Renault developing a new small car concept ‘Value Up’

This is not the actual picture of the Value Up concept.
Shown here just for reference

        French auto maker Renault is developing a small car/hatchback concept called ‘Value Up’. The ‘Value Up’ concept will be lightweight, efficient and will keep the costs lower for the company. It is being worked upon purely for research purpose to help develop future models.

        The ‘Value Up’ concept is built on a new 3.8 m length platform and is likely to underpin some of the future cars from Renault. The concept fits between Renault Twingo and Clio models.

        The concept makes use abundant of bamboo in the cabin to lower the weight. It weighs 830 Kg and is supposed to be powered by a 1.0 three cylinder petrol engine.

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Honda unveils all new Fuel Cell Vehicle concept in Japan

        Honda has unveiled an all new Fuel Cell Vehicle concept in Japan which is expected to be launched in Japanese market by early 2016. Honda aims to sell the FCV concept in international markets as well, especially North America and Europe in future.

        Honda FCV concept is the second concept from Honda. The first being the FCX Clarity which was shown at Los Angeles Auto Show 2013.

        The FCV is powered by an electric motor which does 134 bhp, an increase in 60% compared to the FCX Clarity. The fuel stack size of FCV concept has also been reduced by 33%.

        According to Honda, FCV is the first vehicle to feature an entire fuel cell powertrain in its engine bay. Honda claims FCV can do 482 Km with full tank of fuel and refuelling time has been redued to just 3 to 5 minutes.

        Competing FCV concept will be Toyota’s fuel cell car Mirai, and Hyundai’s hydrogen powered ix35.

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Ford Ecosport Storm, Beauty and Beast concepts showed at Brazil Motor Show

          Ford Ecosport has been most popular SUV in India at present. The muscular looking Ford will definitely turn heads in the traffic. Now Ford h as showed 3 new concepts of Ecosport named Ecosport Storm, Beauty & Beast which give much more appeal to the car. Here are the features of the three Ecosport concepts:

Ford Ecosport Storm:

Design cues taken from F150 Raptor pickup truck
Brings power and strength of Ford’s range
Very nice integration of Ford nomenlceature on the radiator grill
Blue exterior paint with blackened bonned
Plastic Body cladding
15 inch alloy wheels and high profile 215/75 off-road tyres.

Ford Ecosport Beast:

Not as rugged as Storm but looks muscular

Pearlescent Speed White with Black decals supported by brightly coloured red orange and blue accents

Three horizontal metallic bars on the grill

LED fog lamps enclosure, roof and bonnet scoopBlackened 18 inch alloy wheels with black body cladding and black inserts in the head lamps cluster

Ford Ecosport Beauty:

Brilliant Copper Stardust matte finish paint scheme

LED daytime running lights in place of the fog lamps, next to the radiator protector cum air dam

18 inch silver alloy wheels contrasted with a blackened rooftop

Four armchair style seats with leather upholstery

DVD screens and multimedia infotainment system assisted with GPS

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Suzuki Alivio concept shown at Beijing Motor Show 2014

        Suzuki unveiled Alivio sedan concept at the Beijing Motor Show 2014. The Alivio concept was showed as Ciaz at New Delhi earlier this year at the Auto Expo.

        The Alivio/Ciaz concept is built on Suzuki’s new theme ‘Sporty and Noble’ which uses smooth curves with sharp character lines. The broad grill and multi function headlamp is the hallmark of the new theme.

        According to the sources, the Alivio concept when goes into production in China, will be powered by a 1.5L 4 cylinder petrol engine. The dimensions of the car are 4545mm long, 1730mm wide and 1475mm tall. 

  

Suzuki Alivio/Ciaz concept Promotional Video

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Suzuki iV-4 concept SUV unveiled at Frankfurt Motor Show 2013

Maruti’s mini SUV, the Alfa XA will be built on Suzuki iV-4 concept

Suzuki unveiled an out-of-the-age SUV iV-4 concept at the ongoing Frankfurt Motor Show 2013. The Suzuki iV-4 concept forms the base of the compact SUV, which Maruti Suzuki is planning to launch in India. Earlier Maruti Suzuki had showed a mini SUV concept named Alpha XA  with looks very similar to the iV-4 concept.

