A person privy to the developments told IndianAutosBlog.com that “specific consumer segments are identified for which the Grande will be made and marketed to.”

The Grande sits on the stretched Sumo platform. As it is a ladder frame (the underpinning’s inception goes back to the 1990s), it held on to the crude leaf spring rear suspension and misses out on important safety features such as ABS and Airbags. Tata repositioned the car in 2009 as the ‘Grande Mk II’ and yet again in 2011 with all round improvements. However even with the customer feedback addressed the model never managed to disturb the sales momentum of either the Bolero or Scorpio.

Tata is evolving the new design philosophy that launched on the Storme which would cut across all products. This is likely to influence the styling of the new Grande too. If the ‘Horizonnext’ program launched yesterday is setting the tone for lifecycle activities, we may see the Grande get refinements in the powertrain department, improvements in fit and finish and new features in its next revision.

BMW i3

The i3 will debut BMW’s i range of electric cars. The electric motor of the i3 will produce 170bhp of power and 250Nm of torque and thanks to these impressive outputs 0-100km/h will take only 8 seconds while the top speed of 150km/h can be attained.

Though these figures suggest a performance oriented car in the pipeline, BMW say that it would have terrific range as well. On a full charge, the i3 would run for 130-160km while an optional range extender will add 130km to that. Prices are expected in the region of 40,000 euros (INR 29.8 lakhs).

Next generation Mini (2014 Mini)

The next generation Mini is expected to be shown at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. It would be available in three and five-door versions.

Power could come from a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine turbocharged petrol engine that consumes and emits far less than the current Mini.

[Image credits - Autohome.com.cn]

Honda Crider would be the first of the 12 launches.

Apart from the hybrids, facelifts of existing cars and brand new models would account for their product offensive until 2015. Honda says that they would also launch the Honda 1.5-liter i-DCD engine and the 2.0-liter i-MMD engine for hybrid vehicles.

The DCD engine features a dual-clutch transmission for class-leading fuel economy figures while the MMD engine could be used for large hybrid sedans such as the Accord.

Honda also plans to introduce the Honda Link infotainment system on their Chinese offerings.

Next up could be the Honda Jade

The Honda Crider, which is launching on June 26, would start the 12 product offensive for Honda in China, perhaps followed by the Jade, which shared booth space with the former at the Shanghai Auto Show in April.

The Crider would be a part of the Guangzhou-Honda JV, and so would a new SUV based on the CR-V platform. Honda has a second JV in China named Dongfeng-Honda that manufactures and sell the international model line. This JV would be responsible to introduce vehicles such as the new Jazz, City and the urban SUV that have to reach China sooner or later.

[Source - China Car Times]

[Can't view the video above? See it on Youtube]

A new radiator grille and two-tone alloy wheels are sadly the only notable external changes while a new R-Link infotainment system is included in the 2013 model that can be controlled via steering-mounted buttons. A Blind Spot warning system and new brown leather upholstery constitute the remaining highlights.

[Can't view the video above? Head to Youtube]

Both the Koleos and Fluence models now stand refreshed internationally. Following the international timelines, Renault India would introduce the refreshed Fluence prior to the updated Koleos. These models were launched in 2011 here as brand shaping tools since the Lozenge’s equity had suffered severe blows due to the failure of the Logan.

[Can't view the video above? Head over to Youtube]

Renault India assembles the Fluence from kits shipped by the European plant, while the Koleos, the second and final CKD model, is sent to the Oragadam factory from Renault’s Korean facility. Both cars are branded as Samsungs in Korea.

I spotted the upcoming Volkswagen Cross Polo testing on the NH1 in Karnal (Haryana). The car was not wearing any camouflage (interior or exterior).

Volkswagen aren’t talking about their model plans for the year and stopped at confirming variant extensions, technology extensions or carline extensions. An all-new Volkswagen product isn’t coming this fiscal year and the focus remains on volume development of the Polo and Vento.

The Cross Polo is a raised Polo that sports an added ground clearance of 15mm over the normal Polo, roof rails, a front skid protector, circular foglights (as seen on the Vento) and obviously a higher asking price.

