Ford small car by end of 2008

The ‘small-is-beautiful-and-profitable’ mantra is catching in India. The latest to join the fray is Ford India.

The car maker is likely to unveil its new small car by the end of 2008. Codenamed B402, Ford’s small car might use its existing Ikon or Fiesta platforms for a hatchback, said industry reports. It is also likely that Ford may tweak the new car model KA which is being developed jointly with Fiat in Europe. However, company officials say that the company has no plans of getting the car that is being jointly produced by Fiat Europe and Ford Europe to India.

It is a known fact that the company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Fiat Europe to produce a new small car in Europe. Whether the company would bring the car to India is something only time would tell.

Reports quoting sources said it was not clear whether the joint platform car will be sold in markets outside Europe. The company had said earlier that the new generation of B-segment vehicles would be only for Europe. However, whether the agreement will be expanded to other markets or not will become clear when Fiat officially launches the vehicle on July 5. The new Ford KA will be officially launched in Europe in 2008.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that if Ford uses an existing model platform, the price of the hatchback could be similar to the Maruti Swift or the Hyundai Getz. If it goes for the new KA, the pricing is expected to be different. The company currently has both petrol and diesel engines that can be tweaked to enable the hatch to qualify for excise benefits, say experts.

Source: dancewithshadows

Hyundai launches CNG Santro

Hyundai Motor India today a CNG version of its popular small car Hyundai Santro. The CNG Santro is pitted against the LPG version of Maruti's Wagon R LPG. While the Maruti Wagon R LPG comes at an ex-showroom price of Rs appox 3.25 lakh in Delhi, the CNG Santro is priced at Rs 3,25,361, ex-showroom Delhi.

Hyundai said that CNG has established itself as a reliable and eco-friendly fuel. The CNG kit will be sourced from Minda Auto Gas and the fitting will be done at the dealer end. All Santro CNG cars will run on petrol too. The CNG Santro comes with a switch, which the driver can use to shift between the CNG and gasoline fuel.

Apart from an AT (automatic transmission model), version the CNG Santro also comes in XK (non A/c), XL, and XO variants. All cars carry a two-year, unlimited mileage warranty. On the CNG kit and related fitment, there is an additional warranty of one more year.

A Hyundai Motor statement said that the car will have a CNG cylinder which carry 12 kg of CNG. The estimated running cost per kilometer on the CNG Santro is pegged at Re 1 a kilometer.

Hyundai said that the Santro's CNG kit is not only safe but has an advanced Lambda control system, which meets the Euro III emission norms. Hyundai has also tied up with Korean CNG specialist company NGVI for an exclusive CNG fitment arrangement.

Said Arvind Saxena VP – Marketing and Sales Hyundai Motor India: "CNG has established itself as an eco-friendly and economical fuel and HMI will now offer this choice of fuel to its Santro customers. We feel that this will increase the attractiveness of the Santro as it will considerably bring down the running cost. Also the fuel is eco-friendly which adds to its attractiveness"

Initially, the CNG car will be available only in Delhi. Later, the company plans to roll out the CNG Santro in other cities too.

Source: dancewithshadows

Bajaj to show off car at 2008 Auto Expo

Talk of a Bajaj car has been around for a while. Now, the company has come out with a plan to showcase a concept car for the January 2008 Auto Expo. Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj has said that the company aims at bringing in a concept passenger vehicle by January 2008. And if the customers like it, Bajaj will opt for commercial production in three years. Better still, the first car from India’s trusted two wheeler maker will be priced between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh.

The company has brushed off descriptions of the vehicle as a ‘cheap car’, saying that the new offering would be a four-wheel passenger vehicle. That has got everyone a little confused though. Okay, it is a concept vehicle, might go into production, and it will not be a cheap ? So it is a not-cheap, small but not too small car, possibly a hatch or even a competitor for the Indigo or Logan - so what's the big deal in coming out and saying it clearly? Probably, its just the reporters who got it all wrong - or maybe they all read a confusing press release.

Meanwhile, the company has also said that it was working on the commercial launch of a four-wheel goods carrier by 2009. The engine, transmission and platform that the company will build would be the basis for its passenger car. According to Bajaj, the reason why the company was opting for a goods carrier is that there is no competition on that front. Bajaj is learnt to be setting aside an amount of Rs 750 crore for a four-wheeler production plant, which will have an annual production figures of 40,000 to 50,000 vehicles.

