dkaile

September 2011 Car Sales Figures here - http://www.team-bhp....s-analysis.html Highlights - 7000 Hundai Eons distributed to dealers without a single piece sold till now; To be priced below 3L; Bestseller in the making?? - Mahindra Bolero selling nearing 10000 units - Alto at the year's lowest and still at 21K units - XUV 500 - 500 units at dealers (booking more than 10K units; Capacity 2K units/month); Another Bestseller? - Toyota Fortuner sells more than Corolla once again and at 1078 units - Tata Indica/Vista touches 10K units first time this year; Nano slumps at 2K units; Safari sales DOUBLE at 1937 units (Everyone's going SUV!!!) - Renauly Fluence slumps to 100 units; Kizashi 14 units, Vitara 1 unit LOLZ; CRV 17 units / Civic 117 / Accord 137 (ask Honda how to kill a good brand - overprice it) - Etios sisters sell 6000 units - Beat beats Figo (due to diesel), both around 5K units; Endeavour 281 - Honda City slumps to 3.7K units even after price cuts (Due to No diesels) - Hyundai i20 at nearly 7K units; Verna at 5K; Santa Fe 198 - Alarm bells at Skoda; All sales down; Yeti just 50 LOLZ; Superb 147; Laura less than 300 first time this year. DSG Failures anyone, that I was talking about...

For your driving condition, Diesel is a strict NO NO. Diesel doesn't make sense less than 20~25K kms per year. He can expect an average of 11~13kmpl with the Petrol Altis. Diesel would give him around 15; My suggestions I have already given, but if he can afford it, why not go for the best... You have to live with it for at least 5 years. For 13K kms Diesel is NOT recommended. You won't be able to recover the differential in cost (1~2L) for at least 3~4 years. Plus petrols are more plusher to drive and easier on maintenance. Upgrade Honda City to a Corolla Altis. For the Swift I would recommend you have a look at the Honda Jazz. It's a highly versatile vehicle and now more attractive than ever with the price cuts. If you are still adamant on diesel, then Vento is in a class above the Etios. It is a solid reliable vehicle (only in its diesel avatar). Etios is built to a price. If you can live with it's bland interiors it will last you a while and save some heavy moolah over the Vento. Do give the XUV 500 a serious look if you have the parking space...lolz The car is what I would say "different". And that is it's selling USP. Though I doubt it is selling (It sold 171 units in total of petrol and diesel in Aug against a 290 figure in June). It's Petrol has a lot of bling and equipment level. Civic like digital meters, keyless push button start, dual zone a/c et al. But it is not an efficient car. It's mechanicals are yet to be proven in Indian conditions. Its diesel is a 1.4 that does duty on the Logan/Verito (that does not mean it's bad; its quite good in fact). But service support is limited. Resale will be negligible. Go for it only IF you want to prove to the world that you are DIFFERENT...

^ Are you interested in Petrol or Diesel? Top ends of both are near 14L ex-showroom. Check out the price list here - http://www.toyotabharat.com/inen/forms/price_list.aspx . They come fully loaded (except GPS), There is no Push Button start on the Diesel (only in the Petrol). 1.4 Diesel also has a turbo lag below 1.5K rpm which is especially noticeable if you are upgrading from a heavier car (like my Fortuner's 3.0L mill) or even a zippy Petrol. Do test drive it. It's not a racing car in diesel (the 1.8 petrol is another thing all together) and will not beat the Cruze in a highway racing duel. Champagne Mica Metallic is my favorite colour (Gold to me) followed by Silver Mica Metallic. The G variant makes most economic sense and is 12.5L in Petrol and 13.5L in Diesel, if you can live without leather seats, Push button start, powered driver seat, HID headlamps, Headlamp washer and Cruise Control (impractical in India). Otherwise its 14.83L in top end VL in Petrol and 14.74L in top end GL in diesel (which has less features than the petrol model).

