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2009 Vehicle Color Popularity (India & Global) from DuPont

Sushil — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:07:22 +0000

Dupont has published their annual studies of vehicle color popularity data for 2009. Am really happy to see that for the second year in a row India has warranted its own data collection and analysis. Till 2007 India was not considered separately and the closest was Asia which had data from Japan ! Shows India has reached a stage where the data coming from it is meaningful on a global scale.

: India 2008-2009 Vehicle Color Popularity

For India as indicated in the graphy above Silver still is the most popular color followed by white, red and blue. Last year White was the most popular closely followed by silver. Other colors constituted less than 6% each. Unfortunately DuPont has not released the breakup by other colors this time around.

On the global scenario silver is still the most popular color followed by black, white, gray and blue. Below is the trend of color popularity for the past 10 years.

: Global Colors Popularity 2000- 2009

The full DuPont report is here.

10 Tips for Child Car Safety

Sushil — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:16:09 +0000

: Image by Pink Sherbet Photography via Flickr

I usually park my car in such a way that I have to back the car into the spot. Every time I do so, I worry that someone from my family will be behind the car and I may hit them by mistake. This fear has grown ever since my son started walking a couple of months ago.

I saw this on the net: Miracle Baby Pinned Under SUV Survives Unharmed. I proceed to freak out even more. The story referenced a website called: http://kidsandcars.org/ which seems to be a site collecting and maintaining statistics of children injured/killed in accidents involving automobiles. Their statistics reveal that of all fatalities involving children from 2002 – 2007 the top 3 reasons were:

44% were due to “back overs” (backing up over a child)
17% was due to “front overs” (opposite of back over)
16% due to Hyperthermia.

Having freaked myself out enough – I started to worry that since this is not tracked well in the US which usually has statistics of everything, the statistics in India would be very different. I do not even want to think of it since it will be more gruesome than the US statistics. Rather than think about that I thought maybe I should put together some tips for parents / drivers.

Tips for vehicle drivers with little children around:

Check for small children hiding/playing immediately in front of , behind or under the car before starting. Always!
Secure children inside the car in child seats or have adults who are secured with a seat-belt hold the child (India specific – since the usage of car seats is minimal). Child car seats are best kept in the rear seat away from airbags if present in the car. When held by an adult make sure their heads are away from window panes since bumps on the roads could cause their heads to hit the glass. If asleep they should either be held by an adult -not left on the seat alone.
Children should never be allowed to stand inside(in the middle of the seats etc.) a moving vehicle since sudden stops could cause them to fall.
Children should not be allowed to sit/lie down in the luggage area of hatchbacks or SUVs where there are no proper seats.
Never leave children in vehicles alone. Parental supervision is a must. Doesn’t matter if it is hot or cold or whatever in between. (Recently a car was stolen from near the Chennai airport with 2 children in it – thief lead police on a chase until he was finally stopped.)
Enable the power window locks and child locks on the doors to ensure that children cannot open the doors/windows unless under adult supervision. If the windows are to be kept open (no A/c or non-working a/c) make sure the children’s hands and feet are always in the car and never outside.
Keep enough toys/food/water in the car and always have an adult to keep them entertained and busy to prevent them from crying/distracting the driver thereby causing an accident.
Check for little hands and feet when opening/closing doors/windows/trunks/bonnets/tailgates etc. Applies when sliding/folding seats/gloveboxes/cigarette lighters as well.
Do notallow children who are not old enough to drive a vehicle.
Drive carefully, within speed limits, follow all rules, be courteous to other motorists and set a good example to the young impressionable minds in the car.

Request: Dear readers – have I missed any key tips ? Please doadd more tips through the comments – I need your help to build this list up. Please do share these tips with parents of small children who may find it useful as well.

Automatic Cars under 16 lakhs

Sushil — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:14:43 +0000

: paddle shifter

Indian customers have limited choice in transmission options. Most Indian manufacturers have decided to provide manual transmissions because of our well known obsession with the mileage of vehicles. This has resulted in a state where only a minute number of cars feature auto transmissions.

This is the list of vehicles priced under 16 lakhs on road listed in order of increasing price:

Maruti Suzuki A-Star VXI AT(4 Speed)
Hyundai I10 (4 speed)
Hyundai I20 1.4 Gamma – PL (AT) (4 speed)
Reva Maini (CVT)(Electric)
Hyundai Verna 1.5 SX CRDi VGT Automatic (4 speed) - (Diesel)
Maruti Suzuki SX4 ZXI AT( 4 speed)
Honda City(4 speed with paddle shift)
Volkswagen Vento Highline 1.6 (6 speed)
Scorpio VLX AT(6 speed) (Diesel)
Toyota Corolla(4 speed auto)
Honda Civic (5 speed with paddle shift)
Chevrolet Cruze (6 speed)(Diesel)( at the outer border of 16L )

The number of vehicles over 16 lakhs with automatic gearboxes is significantly higher.

