2013 Chevrolet Sail sedan hits the Chevrolet Official India website - Launch soon

Chevrolet India will soon fill the space left void between the Sail U-VA hatchback and the outgoing Chevrolet Optra. The car maker will soon launch the 2013 Chevrolet Sail sedan in India. While we have been putting the spy images fo the car testing across India a couple of times, this is the first time the car has hit the Chevrolet India's official website.

The GM India website says that the upcoming car has- Designed to turn heads, Excellent leg room, Generous boot space, Safe Cage structure for occupant safety. The Sail sedan will be followed by the Chevrolet Enjoy MPV. The Enjoy MPV will battle the likes of the Toyota Innova and the Mahindra Xylo.

Similar to the Sail UVA hatchback, the sedan will get a long list of features that include options like an engine start stop switch and Bluetooth enabled entertainment system. Powering the Sail sedan would be a 1.3 litre Multijet engine and the 1.2 litre petrol motor that the car would share with the hatchback sibling. Spacious interiors, modern styling and diesel engine should see Sail sedan giving some tough time to high selling Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire.

The 1.2 litre petrol motor that will power the Sail sedan churns out 86 PS@6000RPM and 113 Nm@ 5000 RPM. The engine boasts of an ARAI certified FE figure of 18.2 km/l. The 1.3 litre motor, on the other hand, produces 78 PS@ 4000 RPM and 205Nm@1750 RPM. The diesel engine has an ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 22.1 km/l

Expect the car to launch at a price range of Rs 5.25 Laks, ex-showroom base variant.

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Chevrolet Sail sedan continues testing - to be launched soon

Chevrolet Sail sedan continues its testing while its smaller sibling - Sail U-VA is already in the market selling quite a descent numbers. Though, the American car maker did not get the start as expected, it did somehow managed close to 1,500 numbers each month.

Chevrolet Sail sedan is likely to compete with Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Nissan Sunny, Toyota Etios, Tata Manza etc and therefore the pricing might be the key to its sale in the highly competitive segment of the highly competitive car market.

Click here to view more Images of the car testing in India. Expect the pricing to be close to Rs 6-8 lakh.

Source - team-bhp

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Do you like the Ford EcoSport without the Spare wheel at the Tailgate ?

Ford EcoSport has been caught lot of times testing across, sometimes, with an Automatic transmission, sometimes with a 4WD and other times the Videos of Orange EcoSport testing in outskirts of Chennai and another time a White colored EcoSport on highways.

However, this time the car was spotted without a Spare wheel at the tail gate and looks like a neat mixture of hatch and a MUV.  The mini SUV was spotted in Brazil.  It is still unclear from the picture that is it a test mule or is it a car modified by one of the consumers. We will get into the details of this car and will get back to you about is Ford planning another variant of this car or is it just a way to modify the car ?

Meanwhile, you guys have to tell us which variant of EcoSport do you prefer - the one without a Spare wheel at the tail gate or the one with a SUV looks - with a spare wheel.

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Future MINI cars to be lighter

Anders Warming, the design chief at Mini, has hinted at the future Mini cars being Lighter, Smaller and high on Connectivity.

Talking about the interiors of the future Mini vehicles, Mr. Warming said: “We’re going to be focusing increasingly on issues like connectivity, because that’s part of the life that people live, and obviously we also have a big display as far as the connectivity today, but this will also be a central pillar in the future design of MINI interiors. One thing that I always say and that is very important for me to put is that the round display in the center of the MINI is here to stay. I believe that the central display in each MINI is an icon, and this is where all our connectivity really has to have a inner stage, where people could really live their connected life through the central display.”

Source - BMWblog

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Ford EcoSport launch confirmed for April 2013 and not January 2013

Ford EcoSport is undoubtedly one of the most awaited launch of year 2013. The close sources, senior management at Ford India says that car would be launched in April 2013 and not in January 2013. The carmaker has also invited Tamil Nadu CM, Jayalalithaa to commence the production and this would take place in March 2013 which also proves that Ford is yet to commence production of the EcoSport from the dedicated assembly line for this crossover.

The EcoSport has already been launched in South America with countries like Brazil, Argentina and Colombia already playing host to this exciting new crossover. In the next couple of months, the EcoSport is expected to go on sale in countries like China, Peru and Chile.

While Ford has also been seen testing the Automatic variant, it is yet to be seen whether the carmaker brings this to India or not. Ford India will launch the EcoSport crossover with 1.0L Ecoboost Gasoline engine and 1.5L DV5 diesel engine which is currenlty doing duty in Fiesta sedan. The EcoSport is expected to get the 6 speed PowerShift automatic transmission option on petrol powered variants while the 5 speed manual gearbox is expected to be standard on all variants of this crossover.

Click here to view more on Ford EcoSport.

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2013 Volkswagen Polo R Cup India registration open now

2013 Volkswagen Polo R Cup registration is now open. You just need to fill in this form to register for the race. As the championship consists of 13 rounds on four different continents, a rally car needs to be well tuned to perform on these circuits. This year we will see for the very first time an impressive lineup of direct injection turbo charged engines taking to the race circuits to compete for the coveted prize. VW will be entering this event as a factory commitment and will be fielding a well experienced team.

Click here for the registration.

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2015 Fiat Punto to be named Pandona

Fiat recently unveiled its future plans for India and ofcourse, Punto being a very important of Fiat's line up too had some great plans. The Italian car maker plans to introduce the next generation Punto with a new name - could be named "Pandona" and a new home, its production could move to Serbian factory in Kragujevac from currently Melfi facility in Italy.

