How car advertising can help

Advertising on cars provides a way to reach a wide audience and take control over when and where people see your ad. You can use it specifically for an event, or just for more general day to day use. If you run a small local business you can even decorate your own car so that wherever you drive you become a mobile ad for your business. This is particularly effective if you do any delivering – all your vehicles should have your logo and a message on them.

The ads themselves are easy to put together – they are made from a vinyl wrap which goes over the car. It fits tightly so it looks as though it is part of the paintjob, but is actually a cover.

In terms of cost, car advertising can work out considerably cheaper than billboard advertising. 3M worked out the CPM (cost per thousand people who will see you ad) and found that car advertising was the cheapest at $0.48 per thousand views, compared to $3.56 on average for a thousand views of a traditional outdoor ad.

Best upcoming Cars in India to look and buy in 2015 & 2016

1.    Datsun Go+
Expected Launch – January 2015
Expected Base price – Rs. 5,00,000

Say goodbye to costly MPVs this New Year with Datsun’s Go+. Datsun, the budget brand of Nissan is back in the Indian automobile market with their cheapest 7 seater MPV. Go+ comes with a base price of Rs. 5 lakh only and has a 5+2 seating arrangement and hence the cheapest 7 seater for Indian masses. However, the Datsun brand does not have a superior market image and that may not grant them high sales. Datsun Go+ is undoubtedly company’s desperate attempt to get back on the Indian roads and for the price that it comes; there are good chances for it to make an impact.

2.   Ford Endeavor

Expected Launch – February 2015
Expected Base Price – Rs. 20,00,000

At an event in Beijing, China, Ford unveiled its all new model of Endeavour which is set to hit the roads on February this year. Ford’s all new Endeavour is claimed to be one of the smartest vehicle on the road. The SUV is equipped with SYNC2 infotainment system along with an 8 inch touch screen display plus a dozen of safety and assistance features. The SUV is pretty similar to Ford Ranger in terms of design and looks. Endeavour’s new model will surely give tough competition to the existing high end SUVs.

3.    Hyundai iX25
Expected launch – April 2015
Expected Base price – Rs. 7,50,000

Since Hyundai switched to fluidic design, it has produced cars which are both feature rich and magnificent in look at the same time. And here’s another wonder. Hyundai’s all new iX25 – a compact SUV which will be launched around April this year is one of the most anticipated cars of the year. Considering the looks, the compact SUV is gets the full score. Hyundai’siX25 will undoubtedly give tough competition to its rivalries like Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano.

4.    Renault Lodgy
Expected Launch – October 2015
Expected Base price – Rs. 10,00,000

After success in the SUV segment, the French automaker is now all set to step into MPV segment in Indian auto market with its simplistic designed MPV – Renault Lodgy. For years, MPV segment was dominated by Toyota Innova which provided enough space and comfort to its customers. However, Renault Lodgy will change the way you see a MPV. Not only it is big and spacious but also designed in a way to attract average Indian families.

5.    Mahindra S 101
Expected launch – March 2015
Expected Base Price – Rs. 6,00,000

There is hardly any information regarding the Mahindra’s upcoming compact SUV that is codenamed as S101. One can find lots of spy photos on S101 which was caught testing in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The SUV is expected to enter Indian markets with the base price around Rs. 6 lakh which may give tough competition to Ford EcoSport which costs a bit higher in the same segment.

6.    Maruti Ertiga Automatic
Expected launch – February 2015
Expected base price – Rs. 8,00,000

Maruti Suzuki’s first ever MPV Ertiga is on Indian roads since 2012 and has attracted many praises for itself for its Comfort and performance. Then in 2013, Maruti launched the automatic variant of the Ertiga in Indonesia and the car is doing quite well there. Now the company has decided to launch the same in Indian markets very soon this year. However, the automatic variant may still work on the similar engine as seen in its former build Ertiga.

7.    Renault Duster Facelift
Expected launch – January 2015
Expected base price – Rs. 8,00,000

When it comes to Indian automobile market, Compact crossover segment is the fastest growing sector among the others. And when we talk about compact crossover, French automaker Renault’s Duster is something we cannot afford to miss. The Duster has changed company’s fortune ever since its launch in 2012. The Duster facelift features a new petrol engine option along with revised front grille and headlamp assembly. The SUV, however, has not changed much in terms of its squatted look. To add more to its performance, the Duster Facelift features 1.2 litre TCe petrol engine which is able to produce a max power of 124PS and a peak torque of 204Nm.

8.    Datsun Redi-GO
Expected launch – Fourth quarter 2015
Expected base price – Rs. 4,00,000

Indian Auto Expo 2014 witnessed some great concepts and one such was Datsun’s Redi-GO. Datsun, a Nissan brand showcased its Redi-GO concept car which features an elongated wheelbase and high ground clearance, however, there is not much information regarding its production and launch in India. According to some rumours, Datsun’s Redi-GO will be powered by 800 cc petrol engine and may give a tough competition to existing champion Maruti Suzuki’s Alto 800.

Five things to know while buying a car

New year, old model 

Car companies usually offer big discounts in December to clear their inventories before they hike prices and launch new models in January. If you buy now, your vehicle will bear the registration date of December 2013, and in a few days, it will be last year's model. This should not matter if you are planning to use the car for at least 7-8 years. However, if you plan to change the car in 3-4 years, the registration date will matter. A 2013 model will fetch a lower resale price four years down the line. Hence, it will be prudent to wait till January to buy it. Remember that a new car should be used for at least 8 years to get a full return on investment. Sell it earlier and you could lose out on its value.


