Now though the Korean car maker has a firm grasp of the workings of the Indian market. The i45 or Sonata was showcased at the Indian Auto Expo to gather feedback from the customers.

The new Sonata draws heavy styling cues from Hyundai’s latest ‘Fluidic Sculpture’ design language. The stretched back head lamps with a massive chrome grill and wide headlamps are quite dynamic to look at. However, on a personal note, I don’t the Fluidic styling on the i45 because it is overstyled. Having said that, the rear does look quite exquisite on the Sonata.

The brochure Hyundai issued at the Auto Expo revealed that the Sonata will be only available in a petrol avatar. It will be powered by the 2.4-litre GDI petrol motor with 198 bhp of power and 250 Nm of torque. A 6 speed manual or a 6 six speed automatic option will be available for cog shifting duties. Expect the mileage to be in the range of 12-14 kmpl.

The Sonata will boost interesting features like

• Push-button keyless start
• Six-CD changer with USB and Aux-in support
• Ventilated leather seats front and rear
• 10-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat (four-way for the front passenger)
• Six airbags plus ABS, ESP and EBD.
• Parking Sensors and a rear-view camera with display which comes on automatically in the rear view mirror.
• Ventilated Disc at front, Solid at rear

Expect the price tag to be around 18 lakhs. The lack of diesel motor will definitely hurt the sales quite badly. Do you think this is another Kizashi in the making?

Toyota Kirloskar Motor just gave the Innova a comprehensive revamp and immediately it caught the market’s fancy. The most successful challenger to the Innova – the Xylo was in dire need of change and so it gets one. But what has changed?

Although the entire model lineup has been changed, but the most number of changes are done to a new top variant – E9.

So let’s run you through the list of changes:

The new Xylo E9 gets a completely re-worked front fascia. The changes are subtle yet distinctive. The most important change is the flat grill that the earlier roundish one. The Mahindra logo is now placed at the lip of the bonnet rather than on the grill as was in the case of earlier models.

The headlamps and the fog lamps have been redesigned to give the Xylo its new distinctive look. The air dams are now slightly wider and the protectors on the front bumper may reduce the aesthetic value but certainly provide freedom from scratches.

On the side, the Xylo keeps its old character lines but gets new rubrails and sandy finish body decals. The alloy wheel design has not been changed but the roof rails are now body hugging then the earlier taller ones.

The B and the C pillar have been completely blacked out.

Not much has changed at the rear. The distinctive changes include a new rear spoiler with integrated brake lights and crystal-clear treatment on the new tail lamps. This wraps up the exterior changes or the new Xylo.

Step into the car and you notice that the interiors are much pleasing than the older one. That’s because the dashboard now features a slightly darker version of brown. The color gels very well with the wood finish and beige interiors.

The steering wheel gets cruise control and voice activated control buttons. The Voice Command Technology (VCT) allows you to order instructions to the car. Unlike the voice command system in the new Ford Fiesta, the technology in Xylo allows to control mechanical actions such locking the door, starting/stopping the wipers, opening the fuel lid etc. Also, unlike the Fiesta, the VCT was developed for Indian accents so it’s more obedient. If you are an XUV500 owner and really feel cheated because you don’t get this technology, wait for 6 months and you’ll find it there.

The superbly comfortable seats now get genuine Italian leather which feels plush. The snack trays, rear laptop charging points and individual AC vents and reading lamps for each passenger are some of the other features which catch your eye.

The Xylo E9, being targeted towards affluent families, is loaded with safety features such as: Dual SRS airbags, ABS with EBD, reverse park assist etc.

On the business end, the Xylo E9 gets Scorpio’s engine with 120bhp mated to an all new 5-speed MT 320 transmission. The company claims a fuel efficiency figure of 14.02 kmpl. Mahindra has also fiddled with the rear suspension set up to provide extra stability. On a short drive, we noticed reduced body roll, really good grunt from the engine but at the same time there was a lot of sound creeping into the cabin and the gearbox is certainly not up to the mark.

Just like the Scorpio, the Xylo is finally beginning to evolve as a product. Early Scorpio owners will agree with me when I say that there is a vast difference between the Scorpio then and the Scorpio now. Same is with this new Xylo. Mahindra has done some really interesting changes in this evolutionary phase of the Xylo. Although it is far from its rival Toyota Innova in terms of refinement, it is definitely a step in the right direction.

Last month Fiat India’s CEO Rajeev Kapoor told IAB that they will work on the facelift, without getting into the details. For 2012 however cosmetic changes have been ruled out on the Linea or Punto.

