Maruti Suzuki SX4 Diesel launch on Febraury 19th

     The much awaited diesel SX4 will be launched in India on the 19th of February this year. Maruti has been developing a powerful diesel engine for its car "Men are Back" for quiet a while. Powering the diesel SX4 will be the same 1.3 L DDiS engine as of the Swift but has been developed to deliver more power and performance. A turbo charger has been designed to increase the power output by 15 horses.

     With the launch of the diesel SX4, Maruti will compete against the global giants Volkswagen, Hyundai, Fiat and Toyota in the diesel sedan segment in which it has no presence. The diesel SX4 will give a run for the money for Volkswagen Vento, Hyundai Verna, Fiat Linea and Toyota Etios.

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General Motors plans to launch new small car below Spark in India

     General Motors India is planning launch a new small car below the Spark in Indian market. The new small car will be rival to Maruti Alto which became the world's largest selling car last year. Last year alone 3,00,000 units of Alto was sold in India and abroad.


     The new small car will be developed with the help of GM's Chinese partner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC). Couple of weeks earlier Nissan had announced a small car to rival Alto. It is for sure overseas automobile manufacturers are serious to spoil the Maruti's party.

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General Motors India's furture plans

• Beat LPG next week.
• Diesel Beat by Jun-July
• Wuling MPV by March
• Electric Concept vehicle by April
• End of year - SUV smaller than captiva
• Total 6 new models with 14 fuel variants in next 24 months
• Camaro & Volt to come only when they are manufactured with RHD versions

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GM introduces locally developed new 1.2 litre SMARTECH petrol engine for India

     General Motors has introduced a new locally developed 1.2 litre SMARTECH petrol engine for India. The new engine will be seen in Chevrolet small cars Spark and Beat.


     The new SMARTECH engine has 4 cylinders with capacity of 1199 cc producing decent power of 80.5 Ps @ 6200 rpm and torque of 108 Nm @ 4400 rpm. The engine has been developed by GM Technical Centre in Bangalore in cooperation with GM’s new engine plant in Talegaon. The new engine will be manufactured at GM’s Talegoan plant.

Benefits of the new engine:

1. Developed and tested in India
2. For Indian Driving conditions
3. Better lower gear ratios (for fast pick up)
4. Better Mileage (ARAI figures not yet released)
5. Delivery to start from February

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World Automobile Day

     Today, 29th of January is celebrated as the World Automobile Day. It was on this day in 1885, the first motor car (a tri car) invented by legendary Karl Benz was patented.

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Mahindra Genio pick up truck launched in India

     Mahindra & Mahindra has launched Genio pick up truck based on the Xylo platform. The Genio is priced at Rs. 4.99 lakh ex-showroom Mumbai for BS 3 version. A BS 4 version is also available which is priced Rs. 15,000/- more than the BS 3 version. The Genio is a 1.25 tonne capacity truck which caters to medium business enterprises. Mahindra is planning to launch a series of vehicles based on the Genio.

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Maruti Suzuki WagonR 'Think BIG Challenge 2' campaign launched

     Wagon R Think BIG Challenge 2 has been launched on 21th of January this year. It is a initiative to bring out new innovative business ideas by acting as platform who needs capital to start the business. The winner will get a Wagon R + Rs. 10 lakh cash and Venture Capital. 

     The Campaign has begun all over India with online registration from 19 cities.  10 participants from each city will be shortlisted based on the business idea, out of which 1 winner will make it to the final round. Out of19 participants 4 will be selected on zonal basis who will make it to the final round. These enterpruners will be mentored by management gurus at each level of this campaign.

Press Release:
Renowned Bollywood actor R. Madhavan said "WAGONR Think BIG Challenge 2 is a platform for those smart minds who have the passion to see their business thoughts come to life "


WAGONR Think Big Challenge is a once in a lifetime opportunity for all big thinkers in the country to shine and present their ideas not just among the expert panel of judges but also in front of the whole nation. It's a chance to transform an idea to a foundation of a business success.

