Honda City Diesel to be launched on 7th January 2014

Honda's most awaited car, City Diesel with two engine and three transmission options is ready to enter Indian market soon. Yes, launch date in India has been announced on 7th January 2014.  

The fourth generation City Diesel will be powered by 4 cylinder 1.5L SOHC i-DTEC Diesel engine churning out 100PS of power and 200NM of torque powerd by 6 speed manual transmission and a 4 cylinder 1.5L i-VTEC Petrol motor delivering 119PS of power with a 5 speed manual transmission and CVT transmission as well. 

The petrol variant delivers 18 Kmpl of fuel efficiency whereas the diesel variant returns 26 Kmpl as per ARAI. 

The 2014 Honda City expresses Honda’s new design concept “Exciting H Design” and will be the first model in India to adopt this new design language, which promotes unique character and strong presence. This design concept boasts of a Solid Wing Face, Well Toned Athlete Form body and Finely Honed Surfacing on the exterior.

The 2014 Honda City measures 4440 mm in length (same as the outgoing model), 1695 mm in width (same as outgoing model), 1495 mm in height (10 mm more than the outgoing model) and the wheelbase measures 2600 mm (extended by an additional 50 mm over outgoing model).

Stay tuned at Wheel-O-Mania for more details. 

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Spied - Hyundai Grand i10 sedan continues testing before Feb 2014 launch

Hyundai Grand i10 sedan continues testing even the launch date is nearby. The compact sedan is expected to be launched on 4th Feb 2014 as already briefed to you a couple of hours before. The Auto Expo 2014 will be opened for media people on 5th & 6th Feb however for the masses the same will be opened on 7th Feb until 12th Feb 2014.

The compact sedan segment is one of the fastest growing segment as of now with sales of Dzire and Amaze being on top of the charts and both grabbing one of the top 10 positions. Honda's recently launched Amaze has sold 55,000 cars till date.

Built on the BA platform underpinning the Grand i10, the sedan will share engines and gearboxes with the hatchback. The petrol engine is a 1.2-liter four-cylinder with Hyundai’s Dual VTVT technology. It produces 83 PS at 6,000 rpm and 11.6 kgm of torque at 4,000 rpm, and comes mated to a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission.

The car will also be equipped with 1.1L Diesel engine producing 71PS of power at 4,000 rpm and 16.3 Kgm of torque mated to a 5 speed manual transmission.

The Korean carmaker also plans to launch Santa Fe on 6th February 2014 at 2014 Auto Expo. 

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Video - MINI starts marketing campaign with a new TVC

2014 BMW Mini gets a new commercial TVC. The new Video features Spike who is puzzled by looking at the new Mini.

The new Mini is 98 mm longer, 44 mm wider and a whole 7 mm taller than the current Cooper. The interiors are more spacious, and the cargo space is around 30 percent better, at 211 liters capacity. Its design follows the protocol laid down by the Mini Vision Concept. In accordance to the concept, the 2014 Mini gets full-LED headlights, a new hexagonal grille and a central dual exhaust system.

Power for the Cooper petrol comes from a 1.5-liter three cylinder unit. The engine develops 134 bhp and a peak torque of 170 Nm. The Cooper diesel also gets a 1.5-liter engine that develops 114 bhp and a maximum torque of 269 Nm. The Cooper S gets a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that makes 189 bhp and a peak torque of 299 Nm. All versions get a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. 

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Hyundai's Grand i10 sedan to launch on 4th February 2014

Hyundai's next big thing for India - the Grand i10 sedan shall launch in the market on 4th February 2014 as per the reports. This is a day before the grand event - 2014 Auto Expo opens for the media people. The car will compete with likes of Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Chevrolet Sail, Mahindra Verito and Honda Amaze.

The new sedan will share a lot with the Grand i10 hatchback. Things like the high-quality dash, front seats, rear air-con vent and the long equipment list are likely to be lifted directly. The 1.2-litre petrol and 1.1-litre diesel are likely to be carried over too; the i20’s 1.4-litre diesel engine will not make it to the small saloon because it would be too large to fit into the small engine bay.

Since the new car will be sharing lot of parts with the hatchback, we expect the car to be competitively priced. Stay tuned for more on the launch date. 

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New Hyundai Santa Fe to launch on 6th February 2014 - at Auto Expo !

