Honda says, Jazz 2014 has been benchmarked against Volkswagen Polo and performs as good as it.
Honda releases new MPV sketch, to debut this September
The new Honda MPV aims to fill Honda’s portfolio of cars in every segment.
It’s not new to hear about an MPV from Honda. Honda, manufacturer
of cars known for its performance, had recently showed interest in the MPV
segment and intended to have an MPV in developing markets. Honda today released
a sketch of the new MPV which will make its debut at 21st Indonesia International Motor Show, held between
September 19-29 at Jakarta.
As seen from the sketch, the new
MPV shares the Brio platform which has been stretched to make it an MPV. The front
end looks similar to Brio with minor changes in the bumper and grill. The side
profile reminds us of the Honda Oddessy with ‘Z’ shaped bottom window line,
though we feel the new MPV looks better than the bulky Oddessy. The rear end
bears a similar Honda design with big creases giving a muscular and futuristic
look. The wrap around tail lights with some scoops are the hall mark of today’s
Honda. Overall, the new MPV looks good and will fit exactly in Honda’s vehicle portfolio.
According to Honda, the new MPV
has been built keeping in mind the customer’s requirement and road conditions
in Indonesia which is not different from India. After its debut in Indonesia,
the new MPV (Brio MPV) will soon make its way for India as well. In Indonesia
the new Honda MPV will be powered by renowned Honda 1.5L i-VTec gasoline engine
and we guess a diesel variant with new 1.5L Earth Dreams diesel will be added
in India, to fit in the segment dominated by diesels.
The new MPV has been designed to
accommodate 7 seats with 3 rows configuration just like that of the Ertiga. The
new Honda MPV features an innovative design, spacious cabin and advanced safety
features which again is the hallmark of Honda. Price when launched in India? Could
be around Rs. 10 lakh.
The Concept Car
Before a new model of car hits the road, the trade papers and the forecourt, it goes through a multitude of development stages. Everyone, from engineers to scientists, test drivers and accountants, gets to have their say, put forward their own particular viewpoint and, let’s be honest, do their best to make the car in question as ordinary as possible. This may sound like a strange statement, considering the millions spent on advertising and marketing in an attempt to convince us that this car or the next is a reinvention of the wheel and a redefinition of the driving experience, but the truth is that most cars, outside of the high end luxury market, are built with mass appeal in mind, which tends to result in eccentricities being ironed out. All too often, the day to day experience of driving is about the mundane – waiting out a red light, bemoaning the price of fuel and getting pranged and sorting out a compensation claim. In the unfortunate circumstance that you find yourself needing to claim due to injury, then a page online I came across, (http://www.nowinnofee.com/no-win-no-fee-claim.php) can point you in the right direction. It also has a compensation calculator tool, describing parts of the body and how much on average is expected to receive if injured.
In the life of every car you’ve ever driven or rode in, however, there was a moment, a brief shining moment, in which it was a stunning testament to innovation, style and adventure. That moment, of course, was when the designer sat down with a pencil in hand and a blank piece of paper in front of them, and drew whatever their heart desired, before the pragmatists and realists got their hands on things. After all, ask yourself, when was the last time that a car you saw on the road actually took your breath away or made your heart beat faster? A Ford Focus? A Nissan Micra? A VW Golf? Didn’t think so. There is still a vehicle, however, which allows for these wilder vehicular dreams to be expressed and realised. Lots of vehicles, in fact, and they’re called Concept Cars.
Concept cars are the director’s cut of the motoring world, the twelve inch remix, the deluxe edition. They’re what happens when the designers and manufacturers get to show off what they can really do, safe in the knowledge that the ideas they come up with will never have to be mass produced or driven through a traffic jam during Monday morning rush hour. Concept cars may seem like a fanciful indulgence, and in some ways they are – after all, cars are supposed to be fun on some level - but they also perform a valuable role. They allow car manufacturers to play around with concepts and ideas which may seem wildly fanciful at the time but which end up, much further down the line, being reflected in the cars which anyone can buy. The fact that concept cars never need make it to production results in ideas which push the envelope a little further than would otherwise be the case, and these innovative ideas often then filter down to the mass market.
