Net income hit a record 62.3 billion rupees ($1.1 billion) in the fiscal fourth quarter that ended March 31, 2012. Jaguar Land Rover contributed 91 per cent to Tata Motors’ net profit.

JLR’s best selling product -  Evoque – is the main driver of the growth and already has a waiting list of about three months.

China is displaying astounding hunger levels for JLR products although Britain remained the largest market, with sales of 60,022 vehicles, up 3.2 per cent year-on-year, while Chinese sales rose by 76 per cent to 50,994 car sales. Analysts predict that China is on course to become Jaguar-Land Rover’s largest market. JLR now exports 80 per cent of its production.

Tata Motors is going to merge Jaguar and Land Rover by September. Operations such as human resources and information technology of the companies would be combined to enhance efficiency.

[Source: AutoNews.com]

The spyshots have come to us from China where the Shanghai-Volkswagen joint venture is planning a mid-life facelift for the Superb.

As one can see, this is a production-ready model being transported on a flat bed truck. The shape of the headlamp mounts reveal a small kink and a more angular design. It also features redesigned bumpers, sharper fog lamps and bigger grille. The side profile has not being touched but it does reveal new alloy wheels.

The rear has been comprehensively redesigned with new, sharper tail lamps that subscribe to Audi’s design philosophy instead of Skoda’s. The rear bumper has also been redesigned to give it a much sharper profile.

Now, we are not sure whether this facelift will make its global debut or will be restricted to the Chinese market. Many cars are facelifted in China specifically for the domestic market in which case, this facelifted Superb will have no implications on the Indian model.

The Skoda Superb caught over here has no VisionD styling elements leading us to conclude that this is just a mid-life facelift and not an all-new model.

[Source: auto.sina.com.cn]

Although the Audi A4 is a very successful model in India, in homeland Germany, the Audi A4 has been overshadowed by the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C Class.

Audi plans to rectify the imbalance by making the 2014 Audi A4 sportier and dynamic.

Audi design chief Wolfgang Egger plans to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the A4. He also reveals that the car will feature an upright ‘three-dimensional’ grille as well as better defined wheel arches. The idea is to make the A4 look more muscular and aggressive.

Although engine options remain unconfirmed, but Auto Motor and Sport believes that we would get

• 1.4 TFSI with 120 hp
• 1.8 TFSI with 178 hp
• 2.0 TDI with 148 hp

The publication also believes that a plug-in hybrid variant with an electric-only range of approximately 50 km (31 miles) is on cards.

The all new A4 is expected to debut sometime in 2014.

[Source: auto-motor-und-sport.de]

Since its re-entry into India with the Fluence, Koleos and Pulse sold through its own dealer network, the company has received a lukewarm response to its products.

Having launched 3/5 products promised by the end of 2012, the fourth is the most important of them all – a car in a segment that is virgin and with no serious competition in sight. To raise volumes and to get more customers to drive its cars, the Duster is hugely important. To ensure its chances of success are high, the company is said to be planning a shock pricing strategy similar the route Nissan took with the Sunny, or Maruti took with the Ertiga which has used up all the pages of Maruti’s order book.

This translates into an introductory starting price of under 6 lakhs for the petrol variant and a little over 7 lakhs for the diesel variant. Sounds good?

Production of the Duster is expected to begin at the Oragadam plant in Chennai during July and cars may begin arriving at dealerships in August. Unlike the European Duster, the Indian model will feature the Sunny’s 1.5-liter petrol engine alongside the quintessential 1.5-liter DCI diesel engine.

The top-end variant features ABS with Brake Assist & EBD, Dual front Airbags, Keyless entry and leather upholstery.

Exports to the UK will begin later this year as Dacia has announced that the Duster will be sold there starting from January 2013.

A few weeks ago, GM India had confirmed to Indian Autos Blog that they are indeed working on a facelift but were not forthcoming on the specifications.

But here’s what our sources tell us. We advice readers to consider this information as speculation.