Common Myths regarding Auto transmissions:

Low on power/pickup: Myth. The auto transmission doesn’t have as much intelligence as a human and can perform to a certain limit of options as designed. It may not have the intelligence to shift down a gear for overtaking or shift as quickly up to a higher gear for cruising as desired by drivers used to driving manual transmissions with control over the gear used. Once you get used to the way the transmission performs you will be better able to drive it optimally. You will need to learn to stamp down on the accelerator or ease off it depending on how you want to go. CVTs are better than regular automatics and within regular automatics the larger the number of speed ratios supported the better since the engine RPMs are better set with multiple ratios than a few ratios.
Low on mileage: Partly True. Automatics are slightly more thirsty than their manual counterparts but this is usually do to a combination of slightly higher vehicle weight and poor awareness of the way to drive an automatic. How much lower is the mileage usually depends on the vehicle and the driver but usually the difference would not be more than a difference of 2 to 3 KMPL lower at the max. The difference would come down with sedate driving and careful braking and starting.
Very Costly: Partly true. Automatics are currently around 40,000 or more costlier than a comparable equivalently specced manual. Our manufacturers have traditionally offered automatics only on their highest trim levels of cars. If automatic transmissions were made available on even the entry level trims with just an air conditioner am really sure the response for them would be much better. Pairing them up with diesel engines would make them even more desirable. Currently a lot of people buying automatics go in for adding on LPG/CNG kits.
Automatics are not fun to drive: Myth. Agreed they are not as responsive as a manual transmission but there is nothing like the comfort of driving an automatic in peak city traffic. You get to relax from constantly changing gears and concentrate on moving without hitting anything or getting hit. The few cars that come with steering column mounted paddle shifters are fun to drive without the hassle of manual shifting.

When should you get an automatic ?

If you are spending a lot of time in peak traffic requiring stop and go movements.
You drive your own vehicle
You are new to driving and just cannot get the hang of clutch and gear and brake and accelerator
You have only driven automatics till now.
You are ok with sedate driving and do not require the fine level of control possible with manual transmissions.
You refuse to let a driver drive
You have foot pain or a physical condition that prevents usage of a manual transmission.

When you should not get an automatic:

If you are concerned about vehicle cost and cost of fuel more than ease of driving.
You are very concerned about performance
You do not drive in peak traffic at all and have only empty roads where you need to go or you have a driver and just do not drive.

Auto Clutch ?
What about the much advertised auto-clutch conversion kits for manual transmissions that costs anywhere between 25k to 40k ? My only advice is first check if the dealer of the kit provides a guarantee and service in your city? Also get it done only if you have no choice as I would choose a factory fitted transmission any day over a bolt on mainly from the point of view of a factory warranty over a installer warranty.

Manufacturer Blabber:
Manufacturer Support for automatics has been very reluctant in India with the obsession with mileage.As of today Hyundai is the only manufacturer that provides an automatic option for all segments of vehicles it provides(I10,I20,Verna,Sonata) . The dealers are usually reluctant to sell you an automatic. They have been advertising the Verna Automatic which is a segment first and that too in diesel trim.

Maruti will dissuade you against buying the automatic vehicles. They will try their best to sell an automatic Grand Vitara on the other hand which no one wants in its Manual version itself. Strangely Suzuki which sells automatics in every other market in the world in India as part of Maruti keeps insisting that there is no market for it and hasn’t been serious with auto transmissions.

Wishlist & In Summary: I think there is definitely a market for small fuel efficient automatics, mainly diesels in all segments. Any hatchback car that has the Multijet diesel engine from Fiat is a good candidate to get an automatic box. They have adequate power and already provide great mileage so will not suffer much from having an automatic box.
Tata and Fiat need to look into automatic options soon to stay abreast of competition as the currently have ZERO vehicles with automatic transmissions.
Mahindra has the automatic on the Scorpio but need to start providing more options on the Xylo, Logan and Bolero soon.
Maruti – please wake up and add automatic versions to the Swift, Ritz and DZire diesels – please – and price them well !
Ford – the new Fiesta could do with an automatic with the new 90 BHP diesel as well.

PS: This post was actually put together around the same time as my I10 post but I delayed putting this up.Do you know what car has the steering wheel & gear lever pictured in the images in this post ? . The answers are in my post itself.

Updated: March 10th,2011 and added the Maruti Suzuki, A-Star,Chevrolet Cruze,SX4 , Vento. Also removed the Wagon R AX as it is no longer sold. Also added the below list of costlier (greater than 16L) automatic options.

