Automobile Planet

Porsche baby SUV to be named Macan, not Cajun

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 06:44:39 PST

Porsche has been known since ages as purely a sports car company, until the Cayenne SUV was born. Auto critics all over the world doubted the Porsche ability to built a SUV/Offroader, as Porsche had no experience in making them. With the Cayenne Porsche created an SUV which handled like a car yet could manage to do offroading, though not like a Land Rover. The Cayenne gave a new definition of performance SUV.

Having seen the success with Cayenne, Porsche started to work on a Compact SUV called Cajun couple of years ago. Now Porsche has officially announced the name of its baby SUV as Macan and not Cajun as earlier called. After revealing the name Porsche released the sketches of Macan which looked very similar to the Cayenne SUV. Macan meaning ‘Tiger’ in Indonesian, Porsche wants to depict its compact SUV to be more powerful and agile like a Tiger best suited for offroading.

"The Macan combines all sports car characteristics with the benefits of a SUV and is a genuine Porsche. The name of a new Porsche has to fit with the brand, sound good in very many languages and dialects and evoke positive associations." said Bernhard Maier, Member of the Executive Board Sales and Marketing of Porsche AG.

Porsche intends to start Macan production in 2012 at Leipzig with an investment of 500 million euros. This will be Porsche’s biggest project in its history which will create 1000 new jobs. Porsche has released a teaser video mentioning its compact SUV ‘Macan’. Have a look at it –

Porsche Macan Teaser Video

Chevrolet Tavera Neo3 launched, priced at Rs. 6.72 lakh

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:52:12 PST

Just a day before the launch of Mahindra Xylo facelift, Chevrolet has silently launched BSIV version of Tavera named Neo3. The Tavera Neo3 is priced with tempting price of Rs. 6.72 lakh ex-showroom New Delhi. The Tavera Neo3 was showed recently at the Delhi Auto Expo which featured minor changes in the exterior.

The Tavera Neo3 is powered by a 2L CRDI BSIV engine supplied by Sonalika Group (ICML). This makes the Tavera Neo3 to sell in metros now (earlier Tavera which was BSIII variant sold only in non metros). Two engine options – 2L CRDi BSIV and 2.5L BSIII are available at present.

The engine sourced from Sonalika group is a 2 liter CRDI BS4 complaint which delivers 105 Bhp of power and 264 Nm of peak torque. Apart from engine change, the Tavera Neo3 also gets some cosmetic make over. In the front there is redesigned bumper, grill and headlamps and so do the tail lamps in the rear. Alloy wheels are a first in the vehicle. In the interior you will find dual tone theme, new steering wheel design and a refreshed instrument cluster.

The base Tavera Neo3 which BSIII variant is priced at Rs. 6.72 lakh going upto Rs. 10.26 lakh for the fully loaded BSIV variant. The MUV segment is definitely going to hot up. Lets see what the Mahindra Xylo facelift can do!

Bajaj unveils next generation Pulsar, names it Pulsar200NS

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:22:24 PST

The spy pictures of next generation Pulsar being tested was going round on the net for a while. Bajaj Auto today unveiled the vehicle naming it as Pulsar200NS, NS standing for Naked Sport.

The Pulsar200NS is powered by a new liquid cooled, 199.5cc, 4 valved carburetor engine which uses Bajaj’s latest technology of 3 spark plugs (The current generation Pulsars are driven by engines with 2 spark plugs). Bajaj has developed the new engine in house with the 3 spark plugs giving maximum combustion of the fuel. The engine is couple to a 6 speed gearbox. The new engine produces max power of 23.18 Bhp at 9500 rpm and max torque of 1.86 Kgm at 8000 rpm. The company claims the Pulsar200NS is capable fo doing 0-60 Kmph in 3.61 seconds and 0-100 Kmph in 9.83 seconds.

The chassis is brand new which comprises of a steel fabricated, twin-spar, perimeter type frame with a rectangular tube-section swingarm. The new chassis offers 3 times more lateral stiffness compared to the existing Pulsar220cc. The 200NS gets gas filled monoshock suspension and under belly mounted exhaust. Brakes comprises of dpetal type disc rotors in both front and rear measuring 280mm and 230mm respectively. Wheel gets 17 inch alloy and tubeless tyres are at both ends.

The Pulsar 200NS will go on sale in April 2012 with a price of around Rs. 1 lakh.