Hyundai will launch the all new Fluidic Santa Fe on 6th February - which is supposed to be a day earlier than the Auto Expo 2014 will be opened for the common masses. The media people will be invited on 6th February and the new cars including Santa Fe will be officially displayed there.

Developed on an entirely new platform, this next-generation car is larger than the car it will replace – it is 40mm longer and 5mm wider, although the roofline is 45mm lower and it retains the same 2,700mm wheelbase. The new Santa Fe will also carry over Hyundai's powerful and refined 2.2-litre VGT (variable-geometry turbo) diesel engine from the current model.

The new Santa Fe will be offered with six speed manual and automatic transmission with the same power and torque figures. However, the engine will receive few upgrades in the form of piezo injectors which will bring lower emission and higher fuel efficiency.

The car will be localized and will be produced out of Hyundai's Chennai plant and thereby reducing the price to make it more competitive and place it against the market leader - Toyota Fortuner. 

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Nissan online sales via Google's GOSF India 2013

Nissan India recently started selling its cars online following the foot prints of Skoda India Pvt. Ltd.

Customers will be able to book their cars by paying with a credit card. The car will then be delivered to the customer by the nearest Nissan dealership, the company said in a statement. Skoda had started this service in October this year. A customer can book a Skoda vehicle by making an advance payment of Rs5,000. The customer will be fully refunded if he chooses to cancel the booking.

Japanese automaker Nissan was late in entering the Indian market and it started selling its products in India from 2010. It has at least 100 dealerships with only six in the national capital region, a Nissan India spokesperson said It sells models including the Micra, Sunny and Terrano.

Praveen Sinha, co-founder and managing director of Jabong.com, said if Nissan could crack the markets and customize the delivery options to consumers, it has the potential to fulfil a latent demand, especially in smaller towns.

Nissan cars will be retailed online from December 11th to 14th, 2013, as the company participates in the Great Online Shopping Festival (GOSF) 2013. Google has extended this mega event by a day following overwhelming response from shoppers which included over a million users visiting the site in the first 24 hours. You could see discounts of upto Rs 2.3 Lakh on Evalia, upto Rs 75,000 on Sunny, upto Rs 10,000 on Terrano and upto Rs 40,000 on Micra.

Nissan buyers will need to visit www.nissan.in/gosf over the period of this Great Online Shopping Festival make their bookings and will be able to make their payments online. These customers will then be contacted by Nissan dealers with details with regard to other formalities and delivery status of their booked models.

Mr. Nitish Tipnis, Director, Marketing, Hover Automotive India said, “We are delighted to partner Google India for this exciting Shopping Festival. Nissan’s association with this hugely popular festival is yet another expression of our commitment to market our vehicles uniquely. Partnering with Google helps our associaton with the digital medium to enable brand Nissan and our dealers provide easier and convenient ways to purchase cars in India. This partnership strengthens and widens the customer base to the entire internet audience including smartphone users which is the largest traffic geenerator.

”We want our consumers to experince the globally renowned Nissan cars well known for technology, luxury and comfort –all at an affordable price point and low cost of ownership. Nissan has always been on the forefront of innovation both in the cars we produce and also how we present and communicate our brand,” added Mr Tipnis.

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Hyosung GT 250R Signature edition launched at Rs 2.97 Lac, 125cc in planning

Hyosung Motorbikes which is available in India through their Joint venture with DSK Motowheels Club, have launched GT 250R Signature edition by the hands of Mr. Shirish Kulkarni, Chairman of DSK Motowheels today.

Called GT 250 R LE, this new superbike production is limited to just 50 units and is now available for bookings across all Hyosung dealerships in India. Offered in just one color option of Hurricane Yellow, the new limited edition Hyosung 250 GT R comes with the same engine, a 249cc V twin engine offering 27 PS power at 10,000 rpm and 22 Nm torque at 8,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a five speed Constant Mesh gearbox. The bike can accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in 8.33 seconds and reach a top speed of 149 kmph.

Currently the company sells the bike in three colour combinations - white-red, red-black, silver-red. With the addition of this new limited colour, the bike’s colour line-up looks very attractive and offers a wide range of choice for its customers. Launching limited edition models in India is not new. It is either done to celebrate some accomplishments or sometimes just to clear the inventory. But at the end it’s the Indian consumers who will benefit the most from such launches.

