Luxury car = German, or is it? Volvo doesn’t seem to be doing well with the sales of the S80 ploughing in single digits. Thus they did the obvious bit of offering discounts again to lure buyers, The S80 D5 diesel can be yours for just Rs. 30 lakh (ex- showroom Mumbai), a straight Rs. 8 lakhs off. The V8 AWD petrol is not far behind with a discount of Rs. 3 lakhs. So if you are Swedish or hate Hitler, rush to the nearest Volvo showroom now.

Tata Motors is set to give the Nano its first major upgrade. Although the changes are minuscule but they are important as it shows Tata’s commitment to improving its vehicles. The Tata Nano now has a higher rev limit at 6000rpm, up from 5000rpm to quicken acceleration in the first two gears helping in making life easy for the people’s car on steep inclines. The top speed is unaffected at 105kmph. The old fashioned outside rear view mirrors will be replaced with units where the mirror moves within the housing. This change is to make the mirrors compatible with electric adjustment in the future.

Next is the addition of a check strap in the doors to limit the opening of the doors. The most significant change however will be the replacement of fixed rear panel by a hatch door. The present vehicle’s boot is to cumbersome to be used especially when there are passengers sitting in the rear. These changes would very well push the price up but these are small things that would make the Nano more user-friendly.

Source – ACI

Tanmay Broachwala was one of the first persons to send us his Get Featured entry but due to delay in sending the pictures his post got delayed. He drives a racing green Ritz petrol. Just like all of us love our cars, he is no different.

When and how did your love for cars/bikes or both start?

Since birth and after my dad bought his first black Fiat 15 years back

Which car/bike do you currently own?

Maruti Ritz Zxi ABS fully loaded

When did you buy your car/bike?

16th July, 2009

What made you buy this particular car/bike?

Front macho looks, internal space, new BS-4 engine

How many kms have you done? How many do you do everyday?

3500 kms, 50 kms daily

What do you love the most about your car/bike?

Looks, height, length

What you don’t like about your car/bike?

Few scratches, MILEAGE

Will you trade your car/bike for any other vehicle? If yes, which one?

Yes, Honda City iVtec, Skoda Fabia diesel

What is the longest you drove/rode your car/bike and where?

Mumbai – Shirdi – 220 kms

What is the fastest speed you have achieved on your car/bike?

140 kmph – its scares the *hit out of you…

What mileage does your vehicle give you?

Barely manages 10 kmpl in city with AC & about 13-14 on highways

What is the nastiest thing you have done in your vehicle?

None so far

What modifications have you done to your vehicle and what do you plan to do in the future?

None so far but definitely leather seat covers in the future

Why is your car/bike so special to you?

Its my first new car

Which is your dream car/bike?

BMW, Audi

Which car/bike sold in India is your current favourite?

Audi, Honda City

Any advice for Motorbeam readers?

Motorbeam should have marketplace section where readers can recommend\rate car\bike accessories, dealers, share valuable TIPS, etc

Mercedes-Benz will be introducing the diesel line up of the E-Class with the launch of the E350 CDI V6 on the 12th of this month. The 2987cc engine in the E350 CDI has 225bhp of power on tap and a locomotive 540Nm of torque. The company will also introduce BlueEFFICIENCY technology in the diesel E-Class. This technology reduces CO2 emissions and increases fuel efficiency by upto 12%.

Ford India has launched yet another special edition of the Fiesta, priced at Rs 6.44 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). The new Ford Fiesta 1.6 ZXI will be available only in the petrol variant. The extra features in the special edition include leather interiors, metallic finish on trims, cubic finish centre and floor console.

Mahindra has upgraded the Scorpio VLX with additional features including dual SRS airbags, new twin dial instrument cluster, bluevision bulbs in headlamps, bluetooth connectivity, built-in tweeters in front speakers and speed warning alert. Along with the upgrades, Mahindra has hiked the price of the SUV by Rs. 10,500/-

Maruti Suzuki is considering to locally assemble the Grand Vitara by next year, as it looks to bring a diesel version of the SUV to bump the sales. The company which currently imports the Grand Vitara from Japan, has already started the initial process for starting assembly of the SUV, including talks with component makers for supply of parts. Initially the diesel Vitara would be a completely-built-unit (CBU). CBUs attract over 100% import duty, making it highly expensive and uncompetitive.

In the recent months, sales of Grand Vitara is falling drastically. During April-September period, sales of the SUV fell nearly 70% to just 59 units from 194 units in the year-ago period. In July, a more powerful version of the Grand Vitara was introduced to revive the demand but failed to do so. In September, sales declined by 53% to only 9 units as against 19 units in the same month last year.

Bajaj Auto has decided to stop production of the XCD 125. The Bajaj XCD 125 was introduced in September 2007 but failed to set the sales chart on fire with sales declining to below 20,000 units a month. Bajaj decided to pull the plug to make way for the slightly bigger and more powerful XCD 135 which was launched in February this year.