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Tata Venture MPV launched in Maharashtra

     Tata Motors has launched its latest MPV Venture in Maharashtra. The Ventrue is priced between Rs. 4-5 lakh ex-showroom Maharashtra. 


     The Venture has a footprint and maneuverability of a hatchback but has interior space of a MUV. Less than 4 meters in length, Venture can accommodate 8 passengers in its three row front facing seats. The seats are comfortable and full sized 8 individuals can easily be seated. There is amble luggage space as well. 

     Built on a semi-monochoque chassis, it has a tough body shell with absorbing crumble zones built in. Dual HVAC, power steering, power windows, reverse parking aid, keyless entry with engine immobiliser and rear wipers adds to the comfort features.


     Tata Venture is powered by a 1.4 L Turbo diesel engine with power of 71 PS. Fuel efficiency is class leading among MPV currently available in India with an impressive figures of 15.42 Kmpl as certified by ARAI.

     The Tata Venture will be available in 5, 7 and 8-seater options in 3 row front facing configuration and will be available in a range of 5 colors and 3 trim levels.


     The Tata Venture comes with a warranty of 2 years or 75,000 kms (whichever is earlier). In Maharastra, it will be available across 42 dealerships (20 passenger car dealerships and 22 commercial vehicle dealerships) in the first phase. The model is not on sale in BS-IV cities like Mumbai.

Source: Autocarindia

Tata Venture Specifications

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Hyundai HA, the new small car for India spied

     Here are couple of spy pictures of Hyundai small car for India codenamed HA. The small car is aimed to compete with top end Nanos and scaled down Maruti Alto. The will be priced between Rs. 2-3 lakh. Most of the parts will be shared with the Santro which will help the company to cut costs.

     Hyundai HA will be powered by a 814cc three cylinder engine which is basically the Epsilon engine with one cylinder less. The engine develops power of 48 Bhp. Hyundai might launch the car in the second half of 2011 much earlier than expected as the test mules are already found on the roads.

Source: Autocarindia

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Tata Indigo Manza Elan - facelifted Manza to be launched soon

     Tata Motors will bring in a facelift to the Manza sedan soon. The changes will be mainly in the interiors. The facelfted Manza will get the new name Manza Elan. It is not clear to us weather it will just be a facelift or a CS (Compact Sedan) version of the Manza will be launched. However, Tata Motors has plans to launch a CS version of Manza, if not now but very soon.

Tata Indigo Manza Specifications

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Skoda car dealers in Bangalore

Tafe Access Limited

Showroom Address: 53, St. Marks Road,Bengaluru-560 001

Board Number: 080 25588288/299

Fax Number: 080 25588255

Email ID: tal_sales@airtelbroadband.in, talbangalore@gmail.com

Tafe Access Limited

Showroom Address: No. 93/2, Singasandra, Hosur Main Road,Bengaluru-560 068

Board Number: 9341604999 080-25588288/99

Fax Number: 080- 25588255

Email ID: talbangalore@gmail.com, tal_sales@airtelmail.in

Tafe Access Limited

Workshop Address: No. 93/2, Singasandra, Hosur Main Road, Bengaluru-560 068

Email ID:skodaspares@airtelbroadband.in; tal_services@airtelmail.in

Vinayak Cars Pvt Ltd

Showroom Address: 219/11, Bellary Raod, Ramana Maharishi Road, Palace Orchards, Sadhashiv Nagar, Bangalure–560080

Board Number: 080 – 4555 8555, 9341177777

Fax Number: 080 – 4555 8585

Email ID: sales@vinayakcrs.com, feedback@vinayakcars.com

Vinayak Cars Pvt Ltd

Workshop Address: 50/2, Revack Building, T.C Palya Cross, Old Madras Road, Bengaluru-560049

Board Number: 080 22713130

Email ID: service@vinayakcars.com

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Hero Group to enter three wheeler segment

     After splitting with Honda Motor Corporation, India’s largest two wheeler manufacturer Hero Group is planning to enter the three wheeler segment. Hero Group split with its long time partner Honda last month by purchasing 26% share in the company Hero Honda. However Hero Group has rights to manufacture and sell the existing vehicles under the brand Hero Honda till 2014.

