Datsun debuts Redi-go - The Urban Cross

            Nissan owned Datsun today unveiled yet another entry level hatchback in India. Earlier Datsun had launched GO hatchback in India which could not make an impression amid lots of expectations from the company.  The Redi-go is built on Renault-Nissan alliance’s low cost CMF-A platform, also shared by Renault Kwid. Datsun has not revealed the price of Redi-go but has committed to price it very attractive. Books start from May 1st and deliveries will begin by 1st week of June.

            The Redi-go retains almost all the design features of its concept which was shown during the Auto Expo 2016 earlier this year. The tall stance and high ground clearance give a car an urban cross over look. The two sharp character lines running on the sides gives an aesthetic appeal to the car. The front looks similar to its other siblings GO and GO+ and rear gets a high mount tail lamps which merge with sweeping character line.

            The interior of the car has been well designed with importance of practicality kept in mind. There are number of storage spaces in the dash as well as the console. The steering has been designed will too. The space seams to be good, well almost equal to the Nano. The rear door without cladding shows the cost cutting measures by the company.

            Powering the Datsun Redi-go will be the same Kwid power train which is 3 cylinder petrol engine with 57 Bhp of power. Expect to get the fuel efficiency of over 25 Kmpl in this car. The engine is mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox. A bigger engine and AMT version is expected to be introduced some time after. As far as other mechanicals are concerned, there is nothing new which can make the car stand apart.

            Now where does the Redi-go stand in the product portfolio of Renault-Nissan-Datsun in India. Renault has Kwid and the Redi-go is being planned to be positioned below the Kwid. Then what about GO hatchback? We guess Datsun will slowly discontinue the product, remember the GO hatchback has scored poor ratings in the crash test and also is not selling in good numbers. The Redi-go will get personalised customisation as revealed at the launch which means you get lot of options to make your car stay to your taste.

            With Tata Tiago being launched at Rs. 3.20  lakh for base petrol variant it will be hard for Datsun or Renault to compete in the market given that the Tiago offers far more features than the Kwid and Redi-go. We at AutomobilePlanet.com believe tha, just by launched a new car in a segment with no extra features will not help any company. If the company wants a product to be a game changer, it should offer more features than its competitors. A 1.0L petrol with AMT and small diesel engine with AMT with minimal price hike could create wonders. We hope Renault-Nissan is listening.

“If you want to make a mark, be the first in the show” – a classic example by Maruti Suzuki.

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Bookings open for Mahindra TUV300

        The dealers of Mahindra vehicles have started accepting bookings for soon to be launched Mahindra TUV300. The TUV300 mini SUV will be launched on September 10^th 2015. You can book your TUV300 for as little as Rs. 20,000.

        Mahindra is betting big on TUV300 mini SUV. The company has extensively tested the vehicle and aims to position the vehicle in the rugged SUV segment like it did with the Bolero. The TUV300’s design, as revealed by the company is inspired by a war tank which is evident from the angular windshield. TUV300 features a boxy look giving it a tough and go anywhere appearance.

        The TUV300 will be powered by a 3 cylinder 100 Ps diesel engine with twin turbo. It is the same engine of the Quanto but tweaked for optimum performance and fuel efficiency. The TUV300 is said to be a low cost product from Mahindra, which means the vehicle will be priced around Rs. 5 lakh. 

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Ford Figo Classic Fiesta discontinued from Indian market

        Ford India has discontinued Figo hatch, Fiesta sedan and Fiesta Classic from Indian market. The Figo will be replace by the next generation model, the Figo Aspire will take up the Fiesta Classic position and the Fiesta sedan’s discontinuation is a surprise.

        The Figo has been a trump card for Ford as it bought back the Ford Motor Company into the Indian automotive map. Figo was a no nonsense car and was an able competitor to the Swift. The lack of rear power windows was a letdown, but in other aspects the Figo gave a run for its money for Swift. Though it had dated looks, the practicality and road manners won lots of hearts of young Indians who liked the performance of the vehicle and also the competitive pricing.

        The Fiesta Classic which was earlier named as Fiesta was a good product from Ford. The fuel efficiency of the car got laurels to it and so do the practicality. However with the launch of new cars in the segment pushed this Ford’s beauty into the dark.

      

  As for as the new Fiesta is concerned, Ford could never gain success from this product. The car was perceived as a ture driver’s car, thanks to the latest technology from Ford. However the lack of rear seat comfort and high price let down the product and now Ford has finally decided to self the plans of its continuation. The replacement model is yet to be finalised, and we feel for might bring in the stretched version of Figo Aspire to fulfil its position. 

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Next Generation 2016 Honda Civic to be unveiled on September 16th

        Honda will unveil the 10th generation 2016 Honda Civic in Detroit  and Los Angeles on September 16th 2015. The new Civic features a very dynamic styling as always, and a first time seen cabin backward design in the Civic.

10th Generation Honda Civic 2016 rendering. Picture courtesy: Carpalace3D

        The 10th generation Civic is inspired by Honda Civic Concept unveiled at 2015 New York Auto Show. The car gets Honda’s new Flying H front end with bold chrome grill, sleek LED headlamps and sporty bumpers. The most attractive part is the rear with boomerang taillights extending on to the boot.

        The new Civic will be powered by an all new 1.5L Tubro V-TEC engine. The same engine in Honda Jade RS produces 150 Ps of power and 203 Nm of torque. It is paired with a CVT unit with 7 stepped ratios.

        Honda might think of launching the car in India as well in second quarter of next year probably with an addition of diesel engine, which could be the 1.6L i-DTec currently powering the Civics of this day worldwide. 

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Renault Kwid bookings started

                Renault’s promising entry level hatchback is soon to be launched and booking for the car has already started with booking amount being Rs. 25,000. Most of the dealers have confirmed the delivery of the car by the end of September 2015.

        Renault unveiled the Kwid hatch in May 2015 by the company’s top brass Mr. Carlos Ghosn. Mr. Ghosn known for this ability to turn around the profits of the company positively is very ambitious about this small car. Kwid concept was showed last year and it was impossible to expect a small car with the profile the concept car had.

        Renault has developed a 3 cylinder 800cc petrol engine to Kwid. Kwid is built on versatile common modular platform which will be shared with Renault’s sister concerned companies Nissan and Datsun. After working hard for over 6 months Renault engineers from India as well as France could design a small car will the looks of an SUV. It is reported that the engineers from both the countries shared their views, Indians with frugal engineering thought and French with the quality and style.

        Renault Kwid, as mentioned by Mr. Ghosn will be priced between Rs. 3-4 lakh. It will be the base model with black coloured front and rear bumpers and non internal adjustable outside rear view mirrors. Also the base model will lack the power windows option but what’s interesting is the entire model range will get a touchscreen dashboard display which is the first in its class. Being roomier than its competitors, namely Maruti Alto and Hyundai Eon, Kwid stands ahead of the competition yet being priced equal to them.

        A car of Kwid’s stature will definitely need a diesel option. But according to Mr. Ghosn Renault has no plans to launch a diesel engine powered Kwid in the near future. A bigger 1.0L petrol engine might find its place after a while. But rumours are there that Renault is working on a 2 cylinder K9K engine along with Bosch, which means Kwid’s diesel dream could be a possible some time later.

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