The first concept car is generally regarded as the Buick Y-Job, which was designed for General Motors by Harley Earl. It featured innovations such as wraparound bumpers, electric windows and flush door handles which, whilst extreme at the time, have gone on to be standard design features.
Other notable concept cars included the following:
The Lancia Megagamma – designed by Italdesign in 1978 and seen as the forerunner of the modern MPV.
Porsche 989 - The first four door Porsche and a forerunner of the Porsche Panamera.
Chevrolet Corvette Mako Shark Designed to reflect the creature after which it was named, the Mako Shark went on to have a huge influence on the design of the Corvette production model between 1968 and 1982.
Chevrolet Volt – launched in 2007 as an electric concept car, the Volt was launched as a production model in September 2008 and has since gone on to win many green awards.
Phantom Corsair – launched in 1938 and viewed as a failure at the time, the Phantom Corsair can, in retrospect, be seen as being ahead of its time. Its aerodynamic design meant that it was only 57 inches high, had completely skirted wheels and flush fenders. Other innovations included doors which opened with electronic buttons rather than handles, and a dashboard which indicated if the radio or lights were left on, or the doors left ajar.
BMW GINA – at first glance this may seem like a more extreme concept car than most. The body of the car was made of a type of fabric stretched over an aluminium frame, which meant that the shape of the vehicle would alter to match the driving conditions, or even on the whim of the driver. As far-fetched as this might seem, however, the basic platform was then utilised for the BMW i3 and BMW i8 Electric Vehicles.
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Anniversary Edition launched in India
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Anniversary Edition comes with additional features.
Mitsubishi has launched first
anniversary edition of its popular SUV Pajero Sport in India. The Pajero Sport anniversary
edition is priced at Rs. 23.56 lakh (Ex-showroom, New Delhi).
The Pajero Sport Anniversary
Edition comes with additional features such as touch screen multimedia system with
GPS and reverse camera. In the exterior there is body colour bumpers and mud
guards and a special anniversary decal. There are no changes under the hood.
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Price in Bangalore - Rs. 23,44,595
*Price Ex-showroom Bangalore.Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Dimensional Views
New 360 degree exterior and interior video of Datsun GO
Barely a day after its international debut in New Delhi, a new video has surface showing Datsun GO in all angles. Also shown are the interiors and boot space which looks massive, almost equal to that of Ford Figo. The rear bench seat (without 60:40 splitting) is seen folding forward to give much more cargo space.
Ashok Leyland Stile MPV unveiled
After unveiling of Datsun GO hatchback
yesterday, Carlos Gohsn CEO of Renault-Nissan along with Mr. G P Hinduja,
Chairman of Hinduja Group unveiled Nissan Evalia based Ashok Leyland Stile.
Ashok Leyland Stile is basically the Evialia with a rebadging.
Ashok Leyland stile bears a new
front end which looks basic as compared to Evalia. Apart from the front end
there is no visible changes in the exterior. The reflector on the tail gate too
has been carried over from Evalia. Interiors too are similar except for Ashok
Leyland badge on the steering wheel.
Ashok Leyland Stile is aimed at commercial/fleet
operators. It will compete with MPVs like Chevrolet Tavera, Mahindra Xylo,
Toyota Innova and indeed with the Nissan Evalia. The Stile is powered by same
Renault’s K9K diesel engine which has been detuned for lower power delivery of
75 Bhp. The company calls it a ‘Diet’ as it the main focus was on fuel efficiency.
The engine propels the front wheels through a 5 speed manual transmission.
Couple of test mules have been
spied on Bangalore-Chennai highway recently. Expect Ashok Leyland Stile to launched
soon and priced very competitively as it is mainly aimed at commercial
operations.
V
Sumantran, Vice Chairman, Ashok Leyland and Chairman, Nissan Ashok Leyland
Powertrain Ltd said “Right from the outset, we were determined not to remain
a one product/platform or niche player in the LCV space. Following the
successful run of the DOST, we are now delighted to present our brand-new
vehicle on an award-winning platform that reflects our continued focus on
offering Japanese Technology and Quality at Indian Cost. With the STILE also in
our portfolio, we are now better positioned to cater to a wider range of needs,
and at the same time, address the growing expectations of the Indian consumer.”
Video: Datsun GO in motion
Here is an official video of Datsun GO which gives you a clear idea of how the car will look in motion.
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