DriveBlog

Maruti gets webwise

Maruti Udyog will partner with Akamai Technologies for better content delivery from off their 16 websites. The launch of the Swift evidently took Maruti's web traffic through the roof and the new tie-up is being seen as a step towards making their websites more accessible to the consumer. (Link via ContentSutra)

Clearly, Maruti seems to have understood how important the website is as part of a company's marketing arsenal. Fiat India could learn a whole lot from them.

Also see:
www.marutiswift.com
When the Getz website was unearthed

A little too fast...

What it must feel like to be in a car that clocks 400 kilometres to the hour.

Autoindia.com

A bunch of software pros based in the US have just launched a portal aimed at Indian vehicle buyers, sellers and other interested parties. Head on over to Autoindia.com. I haven't had a chance to dig too deep yet, but looks like they have a pretty well laid out Tips and Advice section and their insights aren't too bad either.

Fiat gets frank

In a recent interview, new Fiat India MD Paolo Castagna candidly admits to having a daunting task ahead of him as he attempts to turn around the fortunes of the beleagured carmaker in this country. The part I liked best is his frank acceptance of the fact that where they've fallen short is in understanding what exactly the customer needs and delivering on that immediately...and everytime. The quality of their cars was never a debate; spares, he says, are always just a couple of days away; new launch tests have returned positive results - the issue however, as he owns up, has been one of focus.

I also liked his quietly confident reply to a question on how he felt the Swift and Getz were making waves in a segment that the Palio almost created:

"We were a generation ahead."

Also see:
Fiat no more?
Website woes

Skoda's Combi-station

Luxury segment-obsessed carmaker (and not denying it) Skoda Auto India will broadbase its offering in India by launching the über chic Octavia Combi station wagon / estate.

Meanwhile, the much-looked forward to Fabia will have to wait another year at least to wow us all.

Drive(r) carefully!

"You've been a bad passenger. Go back to your country."

Boot-ylicious!

[Found via the excellent Creative Criminal]