Indicating a heating up of the premium B-segment car war, Hyundai unveiled the Getz Prime recently with prices starting from Rs3.89 lakhs. The company, according to sources, is targeting to sell about 30,000 units of the vehicle in the Indian market and 40,000 units abroad in the remaining part of this calendar year. Taking advantage of the sops enjoyed by small cars with engine capacity less than 1200cc for petrol and 1500cc for diesel, the Getz Prime is available with two engine sizes—1.1- and 1.3-litre capacity. Other than the addition of 1.1-litre engine the changes to the Getz Prime include redesigned headlamps that present refreshing look to the car. The car also gets new tail lamps, a new front fog lamp, a new three-spoke steering wheel, a revamped centre console and changes in the plastic grain finish. While the company expects the 1.1-litre version to bring in 70 per cent of the total sales of the Getz Prime in the Indian market, it is also claimed to be working on a 1.5-litre diesel variant of the Getz Prime that could be on Indian roads in the second half of this year.

Porsche Middle East and Africa announced the introduction of the second generation Cayenne SUV in India. After enjoying great success since its introduction four years ago, Porsche has equipped the new Cayenne with leading edge technology, power and passion to maintain its lead in the market of Sporty SUV's around the world. The new attractively designed Cayenne, Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo models have been given more powerful Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) engines, which at the same time generate up to 15% savings in fuel consumption. Moreover, the car benefits from a number of new and highly advanced technologies, most notable of which is Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) stabilizer, advanced trailer stabilisation system, roll-over sensor and pre-loading of the brake system. 

The basic version of this sporty SUV has a 40-bhp power enhancement and is now driven by a 290-bhp six-cylinder engine, the displacement of which has increased from 3.2 to 3.6 litres. Thanks to the introduction of VarioCam Plus valve control, the Cayenne S, now with an even bigger 4.8-litre, naturally aspirated V8 engine, produces a torque of 500 Nm (previously 420 Nm) and an output of 385 bhp, an increase of 45 bhp. Meanwhile, the new Cayenne Turbo manages to generate 700 Nm of torque and an additional 50 bhp than its predecessor raising its output to 500 bhp. 

As before, Porsche Traction Management (PTM) distributes engine power between the rear and front axle in a ratio of 62:38. The multi-disk clutch can direct up to 100 percent of drive traction to the front or rear as required. The Cayenne Turbo is fitted with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) with air suspension as standard. This can now be augmented with the new Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) roll stabilizer system, which limits vehicle roll in corners and counterbalances it completely in almost all driving situations. 

Porsche Stability Management (PSM), with its brake assist function, advanced trailer stabilization system and off-road ABS, comes as standard on all Cayenne models. What's more, with static and, for the first time, dynamic bend lighting, the bi-xenon headlamps fitted as standard to the Cayenne Turbo increase active safety.

The multinational of systems and components for automobiles, Ficosa International, has been awarded by GM as supplier of the year for its excellent performance, quality and global service during 2006. 

Javier Pujol, Chief Executive Officer of Ficosa, received the award at the hands of Bo Andersson, GM group vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, who said he “was proud to honour Ficosa as one of the ‘Best of the Best’ valuing very positively energy, hard work and dedication, of the Spanish multinational, to the success of GM.” 

This award is part of a global program started by GM in 1992. The winners are selected by a global team of executives from purchasing, engineering, manufacturing and logistics, of the North American manufacturer, who base their decisions on supplier performance in quality, service, technology and price. This year, General Motors honoured 89 suppliers for their outstanding performance throughout 2006. 

Ficosa is worldwide supplier of GM for more than 30 years. The Spanish multinational provides GM of exterior and interior rear-view mirrors, gear shifters, parking brake levers, command and control cables (clutch, brake, accelerator, door, hood), head lamp washing systems, windshield washing systems, extendable tanks and air induction system.

Rockwell Automation India has rolled out FactoryTalk, its new suite of software products. Factory Talk’s introduction globally, almost simultaneously with China, will help the current manufacturing boom in India 

“With increased demands on manufacturers to improve quality, reduce cost, increase productivity and meet regulatory compliance, the integration of the factory floor with information systems is no longer a luxury – it’s a strategic imperative,” said Kevin Roach, Vice President of Rockwell Software, Rockwell Automation. 

