Tata Safari Merlin launch early next year

     Tata Motors has given a major uplift to its SUV Safari since its launch in 1998. Codenamed ‘Merlin’, the camouflaged Safari has been spied numerous times for over more than 6 months. It will be launched in the first quarter of next year.

     

     The changes in the front include new headlamps and grill which are now sharper. In the rear there is change in the tail lamps and no spare wheel. Lots of chrome in the front and rear are the major highlights. The interiors get plastic wood finish, apart from which there is no change absolutely.

     

     Powering the Safari ‘Merlin’ will be the same 2.2L DICOR engine. The ‘Merlin’ adopts the new X2 platform of Aria, shortened to Safari’s 2650mm wheelbase. This helps the ‘Merlin’s’ ride and handling characteristics. Like the Aria, the ‘Merlin’ too gets dual exhausts. 

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Volvo design director sketches Modern day Volvo P1800

     To commemorate the 50^th anniversary of Volvo P1800, Volvo’s design director Mr. Christopher Benjamin has sketched the modern day P1800. The Volvo P1800 which was a 2 door notchback was built between 1961 and 1973. The car was designed by Pelle Petterson through the Italian Carrozzeria Pietro Frua design firm.

     The modern day Volvo P1800 sketch though has some resembles with the original car, has some modern day design cues. The car in the sketch looks sportier with clear lines running along the shoulder upto to the bonnet and grill. The rear of the car also has some scooped out design which again add to the sportiness to the car. 

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Nissan Sunny diesel to be priced at Rs. 6.6 lakh

     The diesel version of Nissan Sunny will be launched in January next year with a starting price of Rs. 6.6 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). The Sunny TV ad of big Caaar has caught lot of attention and with a diesel engine coming into the car, the Nissan customers will have more options to choose from.

     The diesel engine of the Sunny is the same 1.5L engine which powers the diesel Micra. The 1.5L Renault source diesel engine has proved its mettle under the hood of Logan and Micra. This engine is one of the best diesel engines at present in India which delivers class leading fuel efficiency and performance.   

     With the diesel Sunny coming in, the rivals such as Tata Manza, Fiat Linea, SX4 diesel, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Verna, Skoda Rapid and VW Vento will have one more competitor who will be hard to match in terms of price and fuel efficiency.   

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Hyundai to unveil a compact SUV at Auto Expo 2012

     After seeing the success of Mahindra XUV500 and with news of Maruti Ertiga and Ford Ecosport coming into Indian SUV market, Hyundai wants to be part of this fastly growing segment in India. Hyundai will unveil a compact SUV at the Auto Expo 2012 being held in January next year at New Delhi. The details of this mini SUV is still remote, but speculating with the Hyundai’s international product line up, a crossover based on Veloster could be Hyundai’s new mini SUV.

     

Hyundai has not had good success in Indian SUV/MUV segment. Its vehicles Terracan and Tucson, though being good products was not able to make a mark. The timing of these vehicles could be a major factor as the SUV/MUV segment in India was in infancy. 

     The mini SUV segment has good advantage of tax sops if it comes into small car norms. The small car norms in India which applies to vehicles with length of under 4 meters and engine capacities of under 1200cc for petrol and under 1500cc for diesel makes this mini SUV segment the hottest at present. No wonder Premier has launched Rio (its first vehicle after a decade) and Mahindra working on a shortened Xylo.

     Finally the carmakers have understood the Indian customers mind set of travelling more people in a vehicle which costs less to run and own. 

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India car market sales data for November 2011

Chevrolet

Spark – 1041

Beat – 4586

Aveo-UVA – 74

Aveo – 84

Optra – 211

Cruze – 449

Tavera – 1892

Captiva - 45

  

Fiat

Punto – 813

Linea – 223

Palio –1

Ford

Figo – 6106

Fiesta Classic – 1388

Fiesta – 624

Endeavour – 204

  

HM-Mitsubishi

Ambassador – 107

Lancer & Cedia – 29

Pajero – 99

Outlander – 9

Montero – 4

EVO-X – 0

  

Honda

Brio – 666

Jazz – 382

City – 652

Civic – 161

Accord – 91

CR-V – 30

  

Hyundai

Eon – 7418

Santro – 5122

I10 – 10174

I20 – 7148

Accent – 682

Verna – 4331

Sonata – 3

Santa Fe – 122

  

Mahindra

Verito – 1127

Bolero – 8004

Xylo – 1637

Scorpio – 4646

XUV500 – 1637

Maruti Suzuki

800 – 1373

Omni – 6351

Alto -24422

Eeco – 3261

Estilo – 702

Wagon R – 12069

A-Star – 1057

Ritz – 4148

Swift – 17273

Dzire – 10403

SX4 – 1433

Gypsy – 180

Kizashi – 162

Grand Vitara – 0

Nissan

Micra – 1543

Sunny – 1131

X-Trail – 25

Teana – 18

370Z – 0

Renault

Fluence – 101

Koleos – 73

  

Skoda Auto

Fabia – 1155

Laura – 329

Yeti – 68

Superb – 119

Tata Motors

Nano – 6401

Indica +Vista – 10926

Indigo+Manza – 6213

Sumo – 2104

Safari – 1368

Aria – 140

Venture – 585

  

Toyota

Liva – 4328

Etios – 3943

Innova – 4308

Corolla – 488

Fortuner – 860

Camry – 16

Prius – 0

Prado – 10

Landcruiser – 3

  

Volkswagen

Polo – 3160

Vento – 3055

Jetta – 359

Passat – 140

Beetle – 8

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2012 Mercedes Benz M Class spotted in Mumbai

     The next generation 2012 Mercedes Benz M Class has been spotted at ‘Air Cargo Complex’ Mumbai. We feel the 2012 M Class would have been flown to India for the Auto Expo 2012 being held at New Delhi in January next year.

     Mercedes Benz in its future plans had announced that it will assemble M Class SUVs in India. Currently GL and M Class vehicles are imported from Europe. The next generation M Class features fuel saving technologies such as smart oil and water pump, and AC compressor. It is powered by a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6 producing 240 horsepower paired to a 7 speed automatic transmission.

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2012 Mitsubishi Mirage debuts in Japan, might come to India

     Mitsubishi has unveiled its latest 2012 Mirage small car at Tokyo Motor Show. The Mirage is built exclusively for developing markets, so India could be one of its destinations. The Mirage will go into sale in Thailand in March next year.

     The Mirage is built with the theme "satisfy the needs of people all over the world". The styling is simple with traditional Mitsubishi grill. The silhouette is decent which reflects ample space in the interior. The interior design is again simple and clean and gives airiness to the cabin.  

     A 1.0 liter 3 cylinder gasoline powers the Mirage. The engine has variable valve timing and start stop system. The engine is connected to a continuously variable transmission which is expected to deliver 30 km per liter of fuel.

     Mitsubishi will certainly consider launching the car in India, sensing the demand for B segment cars. A diesel engined Mirage could create wonders here with its simple and functional looks. Having said this, Mitsubishi’s Mirage is still a mirage for India. Let us hope to see this small beauty here as soon as possible!

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