This luxury 40ft motorhome worth £1.2m is so big that it comes with its own garage

Cars can fit inside the built-in garage of the Volkner Mobil Performance S motorhome (Caters)




Storage space on board is not a problem (Caters)




Comfort is key inside the motorhome – which you would expect if you’re paying £1.2m (Caters)




A kitchen area means no more drive-thru meals (Caters)




The interior is more like a luxury hotel than a motorhome (Caters)




The decoration on board is as lavish as the price tag (Caters)




The sumptuous bed is situated underneath a skylight for sleeping under the stars (Caters)




The 40ft motorhome is a plaything for the super-rich (Caters)




Drivers are seated in complete luxury for life on the road (Caters)

Owning a motorhome is the dream of many savers but those with money to burn could pick up this behemoth – that is so big that it even has its own garage.

Coming with a list of mod-cons that matches the price tag, the 40ft Volkner Mobil Performance S features a garage underneath the vehicle so your car can come along for the ride.

Lucky owners of the Performance S will be able to load up their cars on board the motorhome via an electro-hydraulic lift. 

But the built-in garage only scratches the surface at what is on board the home-on-wheels.

A fully-equipped kitchen, sleeping quarters, wooden and leather fittings and a state-of-the-art entertainment system means you don’t have to leave the luxury at home.

There is even a wall that slides out to provide extra space – just in case you might need it.

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But it’s the addition of a cooking island – something that you won’t find inside most motorhome competitors – that makes the Performance S the right choice, according to Stephanie Volkner, director of German firm Volkner Mobil GmbH.

She said: It is a house on wheels.

“Our clients normally have big companies. They want to travel freely.

“They want to decide when they start their journey, where they can go, not before.

“They look at the weather and start. They want to live in their own, very personal area.

“Exclusive is for everybody very different. Some need a golden faucet to be exclusive.

“For me, it’s exclusive that the interior has harmony and all the materials are of the highest quality and their processing is at the highest level.”

We’ll take two.

How Xiaomi is winning over India’s booming smartphone market

 

How Xiaomi is winning over India’s booming smartphone market

A seven-year-old Chinese manufacturer is taking over the world’s second-largest smartphone market.

In the last year, Xiaomi’s market share in India has gone from just 6% to 22%, according to Hong Kong-headquartered market intelligence firm Counterpoint Research. That puts its share at par with South Korea’s Samsung, a leader for several years now. And as of September, three of the five most popular smartphones in India are from Xiaomi, Counterpoint said in a report on Oct. 27.

It’s quite a coup considering Xiaomi entered India only in 2014—Samsung has been around since 1995. The Beijing-based company has invested around $500 million in the Indian subcontinent in the last two years according to Bloomberg and intends to invest a similar amount between the next three and five years.

This stupendous success, analysts reason, is because of a strong supply chain and the company’s ability to sell value for money products in a very price sensitive market. Xiaomi didn’t respond to an emailed questionnaire from Quartz.

Modus operandi

Since its entry into India, Xiaomi has stood out for its unique go-to-market strategy of selling only via e-commerce. It signed an exclusive partnership with e-tailer Flipkart and ran flash sales for new model launches, with the sales typically ending within seconds of opening. For instance, in a flash sale for the Redmi 1S model in September 2014, around 40,000 pieces were sold out in just 4.2 seconds.

his allowed the company to single-mindedly build capabilities around online retail, which now accounts for around 30% of India’s total smartphone sales. Most other brands have struggled with juggling online and offline sales, with many often failing to satisfy either set of customers.

“They’ve (Xiaomi) managed to streamline their supply chain and make sure the demand versus supply gap is not that significant,” Tarun Pathak, associate director at Counterpoint Research, told Quartz.

While around half the phones sold online are Xiaomi phones now, according to Counterpoint Research, the company has, over the past few months, begun pushing sales through brick-and-mortar stores, too. As a result, Xiaomi’s share of total sales in India from offline channels has doubled to 20% in the last year. It has also worked on creating a cult following in India, a move that analysts say helped create strong branding at a time when they weren’t even investing much in conventional advertising.

To increase its offline sales, Xiaomi is opening direct stores called Mi Home, and partnering with big retail chains like Croma, Univercell, Poorvika, and Sangeetha. In smaller cities, the company has launched a “Preferred Partner Programme” where it ties up with multi-brand outlets to put up Xiaomi signage and promote sales of its models. These preferred partners aren’t exclusive.

