During this trip to India, I had a chance to  touch and feel the world’s lowest priced passenger car – The Nano made by Tata Car company of India.   In fact this car was launched just 2 years ago targeting the Indian small car market.  The Nano is a tiny car with the even tinier price-tag.  It retails in India for Rs. 100,000 (US$2,200) and is an economic choice to fit a family of four comfortably.

The Nano was the result of the vision of Mr. Ratan Tata, the Chairman of the Tata Motors.  When Mr.Tata envisioned this eco-friendly, people’s car with a price tag of just around US$2,200, most automakers around the world scoffed at him.  Japanese car makers like  Suzuki who had a big presence in Indian car market mocked at Tata saying that it was impossible to make a reliable car for Rs 100,000.  However, when the Nano was finally launched, car makers in Detroit and Japan took a serious note of it.   Even car makers like Ford admitted that the Nano is a groundbreaking product, and it will cause people to think differently about making small cars.

There are a number of features that make the Nano unique and affordable.  The car is 10 feet long, 5 feet wide – about 8% smaller bumper to bumper, than the Maruti 800 (Indian version of Suzuki Alto),  but nevertheless it has 20 % larger interior space and can sit four people comfortably.  The Nano gets 20 km/ liter in city and 26 km/ liter on highways, making it the most fuel efficient car in India.  It has a four-speed manual gearshift, and 30-liter fuel tank. The car is equipped with air conditioner, but does not have power steering.

Though the Tata Nano has a price tag of just around $2,200, it has a steel frame, sheet metal body and safety glass like most other expensive cars.  It has a rear mounted 624 CC engine and the emissions exceed regulatory requirements.

I was happy to see the cheapest car in the world. I liked the design of the car. For sure, it looks quite Jazzy.  However, I am not sure about the safety of the vehicle.  I felt the steel sheet was little thinner than that of most other small cars.  Before Tata starts exporting Nano to other countries, they would have to meet the European and American safety standards.

International car makers are now getting ready to compete with Tata Nano in the ultra cheap small car market.  Nissan and Renault has teamed up with Indian auto maker Bajaj with a plan to make a  common people’s car that will cost $2500 in India.  Nissan and Bajaj aim to provide a fuel economy of 30 km/liter compared to 23 km/liter provided by Tatas Nano. This would surely create a fierce competition in the small car segment.

Technorati Tags: Japanese car, Indian car market, Tata Nano, cheapest car, Nissan, small car

The Mazda 6 2010 model has been entirely redesigned and revamped last year.  It is definitely considered one of the sexiest and sportiest car available in the mid size sedan segment today.  Although, the same car tends to get expensive when one starts adding options.

Mazda 6 2010 model stand out amongst family sedans owing to  sporty dynamics and sharp styling.  It squeezes great performance from a  basic front wheel driving, 4 or 6 cylinder sedan layout.  No wonder reviewers are comparing the Mazda to mild sports sedans such as the Acura TL

This car is much more spacious then most of its rivals.  Even then its cons include hard cheap feeling plastic pieces for the interior in the lower level trim. With the exception of that; this car is as equipped as any other entry level luxury vehicle at its higher trim levels.

Mazda 6 is mediocre however in fuel economy numbers.  Although the  base price is quite reasonable the option package offers are not.  It is definitely expensive to equip.

But even then with more room and more style, the Mazda 6 seems to be the next big thing n the city.  The car has a solid driveline, spacious interiors, good handling and an amazing contemporary new exterior.  It has three trim levels. It manages to  put up a great show against current champions in the midsize car segment.

Mazda 6 2010 version is hats off in performance and offers it self as the most affordable sporty car.  It has brisk acceleration and truly sharp, above average handling even though it is a family car.  It has brilliant steering & chassis feedback.  The aggressive curves of its exterior are classy and rarely found in a car that can seat five comfortably.

The Mazda6 earns its  highest score in safety.  It has earned five stars in all government safety tests.  It has scored a “Good” on both side and frontal impact safety tests.

Mazda protects the buyers of the 2010 Mazda 6 with a 3 year 36 thousand mile limited warranty.  It also includes road side assistance during the warranty period unlike many of its competitors.

Fresh styling introduced by Mazda in Mazda 6, since 2009, has improved the Mazda6 car’s sporty nature, inside and out.

