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A PROJECT ON:

Analysis of the Indian Automobile Industry with respect to the Small Car/Hatchback Segment.

A Project Report submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Business Administration.

Guide: Submitted by:

Mrs. Pooja Punjabi Priyam JhaExam Seat No: 95

Bachelor of Business Administration

Faculty of Commerce

The Maharaja Sayajirao University

Vadodara

2009-10

2Acknowledgement

In preparing this project, I have received assistance and contribution from various quarters. Firstly, I express my extreme gratitude to my mentor, Mrs. Pooja Punjabi who despite of having several other commitments and pre-occupations provided me with superb guidance and valuable insight about the development and finishing of my project. I would also like to thank the Assistant Programme Directors Mr. Kalpesh Shah and Dr. Pragnesh Shah for providing us with such a unique learning experience. It would be an understatement to say that without their guidance, this project would not have seen the light of day.

I would like to emphasize on the fact that this project has been an enriching and learning experience as I gained invaluable and exceptional knowledge about the subject matter in pursuing this exercise. For this opportunity, I am extremely grateful.

3Introduction

The following report examines the Automobile Industry in India with respect to the Small Car segment, where various offerings of the leading car makers out on the market today are analyzed, interpreted and compared. The study has been based entirely on Secondary Data because primary data would have required a very large sample size to adequately cover all the aspects of the project, which would have caused a serious problem of insufficient time and resources. Also, information about cars is made available via different secondary sources, which are a matter of public knowledge and can be obtained easily from various electronic and non-electronic sources without the chance of getting incorrect or erroneous data.

All the data found in this report has been obtained from reliable publications like Top Gear publications and Overdrive Inc. which get their data from the manufacturer-released specification sheets. Thus, the accuracy of the facts and figures provided in the report is quite stellar.

There are several reasons why Small Cars have such a big advantage over their larger and mid-sized compatriots in this day and age with:

Rising Fuel Prices Traffic Manouvering Aiding

These points determine the advantages of owning and driving a small car:

Advantages of Small Cars

It's time to buy a car, and you're weighing options like make, model, size and year. One of the things you may want to seriously consider is the size of the vehicle. So before you commit to a large vehicle--like a truck, SUV, or full-size sedan--consider the many advantages of buying a smaller car.

BETTER FUEL ECONOMY: As a general rule, smaller vehicles get better gas mileage in the city and on highways. And with today's high gas prices, this fuel savings can add up significantly over time, especially if you’re daily commute is a long one. In fact, many small cars get 20 miles per gallon more than the average large truck or SUV, so the savings could be hundreds--or even thousands--of rupees over the life of your car.

BETTER MANOUVERABILITY: Ever been stuck in a tight spot and needed to make a quick turn-around? Ever wanted to parallel park on the street in a super small space? Whether you're driving down a skinny one-way street, or simply zipping in and out of highway traffic, a smaller vehicle makes maneuvering much easier. That means fewer hassles in crowded parking lots or on busy streets.

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LOWER PRICE: Larger vehicles tend to cost more than smaller vehicles, in part because smaller vehicles are in less demand. And, from a strictly manufacturer's point of view, smaller cars require less materials. Chances are you'll be able to get a smaller car for thousands less than its larger counterparts, which can make a big difference to your overall cost.

IMPROVED HANDLING: Want to avoid accidents? A smaller car can help you do that! They tend to be more nimble and easier to handle, making it easier for you to avoid collisions. Their lower center of gravity means they're less likely to flip or roll over if an accident does occur. And they also have shorter braking distances than larger trucks or SUVS, which means you, may have a better chance at avoiding a collision.

Therefore, for the above mentioned reasons, I chose to conduct a study on this segment of car market in India.

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Classification of

Small Cars

From a

Global Perspective

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Hatchback

Peugeot 306 hatchback, with the hatch lifted.

Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by a single, top-hinged tailgate or large flip-up window. The vehicle commonly has two rows of seats, with the rear seat able to fold down to increase cargo space.

Terminology:

Citroën Traction Avant hatchback (1954); rear seat position is after final side window

Hatchback vehicles are functionally similar to station wagons (which are intended to carry large volumes), but distinguished by a (much) smaller load area. The typical hatchback roof rakes down steeply behind the C-Pillar, resulting in very little car length behind the rear wheels and thus no room for a side window over the load area. A good example of the difference can be seen in the 1999-2007 Ford Focus, which offers both a wagon (Focus ZTW/ZXW) and hatchback (Focus ZX3 and ZX5) models. The 2002-2007 Mazda 6 also came in five-door hatchback and wagon configurations.

Alternatively, cars with a longer rear end need a much more slanted rear window which is known as a liftback, in comparison to traditional hatchbacks where the tailgate is more

vertical/upright. Liftbacks are sedan-size cars with a fastback profile and a hatchback-type tailgate. However, the term "liftback" did not gain the same mainstream acceptance as "hatchback" or "sedan", for instance being almost never used in the United Kingdom where liftback cars are particularly popular. There, 5-door liftbacks are in general called hatchbacks, though 3-door liftbacks are often referred to as coupés by certain automakers, such as the Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class.

Typically, most compact cars offer a hatchback configuration, while midsize and larger cars have a wagon style. There are some exceptions, with compact wagons such as the BMW 3-Series (E36), Ford Focus ZTW, Toyota Corolla Fielder, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate. These four lineups have or had hatchback configurations as well, such as the 3-Series hatchback, Focus ZT3 and ZT5, Corolla Matrix (or simply Matrix), and CLC-Class (formerly the C-Class Sportcoupe).

The tailgate is also referred to as the hatch. Hatchbacks are often described as three-door (two entry doors and the hatch) or five-door (four entry doors and the hatch) cars. In Europe, city cars, superminis, and small family cars are usually hatchbacks.

Small cars often incorporate a hatch tailgate to make the best use of available space. Especially in smaller models, hatchbacks are often truncated, with the tailgate nearly vertical, to reduce the car's footprint. This is an important consideration in countries where small streets and traffic congestion are big factors (see for instance the Japanese Kei cars).

Hatchbacks frequently include fold-down rear seats, which enable a substantial portion of the interior space to be used as a cargo area. Usually, the rear seat can be folded partially (for instance 1/2, 1/3 or 2/3) or completely to expand the cargo space.

Hatchbacks typically have a parcel shelf: a rigid shelf covering the cargo space that is hinged behind the rear seats and lifts with the tailgate. An alternative is a flexible roll-up tonneau cover.

In many countries, where a hatchback and a conventional sedan are available for the same model, sedans are typically more popular. Generally speaking, this is not the case in Europe, where the hatchback is more popular and chances are the sedan is not marketed. Examples are France which has an old tradition of building hatchbacks and where sedan models are sometimes not even sold, like the Renault Laguna, or Great Britain where the 1997-2009 Toyota Avensis Hatchback outsold its StationWagon and Sedan models. Manufacturers have even been forced to offer a notchback version of cars that are sold only as hatchbacks elsewhere to comply with the preferences of clients, as with the Citroën C-Triomphe. Costwise, hatchbacks are priced differently than their sedan counterparts. For example, the Nissan Versa hatchback is cheaper than Versa sedan, while the Mazda3 Sport hatchback is more expensive than the Mazda3 sedan. High performance variants of hatchbacks are now common, known as "hot hatches".

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Description:

Understandably, since the term is an approximation, the credit for the first hatchback is attributed to several manufacturers.

The Citroën Traction Avant Commerciale, introduced in 1938[1] was a capacious design that did not fit the description of a station wagon, because of the short space behind the rear wheels, with the rear seat in line with the D-Pillar. Initially the car had a two-piece tailgate. Production stopped during World War II, but when the Commerciale reappeared in 1954 it featured a one-piece top-hinged tailgate.

Holden of Australia fitted what could be described as "hatch" tailgates onto bodies in the late 1940s, though not on their own Holden 48/215 model. Two other early contenders are the 1949 Kaiser-Frazer Vagabond and Traveler hatchbacks. Although these were styled much like the typical 1940s sedan, they incorporated an innovative split rear tailgate instead of a trunk and folding rear seats.

Austin A40 Countryman

The 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 featured a top-hinged rear tailgate, of which 700 examples were made. Its successor, the 1958 DB Mark III, even offered a folding rear seat. The 1954 AC Aceca and later Aceca-Bristol from AC Cars had a similar hatch tailgate, though just 320 were built.

The Pininfarina-designed 1958 Austin A40 was the first car to introduce the lack of side windows over the load space. It had a tailgate that was split horizontally rather than in a single unit hinged at the top. However, the 1962 Italian-built Innocenti version, called the A40S Combinata, had a single-unit tailgate, so that car had all the features of the modern hatchback.

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Hatchbacks in Europe

Renault 4L, 1962

The 1961 Renault 4 played a key role in popularizing the hatchback in Europe. Its tailgate was a single door incorporating the rear window and hinged at the top, with only short side windows between C & D-pillars over the load space and a steep angle from roof to rear bumper. During its production run the R4 was called a small station wagon, even after the term hatchback appeared around 1970.

Renault 16 hatchback

The Renault 16, a more upmarket car that was voted European Car of the Year on its launch in the autumn of 1965, also had a hatchback / liftback design, and featured a folding rear seat. Another French hatchback arrived in 1967: the Simca 1100. Contrary to the two Renault models, the Simca used a transverse engine and gearbox layout, and discarded the side windows behind the C-pillar.

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1966 MGB GT.

The first car launched by the then-new British Leyland (albeit a British Motor Corporation design) was the 1968 Austin Maxi, a five-speed, front-wheel drive hatchback. The first all-Italian hatchback was the Autobianchi Primula, which went into production during 1964. The first German hatchback was the Volkswagen Passat (Dasher in North America) of 1973, followed by the more popular Volkswagen Golf (Rabbit in North America), as well as the Audi 50, the first German supermini hatchback, in 1974.

Sports cars like the Jaguar E-Type, Toyota 2000GT, and Datsun 240Z were fitted with rear tailgates, but had only one row of seats. Thus, while they may be called 3-door cars, they are not generally considered hatchbacks.

In the 1970s, the Rover SD1, Renault 30, and Saab 900 attempted to introduce the hatchback style into the executive car market, with limited success. The market for executive class station wagons is also limited, possibly for similar reasons - combining practicality and exclusivity in one vehicle has proven difficult.

By the early 1980s, most small family cars produced in Europe were hatchbacks. The 1980s began with the launch of two more front-wheel drive hatchbacks: the Ford Escort and Lancia Delta. More similar cars followed over the decade, including the updated Opel Kadett, Vauxhall Astra, Renault 19, Fiat Tipo, and second generation Rover 200. Alfa Romeo's venture into this market, the Nissan-based Arna, was one of the few unsuccessful European small family hatchbacks of the 1980s.

The 1990s saw small family hatchbacks firmly pitch themselves as the most popular auto sector in Europe. The third generation Volkswagen Golf was launched in 1991 and elected European Car of the Year. Fiat replaced the successful Tipo with the distinctive Bravo (three-door) and Brava (five-door) in 1995. Ford replaced the long-running Escort with the dramatically styled Ford Focus in 1998. Hatchbacks quickly became regular winners of the European Car of the Year award.

Hatchbacks in North America

After the introduction of several fastbacks in the late 1960s, hatchbacks gradually became commonplace in North America in the early 1970s as some novel hatchback and liftback models from America's Big Three automakers started appearing in showrooms, soon followed by imports from Japan and Europe. Hatchbacks were popular for smaller vehicles in the U.S. and Canada during the fuel crises of the 1970s due to their practicality and convenience.

1973 Chevrolet Vega Hatchback

1976 Chevrolet Chevette Hatchback

1999 Chevrolet Metro Hatchback

1978 Ford Mustang II Hatchback

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General Motors

The Chevrolet Vega, introduced in September 1970, was the first hatchback model from General Motors. Over a million Vega hatchbacks were produced for the 1971–1977 model years accounting for about half of the Vega's total production.[4] The Pontiac Astre, was offered in hatchback models. Pontiac's version of the Vega was produced for the 1973–1977 model years. (Canada only 1973–74). The Chevrolet Monza was introduced as a 2+2 hatchback and was offered in several variations for the 1975–1980 model years. The Buick Skyhawk and Oldsmobile Starfire were produced exclusively as hatchback models, also for the 1975–1980 model years. The Pontiac Sunbird was offered in hatchback models for the 1977–1980 model years. The Vega based, GM H-Body Monza, Skyhawk, Starfire and Sunbird hatchbacks were replaced with the GM J-Body line for the 1982 model year.

A Chevrolet Nova hatchback was introduced for the 1973 model year, and was offered through 1979. The Chevrolet Chevette was introduced in 1975 as a two-door hatchback. A four-door hatchback on a longer wheelbase was introduced with the 1978 models. The Chevette was produced through the 1987 model year. The 1980s brought a new round of hatchback models. General Motors included a hatchback model as part of its J-car series (which included the Chevrolet Cavalier). Inj the 80's, Chevrolet offered captive import hatchbacks built by Suzuki and Izuzu. The NUMMI US-made Chevrolet Nova was also offered in a hatchback model in 1987 and 1988. Its replacement, the Geo Prizm, was also available in a hatchback model and the Chevrolet Corsica was briefly available in a hatchback version. The Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird adopted hatch windows when the third generation editions came out in 1982.