If you want long term peace of mind, I would suggest you to stay away from Skoda. It's a fantastic product but the Skoda horror stories are growing day by day. Just recently I came to know about 7-8 DSG failures on the Skoda Superb. Its 18.5~19L on road price all inclusive (with Uttaranchal registration and insurance) Civic - Though a fantastic machine suffers from low ground clearance and bottoming issues which is not at all suitable for our Indian roads. That's why the sales have bombed after the initial surge. New Civic is around the corner in jan-Feb but with no diesel I dont see much of a future for it. Renault Fluence - Loaded in Petrol, domestic in diesel. Upgraded Diesel version at par with Petrol coming in November. Petrol gives average of 6~7kmpl in the city. Diesel is same 1.4 mill that does duty on Logan/Verito. Overall not as good as the Altis. Jetta - Overpriced (16~20L on road). Looks like Vento (a 10L car). No Auto A/C even on the 20L model. Solid built but some cost cutting is there even after price increase (like no hydraulic boot opening like the previous model). Costly to maintain. Kizashi - Sold only 8 units in August. That tells the whole story. A good product but would have done better with a diesel mill and a 5L price cut. Sonata Transform - Again sold just 12 units in August. They are phasing it out and the new Sonata/i45 (at 16L) and Elantra/i40 (at 14L) is on the way in Jan~Feb. Best looking Hyundai's ever. Jack of all trades (master of none) like most Hyundai's. Altis is boring and unflashy but will drive and drive till you drop (that is why it is selling 1000 units every month). It's maintenance in the long run (if properly maintained) is cheaper than a Santro. Whether it supersedes all the others is a personal choice. It's Clutch Plate costs 6K while the Laura's costs 45K. You/Your B-I-L should test drive all the cars before reaching the final decision. Links to my long term ownership reports for 2 Toyotas are already given on this forum. Read them and then make your own decision.

Did you even read what he wanted before commenting!! He wanted an "upgrade" from Honda City in the the 14L category not a "degrade" to a Figo. No pun intended to any Figo owners; its a good product in "its" category.

You just got me at the last sentence otherwise I would have suggested him to see the New Mahindra XUV 500 immediately. Its a cracker of a SUV at a cracker of a price. Same horde mentality (like Swift) has made it churn more than 3 month's production on 1st day of launch. I would definitely suggest your brother-in-law to at least go and have a look, though I hate it's blingy (read chinese) front. (Speaking of Swift, let me tell the others that Honda Jazz today is superior product than Swift Petrol after the price cuts). Otherwise for that price in a sedan you just cannot go wrong with a Toyota Corolla. Choose either diesel or petrol according to monthly running, though I would personally go for the fantastic 1.8 Petrol. It now comes with Keyless Push Button Start, HID Lamps, Headlight Washers and Touchscreen Music System. Another good product is the Chevrolet Cruze Diesel which has a cracker of an engine though cramped interiors. One more offer, if he could stretch his budget, is going on the Skoda Superb Petrol which is available at 18.5L on road. It is Merc Class at half the price, though be ready for some costly after sales with Skoda. Not withstanding that, it's really a class above most cars on the road today at that price. Skoda Laura pi$$ed me off due to it's stalling issues. My Choice - Go for The New Toyota Corolla Altis and enjoy years of headache free and economical ownership.

Personally, I would never buy a car without completely researching and test driving it. There are many options available today and one should buy based on his driving habits and budget. Though Vento is a solid car in its diesel avatar, its petrol avatar and especially its 'famed' DSG is notorious for the poorest fuel efficiency figures in the industry. Even very good car launches and international favorites have 'flaws' like e.g. The Nissan Sunny has poor gear shift issues, Etiios has poor interiors and New Swift has a claustrophobic rear seat and poor boot. Swift seems a good rounded package for sure but better products are now available. Punto has the most solid built but dated interior finish. i20 has a poor A/C and has a notorious steering rattle issue (unnoticed by many). Though it's (Maruti's) resale is the highest as of today, things may change 5 years down the line (my prediction).

^ Its MOB mentality at work. Just imagine to book a car without seeing or test driving, seems unbelievable and stupid to me!! Remember, Nano had 1.5L bookings too...

