‘After 125 years, the car has lost none of its fascination'

Volkswagen commences 2011 ‘in top gear', says Winterkorn

Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of German car-maker Volkswagen AG, expects 2011 to be a solid year for the auto industry.

Addressing a huge gathering at the Group Night Geneva Motor Show here, Mr. Winterkorn said 2010 was the best fiscal year in the history of Volkswagen. “We set new records,” he said. The company delivered 7.2 million vehicles, almost one million more than 2009. Sales touched euro 127 billion. The operating profits quadrupled to euro 7.1 billion, he said. He said that Volkswagen had commenced 2011 ‘in top gear'. In the first two years, it had delivered 1.2 million vehicles. “That is a plus of more than 16 per cent and means we have once again grown faster than the world market.”

At a dazzling Group Night Show, Mr. Winterkorn point out how even 125 years after it was invented “the car has lost none of its fascination.” He said that it was both “a duty and a mission” for Volkswagen “to make individual mobility even more efficient, greener, safer and connected.” He said that the Volkswagen Group “has the right ideas for a new era.”

Tata unveils Pixel

With the tiny Nano car making a national impact in India, the House of Tatas has decided to enter Europe with a similar product. Tata Motors unveiled a concept car at the ongoing 81st Geneva Motor Show. Tata Pixel, a new city car concept for Europe, is based on the Tata Nano.

Tata Pixel, it is claimed, is the most package-efficient four-seater. It can comfortably accommodate four adults. Ratan Tata was present at the Tata Pixel unveiling conference at the Geneva Motor Show.

In a brief interaction with this correspondent after the unveiling of Tata Pixel, Carl-Peter Forster, Managing Director and Group CEO of Tata Motors, said it would be a while, even a few years, before the concept car could become a commercial proposition in Europe. He indicated that it would be a diesel vehicle.

Tata Motors has also displayed the Tata Indica Vista Electric Vehicle at the Motor Show's Green Pavilion. It will be made available to fleet customers this summer in the U.K., says the release. The company has also showcased Tata Aria, Tata Indigo Manza, and Tata Indica.

The Geneva Motor Show also saw Land Rover make the first presentation of the Range-e.

This development model is equipped with an advanced plug-in hybrid diesel-electric power train that Land Rover expects to make available in future production models, following the scheduled launch of its diesel-electric hybrid in 2013.