Source: Autocarindia

Chevrolet’s new MPV to be named ‘Enjoy’

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:22:24 PST

Chevrolet’s new MPV which is basically the Chinese Wuling CN-100 will be named as Enjoy in India. Chevrolet showed its MPV Enjoy at the recently concluded Auto Expo.

The Enjoy MPV will launch with 95 bhp 1.4 liter petrol initially and a 1.3 liter SDE diesel engine will come by early next year. Chevrolet is hoping to grap a substantial market share in Indian MPV segment currently dominated by Toyota Innova. With its versatile seating arrangement and value for money, the Enjoy MPV will surely give run for the money for Toyota Innova, and Mahindra Xylo. Chevrolet is planning to price the Enjoy MPV starting from Rs. 6 lakh.

Tata Motors gives facelift to its Ace mini truck

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:22:24 PST

The most successful commercial vehicle in recent times from Tata Motors, the Ace mini truck has got a facelift. The Ace mini truck was launched in 2005 and soon got popularity in its segment. The facelifted Ace mini truck was showed at the recent Auto Expo.

The Ace facelift gets new headlamps, grill and front bumper, redesigned dashboard with central speedo console (like the Indica Vista and Nano), larger outer rear view mirrors and a mobile charging point. Tata Motors is trying to shed its image of bland looking commercial vehicles and want to be in par with its passenger cars. The change in the design of next generation commercial vehicles which was also showed at the Auto Expo is evident.

The Ace will be powered by the same 700cc IDI diesel engine. A CRDi engine is under developed which might soon replace the current one in near future. Pricing and other details of the Ace facelift has not been announced yet. Hope to see the new Ace launch by mid of this year.

Picture courtesy: Indianautosblog

Facelifted Hyundai i20 spied undisguised

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:22:24 PST

Hyundai giving a facelift to its super hatch i20 is not new news. Hyundai has been testing the i20 facelift in India for quite some time and some spy pictures of the vehicle taken near Chennai has surfaced in the net world. But nothing like this photograph taken by Anythingonwheels, which clearly shows how the i20 facelift will actually look like.

Though the photograph shows the front left part of the car, the fluidic sculpture design being incorporated to i20 is very much evident. The headlamps which feature the fluidic philosophy reminds us of the next generation Elantra’s which will be launch soon in India.

Hyundai gave a facelift to i10 last year. The i20 launched in 2008 was due for a facelift. With Hyundai incorporating the fluidic sculpture design to all its vehicles, the facelift to i20 which is the lone vehicle without fluidic design was evident. However the facelift will be just in the front and rear and to some extent in the interiors, but there will no change under the hood. The i20 will be powered by the same 1.2L petrol, 1.4L petrol and 1.4L diesel engines.

Bajaj RE60 ultra low cost city vehicle unveiled

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 02:29:55 PST

Bajaj Auto has unveiled its ultra low cost city vehicle ‘RE60’ today. As Bajaj Auto says, the RE60 is not a car but a 4 wheeled city vehicle seen as a replacement to a 3 wheeler. Powered by a 200cc water cooled petrol engine with 20hp of power, RE60 returns an incredible fuel efficiency of 40 Kmpl under testing conditions. The carbon dioxide emission is very low at 60g/km which is half of that a small car emits.

The RE60 chassis is built on a light weight monocoque metal polymer hybrid structure which makes the vehicle very light at just 400 Kg. The engine mounted at the rear has been developed from Pulsar 200 which features a closed loop fuel injection system and DTSi technology. Petrol, CNG and LPG are the only fuel options, with no diesel as RE60 is built as a light weight vehicle. The Bajaj RE60 measure 2752mm in length, 1312 mm in width and 1650 mm in height. Seating capacity is 2+2 or 1+3 with 44 liter boot space and 7 liter under the hood. Max speed is 70 Kmpl and turning radius is just 3.5 meters.

A first look at the vehicle reminds us of a comic character but as you inch closer you can find the maximum practicality of this vehicle. Bajaj has stuck to the basic and has worked in every aspect to make this a low cost vehicle. The window glass on doors does not roll down but is split into two with the lower half dropping down. The instrument cluster is also basic with speedo and couple of other indicators. There is absence of a head rest on the front seats and the rear seats remind you of the 3 wheeler’s. As Bajaj has played safe by saying that it is a 4 wheel city vehicle and not a car, the RE60 will soon replace the 3 wheeled auto rickshaws which has served the country for more than 4 decades. However the company has not revealed the price and said it will be announced when the vehicle will go into production in few months time.

