Auto doctor - Episode 1- A comprehensive Automobile show

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u7pbcK1m6FU&list=PLP41WUn50SOd19_pxkUBfjOIcGOpY7RhJ&index=2&feature=share

Cars and Bikes: DSK HYOSUNG HNI EVENT IN AGRA - FEB 2014

Cars and Bikes: DSK HYOSUNG EVENT IN HOTEL CLARSK SHIRAZ AGRA
http://youtu.be/6P_Aea8aNhA

DSK HYOSUNG SHOWROOM LAUNCH IN AGRA - 12 th sep 2013

http://youtu.be/6P_Aea8aNhA

Hyundai Xcent Compact Sedan Launched @ Rs.4.66 Lakhs

One of the most successful sedans in India a decade ago was the Hyundai Accent, It ruled the market share in its segment from 2001-2005 giving a tough competition the old Honda City. Hyundai India launched its new Avataar the Hyundai Xcent @ Rs.4.66 Lakhs. The new Xcent would come under the Compact Sedan category and would be competing with Honda Amaze , Swift Dezire etc

Xcent is launched with two Engine , two transmission (MT/AT) and two fuel options. It comes with a 1120 cc Diesel and a 1197 cc Petrol engine, Automatic transmission is available only in the petrol variant at an ex showroom price of Rs.6.29  for the S AT 1.2 (O) & 7.19 Lakhs for SX AT 1.2 (O).The diesel engine options starts from 5.57 Lakhs exshowroom onwards till 7.38 Lakhs exshowroom for the top end SX 1.1 CRDI (O)

Xcent is loaded with the new generation features  like KeyLess Entry & Go, 2 Din Audio System, Bluetooth, Aux, USB, CD,ABS, Dual Air Bags. It is available in 6 color options.

With the new exciting features and a complete makeover in size, shape and looks will the Xcent be able to capture the market share in its segment, will it be able to compete and be a winner against the competition Honda Amaze and Swift Dezire ! Its gonna be a tough fight !!! Friends lets wait and watch.

Round 1 Begins. May the Best Team Win !!

Indian Car Industry goes Automatic.The Future-AT

It took nearly two decades for the Indian Consumer to understand the need and importance of an automatic transmission car. Amongst the first few companies to bring Automatic Transmissin to India was Daewoo back in 1997, AT is still the lesser loved one from its sibling Gearbox MT(Manual Transmission) as far as Indian consumer choice is concerned. The shift will happen soon , infact it has started to happen it will turn the tables in the next 7 years in favour of AT provided all the manufacturers understand the need and indian consumer mindset. As on date AT car sales are 1 percent of total car sales in India. 

As always Maruti being the leader introduced a clutch less car which is nothing but an AT car , Celerio- A perfect car , Right segment to hit, and a pricing that couldn't have been better , they have also managed to hit the nerve of Indian consumer, a perfect answer to the question , kitna deti hai ? Claiming an average of 25kmpl , I think Celerio is one of the best combination in an AT any manufacturer has configured till date in india keeping the need of Indian consumer in mind. No one ever thought we could drive an AT on a price of 4 lakhs. For the first time in the history of automobiles in India AT had more bookings than MT , The very first day of launch of Celerio on 6th feb 2014 MUL dealers Booked 1000 cars out of which 51 percent were AT. 

Misconceptions about an Automatic Transmission Car - 

1) It's complicated and difficult to drive- It's a wrong notion , as nothing can be simpler and better than driving an AT , as you don't have to change any gears or press any clutch as there is none. Simply accelerate and brake and stop whenever you want. 

2) Lot of traffic in city what will we do with AT- My dear friends AT is suitable in a more traffic situation as a driver you don't have to change gears again and again and press the clutch at various speeds and while stopping , so you won't feel the fatigue of driving in a traffic situation . 

3) It gives v less mileage - Yes definitely it gives lesser mileage than a MT , but the difference is not much 2-3 kmpl not more than that , on the highway the difference is lesser, this difference is worth the comfort you are get from driving an AT

As a customer our limitations are that we don't have many options to choose from, but the change is definitely coming which can be clearly seen by the demand and sales of Fortuner AT , Verena diesel AT , all high end luxury cars come only in AT versions. Now Maruti has taken a step with Celerio to penetrate into the mass and I am sure MUL will be successful in doing it. The other model and brands AT which comes in various companies are not so successful for two reasons that either they are too expensive or they are only in petrol and that too claiming a v less mileage. The manufacturers need to understand that India is a price sensitive and a kitna Degi obsessed market , till now the manufacturers producing AT small or mid size cars have never focused on these two factors , their thought process is that AT is meant just for the super rich elite class . It's time now the thought process should change. 

The emerging India is young and have a good purchasing power apart from being educated and smart. They need and deserve all the comfort possible. The Auto industry can definately derive much higher volumes in AT cars , only if they start producing diesel AT cars for the mileage sensitive consumers and low priced petrol AT cars for the price sensitive consumer. Current example of successful AT cars with right engine and price configurations are - Fortutner AT price 25 lakhs approx , Ford Eco Sport AT price 10 lakhs approx , Celerio price 4 lakhs approx , All of these cars are over booked and have a waiting period . This clearly shows Indian consumer is smart enough and if the product has the right configuration we have the capacity to buy either it's a 4 lakh product or a 40 lakh product . We call it the power of Emerging Indian Consumer. 

