Jaguar C-X16 Concept voted "Most Exciting Car to be Launched in 2012"

Jaguar C-X16 Concept Car

Readers of What Car? magazine have voted the Jaguar C-X16 Concept as the model they would most like to see launched this year.

The award for the ‘Most Exciting Car to be Launched in 2012′ was received by Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, Jaguar Cars and Ian Callum, Director of Design from Chas Hallett, Editor-in-Chief of the What Car? magazine.

In his acceptance speech, Adrian Hallmark said the reaction to the Jaguar C-X16 car had been outstanding and he was grateful for the recognition. “We’re proud that the readers of What Car? share our enthusiasm for the Concept by voting in such numbers,” he said. “I would like to personally thank the readers and recognise the efforts of Ian Callum and our engineers in creating such an inspiring and beautiful sports car.”

On the Jaguar website, Hallmark describes the car the “compelling vision for a 21st century Jaguar sports car. It embodies the established Jaguar strengths of sensual design, animal-like agility and inspirational performance and combines these with attributes that set us on a course to create sustainable sports cars of the future.”

The C-X16 Concept is made using and aluminium structure and is also equipped with a hybrid drivetrain which enables it to achieve 0-62mph in just 4.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 186mph. The combined fuel efficiency of the concept is around 41mpg (17.5kmpl) while emitting 165g/km of CO2.



The prototype supercharged all-alloy V6 engine is capable of producing 280kW and 332lb ft (450Nm) of torque. Supplementing this is an electric motor producing 70kW and 235Nm (equivalent to 95PS and 173lb ft), available to the driver at the push of a steering-wheel boost button.

The VW up! was awarded the Car of the Year award with judges describing the small car as ‘the right car for the time’.

Source: The Manufacturer

Tata Motors Group global wholesales at 114,920 vehicles (27% up) in December 2011

The Tata Motors Group global wholesales, including Jaguar Land Rover, were 114,920 nos., in December 2011, higher by 27% over December 2010. Cumulative sales for the fiscal are 865,400 higher by 12% compared to the corresponding period in 2010-11.

Global sales of all commercial vehicles - Tata, Tata Daewoo and the Tata Hispano Carrocera range -- were 53,854 nos. in December 2011, a growth of 12%. Cumulative sales for the fiscal are 425,264 nos., a growth of 17%.

Global sales of all passenger vehicles were at 61,066 nos. in December 2011, higher by 45%. Cumulative sales for the fiscal are 440,136 nos., higher by 8%.



Global sales of Tata passenger vehicles and the distribution offtake in India of Fiat cars were at 30,085 nos., for the month, higher by 45% over December 2010. Cumulative sales for the fiscal are at 223,724 nos., lower by 3%.

Global sales of Jaguar Land Rover in December 2011 were at 30,981 vehicles, higher by 45% over December 2010. Jaguar sales for the month were 4,726 nos., higher by 9%, while Land Rover sales were 26,255 nos., higher by 54%. Cumulative sales of Jaguar Land Rover for the fiscal are 216,412 nos., higher by 22%. Cumulative sales of Jaguar are 39,921 nos., lower by 7%, while cumulative sales of Land Rover are 176,491 nos., higher by 31%.

Source: Tata Motors

Fiat-Tata JV to supply 100,000 diesel engines to Maruti Suzuki

Maruti Suzuki, the country’s biggest car maker, will buy 100,000 diesel engines a year for the next three years from the joint venture company of Fiat and Tata Motors.

Fiat and Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan, Maruti’s parent, have reached an agreement for the supply of Fiat’s 1.3-litre, multi-jet, Bharat-IV diesel engine, to be produced under licence by Fiat India Automobiles (FIAL). FIAL is a 50:50 joint venture between Italy’s Fiat Group Automobile SpA and Tata Motors, India’s biggest vehicle manufacturer.

The JV company, based in Pune, owns the Rs 4,500-crore engine and transmission plant located at Ranjangaon, near Pune. The supplies will commence from this month till 2015.



