Ferrari’s lineup for the Indian markets includes the California, 458 Italia, 599GTB Fiorano and the latest FF with prices starting at Rs. 2.2 crores. Here is a look at these beauties:

Ferrari California: The Ferrari California was launched at the 2008 Paris Auto Show. This hard top convertible Roadster is powered by an 8 cylinder 4300 CC engine capable of maximum power of 460 Bhp @7750 RPM. Now that is serious power. It will hit 0-100 Km/h in under 4 seconds. The California has a 7 Speed dual clutch transmission.  The California’s interiors have quite elegance to them and comes with top quality leather seats. It is loaded with impressive safety features and also comes with the traction control system. The California will be priced at Rs. 2.2 crore and the Ferrari group will expect the maximum sales to come through the California.

Ferrari 458 Italia: The Ferrari 458 Italia is a mid-engine sports car which was first seen at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor show. The 458 Italia also comes with a 4.3L 8 cylinder V8 engine and like the California, it has a 7 speed dual clutch transmission. The car can hit the 100 km/h mark in 3.4 seconds and a maximum speed of 325 km/h, (remains to be seen whether that mark can be reached on the Indian roads though). The 458 Italia will be prices at Rs. 2.57 crores.

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano: The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano debuted in the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. This 2 seat gran turismo has an engine displacement of 5999 cc and it sprints from 0-100 km/h in under 3.7 seconds and a top speed of more than 330 km/h. The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano comes with a 6 speed manual transmission and is loaded with exciting interiors and safety features. The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano will be priced at Rs. 3.57 crores.

Ferrari FF: The last of the quartet, the Ferrari FF is a 4 seats 4 wheel drive Gran turismo which was debuted at the 2011 Geneva Motor show. The Ferrari FF is powered by a huge 6.3 L V12 engine, the largest capacity Ferrari engine ever produced. The Ferrari FF is capable of outputting a power of 651 Bhp at 8000 rpm and is capable of sprinting to the 100km/h mark in under 3.7 seconds. The transmission is again a 7-speed dual clutch one and it can roar to a maximum speed of 335 km/h. The Ferrari FF is expected to be priced at Rs. 3.37 crores

So we have 4 great cars from the Italian car makers to choose from. The entry of Ferrari to the Indian market will increase the competition in the luxury car segment even more. The Audis and the BMWs have done well in the recent past with both of the car makers recording record sales in each year. Ferrari will expect to get a good share of the luxury car segment in India. The entry also means that the current owners of Ferrari have now the option of servicing their cars at the Ferrari service centers. So exciting times ahead and we as any other auto enthusiast are excited at the Ferraris coming to India.

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Driven by a 2.4 litre DOHC,VVT petrol engine, the Kizashi will offer a maximum power output of 178 Bhp@5500 rpm. The fuel efficiency is also pretty descent when compared to other cars in the segment. It offers fuel efficiency of 12.53 km a litre in automatic and 12.45 km a litre in manual transmission. The Kizashi will be available in ‘Snow White Pearl’, ‘Super Black Pearl’ and ‘Premium Silver Metallic’ shades. The imposing front grille and the compact and sleek exteriors gives the Kizashi a sporty look. The interiors too are great with leather seats offered and good space.

Maruti Suzuki is India’s  most popular car maker in the small car segment. The Kizashi’s launch gives Maruti a presence in the fast growing upper end market as well. The sedan will be pitted against Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and the likes of Honda Civic, Volkswagen Jetta and Toyota Corolla. The features and the looks are very good on the Kizashi. The good dealer network for Maruti should help them in selling more units. Maruti Suzuki failed in two previous attempts at the upper end segment-the response to the SX4 and the Grand Vitara was not very encouraging. Both still, they would be hoping to get a better response to the Kizashi.

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Feature wise the Volkswagen Vento includes all the primary features of the Polo.The front end looks exactly like the Polo. The interior is more  comfortable though,and presents a good ambiance. The wheelbase of the Vento has been stretched by around 50mm compared to the hatchback variant,for better legroom.Other features available on the Vento would be height-adjustable front seats,Dual SRS airbags, ABS with EBD support,Front and rear arm rests in the center, door opening warning.Anti-theft system among others.

The Vento will get two engine options-a petrol and a diesel, The 1.6 Litre petrol engine produces 105Bhp of power and torque of 153Nm. The petrol version gets a 6 speed automatic transmission option along with the manual 5-speed transmission.The Diesel variant comes with a manual 5 speed transmission but the stand out feature of the Diesel engine is that it is not less powerful tahn the Petrol variant(@105BHP itself) and also provides a torque of around 250Nm, much higher than the Petrol variant.

Volkswagen Vento will be available in 3 petrol variants- Vento Trendline, Vento Highline and the Highline AT, and 2 Diesel variants-Vento Diesel Trendline and the Vento Diesel Highline.

The Volkswagen group sales increased by more than 100% during the first six months of the year.Whether the Vento will be as successful as the Polo remains to be seen. well. if the sales are increasing so much, may be ,sooner or later, Volkswagen may begin production of the Beetle also in India.*Currently the Beetle i imported as CBUs to India and hence costs more than 20 lakhs.

