The cat is out of the bag. Prices of the widely talked about Nissan Micra have been announced for the Indian market — INR 3,98,000 — XE (entry), INR 4,69,500 — XL (Mid) & INR 528,800 — XV (Top) — all ex-showroom Delhi. Nationwide sales of Micra will commence from July 15.

Positioned in the B+ car segment, the new Micra is equipped with some key technological innovations, which are designed to simplify day-to-day life for its owners. It offers first-in-its-class Intelligent Key plus Immobilizer, push-button engine start-stop system and electric foldable mirror.

The company is planning to open 30 more dealerships by the end of this fiscal all over the country. Micra rolls out at a time when the B-segment is abuzz with new launches. So will this bubbly small car be able to withstand the formidable competition and turn out to be a champ on Indian roads? Let's wait and watch.

Has Nissan been able to strategically price the Micra? Express your views below or connect with me on

"Ferrari doesn't sell really a car, it sells a dream."

Let it be the launch of the world's cheapest car or the acquisition of JLR, Ratan Tata never stops to amuse us; and this time, by bringing the iconic Ferrari to India.

BSMotoring reports that Ferrari is looking to open its first dealership in India in the next six to eight months and is likely to appoint Tata Motors or a sub-division of it as its sole Indian distributor and dealer. With Tata-Fiat joint venture in full swing in India and Fiat being the parent company of Ferrari, the move appears to be practical and convenient.

Speaking to BBC News, Ferrari Chairman Luca Di Montezemolo said that he is looking at opening a dealership here in India this year itself, although that might be a little premature. Ferrari is planning to open two dealerships in two of the largest metros in India, New Delhi and Mumbai with the latter most likely to be the first one.

Ferrari manufactures road-going sportscars, supercars and grand

Crocs are evil.

Not those monstrosities some people wear on their feet, though they are evil too — one gaudy colour at a time. I once saw a pair of fuchsia crocs on a man that has left me scarred for life, remind me to tell you that story sometime.

I'm talking about crocodiles. If they're anything like Doob Doob in Tinkle, you can still cut them some slack. But what when they want to steal the thunder from right under an octopus's, um, tentacles? It's not everyday that octopuses are talked about in nice terms. You either have to stump the crystal ball-gazing/tarot-reading/all-knowing soothsayers of the world or you have to be the inspiration for a Bond movie title. Tell me which other instance have you heard of an eight-legged sea-dwelling tentacular animal with nine brains being spoken of in flattering terms?

Right — none.

So where were we? Ah, crocs, yes. So riding on the tentacle-tails of OctoPaul, the friendly aquatic oracle that waddled over to whichever box its rump

As far as the automobile industry is concerned, 2010 has been an eventful year, especially after the Auto Expo that witnessed as many as 25 launches in various segments. Yet, hatchbacks rule the growing car market in India and the segment has been abuzz, with more foreign players entering the arena. From new launches by iconic brands like Volkswagen and Nissan to facelifts to the existing models, there were more than enough reasons for the middle-class car buyers to rejoice. Since the much awaited Nissan Micra is already here and there are not many launches slated for this year, this is the right time to have a quick analysis of the new and top five hatches of the year.

Nissan Micra

The Nissan Micra is the latest one to plunge into the already overcrowded B segment. Micra has enjoyed huge success across the world and now the Japanese carmaker is offering this bubbly car to Indian buyers with the latest generation technologies. Hope you all have read the road test and review