“The engine will be installed on Suzuki-branded vehicles produced in India by Maruti Suzuki India for the local market. The production of the engines will start in the fourth week of January at FIAL’s Ranjangaon plant,” stated a release by Fiat India.

MSIL’s plan to buy the engines from an alien company is driven by excessive demand for its diesel models such as the Swift, DZire, SX4 and Ritz. The limited supply of engines forced Maruti to restrict the diesel offering to only four models. New models such as the multi-purpose Ertiga will have a diesel engine option. All of Maruti’s current line of diesel models use the same 1.3-litre multi-jet engine. These supply volumes from Fiat will be in addition to the same engine already licensed by Fiat and manufactured by Suzuki Powertrain India.

Source: Business Standard

Tata Motors asked to make more disclosures on Iranian exports by US stock market regulator SEC

Tata Motors, which manufactures both luxury cars as well as trucks, has been asked by US stock market regulator Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to increase the level of disclosures pertaining to its operations in certain countries in the Middle East and Africa, and specifically in Iran, two people with knowledge of the matter said on condition of anonymity.



The Department of Global Security Risk, a division of the SEC, has written to Tata Motors seeking details of the company's exports to Iran and also asked the company to make more disclosures about the operations of its affiliates through which it carries out business in the Iranian market, according to the people quoted above.

A spokesperson for Tata Motors confirmed that the SEC has asked the company for more information on its exports to the Middle East and Africa when contacted by ET NOW. A spokesperson for the SEC said in an emailed response, "SEC staff on a regular basis review company filings and ask questions related to whether company disclosures are sufficient".

Tata Motors, whose American Depository Receipts (ADR's) trade on the NYSE, has asked for time till next week to respond to the SEC.

Iran is amongst countries facing sanctions from the US government and many federal agencies are closely monitoring the operations of companies in their jurisdiction that do business in the Iranian market.

Amongst such agencies is The Office of Foreign Assets Control or OFAC. Banks that do business in the US market often seek clearances from OFAC if they are lending to clients that have operations in countries facing sanctions.

However, a senior executive at a US-based bank which lends money to Tata Motors said it has never had any problems receiving OFAC clearances when giving loans to the company for its overseas operations but said he wasn't surprised that the SEC was seeking such disclosures.

Lenders that financed telecom major Bharti for its acquisition of Zain Africa had to seek OFAC clearances because the company had operations in countries with unstable political regimes.



Tata Motors draws 20% of its exports from the Middle East market and much of its exports to Iran are routed through Tata Daewoo, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Motors. Exports accounted for 6.5% of the company's total revenues in financial year 2010-2011.

Recently many Indian oil refiners including private companies such as Essar Oil and state-run companies such as Indian Oil Corporation have also reduced their dependence on crude supplies from Iran under directions from the Indian government.

Source: Economic Times

New 161hp 2.2-Liter Diesel for Jaguar XF Goes on Sale

Jaguar XF 2.2D

The new diesel engine for the XF will offer the same excellent efficiency but greater value for money.

A new lower output derivative of the existing 187hp 2.2-liter engine, which recently crossed the US averaging 62.9mpg, is set to be launched with the aim of delivering even greater value than before. However sales will be limited to the UK and Europe.The XF 2.2D is capable of accelerating from standstill to 62mph in 9.8 seconds and a top speed of 130mph, while it can achieve 52.3mpg and emits 149g/km of CO2.

An extensive range of standard equipment includes suedecloth and leather seats, a centrally-mounted touch screen display, electronic climate control and an eight-speed gearbox with automatic Stop/Start.UK Jaguar dealers are already taking orders on the new XF, which starts at £29,950 OTR, and the first deliveries will start in March.So Jaguar tested the XF 2.2 diesel in the US, went nuts publicizing it, and then ultimately decide not to sell it stateside?

Source: Car Buzz