Bentley fails homologation test

[ajmat]

Arnage R hits a roadblock

Santanu Choudhury & Sidhartha / New Delhi April 07,2004



The Rs 2.8 crore Bentley car fails homologation test.

UK-based Bentley Motors’ plans to sell its super luxury car Arnage R in India seem to have hit a roadblock with the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) declining to issue a homologation certificate to the Rs 2.8 crore car due to failure of one of its components.

This had been communicated to Bentley, owned by German automobile giant Volkswagen, though the carmaker had not responded to the queries raised by the country’s premier testing body, ARAI director B Bhanot told Business Standard.

“No type approval certificate has been issued to Bentley for any model due to the failure of one of its components as per Central Motor Vehicle Regulations requirements,” Bhanot said in response to an e-mail query.

On his part, Bentley’s regional director (Middle East, Africa and India) Ian Gorsuch said, “The current status is that certification is still in process with one final test that will shortly be concluded. Our engineers are in regular contact, and working closely, with the officials of ARAI.”

The Arnage R, one of the popular cars from the Bentley stables, was launched in the country last year. The company operates through dealerships in Delhi (Exclusive Motors) and Mumbai (Upaj Motors). Globally, Bentley cars compete with other luxury marquees like BMW-owned Rolls Royce and DaimlerChrysler’s Maybach.

The government had relaxed rules for homologation requirement for imported cars earlier this year. Now, individual importers and companies under the Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) Scheme, which import cars costing over $ 40,000 are only required to submit a certificate from the originating country certifying that the car meets European emission norms.

In addition, individuals who had owned the cars for over a year and were relocating their residence to India after two continuous years of stay abroad could now import their vehicles, the new rules notified by the directorate general of foreign trade said.

[GTO]

This is rubbish, a car that has passed the most stringent safety and road worthy tests worldwide is failed by the ARAI? And the homologation was abolished for vehicles costing over $40,000...

GTO

[v12]

hmmmm...........now what must have failed???

First of all ARAI [or for that matter VRDE] arent well equipped to "test" a car like Bentley [or even S classes]. God knows what equipment they cud be using. Whether the equipment they use is accurate or not. Whether its the latest or an outdated stuff.

[GrimReaper]

I would just like to correct you GTO that homologation for cars are only relaxed if imported by a private dealer or an individual and not if mass sold by companies

[Rehaan]

Yeah,
i really wonder what could have failed? maybe they just didnt know how to operate the cup holder? ;-]
..thanks for the clarification grim.

cya
Rehaan

[toyota]

It is the rear tail lamp , reflector .
ARAI has a condition saying that the refelctor should undergo Acid rain test and so they take out the refletor and put it in acid for test , and if the refelctor peels off then the Car is not issued a certificate .
This might sound stupid but this is real and for the same reason the Toyota Prado has also failed the Type approval.
BUt this is easy to be fixed and both bentley and Prado will be through the test soon .

ARAI is not bothered about safety of the cars made in India but bothered about Acid rain and that too in rear tail lamp lights !!!

[Rehaan]

Hahaha.....
wow.....good info toyota....
acid rain in the taillamp assembly! hahaha.... the guys at bentley must just be like *** ?!?!? hahaha...

cya
R

[v12]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]ARAI has a condition saying that the refelctor should undergo Acid rain test and so they take out the refletor and put it in acid for test , and if the refelctor peels off then the Car is not issued a certificate .

I guess its all excuses to make some good bucks.

[Dippy]

All crap... they actually might not be able to use the cup holder or switch on the radio.. They may not be getting akashwani station so they failed it...

But on a serious note its really suprising that Bentley failed the test. Like V12 said I doubt they even have the correct equipment to carry out these tests

Cheers

[Revvmaster]

hahaha... rear tail lamp test... now what the leather seats need to be put in acid rain too to test whether it stands that too???

ARAI... shud have been called Affected with Rare Automotive Insomnia .... get up lazy bones

Revv