INDIA CAR SALES POST FIRST GAIN IN 5 MONTHS ON RATES

India’s passenger-car sales climbed for the first time in five months in February as lower auto-loan rates spurred demand for the hatchbacks of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., Hyundai Motor Co. and General Motors Corp.

Sales rose 22 percent from a year earlier to 115,386, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers said in a statement today in New Delhi. Ten of 13 carmakers posted a gain while Renault SA, France’s second-largest carmaker, and Volkswagen AG’s Skoda Auto AS reported a drop.

Bloomberg

60 car launches planned through 2008

On offer would be everything from haute hatchbacks and green tech hybrids to adrenalin-dripping super premium luxe models. Not to mention the world’s cheapest automobile, the Rs 1 lakh people’s car from Tata Motors. As usual, the biggest action will be in the small car market where global best-sellers will rub shoulders with locally-developed tarmac scorchers. Maruti Suzuki will kick off the action with its Splash and A-Star concept, though the latter would be a predominantly export model. In the premium hatchback category, the Swift, Getz, U-VA troika will face competition from the likes of the Skoda Fabia and the Fiat Grande Punto, though all eyes would definitely be on the Rs 1-lakh car.

The Economic Times
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