Bajaj RE60 more pictures

Maruti Swift compact sedan will not come to Auto Expo 2012, launch in Feb

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:14:46 PST

Maruti Suzuki will not display its Swift compact sedan at the coming Auto Expo 2012. The Swift compact sedan is built on the new Swift platform and comes under 4 meter length mark; to be precise the Swift compact sedan is 3.99 meter in length.

We in our earlier post had showed you a spy picture of the Swift compact sedan being testing in Maruti factory at Gurgaon. Maruti has developed the compact sedan keeping in mind the tax sops available to small cars under 4 meter length mark.

Maruti will launch the Swift compact sedan in the 2^nd week of February and the car will be sold along with the old Swift Dzire. The Swift compact sedan will be priced Rs. 50,000 less than the Swift Dzire and the aim is to tap the compact sedan/notchback segment which is currently dominated by Tata Motors.

The Swift compact sedan will see competition from Mahindra in the form of Verito compact sedan and Tata Motors which is planning to launch a Manza compact sedan very soon. As the compact sedan/notchback segment is growing, don’t be surprised to see other manufacturers like Volkswagen, Honda, Toyota and Skoda to come up with compact sedan variant of its popular C segment sedans.

Bajaj Ultra Low Cost vehicle named RE60

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 09:54:36 PST

Bajaj Auto has been in the news since the Nano launch as a competitor to the world's cheapest car. Bajaj had earlier showed a prototype of its small car ahead of Nano launch, and the prototype was indeed promising. As the time went on Bajaj Auto shelved the plans of a small car and started working a Ultra Low Cost vehicle in association with Renault.

Now what we have news is, Bajaj Auto has developed a Ultra Low Cost vehicle, which it terms as a low cost 4 wheeler and not a car. The company has developed the low cost 4 wheeler platform on which it will first built a commercial vehicle and subsequtly a passenger vehicle, not essentially a car.

BS Motoring has published an image of a small car claiming it to be Bajaj Auto ultra low cost 4 wheeler. As seen in the picture, the 4 wheeler is compact with 4 doors. Infact the vechile looks like a passenger variant of Mahindra Gio. Since Bajaj will unviel the prototype low cost 4 wheeler on the 3rd of Jan 2012, the wait seams to be almost over.

As said earlier, Bajaj Auto has focussed on the fuel effeciency of the 4 wheeler which could be anywhere near 30 Kmpl. We guess Bajaj would have developed the Pulsar engine with 2 cylinders of 250cc capacity. Having worked all these 3 years, it would have been a great product if Bajaj Auto had developed a decent looking car to compete against Tata Nano!

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga all set to be launched at Auto Expo 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:00:54 PST

The suspense of Maruti’s MUV codenamed R3 is over. Maruti’s MUV will be called Ertiga and clear images of the Ertiga have been out in the net. Maruti has been showing glimpse of Ertiga on its website related to Auto Expo 2012. Maruti will launch Ertiga with 1.4L petrol and 1.3 L DDis diesel engine. The petrol engine has been specially developed for the Ertiga and promises to gives better performance compared to its 1.2L siblings.

As seen from the pictures, Maruti (Suzuki) have done a wonderful job in conceptualization of the MPV and bring it to the reality. Thought the Ertiga is different from the R3 concept shown at the Auto Expo 2010, the overall silhouette of the vehicle remains the same. The Ertiga production model is more practical with conventional Swift/Ritz looks.

The Ertiga being an MPV and competing against the market leader Innova, it does not look too long. It features proportionate dimensions and can still seat 7 persons. As speculated earlier, the Ertiga will not come under 4 meter length mark and hence will not have tax sops as that of a small car.

Built on the extended Ritz platform, Ertiga is designed to give class leading performance at affordable cost. The tall stance and intelligent seating arrangement accommodates 7 persons comfortably. Expected to be priced between Rs. 7-9 lakh, Ertiga is getting ready to give nightmares to Toyota Innova. In fact, the Ertiga is the first serious contender to compete against dominant Toyota MPV since its launch in 2005

Renault launches upgraded Fluence diesel in India

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 06:04:46 PST

Renault has launched an upgraded variant (E4) of Fluence diesel in India. The E4 trim which was available only in petrol version is now available in diesel which now becomes Rs. 1.5 lakh dearer than the base E2 variant. The E4 variant is priced at Rs. 15.12 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai). Bookings for the diesel E4 variant have already started.