• A better finished interior
• Cosmetic changes to the car’s front and rear
• Further adjustments to the car’s rear seat leading to better comfort
• Contrary to earlier reports, a 2.2-liter diesel engine, borrowed from the Captiva, producing 165-170bhp, is in the Cruze’s engine bay
• Launch to be conducted in the second half of 2012

We’re awaiting more details on this matter, so stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com.

Don’t agree? Check the recent spyshot we’ve received from Pune of an upcoming variant that reveals two important introductions – doors are fitted to both sides (currently on the market with one rear door) as well as CNG technology exposed by the pre-production model’s body decal.

We’ve also recently shown you another variant that uses glass (or fiber glass) on the windows instead of plastic curtains. The Iris CNG project is Tata’s Nano for the commercial segment.

The Magic Iris is powered by a 611 cc, water cooled diesel engine producing 11 HP power and 31 Nm torque. It was launched in BSIII specification in May last year at Rs 1.95 lakh, ex-showroom Thane (without octroi).

Tata Motors is expected to bring out these changes as the Bajaj RE60 (that was recently spotted on the back of a truck) is preparing to come out all guns blazing this financial year. The RE60 is the direct rival to the Magic Iris, but with Tata constantly improving its contender the company stands to gain more attention from its would-be customers.

Read more about the Tata Magic Iris

The availability of the diesel engine (remember the RE60 is a petrol) as well as the introduction of CNG could tempt autorickshaw operators to upgrade to the Iris. The Iris is (debatable) better looking and as it has been on the market for a bit longer, Tata knows a thing or two about this class of buyer.

There is no information about the vehicle’s launch date, but seeing these production-ready prototypes testing, that day may not be very far away!

The vehicle could be branded Tata Indica Vista Sport with a VGT-equipped 1.3-liter Multi-jet engine. It is expected to be offered only on the ZX trim (top-end model).

Readers should not confuse this variant with the Vista90 that is a 1.4L petrol model (SAFIRE) with an identical output.

The 90bhp diesel variant sports a slightly different interior trim as well as exterior trim, as one can learn from seeing the images. Tata has included dark pink accents on the chrome content around the car and on the embellishment on the hatch. The usage of this color is extended to the side mirrors too.

The allegedly sporty variant maybe priced about 50k-75k rupees more than the 75bhp Quadrajet ZX Vista but even then it will be cheaper than the Punto Sport 90bhp with which it shares its mechanicals.

An improved shift quality and better tuned suspension could make the car much better to drive.

The production car is most likely to come with the same alloys, but 15″ alloys could be under consideration. We suspect 14-inch alloys are on test – albeit with slightly wider rubber – which is something that can be confirmed closer to launch.

In 2010, that plan was shelved and instead the Sails from its Chinese partner SAIC were finalized for India along with the Honguang (Enjoy) van.

The Chevrolet Spin is based on the Gamma II platform which supports the Spark, Sonic and Trax models. The engine powering this people carrier is a 1.8 8v Econo Flex, a much older engine than the 1.8 Ecotec that is used on the Chevrolet Cruze. It will produce 108 hp.

The main rival to the Chevrolet Spin is the Nissan Grand Livina. It will compete with more expensive models too, such as Citroen C4 Grand Picasso, but the price difference is going be very huge. Some of the interior components seem to be very similar to Chevrolet Cobalt, a model recently introduced in Brazil using the same platform.

It will be a very simple car, and not come in as a replacement to the similarly-sized Chevrolet Zafira that has better levels of finish and refinement.

Our friend Eber from Noticias Automotivas in his mail said the Chevrolet Spin “will sell like crazy here in Brazil.”

The Spin will reach showrooms in the next few weeks, so we’ll keep a close eye on it!

[Source - NoticiasAutomotivas.com.br]

Since its the second anniversary of Chevrolet brand in the Korean market, GM celebrated it by unveiling the 2013 Cruze and a new range of concepts called “Youth Concepts.”