      After the split, it seam to be a herculean task for Hero Group to compete with its rivals and that too at a time when foreign players like Honda, Suzuki and Toyota are seriously gunning for India. In order to keep the profit margin at par, the company has decided to diversify its business and three wheeler segment is one of its option.

     The other two big two wheeler manufacturers in India Bajaj Auto and TVS Motors are also doing business in three wheeler segment which helps to maintain their profit margins.

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Toyota to offer Etios Liva for Etios sedan bookers

     Toyota has received an immense response to the Etios sedan booking. Perhaps Toyota did not expect so many booking at the time of Etios sedan launch. Because of huge order, the company is not in a position to deliver the car in time, waiting period reaching up to 8 months.

     In order to gain the customer confidence Toyota has offered its small car Etios Liva for the people who have booked for Etios sedan. The Etios Liva small car will be launched in March this year. The company announced this privilege to offer Etios Liva to Etios sedan clearly reflects that it does not want to loose its customers canceling and going for a rival car. 

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Maruti Suzuki cars to cost more by Rs. 1000 - 8000

     Maruti Suzuki has increased the prices of its cars from Rs. 1000 – 8000 depending upon the models. However the new Alto K10 price has not been touched. The company blames the price raise due to increased input costs.

Press Release:

“Yes, we did increase the prices on January 17 ranging between 0.5 per cent and 2.2 per cent,”Maruti Suzuki India managing executive officer (Marketing and Sales) Mayank Pareek said.

“The price of natural rubber, which used to be Rs 100 per kg, has gone up to Rs 200 per kg. Copper price has increased by 12-15 per cent and steel has also seen a similar increase,” Pareek had said then.

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Aprilia RSV4 FACTORY launched in India, priced between Rs. 13-18 lakh

     Italian motorcycle manufacturer Aprilia has unveiled RSV4 FACTORY super bike at the 2011 Mumbai International Motor Show organized in association with Zig Wheels.  The Aprilia RSV4 FACTORY is powered by a powerful 999cc V4, 4-stroke, liquid cooled engine with double overhead camshafts (DOHC). The engine generates power of 180 Hp @ 12500 rpm and torque of 115 Nm at 1000 rpm with compression ration of 13:1.

     The RS4 FACTORY is priced between Rs. 13-18 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). It has a fuel capacity of 17 liters out of which 4 liters will for the reserve. It weighs 179 Kg (Dry weight – without battery and fluids).

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Volkswagen to preview "One Liter" concept next month

     According to some unknown sources Volkswagen will preview an another “One Liter” concept at the Qatar Auto Show. For decades VW has been toying with the idea of a car which could run 100 Km with just 1 liter of fuel.

     Volkswagen had debuted the L1 concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009 which was a plug in hybrid that returned an impressive figures of 100 Km per 1.2 liters of fuel.

     The new “One Liter” concept will feature a two cylinder engine and an electric motor powered by a lithium ion batter. The concept is believed to be previewed at the auto show next month and could go into production in 2013.

Volkswagen L1 concept

Source: worldcarfans

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Ferrari Four (FF) concept with all wheel drive revealed

     Ferrari has officially revealed the new Four concept ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show being held in first week of March 2011. The concept car resembles its older siblings 458 Italia, California and 588 GTB Fiorano. There is a massive boot space of 450 liters at the rear with the seats unfolded. You can get another 400 liters of space by folding the rear seats.