“They understood that they can’t be available at every nook and corner. So, these partners helped them maintain a buzz and pull in the market,” Jaipal Singh, senior analyst at market research firm IDC India, told Quartz.

Manufacturing push

Unlike other players that import devices, Xiaomi has set up two manufacturing facilities in Andhra Pradesh where it manufactures over 75% of the handsets it sells in India. These units are run in partnership with Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn.

“Xiaomi made the right moves when it comes to supply-chain and localisation,” Pathak of Counterpoint said. “It is not easy to forecast demand and then push out products.” The company is now considering setting up a third unit to meet growing demand.

It also seems to have played the pricing game just right. Xiaomi’s success so far has come almost entirely from the mid-price smartphone segment (between Rs10,000 ($154) and Rs20,000), among the fastest-growing in India. All its models in the country fall in that range, or are cheaper, and Xiaomi phones have more features than its rivals’ products.

As a result, three of the five highest selling smartphones in India between July and September were made by Xiaomi, according to Counterpoint Research.

The top five smartphone models in India in Q3 2017
1. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
2. Xiaomi Redmi 4
3. Xiaomi Redmi 4A
4. Samsung Galaxy J2
5. Oppo A37

Maintaining the lead

However, it’s not going to be easy for Xiaomi to hold on to its market share.

For one, its South Korean rival is likely to come out all guns blazing. “Samsung will become aggressive going forward now,” Singh of IDC said. After all, India is a key market for Samsung, which has remained a market leader for years now, while Apple is still making inroads. Between July and September 2017, Samsung maintained its 23% market share in India, but missed capturing the Rs10,000-15,000 segment where Xiaomi managed to cater to most of the demand.

There are others, too, including China’s Oppo, Vivo, and Huawei, and Indian firms Micromax, Lava, and Karbonn Mobiles. In all, Indians today have over 150 models of phones to choose from.

So far, Xiaomi has managed to crack the code, but holding on to its spot at the top of the Indian smartphone market will be a different challenge.

Mahindra launches Rexton at Rs 17.67 lakh

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M Ltd.), India’s leading SUV manufacturerlaunched its highly anticipated high–end SUV SsangYong Rexton in India. The Rexton SUV is priced at Rs 17.67 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai) for manual transmission (RX5 version) and Rs 19.67 lakh for automatic transmission (RX7) and is designed and developed by SsangYong in Korea, the sports utility vehicle (SUV) is the third generation Rexton.

   

The Rexton is the first product from Ssangyong’s product portfolio to be launched in India since Mahindra acquired the Korean company back in March 2011.The Rexton has carved out its own niche in 66 countries around the world, including markets like Korea, Europe and Russia.

   

This third generation Rexton, will create a strong connect with premium SUV buyers in India thanks to its sophisticated styling, luxurious interiors, superior handling and on and off-road performance. Indian buyers can also look forward to a high-performance diesel engine powering the Rexton.

   

Commenting on the upcoming launch, Dr Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive and Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. & Chairman, SsangYong Motor said, “The launch of the much acclaimed XUV500 last year helped Mahindra stamp its presence on the segment of premium SUVs.

The Rexton will be the first SUV from the SsangYong portfolio brought to the Indian market by Mahindra. With the launch of the SsangYong Rexton, we hope to further expand the Mahindra presence in the high-end SUV segment”.

   

The Ssangyong Motor Company which was founded in 1954 is based in Pyeongtaek, South Korea and is a major player in the Korean utility vehicle market. It sells its vehicles in more than 90 countries around the world.

  

Three row seats concealed with premium, dual tone, beige and black interiors, complemented by metal grain accents and plush leather upholstery enhances the luxurious feeling.

   

Samsung unveils Galaxy S III Mini

Samsung Electronics Co. has unveiled a smaller and cheaper version of the Galaxy S III smartphone with the same screen size as the iPhone 5. Samsung says the Galaxy S III mini features a screen measuring 4 inches diagonally, smaller than the Galaxy S III's 4.8 inch display but the same as Apple's iPhone 5, which was Apple's first upgrade of the iPhone screen size.

                            

Samsung said the mini will be launched in Europe later this month but kept mum on schedules for other countries. Samsung's German mobile shop lists the mini's price at $516 versus $711 for the cheapest S III. The mini is powered by the latest version of Android software but does not support faster fourth-generation wireless networks.