^ Brio top end is nearly equal to Jazz entry level now with the price cuts and Jazz is a more complete package. The Boot of the Brio is almost unusable and rear seats have low head space.

Thank you amtrag/anuragn Thank you DL

^ Verito is a better product any day. However Nissan Sunny (petrol) is a good quality choice now with starting price of 5.78L ex showroom if you travel less than 1500km in a month.

@samir 1. Liva Diesel (looks best in blue and ruby red) 6L 2. Swift Diesel (looks best in white) 5.5~7L 3. Beat Diesel (looks best in white) 4.5~6L in that order; all 3 are capable cars; choose according to budget and proximity/quality of A-S-S in your area. @csmart Sunny Diesel will come in Jan; will cost upwards of 8 lacs on road; also its a sedan and not a hatch;

^ Fiat seems a dying brand in India (and in the world) even though the product is quite good. If you are ready to live with poor resale, bad A-S-S, non-availability of parts few years down the line, then go ahead.

Dont Mind the video quality, as this is my first unboxing video and has been shot entirely on my HTC Hero - Kindly note that it has a Micro USB connector and not Mini USB as erronously told in the video... Part 2 of Unboxing Video Photos & More Videos to follow - Nexus One Box Nexus One & Dock Box Opened Nexus One Phone's First VIEW... ooo la la Nexus One's First Layer reveals a very good Neoprene padded pouch The Second Layer reveals the accessories like The Micro USB Charger, Micro USB Data Cable & a 3.5 mm Headphone Adapter with inbuilt Handsfree (Mic) + 1400maH Battery The Nexus One DOCK... comes with another charger (so in fact you get 2) and a gold plated 3.5mm to Stereo RCA Cable The Nexus One Views - Front, Back, Starting X, Homescreen The Nexus One Homescreens The Nexus One Programs & Settings Pages The Nexus One DOCKED The Nexus One Dock works as a Desktop Clock, Music Player, Photo Viewer (Slide Show) The Nexus One actual in Hand, Thickness compared to a standard pencil, size compared to a business card The Nexus One Views - Below with the Micro USB and dock connectors, Above with the power button and standard 3.5mm jack, Side with the volume up/down keys The Nexus One Dock compared to a Hero Dock (T-Mobile 3G Dock actually)

Suzuki had a head start in India, courtesy our err... 'biased' policies and political whims. It entered in 1983, a full 17 years head start over other manufacturers like Toyota. It ruled and we lapped up whatever was given to us. It was able to establish a good dealer network in that period. If things would have been on an even keel aka other world markets, Suzuki would have been wiped out by now as it is mainly surviving on the Indian gamble that has payed very well for it. And right now, MSL is more Indian than Japanese. Our markets too will mature now and we will start rejecting inferior and well as over-priced products. BTW Etios/Liva are one of the first brands in India to start using 'Stainless Steel' in the corrosion prone areas and we never get to see those things.

That is why such forums and such topics exists to educate the people. If one has not heard about Toyota in a Tier 3 city, I would be most surprised. However if one likes to remain in a closed well and not change with the times, then that's his point of view. With regards to maintenance costs, My Corolla was cheaper to maintain and run than my Santro. If low price was the only criteria in India then Nano would not be selling at 1K units as it did in August (1202 units in Aug 2011). Perceptions are changing and people want quality and long term value which is why they will wake up to 'T' slowly. First movers advantage, anyone? ---------------------- Nissan Sunny launched. Aggressive pricing for Nissan Sunny 1.5 petrol. XE: Rs 5.78 lakh, XL 6.68 lakh, XV 7.68 lakh (ex-Delhi). Diesel coming in Jan Review and pictures here - http://www.team-bhp....ive-review.html The Japanese are invading India.... Tata, Maruti beware...