GM successfully marketed a series of hatchbacks in North America as a joint venture with Suzuki, ultimately with production at CAMI Automotive in Canada. While at its peak, Canadian Swift/Metro/Firefly production reached more than 100,000 vehicles a year, the number fell to just 32,000 in 2000.[5]

Chevrolet offered the larger Malibu Maxx from 2004 to 2007, advertised as a "five-door extended sedan", designed to have the utility but not the stigma of station wagons. In 2008, GM introduced the 3-door and 5-door Belgian-assembled Saturn Astra. Chevrolet currently sells a hatchback version of its Korean-built Aveo.

Ford Motor Company

Ford offered a Pinto "Runabout" hatchback introduced its second model year-1972, in tandem with a the same body-style fastback sedan and later, a Mercury Bobcat hatchback twin. The Ford Mustang II, introduced for the 1974 model year, was available in a hatchback coupe and was produced through 1978. European-built captive imports for

Lincoln-Mercury dealers, Mercury Capri II hatchbacks were sold in the US for the 1976-1977 model years, and imported for Ford dealers, the Ford Fiesta hatchback was added

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later in the decade. Ford offered an Americanized version of its third-generation Escort in the United States as a replacement for the Pinto at the start of the 1981 model year. The Ford Mustang and Mercury Capri "Fox" chassis models, introduced in 1979, and built through 1993 were offered in hatchback models. By contrast, Ford seems to be giving up on the market segment, with the Focus hatchback having been phased out even as a second-generation Focus is available as a hatchback in Europe.

Chrysler Corporation

The Chrysler Corporation was late in producing hatchbacks for the U.S., developing the Volkswagen-like Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon twins with its European operations and placing them on sale in North America in the 1978 model year. Two low-slung hatchback coupés, originally part of the Omni/Horizon lineup but later marketed as separate cars under the Dodge Charger and Plymouth Turismo names, debuted the following year. Eventually the Chrysler brand offered a LeBaron hatchback which resembled a Saab. Chrysler continued making its Omni/Horizon and Charger/Turismo models into the 1980s and added the Dodge Shadow and Plymouth Sundance twins, which were styled to look like trunked sedans, for the 1987 model year. Most of the hatchbacks Chrysler offered at this time were sport coupés.

DaimlerChrysler replaced the Dodge Neon sedan with the Dodge Caliber, a five-door hatchback designed to look like a miniature SUV, in 2006.

Luxury Marques

Luxury marques began experimenting with hatchbacks in North America, with mixed success. VW's New Beetle, which went on sale in the U.S. in 1998, featured a rear window hatch that contrasted with the original Beetle's trunk, which was located in the front, while the engine was mounted in the rear. The New MINI range was successful with enthusiasts for similar reasons as the New Beetle, as both vehicles are known for their performance and retro styling, but both were no longer priced as economy cars for the masses. BMW's 3-series hatchback had a short run from 1995-99, being criticized as looking like a full-sized 3-series with the rear chopped off.[6] The liftback version of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the Sportcoupé, was sold in North America from 2002 to 2005, being a more stylist off-shoot from the C-Class sedan than the BMW hatchback was of the regular 3-series. While the Sportcoupé base model enabled the automaker to reach a lower price point than existing models sold in North America, some suggested that the hatchback configuration (as liftback is almost never used in North America) and the "inexpensive Mercedes" moniker would undermine the marque which was traditionally was composed of expensive cars. It also lacked standard leather seats and a CD player, amenities typically expected of German luxury imports (especially a Mercedes).[7] Indeed,

due to a lack of success, the Sportcoupé removed from North American markets in 2005, being succeeded by the Mercedes-Benz B-Class in Canada. Around that time, the Audi A3 debuted.

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The 1990's - Declining popularity

While hatchbacks have enjoyed some periods of popularity, particularly for smaller vehicles during the oil crises of the 1970s, the majority of North American customers (especially in the US) have preferred trunks to hatches. Conventional wisdom is that they have always found the styling of trunked cars more elegant and dignified than that of hatchbacks and station wagons, the latter of which lost much popularity over the 1970s and 1990s. Although the high fuel costs of the time had popularized hatchbacks, it also created a lasting stigma, as many Americans only bought hatchbacks because they had to. Furthermore, the poor quality and basic nature of many hatchbacks gave them a reputation for cheapness - driving a hatchback was a proclamation that the owner was too poor to buy a regular car.

So, as hatchbacks grew in popularity in Europe in the 1990s, they declined in popularity in North America in that same period. Detroit manufacturers mostly switched to offering small cars only with trunks and not hatchbacks; customers who wanted versatility began turning to minivans and later sport utility vehicles. By the early 2000s, the New York Times commented that hatchbacks were the automotive equivalent of sitcoms starring former "Seinfeld" cast members; "no one wants to be associated with them." Volkswagen continued to offer the Golf (marketed with that name in North America from 1985 to 2006), but by the end of the 1990s the major Japanese manufacturers appeared to have given up on hatchbacks in the North American market just as General Motors and Chrysler did.

The Toyota Tercel and Echo were available in the U.S. in notchback form only. The Honda Civic hatchback, despite having been the most popular configuration of the line in the 1980s, was eventually relegated to a no-frills model by the 1996-2000 generation, having none of the amenities from the sedan or the coupé. With the exception of the hatchback version of the performance-oriented Civic Si which was imported from the UK from 2002 to 2005 and had a different styling from North American Civic sedans and coupes, no Civic hatchback has been sold since the 2001 model year. Ford and Volkswagen held on to selling basic hatchbacks in North America, as Ford's Focus debuted in 2000 with a hatchback model and Volkswagen's fourth-generation Golf included the base three-door model that the previous car had largely lacked. Suzuki continued to sell the subcompact Swift hatchback.

The 2000's - Small Resurgence

By the middle of the 2000s, a small hatchback resurgence took place in the United States and Canada. While most hatchbacks were still advertised as affordable, automakers toned

down the emphasis on cheapness, touting practicality and versatility, efficiency, and performance. While no-frill base models were still offered, hatchbacks had available amenities (air conditioning and power windows) and safety features (curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes) found in larger vehicles. They also began using radical styling (and often a new model name) to set the hatcback apart from the sedan platform that it is based upon.

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In 2003, a Toyota/GM joint venture 5-door hatchback derived two models based on the Toyota Corolla -- the Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe.

The three Japanese automakers all offered hatchback models by 2006 in the subcompact segment; Toyota had the Yaris (succeeding the 2003 Toyota Echo) and the Scion xA (replaced in 2008 by the Scion xD), Nissan launched the Versa, and Honda debuted the Fit which was already sold in Europe and Japan since 2001. Volkswagen, after an interminable delay, placed the fifth-generation Golf on sale in North America in June 2006 with the Rabbit name once again, accompanied by a high-profile ad campaign designed to make the car seem as cool as the MINI has been.

The Korean manufacturers were also offering compact and subcompact hatchbacks, such as the Hyundai Elantra GT, Hyundai Accent, Kia Spectra5, and the Kia Rio Cinco/Rio5. Also on offer in the U.S. were the 1998-2002 Daewoo Lanos hatchback and the 1999 Daewoo Nubira hatchback. The GM Daewoo-sourced Daewoo Kalos (Chevrolet Aveo, Pontiac Wave, et al.), Suzuki Reno (2004-present) and Chevrolet Optra (2005-2007) were also available in the U.S. and Canada, respectively.

In 2007, Suzuki released the SX4 hatchback in North America.

Hatchbacks in the USSR:

M-21412 Aleko hatchback

First Soviet hatchback was rear-wheel drive IZH-2125 Kombi, started to be produced in 1973. In 1980s new front-wheel drive cars - Lada Samara, ZAZ Tavria and Aleko - were introduced with hatchback bodies.

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Hatchbacks in developing countries:

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Hyundai i10

Hatchbacks have proved to be less popular in developing countries in South America, Africa, and some parts of Asia than in Europe, and as a result, manufacturers have had to develop sedan versions of their small cars. In Brazil, for example, the Fiat Premio was developed from the Fiat Uno in the 1980s, with Ford and GM subsequently offering sedan versions of the Opel Corsa and Ford Fiesta in the 1990s. (The first generation Opel Corsa was sold in Europe as a sedan as well as a hatchback, but proved unpopular, and was not replaced in 1993). These models were also sold in South Africa and China. However, hatchbacks are popular in India with about 80% of all passenger vehicles sold in the country.

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Supermini

A 2008 model Ford Fiesta (sixth generation)

A Supermini is a British car classification term that describes automobiles being larger than a city car but smaller than a small family car. This car class is also known as the B-segment across Europe, and as Sub-compact in North America.

In 2008, the best selling cars in Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia were all superminis. Overall in 2008, of the fifteen best selling types of car in Europe, seven were superminis.

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The original Mini - A 1963 Austin Super-Deluxe

The term supermini used in relation to automobiles appears in the British magazine The Economist in 1978. Describing a proposed new car from Lada as "a front wheel drive "supermini" the size (and a near copy) of a Ford Fiesta. In October 1985, the influential Consumers' Association used the term in its annual Car Buying Guide. Because the term was a new one, it gave an explanation at the start of a section entitled Small Hatchbacks. It said small hatchbacks were known popularly as superminis and while similar to the Mini they were more spacious inside and more versatile. This definition made clear that a "supermini" was something larger than a Mini yet smaller than a typical car of the time. In its 1985 report, it included such cars as the Austin Metro, Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta. Smaller or more basic cars were grouped under a Bargain Basement heading and included the Mini, Citroën 2CV, Fiat 126 and Volkswagen Beetle.

The 1986 Car Buying Guide, published in June of that year, was more confident of the term and this time headed the section Small hatchbacks or 'superminis'. The Mini and 2CV were still relegated to the cheaper category of Bargain Basement. By the time of the 1989 Car Buying Guide, there was no longer any need to explain what supermini meant and the title appeared without comment. In its introduction, the Guide said superminis were available as three-door and five-door hatchbacks, and sometimes as saloons with a

boot. The Mini and Renault 4 were still grouped separately, this year under the heading Cheapies.

By 1990 the demand for the cheapest cars, a number of them from low-cost economies in eastern Europe, was fading. For the first time the two or three remaining examples in the new car market, including the original Mini, were grouped under the heading superminis along with the couple of dozen true superminis that now dominated the cheaper end of the market. However, in its separate guide to car reliability in June 1990, the magazine grouped the smallest cars under the heading "Minis and Superminis", indicating that the smallest cars were still perceived as being distinct from the larger and better equipped "Superminis". These smaller cars are now called city cars.

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Examples of Superminis sold in Europe Ford Fiesta Opel Corsa Volkswagen Polo Fiat Punto Peugeot 207 Citroen C2 /Citroen C3 Toyota Yaris Alfa Romeo MiTo Mazda2

Hot Hatch

Peugeot 205 GTI

Hot hatch was originally an informal automotive industry term, shortened from hot hatchback, initially coined by the European motoring press, for a high-performance derivative of a car body style consisting of a three- or five-door hatchback automobile. However, 'hot hatch' is now commonly and widely accepted as a mainstream, if still informal term.

The term is more popular in Europe, due to the popularity of the hatchback configuration. Within the United States, they are commonly named sport compacts, however, this deviates from the original meaning of the 'hot hatch' terminology (because they do not adhere to the 'hatchback' body style).

Vehicles of this class are typically based on family-oriented automobiles, and are equipped with an uprated more powerful internal combustion engine, improved suspension, and may also include additional 'aerodynamic' body parts. Front-mounted petrol engines, together with front-wheel drive, is the most common powertrain layout, although diesel-powered hot hatches are also available.

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Development of the Hot Hatch:

The design most often considered to have started the 'hot hatch' genre is the 1976 Volkswagen Golf GTI. Some cite the first true hot hatch as the Alfa Romeo Alfasud, although the performance derivatives of the Alfasud actually had saloon bodywork sharing only its silhouette with a hatchback. Others take another point of view. However, the Renault 5 Alpine (in its original Renault R1223 designation guise) went on sale in May 1976 so actually pre-dated the Golf GTi by a mere two months. Nevertheless, the Alpine was considered to be far from complete and was relaunched in February 1977 with water temperature, oil pressure and temperature gauges, a revised dashboard, a leather steering wheel to replace the ugly plastic one, and some much improved H4 headlamps. The Renault already had a 5 speed gearbox from launch, whereas the Golf had only a 4 speed unit when it later went on sale in July.

Despite being under 1400cc, the Renault 5 Alpine (sold as Gordini in the UK to avoid confusion with other Chrsyler brand vehicles) could dispose of the 0-60MPH dash in 9.8 seconds, only one tenth slower than the first Golf GTi. The Alpine was also 2 MPH faster than the Golf, so despite the rough character and poor equipment of the first variant the Alpine was not lacking in performance terms. However, compared to the Golf it was not as polished an all rounder, being awkward to drive in heavy traffic and possessing a relatively small boot, so the Golf arguably earns the "moral" right to be considered the first complete Hot Hatch as we understand the term today.

The original 1974 version of the Golf was in mass production at this point, and the addition of a higher performance 1.6 litre fuel injected engine, sharper handling, and sports-focused marketing - found the birth a huge market for small, practical cars that still had excellent performance. The Golf GTI enjoyed a short run of unparalleled success, but by the early 1980s, car manufacturers worldwide were racing to market with their own alternatives. Notable big-sellers in the early days were the Peugeot 205 GTI, Ford Escort XR3i, (and Vauxhall Astra GTE in United Kingdom).

