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Saturday, January 07, 2012
Monday, January 02, 2012
Audi’s Plans For The 2012 Auto Expo
7th January,2012 is drawing nearer and all the auto manufacturers, Indian and foreign are gearing up to showcase their products and technology at the 2012 Auto Expo to held in Delhi from 7th to 11th January, 2012. Recently the German luxury car manufacturer, Audi revealed its plans for the 2012 Auto Expo and apparently it seems Audi is going to cater to every type of visitor that is going to be present at the occasion. At one end, it will be showcasing the Q3, compact SUV while at the other, the R8 Spyder.
The Q3 will be debuting in Indian market by mid 2012 and Audi plans to showcase the model at the expo as a part of it. The Q3 will be having 2 engine options, the 2 litre TFSI petrol and the 2.0 litre turbo diesel. The TFSI petrol churns out 211 BHP of power while its diesel sibling produces 176 BHP of power. The R8 Spyder with its 5.2 litre V10 engine is definitely going to one of the show-stoppers at the Expo so make sure you don’t miss out this car by any chance. Apart from these, Audi is also going to showcase its RS5 and the performance version of the A6, the S6. The S6 is powered by a 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 that produces 414 BHP of power and can reach to 100 kmph in just 5 seconds. From its hybrid portfolio, it is going to showcase the A3 E-Tron concept that houses a 1.4 litre TFSI motor producing 211 BHP of power coupled to a 27 BHP electric motor. Sadly, the A4 facelift expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2012, will not be making it to the Auto Expo.
The Q3 will be debuting in Indian market by mid 2012 and Audi plans to showcase the model at the expo as a part of it. The Q3 will be having 2 engine options, the 2 litre TFSI petrol and the 2.0 litre turbo diesel. The TFSI petrol churns out 211 BHP of power while its diesel sibling produces 176 BHP of power. The R8 Spyder with its 5.2 litre V10 engine is definitely going to one of the show-stoppers at the Expo so make sure you don’t miss out this car by any chance. Apart from these, Audi is also going to showcase its RS5 and the performance version of the A6, the S6. The S6 is powered by a 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 that produces 414 BHP of power and can reach to 100 kmph in just 5 seconds. From its hybrid portfolio, it is going to showcase the A3 E-Tron concept that houses a 1.4 litre TFSI motor producing 211 BHP of power coupled to a 27 BHP electric motor. Sadly, the A4 facelift expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2012, will not be making it to the Auto Expo.
New Tata Safari Storm Caught During Ad Shoot
New spy shots of the new Tata Safari have surfaced on the internet which was apparently caught during its ad film shoot in Pune. The new Tata Safari is going to be showcased at the upcoming 2012 Auto Expo to be held in New Delhi from 7th to 11th January, 2012. It has been under test for quite some time now and will compete with the Mahindra XUV500 at launch. The changes are not drastic but the Safari now uses the Aria’s X2 platform. This will improve the ride and handling balance of the SUV drastically. This updated Tata Safari is likely to get the name “Storm” along with Safari and not the name Merlin as was rumoured earlier. Looking at the spy shots, some of the changes are quite evident.
The front gets a more sportier and aggressive look with broader front grille and larger wrap around headlamps with projectors. The front grille and gets a thick chrome strip that projects into the headlamps. There has been some minor design changes made to the front bumper too. At the rear, it gets twin exhaust just like the Aria and they are neatly encapsulated inside the rear bumper. The exhaust also seems to have obtained some chrome linings. The Tata logo is more prominent and again a thick chrome strip runs right across under it between both the tail lamps. The tail lights also receive some design changes. However, on the overall the look of the car remains the same with the company just increasing the level of sport appeal. On the inside, a 4 spoke steering wheel design has been implemented. The dash also gets lots of wooden inserts to provide an upmarket feel. Safety features include 6 airbags, ESP, EBD, ABS and Hill Descent Control likely. The car is going t be powered by the same 2.2 litre Dicor engine that produces 140 BHP of power and 320 Nm of torque.
The front gets a more sportier and aggressive look with broader front grille and larger wrap around headlamps with projectors. The front grille and gets a thick chrome strip that projects into the headlamps. There has been some minor design changes made to the front bumper too. At the rear, it gets twin exhaust just like the Aria and they are neatly encapsulated inside the rear bumper. The exhaust also seems to have obtained some chrome linings. The Tata logo is more prominent and again a thick chrome strip runs right across under it between both the tail lamps. The tail lights also receive some design changes. However, on the overall the look of the car remains the same with the company just increasing the level of sport appeal. On the inside, a 4 spoke steering wheel design has been implemented. The dash also gets lots of wooden inserts to provide an upmarket feel. Safety features include 6 airbags, ESP, EBD, ABS and Hill Descent Control likely. The car is going t be powered by the same 2.2 litre Dicor engine that produces 140 BHP of power and 320 Nm of torque.
