Ford Motors is setting its sights on unveiling new compact car made for the Indian market. The new car model is the Ford Figo, a new and fresh face which is Ford’s bet to compete with the growing demand for small cars in India. Only the exterior design was revealed to the public at the press conference held in New Delhi and further details will be unveiled once the vehicle production launches in 2010.

For the record, Figo is an Italian word for “Cool”. Production for the Ford Figo will be held at the expanded integrated manufacturing facility near Chennai.

Image Courtesy: BBC News

(Source) Press

Tags: BBC, car model, compact car, debut, figo, ford motors, India, integrated manufacturing, italian word, new car, new delhi, new ford, news source, small cars

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In a move that is expected to prepare them for the larger demands for their small-sized cars, Toyota Motor’s of Japan has announced that they will be cutting costs in production for their compact cars by $1.44 billion annually. Toyota aims to approach their car manufacturing practices wisely as they are definitely learning the lessons from the debacle that has hit auto giants GM and Chrysler.

Toyota has been trying to compete with the big boys as luxury cars and eco-friendly concept cars have risen at the moment in attention. However, reality check reveals that with the growing interest and plans of most standing car companies, overlooking their famed compact cars such as the Corolla and the Vits should not be left out.

Hence, while the luxury and eco-friendly car market promise to rack in profits, the same is foreseen for their regular compact cars. And with the right tweaks, there is no doubt that they can expect some revenue contributions from these cars as well as people are wising up their motoring needs as well by turning to smaller compact cars that consume fuel economically.

(Source) Asia One

Tags: big boys, car companies, car market, Chrysler, compact car, compact cars, Concept Cars, corolla, GM, luxury cars, toyota motor, tweaks, vits

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The Ritz from Maruti Suzuki in India finally made its debut today, available in petrol and diesel engines. With the Ritz – a Superior stance hatchback positioned at the premium-end of the compact car market – Maruti Suzuki consolidates its leadership in the highly competitive compact car segment. The Ritz comes with the BS-IV and OBD-I compliance much ahead of the regulation being enforced in the country.

The Ritz has been specifically designed for India. Maruti Suzuki engineers worked with the Suzuki design team in Japan to co-design the car and carry out India-specific changes.

The heart of the Ritz are the brand new 1.2 Litre K12M Petrol engine and the 1.3 DDiS Diesel power-plant, each offering optimum performance and fuel efficiency. Alongside this, the transmission system has been optimized for the Ritz to match Indian driving habits. With this the Ritz offers the best-in-class combination of fuel efficiency and drivability.

(Source) PR Domain

Tags: bs, car market, car segment, co design, compact car, compliance, debut, diesel engines, diesel power, drivability, fuel efficiency, leadership, maruti suzuki, optimum performance, petrol engine, power plant, ritz, suzuki engineers, transmission system

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Runna officially becomes the 3rd Iranian car to be introduced in the market as Irah Khodro Company (IKCO) officially unveiled the vehicle which is set to hit the market by March 2010. The compact car, affordable to Iranian families, has been designed and manufactured by the giant automaker.

The automaker claims the car meets Euro IV and V standards which deal with air pollution and the Pedestrian Impact safety requirement. Runna comes with an efficient 1.6-liter engine in its launch.

SRS airbags, anti-lock brakes with EBA & EBD, power steering, and power windows & side-view mirrors are some of equipment available to Runna owners. Iran’s second largest car-manufacturer, SAIPA, showcased a second all-Iranian passenger car called ‘Miniature’ in a ceremony attended by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday 18, 2009.

(Source) Press TV

Tags: air pollution, car manufacturer, compact car, euro iv, ikco, impact safety, launch, passenger car, pedestrian impact, power steering, power windows, safety requirement, saipa

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Regardless of the type of auto in the market today, anyone of them will get hit by the economic problems plaguing the world today. Retail new-vehicle sales during the first 17 selling days of March were down by 40 percent compared with the same period one year ago, according to J.D. Power and Associates, which gathers real-time transaction data from more than 10,000 dealerships across the United States.

New-vehicle retail sales for the entire month of March are projected to come in at 633,000 units, compared with 1.07 million units a year ago. Retail sales in February totaled 557,000 units. To better reflect consumer demand for new vehicles, J.D. Power and Associates focuses on retail sales, which include only dealership sales and leases to private parties and does not include fleet sales.

The crossover utility vehicle (CUV) segment is generating the greatest year-over-year segment share growth, up by three percentage points since March 2008. In contrast, the traditional utility vehicle, compact car and midsize car segments are generating the greatest year-over-year declines in segment share. A proliferation of new CUV models has been introduced to capitalize on this shift in consumer demand. A total of nine new models have been introduced since February 2008.

(Source) Press

Tags: compact car, Crossover, economic problems, j d power and associates, midsize car, new vehicles, plunge, private parties, retail sales, time transaction

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Chalk up another award headed Hyundai’s way as the Hyundai i30 was voted as the best car in New Zealand. The Automobile Association of New Zealand announced on Friday that of the 53 cars nominated, Hyundai’s i30 has won this year’s AA Supreme Motoring Excellence award, having already topped the compact car category.

Judges evaluated the Hyundai as “excellent in all areas, especially road safety and vale for money.” “This car can be the answer for those who are looking for an economical, but reliable vehicle. The Hyundai i30 Diesel Elite closes the gap with Europe’s best,” they added.

Judges considered the design, performance, dynamics, practicality, execution, value for money, and safety of the cars nominated, to pick winners for 13 categories. The winners included the Ford Focus XR5 Turbo in the performance category, Volkswagen’s Polo BlueMotion Diesel in the environment category, and the Peugeot 308 XSP in the safety category. The large car award went to the Holden Sportwagon SV6.

(Source) English Chosun

Tags: automobile association of new zealand, best car, compact car, ford focus, hyundai i30, performance dynamics, peugeot 308, polo bluemotion diesel, road safety, sportwagon, sv6

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Nissan is scheduled to launch a wide array of new cars at the Geneva Auto Show and leading the pack is their niche vehicle, the Qazana Concept Car. The Qazana is a show car providing good indication of the compact car that will be produced at the Nissan Sunderland plant from 2010, safeguarding around 1,100 jobs.

Best described as a small Crossover, Qazana has been conceived to challenge conventional wisdom about what buyers of small five-door cars should expect.

The striking design is dominated by large, wide wheel arches and a lower shape which gives a feeling of strength, while the upper body is dynamic, assertive and sporty. Qazana is a five-door, with the rear doors opening forwards once the front doors have been opened, in the style of ‘suicide doors’.

Qazana will reinforce Nissan’s position as a pioneer of Crossovers, building on the success of Qashqai and the recently introduced Qashqai+2.

(Source) Easier.com

Tags: compact car, concept car, Crossover, geneva auto show, new cars, Nissan, striking design

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One of the least expensive cars in the sub-compacts category is the Suzuki SX4. Replacing the Aerio sedan, this compact car is only available in front wheel drive. All 2009 SX4 models are equipped with a 2.0-liter, 16-valve, 4-cylinder, 143-horsepower engine with manual or automatic transmissions.

The Suzuki has several qualities that put it at the top of the sub-compact class. It’s the longest (177.6 inches), the second heaviest (2,745 pounds) and has the most rear leg room (35.9 inches) of the 14 vehicles listed in the category in automotive consumer publications.

So if you are in the market for an economical car, chances are that you would best consider the Suzuki SX4. It is priced in the market at $17, 639.00.

(Source) The Weekly Driver

Tags: automatic transmissions, compact car, economical car, front wheel drive, least expensive cars, Suzuki, suzuki sx4

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