The hybrid cars which came out first were boring, bland and what not! Honda has decided to change all that with its next generation hybrids.  It has decided to mix environment friendliness and driving fun.

For the sports car enthusiast, Honda CRZ is the world’s first hybrid sports car with a 6 speed manual transmission although you can still choose to order a hybrid with paddle shifts and CVT auto transmission.

‘CRZ’ is an abbreviation for Compact Renaissance Zero. This green fuel efficient car has a 1.5 liter i-VTEC engine with ‘Integrated Motor Assist’ which is actually a hybrid system.  Although 25 km/liter from the vehicle is quite good, what blows your mind is the way the vehicle is styled. It looks futuristic, cool and sharp!

It is also the first hybrid with ‘NORMAL/ECON/SPORT’ driving modes. The ‘SPORT’ mode increases the gear ratios, steering and throttle response whereas ‘ECON’ mode brings the car into economy mode offering you maximum kilometers to the liter.

In Japan, the Honda CR-Z basic model is priced at 2,250,000 Yen and the top model at 2,500,000 Yen.  It will be released in Japan first and then in other parts of the world.  The price for other countries has not been decided yet.

The Honda CRZ debut comes at an apt time barely two weeks after arch rival Toyota recalled almost 44 thousand Priuses and other hybrid cars for complaints of faulty breaks and delay in response of breaks on bumpy roads and cold conditions.

Honda claims that the braking system of its Hybrids is different from Toyota and that Honda has not received any complaints in its hybrid models about braking.  Honda plans to sell over 250,000 hybrids a year by 2010.  Honda CR-Z is a global hybrid car that will make the gasoline-electric technology more available and affordable to sports car lovers.

Technorati Tags: Honda CR-Z Hybrid, hybrid cars, Honda CRZ, Japan, Toyota, Honda

Honda Jazz loses just about US$2,200 in value during the first 12 months, having done minimum 10,000 miles, as per the research conducted by Used Car Expert magazine.  Depreciation for luxury cars like Maybach 62 can be as high as US$205,500.  These figures suggest that not all luxury cars and supercars are good from the point of view of long-term investment, small cars have much better resale value than larger ones.

This survey was carried out by Parker on the basis of average values of one year old cars driven 10,000 miles.  Out of the top 40 positions 35 were occupied by small cars.  Suzuki Swift and Kia Picanto appeared in list of top 10 while Hyundai’s i10 occupied fourth position following Fiat 500 and SEAT Ibiza respectively.  The survey points out the fact that during the first year of ownership, most of the cars depreciated more slowly compared to following years.

Honda Jazz is known as Honda Fit in South and North America as well as in Japan and China.  The car is called the Honda Jazz in Oceania, Europe, South East Asia, the Middle East, Africa and India.

People interested in buying used cars should definitely consider buying used Honda Jazz (Honda Fit) as it has a high resale value.  Investing money on Honda Jazz is one of the safest investments on 4 wheels, as Honda Jazz has the reputation of being the most desirable used car.

Features of Honda Jazz

Honda Jazz comprises whole lots of features such as incredible flexibility, larger interior space and low running costs making it quiet appealing to new car buyers as well as used car buyers.

For the safety of the car occupants, Japanese car maker Honda have utilized Advanced Compatibility Engineering’ (ACE), G-Force Control (G-CON) construction and anti-lock braking to build up their cars.  This engineering provides improved protection  in case of collisions.  The Honda Jazz is powered by a 1.2 litre engine and equipped with the pretensioner seat belt.  The new Jazz has with ample space,  spacious head and leg room,  good looks is great with turns and easy to park.  The Honda Jazz is a small but powerful and efficient car.

Despite recession Honda Jazz has managed to retain good depreciation value, so Honda Jazz is the ideal car with great looks, good performance which is comfortable to drive.  This versatile car can not only provide you good performance, but also fetch you good resale value when you try to sell it to second hand market.  Honda Jazz, therefore,  is an ideal investment to make!  If you are looking for a used Honda Fit from Japan, please inquire with your requirements.

