Hyundai small car India launch by end of 2011

     According to Mr. H.W. Park – Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hyundai India, its small car(codename: HA) will be launched in India by the end of this year. Hyundai has been testing the car in and around its plant in Tamil Nadu. We had earlier posted couple of spy pictures of the Hyundai small car.

     The Hyundai small car will be powered by a 800cc engine and priced at Rs. 2.5 lakh. It will take on the market leader Maruti Alto with competitive price. The small car will help Hyundai to gain some market share in the small car segment currently dominated by Maruti.


Details of the car at present is very remote, Subscribe to the Automobile Planet for regular updates.

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2013 Mercedes Benz S Class spy pictures

    Mercedes Benz has been working hard testing its new S Class for 2013. Spy pictures published at worldcarfans shows heavy camouflage. The 2013 S Class is expected to get more streamlined appearance with a prominent grille and CLS inspired headlights. It could be slightly larger than the current model.


     Mercedes is focusing more on the hybrid technology for S Class. A plug-in hybrid variant of S Class with a powertrain that mimics the Vision S 500 Hybrid concept is also expected.

Soruce: Worldcarfans

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Mitsubishi Pajero BS4 launched in India

     Mitsubishi has launched the BS4 variant of the Pajero SUV in India. The BS4 variant is equipped with the same engine with a catalytic converter to reduce the emission and meet the BS4 norms.


     The Pajero is powered by a 2.8 litre IDI Turbo diesel engine which now produces 108 Bhp of power and 260 Nm of torque. This means there is reduction of 10 Bhp as compared to the BS3 variant. Apart form the addition of the catalytic converter there is absolutely no change in the exterior and interior. The BS4 Pajero is costlier by Rs. 90,000 as compared to BS3 variant.

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Skoda Rapid rendering

     Here is the rendering of the soon to be launched Skoda Rapid. Couple of days ago we had showed the spy pictures of the Skoda Rapid being testing at Skoda's plant at Aurangabad.

     The rendering picture was found at http://www.automobile-magazine.fr site. The car in the picture resembles very much to the spy pictures we showed. With this looks Rapid is going to be a strong competitor to SX4, New Hyundai Verna and All new Ford Fiesta.

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Audi A7 Sportsback India launch on 11th May, to be priced Rs. 65 lakh

     German luxury carmaker Audi will launch its 4 door coupe A7 Sportsback in India on 11th May 2011. The A7 Sportsback will be will be a CBU (completely built unit) and priced at Rs. 65 lakh. The A7 Sportsback features light weight body made up of aluminum and high tech steels.

     The A7 Sportsback will be available in both petrol and diesel variants. The 3.0 TFSI Quattro Petrol with 2995cc engine produces 300 PS of power at 5250-6500 rpm and 440 Nm of torque at 2900-4500 RPM. The 3.0 TDI Quattro Diesel with 2967cc engine produces 245 PS of power at 4000-4500 rpm and 500 Nm of torque at 1400-3250 rpm.








     Both the engines is coupled with a seven-speed S tronic (dual-clutch) gear box. The latest quattro system has a crown-gear centre differential and torque vectoring. Brake recuperation and start-stop is standard across the range.

Audi A7 Sportsback Picture Gallery:

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Ford Figo crosses 1,00,000 production mark

     Ford has announced that it has crossed the 1,00,000 production mark of its popular hatchback Figo. The 1,00,000th Figo rolled out was a Colorado Red one. Figo was launched with great expectations from the company after the slump in the Ford car sales in India 2 years back.

     The Figo is basically the last generation European Fiesta hatchback. Ford gave a mild facelift to the European Fiesta and changed the name to Figo here in India. The changes include all new bumber, new headlamps as well as tail lamps – all these reflecting the Kinetic design philosophy of Ford.

     With the launch of Figo, Ford also reworked on the spare parts prices and almost halved their price to give its customers good ownership experience. Along with this the major factor working out for the Figo was the price which was very competitive in the market.


     Ford is planning to launch 8 more models in India by 2015. It has recently launched the new 2011 Fiesta in India but still the price details have not been revealed. If Ford can learn from Figo’s success, days are not far for Ford to compete with the market leader Maruti Suzuki.

