Mahindra to launch updated Thar 2015 in June

        The Thar from Mahindra is a popular vehicle among the hardcore off-road enthusiast community. An update Mahindra Thar has been spied with some cosmetic changes arising speculations of its launch soon. According to unofficial sources the updated Thar will be launched in June this year, a time when the off-road season starts.

        Since its launch in 2010, Mahindra Thar has not received any updates till now. Probably Mahindra engineers would have been studying the model and its market for 4 long years! The spy pictures of the Thar update 2015 reveals lot of cosmetic changes in the upcoming model.

        On the outside you see all new front bumper with mixture of plastic and metal, bigger foot rests, fender extensions only on top spec CRDe variant and back tilted canopy.

        It is in the inside that the That gets major changes. It gets all new dual tone dashboard, round AC vents with silver finish and new chrome ringed instrument cluster. There is new steering wheel, AC controls and handbrake lever lifted from Bolero. Seats are broader and a new beige centre console with two slots for coffee cups makes the interior look premium.

        Apart from cosmetic changes there will be no change under the hood. The updated Thar 2015 will continue to be powered by the existing CRDe and Di engines.

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Mercedes Benz to launch CLA sedan in early 2015

        The compact luxury car segment is gaining momentum. First it was Audi which launched A3 sedan in India and now Mercedes Benz is planning to launch CLA sedan in India which will be the most affordable sedan in Merc’s line up. Earlier this year Mercedes had launched a performance oriented CLA 45 AMG which is priced around 70 lakh.

        The CLA sedan without AMG is likely to be priced around Rs. 40 lakh for petrol and Rs. 42-43 lakh for diesel. Mercedes CLA is based on MFA platform which is front wheel drive and underpins the A Class, B Class, GLA, GLA 45 AMG and CLA 45 AMG. The CLA sedan will take on Audi A3 in Indian market.

        Mercedes Benz CLA sedan will not be as spacious and practical as that of its elder sibling C and E Class. The strength of CLA sedan will be its design with coupe like roofline and low slung stance making it a very attractive looking car. In fact the designers have focussed on young buyers who look for beauty than practicality. Mercedes plans to localise all vehicles based on MFA platform and hopefully this will bring down the costs of Mercedes cars in India.

The CLA sedan is powered by a 2.2 liter diesel and 2.0 liter petrol engine. The diesel engine makes 135 Bhp and 30.5 Kgm of torque while its petrol counterpart does 181 Bhp and 30.59 Kg of torque. Both engines are coupled to a seven speed dual clutch automatic transmission sending power to front wheels. Both these engines have been used in Mercedes GLA compact SUV as well. 

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Datsun Go+ spotted in Pune, India launch in Q1 2015

        A slightly camouflaged Datsun Go+ MPV was spotted in Pune and seems to be completely ready for India launch. It is expected to be launched in first quarter of next year.

        Datsun Go+ is based on Nissan ‘V’ platform on which Go hatchback is also built. The Go+ looks like a stretched Go hatchback from outside and inside too it has all the similarities of the hatchback sibling. Go+ measures less than 4 meters in length and hence will have 8% excise duty as compared to 12% for other MPVs. This makes the Go+ the first MPV in India less than 4 meters length mark.

        The extended space of the Go+ MPV gets third row of baby seats which can accommodate 2 to 3 children. Apart from children it is hard to imagine any adult occupying the third row.

        Powering the Go+ MPV will be Nissan’s 1.2L three cylinder petrol engine with output of 68 Bhp and torque of 104 Nm. Transmitting the power to front wheels are 5 speed manual transmission. The engine delivers fuel efficiency of around 20 Km for a litre of petrol. 

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Fiat Punto Avventura launch by the end of 2014

        Fiat India has confirmed the launch of Punto Avventura and Abrath 500 by the end of this year. Fiat had showed the two models at the Auto Expo 2014 in February this year.

        Fiat Punto Avventura is a SUV version of the Punto Evo. It gets a ground clearance of 200 mm and tail gate mounted spare wheel. Also there is plastic cladding all over the vehicle to give it a SUV look. However the engine options will likely to be same as that of Punto Evo.

        The other model to be launched will be Fiat Abrath 500 which is based on Fiat 500 hatch. It is expected to be powered by a 137 Bhp 1.4L turbo engine making it a fun to drive car. Also the news of it getting stiffer springs and dampers for better handling is going around.

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Renault to launch Duster 4x4 in India by September 2014

          Renault is all geared up to launch an all wheel drive Duster SUV in India by September this year. The 4x4 Renault Duster will be available in only top end diesel variant unlike in international markets where both petrol and diesel variants are available under the name of Dacia.

          Renault Duster4x4 will be powered by 1.5L K9K 110 Bhp diesel engine coupled to a six speed manual transmission which powers all the four wheels. Three modes – 2WD high, 4WD low and 4WD high will be on offer.

          The new Duster 4x4 is likely to get all the equipments as on the top RXZ diesel variant which includes a touchscreen infotainment system, steering-mounted controls, 2-DIN stereo system, rear air-con vents, keyless entry, rear parking sensors, ABS with EBD, emergency brake assist and dual SRS front airbags.

          Duster 4x4 will be priced at a premium of Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 1,00,000 and will compete with Tata Safari and Mahindra XUV500 in Indian market. 

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