The E4 diesel variant gets Chrome Finish on Window Sill and Trunk Lid, Automatic Healdlamp, Rain sensing wiper (2 Speed + Intermittent Variable), Rear Parking Sensors and Side Chest Level Airbags on the Front Seats.

There are some changes in the interiors as well. The E4 variant now gets Plush Leather Upholstery with beige interior which adds to the premium look of the vehicle. There is Dual Zone Auto Climate Control with rear AC vents to keep the cabin temperature at one’s need. The car also get Cruise Control and Speed Limiter, Rear sunblinds and electrically operated outside rear view mirrors which fold with tough of a button. The inner rear view mirror gets ElectroChrome treatment.

Honda City facelift launched in India

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:29:36 PST

Honda today launched the City facelift in India. Honda had earlier launched the City facelift in Thailand few months ago. We somehow did not like the new City's changes. We will highlight you why we were not impressed with the changes in the new City.

The front bumper now doesn’t look as sporty as the earlier one and the grill with wide air inlet openings doesn’t suit the City’s overall sleek body design. The front headlamps have made bigger now, boy the sleek small headlamps suited the best for the arrow shot design. In the rear also the bumper design doesn’t look attractive; the crease continuing from the tail lamp to the bumpers doesn’t gel well. What we liked is the tail lamps with LED lights and the turn indicators on the ORVM. Oh we have not motioned about the roof opening, yes it is a good move by the Honda to provide one but it will be available in only selected models.

Having said these things, we feel beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Anyone might feel the new City to be attractive, but we have mentioned about our feeling about the ‘Iconic City’ (Known for its superb design).

These are changes you can seen in the new Honda City facelift - New chrome grille, Restyled front & rear bumper, New tail lights, 10 spoke alloys, Improved ground clearance, now stands at 165 mm, Honda City facelift interior additions, New fabric seats, Center control panel, Chrome fittings, Blue meter, Sunroof, Cruise control, Turn indicators on ORVM, Introduction of Corporate edition for value customers, Two new colors – Carnelian pearl red and Sparkling brown metallic.

Honda City facelift price (All prices ex-showroom New Delhi)

Honda City Corporate Edition – 6.99 lakh

Honda City E – Rs. 7,70,000/-

Honda City S – Rs. 8,20,000/-

Honda City V MT (Manual Transmission) – Rs. 8,70,000/-

Honda City V AT (Automatic Transmission) – Rs. 9,42,000/-

Honda City V MT with sunroof and leather seats – Rs. 9,50,500/-

Honda City V AT with sunroof and leather seats – Rs. 10,22,800/-

Nissan Sunny diesel launched at Rs. 7.98 lakh

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:54:06 PST

Nissan has launched the diesel version of Sunny sedan in India with price starting from Rs. 7.98 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). The Sunny diesel is available in two trim levels – XL (priced at Rs. 7.98 lakh) and XV (priced at Rs. 8.78 lakh) (Both prices ex-showroom New Delhi). The bookings for the car have been started all over India.

The Sunny diesel is powered by same 1.5L engine of Micra but with different tune. Here the engine develops 85 bhp of power @ 3750 rpm and torque of 20.4 kgm @ 2000 rpm. It is coupled with 5 speed manual gearbox. Nissan claims the diesel engine has ARAI certified fuel economy of 21.64 Kmpl.

The XL variant gets body coloured bumpers, on board drive computer, manually adjustable anti dazzling mirror, ABS with EBD and Brake Assistance, driver and passenger side airbags, body coloured and electronically adjustable outside rear view mirrors, chrome plated outside door handles and radiator girll, steering mounted audio controls, rear A/C vents and remote keyless entry. In addition to all these the XV variant gets alloy wheels and electronically folding rear view mirrors. With all these features both the variants of Nissan Sunny is a good value for money car.

Honda City facelift Indian launch on 14th December

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 09:35:32 PST

Honda will launch its facelifted City sedan in India on the 14^th of December. The facelifted City will be the same one launched couple of months ago in Thailand. Honda had drastically reduced the price of the current City to clear the backlogs.