Technorati Tags: Honda Fit, used cars, Honda Jazz, used Honda Fit, Japan

In Japan, most of the roads and highways are of very fine quality and so it is very difficult to test an SUV in rough conditions.  We therefore decided to drive the vehicle in Oze National park area in Tochigi and Fukushima prefecture.  After driving for 6 hours on the highways we finally reached the hilly plains of Tochigi prefecture.  It was snowing already, roads were slippery and the weather condition was awful, just right environment to test the Mitsubishi Pajero!

I would like to stress on the unbelievable off-road capabilities of Mitsubishi Pajero.  We went through a lot of natural obstacles like streams, bumps, boulders, hilly terrains and we could manage these situations at ease even in a snowy weather!  Despite the slippery roads and hilly terrains, we could easily maneuver the Car.  This just proved to us that the SUV had a simply incredible potential.

If you look at the Japanese domestic car market, the Japanese car makers do not offer that many true 4×4 vehicles though they may be offering many models in their lineups. Mitsubishi and Toyota are the only car manufactures in Japan, which offer trur 4×4 SUVS – Pajero and Land Cruiser, both of which are highly acclaimed in the International market too.

A first look at the Pajero will convince you that the car is strong looking yet elegant. Mitsubishi Pajero SUV offers rugged off-road capabilities as well as high levels of passenger comfort.  Rugged yet refined, with advanced design and technology offers increased safety, heightened comfort and strength, and superb performance.  With its tall, impressing looks, the Mitsubishi Pajero SUV surely catches attention whether you are climbing hills or cruising on city roads.

If you are planning to buy a four wheel drive SUV not just for city drives, but also to enjoy nature on all kinds of terrain,  we wholeheartedly recommend Mitsubishi Pajero 2007 SUV.  If you are interested in importing used Mitsubishi Pajero, please get in touch with us with your requirements.

Technorati Tags: Pajero SUV, Mitsubishi Pajero, Japanese car

Nissan has designed this concept car – Land Glider -- for use in congested urban areas and narrow alleys, which are very typical in Japan.  In this car, the driver seats centrally and the passenger sits behind the driver, just like on a motorbike.  This tiny electric vehicle has computer controlled steering system that leans the car on the turns.  The driver controls the vehicle through a drive-by-wire system that is controlled through a two-handle wheel.  And, instead of the back view mirrors, they have monitors and cameras.

The dashboard of this car is definitely looks like as it is a future car.  Nissan’s Land Glider is very light weight and ultra thin, it is just a 3.5 feet wide.  In fact, it just covers up only half the space of a normal traffic lane. One quality which really makes the Land Glider remarkable is that it leans around 17 degree when it turns.  Nissan Land Glider also has many safety features -- like the crash avoidance car-robotics technology with sensors mounted in the body to detect other vehicles in the same way.  This concept is the same as in Nissan Eporo robot cars which mimics fish swimming in shoals without colliding.

I like to tell you one more impressive feature of this car- which is its non-contact charging system. You can charge Nissan Land Glider at any motorway service station, where this car can be charged wireless.

Nissan has cleverly used the way motorcycle leans on curves, in their new car design for Land Glider. This vehicle is totally electrical, and a completely smart eco friendly car.

Technorati Tags: concept cars, Japanese car, electric car, Nissan, Land Glider

In this review, we will try to find out why the Toyota Hilux Surf is referred to as ‘The Indestructible Car’ and has gained high reputation for exceptional reliability and sturdiness.  This image of a sturdy vehicle was reinforced when in the BBC’s Top Gear program, they put an old Toyota Hilux to extreme abuse such as being drowned in a sea, headlong crash into a tree, dropping a caravan on the vehicle, hitting it with a wrecking ball, putting the car on fire and finally putting the car on the top of a tall building which was demolished controllably. In spite of these trials by flood, fire, massive caravan, and falling tower blocks, the truck was still running in the damaged condition.  You can see a part of this show in the following video.  So, there is no doubt it is one of the sturdiest, yet compact pickup trucks around.

Toyota Hilux compact truck has a massive fan-base, not only because of its power and dependability, but also because of the comfort and action lifestyle it offers.  It has all the luxurious comforts of a car such as air-conditioning, power windows, power steering, keyless entry, cruise control, ergonomic seating, and spacious cabins.  It has got the toughness you’ve come to expect and the performance you want with all the comforts.