By the end of the 1980s, the hot hatch had taken its place across Europe, and was pushing into other worldwide markets. The brief heyday of Group B rallying pushed the hot hatch

genre to its limits, and small numbers of ultra-high performance variants were manufactured to comply with the rally rules (often termed "homologation specials"). These enthusiasts vehicles represented a brief, extreme branch of the hot hatch, and included such notable vehicles as the Peugeot 205 T-16 and MG Metro 6R4.

The Hot Hatch in North America:

Before the Volkswagen Rabbit (the North American version of the Golf) was introduced in GTI form in September 1982 as a 1983 model year, sports versions of family hatchbacks were little more than cosmetic upgrades of the basic models, typified by alloy wheels and body decals. The introduction of the GTI in the U.S. and Canada quickly led the American and Japanese manufacturers to produce models worthy of competing with

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Volkswagen. As in Europe, the GTI found several direct competitors in North America. Ford offered the Escort GT, and its Lincoln-Mercury division offered the identical Mercury Lynx XR3. Chrysler offered the turbocharged Dodge Omni GLH in 1985 to 1986 (which the Dodge division said stood for "Goes Like Hell"), and in 1986 to 1987 the intercooled GLHS (Goes Like Hell Somemore). Both were prepared and named by Carroll Shelby. General Motors offered a few sports version of its J-car hatchbacks, including the Chevrolet Cavalier Z24. After 1995, however, the J-chassis Pontiac Sunfire GT and Chevrolet Z24 were offered only as two-door coupés. Toyota offered the Corolla FX-16, and Honda introduced the Civic S (later called the Si when that model gained fuel injection). Hot hatches maintained some popularity in North America throughout the 1990s, even as most small cars were designed with trunks. The Honda Civic was the benchmark for Japanese hot hatches in America, but when the Civic line was redesigned for 2006, the Si came in coupé form only; the Civic hatchback was no longer available in the U.S. in any form. Volkswagen remained committed to the market segment in North America, though, releasing a turbocharged, redesigned Golf Mk5 GTI in early 2006 with a notably successful advertising campaign. Mazda introduced its Mazdaspeed 3 in October 2006, a turbocharged version of their popular 3, with 260 horsepower (190 kW; 260 PS).

Hot Hatches and Compacts before 1980:

Until 1980, the Volkswagen Golf dominated the hot hatch market segment in some markets. However, competition was not entirely limited to non-hatchbacks, the Mini, and race-inspired enthusiasts' vehicles such as the Vauxhall Chevette HS. The Sunbeam Ti offered 99BHP and brisker acceleration than the Golf and was especially popular in the UK market. However, the twin carb induction was difficult to keep in tune and the rear drive chassis, while nirvana for the enthusiast, was a little too lively for the average driver. The Sunbeam Lotus offered a then astonishing 140BHP and a 0-60 MPH time of

around 6.8 seconds, but like its smaller Ti sibling was far from the friendly and benign all-rounder that the Golf was.

Meanwhile, sub-compacts and superminis had adopted a two-box design ever since the Mini, and, in spite of their small engines, had been adopted by young racing enthusiasts with little money because of their low weight. Thus, even though the Golf was one of the few cars with engines larger than 1.4 litres and with more than 100 horsepower (75 kW; 101 PS) (75 kW), other hatches were on their way to becoming "hot". Also, cars such as the Hillman Imp or the Simca Rallye, while having saloon bodies, were small enough to be considered direct ancestors of the hot hatch.

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Sub-Compact Car

1993-94 Toyota Tercel sub-compact (North-America)

2009 Honda Fit Sport sub-compact

A subcompact car is a North American term used to describe any automobiles whose class size is smaller than that of a compact car (usually not exceeding 165 inches (4,191 mm) in length), but larger than a microcar. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a passenger car is classified as subcompact if it has between 85 cubic feet (2,407 L) and 99 cu ft (2,803 L) of interior volume. Therefore,

many contemporary cars branded as "subcompact" in North America fall into either the supermini or the city car category (as defined by Euro NCAP) in Europe.

History:

In North America, the term “subcompact” came into popular use in the early 1970s. Previously, cars in this size were variously categorized, including "small automobile" and "economy car."

This type of car was first seen in 1939 with the Crosley, and then popularized in the 1950s with the introduction of the Nash Metropolitan, as well as a number of imported models, notably the Volkswagen Beetle and various small British cars.

The subcompact market segment expanded in the 1970s with the introduction of new domestic-built models produced by North American automakers in response to the growing popularity of small imported cars from Europe and Japan. The AMC Gremlin

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was described at its introduction as the first domestic-built American subcompact car. The Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto were introduced six months later.

As of 2009, numerous models of subcompacts are sold, including the Chevrolet Aveo, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Nissan Versa, Scion xD, and Toyota Yaris.

Automobile industry in India:

The automobile industry in India is the seventh largest in the world with an annual production of over 2.6 million units in 2009. In 2009, India emerged as Asia's fourth largest exporter of automobiles, behind Japan, South Korea and Thailand. By 2050, the country is expected to top the world in car volumes with approximately 611 million vehicles on the nation's roads.

Following economic liberalization in India in 1991, the Indian automotive industry has demonstrated sustained growth as a result of increased competitiveness and relaxed restrictions. Several Indian automobile manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra and Mahindra, expanded their domestic and international operations. India's robust economic growth led to the further expansion of its domestic automobile market which attracted significant India-specific investment by multinational automobile manufacturers. In February 2009, monthly sales of passenger cars in India exceeded 100,000 units.

Embryonic automotive industry emerged in India in the 1940s. Following the independence, in 1947, the Government of India and the private sector launched efforts to create an automotive component manufacturing industry to supply to the automobile industry. However, the growth was relatively slow in the 1950s and 1960s due to

nationalisation and the license raj which hampered the Indian private sector. After 1970, the automotive industry started to grow, but the growth was mainly driven by tractors, commercial vehicles and scooters. Cars were still a major luxury. Japanese manufacturers entered the Indian market ultimately leading to the establishment of Maruti Udyog. A number of foreign firms initiated joint ventures with Indian companies.

In the 1980s, a number of Japanese manufacturers launched joint-ventures for building motorcycles and light commercial-vehicles. It was at this time that the Indian government chose Suzuki for its joint-venture to manufacture small cars. Following the economic liberalisation in 1991 and the gradual weakening of the license raj, a number of Indian and multi-national car companies launched operations. Since then, automotive component and automobile manufacturing growth has accelerated to meet domestic and export demands.

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Exports:

India has emerged as one of the world's largest manufacturers of small cars. According to New York Times, India's strong engineering base and expertise in the manufacturing of low-cost, fuel-efficient cars has resulted in the expansion of manufacturing facilities of several automobile companies like Hyundai Motors, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen and Suzuki.

In 2008, Hyundai Motors alone exported 240,000 cars made in India. Nissan Motors plans to export 250,000 vehicles manufactured in its India plant by 2011. Similarly, General Motors announced its plans to export about 50,000 cars manufactured in India by 2011.

In September 2009, Ford Motors announced its plans to setup a plant in India with an annual capacity of 250,000 cars for US$500 million. The cars will be manufactured both for the Indian market and for export. The company said that the plant was a part of its plan to make India the hub for its global production business. Fiat Motors also announced that it would source more than US$1 billion worth auto components from India.

According to Bloomberg L.P., in 2009 India surpassed China as Asia's fourth largest exporter of cars.

Indian automobile companies

Notable Indian automobile manufacturers

Ashok Leyland Chinkara Motors : Beachster, Hammer, Roadster 1.8S, Rockster, Jeepster,

Sailster. Force Motors

Hindustan Motors : Ambassador. Mahindra : Major, Xylo, Scorpio. Maruti Suzuki : 800, Alto, WagonR, Estilo, AStar, Ritz, Swift, Swift DZire, SX4,

Omni, Versa, Gypsy Premier : Sigma, Roadster, RiO. San Motors : Storm Tata Motors : Nano, Indica, Indigo, Sumo, Safari, TL.Aria

Electric car companies in India Ajanta Group Mahindra Hero Electric REVA Tara International

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Tata Motors

Locally manufactured Automobiles of Multi-national Companies Audi : A4, A6. BMW : 3 Series, 5 Series. Chevrolet : Spark, Beat, Aveo U-VA, Aveo, Optra, Cruze, Tavera. Fiat : Palio, Grande Punto, Linea. Ford : Ikon, Fiesta, Fusion, Endeavour, Figovikas mba Honda : Jazz, City, Civic, Accord. Hyundai : Santro, i10, Getz, i20, Accent, Verna, Hyundai , Sonata. Mercedes-Benz : C-Class, E-Class Mitsubishi : Lancer, Lancer Cedia. Nissan : Micra,X-Trail,Teana Renault : Logan Škoda : Fabia, Octavia, Laura. Toyota : Corolla, Innova, Fortuner Volkswagen : Jetta, Passat, Polo, Touareg

Cars sold in India as CBU (Completely Built Units) Audi : A8, TT, R8, Q5, Q7. Bentley : Arnage, Azure, Brooklands, Continental GT, Continental Flying Spur,

Mulsanne. BMW : 6 Series, 7 Series, X3, X5, X6, M3, M5, M6 and Z4. Chevrolet : Captiva Fiat : Nuova 500. Honda : Civic Hybrid, CR-V. Hyundai : Santa Fe. Jaguar : XF, XJ, XK. Lamborghini : Gallardo, Murciélago.

Land Rover : Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Discovery 4, Freelander 2. Maybach : 57 and 62. Mercedes-Benz : CL-Class, CLS-Class, S-Class, SL-Class, SLK-Class, M-Class,

Viano. Mitsubishi : Pajero, Montero, Outlander. Nissan : Teana, X-Trail, 370Z. Porsche : 911, Boxter, Panamera, Cayman, Cayenne. Rolls Royce : Ghost, Phantom, Phantom Coupé, Phantom Drophead Coupé. Škoda : Superb. Suzuki : Grand Vitara. Toyota : Camry, Land Cruiser, Land Cruiser Prado, Prius. Volkswagen : Beetle, Touareg. Volvo : S80, S60, XC90.

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Indian automobile industry has grown leaps and bounds since 1898, a time when a car had touched the Indian streets for the 1st time. At present, it holds a promising 7h position in the world. Withstanding a growth rate of 18% per annum and an annual production of more than 2 million units, it may not be an exaggeration to say that this industry will soon touch a figure of 10 million units per year.

Reasons of growth are accredited to Economic liberalization, increase in per capita income, various tax relief policies, easy accessibility of finance, launch of new models and exciting discount offers made by dealers all together have resulted in stupendous growth of the Indian automobile industry.

Passenger vhicle section is majorly ruled by the car manufacturers capturing over 82% of the total market share. Maruti has long been the biggest car manufacturer and holds more than 50% of the entire market.

Already, 8 million households are able to afford cars in the $5000 - $8000 range. But the advent of models such as the Nano, and models made by Toyota, Suzuki, and Renault in the $2500 to $5000 range will see the market expand threefold in the next few years. A large domestic market will support India’s burgeoning engineering talent pool as well as a large supplier base, helping carmakers create models for sale elsewhere in the developing world.

India’s small car focus has the potential to reduce the country’s trade deficit, create millions of new jobs, and reduce the nation’s thirst for oil imports by promoting fuel-efficient cars. However, realizing this potential wont be easy: a lot of work is yet to be done.

Major market players

in the

Small Car segment

in India

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Type

Public (KRX: 005380,

LSE: HYUD)

Industry

Automobile manufacturer

Founded

1967

Founder(s)

Chung Ju-Yung

Headquarters

Seoul, South Korea

Area served

Worldwide

Key people

Chung Mong-Koo, Chairman and CEO

Products

Automobiles and commercial vehicles

Revenue

▲ ₩32.1 trillion (2008)[1]

Net income

▲ ₩1.4 trillion (2008)[1]

Employees

75,000 (as of March 31, 2009)

Parent

Hyundai Kia Automotive Group

Website

Hyundai-Motor.com

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Hyundai Motor Company (Hangul: 현대 자동차 주식회사, Hanja: 現代自動車株式會社 Hyŏndae Chatongch'a Chusik-hoesa), a division of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, is the world's largest automaker by profit, the world’s fourth largest automaker by units sold and the world's fastest growing automaker.

Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, Hyundai operates the world’s largest integrated automobile manufacturing facility in Ulsan, which is capable of producing 1.6 million units annually. The company employs about 75,000 persons around the world, Hyundai vehicles are sold in 193 countries through some 6,000 dealerships and showrooms worldwide.

The Hyundai logo, a slanted, stylized 'H', symbolizes the company shaking hands with its customer. Hyundai translates from the word "modernity", and is pronounced as "Hyon-dae" in Korean.

History:

The world's largest automobile manufacturing plant in Ulsan, South Korea, produces over 1.6 million vehicles annually.

Chung Ju-Yung founded the Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company in 1947. Hyundai Motor Company was later established in 1967. The company’s first model, the Cortina, was released in cooperation with Ford Motor Company in 1968. In 1975, the Pony, the first Korean car, was released, with styling by Giorgio Giugiaro of ItalDesign and powertrain technology provided by Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors. Exports began in the following year to Ecuador and soon thereafter to the Benelux countries. In 1991, the company succeeded in developing its first proprietary gasoline engine, the four-cylinder Alpha, and transmission, thus paving the way for technological independence.