Vehicles costing just over higher than 16L :

Hyundai Sonata CRDI AT (4 Speed) (Diesel)
Skoda Laura AT (6 Speed) (Diesel)
Ford Endeavour 3.0L 4×2 AT (5 Speed)(Diesel)
Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara (4 Speed)
Chevrolet Captiva LTZ AWD AT(5 Speed)(Diesel)
Skoda Superb 1.8 TSI AT (7 speed)

Which car is better – the Ritz or the Swift ?

Sushil — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:58:24 +0000

I test drove the Maruti Suzuki Ritz ZXI (Petrol) last weekend. I am comparing it to the Swift as I think customers will find it tough to decide between these two cars from Maruti.

Exteriors:

I like the front and the front 3 quarter view. Looks like a mature grown up Swift !
To get used to the rear I may have to start drinking something stronger than non-alcoholic beverages and quite a bit of it as well till my vision blurs. The rear doesn’t look too bad when the car has wider tires (like on the ZXI) and also when it is on the move. When stopped and up close it does look a oddish nice kind of strange.
The side view is interesting till the C pillar – then almost like the designers ran out of paper/screen space while making the drawing they stopped with a vertical line and ended the rear !
You will tire of hearing about the “boomerang” shaped tail lights from the dealer sales person very quickly. You would wish you had a real boomerang to fling at the sales guy. The tail lamps are pulled inwards and a strange window lineof the side windows is seen when viewed from the full straight rear position.
The exterior door handles, ORVMS are the same/very similar as the Swift. Rear bumper fog lamp looks similar.
The bonnet seems higher than the Swift. Good for gently tapping errant pedestrians and accounts for better pedestrian safety for sure.

Here is a side by side comparison of the Swift (my own car) and the Ritz exteriors.
Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment
Interiors:

The seating position is a bit higher than in the Swift and seats feel the same. Almost like sitting on a cushion and driving the Swift.

The front quarter glass was a nice touch and helps a bit with visibility up front but there is still a huge blind spot at the A-pillar. Otherwise front visibility is good.

Visibility from the back will take some getting used to as the rear glass seems a bit small.

Rear wash/wipe & defogger only on the ZXI (just like the Swift).

The space saved by moving the gear lever in front isn’t used for anything.

The outside rear view mirrors are well placed, right sized and useful.

Lot of the interior is borrowed/shared with the Swift but still some cost cutting seems to have been there. Indicator/Wiper stalks, steering wheel, door locks & power window switches are all the same. Ashtray is the same. Gear lever knob is almost the same. Interior roof light seems the same.

The open glove box in addition to the closed one on the ZXI with the airbags is very useful – something the Swift ZXI doesn’t have and wastes space because of the airbags. The coin holder and storage space on the top of the dashboard is also good. Glove box seems similar in size to the Swift.

The front door pockets have storage space for bottles. There is only one central console mounted cup holder.

The steering mounted stereo controls are good but a bit annoying till u get used to them since they are in the spot the horn is on my car. Instead of honking I found myself increasing the stereo volume or muting the stereo without wanting to. The buttons seem a bit delicate and fiddly. More video game like than car like.

The increased head room allows 3 people to sit a lot more comfortably at the back than in a Swift. Legroom in the back was more than adequate. Feels more spacious than the Swift.

Luggage space was almost the same as the swift. If you want to carry a lot of luggage you should look at other vehicles possibly sedans. The 60:40 split is possibly the only saving grace of this car – I really wish the Swift had this.

The two tone dashboard was of a slightly vague light blue-grey color. I didn’t care for it too much. Matching colors to the exterior would have made sense but someone at Suzuki likes that weird color of blue.

The front under seat storage is a joke. Very small and without a lock. A newspaper and a magazine may just fit into it. If it were metal it could have been used to bake brownies – it was shaped like that.

Air conditioning seemed just about adequate (maybe the larger glass areas and lack of tints on the Demo car and the hot summer sun was a factor). I may have been spoilt by driving around with climate control and dark tinted small windows in the Swift. Blower fan gets noisy at “3″ position. The side vents close fully and are a design different from the Swift. The climate control is the only key feature missing on the Ritz that the Swift has.

Drive & Handling:

It took some time to get used to the gear shifter because it is positioned almost a half a foot ahead of the gear shifter in the Swift/most cars. The gear shifter felt really good and the shifts were very precise – even better than the Swift. For people with multiple cars this gear shift will be a difficult to get used to, especially when you have to switch cars daily. On the move the car is very silent and the engine barely lets you know it is on and running and at idle it was very silent. It did make some minimal noise when pushed but for it to move you have to push it past 3000 RPM. The older Swift engine would be screaming a nice song at 3K RPM.

Clutch, brake & accelerator pedals are the same as the Swift. Clutch is light and easy to use.