Commenting on the launch, Shirish Kulkarni, chairman DSK Motorwheels, said "Driven by popular demand from our discerning customers, we decided to introduce this signature edition of the GT250 R. What better way to introduce this faired beast that the first anniversary of our exclusive superbike club, the HyRyders."

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Indian Motorcycles to be launched in India on 22nd Jan 2014

Indian Motorcyles, as reported earlier is supposed to be launched in India on 22nd January 2014. The American bike maker would be launching their range of cruiser bikes in India soon.

The three cruisers, Indian Chief Classic, Indian Chief Vintage and Indian Chieftain are all powered by an all-new Thunder Stroke 111 engine and come with a 6-speed transmission. The engine is aptly named as it displaces 111 cubic inches (1,819 cc) and produces 161.6 Nm of peak torque at 3,000 rpm.

Indian motorcycles will rival Harley-Davidson’s bikes which have been on a dream run since its launch. What we do know is these cruisers will launch housing Indian’s latest 111 Thunderstroke engine which was recently updated on the Indian model line-up in international markets. Stay tuned for more news and updates on Indian motorcycles’ India launch next month.

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Audi A3 sedan caught testing in Mumbai

Audi's A3 sedan, so far anticipated to be the lowest price car from the German carmaker has been spied testing around in Mumbai a couple of times.

Audi began producing the A3 sedan in Gyor, Hungary in early June. European dealers have the car on sale, that offers the same comfort of the hatchback variant (has seen sales of 3 million units in 17 years across 117 countries), but with an extra spacious 435 liter boot.

Audi is banking upon the emerging markets like China and India for garnering volumes for the yet to be launched car. The car has earlier also been spotted testing in Mumbai and here are the spy shots of the same. 

The A3 is offered with three engines in the EU – 1.4L TFSI, 1.8L TFSI and 2.0L TDI. The 1.4-liter TFSI makes 140 hp and 250 Nm and is paired to a seven-speed AT, the 1.8-liter TFSI makes 180 hp and 250 Nm and is paired to the same gearbox, while the 2.0-liter TDI churns out 150 hp and 320 Nm and is matched to a six-speed manual gearbox.

The new car would be showcased at the upcoming 2014 Auto Expo here in Greater Noida.  Stay tuned for more. 

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Mercedes builds helipad to fly in luxury customers

In perhaps the first of its kind in automotive marketing, Mercedes Benz has built a helipad within its factory premise in Pune to fly in potential customers of its coveted AMG brand to a specially-built arena that would house luxury wheels ranging from the Rs 2.5 crore SLS AMG roadster to other power-packed versions from its extensive range of cars.

The company, which is fighting a stiff battle with compatriot Audi for a leadership in the Indian luxury car space, wants to boost the number of super-luxury cars it sells in India and the latest move is aimed at giving an all-new experience to potential customers, company MD Eberhard Kern told TOI after driving in the SLK55 AMG priced at Rs 1.26 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi).

AMGs deliver enhanced power and driving experience. All AMG engines are hand built, using a "one man, one engine" philosophy at the company's AMG plant in Affalterbach, Germany. Each AMG engine builder stamps the engine they produce with an engraved plaque depicting their signature.

Mercedes has sold more than 200 AMG cars in India since it introduced the line-up around three years back. "It is a small target group, but growing. We see a rising demand for high performance cars in India," Kern said. Speaking about the construction of a helipad within the facility, he said it has been done to offer a unique experience to potential buyers. "Not only that, we have customers who own helicopters and are keen to fly down to our plant."

The company will initially start the fly-in visits to the factory from Mumbai, and later add other cities. "We had to take special permissions to build the helipad, and this will result in providing a high degree of convenience to our customers." 

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Audi confirms Q1 Crossover, to enter into production by 2016

Audi's R&D head Ulrich Hackenberg recently confirmed that the German Luxury carmaker will further go down in its crossover segment to produce the low end SUV at its Ingolstadt plant starting 2016.

Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said that the Q1 is part of the company’s broad-based SUV strategy. Designed based on the modular transverse engine concept (Audi’s way of saying that it is a front-wheel drive car), the Q1 would be the smallest member of its SUV family.

The Q1 is part of a bigger model strategy of having 60 models in Audi showrooms by 2020 as compared to 49 models today. The goal for Audi in 2020 is to sell 2 million cars a year. Since the first Q model in 2006 (Q7), Audi have delivered 1.5 million SUVs.