Fiat could use the skeleton of the current model as the framework for the new Punto. This direction can save cost and time considerably, the two factors that Fiat and the Punto nameplate are at war with. Fiat’s Sergio Marchionne estimated this year’s losses are pegged at 700 million Euros while the Punto is a 7.5 year old model that has received two cosmetic refreshes to hide signs of ageing.

Fiat also hinted out that the next generation Punto, "The Pandona" could come equipped with a 1.6L Multijet engine inspite of the current 1.3L Multijet.

Source - ilgiornale.it

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Maruti Suzuki to launch new SX4 facelift, code named YL1 for India in 2014

Maruti Suzuki is working upon the new facelifted SX4 for the Indian market, which is scheduled to hit the roads in 2014. The car code named YL1 is currently under development at Maruti Suzuki's Manesar plant.

The new car is expected to boast of the Updated front fascia which will include a changed front grill and tweaks in the exterior styling of the car. The car from inside will have changes in its dashboard and will add some additional Updated features to compete with the current competitors in the Indian market.

On the rear side, you could easily view the Kizashi like looks with a strong curve lined above the boot unlike the slopy curve in current generation SX4.

Our sources have also told that the top end variant is also expected to be equipped with a Standard Navigation system. More details to be revealed and will be shared soon. Stay tuned for the updates.

However, the new facelift will have the similar 1.3L TDI engine and will deliver similar power and output as in the current models. The car maker has given no indication of the pricing however the car maker is expected to make no changes in the prices.

Stay tuned for more Information.

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Tata Motors gives green signal for production of Compact SUV out of X1 platform

The current X1 platform which underpins the Vista hatch and Manza sedan is now officially announced to be ready for rolling out a Compact SUV in India. The mini SUV which will take on Renault Duster, Ford EcoSport and Maruti Suzuki XA-Alpha is expected to most spacious of all the models present and will be launched at a very competitive price tag.

The car is expected to have a 1.4L FIRE gasoline engine and along side would also be sold with 1.3L SDE diesel engine - which are currently doing work in Indica Vista and Manza cars.  The Indian SUV major has planned to invest over a billion USD over the next five years for product development in a bid to revive its fortunes, especially in the home markets which have been seeing a steady decline for quite a while now.

However, the products that would be rolled out of Tata Motors factory next year could be a Tata Nano CNG and Diesel variants. 

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Renault Duster facelift to be launched in 2014

Renault Duster, launched in India on 04th July 2012 has marked a spectacular innings and has managed to sell 20,000 numbers in just 6 months. This is a number which the French maker would have taken years to count if they would not have launched Duster in India. The car maker was barely doing 400-500 vehicles per month before July 2012.

However, Renault did a good thing by launching the car much before the Ford EcoSport thereby taking the first mover advantage and hence making things work in its favor. Now when Ford has also launched EcoSport in the Brazilian markets, the two are competing to survive - with Renault leading with few numbers ahead of Ford, mainly due to a lower price tag of Duster than its immediate rival, EcoSport.

However, for India the case might be different. It is believed that Ford EcoSport is bound to qualify the sub-4-meter category and will thus be priced lower than Renault Duster, however we will have to wait for the official launch of Ford EcoSport in end March / early April to count on the pricing rumours.

If reports are to be believed, Renault is working on the facelift version of Duster and will launch is couple of months later than the Ford will launch EcoSport. This is a fast catching up strategy that global automakers are adopting to be ahead of its competitors. (Read Maruti Suzuki to launch refreshed Dzire couple of months later than Honda's Brio Amaze launch). It is believed that Renault will launch facelifted Duster by end of 2013 or early 2014 to be ahead of its competitor - Ford EcoSport.

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2013 Chevrolet Cruze will offer Industry's first Flexible venting driver airbag

Chevrolet has introduced the Industry's first technology inn Airbags which is designed to deploy airbag in such an efficient manner which will provide more equivalent crash protections. This new technology is even more enhanced as compared to expensive air bag systems and is seen in the 2013 Cruze.

Dual stage air bags use one inflator for low speed crashes and additional ones for high speed crashes. In this case however Cruze single state smart air bags use lower output inflator for both low and high speed crashes while a flexible vent reduces risk of inflation injury and enhanced cushioning due to forward movement of driver which effectively pushes air out.

Scroll down for the complete auto new release.

Auto News Release

Cruze Debuts Industry-First Flexible Venting Driver Air Bag
'Smart' system helps compact sedan keep 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score in crash-testing
2012-12-18

DETROIT – The 2013 Chevrolet Cruze introduces an industry-first driver-side air bag that uses a flexible venting technology designed to deploy more efficiently while providing equivalent crash protection to more expensive and complex air bag systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently tested the 2013 Cruze with the new air bag technology under its New Car Assessment Program. The Cruze received NHTSA's maximum 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score, the same rating it received in 2011 and 2012 when the small car used a dual-stage air bag system.

Unlike more complex dual-stage air bags that use one inflator for low-speed crashes and another for high-speed crashes, the Cruze's new single-stage "smart air bag" uses one lower output inflator to manage both low-speed and high-speed crash forces. The more compact, lighter weight system's flexible vent reduces the risk of inflation-induced injury by allowing the driver's forward momentum to effectively push the air out and away.

GM testing shows the single-stage driver air bag provides excellent cushioning for drivers of varied sizes in both low-speed and high-speed crash events.

