Mitsubishi "Heart in Mouth" off-roading experience

HM-Mitsubishi will be organising an off-road driving rally christened "Heart in Mouth" on the 6th of September. The event is being organized by Sportscraft for Pajero owners in and around Mumbai. The Pajero owners along with their family members and friends will get to experience the off-road capabilities of their beloved SUV. A roughly 50kms course comprising of sandy plains, slush filled streches, dirt roads and water crossings has been chalked out for the participants.

According to Mr.Pritam Saikia, Head of Marketing, HM-Mitsubishi Motors, the heart in the mouth experience provides the customer the real capabilities of the Pajero's 4x4 prowess. He also said that it aims to prove to the customer that whatever terrain he or she may be in, with a Pajero it becomes a paved road.

HM-Mitsubishi has been organising such events lately (Chandigarh) to promote the off-roading capabilities of the Pajero to its owners. The manufacturer intends to continue hosting such events to promote the appeal of off-road driving as a form of adventure sports.

For participation contact Sportscraft at: sportscraft@gmail.com
Office telephone no: 022-23677631

Incomming: Harley Davidson in two days!

A couple of weeks back we showed you the new 2010 range of Harley Davidson motorcycles that will soon go on sale around the world. Some of the most important models will come too India too! Within the next two days Harley Davidson will be officially unveiling their dealership in India. Matt Levatich, President and Chief Operating, Harley Davidson, will be doing the honours on the 27th of this month. There is no official confirmation with regards to the product line up or the number of dealerships or their location as of now. We are in touch with our sources at Harley Davidson and will update the details as and when they reach us. The American motorcycle marque's official teaser for its India launch is already live. Do have a look at www.harley-davidson.in and keep checking the Motoroids Blog for more info!

Mahindra's Scooter-ing Ambitions

Mahindra has been taking steps to develop its brand value in the Indian two-wheeler segment ever since it took over Kinetic Motors. With the Flyte relaunched, the company is now looking forward to expanding its product portfolio with three more products. Mahindra will be achieve this by (re)launching the now defunct Kinectic Blaze and the Kinetic 4S with a cosmetic makeover similar to the new Flyte. It is likely that there would be no technical changes on these scooters, apart from a few tweaks for the new emission norms. The first two scooter launches would be to merely establish its presence in the scooter market, while the thrid will be the a completely new product to highlight Mahindra's foray into the two wheeler market. The Blaze and the 4S will be see the light of the day in about a months time. The company's third scooter however, which will be an entirely new offering from yesteryear Kinetic's SYM range, is likely to be available in showrooms in around six months time.

The company is reportedly looking at acquisitions to enter the Chinese, Taiwan and European scooter markets as well. Mahindra is reportedly trying to acquire Italy-based two-wheeler manufacturer Malaguti - which will help Mahindra enter the higher end scooter segments in other two-wheeler markets as well.

VW Beetle set for India debut

Volkswagen India is all set to launch their iconic Beetle in the country in around three months time. The Volkswagen Beetle enjoys the distinction of being longest running and mass produced car of a single design in the world’s history.

The car will be imported through the CBU route from VW’s Mexican plant. Owing to the 110% import duty, the iconic car is likely to retail for around 20 lakhs. The Volkswagen Beetle is currently undergoing testing in the country.

The Beetle will powered by a 1.9 litre TDI engine mated to a 5-speed gearbox. It will also come fully equipped with features like ABS, traction control, front and side airbags, parking sensors, rain sensors and cruise control.

Tata eyeing Pininfarina?

The economic downturn is in the process of claiming famed Italian design house and coachbuilder Pininfarina as its latest victim. The automobile design marque is currently owned by parent company Pincar. Pininfarina’s 50.7% stake is up for grabs and Pincar has already hired a bank to help find potential buyers.

According to unconfirmed reports, Pincar is not willing to let go of its complete stake. It is also being reported that the sale of its majority stake in Pininfarina is an outcome of a debt agreement with banks towards the end of 2008.

One name that is currently doing the rounds as a potential buyer is Tata Motors. Pininfarina had earlier designed the Tata Indica and the lately the Prima concept car. Tata Motors which is on a brand acquisition spree, has already bought Jaguar and Land Rover and it is likely that the Italian design marque may also be in its kitty.

Pinninfarina has collaborated with various automobile manufacturers in the designing of cars. Some of its well know creations like the Ferrari California and 599 GTB, Alfa Romeo Spider, Maserati Grantourismo and Quattroporte, which are currently in production.

GM speaks for the first time after the economic downfall!

General Motors, President and CEO, Fritz Henderson, during a product announcement revealed his plans of bringing the American automobile marquee to its former glory.

According to Henderson the days of inadequate cars are over. He stated that GM can’t afford to build rubbish small cars. He also revealed that the money spent on pick-ups and full-size utilities will instead be used to make sure that the economy needs of users are met. The American automobile manufacturer’s prime focus and spending will be on cars and crossovers. He further added that doing a bunch of average products wouldn’t win them anything. “We have a lot of interesting things coming” were his specific words.

The President and CEO also got questioned on ‘His plans to make GM great’. He answered “By being great in the market.... Not by having the most competitive discounts in the market, but by having the best cars, promoting them the best, by differentiating and doing what made GM great in the past: great styling... Value that people don’t expect... We should blow people away with what they get for the money.
Answering on questions related to profitability and balance sheet, Henderson revealed that cash flow will be positive next year. Admitting that the culture of GM needs change, Henderson said that The ‘New GM’ will be a much more nimble business outfit.

GM is also inviting questions on Twitter via @gmblogs. Go ahead and make the most of it!