The company will not be alone in the small car mart, as many a automaker has lined up many a model in the the 1.2 million passenger car market. According to statistics, small cars account for 60 per cent of domestic sales. While Tata Motors is set to unveil its model at the next Auto Expo, the Renault-Nissan combo is mulling over a sub-$3,000 passenger car. Adding themselves to the list are Honda, Toyota and General Motors who are busy readying their Rs 5 lakh cars.

Does the four wheel vehicles foray mean that Bajaj is moving away from its bread and butter two-wheelers? Not really. The company brass has made it clear that Bajaj knows that the two-wheeler market will continue to grow for 20-25 years and so there was no question of shifting focus from two-wheelers.

Source: dancewithshadows

New Cayenne Is Here!

Porsche has launched all-new variants of the Cayenne in India. Speaking at the launch, Mohamed Rahman, managing director for Porsche’s India operations, said that before the end of this year the company would open three dealerships in southern India. “I am sure that we will sell over 100 cars this year alone,” he added.

According to Ashish Chordia, chief executive officer, Porsche Cars India, “in the next month-and-a-half, our Mumbai centre will be opened, and we are adding one each in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai”.

The base version of the SUV now has a 40bhp power enhancement and comes with a 290bhp six-cylinder motor. The Cayenne range starts at Rs 49.30 lakh and goes up to Rs 1.1 crore (both ex-showroom, Delhi) for the ‘turbo’ variant which comes with a 4.8-litre V8 motor and a whopping 500bhp.

Source: autocarindia

Optra leads fresh diesel charge

Optra Diesel expected in June 2007, 2-litre 120bhp CRDI engine, Rs 9-10 lakh, Ford readies Endeavour and Fusion diesels.

With diesel becoming the drink of preference, it’s no wonder diesel versions of popular cars are flooding the market. Now much more refined, almost as powerful, as fast as petrol cars and much more fuel efficient, common-rail technology has given diesels a new lease of life.

After the Swift Diesel, here’s another popular car that is getting the diesel treatment. The Optra Diesel is all set to join the now not-so-exclusive common-rail club. Powered by a 1991cc TDCi engine (Chevy speak for common-rail) churning out 120bhp and 28kgm of torque, it should be quite a scorcher. The diesel version also comes with a completely new front end. Everything up to the front doors is new. Headlamps from the SR-V, a huge grille, with a horizontal stripe running across it and an in-your-face Chevy bowtie freshen the nose. The chin is also new and goes well with the nose. The bonnet is new as is the windscreen. Viewed head-on, it looks more SR-V than Optra. An interesting touch is the mirror-mounted indicators a la Mercedes-Benz. What’s the point of new looks and new engine if the interiors don’t match up? The Optra D’s interiors have been given a makeover too and now resemble the SR-V’s dashboard. The three-tone dashboard looks far more upmarket than the SR-V and uses light colours and faux wood to embellish this effect.

What will be interesting is to see how this car will affect the undisputed champion of this segment. The diesel Octavia has had no competition until now and if Chevrolet India sticks with the Optra’s original formula of a big car for decent money, Skoda had better head back to the price sheet and come up with an answer. Fast.

source: autocarindia

Audi-licious :: Keep Dreaming

Say Audi and most Indians will think of cricket, Ravi Shastri and winning the World Championship of Cricket in 1985. But to me Audi means Quattro, four-wheel-drive and World Rallying. The Quattro was the ultimate all-weather car of its time and the way it melded practicality and performance, it left the world’s auto industry stunned. It was a car Michele Mouton, the queen of rallying, used to make grown men cry. It was a car that looked great on tarmac, dirt stages, snow and even my bedroom wall.

Sadly, Indians never knew this iconic car. It was launched 27 years ago, at a time when all you could buy was an Amby or a Padmini. But now there’s a chance to understand what we missed. Audi has just launched the A5 coupé which Audi says is the spiritual successor to the original Quattro of 1980. The A5’s designers have cleverly taken elements of the R8 and TT sports cars and bolted them onto the next-generation A4 saloon’s platform. The result is a sleek and gorgeous-looking coupé with room for four people and their luggage. Like the Quattro, the A5 is highly desirable yet utterly practical but whether it has the same impact as its legendary predecessor remains to be seen. Walter de’Silva thinks it will. “The Audi A5 is the most beautiful car I have ever designed,” he says.

