Porsche to pump in mn for India operations

New Delhi, Apr 11: German sports carmaker Porsche today said it will invest 30 million dollars for its India operations and will have three more dealerships in Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore with its Mumbai centre to kick start next week.

''The new company, Porsche Cars India Pvt will be operational by this month-end and we target atleast 20 per cent sales growth as compared to 160 units sold last year,'' Mr Ashish Chordia, Chief Executive Officer, Porsche Centre India told reporters here on the sidelines of the launch of new 'Cayenne'.

The second generation Cayenne SUV, after a successful sale of around 120 units last year, will be available across all its dealers at a range between Rs 49.3 lakh and Rs 1.1 crore.

''Our main target is the young entrepreneurs, families, and people who have the money and like to enjoy,'' said Porsche Centre India Managing Director Mohamed Rahman.

He said the company will launch its new four-seater, Pan Amera by 2009 and in the meantime, will unveil new variants in the country.

Porsche has equipped the new Cayenne with leading edge technology, power and passion to maintain its lead in the market of Sporty SUV's around the world.

The newly designed Cayenne, Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo models have been given more powerful Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) engines, which at the same time generate up to 15 per cent savings in fuel consumption, he said.

Moreover, the car benefits from a number of new and highly advanced technologies, most notable of which is Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) stabiliser, advanced trailer stabilisation system, roll-over sensor and pre-loading of the brake system.

''All of Porsche's engineering talent has been employed in the development of this car to ensure that it successfully captures the essence of two contradictory personalities shared in a single package. The current result is a testament to Porsche's globally acclaimed engineering prowess,'' said Mr Rahman.

The basic version of this sporty SUV has a 40-bhp power enhancement and is now driven by a 290-bhp six-cylinder engine, the displacement of which has increased from 3.2 to 3.6 litres.

UNI