All new Toyota Camry spied testing in India

     The next generation Toyota Camry which was showed at the Auto Expo 2012 was spied testing near Bangalore. Toyota hopes to regain the lost battle ground in the D+ segment with the launch of then the new Camry. The new Camry will be assembled at Toyota’s plant near Bidadi.

     The new Camry will be powered by a 2.5 Liter 4 cylinder DOHC 16 valve Dual VVT-i petrol engine. The engine pumps out 178 Bhp @ 6000 rpm. However the 268 Bhp 3.5 Liter V6 will not come to India.

Engine capacity and fuel options: 2.5 liter VVTi petrol
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Power: 178 HP at 6000 rpm
Torque: 230 Nm at 4100 rpm
Expected launch date: 14th march 2012
Expected price: Rs 17 to 21 lakh 

Outstanding features of the EcoBoost turbo petrol engine

     The 1 Liter EcoBoost turbo petrol engine comes with a small, low-inertia turbocharger that spools up quickly and also comes with an overboost function.

     The engine comes with variable timing on both intake and exhaust camshafts which work in two ways, by increasing power and torque when your right foot demands by offering a higher lift and by lowering the valve lift during cruising to reduce fuel consumption.

     A water-cooled exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head lowers exhaust temperatures and delivers an optimal fuel-to-air ratio at all engine speeds to improve fuel economy across the rev range.

     Offset crank and variable oil pump to improve engine performance and lubricate the engine thoroughly by varying oil pressure more accurately at different rpms.

     High pressure solenoid direct injectors are located centrally and this positioning helps to provide a much more cooler and denser fuel-to-air ratio, delivering better combustion and higher fuel economy.

     Dual-split cooling system with two thermostats which supports a quicker engine warm up, reduced friction within the engine, lower fuel consumption and less emissions when engine is cold.

     Cambelt running in oil results in low friction and noise levels. This will lead to zero maintenance across the life of the EcoBoost 1 liter engine.

     Unbalanced flywheel/pulley is a brand new design to counter the vibrations that three cylinder engines produce due to their inherent design. The unbalanced flywheel/pulley obviates the need of a balancer shaft by functioning like one.

Toyota to launch eight new compact models in emerging markets

     Japanese automotive giant Toyota Motor Corporation, seems to be bullish on the emerging markets like India, Brazil and China. It has plans to launch eight new compact models by the next 3 years and wants to account its 50% sales through these emerging markets.

     Toyota is currently the largest automobile manufacturer in the world. With strong competition from General Motors and Volkswagen, Toyota looks at emerging markets to create volumes to stay at the top.

     Toyota recently showed three compact car concepts at the 12^th Beijing Auto Show. The eight new models planned will be based on these concepts. The Toyota Dear Qin which is global strategic concept with its futuristic styling could change the Toyota’s design philosophy which till now was bland and boring. The production version of the models will look closer to the concept to stay in tune with the global design trends.

Having seen the success with its Etios series, Toyota is planning to ramp Etios production at its second plant at Bidadi from 1.2 lakh to 2.1 lakh units by early 2013. Expect Toyota to launch new cars in India on Dear Qin concepts very soon. 

Honda CBR250R bags I Mark 2012

      In the first Indian design review ranking, Honda CBR 250R motorcycle has won the best design for the two wheeler category. The Indian Design Mark (I Mark) is the highest recognition from the Indian Government through Indian Design Council, an autonomous body under Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

      The first India Design Mark awards program was organized in cooperation with Japan Institute of Design Promotion. The program recognizes exceptional innovation and assurers Indian and global customers of excellence in form, function, quality, innovation and sustainability. Maruti Swift and Wagon R won the accolades in the four wheeler segment. 

Mahindra to reopen XUV500 bookings from June 8th

     Mahindra will reopen XUV500 bookings from June 8^th 2012. This is the third time, the bookings of XUV500 have been opened, and the first two was closed after a strong response from the customers. This time the SUV will be available across India which earlier was restricted to 19 cities.

     Mahindra received over 25,000 bookings in the first eight months of XUV500 launch of which around 7,200 vehicles have been delivered. Mahindra has ramped up the production capacity to 3000 vehicles per month in January 2012 which will to go up to 4000 per month soon.

     Mahindra was played carefully with the XUV500 launch after the failure of Xylo MUV. Unlike the Xylo, XUV500 production capacity was built for small volumes which could later be ramped further. Till now XUV500 has got good response from the customers, but still Mahindra has to improve the quality of its vehicles to compete against International players. 

Yamaha to launch world’s cheapest motorcycle in India

     The performance oriented motorcycle company Yamaha will launch the world’s cheapest motorcycle in India. When launched, the unnamed motorcycle will cost Rs. 28,000 which is Rs. 8000 cheaper than the current cheapest model Hero Honda’s CD Dawn in India.

     Unlike its Japanese counter parts, Yamaha has not had the success which it anticipated in India. The launch of FZ series of bikes did sell in good numbers but the competiton from others such as Honda and Bajaj Auto checked the Yamaha sales. Now Yamaha has decided to enter the mass motorcycle segment by launching the cheapest motorcycle. Hope Yamaha does get some success here…

Skoda to replace stolen logos on its cars

     Logos of cars are as attractive as the cars themselves and no wonder thieves have a special eye on them. We often see car logo mission on cars and if you think they have fallen off, think twice. The new trend of steeling logos has arrived and why not a Mercedes logo costs more than a branded stereo system.

     Skoda as a good will gesture to its customers has decided to replace the stolen logo on its cars. Skoda Fabia front logo cost Rs. 600 and Skoda Yeti's rear one cost Rs. 1500. Skoda do not want its customers to run its cars without them, after all logos on the cars build the brand value. Hope other manufacturers are also listening.