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

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.