Volkswagen can see petrol, turbocharged petrol, diesel, dual clutch automatic transmission and a conventional automatic transmission in their current parts bin. Virtually any combination is possible on the drivertrain department. The interiors may not have anything spectacularly different except for new trims and colors.

Earlier in the month we reported on the Nepali VW distributor talking to the media about the local launch of the Cross Polo in September. All Polo platform products, following their Indian launch, were sent to Nepal from VW India’s Chakan plant and we suspect this could be the case with the upcoming Cross Polo too. This could mean that the Cross Polo’s launch in India isn’t very far off.

What is CMF?

CMF stands for Common Module Family. It is an engineering architecture that covers vehicles developed under the Renault-Nissan alliance. It concerns itself with the ‘Big Modules’ such as the engine bay, cockpit, front underbody, rear underbody, electrical and electronic architecture.

So is it a platform?

No it isn’t. CMF will concern itself with ‘several platforms’. Quoting Renault-Nissan, “a platform is a horizontal segmentation; a CMF is a cross-sector concept”.

It is an additional tool that would help in saving costs. Let me give you an example. If you want a car to deliver a high fuel efficiency, you go about tuning the engine. However, install a Start-Stop system, and you’re going to achieve an even higher figure.

Renault-Nissan are preparing themselves for the future with CMF. They say that the trend would be to increase the number of common modules for different platforms and increase the number of vehicles per platform.

It would first apply to compact and large car segments before finding a place in other segments.

What will it do effectively? 

It will generate about 30-40% reduction in the entry cost of a model and a reduction of about 20-30% in parts cost for the Alliance. Component purchasing costs would reduce by 20-30%

What are the vehicles I can see it in?

Future Nissans would see the CMF being used.

Renault-Nissan say “an unprecedented number of vehicles developed within the Alliance” would use CMF.

Initially though, CMF will be available across 5 continents, in more than 10 countries through 2020. At the initial stage, it would cover 1.6 million vehicles per year and 14 models (11 from Renault and 3 from Nissan).

The first cars featuring CMF would be the next generation Nissan X-Trail, Rogue, Qashqai all of which are due to be announced by late 2013.

The first Renaults with CMF would be the next gen Espace, Scenic and Laguna, due for a late 2014 debut.

Why is it being incorporated?

It increases competitiveness and synergies. Thanks to the reduced entry cost, the Alliance may want to improve their cost competitiveness, or use the savings to make something better (offering better technology, safety, etc).

Jean-Michel Billig, Engineering, Quality & IT Director of Renault said -

With CMF, the investments in vehicle architecture and non-visible parts are mutualized, resulting in significant cost reductions that allow us to roll out our innovation policy in terms of environment, safety and new technologies for all our customers.

Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, Alliance Director responsible for engineering, said -

CMF opens a new era in engineering synergies for the Alliance. This will enable us to pursue volume efficiencies and introduce attractive new technologies in our products faster than before, creating additional value for our customers.

Press Release can be found in the next page.

The only major styling change is the new front grill. We’ve updated you on a Renault Koleos with the similar grill, testing in China. At that point of time, we thought it may be a China specific facelift. However, it seems that Renault is updating the car globally.

The bumper of the car has also been tweaked. Renault says that the wheels of the new Koleos feature a two-tone design.

This summarizes the exteriors of the new Koleos.

Inside, a new leather upholstery has been added to the options list, while some of the dashboard parts feature wood inserts.

The major change comes in the form of the Renault R-Link multimedia system with a 7-inch touchscreen display. The R-Link system can be controlled via the steering mounted remote controls, a console mounted joystick or by using voice commands. R-Link also supports some 50 applications that you can purchase through the R-Link Store. A reverse camera is also integrated to R-Link.

A Blind Spot Warning sytem has been included for the 2013 model. The Koleos can be ordered with 4×2 and 4×4, though Renault in India sells the 4×4 version only.

Will Renault in India consider updating the Koleos, given that it has been a sales failure? Maybe the updated car with a lower sticker price would do the trick?

