Hero MotoCorp

India’s leading two-wheeler company unveiled three of its new offerings that the firm will eventually introduce in the Indian market as a part of its 2012 line-up. After ending its 27-year long partnership with , the Indian firm is out on its own and is committed to keep its lead in the market unfazed and undeterred by the onslaughts from its rivals. The company has plans to further hike its production capacity from existing 6.1 million units to 6.5 million units by this year-end, distributed between its existing three facilities.

The reason for Hero MotoCorp to not partner with another firm and instead go solo is to put the Hero brand on the global map, for which it is critical for the firm to have presence in international markets with suitable products. As a result, the company is heavily investing into developing its R&D division and it has already tied-up with over 130 firms nationwide to help further expand the business.  Exports will definitely play an important role in helping Hero MotoCorp make its presence felt in global markets and the company has set sights on South Asian and Latin American markets as strong export territories. On the local front the company is ready with a plan to roll out about seven to eight different models/variants over the next few months, three of which the company showcased ahead of the 2012 Auto Expo. Below mentioned are all the details about the three new models from Hero MotoCorp.

Bajaj RE60 four

The Bajaj RE60 is modern India's answer to safe, convenient and economical commercial transport on the road

 

 

Four years after Bajaj Auto showcased its ‘small car’ at the 2008 Auto Expo, the two- and three-wheeler giant has unveiled what it calls the RE60. “It is not a car. It’s a four wheeler,” said Rajiv Bajaj while addressing the media at hotel Taj Palace in New Delhi.

The RE60 will be built at Bajaj Auto’s Aurangabad plant and the launch will take place in a few months from now. The company refused to divulge the price. However, it said that the RE60 will deliver close to 40 kmpl and emit only 60g/km of CO2, making it one of the most fuel-efficient and green vehicles in the market.

The RE60 caters to the commercial passenger segment and is designed to gradually replace the autorickshaw as a mode of transport. And the Bajaj MD has a point, as the RE60, complete with four wheels and doors, is a much safer and convenient mode of transport compared to the three-wheeler autorickshaw.

The four-wheeler will have a 200cc, water-cooled, fuel-injected DTSi engine that will put out roughly 20 PS of power but the light kerb weight of just 400 kgs gives the vehicle a power to weight ratio similar to A-segment cars in India. The engine is mounted at the rear of the four-wheeler and as a result boot space is limited to 44 litres.

 

 

MINI Cooper S : First Drive

 

 

There are a limited number of four wheeled machines on our planet that can deliver 'fun' by the truckload. Out of these machines, the ones that fall in the affordable category are even less, however if you were to conduct a survey on the one brand that tops this rather niche list, that name would most likely be MINI.

 

the original Mini (badged both as an Austin as well as a Morris and also on occasion a Wolseley!) was a compact car that was literally a lot smaller than any other hatch around at the time. It ran on small ten inch wheels (incidentally the same size as those sported by the Bajaj Chetak scooter!) and to many it looked like a toy car, however it proved its worth and rose to an iconic status (style, packaging, engineering, performance et al) over the years with everyone from all walks of life wanting to own one.
In fact the Mini has been rated as the second most influential car of the 20th century, bested only by the  Model T! The bottom line was that Mini offered something else from just being a car. It had a personality, a quirkiness that suited the common man and elite alike. Even the Beetles couldn’t stay away from the Mini, car and skirt alike! When spoken about, most Mini owners referred to their car with a personalized name, as if part of the family. Such was, and yet remains, the craze known as Mini, and even marketing gurus still find themselves hard pressed in trying to justify the vehicle’s meteoric run at the box office. It’s literally a brand like no other, and while it has been owned by many, it is  that has taken the brand to new heights literally by re-inventing it for the present day and age.