That is what is troubling Suzuki and other competitors that Toyota is entering it's bread and butter territory. The "T" brand has the product and quality to wipe out even big shots like Suzuki. See the world market sales figures to understand what I am talking. Just to give you an example, in a country say like South Africa which is a developing nation like India (slightly better off than us and about 10 years ahead of us in development), and has car sales figure much less than India - http://bestsellingca...1-year-to-date/ . These figures are a real eye opener. In India, Suzuki alone is selling nearly more than 1.5 times (77K) as many cars as they sell in toto (about 51k) in South Africa. Their top selling car (VW Polo) sells just 3.3K units followed by Toyota Hilux at 2.9K! Toyota Fortuner (1.7K) is selling nearly as much as the FIGO (1.8k). There's even the Tata Indica in the list but at only 135 units. No sign of Suzuki except the Swift at no. 49 at a paltry 131 units and SX4 at no. 64 (119 units). Once our market matures, we too will junk inferior products for durability and which provide us better value over a longer period of time. And "time tested" & "new model"!! Well my analytical mind couldn't help laughing at that. Toyota makes cars which are best sellers all over the world. In the harshest of climates and baddest of roads. Till now we (Indian Market) were just a blimp on their overall radar at their Japan head quarters. If you want to see how well a Toyota product lasts in India, read my 7 year ownership report here - http://www.team-bhp....rt-55000km.html . Their products will outlasts sometimes even their owners. You will get bored and eventually sell them off because they perform so flawlessly.

Toyota dealerships offer very high level of accesorisation for the Liva to keep costs as low as they possibly can seeing the cost involved in the essentials as a large body and a quality diesel mill. Spend 20K extra and you may get Jazz rivaling interiors; spend 50k more and you will get an integrated GPS system based touchscreen music system along with double padded seats and other bells and whistles. You see Toyota is shrewd market savvy company. They have given the after-market accessory shops in mind too. They knew they could get away with poor seats but not poor space and poor engine. So in the end it depends upon what you want. A nice looking car that will cost you a bomb in fuel costs and maintenance 5 years down the line or a solid dependable product which may not look all that shiny but will last and last till you drop. The extra money that you spend goes into the essentials which are not immediately visible to the naked eye but will be realised some years down the line. Remember the Qualis anyone?

I sat in the Liva Diesel 2 days back at Delhi and though the seats are not leather it will definitely be be going over the top calling them 'gunnybag material'. Yes, it has a very quirky centre console which was not to my liking either but it is the only diesel engine which is still "Made in Japan". All these seats etc. are upgradable to one's own liking and preferences. It's rear seat had more space than My (now departed) Corolla, 3x 6 footers like me can easily sit abreast, and the boot was nearly double than Swift. The Diesel model has heavier carpeting than petrol (I checked personally) and also the underbody coating has been made better for better sound deadening. Of course you wont feel like sitting in a luxury car in the Liva, but once when you would have driven that car trouble free for 3-4 years then you will realise it's true value. Brio has NO diesel planned and the boot is 1/4 of the Liva though interior fit and finish is top notch. Both the Swift and Brio may have better interiors than Liva but not it's durability and long term economics, this much I can guarantee as a Toyota owner and loyalist.

^ My 2 friends bought Swift diesel's previous model and 1 bought the Dzire Diesel, and all 3 cars have started to shake, rattle and roll within 2-3 years of ownership. Suzuki's cars in India are 'over-hyped' as they were able to garner the maximum market share and dealerships when no competition existed and they are ruling on their past laurels. Use a Toyota for a few years and I will guarantee you that you will never go back to any Suzuki.

itni kitabein padte padte hi aadmi nibat lega!!! lolz

Madhu Nashini Vati from Baba Ramdev's Pitanjali is good for marginals. Tried and tested personally. http://healthservices.divyayoga.com/product_info.php?products_id=565

I have never looked at the tacho in my entire driving life, and it's been a long one at that. A true driver feels the revs of his vehicle with its sound. The car will tell you whether you are straining him/her. Slight vibrations or harshness are normal for a new car till it breaks-in and engine should smooth out then. But get it checked at the *** nonetheless.

^ Sir, if you want so many upgrades to a 'Nano', I would suggest you shift to Alto K10. You will enjoy every bit of it.

My Corolla 2004 Long Term Ownership Review 55000KMs is now online. Have a look here - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-term-ownership-reviews/107579-toyota-corolla-2004-long-term-ownership-report-55000km.html