Ford Records Highest ever Sales in India

Ford India registered its second highest sales month this year, selling 9,026 units an increase of 161% from October 2009. Ford India had sold 3458 units the same month last year. From January to October 2010 the company sold 72,078 units, an increase of 183% over the 25,386 units sold during the same period in 2009.


Figo crossed a significant milestone by selling 52,644 units. Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India, said, ”It is a proud moment for us to have recorded our second highest-ever monthly domestic sales this year. In addition, we exported more than 650 Figos to South Africa this month. Our October sales performance reflects the confidence our customers have in our products. We will continue to boost this morale further as we move forward.”

Tata Nano Gets Expensive

Tata Motors will hike price of its cheapest car Tata Nano by Rs. 9000 from Nov 01. The vehicle maker said in a statement the price rise was to partially neutralise the steep increase in input costs in the last two years.

“Tata Motors is taking a minor price increase on the Tata Nano, effective from November 1, to partially neutralise the steep increase in input costs in the last two years. The average increase is about Rs. 9,000 (ex-showrooms), with prices varying from city to city and model to model,” the company said in a statement.


So far Tata Motors has increased the rate of Nano only for one time. In July, 2010, company has hiked the Nano’s price ranging between Rs. 3,700 and Rs. 6,894 (based on ex-showroom, Delhi prices).

The company has tied up with 39 banks, NBFC, cooperative and grameen banks to offer customers with loans for purchasing the Tata Nano at attractive rates of interest. More such arrangements are in process. As a result of these tie-ups, the Tata Nano can be owned at an EMI of less than Rs 3,000.

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Toyota Prius Hybrid To Be Built in Thailand

Gas prices might not be high here in the Untied States currently, but they sure are in other countries and Toyota is reaping the benefits. The Priushybrid is selling so well, that Toyota is looking to extend production of the car to Thailand.

According to Japan’s Nikkei, Toyota would use Thailand as an export base for all of Southeast Asia. That might even include Japan, where the Prius has been the best-selling car for 15 straight months.

Thailand is currently building the Camry Hybrid, which should make it easy to expand Prius production. It will be so easy in fact, that production could begin by the end of this year. The car’s batteries and other various components will still come from Japan.

Currently, the hybrid is built in China and Japan. Toyota was going to bring production to the United States, but a slumping economy last year threw that plan into the grave.

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