First gear seemed ok enough but the 2nd gear seemed a bit lethargic and the 3rd gear seemed pretty decent. I barely managed to get to 4th before I had to shift down because of traffic. By then the TD was over and we were back at the dealership.

The separate tachometer was a bit distracting in my view. Maybe since I am used to a tachometer next to the speedometer.

The ride was smooth and handled rough patches of road without too much noise and without losing balance. It didn’t feel top heavy like the Wagon-R does when taking turns at speed. The wider stance has to be thanked for it.

Visibility out front is very good and maneuvering the car in traffic is easy. Of course it is not an 800 but easy enough to drive.

Dealership/OEM Updates:

There seems to be sufficient interest in the car at the dealership and there was a steady stream of people coming to do test drives. Was almost knocked down by an 80 year old man and his wife who were rushing to TD the Ritz. This couple was doing the TD after finalizing the deal for buying the car !!!!! The people coming to TD the Ritz seem to primarily be ones who are married and have a family.

The dealer also mentioned that Maruti is forecasting long delays on all other vehicles other than the A-Star, Ritz and SX4 to make sure the sales of these continues. They are also trying as much as possible to not take bookings of any vehicle other than the above mentioned 3 cars. Even test drives of other vehicles are not being done ! I think this may backfire and cause people to defect to Hyundai , Tata and other manufacturers. Need to wait and see how well the Ritz is received and also if Hyundai and Tata sales go up because of Maruti.

Which one is better ?
There is no binary answer to this question. The Ritz is better than the Swift because of its fuel efficient, lighter, newer engine, interior space, features. The Swift is better than the Ritz for its looks, sporty responsive drive, slightly better trim level and features. Both seem to have their good features.

If you want a new car that does everything well, has seating space for 5 and will offend no one – take the Ritz.
If you have dreams of up-sized/wide alloys rims, low profile tires, spoilers, body kits, vinyl stickering and sports tuning then go for the Swift.

Test drive both and then just flip a coin and choose whichever one. You win with either of the two !

PS: Thanks to Senthil for the photos !

What features do you think all manufacturers should copy ?

Sushil — Sun, 31 May 2009 15:01:26 +0000

The latest Auto Car India has an article on features that manufacturers provide which are not useful in India. Reading that lead me thinking about good features that manufacturers should copy and introduce on all vehicles (since they are anyway copying from each other). This list is primarily from vehicles under 15 lakhs (mostly can be found on vehicles less than 8 lakhs in price).

Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment
Interiors/Comfort/Convenience

Flat dashboard with non reflective surface and anti skid surface allowing small items to be placed there without sliding around
A/C vents that can be fully closed
Coin holders with soft inside lining that doesn’t rattle
Sunglasses holder
Cell phone holder on central console/dashboard
Glove box big enough to hold more than just a few papers with soft lining to prevent rattling
Cooled Glove box
Central console/dashboard space big enough to hold Cd’s
Front passenger under seat storage. Has to be reasonably sized – otherwise don’t bother. If it is lockable even better.
Storage space for 1 litre bottles in door pockets.
Netting in boot for luggage/straps
Clutch foot rest
Clutch lock that requires clutch to be pressed before cranking engine
Follow home lighting and theatre style dimming of cabin lights.
Lighted ignition key slot on the dashboard and easy to see rather than on the steering column (I know the photo does not have it on the dashboard).
Keys that have remote lock/unlock built in.
Valet keys that do not open the boot or lockable glove box. You can give these to the valet without worry of your valuables.
60:40 split rear seats with adjustable tilt
Double/flat folding rear seats for storage
Fully flat reclining front seats – dangerous since they do not secure the passenger in case of an accident or sudden stop, but good for pulling over to the side of the road and catching some Zs.
Adjustable seat belt height
Height adjustable headrests front and rear
Steering mounted audio controls that can work with all stereos !
Power windows and remote central locking
Lighted power window and other switches
Auto up/down power windows
Power windows that close automatically when the vehicle is locked
Anti -pinch power windows
Stain proof fabric for seats.
Height adjust for driver seat
Pedal reach adjust – helpful for short drivers
Arm rest for drivers seat and for rear passengers. Armrests with storage space are useful to stow small items.
Access to boot through rear seat armrest/console
Rear seat/Boot hooks for shopping bags
Power adapter in luggage bay/ in reach of rear passenger
Middle row tray tables for SUVs/MUVs
Sliding middle row seats that move back for more legroom in SUVs & MUVs.
Flat folding 3rd row seats for SUVs/MUVs
Anti glare rear view mirrors