Image Gallery on the next page, followed by the Press Release

[Head to YouTube if you're unable to watch the video above.]

If you’re one of the 10 lucky people to have answered a few questions (related to general motoring), then you could be amongst the first to drive the 1 Series in Germany, along with Sachin Tendulkar and Armaan Ebrahim.

Till now, BMW India did not reveal any images of the car itself. Through this video though, you can check out the Bavarian’s reply to the Mercedes A Class.

Some portions of the car such as the headlight and the grill is clearly shown. We also get to see the iDrive screen and controls, not to mention the gearlever (carried over from the BMW X1 and the 3 Series).

Globally, BMW is planning a few updates for the 1 Series. We’ve seen many international media reporting with spy shots of the 1 Series, partially camouflaged at the front. A few design tweaks will certainly enhance the 1 Series’ design appeal, especially when the competition is in the form of the gorgeous A Class.

The A Class is a direct import and there are no plans to for local assembly, at least for the next few months. The 1 Series will be locally assembled in India (at BMW’s Chennai facility) and this could give BMW a price advantage. Would the BMW 1 be cheaper to buy than the Mercedes A?

Snapped by the folks at Power Drift, this could very well be the first interior image of the car in Indian soil. The first thing you notice is the new three-spoke steering wheel with the new corporate Skoda logo.

The Octavia would likely debut Skoda’s new logo and badges in India, as Skoda India continue to use the older format.

The Octavia spotted here sports the automatic transmission which happens to be the 7-speed DSG. The Skoda Laura and the VW Jetta use this transmission in their diesel variants and hence we think this could be a diesel Octavia.

More importantly, the new Octavia would debut the VW MQB platform in India. VW says that the MQB is one of their most important platforms as it underpins cars as small as the next generation Skoda Fabia/VW Polo and as large as the India bound Audi A3 Sedan.

The MQB matrix has also made the new Octavia much bigger on the inside with rear legroom and boot space taking a turn for the better. At the same time, the overall weight has been reduced and as a result, the fuel efficiency has been improved.

[Image Credits - Power Drift's FB Page]

Called the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante, the convertible incorporates the coupe’s razor sharp frontal design details. However the boot with an integrated spoiler is unique to the convertible. The interior is also a direct lift from the Vanquish.

The Aston Martin Vanquish Volante is the stiffest ever convertible in the iconic marque’s 100 year history, thanks to extensive use of carbon fibre. At 1,845kg, the Volante is just 9kg heavier than the Vanquish Coupe.

The Vanquish Volante gets a triple layered fabric roof which takes 14 seconds to hide itself inside the boot at a touch of a button. Aston Martin says that the boot space on offer is 50% more than the DBS Volante, the outgoing car. The boots offers 279 litre of useable space irrespective of the roof’s positioning.

The same AM11 6.0 litre naturally aspirated V12 engine that powers the coupe rests under the hood of the convertible. The motor belts out 565 bhp of power and 620 Nm of torque. The power is sent to the rear wheels by a six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission.

The Aston Martin Vanquish Volante is priced at 1,99,995 British Pounds (around Rs. 1.83 crore) in the UK. Deliveries in the UK and Europe would begin before the end of this year.

Head to Page 2 for the image gallery and Page 3 for Video.

Mr. Rakesh Malhotra, Head of New Holland Fiat India,Mr Stefano Pampalone, Head of Operations for India, Pakistan, Far East and Japan at the Celebration to mark the rollout of New Holland’s 2,50,000th tractor

The important milestone comes just three years after the previous milestone of 1,50,000 units. The 2,50,000th tractor was a New Holland 5500, whose keys were presented to the customer by Mr Rakesh Malhotra, head of NHFI.

Apart from manufacturing tractors with power outputs ranging from 32 hp to 75 hp, NHFI expanded its business by building “8000″ family of 3- and 4-cylinder engines, three types of transmissions and other tractor related components.

New Holland’s product range includes biomass solutions, sugarcane harvesters, balers, mowers and choppers. The company also offers wide range of farm implements and specialized mechanization.

