Toyota Fortuner limited edition named ‘Epic’ was introduced in South Africa last month. The aesthetically different vehicle, has caught the SUV buyer’s attention for the bouquet of features it has in store. The same could happen after the vehicle is launched in India in the coming months.

The car has black shade on the tow bar, front grille rear bumper, front nudge bar and the new chrome plated ‘Fortuner Epic’ logo is easily visible.

Sleeker headlamps, tail lights, electronic rear view mirrors, 17 inch alloys, and the R17 tires add to the beauty. The colors available are Glacier White, Sterling silver and Sahara gold all of them go well with the black exteriors.

The car is royal from inside too seats are finished in ‘Sand Beige’, an embroidered carpet, wood trim panels, electronic 6 - way adjustable driver seat and improved air distribution for the 3^rd row passengers.

The 4×4 vehicle delivers 175 Kw and 375 Nm torque accompanying a 5 speed auto transmission.

Currency conversion suggests that the NGN 360 price tag for the Nigerian Nano, is same as the India price tag of Rs. 1.23 lakh, which begs the question, Is the Nano going to be exported or be built there?

The car would be available for about NGN 360 for the base model, same as the price in the Indian markets. The car carries a price tag of Rs 1.23 lakh to Rs 1.72 lakh (ex-showroom) in the Indian capital for three variants.

Sudeep Ray, senior official with Tata Africa Nigeria -

“Tata Motors will make the Nano available in Nigeria in the next one year to one and a half years.”

“The launching of the Nano was branded as everyman behind the wheel and will benefit Nigerians because public transport systems like metro are not available here.”

“The car (Nano) will cost NGN 357,480 (about Rs 1.16 lakh) in Nigeria, which is much less than the price of most second hand saloon cars sold here,” Ray said. The cost of an used car usually starts at NGN 5,00,000 in the country.

A Tata Motors spokesperson from India -

“The company has said that the Tata Nano can be marketed in other countries, but timelines, modes and countries are yet to be finalised.”

Source - BS Motoring

Hyundai i40/Sonata YF to feature smaller four-cylinder engines and gasoline direct injection -GDI technology.

• Official Korean debut in September 2009, sales by year end.
• New naming scheme will come to effect during launch
• Will be first sold in the form of station-wagon, later joined by a four-door sedan.
• Base model will be equipped with a range of 1.6L diesel and petrol engines.
• 1.6L diesel will be available in two variants, as a low 115 horsepower unit and a high 136 horsepower unit.
• Diesel power also to come from a 2.0L R-diesel engine, which will churn out 184 hp. Most likely also in the form of a 2.2L R-diesel unit with an estimated output of 200 horsepower.
• 5% better fuel economy than the current 2.0L engine
• A 2.0L four-cylinder petrol engine with 172 hp and a 200 hp 2.4L Theta GDI engine reserved exclusively for the top of the range Hyundai i40.

A big pat on the back to Sivakumar, Monty Singh, Jishnu Sasidharan V, S.prabakaran spide, Sivakumar.R.S, Adithya Arikere, deepam, modifii, Harish Kumar, Deepak Sasi, Gurudatta, Tushaar, krishna.

Today’s Question -

Talking about car parts, which car’s mirror is this?

Clue -

It is a sedan sold in India.

Doesn’t matter if you know the answer or just guessing. Support our QOTD (Question Of The Day) initiative by putting in your answers in the comment box below. We need your participation and encouragement!

Note - Some of your answers will not appear till tomorrow’s question is up along with this answer.

A big thank you to reader Kamal who sent in these clear and undisguised shots of the Yamaha Fazer 150. The specifications of the new motorcycle is not known at this point, reports state the FZ 16’s engine, gearbox and frame will serve this bike as well.

From the design point of view, this motorcycle is a regular FZ with a half-fairing. It will be launched on the 6th of this month which is when we we will bring you all the required information.

Source - Juz pictures

We don’t know whether GM India will call this the Spark, new Spark or the Beat, but we are damn sure the new Chevy Spark be most stylish hatchback in India.

Indian Autos Blog reader Prakash Mavinkurve spotted the partly camouflaged car in his city. This is a very recent car from Chevrolet, fresh design, interiors and technology. In India it is expected to debut in the month of December. GM calls it a “mini car.”