                  

Samsung Electronics unveiled a new version of Galaxy S3 smartphone to better compete with Apple's newest smartphone iPhone5.

                             

The Galaxy S3 mini, the compact version of the flagship Galaxy S3, came with a 4.0-inch Super AMOLED display, according to an e-mailed statement.

       

The screen size was smaller than the 4.8-inch Galaxy S3, but was the same as the one of Apple's iPhone5. Galaxy Note2, the new phablet model launched by Samsung, has a 5.5-inch screen, reported Xinhua.

                   

Except for the screen size, the compact version held most features of the Galaxy S3. The mini model is powered by 4.1 Jelly, Bean, the latest version of Android operating system, featuring a 1GHz dual-core processor.

   

S Voice, the language recognition software, allows users to unlock the phone, play favourite songs or organise schedule with simple voice command.With Smart Stay feature, the phone's camera tracks users' eyes and keeps the screen lit as long as the users are looking at it.

    

Models hold a Samsung 'Galaxy S3 mini' (R) phone and a 'Galaxy S3' phone during the mini's world premiere in Frankfurt October 11, 2012.

    

"The Galaxy S3 introduced a new concept of smartphone that has proven hugely popular around the world. We' re now delighted to bring its revolutionary design, intuitive usability and intelligence to the Galaxy S3 mini in a more compact form," said Shin Jong-kyun, head of Samsung's IT & mobile communications division.

                  

Nissan unveils all-electric TeRRA SUV

The Nissan TeRRA SUV concept, unveiled at the 2012 Paris Motor Show combines two outstanding Nissan strengths – SUVs and EVs – in a vehicle that is equally in its element off-road in the wild or gliding silently through a sophisticated urban setting. With an innovative 4x4 fuel-cell electric powertrain and an athletic exterior that projects an unforgettable presence beyond its compact dimensions, TeRRA takes sustainable motoring into exciting new territory.

   

Envisioned as "the one and only Zero Emission SUV," TeRRA builds on Nissan's success with urban-relevant SUVs and crossovers like Murano and Qashqai and asserts that its zero-emission expertise extends all the way to fuel cells. Designed as a functional and flexible choice for tomorrow's youthful, "always on" consumers, TeRRA answers their aspiration for eco-friendliness along with a secure driving feel under any road conditions.

 

"Our challenge was to take Nissan's strength in SUVs and crossovers forward into the zero-emissions era, fuel cells being our new frontier in zero emission mobility" said Francois Bancon, Nissan's devision general manager of product strategy and planning. "Not big and tough for the desert, the aim was a new approach to SUVs that's relevant to urban life. The unique diagonal seating layout that offers an exciting driving experience thanks to exceptional visibility that creates a sense of being in control under any conditions."

  

Tough on the outside, warm and welcoming within
"We took our inspiration from the lifestyles of youthful customers in Northern Europe," said Shiro Nakamura, Nissan senior vice president and chief creative officer. "We heard their aspiration for sustainable mobility that can take them anywhere they want to go."

   

"Exploring our imagination of that natural space with the exterior, we have redefined the power of the SUV heritage in a much more athletic way, one that expresses our vision of the zero emissions future," Nakamura said.

   

"You have the big tires, high belt-line, thick pillars and thin side windows of the SUV vocabulary. But with a slender waist between pronounced fenders above the wheel arches, and a sculptured hood, we've created an ‘Implied Structure' of musculature under the skin. Sharp corners, short overhangs and sculptured lamps contribute to a clean, confident stance

   

An aerodynamically flat body pan in an eye-catching color, protecting the full length of the underside, completes the image of what we call ‘Modern Toughness.'"

   

   

Open the door and exterior toughness gives way to a surprisingly warm and welcoming interior. The door panel is a sculpted fusion of blond wood trim and colored acrylic, layered in an intriguing pattern. Ringing the cabin at shoulder height is a metal frame that gives TeRRA's occupants a feeling of security.

   

The wood/metal contrast continues across the dashboard, a beechwood-acrylic fusion that exudes a soft warmth. On the driver's side, the steering and instrument console gently tapers out toward the driver, barely interrupting the clean lines of the dash.

   

Seamless digital space
Facing the driver is a unique instrument cluster. It's an electronic tablet – just like today's popular portable devices – that serves as an "intelligent key." The driver docks it when entering the car and removes it when leaving. When docked in TeRRA, the tablet's default view displays speed and other key performance indicators. But the driver can easily toggle to entertainment, communications, navigation and other views.