Youth Concepts – What are they?

As the name suggests, the Youth Concepts are cars that are designed with inputs from young Americans. GM spent the last year collecting data from youth customers in the US, to arrive at customer focused designs. Even at the Geneva Motor Show, hostesses in the stand were collecting data from young people with iPads. GM said that this information would be used for designing future concepts.

Youth Concept 1 – Chevrolet Code 130R

The Code 130R is a 4 seater coupe with a simple profile. It is a heritage inspired design with aggressive front and a flat side profile that calls to mind the BMW 1 Series. It has a stunning metallic red body paint and what more, it possesses matte anodized gold wheels.

The Code 130R has a powertrain consisting of a turbocharged engine tuned to work in sync with eAssist technology which shuts off the engine at stops, recaptures braking energy and smooths torque during acceleration. This, Chevrolet claims, balances turbocharged performance with fuel economy.

Youth Concept 2 – Chevrolet Tru 140S

The Tru 140S is an “affordable yet attractive” exotic 4-seater coupe. This is a front wheel driven and based on same platform as the Cruze and Volt. This concept integrates what is found in most expensive cars like direct injection and a starter-based stop-start technology. It balances internal combustion and electronics to provide high value and improved fuel economy.

Both of these concepts share specifications based on customer inputs such as:

• Functionality of a sedan in a performance coupe
• Chevrolet MyLink and innovative interior features
• A 150 hp 1.4L Turbo Ecotec engine

The Youth Concepts debuted at 2012 Detroit Motor Show and travel across the world to different auto shows, lifestyle events, etc.

JLR’s current assembly plant in Chikhli began operations rolling out the Freelander2 in mid-2011.

The second facility could come up either near the first one or in Sanand, Gujarat, where the Tata Nano is manufactured. An engine plant will also be installed in the premises. A decision on the plant could be taken during the second half of this year.

Very recently Tata Motors finalized plans to manufacture vehicles in China through an agreement with Chery Automobile.

Sources have told ET that the plant could have an annual capacity of 40,000 units per annum. The capacity will be used to manufacture the next generation Defender (code – L660) for all parts of the world. Around 60-80 % of plant’s output is earmarked for exports.

The Defender is Land Rover’s answer to the BMW X1, Audi Q3 and the like. Unlike these cars which are assembled using kits shipped from Europe, the Defender’s strategy is quite the opposite. It will be manufactured completely using local content and exported out of India.

A locally-manufactured 2-litre diesel engine codenamed AJ200 could go under the new Defender’s bonnet delivering 170-250hp to the wheels.

Images – Land Rover DC100 Concept

[Source - EconomicTimes.IndiaTimes.com]

VW has just unveiled the Polo Black Edition for the German market. The Polo is one car that can walk away looking good with heavy customization.

In the latest effort, VW Germany has decided to give it subtle updates and call it Polo Black Edition.

The Polo Black is a normal four-door Polo which is completely black and has special ‘Rivazza’ alloy wheels. The interiors are wrapped in black leather with ‘light breeze’ accents to highlight the interiors.

No official information is available on the price but looking at the customization, we think it should not be very expensive!

[can't see the video above? Head over to the Youtube page to view it]

Tata had to make modifications to the car’s front and rear bumpers during the transplantation. It is suspected that an intercooler has been installed behind the bumper and piped to the engine that is mounted at the back.

The front air inlets have been redesigned, and to facilitate this change, the fog light enclosures have been moved aside.

The Nano DICOR draws power from a sub-1,000cc twin-cylinder diesel engine that is turbocharged. Tata is developing a low-cost, on-demand power steering system for the car and has proved that fitting disc brakes is possible through the Tata Nano concept, showcased at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo.

The big names in the components industry such as Bosch and Honeywell are rumored to be part of the project. We’ve also informed readers on reports of vendors pessimistic of Tata’s sales projections for the upcoming variant having burnt their fingers with the volume estimates of the under-performing petrol variant.