In markets where the Linea is crunching big numbers, a facelift can rejuvenate the looks and make people take notice. The Linea was introduced in 2007 and has stayed the same since the debut. According to our friends at Auto Segredos, the cabin of the Linea facelift could be more luxurious.

Changes to the exterior were cited in earlier articles, a rendering by Shoeb was also presented for viewers to diagram the model’s front fascia. Likewise a new bumper and chrome garnish will be added to the car’s rear.

[Source - AutosSegredos.com.br]

Established in 1983, Maruti Suzuki has served the nation for more than 28 years with its highly reliable and fuel efficient cars. The Indo-Japanese czar can be truly credited for putting India on four wheels.

The car maker has been consistently dominating the small car market since its inception. While the early sales were dominated with the 800 and the Omni, the new boys such as Alto, Wagon R and Swift contribute to much of sales now.

Maruti Suzuki also revealed a ‘Top 5’ model wise split up of their sales till date which goes as follows

1. Maruti 800 – 26.36 lakh units
2. Alto F8 and Alto K10 – 19.08 lakh units
3. Omni van – 14.37 lakh units
4. WagonR – 11.14 lakh units
5. Swift – 6.85 lakh units

To commemorate the occasion in its own special style, Maruti Suzuki launched the SX4 Celebration Edition. Although the price of the Celebration edition model is yet to be known, the additional features include:

• New seat fabric
• Chrome inside door handles
• Chrome air conditioning louvers
• Cubic printing on arm rest
• Celebration edition floor mats and pillows

Source: TimesofIndia.indiatimes.com

The Fiesta Automatic is does not change much in mechanicals except the 5 speed manual is now replaced by a 6 speed dual clutch transmission.

Ford claims that this gearbox is the most cost effective dual clutch transmission the world has ever seen. Being a dual clutch, the lag between changes is absolutely minimal and the driver is rewarded with a class leading 16.97 km/l.

The new gearbox also comes with Hill/Grade Assist and Creep Function that will help you with your day-to-day driving. Ford claims that the new gearbox will be hassle free to maintain for nearly 10 years. The Fiesta Automatic will be powered by the 110 Bhp/140 Nm 1.5 Liter Ti-VCT petrol engine. There are no plans for a Fiesta diesel automatic as there is very less demand for the car around the world and Ford seldom makes such kind of products after it began following the One Ford global strategy.

What price should Ford Fiesta AT be launched?

Source: India.ford.com

Here’s the new Touareg spotted in Delhi by reader Lakshay Mohan Gupta earlier this week.

The new Touareg is nothing new to IAB readers as right from April last year we’ve been talking about it. For some reason Volkswagen chose not to launch it at the Auto Expo. The price of the new model with the V6 diesel engine is expected to start just above 42 lakh rupees.

Our friends at many Volkswagen dealerships tell us that they’ve suggested the company to price the five-seat Touareg attractively as alternatives from other German SUVs have brand power that can’t be matched.

The CBU-route Touareg uses a 3-liter V6 turbodiesel engine that produces 240bhp/550Nm.

Volkswagen will launch the new Touareg very soon as select members from the media were recently invited to test the off-road capabilities of the vehicle.

2011 Volkswagen Touareg video from Delhi

It will have two engine choices for either 2WD or 4WD. The 2.0-liter MIVEC petrol engine may not be the practical option for diesel-driven markets which is why Mitsu is offering the 2.2-liter MIVEC Clean Diesel engine married to a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Mitsubishi is working on a plug-in hybrid variant for a 2013 launch that has an astonishing 800km range with CO2 emissions of 50g/km.

Our sources tell us Mitsubishi is unlikely to launch the new Outlander in India this year.

We’ll get more information on the new Outlander as we near the Geneva Motor Show. Stay tuned!

The Volkswagen group has plans to double component sourcing from India, which will not only provide us with new job opportunities but will also shift us a step closer to the developed nations from the importance perspective.

The company will spend €10 million in the Indian market, mainly for expansion which also includes the addition of a new assembly line at its Aurangabad plant in Maharashtra to assemble its premium SUV Q7 and the upcoming Q3 junior crossover, expected to launch in June-July 2012.

Audi India managed to sell 667 units in Jan this year as compared to 480 units last year boosting its sales to a whole 39%. Audi India is revamping its whole fleet of cars with the recent launches like the new A8, A6, R8 cabriolet and RS5 and with its aim to launch 7 new vehicles like the TT Roadster, A4 facelift, S6 and the Q3 this year, meeting its sales target of 8,000 units is going to be very easy in 2012.