In 1983, Hyundai exported the Pony to Canada, but not to the United States because the Pony didn't pass emissions standards there. Canadian sales greatly exceeded expectations, and it was at one point the top-selling car on the Canadian market. The Pony afforded a much higher degree of quality and refinement in the lowest price auto segment than the Eastern-bloc imports of the period then available.

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In 1986, Hyundai began to sell cars in the United States, and the Excel was nominated as "Best Product #10" by Fortune magazine, largely because of its affordability. The company began to produce models with its own technology in 1988, beginning with the midsize Sonata.

In 1996, Hyundai Motors India Limited was established with a production plant in Irrungattukotai near Chennai, India.

In 1998, Hyundai began to overhaul its image in an attempt to establish itself as a world-class brand. Chung Ju Yung transferred leadership of Hyundai Motor to his son, Chung Mong Koo, in 1999.[7] Hyundai's parent company, Hyundai Motor Group, invested heavily in the quality, design, manufacturing, and long-term research of its vehicles. It added a 10-year or 100,000-mile (160,000 km) warranty to cars sold in the United States and launched an aggressive marketing campaign.

In 2004, Hyundai was ranked second in "initial quality" in a survey/study by J.D. Power and Associates. Hyundai is now one of the top 100 most valuable brands worldwide. Since 2002, Hyundai has also been one of the worldwide official sponsors of the FIFA World Cup.

In 2006, the South Korean government initiated an investigation of Chung Mong Koo's practices as head of Hyundai, suspecting him of corruption. On April 28, 2006, Chung was arrested, and charged for embezzlement of 100 billion South Korean won (US$106

million).[8] As a result, Hyundai Vice Chairman and CEO, Kim Dong-jin, replaced him as head of the company.

Business:

In 1998, after a shake-up in the Korean auto industry caused by overambitious expansion and the Asian financial crisis, Hyundai acquired rival Kia Motors. In 2000, the company established a strategic alliance with DaimlerChrysler and severed its partnership with the Hyundai Group. In 2001, the Daimler-Hyundai Truck Corporation was formed. In 2004, however, DaimlerChrysler divested its interest in the company by selling its 10.5% stake for $900 million.

Hyundai has invested in manufacturing plants in the North America, China, Czech Republic, Pakistan, India, and Turkey as well as research and development centers in Europe, Asia, North America, and the Pacific Rim. In 2004, Hyundai Motor Company had $57.2 billion in sales in South Korea making it the country’s second largest corporation, or chaebol. Worldwide sales in 2005 reached 2,533,695 units, an 11 percent increase over the previous year. Hyundai has set as its 2006 target worldwide sales of 2.7

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million units (excluding exports of CKD kits). In 2007 it reached 3,961,629 worldwide vehicle sales—surpassing Fiat, Chrysler, PSA/Peugeot, Nissan, and Honda.

Hyundai motor vehicles are sold in 193 countries through some 5,000 dealerships and showrooms. After a recent survey of global automotive sales, Hyundai is now the fifth largest automaker in the world as of 2008.

Hyundai Motor Company’s brand power continues to rise as it was ranked 72nd in the 2007 Best Global Brands by Interbrand and BusinessWeek survey. brand value estimated at $4.5 billion. Public perception of the Hyundai brand has been transformed as a result of dramatic improvements in the quality of Hyundai vehicles.

Hyundai In India

Hyundai Motor India Limited is currently the second largest carmaker after Maruti Suzuki and largest auto exporter in India. It is making India the global manufacturing base for small cars. Hyundai sells several models in India, the most popular being the Santro Xing, i10 and the i20. Other models include Getz Prime, Accent, second generation Verna, Tucson, and the Sonata Transform. Hyundai has two manufacturing plants in India located at Sriperumbudur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Both plants have a combined annual capacity of 600,000 units.In the year 2007 Hyundai opened its R&D facilty in Hyderabad Andhra pradesh , employing now nearly 450 engineers from different parts of the country.Basically the Hyundai Motors India Engineering (HMIE) gives technical support in Vehicle development and CAD & CAE support to Hyundai's main R&D center in Namyang Korea.

Model lineup Pony Atos/Atoz/Santro Click/Getz/Getz Prime/TB Accent Verna/Accent Sonata/i45 Stellar Elantra/Avante/Lantra i10 i20 i30/i30cw/Elantra Touring Lavita/Matrix Santamo (Rebadged Mitsubishi Chariot; originally produced by Hyundai

Precision Industry) Grandeur/Azera/XG (Originally a joint project of Hyundai and Mitsubishi)

Genesis

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Equus/Centennial (Originally a joint project of Hyundai and Mitsubishi) Coupé/Tiburon/Tuscani Genesis Coupe Excel Dynasty

Product Lineup in India:

Hyundai i10

Manufacturer

Hyundai Motor India Limited

Also called

Inokom i10 (Malaysia)

Production

2007–present

Assembly

Chennai, India

Predecessor

Hyundai Atos

Class

City car

Body style(s)

5-door hatchback

Layout

FF layout

Engine(s)

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1.1L Epsilon I4 petrol

1.2L Kappa I4 petrol

1.1L CRDI VGT I3 diesel

Transmission(s)

5-speed manual

4-speed automatic

Wheelbase

2,380 mm (93.7 in)

Length

3,565 mm (140.4 in)

Width

1,595 mm (62.8 in)

Height

1,550 mm (61.0 in)

Curb weight

1000-1030 kg (M/T)

Fuel capacity

35 L (9 US gal; 8 imp gal)

Related

Kia Picanto

Hyundai i10 rear view

The Hyundai i10 (called the Inokom i10 in Malaysia) is a city car (hatchback) produced by the Hyundai Motor Company, launched on 31 October 2007, manufactured only in India, at Hyundai's Chennai Plant — and sold globally (not for South Korea). Replacing the Atos/Atos Prime/Amica/Santro (except in India, where the lower-priced Santro Xing is still being sold below it), it is marketed below the Getz and i20 (which replaces the Getz in most countries).

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Background:

After the Santro/Atos Prime, Hyundai needed a model to replace it and started a hatchback project codenamed Hyundai PA. The car was to be manufactured in a new facility at Chennai, India.

Styling:

The i10 has a large gaping air-dam, pulled-back headlamps, chrome-lined grill, integrated clear lens fog lamps, a bonnet that has a clam shell hint and a rear window with an upswept kink.

The tailgate has a chrome-lined boot-release handle and an integrated roof spoiler on the top- end versions.

Overall length (3565 mm) and wheelbase (2380 mm) are identical to the Santro with slightly more interior space; Ergonomic design was intended to accommodate tall drivers and increasing rear knee room. The width has been increased (and front and rear track) by 70 mm (2.8 in) for more shoulder room. The height has been reduced by 40 mm (1.6 in). Boot space at 225 litres (7.9 cu ft) is significantly lower than that of Getz.

Interior:

The interior has a plastic dash housing with an optional integrated stereo. The instrument binnacle has a large white-faced speedometer, flanked by the tachometer and fuel and temperature gauges.

The gear lever is built into the centre console, leaving space between the front seats for a couple of cup holders.

Engines

i10 iRDE 1.1

The i10 was launched with a 1.1 litre (called iRDE engine) 65 bhp (48 kW; 66 PS) I4 engine - the same motor used in the Kia Picanto/Hyundai Atos Prime/Santro Xing. However, it produces less CO2 emissions than the Picanto.

i10 Kappa 1.2

The i10 also comes with a 1.2 litre petrol Euro-5 compliant engine (called the Kappa engine), with the same CO2 emissions as the 1.1 litre version. The spark plug of the 1.2L is non-standard.

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i10 Diesel & i10 Electric

A 1.1 litre diesel variant is available but has not yet been introduced into the UK market. Hyundai recently launched i10 Electric in Delhi Auto Expo and is expected to be available in India by 2011.

Accolades and Feats:

Hyundai i10 was widely recognized as "Car of the Year 2008" by various automotive magazines and TV channels in India like BS Motoring, CNBC-TV18 AutoCar, NDTV Profit Car & Bike India and Overdrive magazine. The car was conferred with the Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) by automotive media of the country. In Malaysia the Hyundai i10 has also earned recognition through many awards such as the Best People's Car in the Asian Auto – VCA Auto Industry Awards 2009, 1st Place in Asian Auto-Mudah.my Fuel Efficiency Awards 2009 in the Compact City Cars Category with a combined fuel efficiency of 5.0l/100 km, which is not only the best performance in its category but also throughout all the participating vehicles in Malaysia. The Hyundai i10 also won the New Straits Times / Maybank Car of the Year Award in the Entry Level category.

In 2008, Hyundai commemorated 10 years of operations in India by initiating a trans-continental drive from Delhi to Paris in two of its i10 Kappa cars. The drive covered a distance of 10,000 kilometres (6,200 mi) in just 17 days after which the i10s were

showcased at the Paris Motor Show in October. At the Paris Motor Show Hyundai unveiled the Hyundai i20.

Safety:

The i10 features ABS, EBD and other safety features, which earned it high scores on the Euro NCAP crash tests.

Adult Occupant: , score 26 Child Occupant: , score 37 Pedestrian: , score 21

The amount of safety features varies from market to market. While most countries have the i10 equipped with airbags for all passengers, the entry-level 1.1 manual transmission model in the Philippines can be sold without airbags.

Since launch and as of August 2009, electronic stability control (ESC) is still a special-order option for UK spec cars which prevents a full 5-star EuroNCAP score.

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Hyundai i20

Manufacturer

Hyundai Motors India Limited

Production

2008–present

Assembly

Izmit, Turkey

Chennai, India

Predecessor

Hyundai Getz

Class

Subcompact/Supermini

Engine(s)

1.2L Kappa I4 petrol

1.4L Gamma I4 petrol

1.6L Gamma I4 petrol

1.4L CRDI I4 diesel

1.6L CRDI I4 diesel

Transmission(s)

5-speed manual

6-speed manual

4-speed automatic

Wheelbase

2,525 mm (99.4 in)

Length

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3,940 mm (155.1 in)

Width

1,710 mm (67.3 in)

Height

1,490 mm (58.7 in)

Related

Kia Soul

Kia Venga

The Hyundai i20 is a supermini/subcompact car, made its debut at the Paris Motor Show in October 2008 and went on sale in December 2008 in India to fit between the i10 and i30. Three and five door versions are available. The i20 replaces the Getz in most markets but in the UK, Australia and India.

Platform:

The Hyundai i20 uses a completely new platform that was created at Hyundai's European technical centre in Rüsselsheim to allow Hyundai to move into Europe's highly competitive supermini segment. A 2,525 mm (99.4 in) wheelbase helps endow the i20 with a generous passenger cabin. Suspension follows the supermini norm of MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam rear end with rack and pinion steering.

Engines:

The i20 will debut in Europe with a total of seven engine options, all with four cylinders. Three are petrol, including the recently designed 1248cc dohc 16 valve "Kappa" engine, while the rest are diesel engines. Two of the diesel engines are 1396 cc units, one with 75 PS (55 kW; 74 hp) and 220 N·m (160 lb·ft) and the other a 90 PS (66 kW; 89 hp) and 220 N·m (160 lb·ft) high power unit. They are joined by two 1582 cc engines having the same dohc and 16-valve top end architecture but delivering either 115 PS (85 kW; 113 hp) and 260 N·m (190 lb·ft) of torque or 128 PS (94 kW; 126 hp) and 260 N·m (190 lb·ft) of torque.

Hyundai claims that 115 PS (85 kW; 113 hp) diesel unit can return a class leading 115g/km of CO2 while sipping just one litre of HSD to go 23.25 km/L (65.7 mpg-imp; 54.7 mpg-US) (4.3L/100 km) in the European combined driving cycle. All diesel engines and 1.2 and 1.4 petrol engines come mated to five-speed manual transmission, there is an option of a four-speed automatic for some 1.4 petrol engined models, the 1.6 is mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

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Safety:

The Hyundai i20 earned Euro NCAP a maximum 5 star safety rating and scored an impressive six out of a maximum seven points in the "safety assist" category, receiving top marks for its belt reminder and electronic stability programme which minimises the risk of skidding by braking individual wheels.[4] The i20 named Euro NCAP 'top five safest cars for 2009' which based on Euro NCAP maximum five star awards and their overall score.

Hyundai Santro Xing

Manufacturer

Hyundai Motor Company

Also called

Hyundai Atos Prime

Hyundai Amica (UK)

Hyundai Atoz (Indonesia)

Dodge Atos (Mexico)

Kia Visto (South Korea)

Inokom Atos (Malaysia)

Inokom Atos Prima (Malaysia)

Production

1997–present

Assembly

Ulsan, South Korea

Chennai, India

Bekasi,Indonesia

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Successor

Hyundai i10

Class

City car

Body style(s)

3-door hatchback

5-door hatchback

Layout

FF layout

Engine(s)

1.0/1.1L I4, Type G4HC/G4HG

Transmission(s)

5-speed manual

Wheelbase

2,380 mm (93.7 in)

Length

3,495 mm (137.6 in)

Width

1,495 mm (58.9 in)

Height

1,580 mm (62.2 in)

The Hyundai Atos (Amica in the UK, Santro Xing in India) is a city car produced by the Hyundai Motor Company. The original Atos was introduced in 1997. In 1999, it was joined by the less controversially styled Atos Prime. It uses the G4HC Epsilon straight-4 engine. The mkII version comes with a 1086 cc G4HG engine.