"This new air bag technology is a smart way to manage crash forces, and is an integral part of Cruze's continued success in safety testing," said Gay Kent, GM general director of vehicle safety and crashworthiness. "The latest safety rating reflects the confidence we have in its new and carry-over safety technologies and overall crashworthiness."

Cruze's flexible venting driver air bag is the second new air bag technology General Motors has announced for 2013. The new Chevrolet Traverse crossover helped introduce the industry's first front center air bag, an inflatable restraint designed to help protect drivers and front passengers in far-side impact crashes where the affected occupant is on the opposite, non-struck side of the vehicle.

GM and safety restraint supplier Takata co-developed the flexible venting driver-side air bag and the front center air bag.

The 2013 Cruze continues to offer more standard safety features than many vehicles in its class and represents Chevrolet's commitment to continuous safety – before, during and after a crash. Standard features include StabiliTrak electronic stability control, Panic Brake Assist and Enhanced Smart Pedal / Brake Override. When it was introduced, the Cruze was the first car in its class with 10 standard air bags, including front knee air bags – a segment first. OnStar safety and security is standard for six months as part of the Directions and Connections package.

The 2013 Cruze also maintains the highest-possible ratings of "Good" in front, side, rear and rollover crash protection tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which recognized Cruze as a 2011 and 2012 Top Safety Pick.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

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Audi plans to launch R20 Supercar by 2016

Every brand has atleast one Flagship car. These cars represent their brand and the technology that their brand possess. The good blokes at Audi seem to be working overtime to get the better of rival premium car manufacturer like the BMW and Daimler.

Audi's current flagship car - R8, is selling in good numbers however Audi seems to be not satisfied with it and is hence planning another flagship car based on the Audi LeMans LMP1 race car.

To be christened as the R20, the new Audi will take the fight straight to the hypercars and the car’s claim to fame would be a twin-turbo V6 oil burner mated to two electric motors. The combined power output is expected to be above 700bhp along with a ground shaking torque figure of 1000 Nm. The car will sport the e-quattro technology wherein the two electric motors will be mounted on the front wheels.

The car maker plans to launch the car at 2016 Pebble Beach event and has plans to make only 100-250 units of the flasgship car.

Source - automobilemag

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Su-Kam Automate Automotive battery introduced for three wheelers and cars

The reknowned Power solution provider - Su-Kam launched "AUTOMATE" batteries - which will be for the automotive application. These batteries are compatible to be equipped in three-wheelers as well as in Passenger vehicles.

The new automotive batteries are designed to perform in temperatures ranging from -18ºC to +55ºC with their All Weather Technology (AWT) that ensures their durability and longevity in excessive temperatures.

S B Ganguly, Board of Director at Su-Kam (ex-Director, Exide Industries) said, “Living up to our philosophy of offering uninterrupted power supplies to our customers, we now offer Automate, unique automobile battery to ensure uninterrupted power supply for your vehicles. Backed by technological innovations this battery has been designed to ensure that your car runs smoothly no matter how rough terrain or how extreme the weather conditions.”

AUTOMATE is available nationally through Su-Kam's extensive dealer network.

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Maruti Suzuki to launch refreshed Dzire to challenge Brio Amaze

Maruti Suzuki to reportedly planning to freshen up its recently launched Swift Dzire to challenge the yet to be launched Honda Brio Amaze diesel compact sedan. The Dzire is currently the heart of the market as well as buyers, thanks to its high mileage, decent looks, low price and practicality. A senior official confirmed that the company is working on improving existing Dzire and will come out during the festive season.

The official did not confirm what the changes are in the new Dzire. There obviously won’t be any major structural changes because of the costs involved, given that the Dzire and the Swift are on the same platform, and with the Dzire coming in under 4-metres in length it qualifies for small car excise duty benefits.

There are few things which come to our mind which Maruti Suzuki should focus upon thereby making it even more practical car and even more value for money. The one thing which Maruti would for sure be working upon is by increasing the rear legroom by tinkering the seats and thereby providing more comfort to rear passengers. This could also be by providing bigger rear doors and would make ingress and egress of car easier. Other cosmetic changes could be fancying up the headlamps and taillamps - however we do not expecy any changes in the car technically.

On the other hand, Honda Cars India is planning to launch its first Diesel powered vehicle for India during the first quarter of Financial year 2013-14. The first diesel product from Honda would be a Brio Amaze as this has officially been confirmed by the Japanese car maker and is now officially brought up on Honda Cars Indian website. The car has already been launched in Thailand and the next market would be India. 

The Swift DZire is available with a starting price of INR 4.9 lakhs for the petrol variant while the entry level diesel LDI variant costs INR 6.02 lakhs ( all prices ex showroom Delhi). If The Honda Amaze's price is anywhere close to these figures, Honda can be sure of having a winner in its hands. The wait will finally be over soon and a new winner might emerge from Honda's stable.

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Hyundai to launch i20 based Compact sedan by end of 2013

Hyundai Motors India Limited earlier grabbed a big amount of hatchback market along with sedan market. Later, Hyundai also wanted to put its foot into Maruti's territory by launching a small car and thereby launch Eon and is thereby expanding its wings.

Hyundai now wants to enter into the rapidly growing Compact sedan segment and wants to grab a pie out of it. Since, Maruti Swift launched Dzire and is now selling the car at more than 10,000 volumes per month, all other carmakers too wanted to grab this opportunity and launched their compact sedans.