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New Delhi Auto Expo 2012 at two venues?

     The Auto Expo at New Delhi to be held in January 2012 seams to be a much bigger event this time. According to sources, the entire space at Pragati maidan has been sold out and still some prospective participants are waiting to have some space. This might prompt the event organizers to arrange some space for waiting participants at a different venue.

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Mahindra launches Maxximo Mini van in India

     Mahindra has launched a people carrier based on the Maxximo LCV in India. The mini van named as Maxximo Mini van is priced at Rs. 3.2 lakh ex-showroom BS3 Navi Mumbai. Like the Maxximo LCV the Mini van is aimed to compete against the Ace family of Tata Motors.

     Aimed at Semi urban and Urban markets, Maxximo Mini van will be available at 230 dealers and 600 outlets across the country. It will be manufactured at the state of the art Chakan plant which has a capacity to produce 2000 units per month. The plant can be upgraded to produce more vehicles if necessary.

     Mahindra has invested Rs. 120 crores on the development of the Maxximo Mini van. The company has tested the Maxximo Mini van extensively, like it would do for its SUVs namely Scorpio and Xylo. Some of the spy pictures of the Mini van were available on the net couple of months back.

     Maxximo Mini van is built on a monocoque chassis and has independent suspension in the front for better ride. It is powered by C2 CRDe engine with 25 HP of power and delivers fuel efficiency of 18 Kmpl.

Mahindra Maxximo Minivan Picture Gallery:

Mahindra Maxximo Minivan side view

Mahindra Maxximo Minivan interior top view

Mahindra Maxximo Minivan dashboard

Mahindra Maxximo Minivan front seats

Mahindra Maximmo Minivan interior

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Scoop: All new Swift Dzire compact spied in Gurgoan

     India’s leading car magazine Autocarindia has published a spy picture of the new Dzire based on the all new Swift platform. The company sources had announced earlier that they are working on the new Dzire which will be shorter in length and will come under 4 meter length mark.


The new Dzire being less than 4 meters in length will get excise benefits at 10% as compared to 22% for other sedans. This means the cost benefit of about Rs. 30,000 - 40,000 can be benefitted to the customers.

     Production of the new Dzire will start by November 2011 and official launch will be in January 2012 at the Auto Expo.

Source: ACI

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Mahindra Verito launched, starts from Rs. 4.82 lakh

     Mahindra today launched its maiden sedan Verito in India. The Verito prices starts from Rs. 4.82 lakh for the base petrol variant going up to Rs. 6.62 lakh for the top end diesel variant.

     Yesterday we had reported about Mahindra’s Verito which is the rebadged Renault Logan. Mahindra has done some cosmetic changes to the Vertio make it look fresh. The changes include a new grill and Mahindra logo on it, redesigned fog lamps, side cladding, roof rails, new upholstery, rear spoiler and a chrome appliqué similar to the Toyota Etios.

     The Verito is available with a new paint option – ‘Twilight Blue’. 5 petrol variants and 7 diesel variants (including both BS3 & BS4 versions) are on the offer. Mahindra has announced the prices of the models only in Chennai. The prices in the other cities will be announced shortly.

     Apart from the cosmetic changes, the Verito has the same power trains as that of the Logon. The 1.4L petrol with 75 Bhp and 1.5L diesel with 68 bhp will do the duty on Verito. As far as safety is concerned, Verito is available with ABS with EBD and driver side airbag at top end variants. 

Mahindra Verito Picture Gallery

Mahindra Verito

Mahindra Verito speedo console

Mahindra Verito front

Mahindra Verito rear

Mahindra Verito seats

Mahindra Verito engine

Press Release:

April 26, 2011, Mumbai: Mahindra & Mahindra  Ltd., a part of the US $ 11.1 billion Mahindra Group, today announced the launch of its sedan - the Verito. The new Verito retains the famed strengths of the Logan, while adding a new style with some key changes. Now equipped with  several rugged and sporty  styling elements, the Verito is all set to  be the most  exciting buy in the entry level sedan category for Indian consumers. It is competitively priced at  Rs.  4.82  lakh (petrol  BS3  version) & 5.62 lakh (Diesel BS3 version).  The BS4 compliant version is also available for BS4 markets.