Stay tuned for more details.

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Fast and Furious star, Paul Walker dies in a car accident

An unfortunate news for a Sunday morning is something everybody would have never expected.

Just a few hours back, One of the leading actor in the Fast and Furious franchise, Paul Walker was killed in a car crash. The car being driven was a Porsche GT. His friend was driving the car and he was a co-passenger. Unfortunately, both of them died during the accident.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's department said the crash happened in community of Valencia. The Santa Clarita Signal reports a red Porsche crashed into a light pole and tree and burst into flames.

Walker was working on the latest "Fast & Furious" movie at the time of his death. He also starred in the suspense drama, "Hours," a movie that is set for release this month.

The exact details of what caused the accident are yet to be analysed, but passer-by confirmed that the car went out of control and crashed into a light pole, causing a dangerous single car crash.

Kyle Cox managed to record a Video of the scene which is as shown below.

Bill Townsend, an entrepreneur who helped build several global companies, said, “I was with Paul today. He was surrounded by friends, talking about cars, seeing hundreds of gifts brought for kids to give out by charity. The news is terribly sad. The world lost an angel and Heaven gained one. I’m going to commit to helping ensure the Paul’s charity lives on and that his love of cars and people, especially children, will be remembered forever.”

The image below was shared by Paul Walker on his Facebook page yesterday, with the tag – The boys are back. Will you be ready?

RIP Paul Walker. You will always be missed by Wheel-O-Mania team and all its readers. We also know that FnF from now on will never be the same !

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SCOOP ! Renault Duster facelift unveiled

The facelifted Renault Duster is here now - after a lot of talkings about it and various rendering by various websites. The first images of the car are here and this is the version that would be coming to India as well.

The changes have been done on the outside and the interiors as well with the technical specifications remainiung the same. On the exteriors you would see a honeycomb like chrome grill replaced by a dual chrome strip on the front grill. Moreover, the Dacia badge is replaced by the Renault badge. The headlights are also carried from Dacia Duster and sport the “double-optic” units with integrated daytime running lamps. 

As you could also see in the Images, the new car also includes the Renault branded roof rails with slated support and 16" Dark metal alloys with Mud and snow tyres. 

On the rear you would see the Dacia badge again replaced by the Duster badge, chrome exhaust and updated headlamps. 

On the inside, you would see a new infotainment system, a new center console, center armrest with storage and steering mounted audio controls. With this you would see most of the complaints of customers being addressed. 

The Renault Duster would be carried in by same 1.5L K9K engine and 1.6L Petrol engine. Stay tuned for more details on the same.

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Honda's Compact SUV names Vezel, unveiled at Tokyo Motor Show

Honda's Compact SUV is now unveiled at Tokyo Motor Show 2013 and will be called as Vezel. The new Jazz-based crossover sports a very clean styling, strong character lines and a hidden rear door handle that gives a coupe-like profile.

The new Compact SUV's basic design comes from CR-V however Vezel looks much more modern with characteristic line split all over the body. The Vezel shown in Japan was a hybrid model, though Honda say that a traditional petrol variant will also be introduced. Honda will launch the car with 2WD and 4WD systems.

Features used on the Jazz such as the center-tank layout and the highly configurable Magic Seat setup that also provides a flat floor for highest cargo capacity, has funneled here as well.

The new Urban SUV will be launched in Europe during 2015, with the name of the European model being confirmed nearer to launch. The launch date for Indian market has yet not been finalized but we expect the same to be displayed at the upcoming 2014 Auto Expo and launch by the end of year 2014.

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Triumph Motorcycles Indian website goes LIVE now ! Check out the list of motorcycles for sale in India

Triumph Motorcycles has just now launched their Indian website and shows the lineup available for sale in India. While we already told you a couple of days back that the bikes from Triumph will be launching on 28th Nov 2013 and here we are with lot more details.

The Indian website of the UK based manufacturer shows the list of bikes with all their details. We am sure there would be lot of Triumph fanatic people available in India, they can now pamper their senses by checking out the specifications and the list of vehicles available in India.

However, the only thing missing on the website is the price of these vehicles which will be unveiled during their launch date - 28th November 2013.

