The first phase of bookings for the Rs. 1-lakh 'dream car' Tata Nano began on Thursday, April 9, with crowds thronging the Tata Motors showrooms, and specially-opened booking counters in banks, including State Bank of India, which is Tata Motors' key partner in selling and receiving the booking forms.

The forms, costing Rs. 300, are also available at Tata Indicom centres, Titan showrooms, Westside and Croma stores. The booking for the wonder car - which can also be done online - will close on April 25.

International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, plans to invest €135 million in Volkswagen India's plant in Pune.

Under the proposed deal, IFC will provide a loan of up to €60 million from its own account and a syndicated loan of up to €75 million.

It should be noted that Volkswagen India's has recently inaugurated its plant at Chakan. The facility which is being set up at a cost of €580 million has a capacity of 1.10 lakh units a year.

The encouraging bookings and sales of its cars in India has given Czech auto giant Skoda the co

The first 16-day phase for Tata Nano booking begins Thursday, April 9, and will close on April 24. With over 1,00,000 booking forms sold for the small wonder car - the 624-cc jelly-bean shaped Nano - in the past week, there will expectedly be a heavy rush for its booking too!

In spite of the heaviest booking amount ever charged in India for an automobile – Rs. 95,000 as upfront payment, or Rs.2,999, in case of getting it financed - dealers opine that at least 50 percent of people who bought the booking forms, costing Rs. 300 each, will likely book the Nano.

With the aim to strengthen its presence in the Indian market, Skoda, a Czech automobile maker and part of the fourth most established automotive company in the world, has decided to launch four new models by the coming year.

The company said that it will make foray into the small car, MPV and SUV segments with its new launchings.

Moreover, Skoda plans to increase local content in its cars to bring down their cost of production by 2010.

It is also looking to terminate the Octavia by the next few years.

Come September and Toyota's sports utility vehicle 'Fortuner' will hit the Indian markets! The announcement about the SUV's projected launch was made by the Indian unit of Toyota Motor Corp. on Wednesday.

The world's biggest carmaker, which marks its Indian presence through a joint venture with the Kirloskar Group - Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd -, said that the SUV with a three-litre futuristic common-rail diesel engine will cost nearly Rs 20 lakh.