The key exterior changes in the new Honda City are – new front grill with chrome plating, new altered headlights, new front bumper and fog light design, new rear bumper with diffuser, new taillights, new alloy wheel design. In the interior there is blue instrument cluster illumination and gun metal finish to the central console. The E variant gets beige interiors.

The new Honda City comes in following colours - Chameleon Red, Sparkling Brown Metallic, Bold Beige, Tafeta White, Black, Silver, Urban Titanium. Six variants will be on the offerings - E M/T, S M/T, V M/T, VL M/T, V A/T, VL A/T. The V variant gets OSRVM turn indicators and new alloy wheels. The VL variant in addition to the features of V variants gets leather seats, sunroof and automatic climate control. The E and S will remain the same with just the facelift. There is absolutely no change in the mechanicals in the new Honda City.

Tata Safari Merlin launch early next year

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 05:42:17 PST

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.

Nissan Sunny diesel to be priced at Rs. 6.6 lakh

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 06:29:31 PST

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.

Hyundai to unveil a compact SUV at Auto Expo 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 06:26:03 PST

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.

2012 Mercedes Benz M Class spotted in Mumbai

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 04:18:40 PST

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.

Toyota Innova and Fortuner facelift India launch at Auto Expo 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 09:38:29 PST

Toyota will launch the facelifted Innova and Fortuner at the Auto Expo 2012. The facelifted Innova and Fortuner were spied testing on Bangalore roads few days ago. The Innova facelift includes changes in the headlamps, front bumper, grill and tail lamps. The head lamps are sharper now which extends further to the fenders. However there will be no change in the mechanicals. In the Fortuner again you see some cosmetic changes in the front and rear. The only change will be an addition of automatic transmission 4x2 variant.

With these changes, Toyota wants to keep Innova and Fortuner look fresh to compete with new MUV/ SUV launches. Of late Toyota is feeling the heat from competitors especially from Mahindra. Mahindra launched XUV500 with a surprising price which is 5-6 lakh cheaper than the Fortuner. With Chevrolet Maruti and Nissan coming up with new MUVs, the Innova dominance is put to test. But since Innova has proved its mettle it will be difficult for any new vehicle to compete with it.

Mahindra Scorpio LX 4x4 launched at Rs. 9.17 lakh

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 08:36:56 PST

Mahindra has launched a four wheel drive variant of Scorpio LX at Rs. 9.17 lakh ex-showroom, New Delhi. There are no external changes to the vehicle except for the badge. This new variant features a free rotating hub. Powering the Mahindra Scorpio LX 4x4 will the 2.2 liter mHawk CRDe powerplant which produces 120 hp of peak power and 290 Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a five speed manual gear box.

List of features on the Scorpio LX 4×4

• Immobilizer

• Tilt power steering

• Four wheel drive lever

• Rood rack

• On the move 4×2 to 4×4 shift functionality

• Power windows

• Central locking

• Tubeless tyres

• Rear spoiler

Skoda Yeti 4x2 launched in India at Rs. 13.2 lakh

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:32:38 PST

Sensing the market requirement, Skoda has launched 4x2 version of its mini SUV Yeti in India priced at Rs. 13.2 lakh. Skoda had earlier launched Yeti 4x4 in India with a price tag of over Rs. 18 lakh. Because of the high price tag for a small SUV, Yeti though being a good vehicle could not make a good impression in the Indian market.

Now with 4x2 version, Skoda plans to revive the Yeti brand. The Yeti 4x2 come in 2 variants – Active & Ambition. The Ambition variant contains all the goodies such as ESP, Hill hold control and Vario Flex.

The Yeti 4x2 Active is available at Rs. 13,20,970 and Ambition at Rs. 14,05,379 (Both prices ex-showroom, Maharashtra). Five colour options are available - Aqua Mist, Brilliant Silver, Candy White, Cappuccino Beige, Agic Black, Mato Brown. The fuel efficiency of Yeti 4x2 has improved to 17.72 Kmpl.

Tata Motors comes up with upgraded Nano

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 09:52:45 PST

The People’s car of India has just got better. Tata Motors has come up with an upgraded model of Nano with some changes in the interiors and mechanicals. After series of attractive offers and discounts, this is the first major upgrade for Nano since its launch in March 2009. The upgraded Nano has already reached the dealers across the country and the best part is Tata Motors has not increased the price of the car.