Buoyed by the growth of tractor industry, New Holland is all set to expand its operations at the Greater Noida facility apart from setting up a new plant in Chakan, Pune. The production capacity of the Greater Noida factory will be boosted to 60,000 units per year in the next two years.

The proposed Pune plant will manufacture sugarcane harvesters, cotton pickers and combine harvesters. The new factory is expected to go on stream in 2015.

NHFI exports tractors to about 50 countries mainly in regions of Africa, the Middle East and North America.

Head to Page 2 to view the press release.

The Supercar Roadtrip

Like every other series, we get to see ‘the boys’ taking three ‘affordable and practical’ supercars from Britain to Iberia, Spain. The cars in question are an Audi R8 Spyder, a Ferrari 458 Italia Spyder and a McLaren MP4-12C Spyder.

Finding out the Best Taxi in the World

This could be a bit like finding out the best airport utility bus where all the different types of taxis are collected from the world and are tested on a racetrack. The picture you see here is all you need to know: The Amby drifts!!

BAC Mono

Clarkson tests the BAC Mono, which is a single seater 280bhp track attacker. This should be interesting.

Cars vs Other forms of ridiculous transport 

The team heads to New Zealand to race a rally car with America’s cup yacht.

SLS AMG Black and Electric

Clarkson says the SLS AMG is fun because it eats its tires. He tests the SLS AMG Black and the Electric. What does he like better?

More on Page 2.

About the kit

When the 2013 Nano goes on sale, you can specify these body kits on the LX and the CX variants (we’re not all too sure about the Standard variant). The name of the kit will be displayed as a badge on the front fender.

There is no change inside the car when you specify these kits. If you already own a 2012 Nano (in LX or CX trims), you can still get these kits. In which case your 2012 Nano will also see the addition of the dual glovebox.

Page 2 features the 2013 Tata Nano Jet

The TVC reveals the starting price of the 2013 eCS as INR 4.99 lakhs (ex-Showroom).

[Head to Youtube if you cannot see the video above.]

The bulk of the exterior changes are concentrated on the front of the car. You get a ‘smoked’ lens for the headlight unit and thick chrome surrounds for the foglights. The grill sees a lot of chrome being added to it.

At the sides, the 2013 model year eCS gets a new design for its alloy wheels. A chrome strip on the bootlid completes the exterior changes. Tata has added the new ‘Urban Bronze’ color, which also happens to be the communication color for display units and the TVC.

The interiors of the eCS sees a lot of changes also. Tata has reverted to the four-spoke steering wheel design ditching the three-spoke currently found. Gone is the faux-wood finished central console, in it’s place we see silver inserts combined with an ‘ebony-black’ dashboard.

The new eCS features a cable operated F-Shift (TA65) gearbox. It promises smoother shifts and lesser maintenance. The new Duo-Float suspension promises a smoother side (you can see the Indigo eCS coming down a staircase in the video!).

Across India, Ford dealers are receiving vehicles for demo and test drive activities as we write this, and a booking can be made by depositing 50,000 rupees.

As we’ve laid down three telephone directories worth of content on Ford EcoSport over the last year and a half, we request you to go to our Ford EcoSport tag page to know everything about the car.

General Note for the 2013 Model Year Tata cars and Pointers from the Press Conference

Tata tell us that all the MY 2013 products have been improved upon after taking into account feedback from the dealer and customer level. About 500 Tata employees met with the dealers and the customers before the start of the MY 2013 program. In general, Tata say that the overall reliability and performance of the cars have been improved.

Mr. Karl Slym, MD of Tata Motors, told the media that Tata Motors had planned products for the Indian market until the year 2020.

He also said that 150 new generation dealerships would be opened by this year. Not to mention, there would be 11 new service programs in the coming weeks.

Tata Safari Storme Explorer Edition Part 1

Two cars were shown and both with varying levels of kit. We’ll talk about the basic one first. As you can see, you get some decals of a compass on the bonnet and on the side of the car. Apart from this, you also get a front nudge guard.

The headlights and the taillights get a chrome garnish while the front fenders get some ‘Explorer’ badging.