We have a number of used Toyota Hilux Surf models in our stock. We can also find a used Toyota Hilux from the used auto auctions, to match your requirements.

Technorati Tags: Action Utility Vehicle, Japan, Hilux Surf, Toyota Hilux Surf, Toyota Hilux, pickup trucks, compact truck, used Toyota Hilux

Structure and look of Nissan Skyline is very impressive, in earlier times it was four door vehicles, but now it has more stylish looks to keep up with the modern day demands.

In 1990 GT-R comprised of straight six-cylinder with twin-turbo motor of 2.6 L  and producing 206 kW (276 hp).  Light nature of the ceramic exhaust wheel and hybrid steel or ceramic design of turbo-chargers allowed them to roll up faster.

The new model of GT-R is twin turbo VR 38, which can deliver 480 HP.  This power can accelerate GT-R from 0 to 60 in flat 3.5 seconds. Six speed duel clutch transmission transfers the power to its wheels -  through all wheel drive system.

The vehicle’s speed helps to control steering angle of rear wheel.  When the vehicle exceeded 80 km/hr, then HICAS system gets activated and it controls steering of the rear wheels in the same direction as the front, so as to improve turn in on entry to corners.

With all these impressive features,  Skyline GTR is ranking just below Porsche’s 911 turbo,  as the world’s fastest production turbo Four Wheel Drive car.  If you are looking for an used Nissan Skyline GT-R, please check our online stock for Used Nissan cars.

Technorati Tags: sports cars, Japanese Sports Car, Nissan skyline, Skyline GTR, used Nissan Skyline

Last month Honda Motor Company launched its all-new Honda Insight Hybrid car at a price tag of 1,890,000  Japanese Yen (US$19,800).  And it ranked as the 10th best selling car in Japan last month bagging over 15,000 orders, outselling Toyota Prius.  Honda was however able to deliver only 4,906 units.

This move by Honda would force the market leader, Toyota, to bring down its prices, leading to a price war in hybrid cars. Toyota is planning to release the next-generation version of Prius this May, at a much lower price.  This will be a good sign for car buyers, as they will have more and more choices for fuel efficient hybrid vehicles at affordable prices.

How Honda achieved this feat?  Honda Insight undercuts the Prius by several thousand dollars.  It is also around $4,000 cheaper than the Honda Civic Hybrid! First of all, the Insight shares parts with other Honda models. Secondly, the Insight’s main source of power is a lightweight gasoline engine that is assisted by smaller batteries, as opposed to the more complicated hybrid system used in the Prius.  This greatly reduces the manufacturing costs, but gives the Insight lower fuel efficiency than the Prius.

Technorati Tags: Honda, Toyota’s, Honda Insight, Hybrid car, Japan, Toyota Prius

The new generation is more passionate about Hybrid cars because they are environment friendly.  According to Honda reports, the hybrid car is zero-emission.  Reduction in fuel consumption contributes a lot to a green environment.  Even Hybrid cars have more fuel efficiency than any other ordinary brand new car.  A hybrid car whether new or used has no more mechanical problems like regular cars.  During the movement of the wheels, the hybrid car creates its own energy during a process of regenerative braking.  All these features in Honda Hybrid cars have made Honda the most striking and craved cars of the new generation.

Honda has newly introduced its 2009 Civic Hybrids.  This Honda hybrid car is a combination of technical qualifications of the common Honda Civic motor cars and reduced fuel consumption as of hybrid cars. As well as it takes care of your pocket also.

Honda Accord hybrid car is among the most popular Honda hybrid cars.  Nowadays this vehicle is out in the automobile market and really enjoying giant and warm patrons from all who are crazy for hybrid car. This hybrid car by Honda is most nature friendly.  The owner of hybrid cars does not find cost as an obstruction because they are astronomical. If we compare some Japanese hybrid models, we find Honda Accord Hybrid at 69 miles per gallon very economical.  Honda is now directly competing to its fellow Toyota, which was the first Japanese company to come up with hybrid cars.

If you are looking for used hybrid cars by Honda or Toyota, please check our stock or get in touch with us with your requirements.

Technorati Tags: Honda, Toyota, hybrid cars, Japanese cars, Honda Civic, Honda Accord