RIP Honda Accord and VW Passat !

Accord and Passat the Flagship Saloon models of Honda and VW respectively are no more in production now and have been official discontinued. Sources reveal that they will not come back in the market before 2016, so the Passat and Accord lovers will have to wait and watch for sometime. 

The main reasons for the giants to discontinue their flagship saloon has been depreciating Rupee, increasing cost of production , v high pricing and tough competition from German Luxury car makers . Accord in a 2.4 ltr petrol engine was priced at around 25 lakhs where As Passat 2.0 TDI top variant used to be around 31 lakhs , A person spending 25 lakhs or more has a lot of options namely An Audi A4,Q3 or may be a BMW X1 , 3 Series, 1 Series or even a Mercedes A class, B Class, C class .It should be understood  that consumers and the ruling young generation of India is becoming brand conscious, If I can spend I want to be in a niche segment or own something exclusive not a brand which is owned by many. A person having a High income becomes a Honda Accord owner no matter how wonderful the car is but the fact is a person with an average income is buying a Honda Brio and is driving the same brand which the high income level person is driving. It misses the exclusivity factor.A mass product can never be a Niche product and vice versa. No wonder why Maruti and Hyundai have never been successful with Highend top premium Cars , All their high end cars have not done well ever in comparison to competitors viz Baleno, Grand Vitara, Kizashi, Elantra, Terracan, Tuscon, Sonata etc . They need to understand that they are a mass brand and not a premium brand . One can not be masters in every field , Either we can cater the mass or we can cater the niche . We need to understand the exclusivity factor when dealing with a high end product or brand .

Both the cars Accord and Passat together have sold less than 500 units in past 7 months, The factories and dealers have wiped out their stocks . We need to wait till 2016 when we assume Accord and Passat will be launched with a complete makeover in the bodyshell , interior , engine . I won't be surprised to see the diesel Honda Accord ! Let's keep our fingers crossed :)

Preowned Cars in India - Getting Organized and Booming ! Big Passenger Car Players focus on POC business to increase Profitability .

The Automotive Industry might be on a decline but there is some sunshine amidst the heavy rain , There are two sectors in the industry which are growing at a good pace and have still a very long way to go , The High End Luxury Car Segment and the Preowned Used Car Segment.

A data collection source indicates that in America for every 1 new car sold there are 3 used cars sold so the ratio is 1:3 where as in India this ratio is still at its infant stage 1:1.2 new:used , used car industry has surpassed the new car industry in India as well and this will go up to 1:2 by 2016 so for the (POC)Preowned car industry there is still a long way to go. No wonder we can see most of the new car manufacturers getting into the used car segment as well along with big multi branded Preowned car companies . It is rightly said the more the merrier so the more players coming in are making the segment more organized and hence increasing the numbers and trust of Indian consumers in the used car segment . The main  reasons for used car industry to lag behind in India has been its unorganized nature and unreliable broker network multiplied with factors like bad Indian road infrastructure and not so state of the art workshops and unskilled workshop manpower at various levels which results in deterioration of the condition of the vehicle much faster than it should , To top it up the Indian consumer sentiment of buying a new car and not a used one.

All of the above is changing fast , it is improving with good roads being built , express ways , companies investing on better technology , R&D and trying to hire trained and educated manpower , imparting technical know how and training them, it simply means less wear and tear in the vehicle.

The Manufacturers can foresee a lot of growth potential in the POC business hence to increase volumes and profitability all of them are trying to establish a strong foundation in this category of business, Maruti as always being the leader and having the first mover advantage launched Maruti True Value years back , Following their footprints are other manufacturers with their respective used car business models - Hyundai Advantage , TATA Assured, Honda Auto terrace , Chevrolet Certified , Ford Assured and  Toyota U Trust. This clearly indicates the focus of companies in the used car business and it's ever increasing scope in India as the POC industry in India is still at a nascent stage.

The Luxury Car Makers are not far behind , Most of the popular brands like Audi, BMW and Mercedes have a Preowned car section in their showroom to buy and sell Certified Preowned cars with warranty. For retention they also provide the new car buyer with a handsome amount of exchange bonus or offer programmes like Upgrade Challenge etc 

Their are not only brand specific companies jumping into this business but a few multi branded companies selling all cars under one roof are also trying to establish their names in this particular industry viz. Mahindra First Choice formerly known as AutoMart , Car Nation being run by Mr Jagdish Khattar. All these are at a National Level, The B towns and city specific dealers are also becoming brand conscious and organized. They are understanding the need of the hour and voice of the consumer and advantages of Selling a Certified Car from a branded showroom. At a city specific level there are famous brands like Big Boys Toys and AutoBest in New Delhi, The Car Mall is a famous brand in Agra, UttarPradesh and many more such names are there who believe in selling Certified Cars in an organized manner as they want to differentiate themselves from the unorganized used car broker market.

This would be the future of Used Car Market in India, I forecast 5-7 years down the line it will be all organized , if not all at least most of it, People would not hesitate to buy a Used Car from a branded Showroom which sells a certified Car with some quality Check, Assurance and may be warranty aswell. Banks are also joining hands with Used Car brands to provide Easy Finance to the Consumer. Used Car Segment will eventually be the winner against the New Car Segment, and will always Lead, The people adapting to the change will be the winner  in their business, very rightly said by Mr.Shiv Khera ," Winners don't do different Things, They do things differently"