Exterior

Blind spot convex mirrors.
Parking sensors front and rear. I wish there were side sensors too (rear camera optional).
Roof Rails: Contrary to what ACI says I think Roof Rails for luggage are needed more for hatchbacks than for sedans or SUVS since they have minimal boot space. Well integrated good looking roof rails like the ones on the Chevy Spark but with additional rails to make it functional would make hatchbacks a really practical option for people on a budget not wanting to spend an extra lakh or so for boot space that is used a few times a year.
Under body rust proofing & cavity rust proofing from manufacturer included in warranty. Why nag us with it later for every service
Well integrated rubber “rubbing” strips around. Body color or close to it would be best.
Grab type exterior door handles
Tilt steering wheel
Lighted engine bay and luggage areas
Rear defogger and wash and wipe
Outside rear view mirrors on the driver and passenger side should be made mandatory

Engine /Technology

Distance to empty indicator and rpm and speed ranges for maximum mileage. (“Green” driving performance indicators may be too much to ask for but would be good to have.)
Tachometers for all trim levels. Teach people to drive for mileage and performance.
Automatic time based switch off of roof lamps and headlamps if engine is off unless a specific override like keeping doors open is present.
Micro hybrid technology for all cars. Retrofit kits for existing cars if possible
Hands free in-car blue tooth kits.
Have ABS standardized on all trims. Lowered cost if it is mass produced.
Speedometer linked audio systems (automatically reduces volume at lower speeds by a little bit)
Speed sensitive steering
Radio antenna integrated into rear windshield glass
Cruise control for highways. (ACI believe it or not, 0n some of the highways in India we can actually use cruise control.)
Central locking which lets you open the doors and hatch/trunk without requiring you to stop the car and give the key to someone, especially for security checks at offices and hotels.
Tire pressure monitoring systems
Make tubeless tires standard.

Dear Readers:
Can you identify the cars whose features I have listed ? (At least the ones in the pictures I have used.)
Any good features you have come across that I have missed ?

Source of images: Maruti, Hyundai, Mahindra, Skoda & Ford product websites.

Indian Super Hatches Comparison

Sushil — Sat, 16 May 2009 13:23:03 +0000

The market segment of feature filled large size hatchbacks in India is becoming very exciting with several new model launches planned for the next few months starting with the just launched Ritz in May, Jazz in June and the Punto and Polo soon after. If you were looking at purchasing a large sized Hatchback and puzzled with the options before you, you must have realised the need to do a lot of research to narrow down what fits your budget and your needs.

: Image via Wikipedia

: Image via Wikipedia

“Don’t Panic” – help is at hand. I have done the research on the key features, dimensions and specifications of the large hatchbacks available in the Indian market today for you. The focus of my comparison is primarily space,safety and features.

Vehicles compared:

Skoda Fabia 1.2 Ambiente
Hyundai I20 Asta(O)
Chevrolet Aveo U-VA 1.2 LT
Hyundai Getz Prime 1.3 GLX
Indica Vista Saffire Aura
Maruti Suzuki Swift ZXI
Maruti Suzuki Ritz ZXI

These are all petrols only to keep the total on road cost under 7 lakhs. Indian Manufacturers have the highest trim levels with safety features only on their petrol models. The Fabia, Getz Prime, Swift & Ritz come in diesel versions as well but are usually not as well equipped (only exception being the Fabia) as the petrol equivalents.These vehicles have a good mix of space, are fairly new on the market and come with basic safety features. (**I have included the Indica Vista in the list only because it was similar in size to the other but feature wise it doesn’t come close).

The attached PDF file has this in an easy to compare format. Do take a look and let me know if you need any additional information. Click here for the PDF file. (I am not affiliated to any of the manufacturers other than through ownership of a Getz and a Swift.)

Do also take a look at these older posts of mine to help you

Updated June 14th:

Do also take a look at the following:

10 Reasons to Leave Your Car at Home

Sushil — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:37:48 +0000

: Image by joiseyshowaavia Flickr

It may be strange to see this post on a car enthusiasts blog where you would expect to see me post only about driving and cars . Sorry to surprise you in this way but I think sometimes it is wiser to leave your own vehicle at home and look at alternatives in the following 10 scenarios (relevant to any city in India):

Political processions/protests/meetings/bandhs are planned for the day (You may be better off taking a two wheeler if you have to travel.)
There is civic unrest and riots/fighting on the roads(staying home is the best option)
There is heavy rain & flooding on the roads(if it is really bad you may want to stay home as buses may stop plying and rail tracks maybe under water- you can forget going to work)
Roads are severely damaged after rains/floods/riots
Massive roadwork is being done such as conversion of a regular road into an expressway

Image by Pandiyan via Flickr
You are unwell or are recovering from an accident or illness and cannot take the strain of driving.
You have very regular work timings and alternatives(cheaper and greener like the company bus/suburban trains/car pools) are available
Your vehicle is not reliable because it is an older model & has problems needing repairs. (Get it fixed quick.)
You are under a lot of stress and tension due to either a birth/ death /illness/ marriage/fight with spouse or event prep/work/business reason.
You haven’t had sufficient sleep(less than 2 hours of sleep) the night before.