We are yet to see three new launches in Compact sedan segment in 2013 however yet another fourth one could be launched here - i20 based Compact sedan. Yes, Hyundai could not roll out a compact sedan out of its i20 hatchback and could place it among Dzire, Brio Amaze and Verito.

Hyundai i20 is currently the hot selling hatch in India due to its variety of offering of features in India, i20 based Dzire sedan could further add to the popularity. However, the company has ruled out any possibility of stopping the production of Accent in India until 2016 since it is into huge demand in Algeria.

Since, the price of i20 hatchback is already highest among all other hatchbacks, we expect i20 based sedan to be priced marginally higher than its hatch version. Since, it would be manufactured on similar existing i20 platform - expect it to be priced marginally 25-40K pricier than hatchback. However, we will await an official announcement from Hyundai India about more details.

Featuring the frame and design of its smaller twin, it will be available in both petrol and diesel variants. An i20 with an integrated boot, it will probably be a sub 4-metre car packed with features, expected to replace the Accent.

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Have you seen the Renault Duster prepared for 2013 Dakar Rally ? - Images & Video inside

Meanwhile, you would have seen the modified version of Renault Duster and the D Cross Concept of Renault Duster, here we are again with some thing which is still in pipeline - The Renault Duster getting prepared for 2013 Dakar Rally.

Renault Argentina will field two race prepped Dusters in the 2013 Dakar Rally that starts on January 5 and ends on March 30. If the cars manage to complete the race distance, it would shoot Duster’s already high popularity level to even greater heights.  The Dakar Dusters will be piloted by an all Argentine team – Emiliano Spataro will be navigated by Benjamin Lozada, and Francisco José García will be navigated by Javier Mauricio Malano.

To make Dusters up to the mark, the car will be tweaked a bit on the hardware side, in order to make it strong enough to bear 8000km plus drive. Under the hood, the rally Renault Duster will be fitted with Berta V6 engine that would churn out peak power of 306BHP along with 442Nm of maximum torque. This engine is mated with a SADEF six speed sequential automatic transmission accompanied by self locking differential. To make it more strapping and strong headed for the Dakar Rally, Renault Duster SUVs to get Ventilated disc brakes, which would made more top-notch with 6 piston caliper up in the front and four piston units for the rear.

The Dakar Rally also has the motorcycle class, a class that has been dominated by the KTMs and BMW off road motorcycles. The rally plays host to a dedicated truck class as well where Tatra and Kamaz trucks have proven to be the prominent winners. The 2013 Dakar Rally will be held in South America with the rally commencing in Lima, Peru and ending in Santiago, Chile.

Check out the Video here !

Source - www.renault.com.ar

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Toyota teases Furia sedan concept - Is it Toyota Corolla's precursor ? Video

Toyota announces the Furia sedan concept, which will first be shown at 2013 North American International Auto Show. So, on January 14, 2013 the world could see a new sedan from Toyota.

Not to be mistaken for Mazda Furai, this car, called "Furia", should be one of the more important things for Toyota. It has some carbon fiber accents like the rear lip spoiler you see in the image above, and there are funky, concept car-spec lighting elements at both the front and rear. It may or may not live in fire based on the footage we see here, too.

With the Furia Concept, Toyota can showcase how its cars in the near future are going to look like. It will obviously be used to gauge public response but wouldn't it be nice if they put it into production! Imagine another performance oriented Toyota, just like the good old days

Full details will be revealed at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show in a couple of weeks.

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Mini opens showroom in Hyderabad

After Delhi and Mumbai, Mini has opened a showroom in Hyderabad - KUN Exclusive.  The new MINI KUN Exclusive dealership in Hyderabad is located Opposite R.T.A, Khairtabad and will display the MINI Hatch, MINI Convertible and MINI Countryman. The new MINI Dealership is headed by Mr. Gautham Gudigopuram, Director, KUN Exclusive.

Mr. Philipp von Sahr, President, BMW Group India said, “There is no other more exciting car brand in the world as MINI. With the launch of KUN Exclusive in the historic city of Hyderabad, we are happy to accelerate MINI’s momentum in India. MINI has established itself as a unique brand, associated with tradition and irresistible charm. With MINI, it is possible to build upon its heritage while at the same time, the brand is so youthful and contemporary that customers soon become part of a vivacious, unique MINI community.”?

Mr. Gautham Gudigopuram, Director, KUN Exclusive said, “KUN Exclusive has been working with BMW Group India since 2007. Adding another chapter to this extremely successful and exciting association, we are thrilled to bring the MINI to Hyderabad and become part of its India journey. We expect an enthusiastic response for the charismatic and exciting MINI from the customers in Andhra Pradesh and the rest of the region.”

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Peugeot and General Motors to jointly manufacture SUV, MPV & hatchback

Peugeot is once again back in news for its plans to jointly manufacture vehicles with General Motors.GM and Peugeot already have a global alliance and, in order to strengthen and expand their presence, have come together for the following three Common Vehicle Platform Development Projects.

• Multi Purpose vehicle for Opel / Vauxhall and Compact Crossover Utility vehicle (CUV) for Peugeot.
• Joint development of Low CO2 B-segment platform for both GM & Peugeot
• MPV for both GM & Peugeot

Though there have been a couple of spy shots for these vehicles in Pune (could be seen here) however due to some internal issues the plans were delayed. However, the good news is that the plans have now started getting revived.  The first products are expected to be rolled out in India during late 2015. 

