coupe concept

Looks great except for those outlandishly large front fog lamp LED casings.

Pics courtesy paultan.org.

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[youtube]MYgAJphk7c0[/youtube]

Source - Honda Accord Coupe Concept previews ninth-gen Accord

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Saturday, January 7, 2012

Chevrolet Sail (Hatchback) & Chevrolet MPV : Auto Expo 2012


The definitive source for unbiased Indian car reviews, news and analysis from owners & enthusiasts. View pricing, pictures and scoops of new launches in India. Discuss supercars, vintage cars, motorbikes and more...
3:08:54 AM
Link to the main Chevrolet Auto Expo 2012 Report

As expected, cars from Chevrolet India's 50% owner - Chinese Company SAIC - are making their way to India.


Chevrolet Sail Hatchback

I'm afraid Chevy might be doing another Aveo here (the Aveo & UVA ended up as market duds). The Sail hatchback already looks like an old design, and it's only just been unveiled! Except for the headlamps, nothing else looks contemporary enough for a 2012 launch. Sure, Ford had a similar approach with the Figo, but they priced it really well @ 3.xx lakhs. Another reason for the Figo's success was Ford's super-aggressive marketing. Will Chevrolet be able to pull it off, or will it meet the Aveo's fate? The Beat & the Cruze have given Chevrolet India a new identity...people have started equating the brand with modern, funky products. Somehow, the Sail doesn't fit into the new family.

The Sail is only intended for sale in emerging markets. Going by the length of the wheelbase, the interiors should offer decent space, much like the Aveo UVA which the Sail will replace. Interestingly, the petrol tank is placed at the center of the car. Chevrolet had jointly developed the 1.3 MJD with Fiat and thus, chances of the engine making its way to the Sail are very high (the Beat already uses a 3-cylinder version of the same diesel). The Sail hatchback will be launched in the 3rd or 4th quarter of 2012, and be positioned a segment above the Beat (alongside the likes of the Swift).

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Chevrolet MPV

The Chevrolet MPV, on the other hand, looks pretty good by people carrier standards. It will be sold in 7 & 8 seater configurations. Dual-row air-conditioning, airbags and ABS will be optional extras. It will be interesting to see if the new MPV replaces the Tavera, or sells a market position above. Also, the Tavera sources its new BS-IV compliant 2.0 turbo-diesel from ICML. Will the same engine power this MPV?

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Remember the "flying" Beat mentioned in the main Chevrolet Report? Well, it flew yesterday:
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Harley-Davidson @ Auto Expo 2012
1:49:23 AM
On January 5th 2012, Harley-Davidson announced the expansion of its CKD production to now include two bikes from the Company's Dyna family of motorcycles. The FXDB Street Bob and Super Glide Custom, previously offered as CBU imports, will now be assembled at the company's facility in Bawal, Haryana from component kits supplied by its U.S. plants.

Harley-Davidson prior to this started CKD assembly operations in the country in January 2011 for its Sportster family – Superlow, Iron 883 and Forty-Eight.

With this announcement, bike enthusiasts will be able to lay their hands on a 1600 cc bike for under Rs. 10 lakh.

Harley-Davidson Street Bob 1585cc, will be available at Rs. 9.95 lakh as against the earlier Rs. 13.95 lakh.

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