The new Chevrolet Spark will also be rebadged as a Daewoo in Korea. The new Spark, till the time its new powertrain facility is ready in India, which is late next year, will come only with a petrol engine.

The coveted three-pointed-star is the best indicator of one’s prosperity. If the S-Class is Emperor and the E-Class is King, the C Class can only be and always will be the Crown Prince.

In this review, we find if the new Prince has what it takes to carry forth its position, to be a part of the royal lineage. We also see if the new Merc has the goods to take the opposition back to the drawing board.

Exteriors

The first thing anyone would notice is the car’s sharp and grand exteriors. Whichever part of the world you are in, however crowded your city may be, the new C class’ contemporary looks would stand out distinctively. It is a huge departure from the previous generation C Classes, and when we look back at the E280 which we had few days back, this C230 looks astonishingly appealing.

The bulgy wheel arches give a hint of aggression to the side profile and in the front and the rear this bulge tucks neatly into the bumper. Even the door handles look as though they have been chiseled out of the doors - very artistic.

The bonnet has just two elegant creases which swoop downwards from the windshield towards the front grill, maintaining a subtle coherence. The new parallelogram shaped headlamps have become the giveaway factor these days for all the new generation mercs to be easily identified. The same design element has been carried over to the upcoming  E Class.

The massive chrome front grill is dominated by the 3 pointed star sitting in the centre. Even though the front grill looked very much like the ML320’s grill, we had to remind ourselves that the huge three pointed star in grille, came only with the Avantgarde version.

The rear isn’t as exciting as the front, but the tail lamps add some ornamental value. The tail lamp cluster consists of 3 layers, the turn and reverse lights in the middle and the brake LED lights on the first and the last row.

A chrome strip above on the bootlid is a neat touch that supplements the chrome door garnish. The chrome tipped twin exhaust pipes sit neatly below the bumper and convey the message that the V6 engine of this car means business.

The top accommodates the huge sun/moon roof, the biggest we have seen in this segment. Side mirrors (ORVMs) are big with precise angular and height adjustments. The sour point here is that the wing mirrors are not power retractable, meaning you have to manually fold both the mirrors every time you park.

For a fact, even the C-segment Chevrolet Optra comes with power folding mirrors! How awkward would it be for a Merc C-Class owner to fold the mirrors by hand every time he parks next to a Chevy Optra?

The Xenon headlamps provide adequate illumination in auto setting. Fog lamps are like the E280, enveloped in chrome. The headlamp washer is hidden neatly into the front bumper. The 17″ five spoke alloys makes the C230 look sportier.

Interiors

Everything from the roof, to the seats, to the steering wheel is black in colour. Thanks to the brushed aluminum inserts on the dash, door pads, instrument cluster and other areas, the interior feels sporty and trendy. The black dashboard sports very good quality plastics.

Steering wheel is big, ergonomic and has the electric setting for height adjustment. The steering houses the phone/call setting, volume controls on one side. The other side has buttons for the Mid control.

The yellow speedo needle is very lively. It points to 3-digits with ease, courtesy 2.5L, 204Bhp, V6 petrol engine. The circular Multi Information Display in the speedo centre shows the various readings, Odo, trip, temperature, Gear mode, time, radio stations volume etc.

The Tachometer is graduated upto 8000 rpm with the redline starting from just above the 6000rpm mark. All needles are bright yellow colored, making them easily readable.

The Bluetooth connectivity on the C230 is a very convenient feature, the car can be paired with 14 different mobiles at once. The navigation display/MID has a little sliding cover which can be closed to prevent any distractions while driving. The 6CD changer Harmon Kardon surround audio system was not upto the mark. The Aircon was quiet, but only at the lowest blower speed. The glove box has an Aircon duct within to keep contents cool.

The gear stick looks like the one in the E280 but has nice brushed aluminum surface. The centre armrest is comfortably located but not adjustable. Under the Armrest are small cubby holes to store CDs etc.

There’s a main command dial just near the gear stick, that controls the MID depending on which mode the MID is in (Audio, Telephone etc)

The door inserts are cream in color with the door handles placed where you want them to be. The driver seat adjustment controls are placed on the door, helping the driver to adjust the seating position with ease. The drivers seat is very supportive and comfortable. We found the electrically adjustable drivers seat headrest a bit unnecessary. The same motors could have been used to power the ORVMs.

