DriveBlog

Tell me why...

Why is traffic the very WORST on Monday mornings? I mean, people get to work on the other four days of the work too, right? Why then does it seem like there are more cars, bikes, cycles, people and everything in between on the roads on a Monday morning than there will be on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday - all combined? Why does it take me twenty minutes on a Monday morning to cover a stretch, inch by coma-inducing inch, that would on any other day, take me just three? And why, pray tell, does everyone drive so badly on Monday mornings?

Maruti's greatest hit!

Talk about your reputation preceding you. Being billed as Maruti's first 'real' launch in over 20 years, the Suzuki Swift seems like it's going to make its debut in a market that's laden with big, big expectations. But by the look of things, Maruti's premium compact (which will put a whole new spin on the whole Getz vs. Fusion battle - one that the Fusion admittedly seems to be winning at the moment) seems like it'll be able to take all that and more well within its stride. And what's more, it seems set to make a rather starry-eyed debut!

Also see:
Autocar reviews the Suzuki Swift
The Swift promises bigger, better, more

Getting back on the road

Coming back to post on your blog after a long break feels somewhat like driving your car for the the first time after a long holiday. Starts are iffy, it takes a while to stay on a straight line and you sometimes get into the whole thing with absolutely no idea of where you're headed. So, in the blogging equivalent of driving your down a quiet, uncrowded street just so you can 'get the feel back', here are some quick and easies:

• The Toyota Innova is out. Base models of the petrol and diesel were launched today with the promise of even better things to come. Toyota has, quite clearly thrown the gauntlet to General Motors' Tavera and Mahindra's Scorpio.

Another hatch match?

I'm feeling a bit of déjà vu while I'm making this post. I'm getting the feeling that I've done this link featuring a 6-hatchback shootout already. Maybe it's because I've posted a couple of hatch head-ons already? Or did I just read it in the magazine and that's where I barely remember it from, my near term memory being what it is. I'll try and figure that one out while you run along and read it...go on, it's one where the Palio wins again. =) Oh and hey, if any of you do come across my having posted about this earlier, leave me a comment, will you?

Also see:
The Opel Corsa Sail vs. the Fiat Palio nv vs. the Hyundai Getz vs. the Ford Fusion
The Palio 1.2 nv vs. the WagonR VXi vs. the Santro Xing

In passing...

Cutting very quickly to the chase:

• Hyundai India will partner with Tata Indicom to implement and maintain their Global Dealer Management System (GDMS). Hyundai will make use of a web-based backbone to help their dealers be 'more connected' with the HMIL mother ship.
• Closing out last year on 1 million units, motown's still walkin' on sunshine as it finished January 2005 with a sale of 1 lakh units, also a first. As expected, Maruti, Tata and Hyundai lead the pack.
• Small things are now beginning to come in much safer packages. Though it's never been too high on the average Indian carbuyer's priority list, carmakers are starting to take safety very seriously. And they're starting right at the bottom.
• Tubeless tyres are finding the Indian roadscape a tough hill to climb.
• They're calling it 'one country, one price'. Wherever in in India you buy it, the 'new' Mitsubishi Lancer LX is yours for Rs. 693000. Hindustan Motors is hoping that this 'affordable' price point wil help double sales.
• For the first time since mid 2004, the Alto upstages the M800 as the best selling car from the Maruti stable.
• Toyota has 'small' plans for India.

Attack of the Killer Gs!

Eeeyaaarggghhh! 50 freakin' Gmail invites! Don't even tell me why you want it...just tell me where!

Update: I've begun to dump my Gmail invites, happy in the hope that they will be distributed among the starving millions. [Thanks, Madman.]

Pre-owned problems

The Indian used car market continues to go through what seems like an 'performance-appraisal' crisis. Is it doing well or isn't it? While a veritable barrage of new product / variant launches, difficult-to-refuse new car finance options and the city dweller's 'need to be seen' in the latest set of wheels seem to be pushing it to the fringes of extinction in the urban market, it's increasingly looking at rural segments and a revival of demand via the likes of Maruti's and Hyundai's (expected) pre-owned car ventures to bring it back to fighting fit.

What's your choice? Cheaper second-hand or is 'new' you?

Related: How to buy a used Hyundai Santro.

Of Vanilla and versatility...

I'm not too sure if any of you who come by here will remember the TV spots for a fairly popular ice cream brand called Go Kool that was around during the late-ish 80s and early 90s. Well, one of the things about the ads that stuck in my head was the line from the jingle that went, "Anything Karega (for Go Kool!)...". So much so that I've actually found myself humming the tune under my breath more than a couple of times over the past few years, completely out of the blue. Talk about unaided brand recall.

What does any of this have to do with a post on cars, you ask? Not much, except that the theme that Ford is using for all its new advertising for the Fusion UAV also happens to be 'Anything Karega', meant to cue the versatility and 'all-purposeness' of the vehicle. And though they'd like me to make the association with the old Kishore Kumar tune, I'd much rather settle for dessert. =)

Their 'Fiat' seems sealed...

Their parent company is in a mess, monthly sales have been languishing in the dismal three figure range for some time now, their last launch, the Petra, did nothing to excite the market, customer confidence has been at an all time low, new product launches have been put off indefinitely, they have been losing key dealerships in Mumbai* and then their website dies on them.

No wonder then, that people are beginning to think that it's a matter of when, and not if, Fiat India will shut shop for good.*

(*Membership required to view / contribute content)

Innovative move

Now here's an interesting development. Toyota Kirloskar Motor has said that the Qualis's successor, the Innova, will not compete for space in the MUV  / MPV segment, but will give current occupants of the new crossover segment like the Fusion something to think about.