Ashok Leyland Dost – the first vehicle from Ashok Leyland Nissan JV rolls out

     The first vehicle from the Ashok Leyland and Nissan Joint Venture has rolled out in the form of ‘Dost’ – a1.25 ton payload capacity LCV.The Dost LCV bears Ashok Leyland logo and will be manufactured at the company’s Hosur plant.

     The Dost LCV will be available in three versions and both in BSIII and BSIV versions. According to the company, Dost has been positioned as contemporary and powerful yet fuel efficient product. The LCV will be distributed through 25 dealer networks initially when launched in Q2 this year.

     The Dost LCV has been produced with 100% localization and will be priced competitively when launched. Along with the technology, Nissan has shared its production system, process and engineering with Ashok Leyland and also involved in vehicle design. The LCV will also be exported to other markets from next year.

Nissan Motor senior vice President and the JV chairman, Dr Andy Palmer - " The earthquake in Japan has not affected the im-plementation of the LCV project. We have combined the leading edge technol-ogy of Nissan with ALL's delivery capability to complete the project in a cost effective manner".


Hinduja Automotive vice chairman and Chairman, Nissan Ashok Leyland Powertrain, Dr V Sumantran - " Entry into the LCV market will open a new chapter in the 64 year old history of ALL. We have developed a product that embodies Japanese quality at Indian cost".

Volkswagen to start non banking financial arm in India

     German auto conglomerate Volkswagen will invest Rs. 120 Crore to start its non banking financial arm in India. The company's finance arm Volkswagen Finance Pvt Ltd. (VWFPL) has received licence from Reseve Bank of India to start its Non Banking Financial Company (NBFC).

Company statement -

"VWFPL has been granted an NBFC licence by the Reserve Bank of India, enabling it to make its first offering to the Indian market with three product lines -- VW Finance, Skoda Finance, Audi Finance,"

All new Volkswagen Passat with Bluemotion technology launched in India

     Volkswagen has launched the all new Passat saloon in India priced in the range of Rs. 20.80-26.65 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi).

     The new Passat features new Phaeton like grill, new headlamps and new taillamps. The basic design of the car reamains to be same as that of the earlier model though most of the body panels has be designed from the scratch.

      On the inside too there is no much difference to the previous model. The wide horizontal split dash and instrument dials reams the same. However the built quality and feel has been improved by usage of good materials. More of chrome treatment can be noticed.

      The biggest change in the new Passat is under the hood. The 2.0 TDI engine makes comeback to the Passat and gets VW's Bluemotion technology. The engine has been tuned for lower emissions and fuel efficiency. The 2.0 TDI Bluemotion motor develops 170 Bhp of power which is 32 Bhp more than the previous model. The new Passat is offered in manual and DSG gearboxes.

     The seventh generation Passat is priced at Rs. 20.90 lakh for base Trendline, Rs, 23. 80 lakh for Comfortline and Rs. 26.65 lakh for Highline variants (All prices ex-showroom New Delhi).

Mercedes Benz India get 40 buses deal with Neeta Tour & Travels

     Mumbai based fleet operator Neeta Tour & Travels has ordered for 40 new Mercedes Benz buses. Out of 40 buses 30 are 2 axle and 10 are 3 axle coaches. The first batch of 11 buses was delivered to the Tour operator today at Mercedes Benz India plant at Chakan, Pune.


     Peter Honegg, Managing Director & CE0 of Mercedes Benz India Ltd. Haded over the keys of 11 coaches to Anil and Sunil Savla, promoters of Neeta Tours and Travels. The Mercedes Benz buses are the hallmark of Mercedes Brand and known for its safety, comfort, reliability and quality. The “Travel with the Star” experience is indeed picking up in the country.

Sunil Savla, Owner, Neeta Tours & Travels -
“Our current fleet of Mercedes-Benz buses cumulatively has excellent on road performance and has had better revenue realisation than other coaches. This has convinced us in our decision to purchase the new set of 40 more Mercedes-Benz buses; with this our fleet of Mercedes Buses will go to up to 60. The customer feedback has been extremely positive for these buses and the reliability and comfort of a Mercedes-Benz bus remains unmatched.”

Source: Wheelsunplugged

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.”