While most markets have phased out this model in favor of the new i10, it is still being manufactured in India, where it is marketed below the i10. It is one of the best selling models in India.

Specifications

Figures as listed for the 2000-2003, 5 door, 1.0i model with GSi trim as sold in the UK (as the Amica), with standard options.

39Dimensions

Length: 3,495 mm (137.6 in) Width: 1,495 mm (58.9 in) Height: 1,580 mm (62.2 in) Wheelbase: 2,380 mm (93.7 in) Unladen weight: 847 kg (1,867 lb)

Technical data Fuel Delivery: Multi-Point Injection Transmission: 5-speed manual Engine size & layout: 999 cc, I4, 12 valves Peak Power: 40 kW (54.4 PS; 53.6 bhp) Peak Torque: 82 N·m (60 lb·ft) 0-60 mph (96 km/h): 14.6 s Top Speed: 160 km/h (99 mph) Fuel economy: 6.4 L/100 km (44 mpg-imp; 37 mpg-US)

Emissions: 151 g CO2/km, other emissions below Euro III standard.

The Atos Prime is marketed as the:

Hyundai Amica in the United Kingdom Hyundai Santro in India and Pakistan Atos by Dodge in Mexico Kia Visto in Indonesia and South Korea

The original Atos was sold under the Hyundai brand but rebadged as the Atoz (or "AtoZ") in some markets, including the United Kingdom. The Hyundai Santro is a rebadged version of the city car Hyundai Atos sold in some Asian markets.

India:

Hyundai entered the Indian market through the Santro whose main rival at that time was the popular Maruti Suzuki Zen. The company signed a contract with Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan to endorse the Santro and although the radical styling was not accepted by everyone, the car was an instant hit. It is still undergoing number of improvements and face lifts to suit the Indian customers. The main rival of Santro in the current market is Suzuki Wagon R and Maruti Zen Estilo.

In 2003, older models were replaced by the second generation Atos Prime as the Santro Xing, which is also very popular in India.

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Maruti Suzuki India Limited

Type

Public (BSE MARUTI, NSE MARUTI)

Industry

Automotive

Founded

1981 (as Maruti Udyog Limited)

Headquarters

Delhi, India

Key people

Mr. Shinzo Nakanishi, Managing Director and CEO

Products

Automobiles

Revenue

▲US$4.8 billion (2009)

Employees

6,903 [1]

Parent

Suzuki Motor Corporation

Website

www.marutisuzuki.com

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Maruti Suzuki India Limited (Hindi: मा�रुति� सु�ज़ूकी� इं ति�या� लि�मिमाटे��) is a publicly listed automaker in India. It is the largest automobile manufacturer in South Asia. Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan holds a majority stake in the company. It was the first company in India to mass-produce and sell more than a million cars. It is largely credited for having brought in an automobile revolution to India. It is the market leader in India and on 17 September 2007, Maruti Udyog Limited was renamed Maruti Suzuki India Limited. The company's headquarters are located in Delhi.

Profile

The old logo of Maruti Suzuki India Limited. Later the logo of Suzuki Motor Corp. was also added to it.

Maruti Suzuki plant in Gurgaon

Maruti Suzuki is one of India's leading automobile manufacturers and the market leader in the car segment, both in terms of volume of vehicles sold and revenue earned. Until recently, 18.28% of the company was owned by the Indian government, and 54.2% by Suzuki of Japan. The Indian government held an initial public offering of 25% of the company in June 2003. As of 10 May 2007, Govt. of India sold its complete share to Indian financial institutions. With this, Govt. of India no longer has stake in Maruti Udyog.

Maruti Udyog Limited (MUL) was established in February 1981, though the actual production commenced in 1983 with the Maruti 800, based on the Suzuki Alto kei car which at the time was the only modern car available in India, its' only competitors- the Hindustan Ambassador and Premier Padmini were both around 25 years out of date at

42

that point. Through 2004, Maruti Suzuki has produced over 5 Million vehicles. Maruti Suzukis are sold in India and various several other countries, depending upon export orders. Models similar to Maruti Suzukis (but not manufactured by Maruti Udyog) are sold by Suzuki Motor Corporation and manufactured in Pakistan and other South Asian countries.

The company annually exports more than 50,000 cars and has an extremely large domestic market in India selling over 730,000 cars annually. Maruti 800, till 2004, was the India's largest selling compact car ever since it was launched in 1983. More than a million units of this car have been sold worldwide so far. Currently, Maruti Suzuki Alto tops the sales charts and Maruti Suzuki Swift is the largest selling in A2 segment.

Due to the large number of Maruti 800s sold in the Indian market, the term "Maruti" is commonly used to refer to this compact car model. Till recently the term "Maruti", in popular Indian culture, in India Hindu's lord Hanuman is known as "maruti", was associated to the Maruti 800 model.

Maruti Suzuki has been the leader of the Indian car market for over two decades.

Its manufacturing facilities are located at two facilities Gurgaon and Manesar south of Delhi. Maruti Suzuki’s Gurgaon facility has an installed capacity of 350,000 units per annum. The Manesar facilities, launched in February 2007 comprise a vehicle assembly plant with a capacity of 100,000 units per year and a Diesel Engine plant with an annual capacity of 100,000 engines and transmissions. Manesar and Gurgaon facilities have a combined capability to produce over 700,000 units annually.

More than half the cars sold in India are Maruti Suzuki cars. The company is a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan, which owns 54.2 per cent of Maruti Suzuki. The rest is owned by the public and financial institutions. It is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange in India.

During 2007-08, Maruti Suzuki sold 764,842 cars, of which 53,024 were exported. In all, over six million Maruti Suzuki cars are on Indian roads since the first car was rolled out on 14 December 1983.

Maruti Suzuki offers 15 models, Maruti 800, Alto, WagonR, Estilo, A-star, Ritz, Swift, Swift DZire, SX4, Omni, Eeco, Gypsy, Grand Vitara. Swift, Swift DZire, A-star and SX4 are manufactured in Manesar, Grand Vitara is imported from Japan as a completely built unit (CBU), remaining all models are manufactured in Maruti Suzuki's Gurgaon Plant.

Suzuki Motor Corporation, the parent company, is a global leader in mini and compact cars for three decades. Suzuki’s technical superiority lies in its ability to pack power and performance into a compact, lightweight engine that is clean and fuel efficient.

43

Nearly 75,000 people are employed directly by Maruti Suzuki and its partners. It has been rated first in customer satisfaction among all car makers in India from 1999 to 2009 by J D Power Asia Pacific.

Partner for the joint venture:

Pressure started mounting on Indira and Sanjay Gandhi to share the details of the progress on the Maruti Project. Since country's resources were made available by mother to her son's pet project. A delegation of Indian technocrats was assigned to hunt a collaborator for the project. Initial rounds of discussion were held with the giants of the automobile industry in Japan including Toyota, Nissan and Honda. Suzuki Motor Corporation was at that time a small player in the four wheeler automobile sector and had major share in the two wheeler segment. Suzuki's bid was considered negligible.

In the initial rounds of discussion the giants had their bosses present and in the later rounds related to the technical discussions executives of these automobile giants were present. Osamu Suzuki, Chairman and CEO of the company ensured that he was present in all the rounds of discussion. Osamu in an article writes that it subtly massaged their (Indian delegation) egos and also convinced them about the sincerity of Suzuki's bid. In

the initial days Suzuki took all steps to ensure the government about its sincerity on the project. Suzuki in return received a lot of help from the government in such matters as import clearances for manufacturing equipment (against the wishes of the Indian machine tool industry then and its own socialistic ideology), land purchase at government prices for setting up the factory Gurgaon and reduced or removal of excise tariffs. This helped Suzuki conscientiously nurse Maruti Suzuki through its infancy to become one of its flagship ventures.

Joint venture related issues:

Maruti Suzuki's A-Star vehicle during its unveiling in Pragati Maidan, Delhi. A-Star, Suzuki's fifth global car model, was designed and is made only in India. Besides being Suzuki's largest subsidiary in terms of car sales, Maruti Suzuki is also Suzuki's leading research and development arm outside Japan

44

Relationship between the Government of India, under the United Front (India) coalition and Suzuki Motor Corporation over the joint venture was a point of heated debate in the Indian media till Suzuki Motor Corporation gained the controlling stake. This highly profitable joint venture that had a near monopolistic trade in the Indian automobile market and the nature of the partnership built up till then was the underlying reason for most issues. The success of the joint venture led Suzuki to increase its equity from 26% to 40% in 1987, and further to 50% in 1992. In 1982 both the venture partners had entered into an agreement to nominate their candidate for the post of Managing Director and every Managing Director will have a tenure of five years

Initially R.C.Bhargava, was the managing director of the company since the inception of the joint venture. Till today he is regarded as instrumental for the success of Maruti Suzuki. Joining in 1982 he held several key positions in the company before heading the company as Managing Director. Currently he is on the Board of Directors.[6] After completing his five year tenure, Mr. Bhargava later assumed the office of Part-Time Chairman. The Government nominated Mr. S.S.L.N. Bhaskarudu as the Managing Director on 27 August 1997. Mr. Bhaskarudu had joined Maruti Suzuki in 1983 after spending 21 years in the Public sector undertaking Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited as

General Manager. Later in 1987 he was promoted as Chief General Manager, 1988 as Director, Productions and Projects, 1989 Director, Materials and in 1993 as Joint Managing Director.

Suzuki Motor Corporation didn't attend the Annual General Meeting of the Board with the reason of it being called on a short notice.[7] Later Suzuki Motor Corporation went on record to state that Mr. Bhaskarudu was "incompetent" and wanted someone else. However, the Ministry of Industries, Government of India refuted the charges. Media stated from the Maruti Suzuki sources that Bhaskarudu was interested to indigenise most of components for the models including gear boxes especially for Maruti 800. Suzuki also felt that Bhaskarudu was a proxy for the Government and would not let it increase its stake in the venture.[8] If Maruti Suzuki would have been able to indigenise gear boxes then Maruti Suzuki would have been able to manufacture all the models without the technical assistance from Suzuki. Till today the issue of localization of gear boxes is highlighted in the press.[9]

The relation strained when Suzuki Motor Corporation moved to Delhi High Court to bring a stay order against the appointment of Mr. Bhaskarudu. The issue was resolved in an out-of-court settlement and both the parties agreed that R S S L N Bhaskarudu would serve up to 31 December 1999, and from 1 January 2000, Jagdish Khattar, Executive Director of Maruti Udyog Limited would assume charges as the Managing Director.[10] Many politicians believed, and had stated in parliament that the Suzuki Motor Corporation is unwilling to localize manufacturing and reduce imports. This remains true, even today the gear boxes are still imported from Japan and are assembled at the Gurgaon facility.

45

Industrial relations:

For most of its history, Maruti Udyog Limited had relatively few problems with its labour force. Its emphasis of a Japanese work culture and the modern manufacturing process, first instituted in Japan in the 1970s, was accepted by the workforce of the company without any difficulty. But with the change in management in 1997, when it became predominantly government controlled for a while, and the conflict between the United Front Government and Suzuki may have been the cause of unrest among employees. A major row broke out in September 2000 when employees of Maruti Udyog Ltd (MUL) went on an indefinite strike, demanding among other things, revision of the incentive scheme offered and implementation of a pension scheme. Employees struck work for six hours in October 2000, irked over the suspension of nine employees, going on a six-hour tools-down strike at its Gurgaon plant, demanding revision of the incentive-linked pay and threatened to fast to death if the suspended employees were not reinstated. About this time, the NDA government, following a disinvestments policy, proposed to sell part of its stake in Maruti Suzuki in a public offering. The Staff union opposed this sell-off plan on the grounds that the company will lose a major business advantage of being subsidised by the Government.

The standoff with the management continued to December with a proposal by the management to end the two-month long agitation rejected with a demand for reinstatement of 92 dismissed workers, with four MUL employees going on a fast-unto-death. In December the company's shareholders met in New Delhi in an AGM that lasted 30 minutes. At the same time around 1500 plant workers from the MUL's Gurgaon facility were agitating outside the company's corporate office demanding commencement of production linked incentives, a better pension scheme and other benefits. The management has refused to pass on the benefits citing increased competition and lower margins.

Services offered:

Current sales of automobiles

Maruti 800

47

Maruti Omni

India's Corps of Military Police personnel patrolling the Wagah border crossing in the Punjab in a Maruti Gypsy.

Maruti Alto

Maruti Suzuki Swift

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Maruti Suzuki Zen

Suzuki SX4

5th Generation Suzuki Alto is sold as Maruti Suzuki A-Star in India.

Suzuki Splash is sold as Maruti Suzuki Ritz in India.