Head to Page 2 for more details.

Good thing is, the entry level variant doesn’t skimp much on vital equipment. The Scala RxE diesel comes with driver side airbag, ABS with EBD, Brake Assist, music system, rear cooling vents and anti pinch power windows.

Sumit Sawhney, Executive Director, Marketing & Sales, Renault India said: “The Scala RxE not only offers the luxury, roominess and excellent ride and handling of the Scala diesel variants, but also delivers a host of features high on safety, comfort and entertainment – all in a price currently unmatched at the entry level of the premium sedan segment.”

The Scala is powered by the popular 1.5 litre K9k diesel engine which puts out 86 PS of power and 200 Nm of torque. The diesel variants are available only with a 5-speed manual transmission while the petrol Scala can be opted with X-CVT automatic gearbox as well.

The Renault Scala RxE diesel is priced at Rs. 8.29 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi). The sedan is offered with Renault’s Complete Care Package which has 2+2 years/80,000km warranty along with roadside assistance and navigation assistance.

Head to Page 2 view the press release.

General Note for the 2013 Model Year Tata cars and Pointers from the Press Conference

Tata tell us that all the MY 2013 products have been improved upon after taking into account feedback from the dealer and customer level. About 500 Tata employees met with the dealers and the customers before the start of the MY 2013 program. In general, Tata say that the overall reliability and performance of the cars have been improved.

Mr. Karl Slym, MD of Tata Motors, told the media that Tata Motors had planned products for the Indian market until the year 2020.

He also said that 150 new generation dealerships would be opened by this year. Not to mention, there would be 11 new service programs in the coming weeks.

Continued on the next page.

General Note for the 2013 Model Year Tata cars and Pointers from the Press Conference

Tata tell us that all the MY 2013 products have been improved upon after taking into account feedback from the dealer and customer level. About 500 Tata employees met with the dealers and the customers before the start of the MY 2013 program. In general, Tata say that the overall reliability and performance of the cars have been improved.

Mr. Karl Slym, MD of Tata Motors, told the media that Tata Motors had planned products for the Indian market until the year 2020.

He also said that 150 new generation dealerships would be opened by this year. Not to mention, there would be 11 new service programs in the coming weeks.

On the outside

The 2013 Sumo Gold adds two new exterior color choices: Blazing Red and Twilight Gray. Apart from being more colorful, the new Sumo gets a ‘new mascot for the tailgate’ which promises a ‘unique rear look’.

The wheels now get new wheel covers, which we must say, look pretty good. The side of the car gets some new body graphics while the front of the Sumo gets a new chrome grill.

Continued on Page 2.

The renovated E Class is heading towards us this 25th, Mercedes has forwarded us the invite confirming the date. The new E Class will be MB India’s third launch this year and that too in a quick succession.

After lying dormant in the first quarter of 2013, MBIL went on to launch the new GL class in May which was quickly followed by the A Class. The luxury hatchback has started off strongly boosting the German stalwart’s morale.

The launch of the new E Class would further add momentum to Mercedes India’s 2013 campaign. The current E Class feels a bit old when compared to the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Jaguar XF.

As you know, the new E breaks the tradition with its amalgamated headlamp units. However the detailing of the headlamps, especially the daytime LED lights give a twin-unit feel. The taillamp detailing has also been fine tuned resulting in a marked improvement to the overall appearance. The interior too gets minor upgrades.

As far as the variants are concerned, one petrol (E200 CGI) and one diesel variant (E 250 CDI) is expected to be on offer. The E350 CDI could be shelved but we will learn the final details at the launch floor.

Stay tuned to Indian Autos Blog for real time updates!

General Note for the 2013 Model Year Tata cars and Pointers from the Press Conference

Tata tell us that all the MY 2013 products have been improved upon after taking into account feedback from the dealer and customer level. About 500 Tata employees met with the dealers and the customers before the start of the MY 2013 program. In general, Tata say that the overall reliability and performance of the cars have been improved.