                              

Outside the car it provides all the functions we expect from a tablet, plus it stays continually in touch with the vehicle.The idea is seamless information and communication, on the road and everywhere else.

   

The seats themselves express a hexagonal motif that is carried through various aspects of the design. Fold the three passenger seats down and you notice that TeRRA's cabin deck is completely flat, presenting no obstacles to carrying bikes, kayaks or assemble-yourself furniture from Scandinavia. This flat surface is a function of the remarkably compact powertrain package that creates the possibility of this zero-emission concept.

  

Power, four-by-four; emissions, zero
Although TeRRA is presented as a design concept, not a technical exhibit, its proposed 4x4 fuel cell electric powertrain is far from imaginary.

   

Under the hood is ample space for Nissan's proprietary hydrogen fuel cell stack: a flat, highly compact unit that features world-leading power density of 2.5kW/L. The latest in a series of Nissan fuel cells since 1996, the stack costs just one-sixth of its 2005 predecessor as the need for expensive precious metals has been slashed to one-quarter of the previous level.

   

TeRRA is purely a concept car, but it signals that Nissan is ready to mass-produce fuel cell electric vehicles whenever hydrogen becomes widely available.

   

The world’s top 13 automotive brands

1. Toyota
Toyota has a brand value of $30,280 million. This Japanese based automaker is considered as one of the world’s largest company by revenue. As of July 2012 the company reported that it had manufactured its 200 millionth vehicle.

   

2. Mercedes Benz
Mercedes Benz has a brand value of $30,097 million. This brand is usually associated with luxury automobiles, buses, trucks and coaches. Besides its native Germany, Mercedes-Benz vehicles are also manufactured or assembled in several other countries.

   

3. BMW
BMW has a brand value of $29,052 million. It is reported that about 56% of the company’s vehicles produced are powered by petrol engines and the remaining 44% are powered by diesel engines. In 2010, the BMW group produced 1,481,253 automobiles and 112,271 motorcycles across all its brands.

   

4. Honda
Honda has a brand value of $17,280 million. Primarily known for its automobile and motorcycle, the company has consistently proved itself to be one of the world’s remarkable brands. Honda was the first Japanese automobile manufacturer to release a dedicated luxury brand, Acura, in 1986.

   

5. Volkswagen
Volkswagen has a brand value of $9,252 million. The company is credited to be one of the most important brands in the world. The introductions of the New Beetle and the fifth-generation Passat were a major boost to the brand.

    

6. Ford
Ford has a brand value of $7,958 million. This American multinational automaker sells automobiles and commercial vehicles under the Ford brand. The company introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines.

   

7. Hyundai
Hyundai has a brand value of $7,473 million. Hyundai branded vehicles are manufactured by Hyundai Motor Company which is headquartered in Seoul. The company operates as one of the world's largest integrated automobiles which are sold in 193 countries through some 6,000 dealerships and showrooms worldwide.

   

8. Audi
Audi has a brand value of $7,196 million. The company designs, engineers, manufactures and distribute automobiles and motorcycles under the Audi, Ducati and Lamborghini brands. The Audi emblem symbolises the amalgamation of Audi with DKW, Horch and Wanderer.

   

9. Porsche

Porsche has a brand value of $5,149 million. The company is considered as one of the prestigious and successful brands in the world. Porsche is currently the world's largest race car manufacturer.

   

10. Nissan
Nissan has a brand value of $4,969 million. The Japanese multinational automaker has its own distinct corporate culture and brand identity. Along with its normal range of models, Nissan also produces a range of luxury models branded as Infiniti.

   

11. Kia
Kia has a brand value of $4,089 million. Headquartered in South Korea, Kia Motors is established as one of the popular brands in the automotive sector. Kia Motors Corporation's brand slogan is "The Power to Surprise".

   

12. Harley-Davidson
Kia has a brand value of $3,857 million. The brandis known to have attracted loyal brand community. Harley-Davidson motorcycles have long been associated with the sub-cultures of the biker, motorcycle clubs, and outlaw motorcycle clubs.

        

13. Ferrari
Ferrari has a brand value of $3,770 million. The Italian sports car manufacturer is popular for its race cars. Ferrari road cars are generally seen as a symbol of luxury and wealth.