48

Manufactured Locally:

1. 800 (Launched 1983) 2. Omni (Launched 1984) 3. Gypsy (Launched 1985) 4. WagonR (Launched 2001) 5. Alto (Launched 2000) 6. Swift (Launched 2005) 7. Estilo (Launched 2006) 8. SX4 (Launched 2007) 9. Swift DZire (Launched 2008) 10. A-star (Launched 2008) 11. Ritz (Launched 2009)

12. Eeco (Launched 2010)

Imported

Suzuki Grand Vitara

Manufacturing Facilities

Maruti Suzuki has two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in India.[12]. Both manufacturing facilities have a combined production capacity of 1,000,000 vehicles annually.

Gurgaon Manufacturing Facility

The Gurgaon Manufacturing Facility has three fully integrated manufacturing plants and is spread over 300 acres. All three plants have an installed capacity of 350,000 vehicles annually but productivity improvements have enabled it to manufacture 700,000 vehicles annually. The Gurgaon facilities also manufacture 240,000 K-Series engines annually. The entire facility is equipped with more than 150 robots, out of which 71 have been developed in-house. The Gurgaon Facilities manufactures the 800, Alto, WagonR, Estilo, Omni , Gypsy, Swift and Eeco.

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Manesar Manufacturing Facility

The Manesar Manufacturing Plant was inaugurated in February 2007 and is spread over 600 acres. Initially it had a production capacity of 100,000 vehicles annually but this was increased to 300,000 vehicles annually in October 2008. The Manesar Plant produces the A-star, Swift, Swift DZire and SX4.

Sales and Service Network

Maruti Suzuki is one of the companies in India which has unparalleled sales and service network. As of 2009 it currently has 681 dealerships across 454 cities. To ensure the vehicles sold by them are serviced properly, Maruti Suzuki has 779 dealer workshops, 1,945 Maruti Authorized Service Stations and 30 Express Service Stations on 30 National Highways across 1,314 cities in India.

Service is a major revenue generator of the company. Most of the service stations are managed on franchise basis, where Maruti Suzuki trains the local staff. Other automobile companies have not been able to match this benchmark set by Maruti Suzuki. The Express Service stations help many stranded vehicles on the highways by sending across their repair man to the vehicle.

Maruti 800

Manufacturer

Maruti Suzuki

Also called

Suzuki Mehran

Suzuki Alto

Production

1984—2010

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Assembly

Gurgaon, Haryana, India

Class

City car

Body style(s)

5-door hatchback

Layout

FF layout

Engine(s)

796 cc MPFI 32-bit ECM (India)[1]

796cc Carburetor based (Pakistan)[2]

Transmission(s)

4 or 5 speed manual

Wheelbase

2,175 mm (85.6 in)

Length

3,335 mm (131.3 in)

Width

1,440 mm (56.7 in)

Related

Suzuki Alto

Maruti 800 is a city car manufactured by Maruti Suzuki in India. It is a rebadged version of an old model of the Suzuki Alto. Over 2.5 million Maruti 800's have been sold since its launch in 1984. The same car is sold in Pakistan as the Suzuki Mehran with a much older 1980s era Suzuki SS80 carburetor based engine.

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History:

Maruti 800

It used to be the best selling car in India until 2004, the Maruti Alto upon its launch[3] took that title. It is also exported to a number of countries in South Asia including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and to some South American markets (as Chile, sold as Suzuki Maruti), and was available in selected European markets between 1988 and 1992, sold as the Suzuki Maruti. In Morocco it is currently sold as Suzuki Maruti (as of March 2008). The car comes in different versions including one with air conditioning and one without. It was launched in December 1984 with almost 100% imported components.

Changes:

The 800 has undergone some minor face lifts but overall it still remains the same as it was in 1984. The car has reported slipping sales in recent times, mainly due to the

introduction of the Alto at a comparable price. The car produces approximately 37 bhp (28 kW; 38 PS) of power and runs on 12 inch wheels. Curb weight is 650 kg (1,433 lb) and 4 passengers (including the driver) fit in. Top speed is in the region of 125 km/h (78 mph) and the car is known to deliver fuel economy better than 20 km/l (47 mpg) on clear and plain roads. Maruti Suzuki had earlier launched a version with a 4 valves per cylinder engine producing 45 bhp (34 kW; 46 PS) coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission (currently found in the Suzuki Alto) but discontinued it after a couple of years.

A Euro III emission compliant version of the car was released in 2005 to meet Indian emissions regulations. An LPG version of the vehicle was also released in 2008. As of September 2009, the company has yet to reach a decision regarding the manufacture of a Euro IV compliant version of the vehicle due because it would increase the retail price. However even stricter emissions regulations which come into effect by April 2010, would mandate Euro IV compliance in major Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore and 2015–2016 for the remainder of the country.The car will be phased out in 2010.

52Maruti Wagon-R

Manufacturer

Maruti Suzuki

Parent company

Maruti Udyog

Production

2001–present

Predecessor

Maruti Versa

Successor

Maruti Ritz

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Class

Microvan

Body style(s)

Hatchback

Engine(s)

1061 cc four cylinder, 16 valve, MPFI

Transmission(s)

5-speed manual

Wheelbase

2,360 mm (92.9 in)

Length

3,520 mm (138.6 in)

Width

1,475 mm (58.1 in)

Height

1,660 mm (65.4 in)

Kerb weight

825 kg (1,819 lb)

Fuel capacity

35 L (8 imp gal; 9 US gal)

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The Maruti Wagon-R is a made-for-India version of Suzuki Wagon R. Maruti Suzuki India Limited has recently revamped its looks and introduced a new look WagonR which sheds the boxy look at the back.

A 2002 Maruti Suzuki Wagon R VXi

Initial launch:

The Wagon-R was born out of Japanese kei-jido-sha restrictions which dictated a limited length and engine size. This boxy, tall-boy design has now completed nine years of presence on Indian roads.

Maruti's launch of the car was ill-timed. Despite being one of the world's first tall-boy designs (along with models from Daihatsu and Daewoo), the Wagon-R was not first-to-market in India.

The Hyundai Santro (Hyundai Atos in Europe) was the first tall-boy design to hit the Indian roads. It preceded the Maruti-Suzuki Wagon R by a two year lead. Hyundai santro is the main competitor.

Design and trim options:

The car comes with a variety of trim levels. These include the LX (sans power steering), LXi (power steering), VXi (fully loaded) and the AX (automatic). The car is available with a 5-speed manual transmission and seats 4 (including the driver) comfortably.

The Wagon R's bread-box shape did not immediately cut ice with the Indian consumer and the car saw slow sales initially.

Specifications

The car is powered by the Maruti F10D 1061cc four cylinder, sixteen valve, multipoint fuel-injected engine producing 64 bhp (47.7 kW) at 6200 rpm and 84 newton-metres (62 ft·lbf) of torque at 3500 rpm.

54

The LPG version, christened DUO, was recently launched; this runs on petrol as well as on LPG. Also the internal controls have been given a more sportier look with bright metal finish.

Other features new in the Vxi (the top end manual transmission model) are Electrically adjustable outside Rearview mirrors. This is the first on any B-Segment car in India.

Driving impressions

Light kerb weight (750–775 kg) makes for a nimble car with good acceleration and a top speed of 160 km/h (99 mph). The car's fuel economy is somewhere in the range of 12 to 13 km/l (7.7 to 7.1 l/100 km) in city driving and 16 to 18 km/l (5.6 to 5.0 l/100 km) on the highway. Though the car has 13" wheels, the tyres are in different sizes for LXi & VXi variants. The recent launch (3rd version) in India comes with gas filled suspensions for smoother rides.[3]

The car is priced between Rs. 350,000 (LX) to Rs. 485,000 (AX).

Now the car has found a market for itself, especially among young Indian urban professionals who don't mind its boxy slab-sided looks, but value its Maruti lineage. The

car is currently among India's second largest selling car, after Maruti Alto. Off late In sales charts it has dropped behind i10 in last few months.

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Production

2004–present

Assembly

Hamamatsu, Japan

Esztergom, Hungary

Chongqing, China

Karachi, Pakistan

Manesar, India

Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada

55

Body style(s)

3-door hatchback

5-door hatchback

4-door sedan

Engine(s)

1.3LI4

1.5L I4

Transmission(s)

4-speed automatic

5-speed manual

Wheelbase

2,390 mm (94.1 in)

Length

3,755 mm (147.8 in)

Width

1,690 mm (66.5 in)

Height

1,510 mm (59.4 in)

Indian Engineers were called to Japan to help Suzuki design this generation of Swift.

Available with 1.3 (92 PS (68 kW; 91 hp)) and 1.5 (102 PS (75 kW; 101 hp)) L petrol engines, the new Swift is Suzuki's new "global car", produced in Hungary, India, Japan, Pakistan and by Chang'an in China.

In Japan, only the 5-door body is available and four-wheel drive is an option for the 1.3 L or 1.5 L petrol engine. 1.2 L CVT transmission version also available in only front wheel drive version. The design of the new Swift was previewed on the Concept S and Concept S2 concept cars at auto shows, in the years leading up to its launch.

In Europe, the Swift was launched in 3- or 5-door hatchback form, with 1.3 and 1.5 L petrol engines, and a 1.3 L DDiS engine supplied by Fiat. The 1.3 L petrol is also available with an automated manual gearbox or with four-wheel drive.

The British Autocar magazine gave the new Swift a favourable 4/5 stars in road test, judging it a "thoroughly impressive all-rounder". The Generation IV Swift has received a four stars out of five rating in the EuroNCAP crash tests.

56

Maruti Alto

Manufacturer

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd

Parent company

Maruti Udyog

Production

2000–present

Predecessor

Maruti 800

Successor

Maruti Suzuki A-STAR

Class

Subcompact

Body style(s)

5-door hatchback

57

Layout

FF layout

Engine(s)

796 MPFI engine with 32bit ECM

Transmission(s)

5-speed manual

Wheelbase

2,360 mm (92.9 in)

Length

3,495 mm (137.6 in)

Width

1,475 mm (58.1 in)

Height

1,460 mm (57.5 in)

Kerb weight

720 kg (1,587 lb) (Kerb)

Fuel capacity

35 L (8 imp gal; 9 US gal)

Related

Maruti Suzuki A-STAR

Maruti 800

Suzuki Alto

The Maruti Alto is the Indian-built Suzuki Alto version, manufactured by Maruti Suzuki in India. It was launched in the local Indian market on September 27, 2000 although the Alto nameplate was very successfully being used to export the Maruti Zen to Europe from India since around 1994 having captured over 40% market share in Belgium and 33% in Netherlands by 1998. It is the best-selling hatchback in India. Since 2006, It is India's largest selling car and crossed the 1 million production figure in February 2008 becoming the 3rd Maruti model to cross the million mark in India after Maruti 800 and Maruti Omni and 4th overall joining Hyundai Santro. Besides being exported to Europe from 1994–2004, it has also been exported to several other countries.

Specifications:

The Alto is powered by a 796 cc gasoline engine with 3 cylinder, 4 valves per cylinder MPFI engine with 32bit ECM.

Maximum Power: 47 PS (35 kW) Acceleration 0–100 km/h: approximately 20 seconds Top Speed: 137 km/h (85 mph)

Variants

The Alto is offered in the following variants

Base model - (non-ac, launched in 2004, Mumbai price approx. 2.4 lakh Rs. as of December 2008)

LX - Base model with A/c, cup holders, fabric seats , remote fuel lid opener and few small changes, Mumbai price approx. 2.7-2.75 lakh Rs. as of December 2008

LXi - Same as LX with power steering, Mumbai price 2.85-2.9 lakh Rs. as of December 2008

There used to be a VX/VXi model with a 4-cylinder 1061 cc engine (64 bhp/80 Nm torque) launched in April 2001. This has now been discontinued. But this VX model is

still sold in certain European countries. The Alto VX model also featured a tachometer which was absent in LX model. All models are equipped with 5-speed manual transmission.

The popularity of the Alto has increased over the past few years, mainly due to the reduction in prices. This reduction in prices has mainly come in due to the reduction in excise duty over time. Alto was the first brand In Indian Domestic Automotive History to sell over 200,000 units in a single financial year, the last 100,000 units being sold in 5 months. Alto was the only brand to sell over 22,000 units in a single month, making it the largest selling car in India.

59

Tata Motors Limitedटा�टा� मो�टार्स�

Type

Public BSE: 500570

(NYSE: TTM)

Industry

Automotive

Founded

1945

Founder(s)

JRD Tata

Headquarters

Mumbai, India

Key people

Ratan Tata, Chairman

Ravi Kant, Vice Chairman

Carl Peter Foster, CEO

Prakash Telang, MD (India Operations)

Ravi Pisharody, President (CVBU)

Products

Automobiles

Engines

Services

Financial Services

Revenue

▲ INR Rs. 74,151 Crore (2009)

(USD $15.5Billion)

60

Tata Motors Ltd (NSE: TATAMOTORS, BSE: 500570, NYSE: TTM) is a multinational corporation headquartered in Mumbai, India. Part of the Tata Group, it was formerly known as TELCO (TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company). Tata Motors has a consolidated revenue of USD 16 billion after the acquisition of British automotive brands Jaguar and Land Rover in 2008.

It is India's largest company in the automobile and commercial vehicle sector with upwards of 70% cumulative Market share in the Domestic Commercial vehicle segment, and had a 0.81% share of the world market in 2007 according to OICA data. The OICA ranked it as the 19th largest automaker, based on figures for 2007 and the second largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in the world. The company is the world’s fourth largest truck manufacturer, and the world’s second largest bus manufacturer. In India Tata ranks as the leader in every commercial vehicle segment, and is in the top 3 makers of passenger cars. Tata Motors is also the designer and manufacturer of the iconic Tata Nano, which at INR 100,000 or approximately USD 2300, is the cheapest production car in the world.

