Italian carmaker targets sales of 15-20 cars this year; Mumbai showroom to open doors in October.

Ferrari today marked the start of its second innings in India with the launch of the California T. The Italian carmaker is very optimistic about its return and has made customer focus its top priority.

Ferrari ran into rough waters during its previous stint in India as its previous Indian distributor, Shreyans Group, earned a reputation for duping customers. As a result, many Ferrari owners faced trouble servicing their cars.

However, the carmaker, which has appointed Navnit Motors in Mumbai and Select Cars in Delhi as its new dealers, is now doubly cautious and has promised to look after disgruntled owners.

“Firstly, we had to take care of our existing customers. We have addressed their problems by taking up their issues on a case-by-case basis directly with the factory. We flew in technicians from Italy to service each one of their cars to make sure they are fully happy and can use them,” Aurelien Sauvard, sales coordinator, Ferrari Middle-East and Africa, said.

“We have appointed two new dealers in Delhi and Mumbai. They have training, in both after-sales and sales, and fully functioning service stations. Now we will ensure the new dealers do their homework and make the best out of this brand, out of this market,” Sauvard said, adding that he expects the market for sports cars in India to expand in the near term and that the company is targeting sales of 15-20 cars this year. Ferrari has sold around 45-50 cars in India so far.

Moreover, the carmaker also said that it is planning to launch another new model globally in December.

The newly appointed Ferrari dealer in Mumbai, Navnit Motors, is expected to open its showroom located in Bandra Kurla Complex, in October this year. The Ferrari range starts at Rs 3.45 crore for the California T, going up to Rs 4.87 crore for the F12 Berlinetta. Other models on sale include the 488 GTB, Ferrari 458 Spider and Ferrari 458 Speciale( all prices ex-showroom, Mumbai).

Courtesy : Autocar

Booking amounts vary between Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000; dealers promise delivery by end-September.

With the festive season drawing near, it seems that Renault are readying to launch the Kwid entry level crossover hatchback soon. Dealer in certain cities have already started accepting bookings for the new entry level hatchback while dealers in other cities are expected to follow suit soon. Booking amounts vary from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 depending on location.

The Kwid will be the first model of its kind in the entry level hatchback segment, a crossover. The crossover look is not just limited to the body cladding, the Kwid also gets further SUV-ish styling details like 180mm ground clearance and almost Duster like protruding front bumper, creased bonnet and rear fender flairs.

Inside, the the Kwid gets a simple design uncluttered dashboard with an all-digital instrument cluster, centrally located air-con and power window controls and high set air-con vents. The top trim is expected to get a 6.0-inch infotainment system with USB and aux connectivity located between the air-con vents and the air-con’s control knobs. The boot space is expected to be class leading.

Mechanically, the Kwid will be powered by a 800cc petrol motor mated to a manual transmission though a larger capacity 1.0-litre motor and AMT gearbox are in the works for a future introduction.

As per dealers, deliveries for the Kwid are expected to start sometime in end-September though there is yet no official word about the launch date or pricing though expect it be be somewhere in the region of Rs 3-4 lakh (ex-showroom).

Courtesy :  Autocar

The one-off turbocharged California T Vettel Edition is a work of Ferrari's Tailor Made division.

Ferrari has developed a unique California T called the Vettel Edition. Spotted in Italy, the turbocharged Vettel Edition showcases the craftsmanship of Ferrari's Tailor Made division. It gets a red paint scheme for the body and disk-brake callipers. The roof, the rear-view mirrors, side skirts and wheels are in black and the side skirts get a white trim. The front fender gets the prancing horse sticker, as seen on Ferrari's F1 cars.

The red and black theme continues all the way into the interiors, along with the colours of the Italian flag on the steering wheel and the buttons on the centre console. From the images released, the passenger side seems to get the option of a fire extinguisher kit enclosed in a black leather box.

Ferrari is yet to divulge any technical details of the Vettel Edition. The Ferrari California T Vettel Edition is expected to make its official debut at the 2015 Belgium Grand Prix.

Courtesy : Autocar

Premium SUVs to be developed alongside the F-Pace; larger seven-seater SUV models unlikely

With the F-Pace expected to launch internationally early next year, Jaguar is planning a line-up of SUVs to be offered alongside the F-Pace, with the smallest model in the family likely to rival the Mini Countryman and Audi Q1. It is however unlikely that the model range will extend above the F-Pace, with larger seven-seater models.

Company insiders have confirmed to our sister publication Autocar UK that Jaguar is readying not one, but a family of SUVs which will be positioned below and above the F-Pace in future. This could also lead to the development of coupé derivatives of the SUV, as seen with other prominent automakers such as BMW with the X6 and Mercedes with the new GLE Coupé.

Jaguar is unlikely to confine the new family of SUVs to just sporty-looking designs and the company is also expected to develop R and SVR models of the same, which could be marketed as technical flagships.

Jaguar has also all but confirmed an electric SUV with Jaguar design director Ian Callum saying “It’s coming” when asked about the electric Jaguar. It is expected to be built at the Magna Steyr factory in Austria with JLR having confirmed that it is shifting models out of its UK facilities to free up production capacity.

Courtesy : Autocar

Starting with the California T, Ferrari complete range will be available in India; bookings are currently underway.

Ferrari’s return to India is set to officially take place on August 26. The legendary sportscar maker will reveal the California T which, at Rs 3.3 crore (ex-showroom, Mumbai), will be the most affordable Ferrari an enthusiast can own.

The Ferrari California T is a GT convertible model, and the name is a throwback to the fabled Ferrari California models of the 1950s and 60s. It is powered by a 552bhp 3.9-litre bi-turbo V8 engine, and gets a feature called variable boost management, which delivers varying torque levels in different gears (increased torque at higher gears). The tech gives a sense of continuous rising acceleration as is typical of Ferraris, and eliminates turbo lag to a great extent.

Two new Ferrari dealerships – one in Mumbai and the other in Delhi – are currently being set up, while bookings are already open. In fact, reports suggest that the limited quota of the models for this year are already sold out, and the brand is now accepting bookings for 2016.

Alongside the California T, Ferrari will retail its entire line-up in India, barring the LaFerrari hypercar. Sitting at the top of the range is the F-12 Berlinetta, at Rs 4.72 crores. The prices for all the Ferrari models are just base asking rates, and the final amount is likely to vary depending on accessories and options chosen.

Ferrari's previous stint in India came to an end because of differences with the distributor, Shreyans Group.

Courtesy : Autocar.