The upgraded Nano (also referred to as 2012 Nano) gets following beige dashboard, improved cushioned seats with new head rest at front, beige and black door trims, passenger side outside rear view mirror and new wheel caps. Apart from these cosmetic changes, engine power has been increased by 3 bhp which means Tata Nano now produces 38 bhp power as compared to earlier 35 bhp. There is no power steering option which was expected in an upgraded Nano. But Tata Motors have worked on the steering column to make the Nano steering much more lighter.

The upgrade Nano will be available in new colour shades. Here are the colour options available on different variants.

Nano Std

Serene White (Old Shade: Ivory White)

Aqua Blue (Old Shade: Summer Blue)

Rouge Red (Old Shade: Racing Red)

Nano CX

Serene White (Old Shade: Ivory White)

Rouge Red (Old Shade: Racing Red)

Meteor Silver (Old Shade: Lunar Silver)

Champagne Gold

Papaya Orange

Neon Rush

Nano LX

Papaya Orange

Meteor Silver (Old Shade: Lunar Silver)

Champagne Gold

Mojito Green

Sunshine Yellow

Pearl White

Nissan working on 2 cars below Micra for India

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 09:26:16 PST

Nissan with its hatchback Micra has had a good success in India. In fact Micra is one of the best cars in its segment with class leading performance and fuel efficiency. However the Micra’s price is a let down with Rs. 7.8 lakh on road for top end variant why would anyone go for it when then can get a Swift or Etios Liva for a good lakh rupee cheaper.

Nissan is now planning to utilize its V-Platform (V-Versatile) for sub Micra cars in India. One will be an Alto challenger and the other one will positioned just below the Micra. More details about these two cars is still remove and we will bring in the latest news as we come across. Stay tuned to Automobile Planet.

All new Tata Sumo Gold launched at Rs. 5.23 lakh

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:36:11 PST

Tata Motors has launched the all new Sumo Gold with price starting from Rs. 5.23 lakh (ex-showroom Pune). The all new Tata Sumo Gold is the most powerful vehicle in its category with a 3.0 L diesel engine. The 3.0L diesel engine - CR4 Turbo - BS4 and Di Turbo BS3 has two different power outputs of 85Ps @ 3000 rpm and a torque of 250Nm @ 1000 to 2000 rpm and 70PS @ 3000 rpm and a torque of 225Nm @ 1600 to 2000 rpm respectively.

All new Tata Sumo Gold Key Highlights

Equipped with the new technologically advanced, BS4 3.0L diesel CR4 engine, delivering 85 PS power for enhanced driving pleasure. Also available in turbo engine.

Best in class 250 Nm torque, for excellent power and reduced gear shifts.

New generation styling with luxurious upholstery.

Smoother transmission.

Softened suspension for better ride quality.

Best in class, small turning radius of 4.9m.

Tallest vehicle in its category, with class leading seating space & comfort for all occupants.

Tata Sumo Gold, Mr. R. Ramakrishnan, Vice President, Commercial - PCBU, Tata Motors –

"The Tata Sumo Gold is a result of extensive consumer studies and field tests. The product has been designed to fulfil various requirements, long-awaited by the new generation customer."

All new Tata Sumo Gold Features & Specifications

Skoda Rapid microsite goes live, car launch on 16th November

noreply@blogger.com (Vinay Kiran) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 04:03:53 PST

Skoda Auto will launch its new midsize sedan in India on the 16^th of this month. As the launch date comes closer, there Skoda Rapid’s microsite goes live. However you will not get many details about the car as of now.

Skoda Rapid is based on Volkswagen Vento platform and shares the same engines with the later. The Skoda Rapid will come in 3 variants - Active, Ambition and Elegance. Since there is sharing of platform, Skoda might have saved much of the cost which is expected to be passed on to the customer. The Rapid is likely to be priced between Rs. 7-9 lakh.

The Rapid in the front reminds us of the Fabia hatch with its prominent Skoda grill. The rest of the car is Vento, as we have said earlier that Rapid shares its platform with the Vento. Only in the rear, the crease on the sides of number plate gives some differentiation with the Vento.

The strategy between Skoda and Volkswagen is not still understood. They both have a same car with different names and of course will come with different price tags. How will Skoda and Volkswagen convince the customer to buy their own product? Let us see how this strategy works in India.

Check out the Skoda Rapid microsite

Skoda Rapid Video