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Honda Brio Amaze finally available on Honda India's website

Honda Brio Amaze is finally officially revealed for India by Honda Motors Indian subsidiary - Honda Cars India Limited. Although, we have done our job of getting you updated about the cars - bringing you the first images, first drive, first spy shots, scoops, Thailand launch etc and will be keeping you updated in future too - you could also view the first official image on its website too.

Honda Amaze would be the first from Honda's stable to be powered with a Diesel engine. The car would be launched only in Thailand and India - where in the first launch would be in Thailand (already launched) and in India the car would come in April 2013. The latest buzz in the market is that it would be an all aluminium engine and thus the overall sedan would be much lighter than other sedans in similar segment that currently prevails in the market. The company also reveals that the Diesel engine is being developed by Honda's F1 team and is expected to deliver an astonishingly brilliant fuel economy - rumours suggest it could be 22.5+ Kmpl - ARAI certified.

You can view more information on Honda Brio Amaze here.

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Tata Motors to launch Indica Vista D90 in January 2013 - Teaser campaign goes Live

Tata Motors is now ready to launch Indica D90 for the Indian market. The Indica when originally launched was targeted at the local audience however the car was more feasible to the cab drivers due to its benefits of space, good fuel economy, easy available workshops across India and fairly priced. This generated lots of  problems for Tata Motors as the targeted segment could not be catered to.

Tata Motors then decided to launch Vista which was more modern looking and was targeted at audience however the mistake that Tata Motors did was retaining the "Indica" badge on the car and naming "Indica Vista" which again left an impression on customer's mind of being a driver's car.

Tata Motors is now back with another initiative which will place it in comparison with other top luxury hatchbacks - Punto Grande 90 bhp and Hyundai i20. The new Indica Vista will be launched with 1.3L SDE engine producing 88 bhp of power.  Other new features on Indica Vista D90 will be -

• Express down driver's window
• Follow me home headlamps
• Contrast roof

The launch is expected in January. To create hype around the car, the company has launched a teaser site with online contest where one has to spot the feature of the car. To participate in the contest click on the link: http://www.vistad90spotlight.com

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Maruti Suzuki to launch Light Commercial Vehicles to challenge Tata Ace and Mahindra Maxximo

Maruti Suzuki, India's leading Passenger car maker is now looking to foray into the Light commercial vehicles market and will target Tata Motors which has more than 50% share in the market. The company though has Omni, which was one of the earliest built vehicles and is used as a cargo vehicles however due to the lack of Diesel engine, the sales have not picked up as expected.

The project is codenamed 'AP' and if the exercise fructifies into an actual investment, the possible entry into light commercial vehicle ( LCV) space could happen "between 2015 and 2017", according to informed sources. The company is likely to develop an all-new platform or may use the Suzuki carry pick up truck platform which is sold in South East Asia and may tweak it to handle the overloading abuse in the country.

According to Frost & Sullivan, the Indian small and light commercial vehicle segment is likely to grow by a compounded annual growth rate of 18% over the next five years to 8,30,000 units by 2016. With the development of infrastructure, the country is expected to shift to hub-and-spoke model of transporting goods. In the hub-andspoke model heavy trucks ply on big highways, or hubs, and small commercial vehicles act as spokes in cities where the movement of heavy vehicles is restricted.

Deepesh Rathore, MD of IHS Automotive, says the technological entry barrier are limited in the mini truck space and the segment is one of the fastest growing segments in the Indian automotive industry with further potential to grow large volumes.

"Despite the entry of many players in small truck space, Tata Motors continue to enjoy over 50% of the market share and the others too are growing, that clearly shows that there is a room for more players. Maruti Suzuki can certainly be a strong challenger to Tata Motors with the widest possible reach, but having a suitable diesel engine is the key," said Rathore.

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Renault's global hatchback revealed in sketches

Renault's global hatchback is now revealed in sketches. The images gives us an hint of Clio IV, which is a very popular model from Renault in Europe. The global hatchback will be built under Renault Nissan alliance in India and will be build on same platform as of Renault Clio and Nissan Juke.

Renault Clio was seen with a twin turbo Energy dCi 160 engine offering 158 hp and 280 lb/ft torque mated to an EDC transmission. This resulted in the hatch sprinting from 0 to 100 kmph in 8 seconds and reaching a top speed of 211 kmph.

However, this global hatchback is expected to be unveiled with a 1.2L gasoline engine delivering 75PS of power and 1.5L diesel engine delivering 85 bhp of power. 

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Now, an Orange EcoSport caught testing on a Video

Earlier, we showed you the Video of a Blue colored EcoSport testing in Chennai and now we are back with the Orange colored EcoSport testing on the roads. This gives a clear view of how the car would look like and what life will it get while it comes on road early 2013.

Ford EcoSport is undoubtedly the most awaited launch of 2013. This video is taken by a youtube user Balaji R who has reportedly caught this EcoSport on NH45. EcoSport, seems to be a very promising vehicle in India for Ford as it has the capability of attracting huge volumes similar to what Duster did for Renault India.


      Also see below the mailer by Ford India.

To check out the comparison of Renault Duster Vs Ford EcoSport, check it out here

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Ice creams and Soaps could be the next fuel for cars

Researchers, led by Professor Nick Turner used synthetic biology to hijack the naturally-existing fatty acids and direct those fatty molecules towards the production of ready-to-use fuel and household chemicals.

Researchers at the University of Manchester have identified that hydrocarbon chemicals found in ice-creams, soaps and shampoos could be used as a ready-to-use fuels in cars.