Verito which is derived from the Latin word ‘Veritas’ means truth and goes with the overall image of an honest, sensible and dependable car.

Powered by the Renault engine, the Verito is a sedan which remains true to itself and the consumer by offering the unique proposition of space, mileage and performance along with  style. The exterior of this car is quite unique with ski racks and side cladding, which are available for the first time on a sedan in the Indian market.

The chrome rear appliqué and rear spoiler increases the car’s premium quotient and gives it a distinctive look at the rear. These new additions on the exterior align with the tough, rugged and sporty DNA of a Mahindra vehicle.

On the performance front, the Verito retains all the strengths of the Logan. The new Verito offers the same Renault drive train with the option of a 1.5 DCi CRDi diesel engine or 1.4 MPFI petrol engine. Equipped with this, the Verito offers an amazing 21.03 KMPL fuel efficiency (diesel mileage as per ARAI). The Verito remains the broadest car in its segment, offering unmatched cabin space. It also boasts of a spacious seating capacity and a boot space which is one of the largest, with 510 litre capacity.

Similar to the  Logan, the Verito  offers a host of safety  and technology features like ABS with EBD, Driver Airbag, head restraint for all seats, side impact beams, driver information system etc.  Further, a long wheel base of 2630 mm ensures a very smooth ride even on Indian roads.

Packed with class leading space, comfort, proven technology, safety features and a low running and maintenance cost, the Verito scores highly over its nearest competitors.

Mr. Rajesh Jejurikar, Chief Executive, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said “The Verito, with its unique value proposition aligns with the Mahindra DNA of offering tough, rugged and sporty vehicles. For the first time, we are using social media platforms to unveil a new product, reflecting alternative thinking. The earlier Logan will continue to get complete service and spares support from us.”

Features of the Verito

The Verito has several new features which include:

• Mahindra Logo

• New bold fog lamps

• Side cladding

• Roof rails/ski rack

• Rear Chrome appliqué

• New Upholstery

• New Colour – Twilight Blue

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Skoda Rapid ready for India, spied testing in Aurangabad

     Indianautosblog has published couple of spy pictures of the Skoda Rapid being tested in India. The spy picture has been taken by Mr. Pranjal from Aurangabad. 

     Skoda Rapid is Skoda's new car for India, built on the VW Vento platform. There was a big gap in Skoda's portfolio between the Fabia and Laura after retirement of Octavia. The company also need an entry level sedan to stay in the competition, hench the new Rapid evolved. Speculation about  a sedan version of  the Fabia hatchback was also considered but finally Skoda stuck to develop an all new car based on a new concept - Vision D.

     Vision D concept was showcased at the Geneva Motor Show 2011. The company had hinted about a new car on this concpet, but no body would have guessed the speed with which Skoda could develop and bring the car to India. Skoda Rapid, as it is expected to be called, will be launched with a strip down model with couple of features excluded, to compete with SX4 diesel and New Ford Fiesta. 

Keep connected for more updates.....

More pictures from velocitimag.com

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Premier Rio 1.3L Multijet diesel, would you buy?

     Yes, you are thinking right. Premier Rio with a Fiat 1.3L Multijet diesel engine would become a reality soon. Premier is in discussions with various engine manufacturers, including FIAT, for a Euro 4 engine. Trails with these engines are already on and the company is satisfied with the performance. However the confirmation to use a new diesel engine is Rio will be done shortly.

     Rio, the only mini SUV in the market was launched in late 2009. It struggled to take off since its launch, thanks to its outdated 1.5 liter turbocharged engine with 65 PS of power and 152 Nm of torque. The outdated engine and lack of brand value made people hesitated to buy the product. However the company claims that the launch of Rio was an experiment to guage the mini SUV in the market. Well for the company’s experiment, why should the people pay their hard earned money? These automakers have to do their homework before they launch a product. After all they are not selling pea nuts. What do you say?