Recently we also spotted their first dealership coming up in Bangalore, and provided the images of the showroom before it opens. This will be first showroom of Triumph in India and more would be opening up in New Delhi, Chennai and other cities as well.

The company has appointed Mr. Vimal Sumbly, former General Manager of Sales at Bajaj Auto, as the brand head in India. The bookings have already been started unofficially and the same could be booked by depositing Rs 5 Lakh to the dealer.

Source - Triumph India Website

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Ertiga Competitor - Honda Mobilio with Diesel engine to be unveiled during 2014 Auto Expo

Honda had earlier announced that Maruti Suzuki Ertiga's competitor would be coming to the India market around festive season in 2014, i.e. around October 2014. However, the car has already been unveiled at 2013 Indonesian motor show held during Sep 2013.

The sources at Honda have now confirmed that the Utility Vehicle will be unveiled during 2014 Auto Expo in India with a Diesel engine too. The company does not mentions anything about the launch date of the car in India.

Honda's Mobilio will be powered by the same 1.5L ErathDreams Diesel engine however the power and torque figures have yet not been revealed. For Indonesia, Mobilio is powered by City's i-VTEC 1.5L Petrol engine with a power output of 118PS and 144Nm of torque. 

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2014 Honda Jazz to be showcased at Auto Expo with 1.5L Diesel engine

The Honda Jazz 2014 which was discontinued this year in India will be launched again during mid 2014. The car will be first showcased at the upcoming 2014 Auto Expo.

The new car was just showcased in Tokyo and as per the confirmed sources, the new car would come with 1.5L Diesel engine too apart from the 1.2L Petrol engine. The Petrol engine would be continued from Honda Brio and Amaze with an output of 88PS and 109 Nm.

The Jazz will also be available with a diesel engine. Honda will use their 1.5-liter EarthDreams unit, which is currently seen on the Amaze. In the Amaze, this engine develops 100 PS and 200 Nm of torque and delivers a class-leading 25.8 km/l.

Stay tuned for more at Wheel-O-Mania. 

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Honda announces the all new V-TEC Turbo 1.0L, 1.5L and 2.0L Petrol engines

We saw it coming from Ford, Hyundai and VW. But who knew that would be coming from Honda too and that too so fast. Honda has just now announced the launch of the unveiling of 3 new VTEC Turbo engines with power ranging from 1.0L, 1.5L and 2.0L gasoline. The engines would be suitable for small to medium sized vehicles.

Here's what Honda has to say about these -

With the application of variable valve motion technology such as Honda’s unique VTEC along with direct injection turbocharging with highly-fluidized combustion and a thorough reduction in engine friction, this engine achieves class-leading output and environmental performance, while downsizing engine displacement.

The 2.0-liter VTEC Turbo will output more than 280 hp and will comply with the EU6 emission norms. Honda doesn’t say much about the other two engines, only revealing that they will have reduced friction, a turbocharger with a low moment of inertia and high responsiveness, and direct injection technology along with excellent fuel economy.

We will have to wait and watch as to if this engine can actually compete with Ford's award winning EcoBoost engine. 

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Renault Pulse VOYAGE edition launched in India

Renault India has launched a special edition of its Pulse model called as Voyage edition.

The changes that Renault Voyage edition features are only in the form of interiors with literally zilch / no changes in the exteriors of the car which means do not expect any new alloy wheels, graphics etc. On the interiors, you get a touchscreen multimedia system along with the navigation system and speaked from FOCAL. The French carmaker claims that the total VOYAGE package amounts to INR 58,000.

The company is alson giving free insurance for two years, a two year extended warranty, and roadside assistance for four years with this special edition. No other changes in the car  even mechanically. It carries the same 3 cylinder 1.2L Petrol engine and 4 cylinder 1.5L Diesel engine.

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Bajaj Pulsar 200NS introduced with dual tone colors

Bajaj Motorcycles have introduced two new colors for their ongoing Pulsar 200 NS variants. The two new dual tone finish would be available in "white and black" tone and "red and black" tone. 

The 200NS was launched with four color choices – Cherry Black, Saffire Blue, Tosca Red and Mustard Yellow. The new color additions take the total number of body colors to six.

The 200NS is powered by a four-stroke, SOHC, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine displacing 199.5cc. A maximum power of 23.52 PS is produced at 9,500 rpm, while a peak torque of 18.3 Nm is produced at 8,000 rpm. The 200NS is currently priced at INR 87,794 (ex-Showroom, New Delhi).