Hydrocarbon chemicals are everywhere in our daily lives, as fragrance in soap, thickener in shampoo and fuel in the car. Their number of carbons and whether they are acid, aldehyde, alcohol or alkane are important parameters that influence how toxic they are to biological organisms, the potential for fuel and their olfactory perception as aroma compounds.

As per the researchers, they are still working on the subject and a final research report is yet to be published soon. 

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Renault plans to increase prices from Jan 1

French auto-major Renault plans to increase prices of its automobiles in India by up to 1.5 per cent with effect from January 1, 2013 due to high input costs. "We have to follow suit with the rest of the industry as input costs have gone up tremendously... we are forced to pass on some of the burden to our customers as high input cost, coupled with high inflation are all eating into our bottom line," Renault India Executive Director (Sales and Marketing) Sumit Sawhney said.

"The price increase will be up to 1.5 per cent across the range and will be effective from January one, 2013," he said. Renault India currently has 75 dealerships across the country. The company plans to increase it to 100 by the end of this financial year.

Renault along with Japan-headquartered auto-maker Nissan has a manufacturing facility at Oragadam near here, set up at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore. The plant has a total capacity of producing four lakh units per annum. Renault India, subsidiary of Renault s.a.s, France retails premium hatchback Pulse, mid-size sedan Scala, SUV-Duster, premium sedan Fluence and premium SUV Koleos.

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House on Highway finally demolished - Chinese couples finally agrees

The elderly Chinese couple was in news for long time now for their house which stood in between the proposed highway in China. The government however decided to build the highway and the elderly couple was offered a sum of 200,000 Yuan to which the couple refused. Bullish government and local property developers failed to convince the elderly couple to let them demolish the house which, was in the way of their highway construction.

The couple had refused to move or have their house demolished citing discrepancies in compensation amount being offered but have finally relented when they found that they were in the middle of a traffic jungle when authorities built a major motorway around their five storey house.

Demolition work commenced on Saturday in the city of Wenling, Zhejiang province where Luo Baogen and his wife had earlier this year, refused to more or permit their house from being demolished. This house in question was finally pulled down while onlookers witnessed bulldozers and diggers at work to raise the house to the ground.

Luo, 67 had spent 600,000 yuan (Rs 52.33 lakhs) on completing the house and finally accepted the government's offer for 260,000 yuan (Rs 22.67 lakhs) in the face of pressure and development.

More Images are here.

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FIAT India witnesses historic event at Ranjangaon

More than 600 FIAT car owners from across the country drove down to the automobile manufacturer’s Ranjangaon plant in Pune in a historic event for FIAT Group Automobiles India Private Limited. More than 200 FIAT cars from New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Trivandrum, Surat, Mangalore, Goa, Dehradun, Raipur, Udupi, Indore and Pune assembled at the plant to visit the state of the art Ranjangaon facility.

At the congregation, Enrico Atanasio, MD of FGAIPL, said,” In our humble attempt to reward FIAT loyalists, we have made arrangements for more than 600 car owners from across India to visit our state of the art Ranjangaon facility so that they can witness firsthand the technological process and precision with which their beloved FIAT cars are manufactured. We are extremely excited today as this gives FIAT a strong opportunity for consumer connect and engagement by amalgamating these FIAT brand loyalists into the unique FIAT culture.”

The event reflects the loyalty, trust and respect that brand FIAT commands and the company will build on these values in order to make FIAT a key player in the Indian automobile market. Fiat enthusiasts were hosted by the company officials and were taken to Ranjangaon for a special visit to showcase the world class manufacturing plant which included the FPT (Fiat Power Train ) division. Audio- visual presentations of FIAT’s global stable of cars and upcoming models were showcased to these enthusiasts and a short quiz was organized to reward the extremely well informed owners. At the event, the company also announced a national referral program by which “Team Fiat India” member’s can avail exciting benefits and rewards on FIAT products and services.

A band of musicians kept these enthusiasts entertained and a lunch was hosted by FIAT.

About Fiat Group Automobiles India Private Limited (FGAIPL) 
FGAIPL is a fully owned subsidiary of Fiat Group Automobiles SpA, Italy. The company was incorporated in Mumbai, India, in March 2012 and will distribute FIAT and Jeep vehicles in the country through an independent dealer network. The company is currently selling the FIAT Linea and Punto models, which are manufactured by the Tata-Fiat joint venture. The company in India will have around 100 employees and plans to have 120 dealers by the end of 2013

About Chrysler Group LLC
 Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 to establish a global strategic alliance with Fiat S.p.A., produces Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Mopar, SRT and Fiat vehicles and products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler Group’s culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat’s complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., Chrysler Group’s product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300 and Town & Country, Jeep Wrangler, all-new Dodge Dart, Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and Fiat 500. Fiat contributes world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-size cars, allowing Chrysler Group to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles

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Here is the Official teaser of Ferrari F70 - "The Enzo Successor"

Ferrari Enzo would soon have a replacement - christened as Ferrari F70 would be unveiled late 2013. Ferrari has now released an official teaser of its new upcoming baby. The car would be first unveiled at upcoming Geneva Motor Show scheduled to be held in March 2013. The front fascia of the F70 too was recently teased at a private party in China.

Ferrari F70 will come with a gigantic 7.3 liter V12 engine that will be based on the 620 GT (F620) motor. The V12 will be coupled with KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) as seen on Formula 1 cars. This also means that the car will get an extra 120 HP. Ferrari F-70 is expected to be powered by 920 HP.

