VOA常速英语2007年-India Emerges as Production Hub for Small Cars

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
16 December 2007

India is emerging as a production hub for Asian car manufacturers rolling out new compact models for the global market. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi that the market for small, low-priced cars is on the rise worldwide.

Suzuki Motor Corporation says a new compact hatchback targeted at European customers will start to roll out of a plant near New Delhi in December of next year. The company says the car will produce lower greenhouse emissions² than its European rivals.

The Japanese company plans to export nearly two-thirds of the 150,000 cars due to be made here annually³.

Suzuki says it will invest $1.8 billion to increase capacity in its Indian factories over the next 15 months.

Suzuki is not the only company to use India as a manufacturing base for compact cars being sold on global markets.

South Korea's Hyundai has also made India a production hub for small cars. In October, the company launched a compact car known as the i10, which is being made only in Hyundai's Indian plants in the south of the country.

Much of the production is being exported, to Europe, Russia and Latin America.

Nissan says it also plans to manufacture a small car in India for export to Europe.

Industry analysts⁴ say India offers several advantages to car manufacturers. Yogendra Pratap , formerly⁵ editor of the automotive magazine Overdrive, says the country offers expertise⁷, low production costs and millions of potential customers.

"India has all the engineering skills that are required to make cars," said Yogendra Pratap. "It is definitely cheaper to make cars here than elsewhere. For the sub-compact segment, India also has the volumes now. It makes sense to have a production base and a development base in a country where you are going to be having major volumes. Suzuki for instance sells more cars in India than in Japan."

Global auto⁶ manufacturers are focusing on compact cars as demand for them rises worldwide. Stricter emission¹ rules in Western countries and rising fuel prices are prompting many European customers to opt⁸ for small cars.

Over the next five years, economists⁹ predict that hundreds of millions of people in emerging markets such as India, China, Russia and Brazil will be joining the middle class, and looking for cars priced under $10,000. 

This has led global auto giants such as Toyota and General Motors to announce that they will develop low-cost cars. Most of these small cars are expected to be manufactured in Asian countries such as India and China.

1 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

2 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

3 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

4 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

5 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

6 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

7 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

8 opt   

vi.选择，决定做某事

参考例句：

• They opt for more holiday instead of more pay.他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
• Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority?各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗？

9 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》