The CarWale Daily Fuel – May 29, 2012

• The fourth quarter net profit of Tata Motors is expected to increase 47 per cent year on year to amount Rs 3880 crore. The net profit in consideration is for the consolidated Tata Motors accounts that includes Jaguar and Land Rover and its Chinese joint venture. Though the domestic (India) sales of Tata Motors are showing very slow growth, the JLR sales fueled by the runaway hit, Evoque, along with the favorable rupee value have contributed towards the numbers.
• Tata Motors have also signed an agreement with AGI, Myanmar to supply both passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles to the Asian country. Tata Motors is looking forward to diversify into new markets to balance the markets fluctuations.
• Maruti Suzuki and Ford are mulling even smaller engines with better efficiency figures to counter the rising fuel costs in the Indian sub-continent. This would help keeping the emission figures below the required standards and help them achieve the 2015 fuel efficiency targets set by the government of India.
• The government has denied diesel costs increase for the time being but a tax hike on diesel cars seems more likely. The diesel cars will become even more expensive as the auto manufacturers are already pricing diesel cars at a good premium over their petrol versions.
• Volkswagen is studying the market feasibility of its global hit Up! for the Indian market while its sibling, the Skoda Citigo has already set a target for its sales in India. Skoda's product marketing manager Chris Horrell said that given the sales volumes of hatchbacks and competitor numbers, the Citigo should sell around 8000 units at least annually.
• Anand Mahindra has tweeted that the Reva NXR will be launched in India before the end of this year. The Reva NXR launch is expected to be announced right after the government policy announcement on subsidy for electric cars.
• The India bound Ford EcoSport has started testing in Brazil where it is headed first.  The EcoSport will be launched in Africa and China before its India launch in 2013.
• BMW will launch the new 7 series in the UK starting at GBP 58,115 (Rs 50.5 lakh without taxes).
• Porsche has unveiled a limited edition 911 Club Coupe to celebrate 60 years of the first Porsche clubs (two of them) that were started in 1952. Based on the 911 Carrera, the car develops 430Bhp and does a 0-100 kmph sprint in 4 seconds. Only 13 cars will be made of which only 12 will be sold to lucky applicants whose names will be drawn out of the application list. The brewster green car with expresso interiors will have each owner's name engraved on the door sill and will be sold at $175,580 (approx Rs 96 lakh) before taxes.
• Skoda has released teaser pictures of the new European Rapid, Skoda's affordable sedan for the EU, before its unveiling at the Paris Motor Show. Showing off its design cues, Skoda is generating a build up ahead of its launch.
• Proton has announced that it will not sell the troubled Lotus after the CEO of Lotus, Dany Bahar was suspended last week. Proton is looking forward to revive the Lotus group of companies with help from the British government.

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