     The Four concept gets all new chassis, an independent suspension with magnetically adjustable dampers and Brembo carbon ceramic brakes. First time on any Ferrari, the Four concept has an advanced Ruote Motrici (4RM) four-wheel drive system which delivers record levels of performance on all terrains and in all conditions via continuous and intelligent predictive torque distribution to all four wheels.

     Powering the Ferrari Four concept is a 6.3 liter V12 engine which produces 660 PS of power and 683 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a double clutch transmission which makes the car to accelerate from 0-100 Kmph in 3.7 seconds. It can hit a top speed of 335 Kmph. 

Source: worldcarfans

Video

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Skoda Laura Classic launched, priced at Rs. 11.99 lakh

     Skoda Auto has launched a stripdown variant of Laura christed as Laura Classic. The Laura Classic is priced at Rs. 11.99 lakh  (ex-showroom, New Delhi).

     Skoda Laura Classic misses lots of features available on other variants. There are the list of features not available in this budget Skoda Laura - 

• Alloy Wheels
• Height adjustment for driver and front passenger seats
• Lumbar support adjustment for driver and front passenger seats
• Front centre armrest
• Central infotainment system
• Škoda Swing audio player
• Audio Auxiliary
• Adjustable rear air conditioning vents on rear centre console
• Leather wrapped steering wheel, gearshift knob and brake lever
• Storage compartment under the front passenger seat
•  Cooled Jumbo box under front armrest
•  Eyewear compartment
• Front fog lights
• Parktronic sensors and speaker at rear
• Parktronic display on central infotainment system

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TVS to give a facelift to Apache and Scooty Pep+

     TVS Motors is planning to launch a facelifted Apache and Scooty Pep+ in India by March 2011. The facelifted Apache is likely to get a naked fairing as you see in Yamaha FZ and some minor changes to the body. As of Scooty Pep+ it will be basically an upgrade to the existing model.

Press Release:

“We have planned to refresh two-wheelers. One will be the TVS Apache and the other the Scooty (segment).” TVS Motor Company Vice-President (Marketing) H Goindi said.

“I can say they will be refreshing. For Apache, it will have the same name and the body,” he said, but declined to give further details.

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Honda Civic gets a Sunroof

     Honda has added a Sunroof for its popular model Civic. The car was launched recently and you can see the cine actress Chitrangada Singh popping out of the Sunroof. The Civic with Sunroof is priced at Rs. 13.53 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)  for the MT and Rs.14.27 lakh  (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the AT variant.


     The Civic continues to be powered by the unparalleled 1.8 liter i-VTEC engine and comes fully loaded with safety features such as ABS, EBD, Dual airbags and G-CON (G-Force Control Technology).Honda Civic will have a new color Urban Titanium along with the existing colors available in the range.

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January 20, the National Day of the Beetle in Brazil

     Exactly on this day way back in 1959 the iconic beetle was started manufacturing in Brazil in Sao Bernardo do Campo. The Beetle won the hearts of millions of Brazilians simply because of its design, robustness and unbreakable image. The Beetle name is still very iconic all over the world, thanks to Sir Ferdinand Porsche Sr. 

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Maruti Suzuki Kizashi India launch on Feb 2nd

     India’s leading automobile manufacturer will launch its maiden luxury sedan in the country on February 2^nd this year. The luxury sedan ‘Kizashi’ will be imported as CBU from Japan. The car will be priced around Rs 12 – 15 lakh.

     The Kizashi will compete with VW Jetta, Skoda Laura, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry in Indian market.

“This [Kizashi] is our attempt to be future ready, as we believe the A4 and A5 segment is going to grow. It is small at the moment but the way the economy is growing, this segment is going to be big,” Maruti Suzuki India managing executive officer (Marketing & Sales) Mayank Pareek said.

“There are nine million Maruti Suzuki customers at present. Many of them want to move up and have been asking after the SX4, what next? What we are doing here is to provide them options in luxury segment,” Pareek added.