Buy within your means 

The bigger the car, the fatter the discounts being offered. However, don't let the freebies entice you into making a purchase you can't afford. The golden rule is that the price of a car should not be more than 60% of your annual take-home income. If your take-home salary is 60,000 a month, don't think of buying a car priced at more than 4.32 lakh (60% of 7.2 lakh annual income ). Another time-tested principle is that the car loan EMI should not be more than 15% of your post-tax monthly income, or 40% of your investible surplus after all expenses and mortgage payments. Follow these rules diligently when you choose the car model and you won't regret the decision.


Consider the offers closely 

While you should not look a gift horse in the mouth, when it comes to freebies from car dealers, a closer look is necessary. They tend to inflate the value of free accessories to make the deal seem more attractive. This is why it's better to go for cash discounts rather than free accessories. Don't fall for the exchange offers as well. Most car dealers offer to buy your old car, but the price they quote is usually much lower than the one you would get elsewhere. A bit of market research will tell you roughly how much you can expect for your car, and you won't have to run around to find buyers. Avail of portals like Olx. in, which have made it easier to sell used stuff.

Transfer the no-claim bonus 

All car owners know that if you don't make a claim in a year, the next year's premium fetches a discount. However, few know that a no-claim bonus can be transferred to another vehicle, bringing down the insurance cost of a new car. You will have to submit the photocopies of the sale agreement, transfer documents, insurance note and the car's registration certificate, along with a letter requesting the policy's termination, to the insurer. The latter issues a no-claim certificate, which will get you the discount on the new car's insurance. If the insurance of the new car works out to 15,000, a 50% no-claim bonus will reduce it to 7,500. This certificate is valid for three years from the date of issuance, but you will have to make things clear to the buyer since it is assumed that the old car comes with insurance.

Petrol, diesel or CNG? 

Petrol is the costliest car fuel, but petrol cars are the cheapest. Diesel is inexpensive, but the diesel variants of cars are costlier by 75,000-1 lakh. They also require higher maintenance. Your choice should depend on how much you travel in a day. If you drive more than 80 km a day, go for a diesel car. You will be able to recover the extra cost within two years. This assumes that the gap between petrol and diesel prices will not narrow down further. CNG is a clean and cheaper fuel, but its availability can be an issue. Morever, the CNG cylinder takes up a lot of boot space.

Innovations in Automobile Industry

1. Google Driverless Cars 

On the onset of winter break, on December 23, Google announced its first fully functional driverless car, which is ready for testing on public roads. Prior to this, the Internet giant developed various prototypes that lacked on different fundamental and functional aspects. 

The latest prototype has all the important elements like headlights, steering and brakes. The company have also created a self-driving system with sensors and computers that can be fitted to SUVs like Lexus. This new technology will not only be a breakthrough in tough traffic congestion but sensing technology can also increase road safety. Countries such as the UK and US are working on laws to allow driverless cars.

2. Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) 

In the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo, where more than 70 vehicles were launched, one that pundits hailed as the most important was Maruti Suzuki's Celerio, the first affordable mass segment gearless hatchback. Celerio comes with AMT (automate manual transmission) sourced from Magneti Marelli, component arm of Fiat. AMT is an electro-hydraulic mechanism for automating manual transmission, which derives from Formula 1. 

It has a hydraulic system and an electronic system. The electronic transmission control unit helps in engaging and disengaging the clutch and gear through an electronic actuator. It also has a sports mode, which enables drivers to move to the manual shifting of gear to increase and decrease the gear ratios with plus and minus either through gear knob /joystick or the steering. In India, AMT is currently available in three cars — Celerio, Alto K10 and Tata Zest.

3. V2V Communications 

In February, US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it will begin taking steps to enable vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology for light vehicles. This technology would allow vehicles to "talk" to each other and ultimately avoid many crashes altogether by exchanging basic safety data, such as speed and position, ten times per second, to improve safety. 

It uses 'ad hoc network', where every car is free to associate with any other car available in the network and share equal status. V2V, which is also known as VANET (vehicular ad hoc network), is a variation of MANET (mobile ad hoc network). Many automobile manufacturers including are BMW, Audi, Honda, General Motors, Volvo and Daimler working and developing this technology to improve safety, overcome blind spots and avoid accidents. 

4. Smart Cars

 After smartphones, we will soon have smart cars around. In June 2014, Google launched its 'Android Auto', a telematics software that can be connected to car dash board for infotainment. It also enables the driver to access GPS, maps, streaming music, weather, and a host of other applications. A slew of carmakers including Abarth, Acura, Alfa Romeo, Audi, Bentley, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, Infiniti, Jeep, Kia, Maserati and Volvo will offer Android Aut in their cars.

Earlier, at the Geneva Motor Show in March, Apple announced its 'CarPlay' software, which allows devices running on the iOS operating system to function with built-in display units of automobile dashboards. Carmakers like BMW, Daimler, JLR, Honda and Hyundai have installed it in their cars. Infotainment manufacturers like Pioneer & Alpine too have shown interest in Carplay from Apple. 

5. Start- Stop Technology 

Hero MotoCorp introduced its first bike with start-stop technology, Splendor iSmart, in March 2014. 

The company calls it i3s technology which is also known as Idle Start and Stop System. i3s is a green technology that automatically shuts the engine when idling and turns it on, when needed, with a simple press of the clutch, giving more mileage in congested cities. 

6. Land Rover's Invisible Car

In April, Tata -owned JLR introduced a new technology to give drivers a digital vision of the terrain ahead by making the front of the car 'virtually' invisible. The technology — named Transparent Bonnet — enables a driver climbing a steep incline or manoeuvring in a confined space to see an augmented reality view capturing not only the terrain in front of the car but also the angle and position of the front wheels. 

The cameras located in the vehicle's grille capture data used to feed a head-up display, effectively creating a 'see-through' view of the terrain through the bonnet and engine bay, breaking new ground in visual driver assistance.