Visibility from the drivers seat is awesome and due to the compact design of the C class makes driving in traffic a pleasure. Not compromising on the cabin space the design is such that the C class feels rather compact while driving. The rear seats are very well designed with the right shape and contours suiting the human rear. Centre arm rest folding type is Standard in all luxury sedans as it is here.

Safety as in all Mercedes cars is given top priority. Airbags, Neck protective head rests, curtain airbags are the order of the day here. The cabin is very silent, and the NVH levels are low as well.

Under the hood

This Merc has a 6 cylinder petrol engine V6, 2500cc giving out a thunderous 204Bhp with a very healthy torque of 245nm.

Drive

On or Off, the car hardly makes any noise. The sheer smoothness of the engine can be felt while gaining speed. With the 7G-Tronic gearbox shifts go unnoticed, its not until you see the speedo that you notice the speed you are doing, the feeling of speed is completely masked.

We managed to do a calm and a composed 175km/hr speed run on a straight stretch of road. The handbrake again as on all Mercs is the paddle type but here when released, there was no thud or annoying noise.

Another unique feature we noticed is the bonnet that opens with hydraulic supports to a 90deg angle. The boot is generous (475lts) opens via the key remote or a boot opener button on the driver side door panel.

The ride as mentioned is nice and the suspension setup is soft.Handling is top notch with the steering is very precise. With all the features like ABS, traction control, EPS and the onboard computer which monitors so that control is with the driver all the time.

The things that we didn’t like were not many but here they are.

Dislikes.

1. No power auto folding mirrors its very useful for city driving and while parking

2. The transmission tunnel takes up a great part of the floor area making seating very uncomfortable for the middle passenger at the rear.

3. Parktronic is not a graphical display as found on other lower segment cars.

4. No USB port for the audio system.

Verdict

The Mercedes C230 is a car meant for the successful young individual. We aren’t keeping away the middle aged, but somehow, the C-Class would feel right only with a young person behind the wheel.

A few compromises have been made, but the design and engineering gone into it speaks laurels for itself. Since this car comes from a company called Mercedes Benz, outstanding Quality, and top notch fit and finish is part of the package like the four wheels.

It might not be the cheapest or the best car in its segment. But unlike the C-Classes of the past, this new handsome Prince is no silent spectator. This C-Class has character and the muscle of an athlete to give the rivals Audi A4 and the BMW 3 series a run for their money.

Mercedes Benz C230 Avantgarde Slideshow

If for some reason you’re not seeing a slideshow above, visit directly the Mercedes Benz C230 Avantgarde Image Gallery

Hyundai’s new small car is codenamed “GB” according to reports and will be introduced in petrol and diesel formats. A 800cc sub-60hp engine will be the base model spec, which will cost roughly U.S $3,000.

Hyundai’s new global small car will be sold in Europe, Brazil, China among other countries. It will be positioned under the i10, where as in India, it will cost less than the Santro.

In September last year, H.S.Lheem, managing director & CEO of Hyundai operations in India confirmed the global small car is jointly developed by the engineers in Namyang, Korea and Hyderabad, India. The car will be built at the Chennai facility where the i10, i20 are presently manufactured and shipped to 100 or more countries, he added.

Maruti Suzuki has launched the new 2.4L Grand Vitara more powerful sporting a 2.4L, 163.5 Bhp engine as against the current 2.0L, 120 bhp one.

A 2.4 litre VVT (Variable Valve Timing) engine delivering 163.5bhp @ 6000rpm and 225NM @ 4000rpm, claims Maruti, will deliver satisfactory power and efficiency.

The 2.4-liter Grand Vitara receives a few cosmetic upgrades with interior changes. Only time will tell whether Grand Vitara can hold a candle in front of the segment leader Honda CRV or for that matter the Chevy Captiva.

Features of the new Suzuki Grand Vitara

• New Multi Information Display (MID).
• A new front grille and front bumper along with the 17 inch alloy wheels
• Rear disc brakes

click through for press release

Press Release

Today’s question -

Another picture. Which vehicle does this bumper belong to?

Put in your answers in the comment box below. Some of your answers will not appear till tomorrow’s question is up along with this answer.