Company Profile(Bayerische Motoren Werke AG): Headquartered in Gurgaon (National Capital Region) BMW India is a 100% subsidiary of the BMW Group. The initial investment in India is 1.1 billion Indian Rupees.In 2007 March it officially opened its production plant at chennai,India. The BMW plant Chennai produces the BMW 3 Series and BMW 5 Series Sedans in petrol and diesel variants and has a capacity to produce 3000 units per year on a single shift basis. If we trace back to the BMW history it will take us to early 20th century.In 1917 BMW was officially setup.It started with aircraft engines and later shifted to motorcycles and cars.And now its one of the best auto makers in thee world.

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The Swift won admirers with it sheer good looks, but what’s under the hood is no less impressive. The engine options available are the 1.2 Litre K-Series Petrol engine and the 1.3 Litre Diesel engine, equipped with the CRDI technology. Moreover, the gearshift is smooth as silk and is a joy to operate and the steering response is crisp. The color options for the Swift are Solid Bright Red, Metallic Garnet Orange, Pearl Metallic Arctic White, Metallic Ozone Blue, Metallic Silky Silver, Metallic Iridium Gold, Metallic Azure Grey, Metallic Midnight Black, etc. With launches like the Swift, it does not seem likely for any other competitors to replace Maruti as India’s most selling car manufacturer.

Specifications:

The interiors of the SX4 feels a bit cramped, especially for the passengers at the back with less leg space, and a small windscreen. There is a quarter glass at the front, which is not normally seen in modern designs. A neatly integrated in-dash music system comes as part of the standard package, and so are the steering-wheel-mounted controls for the music system. Maruti SX4 is powered by 1586cc, 4 cylinder petrol engine which develops maximum power 102bhp at 5500rpm with maximum torque of 154Nm at 4200rpm. It takes around 12 seconds to 100kph, but the high-end performance is not that impressive. The grip levels offered is great thanks to the large tyres, and you can throw the car into the corners, carrying a good amount of speed. Dual airbags, ABS, disc brakes keeps safety features in check. What do you make of the Maruti SX4. Have your say in the comments.

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Specifications:

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The car i10 comes with a choice of 2 engines : A 1.1L iRDE I4 and a 1.2L I4. A quick shifting 5-speed manual transmission and front-wheel-drive configuration is standard across the i10 model. The kappa engine in the hood of the i10 is the biggest reason for the car’s success. The kappa engine uses an aluminium cylinder block, and has improved power and reduced weight. ‘Impact-sensing auto door unlock system’ is another notable feature in the i10. This is a great addition, as in case of emergencies, the passengers can easily move out of the car. The gear lever is built into the centre console, leaving space between the front seats for a couple of cup holders – another good feature. The car scores highly in the safety front as well, with airbags(even in the standard model), ABS and EBD. As Hyundai was loosing it’s hold in the small car segment, with the Santro getting a little left-behind, the i10 has given the Korean manufacturers the much needed shot -in-the-arm.

Specifications:

The Tata trademark smiling grille is present in the Manza as well. The car differs from the Vista in the design of the headlights and indicators. Indigo Manza’s headlights are more bold looking with dual projector barrel shaped reflectors. Also the turn indicators are well integrated in the headlights. The tail lamp design is also innovative. The Manza sports angular shaped tail lamps. The instrument cluster also differs from the Vista, in that here the cluster is mounted behind the steering wheel, but in the Vista, it was centrally-mounted. Tata Manza diesel is certified by the ARAI to give a mileage of 21.02 kms to a litre, while the Manza Petrol is certified for a mileage of 14.5 kms to a litre. The shades available are Minimal Grey, Grey Noir, Monarch Red, Dew White, Infinity Black and Breeze Blue. There is a general belief that Tata’s cars, though priced lower than it’s competitors like the Swift Dezire, Fiat Linea, Mahindra Logan, they lack in finish and quality. Tata Motors hope to thwart such notions with the Manza, and seems to have done a pretty descent job with it. Let the sales charts speak now.

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Specifications:

The Ritz has been launched in two engine options – one petrol and one diesel. The petrol one is the recently launched 1197cc, 4 Cylinders, K12M engine which generates 85 Bhp at 5500 rpm and maximum torque of 117 Nm at 4200 rpm. Ritz Diesel comes with a common-rail diesel is 1248cc engine which develops maximum power of 75 bhp, manufactured at Manesar in India. All these engines will be mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The Ritz is available in eight shades – Superior White, Silky Silver, Fire Brick Red, Bakers Chocolate, Racing Green, Blue Blaze, Midnight Black, Glistening Grey.

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The boot space in the Ritz is admirable, for a small car. Also, there is a lot of head room in the car, so it would be apt even for taller passengers. The digital liquid crystal display (LCD) positioned in the lower half of the speedometer of Ritz and gives the driver additional information. Certain versions of the Ritz sports a separately-mounted tachometer. So far, the sales charts for the Ritz has shown impressive figures. Maruti Suzuki definitely needed to raise it’s game, with foreign manufacturers entering the Indian market big time, and the Ritz seems to be a step in the right direction.

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Japanese automakers Toyota and Honda are reeling under the after effects of mammoth recalls, stemming from sticky accelerator pedals and faulty brakes. Counting Suzuki as one, all three Japanese auto manufacturers are going through tough times. The incident is definitely a hit to Maruti Suzuki’s reputation, but at the same time, the company deserves appreciation for having owned up to it’s mistake, and taking necessary corrective action. Maruti’s share value went down by over 3% when the recall news broke out, but had the issue surfaced at some other point of time, the damage might have been bigger.