Established in 1945, when the company began manufacturing locomotives, the company manufactured its first commercial vehicle in 1954 in a collaboration with Daimler-Benz AG, which ended in 1969.[3] Tata Motors is a dual-listed company traded on both the Bombay Stock Exchange, as well as on the New York Stock Exchange. Tata Motors in 2005, was ranked among the top 10 corporations in India with an annual revenue exceeding INR 320 billion.

In 2004 Tata Motors bought Daewoo's truck manufacturing unit, now known as Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle, in South Korea. It also acquired Hispano Carrocera SA, now a fully-owned subsidiary. In March 2008, it acquired the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) business from the Ford Motor Company, which also includes the Daimler and Lanchester brands. and the purchase was completed on 2 June 2008.[7]

Tata Motors has auto manufacturing and assembly plants in Jamshedpur, Pantnagar, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Pune in India, as well as in Argentina, South Africa and Thailand.

History:

Tata Motors launches its first truck in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz

61

Tata Motors is a part of the Tata Group manages its share-holding through Tata Sons. The company was established in 1935 as a locomotive manufacturing unit and later expanded its operations to commercial vehicle sector in 1954 after forming a joint venture with Daimler-Benz AG of Germany. Despite the success of its commercial vehicles, Tata realized his company had to diversify and he began to look at other products. Based on consumer demand, he decided that building a small car would be the most practical new venture. So in 1998 it launched Tata Indica, India's first fully indigenous passenger car. Designed to be inexpensive and simple to build and maintain, the Indica became a hit in the Indian market. It was also exported to Europe, especially the UK and Italy. In 2004 it acquired Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle, and in late 2005 it acquired 21% of Aragonese Hispano Carrocera giving it controlling rights of the company. It has formed a Joint Venture with Marcopolo of Brazil, and introduced low-floor buses in the Indian Market. Recently, it has acquired British Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which includes the Daimler and Lanchester brand names.

Expansion:

The 2nd generation Tata Indica's excellent fuel economy, powerful engine and aggressive marketing strategy made it one of the best selling cars in the history of the Indian automobile industry.

After years of dominating the commercial vehicle market in India, Tata Motors entered

the passenger vehicle market in 1991 by launching the Tata Sierra, a multi utility vehicle.

After the launch of three more vehicles, Tata Estate (1992, a stationwagon design based

on the earlier 'TataMobile' (1989), a light commercial vehicle), Tata Sumo (LCV, 1994)

and Tata Safari (1998, India's first sports utility vehicle). Tata launched the Indica in

1998, the first fully indigenous passenger car of India. Though the car was initially

panned by auto-analysts, the car's excellent fuel economy, powerful engine and

aggressive marketing strategy made it one of the best selling cars in the history of the

Indian automobile industry. A newer version of the car, named Indica V2, was a major

improvement over the previous version and quickly became a mass-favourite. Tata

Motors also successfully exported large quantities of the car to South Africa.The success

of Indica in many ways marked the rise of Tata Motors.

62

Tata in India:

Tata Motors Limited is India’s largest automobile company, with revenues of Rs. 35,651.48 crore (USD 8.8 billion) in 2007-08. It is the leader in commercial vehicles in each segment, and among the top three in passenger vehicles with winning products in the compact, midsize car and utility vehicle segments. Tata Motors’ presence indeed cuts across the length and breadth of India. Over 4 million Tata vehicles ply on Indian roads, since the first rolled out in 1954. The company’s manufacturing base in India is spread across Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), Pune (Maharashtra), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) and Dharwad (Karnataka). Following a strategic alliance with Fiat in 2005, it has set up an industrial joint venture with Fiat Group Automobiles at Ranjangaon (Maharashtra) to produce both Fiat and Tata cars and Fiat powertrains. The company is establishing a new plant at Sanand (Gujarat). The company’s dealership, sales, services and spare parts network comprises over 3500 touch points; Tata Motors also distributes and markets Fiat branded cars in India.

Tata's global operations:

Tata Motors has been aggressively acquiring foreign brands to increase its global presence. Tata Motors has operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand and Spain. Among them is Jaguar Land Rover, a business comprising the two iconic British brands that was acquired in 2008. Tata Motors has also acquired from Ford the rights of Rover. In 2004, it acquired the Daewoo Commercial Vehicles Company, South Korea’s second largest truck maker. The rechristened Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicles Company has launched several new products in the Korean market, while also exporting these products to several international markets. Today two-thirds of heavy commercial vehicle exports out of South Korea are from Tata Daewoo.In 2005, Tata Motors acquired a 21% stake in Hispano Carrocera, a reputed Spanish bus and coach manufacturer, giving it controlling rights of the company. Hispano’s presence is being expanded in other markets. On Tata's journey to make an international foot print, it continued its expansion through the introduction of new products into the market range of buses (Starbus & Globus) as well as trucks (Novus). These models were jointly developed with its subsidiaries Tata Daewoo and Hispano Carrocera. In May, 2009 Tata unveiled the Tata World Truck range jointly developed with Tata Daewoo They will debut in South Korea, South Africa, the SAARC countries and the Middle-East by the end of 2009 In 2006, it formed a joint venture with the Brazil-based Marcopolo, a global leader in bodybuilding for buses and coaches to manufacture fully-built buses and coaches for India and select international markets. Tata Motors has expanded its production and assembly operations to several other countries including South Korea, Thailand, South Africa and Argentina and is planning to set up plants in Turkey, Indonesia and Eastern Europe. Tata also franchisee/joint venture assembly operations in Kenya, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Russia and Senegal. Tata has dealorships in 26 countries across 4 continents. Though Tata is present in many counties it has only managed to create a large consumer base in the Indian

63

Subcontinent namely India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal and has a growing consumer base in Italy, Spain and South Africa

Tata Nano

Manufacturer

Tata Motors

Parent company

Tata Sons

Also called

The People's Car

Production

2008–present

Assembly

Pantnagar, Uttarkhand, India

Charodi, Gujarat, India

Class

City car

"Kei car"

Body style(s)

4-door

Layout

RR layout

Engine(s)

2 cylinder SOHC petrol Bosch multi-point fuel injection (single injector) all aluminium 624 cc

(38 cu   in )

Transmission(s)

4 speed synchromesh with overdrive in 4th

Wheelbase

2,230 mm (87.8 in)

Length

3,099 mm (122.0 in)

Tata Nano is a rear-engined, four-passenger city car built by Tata Motors, aimed primarily at the Indian market. The car has a fuel efficiency of around 26 kilometres per litre (73 mpg-imp; 61 mpg-US) on the highway and around 22 kilometres per litre (62 mpg-

imp; 52 mpg-US) in the city. It debuted at the 9th annual Auto Expo on January 10, 2008, at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, India. The Nano had its commercial launch on March 23, 2009, and a booking period from April 9 to April 25, generating more than 200,000 bookings for the car. The cars started to be delivered to customers after July 17, 2009, with a starting price of Rs 100,000, which is approximately equal to UK£1,360 or US$2,160 as of December 2009. This is cheaper than the Maruti 800, its main competitor and next cheapest Indian car priced at Rs 184,641 ($3,988 U.S.). Tata had sought to

produce the least expensive production car in the world — aiming for a starting price of Rs 100,000 (approximately US$2,000 as of June 2009).

In early 2008 the news magazine Newsweek identified the Nano as a part of a "new breed of 21st-century cars" that embody "a contrarian philosophy of smaller, lighter, cheaper" and portend a new era in inexpensive personal transportation — and potentially, "global gridlock". The Wall Street Journal confirmed a global trend toward small cars, which includes the Nano.

"Nano" means "small" in Gujarati, the language of the founders of the Tata Group. "Nano" from the SI prefix for one-billionth is derived from the Greek νᾶνος, meaning dwarf, and is sometimes used to mean "small" in colloquial English.

Critics of the car have questioned its safety in India (where reportedly 90,000 people are killed in road-accidents every year), and have also criticised the pollution that it would cause (including criticism by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change chairman Rajendra Pachauri). However, Tata Motors has promised that it would definitely release Nano's eco-friendly models alongside the gasoline-model.

The Nano was originally to have been manufactured at a new factory in Singur, West Bengal, but increasingly violent protests forced Tata to pull out October 2008. (See Singur factory pullout below.) Currently, Tata Motors is reportedly manufacturing Nano at its existing Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) plant and another plant has been proposed has also agreed to match all the incentives offered by West Bengal government. The upcoming plant at Sanand, Ahmedabad is to release the first lot of cars on 1 May 2010.

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Design:

Rear:

A Tata Nano in silver:

Ratan Tata, the Chairman of Tata Motors, began development of the world's least cost production car in 2003, inspired by the number of Indian families with two-wheeled rather than four-wheeled vehicles. The Nano's development has been tempered] by the company's success in producing the low cost 4 wheeled Ace truck in May 2005.

Contrary to speculation that the car might be a simple four-wheeled auto rickshaw, The Times of India reported the vehicle is "a properly designed and built car". The Chairman is reported to have said, "It is not a car with plastic curtains or no roof — it's a real car."

To achieve its design goals, Tata refined the manufacturing process, emphasized innovation and sought new design approaches from suppliers. The car was designed at Italy's Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering — with Ratan Tata requesting certain changes, such as the elimination of one of two windscreen wipers. Many components of the Nano are made in Germany by Bosch, such as fuel injection, brake system, Value Motronic ECU, ABS and other technologies.

The Nano has 21% more interior space (albeit mostly as headroom, due to its tall stance) and an 8% smaller exterior compared to its closest rival, the Maruti 800. Tata offered the car in three versions: the basic Tata Nano Std; the CX; and the LX. The CX and LX

66

versions each have air conditioning, power windows, and central locking. Tata has set its initial production target at 250,000 units per year.

Cost cutting features

The Nano's trunk does not open. Instead, the rear seats can be folded down to access the boot.

It has a single windscreen wiper instead of the usual pair. It has no power steering. The base model has only three lug nuts on the wheels instead of the usual four. The base model has only one side view mirror.

Some use of plastic and glue in place of welded steel Manually operated side windows Air conditioning/heating not part of base model Airbags not part of base model Engine is much smaller (623 cc)than the other cars but is suitable for city driving.

Price:

Tata initially targeted the vehicle as "the least expensive production car in the world" — aiming for a starting price of 100,000 rupees or approximately US$2000 (using exchange rate as of 22 March 2009)6 years ago, despite rapidly rising material prices at the time.

As of August 2008, material costs had risen from 13% to 23% over the car’s development, and Tata faced the choice of:

introducing the car with an artificially low price through government subsidies and tax-breaks

forgoing profit on the car using vertical-integration to artificially boost profits on cars at the expense of their

materials industries] partially using inexpensive polymers or biodegradable plastics instead of a full

metal-body raising the price of the car.

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Model versions

Base model

At its launch the Nano was available in three trim levels:

the basic Tata Nano Std priced at 123,000 Rupees has no extras; the deluxe Tata Nano CX at 151,000 Rupees has air conditioning; the luxury Tata Nano LX at 172,000 Rupees has air conditioning, power

windows, fabric seats and central locking the Nano Europa, European version of the Tata Nano has all of the above plus a

larger body, bigger 3-cylinder engine, anti-lock braking system (ABS) and meets European crash standards and emission norms.

The base model will have fixed seats, except for the driver's, which will be adjustable, while the deluxe and luxury models will get air conditioning and body coloured bumpers.

Technical specifications

The Interior

According to Tata Motors, the Nano is a 35 PS (26 kW; 35 hp) car with a 624 cc rear engine and rear wheel drive, and has a fuel economy of 4.55 L/100 km (22 km/L, 51.7

68

mpg (US), 62 mpg (UK)) under city road conditions, and 3.85 L/100 km on highways (26 km/L, 61.1 mpg (US), 73.3 mpg (UK)). It is the first time a two-cylinder non-opposed petrol engine will be used in a car with a single balance shaft. Tata Motors has reportedly filed 34 patents related to the innovations in the design of Nano, with the powertrain accounting for over half of them. The project head, Girish Wagh has been credited with being one of the brains behind Nano's design.

Much has been made of Tata's patents pending for the Nano. Yet during a news conference at the New Delhi Auto Expo, Ratan Tata pointed out none of these is revolutionary or represents earth-shaking technology. He said most relate to rather mundane items such as the two-cylinder engine’s balance shaft, and how the gears were cut in the transmission.

Though the car has been appreciated by many sources, including Reuters due to "the way it has tweaked existing technologies to target an as-yet untapped segment of the market", yet it has been stated by the same sources that Nano is not quite "revolutionary in its technology", just low in price. Moreover, technologies which are expected of the new and yet-to-be-released car include a revolutionary compressed-air fuel system and an eco-friendly electric-version, technologies on which Tata is reportedly already working, though no official incorporation-date for these technologies in the new car has been released.