The usage of ‘i’ in the vehicle/concept name has become a common term by automobile manufacturers these days. Hyundai and BMW are the other two companies which uses ‘i’ in their vehicle naming trend. Eg: Hyundai i10, i20 etc and BMW i3 and i8. Here in Suzuki iV-4 concept, the ‘i’ stands for individuality, V stands for Vehicle and the 4 represents all wheel drive system. With Suzuki iV-4 concept, Suzuki launches an all new all wheel drive technology termed “Allgrip”. According to the company “Allgrip” will offer a combination of design and off-road performance that goes beyond a typical city SUV.

Though Suzuki iV-4 concept is an all wheel drive vehicle, Maruti’s mini SUV in India might not get the all wheel drive options, at least not in the near future. 

Suzuki All-Grip 4WD System Explanation

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Honda Urban SUV crossover concept’s images leaks

Honda to unveil it Urban SUV crossover at Detroit Motor Show 2013.

Just before its debut at 2013 Detroit Motor Show, Honda’s new Jazz based Urban SUV crossover concept’s images have leaked on the internet. Like other Honda concepts, the new Urban SUV also looks futuristic, the theme Honda is obsessed off late. The concept though looks futuristic; some feel it to be interesting and horrifying. The new Urban SUV concept features Honda’s design philosophy. We feel the overall design of the vehicle is appealing.

The crease running from D pillar, through rear door to the front ones looks amazing. The front and rear wheel arches bulge to give an SUV look to the vehicle. Front end reminds us of the new CR-V with integrated grill and headlamps. The new nose design is the latest from Honda which is seen in Honda’s Concept S as well.

Honda Urban SUV crossover will compete with Nissan Juke, Peugeot 2008 and the Fiat 500X. It will be built on same Jazz hatchback platform. Since Honda is unveiling the Urban SUV in North America, its Indian launch is remotely possible, at least not before 2015.

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Honda teases it’s all new “Compact Urban SUV concept”

Honda may not be a well known brand in SUVs, but it is definitely making efforts to be known among the big daddy SUV segment. Honda has released a teaser picture of a small SUV which it calls as “Compact Urban SUV concept” to be positioned below the CR-V. The Honda Urban SUV concept will be shown at Detroit Auto Show commencing on 14th of January next year.

In its press release, Honda has mentioned that the Compact Urban SUV is a global concept combining a sporty and dynamic SUV profile with a spacious and functional interior. The concept is based on Jazz platform and from the teaser picture it is evident that Honda has retained its futuristic design philosophy. A diesel option as well as a hybrid variant is also likely to be added to make the compact SUV compatible in the market.

Though the Urban SUV is aimed at US markets, Honda might bring it to the other parts of the world, say India. Honda has officially not revealed anything about the product in its future plans for India; we think Honda might bring the vehicle to India sooner or later.

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Suzuki reveals S Cross compact concept at Paris Motor Show

     Suzuki today revealed its new S-Cross compact crossover at the ongoing 2012 Paris Motor Show. The S-Cross compact crossover will make into production by late next year. Suzuki aims to offer largest luggage areas in its class combined with four wheel drive performance in the form of S Cross concept. 

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Suzuki S-Cross Concept, will it replace the aging SX4?

     Suzuki will display its new S-Cross Concept at the Paris Motor Show this September. No much details are available but from the official sketch and teaser it looks to be a C Segment cross over and might replace the aging SX4.

     Seen from the sketch, teh S-Cross Concept resembles the Kizashi concept from the front. The teaser image shows the protective body moulding and skid plate under the car’s front, but nothing can be confirmed till we see the production version.

      Suzuki badly needs a SX4 replacement, expecially in Inida. The new enternts like Fluidic Verna, Volkswagen Vento, Nissan Sunny and soon to be launched Renault Scala have almost pushed the SX4 to the sideline. Suzuki also need a bigger diesel engine for its future SX4 and we hope with the new concept Suzuki might as well develop its own 1.6L diesel motor!

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Chevrolet unveils mini SUV concept named ‘Trax’

     Chevrolet has unveiled its mini SUV concept which is named as Trax. The Trax mini-SUW will be showcased at Paris Motor Show this year. Trax will compete with Ford EcoSport, Renault Duster and Maruti Alpha XA in Indian market.