Strong words from a designer who has several stunning Alfa Romeos on his CV. However, as Audi’s design boss you would expect him to say that but, when you look at the A5 for the first time, you know it’s not just another well thought-out company sound byte. The A5 looks the part from any angle. It may not have the design drama of BMWs that have made them so controversial but then neither is it as dull-looking as some of the coupés from Mercedes. The A5’s styling is typically Audi – restrained and uncluttered. It may not excite everyone but what you get is a car that is exquisitely detailed and beautifully proportioned. The flat, broad and squat stance, accentuated in the range-topping S5, makes it look like it is hugging the road even when it’s parked. The A5 has lots of interesting design highlights, the most distinctive of which is the wavy beltline which runs along the flanks from the car’s headlights to the rear lamps. A superb touch is the strip of LED daytime running lights housed within the slim headlamps. The manner in which they gleam menacingly makes it impossible to mistake the A5 for anything else.

The talking point under the A5’s skin is an all-new Modular Longitudinal Platform (MLP) that promises to dramatically improve the car’s ride and handling. In fact, this new platform will be used for the next A4 saloon and the Q5 compact SUV that’s to be launched next year and its modular design will allow the next A6 and A8 to be built with the same architecture, so it had better be good.The key to this new platform is the way Audi’s engineers have moved the front axle far forward and the longitudinally- mounted engine and transmission as far back from the front axle line as possible. The five-link suspension design is all-new and the steering rack has moved from the bulkhead to just in front of the axle line. Audi says this improves feel and response.

Why all this fuss? It’s all part of the Ingolstadt-versus-Munich tussle that’s been going on for years. And it’s only now that Indian car buyers can relish this fight. The whole idea behind this new chassis, which the A5 is the first Audi to get, is to find the perfect weight distribution and balance (a fundamental reason why BMWs handle so well) and thereby improve the dynamic ability of all Audis to put them on the same plane as their Bavarian rivals and even beyond.I seriously doubt that the typical Audi owner in India will be able to appreciate the finer handling benefits the A5’s new-generation chassis offers, especially since most of them rarely venture out of the city.

What A5 owners will appreciate is the outstanding build quality of the interiors, which is a well-known Audi hallmark. The highlight must surely be a superb Bang & Olufsen system belting out 505 watts from 14 speakers! The front seats are superbly comfortable and come with the full range of power adjustments. The rear seats are cramped for adults — to be expected in a coupé —but a little bit more head and legroom would have made it a proper four-seater. I first jumped into the S5, the most potent variant in the A5 range.

Gone is the typical key which flicks out like a switchblade; what you get is a stubby fob which you plug into its slot on the dash. Better still is the optional advanced key system which is hard to beat for convenience. Merely keep the key in your pocket and within a range of 1.5 metres, sensors recognise it and unlock everything.

Press the silver start button on the transmission tunnel and the 354bhp 4.2-litre V8 bursts into life. The engine has a delightful growl to clearly signal its sporting intent but my enthusiasm is quickly dampened by a heavy clutch and a slightly notchy gearshift. To make matters worse, the clutch has little slip and is jerky and it takes me a while to smoothen out my gearshifts. The narrow roads from our hotel leading up to the even narrower mountain lanes meant that the S5 could only be enjoyed in a point-and-squirt sort of way. Acceleration is fantastic and the S5 simply rockets from corner to corner in a way that belies its porky 1.63-tonne weight. But it’s the way the S5 puts its power down that is truly amazing. Powering out of tight hairpins is a joy. The four-wheel-drive system delivers superb traction, the ESP light momentarily flashing when I floor the throttle pedal mid-corner. Stability under braking is also fantastic and braking hard upto a corner’s apex did little to unsettle the S5. The steering is nicely weighted and the handling pretty neutral, just what you need to thoroughly enjoy an afternoon of winding roads. With every passing corner my confidence rose, allowing me to dig deeper into corners. I was beginning to feel all the hard work of Audi engineers through my fingertips.

I can’t compare the S5 to equivalent BMWs nor can I compare it to the RS4, but what I can say is that handling was so neutral, the turn-in so enthusiastic that the line though the corners could be balanced delicately by using the throttle, even with the ESP switched on. On the autobahn, the S5 feels rock-steady, munching kilometres with such ease to make it a fantastic trans-continental car. If only there was more space in the rear for the family. The diesel A5, which I briefly drove as well, was a good reminder of Audi’s Le Mans victories. This diesel is incredibly quick and refined to boot. It’s not the lack of performance or the noise that gives the game away but the diesel’s characteristically narrow power band. Stay in the engine’s sweet spot and the 3.0-litre V6 delivers a slug of torque that hits you like a tidal wave to waft you, road willing, to 250 clicks. There’s a 3.2-litre petrol V6 as well which comes with an eight-speed automatic. Yes, eight-speed. Talk about auto transmission one-upmanship!

