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Motor show's tulip chart
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The Cochin Motor show, which got over yesterday showcased the latest happenings in the automobile scene. Bikes vroomed ahead of cars in customer fancy but some car companies stayed away to the disappointment of the visitors. DONNY MATHEW surveys the scene.
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THE COCHIN Motor Show 2002 was the perfect prescription for all the automobile enthusiasts in Kerala. Organised by Impresario the show was held from November 14 to17 at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
There was participation from all the corners of the automotive sector from four wheelers, two wheelers, auto accessory companies and auto finance. In all about 32 companies participated for the show. Tata, Maruti, Fiat and Hyundai represented the four-wheeler sector. New products as well as updated products were on display.
Tata showcased its new and improved Sumo christened the EX plus. This new version utility vehicle comes in new shades and decals. The interiors have been spruced up offering more comfort. The restyled seats now offer more lumber support and the seat fabric looks classier. Roof mounted air conditioner vents have been provided for the rear passengers. Tata has reworked on the engine and gearbox offering longer engine life and a smoother gearshift.
From the Maruti stable all the products on display were very familiar with the public. Maruti will be launching its new models only in the New Year and so for the moment they had to do good with their present line up of popular models. The cars on display were the Omni, Alto LX and the new version Wagon R termed as Pride. The Wagon R Pride with its jet-black colour, fancy decals, sporty interiors and attractive alloy wheels was the star attraction at the Maruti stall.
Fiat had two models to show viz the new Sienna and the Palio S 10. The Palio S 10 is a limited edition car, which has been autographed by the Cricket Maestro Sachin Tendulker. It has been made to look more sporting than the stalk Palio with its all around skirting treatment and a bright yellow shade. The design of the Alloy wheels are simply superb and would be one of the best provided as OE by any Company. Limited Edition means that this car will be made in very small numbers and so if you want to stand out from the crowd rush to your nearest dealer. The new Sienna which looks very similar to the Palio upfront also evoked some good response thanks to its aggressive pricing. The Sienna is definitely a value for money proposition as it caters to all your needs in terms of space; solidness, performance and the dependable Fiat brand name-incidentally Fiat are the owners of Ferrari.
Hyundai brought in its Sonata and the recently launched Santro Automatic. The Jaguar-Mercedes fusion styling of the Sonata has made it a head turner. The auto show was the best place to take a closer look at this Korean beauty. The Santro Automatic with an excellent modern automatic transmission is aimed to make in-city driving a breeze. Constant gear changing can be a real hassle in our congested roads today but with the automatic transmission that will never be a problem again. The Santro Automatic has made automatic transmission more affordable to us thanks to its attractive price tag.
This year saw the introduction of a number of new products from the two-wheeler sector. The two-wheeler market is on an upbeat with introduction of models from cruisers to city bikes. This upbeat trend was very evident from the number of Companies that participated in the Cochin Motor Show this year. Participation came from Yamaha, Bajaj, LML, Hero Honda, TVS, Honda Scooters and Royal Enfield. Most of these companies had something new to show.
Yamaha stall saw crowds being pulled in by its latest offering the Enticer and the Libero. Enticer which is a cruiser class bike has set the Yamaha sales chart on fire with waiting periods going up to as much as 120 days. The Libero is a radically shaped bike especially from upfront with an all-new headlamp design.
Bajaj had its much talked about 'power packed' Pulsars on display as well as a few models from the Kawasaki range including the Merc of Indian Bikes-the Eliminator. Hero Honda showcased its new model the Ambition. It's a nice looking bike and going by the track record of Hero Honda this bike should be another bestseller from the world's numero uno bike manufacturer. LML stall had the likes of Adreno, Energy, and the recently launched Freedom. This bike manufacturer is very serious about the Indian market and so planning to launch newer models in the coming year. TVS had a totally blue colour scheme stall with all the models on display coming in blue. The centre stage at the TVS stall was taken by the homegrown TVS Victor and alongside it was the Fiero. Royal Enfield was present at the show, which made all those classic bike lovers very happy. Royal Enfield has gone through a major revamp and this has seen all its models getting newer technology. The new model christened Thunderbird will definitely ignite interest in all you cruiser lovers. Honda Scooters had its new model the Dio on display. The success of the Activa prompted Honda to introduce a first of a kind Motoscooter that combines the looks and practicality of a bike and scooter.
The Auto accessory sector was well represented by 3M, Pennzoil, Methods Inc, Sonax. Accessories on display ranged from sun control films, electronic reverse sensors to total car care products. From this sector the participation was limited but the products on display was very innovative and new. Auto finance companies make best use of any show and quite a few of them actively participated this year. The Auto financiers who participated were Centurion Bank, ICICI Bank, GE Countrywide, Kotak Mahindra Primus and Vysa Bank. There were special deals that were offered during the show and spot finance was also being provided for both two wheelers and four wheelers. Overall the show was no `show de Paris' but for the automotive lovers of Kerala they could see and feel their favourite products all under one roof. A few car companies like Toyota, GM, Skoda, Honda, and Mercedes stayed away from the show for reasons best known to them.
The Tyre companies were also not seen at this time. One would have loved to see the newly launched Toyota Camry, new Mercedes E-Class but guess people of Cochin has got to wait another year for it.
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