We have some more spy shots of the car. But, stay tuned till we get more information on the upcoming awaited supercar from Ferrari.

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Maruti Suzuki launches Limited edition Alto K10 Knightracer

In a bid to boost the year end sales, the car maker launched the Limited edition variant of its highly selling Alto K10 model - "Alto K10 Knightracer". Priced at Rs 13,940 over the corresponding Lxi trim, the limited edition Knightracer has got 11 new features.

The limited edition Alto K10 Knightracer sports exterior and interior changes that include Knightracer body graphics, an ORVM on the left side, body side moulding, and full wheel covers on the outside. The interior has been kitted with Knightracer fabric seat covers, a rear parcel tray, a steering wheel cover and a JVC stereo with MP3 compatibility and USB connectivity

Elaborating on the Alto K10 Knightracer, Manohar Bhat, Vice President (Marketing) Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “The Maruti Suzuki Alto K10, since the day of its launch, found immense appreciation amongst the performance-driven and value-conscious young buyers who always strive to do more in less time .The Alto K10 Knightracer is a special limited edition that adds to the Alto K10’s appeal with an enhanced style quotient. We are confident that this special edition will bring pride to the select owners.”

The Alto K10 was launched in August 2010 and has since helped the Alto brand achieve the 20 lakh sales milestone. The car is powered by the 1000cc K-Series engine offering 68PS power and superior mileage of 20.2kmpl. The Alto K10 is available in the price band of Rs. 3.20 to 3.34 lacs.

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Moto Guzzi opens shop in Gurgaon

It was rightly heard recently that Piaggio is planning to bring its premium cruiser brand “Moto Guzzi” to India and hopes to battle it out against flagship Royal Enfield products and against Harley Davidson in the cruiser market. Piaggio also plans to establish 4 of its 8 brands (Aprilia, Derbi, Gilera, Laverda, Ligier, Moto Guzzi, Vespa and Piaggio) in the Indian market.

Ravi Chopra, Chairman and Managing Director, of Piaggio Vehicles India Limited, said, “We are evaluating the right time for the launch of products following the Vespa.”

Moto Guzzi has now made an Indian debut at newly opened Gurgaon dealership. It is the second Aprilia dealership in India, the first being in Pune. Piaggio owns both Moto Guzzi and Aprilia, and has decided that both brands will share space in the new showroom. Bookings for the 110PS Griso 1200 8V are open and deliveries are expected to start in 2013.

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Nissan Duster coming to India by Diwali 2013

Renault-Nissan India was a collaboration to make similar platform products under different badge and separate prices. The partnership is now well known in India for badge engineering as the duo together have made several products. say Renault's Pulse based on Nissan's Micra platform.

Similar is the case happened with Sunny-Scala. Nissan's popular sedan in India named "Sunny" gathering sales of apprx. 3,000 units per month triggered fire within Renault and then it gave birth to Scala, which is mechanically similar and almost similar identically, baring few more chrome inserts in Scala and typical Renault hexagonal grill in front.

Nissan Motors India, better known as NMI had earlier confirmed the production of Duster based SUV for the Indian market. As per the latest sources, Nissan plans to launch Duster (ofcourse by another name) by Diwali 2013 in India . The Japanese car maker says will be entirely different from Renault's Duster and will not be just platform sharing. 

View more details here.

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Check out the Video of Ford EcoSport testing in Chennai - Pre launch trials

Ford EcoSport is undoubtedly the most awaited launch of 2013. Youtube user ‘SenthilVR’ has filmed a white, undisguised test mule of the Ford EcoSport driving on what appears to be the expressway outside the Ford plant in Chennai.

The car is ready for the launch in 2013. Check out more details here. 

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Mr. Eberhard Kern to succeed Mr. Peter Honegg as MD and CEO of Mercedes Benz India

Mr. Peter Honegg has been succeeded by Mr. Eberhard Kern as CEO and Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz India. The interaction and formal hand-over happened today in Pune. Below are the quotes from all three - as shown in the image.

Mr. Matthias Lührs: “Heartiest welcome to Eberhard Kern as the new Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India. Kern is a veteran at Daimler, having spent three decades with the company. His assignments across Asia, other global markets as well as at Headquarters make him well-positioned for this exciting role. Mercedes-Benz India rests on strong foundations and Peter Honegg has reinforced the brand saliency in India; Eberhard Kern will now take the initiatives forward. We have high expectations from the Indian market and are bullish about our presence in this country.”

Mr. Eberhard Kern: “I inherit a very strong organization in this market where Mercedes-Benz is held in highest esteem. Our production facility is one of the best in the Mercedes-Benz world; our product line-up is exciting and holds tremendous potential. The New Generation Cars from the Mercedes stable will, in my opinion, play a pivotal role and our wide network of dealers are poised to support the growth. In short, the fundamentals are strong and we look forward to sustained profitable growth in the next years. “

Mr. Peter Honegg: “I have had a short but memorable India experience. It is a colorful land with warm and friendly people- and of course extremely well informed and demanding customers. However I am happy that I am leaving the company in very able hands of a veteran - Mr. Eberhard Kern who has seen almost as much of Daimler, as I have at a far lesser age. We started quite a few initiatives that have given dividends and I am sure they will be further sharpened under leadership of Eberhard Kern."

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Cyrus Mistry to replace Ratan Tata on 28th Dec 2012 as Chairman of Tata Motors

Tata Motors will now be headed by Mr. Cyrus Mistry starting 28th December 2012 - the day when Mr. Ratan Tata turns 75. Be your own man, Ratan Tata has advised Cyrus Mistry, who will succeed him at the helm of the $100 billion Tata group two weeks from now.