Now to the Rs 60-lakh question. When will the A5 come to India? Audi says there are no plans but it’s likely that this new coupé will follow the launch of the new TT. Our advice to would-be owners is to head for the hills on long weekends and enjoy the hard work the men of Ingolstadt have put into their new baby.


Source: autocarindia

New Honda Civic V

The Honda Civic is a global best-seller, and has enjoyed success in India too, selling over 20,000 units since its launch in July last year. To celebrate this success, and on the basis of customer feedback, Honda has launched the V variant, which includes additional features like leather upholstery, fog lamps, door mirror-mounted turn indicators and chrome accents on the interior trim. These embellishments augment the car’s luxurious character and are in keeping with current customer demands. Honda has also introduced two new shades — Misty Violet, and Carbon Bronze Pearl — of which Misty Violet is exclusive to the V. These additional features have resulted in a considerable price jump. The 1.8V costs Rs 11.51 lakh for the manual, and Rs 12.21 lakh for the paddle-shift auto, (ex-showroom, Delhi). The extra Rs 60,000 for this new version is pretty good value considering that you would have to spend as much or possibly more to retro-fit these goodies.

Source: autocarindia

BMW’s future starts with the M7

We were expecting a two-seat sports car, but instead BMW pulled off a major coup by unveiling its new design language in a saloon concept at the recent Shanghai Motor Show. And it could also be a pointer to a forthcoming M7.

The Concept CS is a large four-door, four-seat sports saloon in the mould of the Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera. But there’s more to it than that. It gives us a look at the beginning of a new design direction for BMW as it starts to move away from the look pioneered by design director Chris Bangle and first featured on the current 7-series.

The car’s heavily sculptured look will set the tone for the next generation of BMWs. “We wanted to do a big, sporty car without making it appear heavy,” said BMW design boss Adrian van Hooydonk. BMW puts a lot of emphasis on the car’s sporting potential, saying it “combines the qualities of a luxury saloon and a high-performance sports car”.

BMW has often said it wouldn’t do a straight M version of the 7-series because getting a large saloon to handle and perform to M division standards wouldn’t be possible. But last year then-chairman Helmut Panke raised the possibility of an M7 model, adding that it wouldn’t just be a 7-series with a big engine.

He also said the company was looking at a new flagship model for the BMW range as a replacement for the Z8 roadster. This car would seem to fulfil both of those criteria.

Concept CS is big; at 5.1 metres long and 1.98 metres wide it’s larger than a 7-series and has a longer wheelbase. It’s also bigger than a Bentley Continental GT and almost as low as an Aston DB9 (1.36m), pushing it into a new market for BMW. Underneath, it will be based on a modified version of the next-generation 7-series platform.

The most significant new features are the blunt front end, dominated by an oversized version of the BMW kidney grille, and the way the roofline runs into the rear wings, echoing the Jaguar C-XF concept. There is also an unusual depression that divides the rear of the roof, creating a channel above the rear window.

The CS rides on a set of complex 21-inch wheels, behind which sit drilled and grooved brake discs, more often associated with cars such as Porsche 911s. Other fast-car touches include large intakes in the lower front spoiler to channel air over the brakes.

Inside, the layout and detailing of the dashboard point towards a new format for BMW cabins. The centre of the dash is angled towards the driver, reviving BMW’s trademark interior feature from the 1980s, but it now sweeps down into a high centre console that wraps around the gear lever. It also creates a cockpit feel by separating the driver and passenger. That console runs the length of the interior into the rear, dividing the individual rear seats. BMW claims elbow room in the rear is as good as it is in the front.

Much of the car’s interior lighting is provided by light strips in the dash and the roof, running from the windscreen to the rear glass. BMW claims this creates an ambient lighting effect, currently one of the most fashionable trends in concept car interior design.

While touches like the ceramic switches for the iDrive system are pure concept, plenty of parts have production potential. The dash top mouldings and centre console are clearly more realistic than many concept car interiors.

There’s no guarantee that BMW would badge a production version of the CS as an M car. Such a large car would be at odds with the current philosophy of the M division, and that would also mean it wouldn’t use an M Power engine. Instead, a less highly strung V12 powerplant is more likely. It would be possible to add a pair of cylinders to the M5’s V10 to create a 6.0-litre V12, which could have up to 600bhp.

Source: autocarindia