Mr. Karl Slym, MD of Tata Motors, told the media that Tata Motors had planned products for the Indian market until the year 2020. He also said that Tata would be playing in future segments. In Sanand, Tata will be making another vehicle apart from the Nano. Mr. Slym did not reveal the vehicle though.

He also said that 150 new generation dealerships would be opened by this year. These flagship dealerships would have a new and different type of customer experience. Not to mention, there would be 11 new service programs in the coming weeks.

Tata Nano EMAX

Check out the Green outline to the speedometer.

The CNG powered cars from Tata Motors have the ‘emax’ suffix to them. Apart from the Nano, Tata also launched the 2013 Indigo eCS and the 2013 Indica eV2 in CNG avatars.

The rear of the car sees the ‘emax’ logo. This is the only giveaway. While the display car had some body graphics on the side, we don’t if Tata would feature that on the production variant.

Inside, you get a button to switch ON and OFF the CNG. This is not the only change. If you notice carefully, the speedometer of the EMAX Nano has a green surround to it. This is not so in the normal Nano.

Continued on Page 2.

Models that get the MY 2013 update are the Nano, Indigo eCs, Indica eV2, Sumo Gold. The updates deal with numerous minor improvements and in case of some models (Indica, Nano and Indigo eCS), the addition of CNG options.

The product blitzkrieg marks the Indian automaker’s new strategy which is called as the ‘Horizon Next’. The four main pillars of the HorizonNext strategy are,

• Intense product focus
• Focus on world-class manufacturing practices
• Enriched customer purchase experience
• Consistent quality of service

Mr. Karl Slym, Managing Director of Tata Motors says that the product portfolio has been planned until 2020. The new products will be spanning the segments that the company currently has presence in as well as new segments that promise growth. However he stopped short of divulging the total number of new products.

Mr. Sylm acknowledges that not having a presence in the fast growing softroader SUV segment has affected the company’s growth considerably. We could expect a future contender from Tata in this segment.

When asked about the Aria’s debacle, he said that the there are no significant changes yet on the premium MPV. Tata has already repositioned the car price wise.

Another important information is that the underutilized Sanand plant will be building a second model in the future. We reckon it could be the new hatchback which is being developed on the Indica platform (codenamed X0). Also the the production capacities will be optimized in such a way that the passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles will share resources.

We hope Tata Motors’ new product centric strategy bears fruit in long term. It’ll be interesting to observe Tata Motors’ future moves.

[The image of the Tata Nano 2013 is used for illustrative purpose only]

Head to Page 2 for press release.

General Note for the 2013 Model Year Tata cars and Pointers from the Press Conference

Tata tell us that all the MY 2013 products have been improved upon after taking into account feedback from the dealer and customer level. About 500 Tata employees met with the dealers and the customers before the start of the MY 2013 program. In general, Tata say that the overall reliability and performance of the cars have been improved.

Mr. Karl Slym, MD of Tata Motors, told the media that Tata Motors had planned products for the Indian market until the year 2020.

He also said that 150 new generation dealerships would be opened by this year. Not to mention, there would be 11 new service programs in the coming weeks.

Continued on Page 2.

General Note for the 2013 Model Year Tata cars and Pointers from the Press Conference

Tata tell us that all the MY 2013 products have been improved upon after taking into account feedback from the dealer and customer level. About 500 Tata employees met with the dealers and the customers before the start of the MY 2013 program. In general, Tata say that the overall reliability and performance of the cars have been improved.

Mr. Karl Slym, MD of Tata Motors, told the media that Tata Motors had planned products for the Indian market until the year 2020. He also said that Tata would be playing in future segments. In Sanand, Tata will be making another vehicle apart from the Nano. Mr. Slym did not reveal the vehicle though.

He also said that 150 new generation dealerships would be opened by this year. These flagship dealerships would have a new and different type of customer experience. Not to mention, there would be 11 new service programs in the coming weeks.

On the outside

Exterior wise, the new eV2 has a few discreet changes. The ORVMs feature turn indicators (first time on an Indica). At the rear, there is an all new chrome garnish extending along the width of the car. A triple-stepped chrome tipped grill is also seen on the 2013 updated.

Continued on Page 2.