What are the alternatives ? Take public transport or take a cab with a driver if you absolutely must travel. Keep your “precious” car safe at home. You may need to spend more on that one days travel but you have the peace of mind of not damaging your car or exherting undue strain on yourself by driving in such conditions.

Related: Was just about to publish this when I saw another good post show up in my Google Reader on Driving With the Right Attitude on the Indian Autos Blog as part of their weekly advice column. Do check it out.

For a perspective on what all can happen when you leave your car at home check out: Is your car safe – even at home ?

A question for readers of Zimbly Cars: Do you agree with this post or do you have other thoughts ? Please do let me know through comments.

Can I add this modification to my car?

Sushil — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:45:59 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

A common question and dilemma a lot of prospective vehicle owners have are around what modifications they can perform to their vehicle and what are best purchased as factory installed options. This post attempts to guide such buyers through that decision.

Modifications that cannot/should not be done after purchase of a new vehicle without considerable effort & cost and putting your warranty in question and having to deal with questionable quality:

Adding/changing air conditioning/heating /cooling systems/climate control
Changing engine
Changing from petrol to diesel
Changing from manual gear shifter to automatic
4×2 to 4×4
Modifications to doors,bonnet,trunk
Increasing/decreasing ground clearance
Rear defogger/wiper
Additional interior space
Additional fuel tank capacity
Performance/mileage modifications (Turbochargers, superchargers exhaust systems, chip modifications, tri-phase electrical, intake systems)
Changing vehicle color
Changing exterior so much that the vehicle is not recognizable. Some examples can be found at:Top Gear: http://www.topgear.com/content/timetoburn/sections/carbage/pages/0532/ & Team BHP: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/collection-best-threads/1954-pics-weird-wacky-mod-jobs.html#post21498

: Image by icathing via Flickr

: Image by joes2005via Flickr

(Please do think many times before you go down this path. Your/your parents’ hard earned money may make you the laughing stock of the world).

Thumb rule: If your rear spoiler is more than a few inches taller than boot/roof and looks like clothes can be dried on it and still does not have anywhere near as much horsepower as a spaceship: YOU ARE OVER DOING IT. You have enough warning from all websites ridiculing “show but no go” / “rice rockets” .

Safe modifications that can be done at any time by the dealer or by reputed independent vendors anytime after you purchase a new or used vehicle:

Adding/upgrading ICE (Head units, in-dash/flip down/headrest mounted displays, speakers, sub-woofers, tweeters etc)
Upgrading headlamps/adding fog lamps
Adding alloys & changing to tubeless tyres
Up-sizing tyres(when done correctly)
Sun film
Vinyl stickers/paint jobs
Central locking/power windows
Remote locking( easier to do if the vehicle already comes with central locking)
Security systems
Remote starter
Backup sensors, alarms, cameras
Air filters
Spoilers and body kits(stock)
Sunroof
Upgrading Horns (within legal limits)
Adding cloth/leather seat covers /re-upholstering the seats/changing to racing style seats
Changing to sports steering wheels (smaller in size etc) (not advisable if your car has driver side steering wheel mounted airbags)
Portable fridges/coffee warmers
Central Armrests/ consoles
Interior fake wood/carbon fiber/chrome type finishing
Door pads/roof upholstering
Sports type pedals
Gear knobs

Though these are considered “safe” modifications – if done carelessly they can damage your vehicle and also void the warranty. So do shop around and don’t be in a hurry, take your time to evaluate the installer, their wares and warranties before you spend your money.

: Image by churlvia Flickr

A thumb rule to a vehicle owner to help determine if they are over-doing the modifications – if you are spending more than 25% of the value of the car on accessories and modifications – you are definitely going overboard with the modifications. You would have been better off buying a costlier car which would give you most of the features you have added on and in addition have the comfort and peace of mind that comes with a OEM backed warranty and service network.

Have I covered this in sufficient detail and covered the usual accessories and modifications? Are there any questions on these – please do post your thoughts through the comments on this blog.

Most Popular Vehicle Colors – 2000 to 2008

Sushil — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:19:35 +0000

DuPont releases data on vehicle color popularity for major markets across the world and in 2008 have included India data separately. I hope it will be tracked going forward as well. Here is the DuPont report for 2008. Lots of interesting data point there including variants on core color types, finishing, textures etc. While mentioning the textures something very interesting is Chrome finish paint. An example is seen here.

They have been tracking such data for US, Europe and Japan for close to ten years now. Though they haven’t given it in one single chart – Zimbly Cars spent the time to collate it from data made public by DuPont. Here is the trend for the past 8 years.