Source: Inputs from IAB

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Skoda Rapid to be built on Vento platform

     Skoda will build a new sedan on the VW Vento platform for the Indian market. Skoda has many times mentioned the name ‘Rapid’ and hence the new car could be called Skoda Rapid. The Rapid sedan design language will be based on the Vision D concept show in Geneva.

     Skoda Rapid expected to be launched by this Diwali will be powered by same VW 1.6L petrol and diesel engines, both developing 105 Bhp of power. As this would camouflage the Vento, Skoda will price it below the Vento and will remove couple of features as well in the Rapid. 

     A strip down Rapid is also on the cards with a fine tuned diesel engine which can take on the Maruti Suzuki SX4. Skoda is planning to launch it with price tag of Rs. 7 lakh for petrol and Rs. 7.80 lakh for diesel variant. 

Source: Autocarindia

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Renault Logan renamed as Mahindra Verito in India

     Mahindra has renamed the Renault Logan as Verito, meaning ‘Truth’ in Latin. That means, the Logan will be called as Mahindra Vertio in India hereafter. The car will be launched shortly with some cosmetic changes. The Vertio joins Mahindra brand philosophy of vehicles with names ending with ‘O’. 

     Mahindra will remove the Renault tag associated with Logan from now onwards. The redesign would include sporty side cladding, new rear view mirrors and a new front grill. Apart from minor changes there will be no major structural changes and so do the powertrain. Expect the new Verito to be priced same as Logan though Mahindra is trying to localize the spares to reduce costs. 

  

     A sub 4 meter Logan is also being developed with the boot chopped. It is expected to be launched by early next year. As Tata Indica it could also end up in taxi segment because of its space and fuel efficiency. 

Source: Autocarindia

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All new 2011 Jaguar XJ named International Luxury Car of the Year

     The International Car of the Year (ICOTY) jury with renowned automotive journalists from 12 countries has named the all new 2011 Jaguar XJ as the 2011 International Luxury Car of the Year for its unique design and stellar performance.


     Accepting the honour Mr. Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar Global Brand Director said "We're delighted that the 2011 Jaguar XJ has received this honor," The all-new XJ is a benchmark in both design and technology, and we're thrilled to receive such an accolade from one of the highest international panel of judges in our industry." Mr. Hallmark also added "This success, along with the redesigned XK and XF, speak volumes about the future of the Jaguar brand as a leading edge premium car maker."

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Toyota Corolla Altis 7 speed automatic transmission here next month

     Toyota has been testing its Corolla Altis facelift for some time in and around Bangalore. Speculation of an 1.6L petrol engine to compete with Honda City was considered seeing the camouflaged face lifted Corolla Altis.


     Autocarindia reports that the face lifted Corolla Altis will come with a 7 speed automatic transmission (CVT) in India next month. At present Corolla Altis is available with 4 speed torque converter transmission.

     The facelift for the new Altis includes a new grill, new headlamps and new bumpers. The company will retain the 1.8L petrol and 1.4L diesel engine options and the 1.6L petrol engine is ruled out. Expect to see little rise in the new Corolla Altis price.

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Mahindra launches Yuvraj 215 tractor in Pune

     The agriculture and farm division of Mahindra & Mahindra has launched a 15 HP tractor named Yuvraj 215 in Pune with price tag of Rs. 1,81,000. According to the company sources, Yuvraj 215 has been received very well in Gujarat and it expects the same response from farmers in Maharashtra.


     Yuvraj 215 (we guess it is nothing to do with Yuvraj Singh) has been priced competitively, for the small farmer to own tractor and get benefit from its mechanism which helps him to boost his productivity.


     Yuvraj 215 has a top speed of 25.6 Kmph and haulage capacity of 1.5 tonne. It is manufactured at Mahindra’s Rajkot plant which has a production capacity of 16,000 tractors per annum.

Press Release:
M&M Senior Vice-President, Marketing & Applitrac (Farm Equipment Sector) Sanjeev Goyle -


"The Yuvraj is a key part of M&M's vision to go beyond retailing tractors and focus on creation of farm tech prosperity,"

Source: EconomicTimes

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Volvo Concept Universe Pictures

     Volvo Cars previewed its next generation sedan Concept Universe at Shanghai Motor Show. Here are the pictures:

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