Business Motor

Geely 1500cc sedan motorcar now in Sri Lanka

Geely car is manufactured by Geely International Corporation, a subsidiary of Geely Holding Group, the largest private car manufacturer in China and the exclusive authorized exporter of Geely brand of cars, are now in Sri Lanka.

MK series is the new vehicle series. Geely Group had invested billions of dollars, over 1,000 experts and engineering personnel to develop this series spending more than 36 months research.

This new MK integrates more elements of market and international fashion. It has more than 100-patented technologies, particularly in NVH for noiseless and international leading technology for chassis, which makes MK vehicle at the level of leading standard.

As the leader, for Geely cars to approach the global market, MK is certainly fully configured. Adhering to the idea of “human-oriented”, MK builds a whole safety system of active and passive in all directions for the driver.

MK adopted the latest version of the ABS and EBD systems from SABS who has international reputation in this field. These systems improve the performance of braking and stability of the vehicle to the world’s leading standard.

Geely International Corporation has appointed Hayashi Corporation Ltd as their sole agent and distributor in Sri Lanka for the latest MK Series of sedan car. Hayashi Corporation (Pvt) Ltd has been importing and distributing new and reconditioned motor vehicles from Japan, England and Singapore for the past 28 Years.

The current price reduction is to provide more benefits to the overseas consumers who will drive the MK vehicles more easily and satisfactorily. Geely International Corporation is now building service brand for Geely vehicles, and making the after-sales service close to the global standards.

Such price reductions are an important step for achieving the globalization strategy. It is also an important measure by Geely International Corporation to promote MK vehicles as the main vehicle to the overseas markets.

Geely Group is always forwarding to the globalization, not only the management, research, manufacture, sale, but also the service. Chinese vehicles would dominate the Sri Lankan market very soon.

“Already the Chinese trucks have captured the market. It’s due to the price and good quality,” a company official said.

It’s the style of the vehicles that impresses at first sight, fuel economy, and high ground clearance, all those you name are in these vehicles.

General Manager Customer Care, Mohan Fernando says that it has become the first choice among the government officers who are entitled for the importation of a motor vehicle under concessionary terms.

“With the recent revision of customs levies the total percentages of levies which was 58.5155% was reduced to 48.8040% thus Geely MK has became even cheaper”, he said.

Honda to launch Civic hybrid small car Jazz by ‘09

JAPANESE car Honda is betting big on India as it plans to enter the highly competitive compact car segment by 2009 with the launch of Jazz, its first hatchback in the country.

“We started with premium cars and gradually expanded the portfolio. With the entry into the compact cars, we will further strengthen our position,” Honda Motor Co CEO and President Takeo Fukui said here on the sidelines of Tokyo Motor Show.

A late entrant in the compact car segment in India, he, however, justified the delay saying the company needed to build up step by step which required massive investments.

Fukui said Honda could use India as an export hub for some select models if “it complemented with other global manufacturing places such as Thailand”, however, the priority of each operation would be to focus on their respective domestic markets.

He said in order for the Indian operation to become an export hub, there has to be production quality and cost competitiveness.

Honda Siel Car India (HSCI), the company’s joint venture with the Sriram group, is currently expanding capacity at its Greater Noida facility to one lakh units per year, besides setting up a greenfield facility at Rajasthan with an initial investment of Rs 1,000 crore having a starting capacity of 60,000 units.

“Once the facility is ready, we will roll out the Jazz, with a 1.2 litre engine from the plant. This will enable us to enjoy the excise benefit on small car,” HSCI President and CEO M Takedagawa said. PTI

Audi mulls A4 production in India

GERMAN luxury car major Audi today said it plans to increase local production of its models in India, with its sedan A4, which could be the next one to be manufactured there.

“The Indian market is small for us now but it has the potential to grow bigger... We may locally produce the A4 model as well,” Audi AG CEO Rupert Stadler said here on the sidelines of Tokyo Motor Show.

He said the company has already started local production of its A6 sedan at the facility of Skoda, which is also a part of the Volkswagen Group.

The company sells its various models including the A8 and the SUV Q7 through the import route.

Asked about the targets in India, he declined to commit an exact figure but said the premium segment market in India has been growing fast and offered a good opportunity.

Competitors like Mercedes and BMW have been scaling up targets, which he describes “as a reflection of the growth” in the top end of segment.

The company has also brought in its sports coupe TT in India as it expanded its line up in India.

Stadler said the company would continue to introduce its global premium products in future but mostly through the import route. PTI

Tokyo motor show opens

JAPAN, The 40th Tokyo Motor Show opened here Friday, featuring over 70 world premiers and over 100 Japan premiers while emphasizing fun, cuteness and eco-friendliness.

Automakers from Japan, the United States, Britain, Germany and eight other countries and regions displayed some 520 passenger and commercial automobiles, motorcycles at the exhibition with a theme f “Catch the News, Touch the Future.”

Toyota Motor Corp. launched eight models of dream cars, representing a wide range of green energy and design options.

Among them, the roofless i-Real robotic single-seat vehicle can e driven on streets or sidewalks. When it senses people or objects close by, it sounds a warning and vibrates to let the driver know what’s around.