The Tata patriarch has told Mistry, 31 years younger, "you should be your own person, you should take your own call and you should decide what you want to"

Tata spoke about his 50 years with the group, 21 as its chairman, the highs and lows of his tenure, his equation with Mistry and his post-retirement plans during an expansive interview.

Asked if his counsel would be available to his successor, Tata replied, "Yes, certainly. He knows where to reach me and, we in fact, would talk business and stay in touch after I leave."  He then disclosed that the two of them would have lunch every couple of weeks "over something and we will talk about whatever he wants to talk about".

Auto News Release

Cyrus P. Mistry to be appointed Chairman of Tata Motors

The Board of Directors of Tata Motors today announced the appointment of Mr. Cyrus P. Mistry as the Chairman of the Board with effect from December 28, 2012, on the retirement of Mr. Ratan N. Tata. The Board conferred on Mr. Tata the honorary title of Chairman Emeritus.

Mr. Ratan N. Tata (Chairman)

Mr. Tata holds a B.Sc. (Architecture) degree with structural engineering from Cornell University, USA and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, USA. He joined the Tata Group in 1962. As Chairman of Tata Industries Limited since 1981, he was responsible for transforming the Company into a Group strategy think-tank and a promoter of new ventures in high technology businesses. In 1991, Mr Tata was appointed Chairman of Tata Sons Limited, the holding company of the Tata Entities and currently holds the chairmanships of major Tata companies. During his tenure, the Group's revenues have grown over ten-fold to annualised Group revenues of $62.5 billion. Mr. Tata is on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India, a Member of the Prime Minister's Council on Trade and Industry besides being a member of various global councils. He is also the chairman of two of the largest private sector promoted philanthropic trusts in India. Mr. Tata is associated with various organisations in India and abroad.

The Government of India honored Mr. Tata with its second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2008. Earlier, in 2000, he had been awarded the Padma Bhushan. He has also been conferred an honorary doctorate in business administration by the Ohio State University, an honorary doctorate in technology by the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, an honorary doctorate in science by the University of Warwick, and an honorary fellowship by the London School of Economics. Mr. Tata has been on the Company's Board since over 19 years including 13 years in an executive capacity and is actively involved with product development and other business strategies pursued by the Company. One of his achievements include designing and developing an indigenous Indian car - "Indica" which besides creating a record of sorts, is one of the leading products in its category in the car market.

Mr. Cyrus P. Mistry (Deputy Chairman)

Mr Mistry is a graduate of Civil Engineering from Imperial College, UK and has an MSc in Management from the London Business School. He joined the Board of Shapoorji Pallonji & Company Limited as Director in 1991 and was appointed the Managing Director, Shapoorji Pallonji Group, in 1994. He joined the Board of Tata Sons Limited in 2006 and was appointed as Deputy Chairman in November 2011. He is also a Director of Tata Industries Limited, Tata Steel Limited, Tata Power Company Limited, Tata Teleservices Limited and Tata Consultancy Services Limited.

He was appointed as a Director of the Company w.e.f. May 29, 2012 and as Deputy Chairman of the Company w.e.f. November 7, 2012. Mr Mistry is the Chairman designate and will take over as Chairman from Mr Ratan N Tata on his retirement in December 2012.

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Hit by Honda Civic driving in wrong lane - DU girl gets critical

A second-year student of Delhi University suffered a spinal injury when a Honda Civic drove into the cycle-rickshaw she was riding in the afternoon on Monday. Police said the car was in the wrong lane and was speeding.

Four others suffered minor injuries as the Civic later crashed into a Mahindra Xylo, a call centre cab. The incident was reported from Maurice Nagar, North Delhi. The driver of the Civic, Jai Prakash Bansal (65), has been arrested. Nineteen-year-old Shreya Dwiwedi, a student of Life Sciences at Hansraj College, is in the ICU of a private hospital.

The three occupants of the Xylo — Ayushi Jain, Anjali Sharma and Gurmal Singh — were discharged after first-aid. The rickshaw puller, Parmanand Singh, sustained injury on his forehead.

Police said Parmanand was taking Shreya to Chattra Marg when the car rammed the rickshaw and then the Xylo. Shreya fell on the road due to the impact and came under the Civic. The rickshaw puller fell on the pavement.

“The passersby rushed the victims to a nearby hospital and made a PCR call. It is yet to be ascertained if the driver was under influence of alcohol,” a senior police officer said. Shreya’s brother-in-law, Lalit Saraswat, said “She just finished her exams and was to return home to Kanpur on December 14. Before leaving college on Monday, she called her parents to say that her ticket was confirmed. We were waiting for her to return home.” “She has sustained a deep wound across her right eyebrow. Her right arm has been fractured and her vertebral column damaged. She is being operated upon,” he said.

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Rolex Signs Global Partnership With Formula 1™

Rolex, the leading luxury watchmaking brand and a pioneer of sports sponsorship, will become a major long-term partner of Formula 1™ from 2013 as Official Timekeeper and Official Timepiece. This reinforces Rolex’s commitment to motor racing and its support of global sport at the very highest level.

This new partnership with the pinnacle of motor sports brings together two leaders in their fields who share a passion for performance, precision, excellence and innovation. It is part of a strategic move by Rolex to focus its sponsorship activities on ventures chosen for their strong symbolic value and their global resonance.

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