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Honda Jazz facelift spied in India

     According to the pictues from Autocarindia, Honda has been testing its facelifted Jazz in India. This means facelfited Jazz will be launched in India anytime soon. There will be only cosmetic changes both front and rear, do not expect anything to change under the hood.


     The suspension has been tweeked to give a better ride and so do the steering wheel to get a better feel. A CVT option might also be launched in view of rise in demand for automatics in India.

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Mitsubishi’s India bound small car - Eco

     The first picture of Mitsubishi’s India bound small car has been released. The car will be showcased at the Geneva Motor Show starting from first week of March 2011. Last December Mitsubishi had released the concept sketches of this small car.

     The car is known as Mitsubishi Eco car in Thailand. As the name suggests it will create minimum damage to the environment. Production of the car in Thailand will commence from March 2012 and probably will make it to India by the end of next year.

     The Mitsubishi Eco may be powered by a 1.0 L or 1.2 L petrol engine with Start-Stop technology. A CVT gear box will transmit the power to the front wheels. To maximize the efficiency, Mitsubishi might utilize regenerative breaking system in this small car.

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Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10 launched in India

     Audi has launched its supercar R8 in India with V10 engine. R8 is already on sale in India with a V8 engine. The R8 5.2 FSI V10 is priced at Rs. 1,32,49,000/- (ex-showroom Mumbai) as compared to V8 priced at Rs. 1.17 crore.

     The R8 V10 features unique styling difference from V8 with different alloy wheels, prominent V10 badge on the side, oval exhaust pipes and LED headlamps. The V10 engine of R8 produces maximum power of 518 Bhp and maximum torque of 54.1 Kgm. The car does 0-100 Kmph in just 4.1 seconds and moves upto 160 Kmph in 9 seconds.

     The R8 V10 will compete against the Lamborghini Gallarado which is priced at Rs. 2 crore. Audi aims to dominate the supercar segment in India and build on its success in the SUV segment with plans to launch Q3 in competition to recently launched BMW X1. 

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Toyota Prius c Concept unveiled at Detroit Auto Show

     Toyota has unveiled Prius c Concept at the North American International Auto Show (Detroit Auto Show) being held at Detroit.

Toyota Prius c Concept Video

Toyota Prius c Concept Pictures

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2012 Toyota Prius v unveiled at Detroit Auto Show

     Few days ago we had posted about the Prius MPV with some teaser images. Toyota has unveiled the 2012 Prius v at the Detroit Auto Show. After years of speculation, Toyota has officially announced plans to launch a Prius sub-brand.

 2012 Toyota Prius v Video

2012 Toyota Prius v Pictures

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Nissan planning 2 compact cars below Micra for India

     Nissan seams to be bullish on Indian small car market. The company is all geared to have 2 compact cars below Micra to dethrone the market leader Maruti. 

     The first model (code:K2) will be built on two generation old Micra (Code: K11) but will have all new body shell and interiors. The company claims it will save Rs. 50,000 per car by using the old Micra platform, which it can pass on to the customers. It is likely to be priced at Rs. 3.5 lakh and rival against Wagon R and A Star. The car is scheduled for the December 2012 launch. Powering to car will be the same 1.2L petrol motor and a highly fuel efficient 1 liter petrol one might find its place on a later date. K2 will come with 2 wheelbases, the longer one for the export markets. A MPV based on K2 platform is also on the cards for Indonesian markets.

 

Nissan Micra K11

     The second model (Code: I2) is a very ambitious project which Nissan is developing to compete against Alto. The car is developed at Defiance Testing and Engineering of US which was bought by Ashok Leyland, a Nissan partner. Ashok Leyland will take the lead of developing I2 and most of the engineering works will be done in India to keep the costs low. I2 is expected to be priced at Rs. 2.5 lakh to tap the market currently enjoyed by Alto. It is expected be launched by 2013. 

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