More entrants in the Nano segment

The unofficial news for the launch of Maruti Suzuki's new Cervo, in the Rs 1.5 lakhs to 2 lakhs price segment is out. The car is equiped with a 660cc petrol engine producing close to 60 bhp. The car is expected to be a better option than Tata Nano, given Maruti's product reliability. Though the car doesn't support huge boot space and rear cabin space, the utility of the car is at this value is going to be really high. 

Hyundai is also expected to launch its new offer in the Nano segment soon. Code named H800, the car is expected to be powered by a 800cc petrol mill and cost around Rs 2 lakhs. 

After the small car segment boom, the market is now opening up for the nano segment boom. The customer will now have a range of options in this segment. Though Tata may have a first mover advantage, it may also be a disadvantage as other might learn from Tata's mistakes. Without the infrastructure to support these many cars on road and the market yet to get matured, only time can write the success stories.

Hottest News about Nano

This would probably be the most horrifying picture Mr Ratan Tata had ever seen. His dream is on fire. 

The car was delivered to Satish Sawant, an insurance agent and was also offered a driver to drop him as he cannot drive. The fire happened on the way home at the Eastern Express Highway. After the fire was put out by a fire tender, it was found that the fire broke from the rear engine. This is the second case after the first incident happend in Mumbai, where the car got self ignited. ( The owner had then claimed a Mercedes as replacement. Read Story)

These incidents have caused a serious concern on the product and its reliability. In a time where product recalls are the talk of manufacturers, the safety of Nano is under lights now. After long debates of the occupants safety and evironmental issues, Nano also won the Euro crash tests. Though it is still not clear about the exact reasons for the incidents, Tata had not made any announcements regarding these accidents. This had put the reliability of the company understake now. This, now is a chance for the other small car players to take advantage of the situation in the market. Tata should now act on this with care as word of mouth publicity is going to spread faster than the fire.

After all a promise is a promise only when delivered without compromise.

Know your New Bike Better

First few hundred kilometers are very crucial for any new bike or a car. This sets the performance level of the engine for the rest of the life of the vehicle.

To know more about maintaining the new bike Click Here.

Finally the season begins...

The wait is over. The worlds biggest racing event is back @ Bahrain this weekend. With lot of rules and regulations changed in 2010, Formula 1 has become more than just a sport. Also the additional thrill for the year is the presence of 4 world champions in the grid. All-time champion Micheal Schumacher's return to the sport with Mercedes and Ross Brawn, has thrown the game even wider. Ferrari, after a dismal performance in 2009, had made a strong statement in the practice sessions. McLaren is all set with its two champion drivers. This season also features rise of promising stars like Vettel, Rosberg & Webber and teams like Force India and Red Bull. There is a possibility that one of the 3 new teams can also make a mark.

But the game's profitability for the teams and sponsors has been a question for quiet some time. With regulated expenses and solved differences between FIA and the teams this year should be delivering the expected returns on the investments made. With the impact of the global downturn, big teams like Toyota and BMW had decided to quit the game. Existing teams had to regulate their expenditures to worth each penny. 

In 2011 FIA had also decided to expand the calendar to more locations like India and Russia after this years' 19 tracks. Expanding this way also has an inbuilt risk. There is no sport which has a fan following across geographies. Every game has its own set of viewers. This is largely due to the cultural preferences and practices. For  instance to increase the viewer-ship in India, there definitely has to be an Indian driving for an Indian team. 

At the end of the day, let me put all these issues aside, and enjoy this season, which is expected to be the most thrilling season of the game. My bet is on the 7 time champion. Whats yours??

Ford Figo - TVCs

Embrace Life - A Safety Initiative

Ford Figo - Corporate Film

Mercedes F800 Style - Vision of the Future

The next Big Entry

Team HRT announces Karun Chandhok as its second driver after Bruno Senna. This makes the official association for India with Formula 1 for the fourth time. First it was Narain Karthikeyan driving a Jordan in 2005 and then a test driver for Williams for 2 years. Then it was the entry of the Business Icon Vijay Mallya taking charge of Team Force India. 2011 was announced as a official inauguration of the India GP and the construction is on. And now for the second time an Indian behind the wheel.

Considered as a motor sports of the highest order with superlative technical innovations, F1 is a sport that all racers would dream of. But unfortunately in India, I think its still not the time for F1. When the Indian GP was planned, it was commented as " A GP in India would be like a Cricket match in Italy". The awareness and the passion towards this sport is very less. This will result in companies to bet on neither the Indian GP nor the Indian racers. A similar situation forced Narain Karthikeyan to go behind the screen. Though heavily backed by TATA, Narain failed to prove his point. 

Mallya proved this wrong by making his mark in 2009. Force India took pole position and points in the second of the season creating a strong brand for itself back home. After the recent preparations and test runs,  the team is confident of challenging the front runners after being followers for quite sometime. 

Now, Karun should learn from the earlier happenings and ensure that brand F1 as well as brand Karun Chandhok live upto the expectations of the few F1 fans in India.