     The Trax is basically the Opel Mokka which will go on sale in Eurome this year. The Mokka is powered by a 1.4 litre petrol and 1.7 liter diesel engines. But in India Chevrolet might launch the Trax with a small engine, possibly a 1.6 liter diesel one. Trax is 4.2 meters long so any excise cuts is doubtfull. The Trax might get features such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC), the Traction Control (TC) as well as the Hill Start Assist (HSA) and Hill Descent Control (HDC) systems, possibly in the top end variant.

     Chevrolet might change the name for the mini SUV ‘Trax’ as it might be confused with the famous Tempo Trax in India!

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Tata Motors unveils ‘MegaPixel’ concept at Geneva Motor Show

     It is indeed surprising to see a futuristic vehicle such as the ‘Megapixel’ by home grown automaker Tata Motors. Tata Motors has been known from decades for its value engineering and something like the MegaPixel as the first from the company, of course after the Pixel small car.


     Tata Motors has unveiled ‘MegaPixel’ concept micro car at the ongoing 82nd Geneva Motor Show. According to a Tata Motors spokesperson, the ‘MegaPixel’ is the result of the progress the company has made on the Pixel microcar which was unveiled last year.

     Unlike the Pixel which had scissor doors, the ‘MegaPixel’ has intelligent sliding door which help in easy access to the car. The ‘MegaPixel’ reflects the future of mobility with new and innovative technological features which makes driving much easier and efficient.


     The MegaPixel is driven by four independent electric motors mounted on each wheel which is powered by a 13kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery pack giving the car an all electric range of 86 km. The batteries are charged using an induction charging system that is you need to park the car just below the induction charging unit and the car battery gets charged. In case the battery power gets exhausted, a 30 Bhp 325cc single cylinder petrol engine kicks in to extend the range up to over 900 km. The car can reach a maximum speed of 110 Kmph.

     The most impressive feature of the ‘MegaPixel’ is its turning circle radius of just 2.8 meters. The parking assist system helps the car is very tight parking places. The car sports some of the unique features such as floating seats, rear projected HMI, interface controller and front and rear sling doors. The ventilation, driving modes, temperature and performance of the car can be controlled using a smart phone that docks with the center console.

Video

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Suzuki Regina city car concept

     Suzuki has unveiled an all new Regina city car concept in Japan. The Regina concept will be placed just below the Swift. With this concept, Suzuki shows its company’s vision for next generation compact cars which will be more fuel efficiency and environmental friendly. The Regina concept displays Suzuki’s latest technology in reducing weight and improving efficiency by superior aerodynamics.

     The Regina city car concept weighs 730 Kg and seats 4 persons. It is 3550mm long, 1630mm wide and 1430mm tall and has a 2425mm wheelbase. The interiors will be minimalistic with highlight of green all over. Fuel efficiency as claimed by Suzuki is a class leading with 32 Kmpl.

     The Regina city car concept will be showed at the Tokyo Motor Show in December this year.

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Land Rover Defender Concept (DC100) video

     Last week Land Rover unveiled the Defender Concept (DC100 & DC100 

Sport) at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The concept will make its first production appearance in 2015.

     Take a look at the video to find out the new technology features which goes into the Next Generation Defender concept.

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E-Auto E-concept showing innovative doors

     E-Auto (Yo-Auto) has plans to introduce E-concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The concept design shows the new styling direction of the company. The E-concept features a panoramic windscreen, LED-infused headlights and two unique doors which retract backwards to provide access to the four-seat cabin. The video below demonstrates how the innovative doors work.

Video

Source: worldcarfans

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Ssangyong to debut XUV 1 concept at Frankfurt Motor Show

     Mahindra & Mahindra owned Ssangyong Motors has teased its XUV 1 concept before its debut at 64th International Motor Show being held at Frankfurt next month.


     The XUV1 concept reflects the new design philosophy of Ssangyong Motors. From the teaser pictures the concept looks very futuristic. The XUV1 concept will have a flexi seating options.

Official press release


SSANGYONG TO REVEAL THE CONCEPT XUV 1 IN FRANKFURT AA International Motor Show 2011


- Compact SUV concept illustrates SsangYong’s latest design and engineering


- Full details of Concept XUV 1 will be released at the IAA next month


- Available to view on stand D10 in Hall 8.0


When the doors open to the 64th IAA International Motor Show on the 13th September, SsangYong will be ready to reveal one of the stars of the event – an innovative new compact crossover concept.


