Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives Volvo S60 Top Safety Pick tag

     Volvo cars has always been known for the safety of its passengers. Now Insurance Institute for Highway Safety of USA has designated Volvo S60 as a Top Safety Pick for its good performance in front, side, rollover and rear crash protection. The car has electronic stability control (ESC) as standard which adds to its safety profile.

     The S60 also earned good ratings in the roof strength test by withstanding force equal to 4.5 times the car's weight where as the current Federal standard is 1.5 times the weight. The research study from the Institute demonstrated that the occupants of the vehicles with strong roofs are much less likely to sustain injuries in roll over crashes.

     The Volvo S60 is available in India with prices starting from Rs. 27 lakh for base diesel variant and Rs. 34 lakh for top of the line T6 petrol one (All prices ex-showroom New Delhi). The S60 comes with a two-year or 60,000 Km warranty.

All new Hyundai Verna to get 4 engine options for India

      Soon to be launched All new Hyundai Verna built on 'Fluidic Sculpture' design language will get 4 engine options - 2 petrol and 2 diesel. All the 4 engines are brand new from the Hyundai stable.

      Both petrol and diesel engines will come with 1.4 and 1.6 liter capacities with different power outputs. The 1.4 L 90 Bhp diesel engine has been carried out from i20 which is well refined and economical. The 1.6 L VGT, 126 Bhp and 26.5 Kgm of torque is the rocket from Hyundai which beats every other diesel in a straight drag.

      The new generation Gamma petrol twin cam, 16 valve petrol engine comes with continuously variable valve timing (CVVT) with gives decent power and torque outputs. The 1.4L petrol engine delivers 106.5 Bhp of power and 1.6 Gamma one produces power of 122 Bhp which is the highest in its class.

BMW 6 Series convertible launched in India

     BMW has launched its latest 6 Series convertible in India priced at Rs. 95 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi). The car was launched in Udaipur and will be available in Completely Built Units (CBU) in India. The 6 Series convertible is powered by a 4.4 liter V8 engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo Technology.

Press release:
Dr. Andreas Schaaf, President, BMW India - “The new BMW 6 Series Convertible with its breathtaking aesthetics is the perfect vehicle for an exclusive lifestyle. The elegant silhouette, torquey engine, perfect road holding and refined interiors with perfection to the smallest detail, create an ultra-luxurious open-top driving experience that could not possibly get any better.”

Yamaha confirms 200-250cc bikes for India

     Good news for bike lovers in India. Yamaha has officially confirmed 200-250cc bikes for Indian market. With Honda launching the CBR250R in India, Yamaha doesn’t want to stay behind its arch rival Honda in the growing Indian two wheeler market.


     Apart from the large capacity bikes, Yamaha has also plans to launch 150cc gearless scooters in India. Yamaha which entered the premium bike segment though late made a good impact on the Indian customers. We feel, Yamaha has to act much faster before others spoil its party. Yamaha known for its high performance bikes has a good chance now to prove itself in India.

Yamaha FZ25

Hiroyuki Suzuki, the new managing director and chief executive of India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd -

“We are in a very severe condition. But we aim to break even by 2013 as we are increasing our production capacity. We plan to raise the capacity of this plant to one million and, by 2013, in the domestic market we aim to sell 800,000 units and 200,000 to be exported. The African markets need basic models such as Crux and FZ and we will export YBR to South America. In Africa, you see three types of motorcycles—mopeds, scooters and street models of motorcycles. These motorcycles are also used for commercial purposes. I mean a rider can have two pillion sitting behind him and he can charge fare from them. So, we will have to change specifications of the bikes, which we plan to export. We may need at least two years before we come up with a scooter in the 150cc segment. Going forward, we will bring in motorcycles in the range of 200-250cc”.

Volkswagen Vento’s sales close Honda City’s mark

     Honda City has been the market leader in the segment in India for a long time. With the things going on, the City’s supremacy is challenged by the Volkswagen Vento which sold just 120 cars less than the City. Volkswagen launched Vento to rival the City and with very less time Vento could able to match City’s sales – thanks to the superior image and built quality of the Volkswagens. The diesel engine option in the Vento is a big plus point for Volkswagen. The Vento’s diesel engine has been applauded by many for its performance and fuel efficiency.


     With a diesel option Honda City’s future looks to be bleek. With the cars like Maruti SX4 diesel and new Hyundai Verna diesel entering the market, things are going to be worse for Honda. Having said this, Honda City will just not diminish away. It has a class of its own and surely has its own set customers who buy car for its name.

Audi R8 Spyder launched in India, priced at Rs. 1.47 crore

     Audi has launched R8 Spyder super car in India. The R8 Spyder adds to the Audi’s supercar line up which includes R8 V8 and R8 V10 hardtop. The R8 Spyder is priced at Rs. 1.47 crore.


     The R8 Spyder resembles with the R8 coupe but without roof. Same engine – 5.2 litre Lamborghii sourced one V10 will power the Spyder. The engine produces power of 518 Bhp and torque of 54.1 Kgm.


     The top which is made up of fabric weighs 30 Kg and operates in 19 seconds at speeds up to 50 Kmph.

Source: ACI

Future Mercedes Benz C Class to be hybrid

     According to the company sources, the next generation C Class sedans will come with hybrid technology in order to achieve fuel average of that of the compact cars.


     The next generation C Class which is due in 2013 is being developed accordingly with the fuel efficiency targets. Prototypes of the car are already being tested.

     Apart from hybrid technology, Mercedes could as well use deactivation technology in which the motors occasionally shuts of one or two cylinders depending up on the power requirement. This would enhance the fuel efficiency of the car and so do reduced wear and tear of the engine, gearbox and wheel bearings.


     Thought of lowering the weight of the car is also being considered. There will be about 10% reduction in the weight of the hybrid car even with the battery pack, electric motor and power electronics on.