Thursday, April 7, 2016

The Rise of Mahindra

When Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) launched their XUV 300, their beautiful SUV was the toast of the town. At that time, in a small seminar at Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, their Director of Corporate Communication was called to speak on Branding. Naturally, questions were flying fast & furious!

One student then asked when Mahindra would make cars. The eminent lady turned to the student and told him that Mahindra would never make cars. That’s not the Mahindra brand.

M&M yesterday launched its latest SUV – the NuvoSport, giving a further boost to its leadership position in the UV segment!





The NuvoSport is all that a car owner or should I say, automobile owner, would want in a compact SUV- best in class width and height, AMT technology for clutch-free driving,  a 1.5-litre diesel engine that delivers 74.6 kW (100 bhp) of power and torque of 240 Nm, flexible 5+2 seating, a unique adjustable and reclining 2nd row, plush dual tone interiors, faux leather upholstery, a 6.2” Touchscreen Infotainment System, ABS with EBD and dual airbags available as options right from the base variant and standard from the mid variant upwards.


What you need to admire about Mahindra is that they have kept their 4-wheelers true to their DNA that is reflected in their Brand Identity. They stand for tough utility vehicles. Or at least they look tough, like the baby from the stable KUV 100 (Kool Utility Vehicle One Double Oh).

Their future flagship will be the Aero coupe-like SUV. Unveiled at the Delhi Auto Expo 2016, the aggressive styling reflects Mahindra's futuristic design concept, with inputs from Pinninfarina, the Italian auto design house, acquired in December 2015. 

With seven decades in the UV business beginning with the Willys, Mahindra has come a long way! This is the auto brand to watch.


Friday, April 1, 2016

The Car that Might Change the World


Imagine getting 135,000 bookings for a car on the very first day of the launch! With the car not hitting the roads in the US before 2017! Thats the Tesla Model 3 for you!

Elon Musk has finally unveiled the Tesla Model 3 on 31st March 2016 to a world waiting with baited breath. Elon Musk says the Model 3 is the high volume, low cost electric car Tesla has been working to since its inception - and the first Tesla for the masses. Hence, this car is more important for Tesla than the Model S saloon or the Model X SUV. 







The buzz was so much that people lined up outside dealerships just to put down a $1000 deposit for booking one. By the time Musk unveiled a Model 3 at the sprawling Space X campus here in Hawthorne, California, 115,000 customers had put their money down!




When the Model S was introduced in 2012, it had everything most people would ever want in a car—roomy, comfortable, practical, quick, and reliable. In fact, Motor Trend and Automobile Magazine called it the car of the year in 2013. Tesla has steadily improved the Model S in different areas such that 0-60 mph comes in an incredible 2.8 seconds! In October 2015, it introduced the Model X, a handsome, falcon-winged SUV based on the Model S. 

But to change the world, one must have a car that you can sell to everyone. Át $35,000, the Model 3 promises to do just that. Inside, the new car feels just like the Model S and X—sleek and minimalist. The whole roof is glass, which makes any sunroof look like a peephole. And Tesla’s trademark enormous center console screen—here 15 inches instead of the usual 17—has been flipped to sit horizontally.



Doing 0-60 mph under 60 seconds, going 2015 miles before the next recharge, having a 5-star safety rating as well as autopilot safety features, the Model 3 might just be in Musk's words that "you will not be able to buy a better car for $35,000".


Now, we wait and watch to see the disruption it will cause in the industry.