The new Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS is also on the works and is scheduled to be launched some time soon - latest by February 2014 during Auto Expo 2013. The new color toned Pulsar 200 NS would be arriving at Bajaj dealerships near you soon.

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Production version of Honda's Urban SUV named CR-U, to be launched in India in 2014

Honda's Urban SUV concept which was previewed for the first time in Detroit in January 2013, Honda says it combines "a sporty and dynamic SUV profile with a spacious, functional interior". The concept hints at a dynamic, fuel-efficient small SUV with aspirational styling and next-generation connectivity. Its clean character lines are complemented by hidden rear door handles, giving the SUV a coupe-like presence. The new concept is shorter than the CR-V, making it an ideal size for both city streets and mountain roads.

Under the sheet metal there’s believed to be the same platform as already used for the Honda Fit, and the expectation is that a production version of the concept will be manufactured at the company’s work-in-progress plant in Celaya, Mexico. That facility, the subject of an $800m investment by Honda, has already been tagged for producing variants of the Fit.

Stay tuned as Honda's Urban SUV production version will be completely unveiled at Tokyo Motors Show in 48 hours from now.  The name CR-U is still not confirmed by the Japanese carmaker but there are several reports which confirm the same. Stay tuned for more at Wheel-O-Mania. 

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Mercedes SLK 55 AMG to be launched in India on 2nd December 2013

Mercedes just confirmed that they would be launching their SLK 55 AMG in India on 2nd December 2013.

The SLK 55 AMG is powered by a 5.5-liter naturally aspirated V8 motor that punches out 421 hp. Thanks to this more than healthy output, the SLK accelerates from 0-100 kph in 4.6 seconds and reaches an electronically limited top-speed of 250 kph. The car is driven through an AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7G-TRONIC PLUS seven-speed automatic transmission which offers three driving modes – Controlled Efficiency (C), Sport (S) and Manual (M).

To differentiate the SLK 55 AMG from the regular SLK, visually and mechanically, AMG fits the car with front and rear aprons and side skirting, ventilated and perforated disc brakes, AMG sports suspension, Nappa leather upholstery, and 18-inch AMG alloy wheels.

The launch of the Mercedes SLK will be followed by that of the new generation S CLass in January. The new S Class will come to us via CKD route and is looking all poised to redefine the ultra luxury car segment of Indian car market. The new S Class will be launched in both petrol and diesel variants.

Stay tuned to Wheel-O-Mania for more details.

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Maruti Suzuki SX4 successor - YL1 spotted testing

Maruti Suzuki's SX4 sedan while launched in 2007 was the most appealing car of that time - fitted with best in class features, good in space and a masculine look with Maruti's brandname was the customer's first choice.

While SX4 still offers the best in class features, however the competitors have grown beyond it and an overall package that the competitors like Verna and City provide, is something which has been worrying Maruti Suzuki for a long time now and has led to plumetting of sales of SX4.

The new SX4 which is based on Suzuki Authentics concept looks much bigger than the current gen SX4. The new car will be fitted with the same petrol and diesel mills with 1.6L Petrol engine and 1.3L SDE diesel engine.

On earlier occasions also we had showcased some of the images of the car of exteriors as well as interiors. Here are some more Images of the interiors of the new SX4. The car no doubt looks even better as far as interiors are concerned when compared to new exterior image. The car hosts new beige + black interiors with premium finish, gloss black paint on gear knob and around the touch screen music system. A high gloss black finish line is also available across the dashboard similar to what we see in Dzire - though in faux wood finish. The V shape dashboard falling design is new and resembles a little bit to Hyundai Verna.

The car also features Auto Climate control Ac and power charging slot. A rectangular chrome finish around the gearbox looks premium and an addition of storage space in front of gear stick is a welcome addition. The three spoke steering wheel with audio controls on it looks descent and is a mandatory feature considering equipment level of its competitors.

The car would be launched around Auto Expo next year however before that we would be witnessing the launch of Maruti Suzuki's small car - YL7.

However, Maruti Suzuki's immediate competitor Honda City would be unveiled on 25th November - official confirmation from the company is here. Stay tuned for more.