**2001 – I wasn’t able to find data for this year on the net – if anyone has it or knows someone in DuPont please let me know.

The most popular colors over the past 8 years for cars are White, Silver, Black and Blue. These have been fairly consistent and have not lost their charm over time.

Red has been a consistent color with no changes in popularity since 2004. Grey has been steadily increasing in popularity since 2004 and may be a serious contender to Black.

Black though considered a timeless color went through a small dip in popularity between 2002 and 2005 but has been increasing in popularity since 2005.

The Indian Buyer chose to stay conservative in car color selection and mainly stuck to White and Silver for over half the vehicles purchased in 2008. (No wonder it is difficult to find white or silver cars in parking lots.) The remainder was made up by the other colors as seen in this graph below.

Following are the trends for other major regions.

An interesting post I came across while researching this post was one talking about the meanings of colors in general and in meanings in various parts of the world: http://www.bizzia.com/brandcurve/color-theory-primer-part-7-color-meanings/.

I associate the following meanings with common vehicle colors in India:

Black: Aggression, closed, secretive (a lot of SUVs are in this color). Best suited for large vehicles – looks a bit out of place on small cars. One of the most difficult to maintain colors as scratches on black show up as white and look very bad. Dust and dirt dull the shine very quickly.

White: Purity, honesty, dishonesty, politics (most cars/SUVs owned by Politicos are in this color). It was a very popular color in the 80s and 90s and is making a comeback. A color that seems to suit most vehicles regardless of size. Fairly easy to maintain – but splashed with mud looks pretty bad. A color that seems to have a slightly negative association for certain models because of being typical cabbie vehicles. Examples include the Indica, Tavera, Sumo, Ambassador, Omni. Very few private buyers would buy these models in white – since they don’t want to be called cabbies by their friends.

Gold: The metal that most Indians want to own and wear. There is a significant amount of gold/champagne colored vehicles. A color that I personally feel doesn’t suit many vehicles. Also an easy to maintain color.

Silver: A very techie color (most vehicles owned by techies are in this color). A color considered very serious and classy – a very aspirational color. One of the easiest colors to maintain. I used to own two cars which were silver in color and both would still look good even if they were dirty. Manufacturers poor people are forced to sell cars in silver due to the demand. I remember in 2001 or 2002 Honda removed silver from their sales catalogue for the Civic in the USA because the previous year most Civics sold were in silver.

Green: Fertility, money, a color associated to religion. Dark greens seems to be fairly well accepted but some bright greens do hurt peoples eyes. The parrot green Santro is the only example I can think of.

Blue: Water, Oceans, calmness. This color has a wide variety of tones available that make it appeal to a wide audience – but doesn’t have the same magnetism of a red or yellow. This color is a guaranteed color in most manufacturer color palettes year on year.

Yellow: Associated to being bright and sunny – but again a color that isn’t offered by many manufacturers. Maruti is probably the only one that dared to sell yellow cars. Looks good on smaller cars – I haven’t seen a yellow SUV till now – I hope I don’t have to.

Red: Anger, speed. A color best suited for sports cars, sporty cars and hatchbacks. Red is to be avoided on large SUVS since they look like huge tomatoes. Mahindra and Tata sell their Scorpio and Safari in red and people still buy it! Some variant of red is usually available at almost each manufacturer.

Purple: Originally associated with royalty – now considered an offbeat color that has guaranteed very poor resale value of the vehicle since very few people like the color purple. Very minimal choice when it comes to buying cars in this color. I can think of only the Fords, Marutis coming in this color.

Earth/brown: A very simple and bland color which is easy to maintain if it is “light brown”. Dark brown is a rare color which again isn’t very popular. Mostly sold by Hyundai and Mahindra. Some Tata vehicles as well.

What are my favourite colors ? So far I have owned 1 car in blue, 2 cars in silver and 1 in red. I hope my next car whenever I get one will be in black. I like the pearl white color as well and may seriously look at that as well.

What are your favourite colors for cars and what will be your next cars color ? Do let me know.

Updated April 3: Results of the Nano Poll so far:

Looks like there will be a lot of Re or Gold colored Nanos on the road as they seem to be the most popular colors so far.

Accessorizing The Nano

Sushil — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:37:04 +0000

If you are planning to buy a Tata Nano and want help deciding how to accessorize it-read on…

A lot depends on the trim level you plan to buy. If you go in for the base version, you spend less on the car upfront and have money to spare to accessorize. You could also go in for a middle-of-the-road variant as well and accessorize accordingly. If you can afford the top of the line variant and still are not satisfied with the accessories, you may want to look at a costlier car .