Reports in the past have claimed that the Tata Nano diesel is ultra-efficient and returns 40kmpl.

Dominated by the likes of the Daihatsu Xenia and Toyota Avanza, the arrival of the Nissan Evalia is a significant development in the change of script as Suzuki has shown signs of change by garnering 12,000 bookings for the Ertiga within weeks of its launch. Are the Ertiga and Evalia going to slowly change the rules of the MPV market set by Toyota and Daihatsu?

Mr Kintaro Izumida, President of Nissan Motor Indonesia -

We will launch Evalia on June 7.

Nissan is localizing the Evalia to the tune of 75% in Indonesia and is pitching the high space:price ratio to target customers. Hence they are able to arrive at a competitive price bracket of 9.51 – 10.70 lakh rupees, according to Otomotif.Kompas.com.

The Evalia is fitted with a 1.5-liter petrol engine and is offered in a choice of two variants, namely VX (fitted parking sensors, reverse camera, and engine immobilizer) and SV (lacking extra features). The choice of colors are solid black, solid white, silver, metallic green, metallic red brick and metallic gray.

The Evalia is also being tested in India and Nissan has said that production will begin in the Chennai plant during August. The market launch is predicted to take place in late August or September.

[Source - Otomotif.Kompas.com]

So our talented friends at PS-Garage have presented an interesting rendering of the upcoming Range Rover that we think is very close to the real deal.

The rendering depicts a mature design that isn’t very far off from the outgoing one. The front overhang is increased to improve the interior space. The bumper no longer protrudes forward of the headlights, but the grille still has a bevel underneath it. It gets new grille, a redesigned front bumper and a new Evoque-inspired headlight unit with DRLs.

The upcoming Range Rover (codenamed L405) will be the fifth generation model and will be the first major upgrade after BMW designed the Range Rover 11 years back. It is based on the XJ platform with a unique bulkhead, suspension mounts, seating position and subframes.

Land Rover plans to shed weight using a new pressed aluminum monocoque. It will be slightly wider and around 25mm longer than the outgoing vehicle. The new architecture has released 125mm in legroom.

The Range Rover will be powered by the same range of V6 and V8 diesels, and V8 and supercharged V8 petrols. A plug-in hybrid version is also in the works which is expected to use a 69kW electric motor with a 14kWh battery. All engines will be mated to an 8-speed gearbox.

The new Range Rover is expected to be revealed in the fall of 2012. Until then, we will keep you posted on the developments.

[Source: PS-Garage.com]

Five prototypes of the three-door Up! were flown in from Germany recently and would be driven for a distance of 1 million kilometers before they reach the production line.

The carros.ig.com.br report also mentions that the Up! could replace the VW Gol (not to be confused with the Golf) in 2014 though the information is not verified.

Volkswagen has introduced 3- and 5-door versions of the Up! in Europe and is conducting feasibility tests in emerging markets for its launch.

The Up! is designed for the segment below the Polo. The competition includes some names that have a strong legacy like the Hyundai i10, Ford Ka, Kia Picanto, Toyota Aygo, Fiat Panda, Renault Twingo and Chevrolet Spark (Beat) in global markets.

[Source - Carros.ig.com.br; Image - FaceBook.com]

The EcoSport will be offered in four variants – S, SE, FreeStyle and Titanium. Ford could use the same variant denotations in the Indian market.

The difference however is under the car’s body. The Brazilian market gets a 1.6-liter 16v engine that can burn Gasahol. It replaces the 8v version on the outgoing EcoSport.

See detailed photographs of the Ford EcoSport

The fuel efficiency of the incoming model is slightly better than model it is replacing. These numbers do not mean anything to India as we get an entirely different and more advanced Ecoboost engine which is a 1-liter turbocharged petrol.

The report adds that the EcoSport reaches Brazilian showroom floors in late July. India has to wait until early 2013 to get its hands on one.

[Source - AutosSegredos.com.br]