With a bad economy and slower production, it looks like Honda Siel Cars India is left with no choice but to raise the prices of their cars to survive this economic turmoil. This was announced by the president and chief executive of Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. late Saturday evening at a company awards function.

Honda Siel is working out the price increase for the other models but customers who had ordered the new model of the Honda City will be protected. Launched in November, the City, which has sold 12,233 units, helped Honda lessen the impact of the slowdown.

The Honda Siel CEO sees the downturn lasting for another six months and points out that his firm caters to buyers in the premium segment, where the impact of an economic slowdown is tempered. Even so, “customers are concerned with global economy so they have become naturally cautious”, he said.

(Source) Livemint.com

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A group of students called Team Haya from People’s Education Society Institute of Technology (PESIT) has built a formula race car named PM408 which will reportedly race in Italy.

This high technology car has semi-automatic gear shifting mechanism besides having a horizontal geometry, inspired from the Formula one car. Honda City engine is the only thing which has been fitted in from outside while rest of the parts have been made in-house by the college students.

The car has a maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour and has the capacity to accelerate from 0-100 kilometers in little less than 3.5 seconds.

(Source) Auto Racing Daily

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It looks like Fiat is making a return to India, headed by its C segment sedan, the Fiat Linea. With over 50 dealers in the area, the Fiat Linea comes in diesel and petrol powered models that will be manufactured locally. The Fiat Linea will be made available in some dealers that serve Tata cars as well.

The new Fiat Linea in India is expected to be priced between Rs. 7-9 lakh and will compete against other C segment cars like SX4, Fiesta and Honda City. Fiat Linea buyers will soon have a preview of the model at their nearest dealer showrooms.

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The Honda City has been known to be the smallest and economical car suitable for yuppies these days and its conservative approach towards providing efficient modes of private transportation has been evident in recent years. With its new design, the 2008 Honda City has bagged a couple of awards that included:

Business Standard Motoring Car of the Year
Zigwheels Car of the Year
Zigwheels Sedan of the Year

The Honda City actually bested three other cars in its category and with its refined aero dynamics, it seems to gain attention wherever it may find itself in.

The new Honda City is fully loaded with all active and passive safety features including Dual SRS airbags, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist and G-CON (G-Force Control Technology) body with a crush-proof survival zone. The new 1.5 L i-VTEC engine delivers 118PS, while being extremely fuel efficient. It is the first car in its segment to be equipped with a 5-speed automatic transmission with paddle shift.

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