Hyundai Tucson Coming To The Expo!
The Hyundai Tucson came, saw and left India. Now in its next next generation, the new Tucson has not been officially confirmed for launch in the country. However multiple sightings of this CUV (crossover utility vehicle) suggest Hyundai is indeed interested to bringing back the vehicle to Indian roads. Now the Korean automaker plans to display the Tucson at the upcoming Auto Expo. This could be a good platform for the company to gauge customer feedback and conduct a small market survey to determine if they should launch the Tucson in India.
The Hyundai Tucson incorporates the Fluidic Sculpture design philosophy which has become common on Hyundai’s of today. A rival to the Honda CR-V internationally, if Hyundai go for local manufacturing, the company can instantly set the sales chart on fire by pricing the vehicle around Rs. 16 lakhs. This would also give the Mahindra XUV500 tough competition. Engines could be shared with the upcoming Sonata which would result in economies of scale. A market entry is yet uncertain as the Tucson will only be launched after the new Sonata and Elantra go on sale.
The Hyundai Tucson incorporates the Fluidic Sculpture design philosophy which has become common on Hyundai’s of today. A rival to the Honda CR-V internationally, if Hyundai go for local manufacturing, the company can instantly set the sales chart on fire by pricing the vehicle around Rs. 16 lakhs. This would also give the Mahindra XUV500 tough competition. Engines could be shared with the upcoming Sonata which would result in economies of scale. A market entry is yet uncertain as the Tucson will only be launched after the new Sonata and Elantra go on sale.
Renault Duster Compact SUV Spied In Chennai
Renault’s next model for India (after the Pulse) is the Duster compact SUV. The French automaker will showcase the Renault Duster at the upcoming Auto Expo next week. Just today, MotorBeam fan Ramakrishna spotted the vehicle with heavy camouflage in Chennai. The spied Duster had equipment to take down readings near the center console and was being driven extremely fast. It is no secret that Renault has been extensively testing the Duster in India. The company has heavily localized components and plans to make it’s Chennai facility a hub for the production of the Duster. Infact, the Orgadam plant could be the exclusive manufacturing location for the Duster in the world, with Renault exporting a big chunk of the production overseas.
The Renault Duster will be powered by both petrol and diesel engines. The 1.6-liter petrol unit will produce 106 PS of power and is an all new unit. The diesel unit will be the same one 1.5-liter K9K motor. The dCi motor will be available in two set of tunes, one producing 91 PS of power, while the other producing 108 PS of peak power at 4000 RPM and 240 Nm of peak torque at 2000 RPM. Mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox, the Duster diesel should return a fuel efficiency of close to 20 kmpl. Renault has also tuned the suspension and air-conditioning for India and we can expect the compact SUV to be priced between Rs. 8-10 lakhs, when it goes on sale in the middle of 2012.
Renault also plans to offer 4-wheel drive on the Duster but this might not be offered initially. History is witness that 80% of sales come from 2-wheel drive variants, so expect only the top model to feature 4×4 system as standard. Renault plans to launch 5 variants of the Duster in the Indian market and has an aggressive target of selling 50000 units of the right-hand drive Duster in India and UK in the very first year. The Duster uses the same platform as the low cost Logan and the interiors are quite similar too. However Renault has plans to modify the switches and dashboard to make it more attractive to the aam junta (common man). Remember, the Duster goes head on with the Ford EcoSport, with the latter being a sub 4-meter compact SUV.
The Renault Duster will be powered by both petrol and diesel engines. The 1.6-liter petrol unit will produce 106 PS of power and is an all new unit. The diesel unit will be the same one 1.5-liter K9K motor. The dCi motor will be available in two set of tunes, one producing 91 PS of power, while the other producing 108 PS of peak power at 4000 RPM and 240 Nm of peak torque at 2000 RPM. Mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox, the Duster diesel should return a fuel efficiency of close to 20 kmpl. Renault has also tuned the suspension and air-conditioning for India and we can expect the compact SUV to be priced between Rs. 8-10 lakhs, when it goes on sale in the middle of 2012.
Renault also plans to offer 4-wheel drive on the Duster but this might not be offered initially. History is witness that 80% of sales come from 2-wheel drive variants, so expect only the top model to feature 4×4 system as standard. Renault plans to launch 5 variants of the Duster in the Indian market and has an aggressive target of selling 50000 units of the right-hand drive Duster in India and UK in the very first year. The Duster uses the same platform as the low cost Logan and the interiors are quite similar too. However Renault has plans to modify the switches and dashboard to make it more attractive to the aam junta (common man). Remember, the Duster goes head on with the Ford EcoSport, with the latter being a sub 4-meter compact SUV.
