Reacting to Government's decision of increasing excise duty to 10 percent, major automobile manufacturers in the country today said that they will increase the car prices by upto Rs 25,000.

Maruti Suzuki which is India's largest car manufacturer said that it will increase the price of its car models by up to 2 percent in India. Maruti currently has around 54% market share in India.

Volkswagen launched the much awaited premium hatchback Volkswagen Polo. The 1.2L petrol variant is priced at Rs 4.34 lakh, ex showroom New Delhi while the 1.2L diesel variant comes at Rs 5.32 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi).

According to Neeraj Garg, member of board and director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India, “Polo has received an overwhelming response from customers during our showcase at the New Delhi Auto Expo and we are confident that they will love driving it too.” The Volkswagen group affirms its commitment to offer the best quality products to Indian customers at affordable prices.

Toyota Etios is going into production coming December, so says the world's largest car maker Toyota. Till now Toyota Etios was just a pretty concept car that Toyota had displayed at the Auto Expo. But it will soon be a mass production vehicle. According to Hiroshi Nakagawa, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), “Toyota Etios means spirit and principle. This car of ours is targeted at the middle level managers and young professionals and will be priced competitively." He added thatToyota would launch both the hatch and notchback under the Toyota Etios series with 1.2 litres and 1.5 litres petrol engines respectively.

Japanese auto major, Nissan is ready to launch its manufacturing plant in Chennai from where they will launch its new generation small car Nissan Micra for the Indian auto market.

Today on 22nd Feb, Germany based leading luxury car

manufacturer, Mercedes Benz has launched another stunning model Limousine S Guard in the Indian auto market. Mercedes Benz S Guard price will fall in Rs 6 crore bracket (as ex-showroom prices in New Delhi). Mercedes Benz S Guard will be powered by the 5.5L, 5513cc, 12-cylinder petrol engine that delivers 380Kw of maximum power with 830Nm of maximum torque. The car will be loaded with advanced protective features to with stand ballistic and fire arms attack.

Mercedes-Benz launched the 2010 Mercedes Benz M Class in two variants for India. The Sport Edition of the M-Class is priced at Rs. 55 lakh while the Luxury Edition is priced at Rs. 60.9 lakh Ex-showroom Delhi.

Sports Edition: The sports edition includes two packages.

News has come in from the Chicago Auto Show that Japanese carmaker Suzuki would soon be bringing the sports sedan Maruti Kizashi in India. Kizashi is Suzuki's first product in the all-wheel-drive sport sedan segment. The car reached North American showrooms in December last year and so far about 300-400 units have been sold.

All those planning to buy a Multi Utility Vehicle (MUV) would soon have another option to check out. Tata motors is coming out with Tata Aria on 11th October this year with an approximate price tag of Rs 10 to 14 lakh. The MUV is expected to be a cross-over with features common to premium SUVs . Aria is build on the roadster concept and it is Tata's attempt to cement its position in the premium vehicle segment. Aria is equipped with a 2.2L, DICOR (Direct Injection Common Rail) engine (same as Tata Safari) capable of producing 140bhp of maximum power at 4000rpm with 320Nm of maximum torque at 1700~2700rpm. Tata Aria is expected to be launched in three variants and all variants will be available with both 4WD (Four Wheel Drive) and 2WD (Two Wheel Drive Option).

The Ford Figo falls in the B segment, which is a vital segment in the Indian auto market. If a car maker is not present in this segment then the car maker can never wish to have a big chunk of the car market in the country.

The Indian automotive market is overflowing with small cars.