According to Tata, the Nano complies with Bharat Stage-III (similar to Euro-III) and can also meet Euro-IV emission standards. Ratan Tata also said, 'The car has passed the full-frontal crash and the side impact crash. Tata Nano passed the required 'homologation’ tests with Pune-based Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).This means that the car has met all the specified criteria for roadworthiness laid out by the government including emissions or noise & vibration and can now ply on Indian roads. Tata Nano managed to score 23.6 km per litre during its ‘homologation’ tests with ARAI. This makes Tata Nano the most fuel efficient car in India. Nano will be the first car in India to display the actual fuel mileage figures it recorded at ARAI’s tests on its windshield. According to ARAI in the tests the Nano conformed to Euro IV emission standards which will come into effect in India in 2010, yet it was only homologated to the Euro III level.

The Tata Safari DiCOR is one of Tata's best selling vehicles in India and also has been fairly successful in the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe

SUMO GRANDE MK II

Tata has tried to revamp all its models in order to satisfy the consumer

The purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover is expected to help give Tata Motors gain a foothold in the European and American markets.

Tata relies on its subsidiaries for sales outside India. Seen here is the Range Rover Sport.

Tata Xenon is Tata's best selling vehicle in Europe.

70Tata Indica

Manufacturer

Tata Motors

Production

1998–present

Assembly

Pune, Maharashtra, India

Class

Supermini car

Layout

FF layout

Related

Tata Indigo

Rover CityRover

The Tata Indica is a hatchback automobile range manufactured by Tata Motors of India. The models have also been exported to Europe, Africa and other countries since late in 2004. It is the first passenger car vehicle from Tata Motors. The Tata Indica is also considered India's first indigenously developed passenger car. As of August 2008, more than 910,000 Indicas were produced. The annual sales of Indica has been as high as 144,690 units in 2006-07 . Current monthly sales of Indica is around 8000 units.

In the UK a badge engineered version was imported by the MG Rover Group and sold as the Rover CityRover. Other popular foreign markets include South Africa where the Indica and the Indicab models (known as B Line) are sold.

History

On 30 December 1998, Tata Motors (previously called TELCO) introduced the most modern car ever to be designed by an Indian company: the Indica. Marketed with slogans

71

like "The Big... Small Car" and "More car per car," the ad campaign focused on roomy interiors and affordability. Within a week of its unveiling in 1999, the company received 115,000 bookings. In two years, the Indica became the number one car in its segment.

Partly designed and developed by Tata Motors, it is a five-door compact hatchback with a 1.4 L petrol/diesel I4 engine designated as 475DL internally. This is a homegrown engine which is derived from the engine used by Tata in their line of pickups and SUVs earlier but with a reduced stroke. The original engine was designated as 483DL which stood for 4 cylinder and 83 mm stroke.

The Indica offered options like air conditioning and electric windows, which were previously restricted to only upmarket imported cars in India. Three years later the Indica was exported to European markets for the first time, and from 2003 the Indica was badge engineered and sold in the UK as the Rover CityRover. This vehicle ceased production in April 2005 when MG Rover went bankrupt, and did not resume production when new owners Nanjing Automobile launched its own versions of the MG Rover range in 2007.

The outer body styling was done by Italian design house I.DE.A Institute, under contract from Tata Motors, with heavy interaction with Tata's in-house design team. The engine, however, was indigenous.

Also called

Indica V3

Production

2008-present

Body style(s)

5-door hatchback

Engine(s)

1.2 L 65 hp (48 kW)FIRE

1.4 L 71 hp (53 kW) turbodiesel

1.3 L 75 hp (56 kW)

Transmission(s)

5-speed manual

Wheelbase

2,470 millimetres (97 in)

Length

3,795 millimetres (149.4 in)

Width

1,695 millimetres (66.7 in)

Height

1,550 millimetres (61 in)

Designer

Tata Motors, evolution of V2

The Indica Vista was unveiled at the 9th Auto Expo in New Delhi. The Indica Vista is not a facelift of the Indica. It is built on a completely new platform and shares nothing with the existing Indica. This new version is bigger than the previous Indica, it is 3,795 mm (149.4 in) long with a wheelbase of 2,470 mm (97.2 in). The Indica Vista has two new engines, a 1.3 L Quadra Jet common rail direct injection diesel and a 1.2 L Safire MPFI VVT petrol engine. It is also available with the 1.4L TDi(Turbo Diesel). The Quadra Jet (Fiat JTD) is produced in Ranjangaon by the Tata-Fiat joint venture. The Indica Vista, rumoured as the Indica V3 till then, was launched in August 2008.

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Data Analysis

and Interpretation

74

Hatchbacks in India:

CarName

Variants(fuel type, trim

level, engine size, transmission, etc)

power /torque /engine

displacement

wheelbase(mm)

fuelconsumption

(km/l)

starting price (in Lakhs)

Chevrolet Spark

petrol, LPG63PS / 90Nm /

995cc2345 13.1 2.74

Chevrolet Optra SRV

101PS / 140Nm / 1598cc

2600 10.8 7.31

Chevrolet Aveo UV-A

76PS / 110Nm / 1150cc

2480 11.7 4.11

Fiat Palio, Palio Stile

petrol, diesel (Multijet) / 1.1L

petrol, 1.6L petrol, 1.3L

diesel

57PS, 100PS, 75PS / 92Nm, 137Nm,

184Nm / 1108cc, 1596cc, 1248cc

2373 12.4, 9.5, 15 3.57

Hyundai Santro Xing

petrol, LPG63PS / 89Nm /

1086cc2380 12.8 2.67-4.10

Hyundai Getz Prime

CRDi, GLS 110,85 3.97

Hyundai i10 MT / AT80PS / 111Nm /

1197cc 1.2 Kappa2380 3.41

Hyundai i20MT / AT, petrol /

diesel80PS / 112Nm /

1197cc 1.2 Kappa2525 5.05

Maruti Suzuki 800

petrol/LPG37PS / 59Nm /

796cc2175 17 1.97

Maruti Alto std, Lx, Lxi47PS / 62Nm /

796cc2360 14.5 2.36

Maruti Suzuki A-

STAR (New)

Lxi, Vxi, Zxi68PS / 90Nm /

998cc2360 18 3.48

Maruti Suzuki

WagonRpetrol/LPG

67PS / 84Nm / 1061cc

2360 12.9 3.22

Maruti Suzuki

Estilo (New)Lx, Lxi, Vxi

68PS / 90Nm / 998cc

2360 18 3.13

Maruti petrol, diesel 87PS, 75PS / 2390, 2390 12.4, 14.7 4.16

Suzuki Swift

113Nm, 190Nm / 1298cc, 1248cc

Maruti Suzuki Ritz

(New)petrol, diesel

85PS, 75PS / 113Nm, 190Nm / 1197cc, 1248cc

2360, 2360 17.7, 21 3.9

REVA (Electric)

4.2

Škoda FabiaActive,

Ambiente, Classic, Elegance

69PS, 70PS / 1198cc, 1422cc

4.98

Tata Nano Base, CX, LX 33PS, 0.6L 1.25Tata Indica DLE, DLS 53.5PS 2.52Tata Indica

XetaGLS, GLE 60PS 3.8

Tata Indica Vista

1.4TDi (diesel), 1.3 Quadrajet (diesel), 1.2

Safire (petrol)

71PS, 75PS, 65PS / 135Nm, 190Nm, 96Nm / 1405cc, 1248cc, 1172cc

2470, 2470, 2470

3.41

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Car Performance

Max Power figures

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Indica SantroXing

Swift Alto Nano i10 i20

Cars

Max

Po

wer

( i

n P

s)

Series1

Max power figures of vehicles compared above: (in Ps)

Tata Indica – 54 ps Hyundai Santro Xing – 63 ps

Maruti Suzuki Swift – 85

Maruti Suzuki Alto – 46

Tata Nano – 35

Hyundai i10 – 80

Hyundai i20 – 100

77

Max Torque Figures

0

50

100

150

200

250

Indica SantroXing

Swift Alto Nano i10 i20

Cars

Max

To

rqu

e (i

n N

m)

Series1

Indica – 196 Nm Santro Xing – 96 Nm

Swift – 190 Nm

Alto – 62 Nm

Nano – 48 Nm

i10 – 112 Nm

i20 – 220 Nm

Top Speed and Cracking the 100 kmp/h mark

020406080

100120140160180200

Indica SantroXing

Swift Alto Nano i10 i20

Cars

Nu

mer

ic U

nit

s

Top Speed (kmp/h)

0 - 100 kmp/h(in sec)

78

Cars0 - 100 kmp/h(in sec)

Top Speed (kmp/h)

Indica 16.1 165Santro Xing 16.7 142Swift 13.2 160Alto 21.5 135Nano 23.7 105.5i10 14.79 146i20 13.36 159

Thus, in terms of performance, the Hyundai i20 scores the maximum points and wins in almost all categories that adjudge the overall performance of a vehicle, and the Maruti Swift came a close second.

Car Economy

Fuel Consumption figures

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

i10 i20 SantroXing

Nano Indica Alto Swift

Cars

Fu

el C

on

sum

pti

on

( kp

l )

City Economy( kpl )

Highway Economy( kpl )

Overall Economy( kpl )

CarsCity Economy( kpl )

Highway Economy( kpl )

Overall Economy( kpl )

i10 15.4 18.8 14.3i20 13.8 18.5 14.97Santro Xing 16.1 24.3 20.2Nano 18.9 26.7 20.85Indica 18.1 23.6 19.5Alto 15.9 23.2 19.6Swift 14.2 19.3 17.42

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Here, The Hyundai Santro Xing and the Tata Nano win in terms of overall fuel economy, closely followed by the Tata Indica and the Maruti Suzuki Alto.

Car prices comparison:

Ex-Showroom Prices

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

i10

i20

Santro Xing

Alto

Swift

Indica

NanoC

ars

Prices ( in lacs )

Kolkata

Chennai

Delhi

Mumbai

Here, we can see that the Tata Nano lives up to its name of being the cheapest car in the world, and is the most competitively priced car in the above selections, with the Alto and the Santro Xing finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively.

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CarsMumbai ( in lacs) Delhi Chennai Kolkata

i10 4.1 3.9 3.8 3.9i20 6.5 6.2 6.2 6.3

Santro Xing 3.66 2.49 3.49 3.52Alto 3 2.86 2.83 2.89Swift 5.37 5.15 5.13 5.17Indica 4.57 4.47 4.66 4.5Nano 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.2

Conclusion

The 7 hatchbacks were compared on 3 bases:

Technicality and Performance

Fuel Consumption

Pricing

The above data can be used to evaluate a choice of automobile for you’re next purchase based on any one of the 3 basis, or a combination of all of the departments based on selective preferences to find out the most well balanced car best suited for your use.

Small Car Revolution In India

Small Car revolution has fully impacted the Indian car industry. The new and sparkling age of small cars has fortunately positioned India as a global leader.

Economic growth in the country is also set to usher the sparkling age as most of the Indian car manufacturers are embracing the era with the launch and announcement of small, affordable, fuel-efficient, and low-cost cars. The increasing demand of such cars is attributed to the desire and need of smaller and ultra-cheap cars with respect to the rising inflation, congested city conditions, and high fuel emissions.

Remember the old golden days when Maruti Suzuki 800, the smallest car on Indian roads, was the only car listed under small car. Though the car is still found zipped on roads, it has lost its dominance with the entry of new cars adorned with advanced and innovative technology.

Keeping pace with the advancing technology, car manufacturers later introduced many new small cars in the country. Some of the biggest examples among those are Hyundai Santro Xing, Hyundai i10, Maruti Suzuki Alto, Tata Indica Vista, Fiat Punto and the electric car Reva Maini. Though these small cars are not as small as the old warehouse, Maruti 800, they have been successful in winning people’s heart with their compact dimension and improved fuel efficiency.

The world’s cheapest car, Tata Nano, is again a small car that is expected to completely revolutionize the entire car market. It seems to be a live example of India’s potential capabilities to deliver the best design and engineering in accordance to the need of the next generation customers.

With the advent of this new era, most of the global car manufacturers are targeting India for the production of small cars. The shift towards India is attributed to large market for small cars as well as a major hub for design and production. The country has become a

center of gravity with more and more car manufacturers are making a bright move towards the Indian platform.

To create a full time service and value chain, Indian car manufacturers are working day and night to have the best in-class infrastructure, technology, designing, engineering, and auto components. The Indian leaders are also expected to be masters in branding, purchasing, and selling. Today, a large domestic market is supporting burgeoning engineering talent pool in the country. This talent pool coupled with a strong supplier base has carved a niche for the global auto industry.

Apart from the proposed Tata Nano, many other car manufacturers like Honda Seil India, Hyundai Motors, General Motors, Nissan Motors, Ford Motors, and Bajaj-Renault also have their small cars in pipeline. All these small cars will soon roll out on Indian roads, zipping them on the congested city roads.

In time, India is likely to lead the small car market and become a hub for small car production. The small-car focus has an incredible potential to reduce country’s trade deficit and promote fuel-efficient cars. The fulfillment of this realization needs a smart move by car manufacturers in collaboration with the government.

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Bibliography

Websites:

www.overdrive.in www.carsinindia.com

www.carazoo.com

www.topgear.com

www.wikipedia.com

Magazines:

Autocar India Overdrive

TopGear

Contents

Particulars Page No.

Acknowledgement 2

Introduction 3

Small Cars from aGlobal Perspective 5

Major players in SmallCar segment 26

Data Analysis andInterpretation 73

Conclusion 80

Bibliography 82