Image source - Motorbash

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Volkswagen to recall 2.6 million vehicles worldwide

Volkswagen ever since in its history, announced biggest ever recall of 2.6 million vehicles worldwide due to technical problems relating to faulty lights, leaky engine fuel lines and possible malfunction when synthetic oil is used in its gearbox.

It includes 800,000 of its compact Tiguan sports-utility vehicle which could be affected by faulty fuses that can trip lighting circuits. Volkswagen also said it is recalling its 2-litre Amarok pickup truck because of leaky engine fuel lines, which affects around 239,000 vehicles.

VW issued a separate recall in China for around 640,000 vehicles that were locally produced or imported between January 2009 and June 2013.

The recall comes after the country's quality watchdog identified a problem with the DO200 gearbox, which may suffer electronic malfunction when synthetic oil is used. 

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Audi A4 Celebration edition launched at Rs 25.99 Lakh

The German Luxury carmaker which is already at numero uno position among its competitors in India is not keeping quite. With another facelift, Audi A4, launching a Celebration edition, the carmaker is actually trying to grab more attention and therefore more of the customers to its kitty.

The new car - A4 Celebration edition, which we would actually call the "Corporate edition" is a trimmed down version of the ongoing regular A4 on sale. The new car misses out on features like Sunroof, power folding mirrors, 17" alloy wheels replaced by 16", Cruise control and wooden trimmed dashboard. The front passenger seat also lacks the automatic adjustment of seats and does away with the manual option only.

On the mechanical front, the car gets lower spec 2.0L TDI engine which produces 143 bhp rather than the higher spec 177 bhp version. The 143 bhp version of the 2.0 TDI will do the 0-100 km/h sprint in 9.1 seconds, hit a top-speed of 210 km/h and return 16.55 km/l. Since its a non-Quattro version, power goes to the front wheels via a CVT gearbox.

The Celebration edition would be available only in "White" color and only a certain number of units are available on sale. The new car is available at a price tag of INR 25.99 Lakh. 

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Triumph Motorcycle's first dealership in Bangalore under process

Triumph Motorcycles, showcased its entire range of bikes during the 2012 Auto Expo and the UK based bike maker also announced their plans to set up a manufacturing facility in Karnataka. Due to market situations, the bike maker has decided to delay the start of construction of its plant whereas they have started assembling the bikes at Manesar near Gurgaon and hence have struck to their deadline of launching the bikes in year 2013.

The Triumph's lineup includes bike starting from the retro edition Bonneville while the others include Speed Triple, Daytona, Street Triple and Rocket III. While Daytona has been spied testing on previous occasions, the exact bikes which the UK based manufacturer plans to bring in India is yet to be looked at.

Triumph India's line up is now expected to start with Bonneville which will be priced around INR 12.5 Lakh. The bike is priced around INR 7.5 Lakh (12,000 USD) in America however adding to that the import cost, the higher price by around INR 5 Lakh is explained.

Above you could see the first showroom from triumph which would open up in Bangalore soon- post which the showrooms would open up in New Delhi, Chennai and other cities as well.

The company has appointed Mr. Vimal Sumbly, former General Manager of Sales at Bajaj Auto, as the brand head in India. The bookings have already been started unofficially and the same could be booked by depositing Rs 5 Lakh to the dealer. 

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BMW Z4 launched in India at INR 68.9 Lakh

The BMW Z4 facelift has launched in India, just a couple of hours ago and is priced at INR 68.9 Lakh for the Z4 sDrive35i, while the sDrive35i Design Pure Traction version costs Rs 69.9 lakh (ex-showroom, India).

The facelift comes with minor cosmetic updates like new chrome grills, restyled bumpers, new alloy wheel design and new headlamp design. Subtle cosmetic changes in the interiors have also been seen.

There are no mechanical changes from the previous Z4, with the power output at 302bhp from the car's 3.0-litre, twin-turbo direct-injection engine. It comes mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Top speed is a claimed 250kph while 0-100kph is dispatched in 5.1sec.

Philipp von Sahr, president, BMW Group India, said, “The new BMW Z4 embodies the excitement of dynamism and aesthetics in a more uncompromising style than ever before. The new BMW Z4 represents a time-honoured and yet alluringly contemporary interpretation of the traditional roadster concept. The classical proportions and unmistakable athletic character, armed with a raft of design and equipment innovations, bring more excitement to the new BMW Z4. Because when it comes to real driving pleasure, there’s one emotion that comes first: passion.”

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