The 3 variants details known as of now are (Source: MotorBeam.com, Vicky.in):

: Image via Wikipedia

Base ( On Road Price Approx: Rs. 1,10,000)

CX(Adds the following on the Base)( On Road Price Approx: Rs. 1,30,000)

Hopefully the CX gets body colored bumpers.

LX (Along with the features of Base CX Adds the following)( On Road Price Approx: Rs. 1,60,000)

You have to define your vehicle budget as the first step. Based on that you

: Image via Wikipedia

can determine what you need to or what you can add on as an accessory. Also decide if you have that sum all at once or if you need to spread it over a period of time.
For an all-at-once deal you could either spend it all on ICE and interiors, exteriors or on performance options or on a mix of it all. For a bit at a time you may want to do the exterior at one time, interior at another etc.

Factory installed options (must do at booking time):
The stop start technology is a must have in addition to getting a diesel if this is at all given as a factory option. This would improve mileage by a great deal. As of now only the petrol’s will be launched.

Must have exterior list:
Get exterior rear-view mirrors to make sure you are aware of what traffic is there outside. A single one shouldn’t cost more than Rs. 500. (Required on all models from Base upwards)

Must have interior:
Music system and a set of 4 speakers. This on a minimum would cost you around Rs. 8, 000.

Optional Interior List:
Installing the power windows and central locking also are options to consider but best done at the dealer to ensure the warranty is not voided. Cost around Rs: 5,000. ( You may need this for all models other than the LX)
If you want a superior experience you could get a music system head unit which takes in USB/aux inputs,play a variety of streaming formats and with a higher power output.
Am not sure where a sub-woofer can be placed but that too can be added for aroundRs. 7, 000.
Seat covers for around Rs. 2, 500 . If you are up to it – you could upholster the entire interiors with leather or change the colors to beige.

: Image via Wikipedia

For the dashboard you could get trim that mimics carbon fibre, chrome or wood. Just take care that the dash trim matches the seats etc.
A gear knob replacement could also be added.Cost around Rs. 200.
Steering wheel covers cost around Rs. 300.
Replacement steering wheels cost anywhere from Rs. 500 upwards.
If it is legal in your state sun film for around Rs. 2, 500 .
Under body rust protection for Rs. 1, 800 .

Optional Exteriors:
The easiest way to improve looks is to add alloy wheels. This shouldn’t cost more than Rs. 10, 000 for a standard rim size using OEM tyres.

: Image by mr_blue_donvia Flickr

Up-sizing/wider and lower profile/tubeless tyres will cost extra.
If alloys are out of your budget try adding wheel covers. There are some

versions that are very tastefully done and look nice costing not more than Rs. 2,000 for a full set.
If your vehicle comes with grey bumpers, door handles and mirrors, it makes sense to get them painted body color at the dealer itself. If you do it later, there will be a difference in the paint color. A contrast color may be an option to think about. Just think of the Scorpio and Bolero two-tone paint scheme. Cost of painting shouldn’t exceed Rs. 3, 000. ( A good to have for making the Base version look much better)
Another easy to do up the exterior is to wrap your car with custom designed vinyl. Costs shouldn’t be more than Rs. 3, 000 for the car for portions of doors, bonnet , roof and rear.
The under body kits and spoilers may be a bit over the top but if attention is what you want this with good alloys and a vinyl job will make sure it stands out in a crowd of Nanos.

: Image by themullett via Flickr

Just a rear roof spoiler costs around Rs. 3, 000 while the full kit could run in several tens of thousands.

Performance:
Seriously there isn’t much one can do to make the basic low cubic capacity 600 cc engine into a speed machine other than replacing the engine with something from a more powerful car. However not too many engines would fit under the rear bench seats of the Nano.
Less radical options include going in for a stock replacement air filter or for a sports exhaust system. These give a small performance boost and can be done for around Rs. 6, 000.

Sample Accessories Package A (Mix of interior, exterior and music):

Alloys: Rs. 10,000
Seat Covers: Rs. 2,500
Music System: Rs. 10,000
Body Colored Bumper: Rs. 3,000
Total Accessories: Rs. 25,500

Sample Accessories Package B ( Exteriors):
Alloys: Rs. 20,000
Roof Spoiler & Body Kit : Rs. 20,000
Vinyl Stickering: Rs. 3,000
Sun Film: Rs. 2,500
Body Colored Bumpers: Rs. 3,000
Total: Rs. 48,500

Sample Accessories Package C ( Interiors):
Seat Covers: Rs. 2,500
Dashboard Trim: Rs. 2,000
Gear Knob: Rs. 500
Steering Wheel: Rs. 500
Power windows: Rs. 5,000
Music System With Sub: Rs. 20,000
LCD Display: Rs. 10,000
Total: Rs. 40,500

Letme know through the comments, if I have missed out any points. If you have links to additional information also please do share.