Maruti Suzuki Compact SUV Teaser Up
Maruti Suzuki has already confirmed its Auto Expo 2012 plans. The automaker will showcase small cars along with the production version of the Ertiga. Maruti Suzuki will also showcase a compact SUV concept, which will replace the Jimy and Gypsy in the near future. Looking at how Maruti Suzuki has launched cars, we can expect the compact SUV to go on sale in 2014. This compact SUV could be priced around Rs. 8 lakhs and would be positioned against the Ford EcoSport and Renault Duster. Maruti could use the SX4 platform for this compact SUV and also utilize powertrains from the SX4.
Maruti Suzuki has made an Auto Expo specific website here, which has teaser images of the upcoming SUV Concept. The teaser pictures showcase a bold grille, big wheels, unique fog lamps and L-shaped tail lights. After looking at the transition of the RIII Concept to Ertiga MPV, this compact SUV concept has very little significance on how the production version of Maruti’s Gypsy replacement will look. Any which way, Maruti Suzuki has the expertise of pricing its vehicles very competitively and we can expect the compact SUV too follow the same pricing strategy.
Maruti Suzuki has made an Auto Expo specific website here, which has teaser images of the upcoming SUV Concept. The teaser pictures showcase a bold grille, big wheels, unique fog lamps and L-shaped tail lights. After looking at the transition of the RIII Concept to Ertiga MPV, this compact SUV concept has very little significance on how the production version of Maruti’s Gypsy replacement will look. Any which way, Maruti Suzuki has the expertise of pricing its vehicles very competitively and we can expect the compact SUV too follow the same pricing strategy.
Maruti Suzuki To Setup A Diesel Plant
According to some media reports, the country’s largest car maker, Maruti Suzuki might come up with another diesel plant in the this year. The company’s chairman, Mr. R. C. Bhargava said that the new diesel engine plant might come up this year in-case the government doesn’t impose any new extra taxes on diesel cars in the upcoming budget. He also added that the recent deal that was done with Fiat India for the supply of diesel engines was a time-gap arrangement until the company comes up with something concrete to meet the continuously growing demand for diesel engines on its own.
Currently, the diesel engines for the Maruti Suzuki cars are manufactured at Suzuki Powertrain India Limited in Manesar. The recent labour strikes at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant trickled down to Suzuki Powertrain India Limited also creating huge bottlenecks in terms of supplying diesel engines. Maruti Suzuki taking notice of this incident is considering now in regard to setting up a new plant in order to meet the market demand and de-risk its independence on Suzuki’s powertrain facility. According to the reports, this matter is likely to be taken up at the company’s up-coming board meeting in January 2012.
Currently, the diesel engines for the Maruti Suzuki cars are manufactured at Suzuki Powertrain India Limited in Manesar. The recent labour strikes at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant trickled down to Suzuki Powertrain India Limited also creating huge bottlenecks in terms of supplying diesel engines. Maruti Suzuki taking notice of this incident is considering now in regard to setting up a new plant in order to meet the market demand and de-risk its independence on Suzuki’s powertrain facility. According to the reports, this matter is likely to be taken up at the company’s up-coming board meeting in January 2012.
Renault DeZir Concept Headed To Auto Expo
At the 2010 Auto Expo, Renault had got the Formula 1 car for display. At the upcoming Auto Expo, the French automaker plans to exhibit the DeZir Concept, which showcases the styling directions for future Renault vehicles. The Renault DeZir Concept first made its debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show and is an all electric vehicle. It features is a 2-seater coupe which features gull-wing doors. Both doors open in opposite directions. Featuring 21-inch wheels, the Z in the DeZir name has direct reference to Z.E, which is Renault’s electric signature. There are no plans to put this vehicle into production, so pricing can not be spoken about at this moment.
Powered the Renault DeZir is is an electric synchronous motor which produces 150 hp of power and 226 Nm of torque. The Lithium-ion battery has a range of 160 kms and power comes through the rear wheel. Weighing just 830 kgs, the DeZir will hit 0 – 100 kmph in just 5 seconds and reach a top speed of 180 kmph. The chassis is made of tubular steel frame and Renault has used Kevlar to keep the weight down of this concept. Don’t even think of driving this on Indian roads as the Renault DeZir has a ground clearance of 110 mm!
Powered the Renault DeZir is is an electric synchronous motor which produces 150 hp of power and 226 Nm of torque. The Lithium-ion battery has a range of 160 kms and power comes through the rear wheel. Weighing just 830 kgs, the DeZir will hit 0 – 100 kmph in just 5 seconds and reach a top speed of 180 kmph. The chassis is made of tubular steel frame and Renault has used Kevlar to keep the weight down of this concept. Don’t even think of driving this on Indian roads as the Renault DeZir has a ground clearance of 110 mm!