FactoryTalk brings together current solutions for control, visualisation, information management and MES (Manufacturing Execution Solutions). It also provides a foundation to develop and acquire additional highly scalable, standards-based applications that give customers insight into manufacturing operations and help them execute business strategies that optimise production. A valuable set of integrated services that facilitate data sharing among multiple automation software applications, FactoryTalk has been built as one common integrated suite that embraces both services and applications. FactoryTalk applications run on the FactoryTalk SOA – a common set of software services that includes security, diagnostics, auditing, data model, licensing, real-time data, historical data, configuration and alarms and events. 

FactoryTalk addresses multiple production disciplines. Each interrelated discipline reflects capabilities that address a set of similar functional requirements for manufacturing operations. FactoryTalk production disciplines, whether used individually or in combination with each other, leverage the knowledge-based infrastructure inherent in the FactoryTalk SOA for more efficient data sharing, easier integration and faster startup. 

FactoryTalk has won "Technology of the Year – Integrating Factory Data" in IndustryWeek's Technology and Innovation Awards Program. The program, which began in 1993, celebrates the primary drivers of the world's economic progress -- innovators and technologies. Awards are given in the spirit of Josef Schumpeter, the distinguished Harvard economist and social theorist who posited more than 50 years ago that the mission of both organisations and societies should be to accelerate the pace of innovation. 

Through the FactoryTalk Information Solution Provider Program, Rockwell Automation will train and certify information system professionals who have the application, business and vertical market expertise to help companies integrate their control and information environments for better manufacturing performance. 

Industries, which will benefit are Food and Beverage, Life Sciences, Personal Care, Consumer Durables, Automotive and Components, Electronics, and Metals industries.

Bajaj Auto Limited has inaugurated its Greenfield Plant with a planned capacity of one million motorcycles per annum at Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. Built on a total area of 65 acres with the balance 155 acres allocated to the vendor cluster, the Pantnagar facility would be Bajaj Auto's fourth plant and first outside Maharashtra. The unit has a plant area of 40,000 sq mtrs and will employ 600 line engineers who have been trained at Chakan for 3 months. 

In a pioneering manufacturer – vendor partnership, the Pantnagar plant will be supported by manufacturing facilities of 16 auto component vendors in the immediate proximity. A part of the land area allocated to Bajaj has been taken up by vendors to set up dedicated facilities to ensure seamless integration with the mother Plant resulting in phenomenal manufacturing efficiencies. 

These cluster suppliers will meet 75% of the component requirement of the new Plant. They would be operating as the extended factory of the core Bajaj Auto mother Plant. Systems and processes would make this unit the ultimate “lean” unit in terms of manufacturing efficiency. All supplies from shops and suppliers will be on e-Kanban. The Pantnagar Plant is a compact focused manufacturing facility, which despite being the lowest cost production unit would adhere to the highest global quality standards. This new manufacturing concept is expected to yield 10 times the productivity of other comparable 2-wheeler units. 

This partnership will see manufacturing and supply of Key components including Speedometers from Pricol, Front Fork and suspension from Endurance, Lighting systems from Lumax, Plastic and Electrical components from Varroc, Control switches and Ignition systems from Minda group and frames from JBM, in the vicinity of the new Bajaj Auto Plant. 

Bajaj Auto has directly invested only Rs. 150 crores in this new manufacturing unit for an investment cost of merely Rs.1500/vehicle, a benchmark perhaps unequaled elsewhere. This will enable one of the shortest payback periods for any plant globally. 

The current Plant built up on 30 of the 65 acres retained by the company has a planned capacity of 1 million units, which can be progressively expanded to 3 million vehicles. 

Bajaj customers will now also enjoy the Excise and Income tax benefits from the new Pantnagar Plant, which coupled with superior production efficiencies enables the company to aggressively re-price the Platina. The Bajaj Platina is now available at Rs. 33,000/- ex-showroom as against Rs. 36,000/- earlier.