The Concept XUV 1 has at its core the ideals of a moving communication space. SsangYong’s designers set themselves the goal of creating a new automobile culture based on performance, safety and an awareness of the environment.


A showcase for the latest SsangYong design capabilities, the Concept XUV 1 uses extensive glass areas along with carefully curved bodywork to look imposing without seeming to appear ‘aggressive’. The wraparound windscreen visually extends the glass area virtually uninterrupted to the large C-pillars, perfectly complemented by a full length glass roof.


Described by its creators as a premium CUV – Crossover Utility Vehicle – the Concept XUV 1 perfectly illustrates the robust image of SsangYong vehicles coupled with an appearance highlighting speed and power. The innovative interior design introduces new 1+1+2 or 1+3 seating layouts, challenging conventional cabin design and highlighting the flexibility available from SsangYong’s latest platform technology.


The spacious interior is also packed with the latest automotive technology, leading to the show car’s name: Concept XUV 1 is derived from Excellent User Interface Vehicle 1. All major cabin functions are controlled via mobile devices and smart instruments, while the coach style door offers easy access to the futuristic cabin.


All this versatility comes within the confines of a compact B segment sized vehicle, a sector which has experienced rapid growth in crossover models in recent years. Offering the high seating position and rugged feel of a full sized SUV without any compromise in running costs, crossover models on a supermini scale are fast becoming the ideal motoring solution for today’s driver.

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Audi City E-tron Concept

     Audi City E-tron concept was spied in Berlin. The City E-tron concept is the spiritual successor of the Volkswagen L1 Concept. The City E-tron is a two-seater with seats positioned one behind the other. The City E-tron runs on electric power, however a plug-in hybrid is not ruled out. The City E-tron concept might debut next month at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Source: worldcarfans

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Daihatsu A-Concept, will it be Toyota’s sub-Liva hatch for India?

     Daihatsu has unveiled a new small car concept named A-Concept at the 2011 Indonesian International Motor Show. Since Daihatsu is a sister company of Toyota, can we expect it to launch A-Concept in India below the Etios Liva?

     Toyota had expressed its concern to have a small car in India below the Etios Liva at the time of its launch. Toyota also said it is looking to have a sedan above Etios and a compact SUV for Indian market.

     As seen from the picture, the Daihatsu A-Concept looks pretty good with its futuristic design. With its small dimensions it could be a perfect recipe for Toyota to launch it below Etios Liva. Do you people think so? Your comments are welcome. 

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Renault unveils Frendzy concept

     French car maker Renault has unveiled the Frendzy concept ahead of its debut at Frankfurt Motor Show in September this year. The Frendzy concept could be the next Kango, a highly successful vehicle from Renault.


     The Frendzy concept is a MPV with canvas roof and sliding rear passenger doors with digital display on it. The interior is futuristic with lots of gizmos. It is powered by a lithium-ion battery which sends power to an electric motor that develops 60 PS and 226 Nm of torque.

Source: Renault via Worldcarfans

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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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Nissan Micra Compact Sport Concept revealed at Shanghai Motor Show

     Nissan has just revealed the Micra Compact Sport Concept at the ongoing Shanghai Motor Show.

     The Compact Sport Concept is the first car developed jointly by both Nissan’s Japanese design HQ and Nissan’s new design studio in Beijing. The car is targeted at young customers in emerging markets. Will it come to India? Its high time Nissan thinks fast and launch it here.

     The Micra Compact Sport Concept surely seams to be the Swift beater in India. Futuristinc design featuring bulging bumpers (as well as wheel arches), dynamic grill, strong waist line, redesigned tail lamps and double exhaust will definitely win many hearts in India. Nissan has to bring this vehicle to India as soon as possible and price it just with the current Micra’s price, of course a 5 door hatchback is expected here in India. This could change the face of the game in Indian B segment cars.

     Our thoughts apart, the Compact Sport Concept are powered by a direct injection turbocharged 1.6-ltre four-cylinder motor with 188bhp of power. The car is equipped with a CVT gearbox.

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