Toyota commences exports to South Africa

 

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Ltd. (TKM) announced the start of exports of its ‘World First, India First’- Toyota Etios Series to South Africa. The first consignment of 247 units of the Etios series left Ennore Port near Chennai to cater to the demands of the South African market.

Present for the celebrations of the first ever Export Ceremony at Ennore Port were Mr. Vikram Kirloskar, Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Mr. Vicente Socco, Executive Vice President, Toyota Motor Asia Pacific (TMAP), Mr. Takashi Sakai, Executive Vice President, Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) and other important governmental officials and dignitaries from Toyota.

Tata issues recall for Manza, suspension parts to be replaced

Tata Motors is recalling the Manza and will replace a part of the suspension system at free of cost.

“We are replacing a plastic component called anti-roll bar bush which is connected to the suspension of the car. I am not aware of any complaint from customers and we are replacing it free of cost,” a Tata Motors spokesperson said. The company is changing the anti-roll bar bush with a more sturdy material than the earlier one.

The anti-roll bar bush is placed between two moving metal parts to prevent friction and provide stability to the vehicle while on the move.  ”We are not recalling the Manzas. We are just changing the part as and when the cars are brought to the service centres by customers,” he added. When asked how many units of the Manza will be covered under this exercise, he said: “All the Manzas that are sold so far.”

Manza has been on sale from 2009 and has been doing decent numbers since launched. It has been in the Top ten for quite some time.

Tata Motors had carried out a similar parts replacement exercise for the Nano where the old starter motor was replaced by a new one.

Tata Motors has posted robust growth in the last few months. The company will launch the Safari Storme later this year.

The all new Range Rover will be based on a completely new platform and will be technologically ahead of its competition.

First time in the history of Land Rover the all new Range Rover which is in its fourth generation will be based on a all-new aluminium monocoque platform based on a modified version of the platform underpinning the Jaguar XJ.

The new Range Rover will be plusher and will be offered in more expensive variants which could go just under the likes of SUV’s by Lamborghini and Bentley which will also debut in a couple of years.

Code-named L405, the new off-roader is almost ready for its debut and could see a New York show appearance. The roof line is considerably lower similar to the Evoque and Interior space will be up thanks to a longer wheelbase, especially for rear seat passengers. We can expect plusher seats, more gadgetry and lots of customization.

Engine options will include naturally-aspirated and supercharged 5.0-liter V-8s, as well as a pair of new turbodiesel units. A hybrid drive version is also on the cards and may see a later launch.

Taxi-spec’s Maruti Old Swift DZire "TOUR"

Maruti Suzuki India finally has a name for its taxi market-spec version of the Swift DZire. The taxi version, which is basically the first generation DZire has been christened as 'Swift DZire Tour' and will be available in both petrol and diesel options, but will only come in the base variant, i.e Lxi (petrol)  & Ldi (diesel.)

The taxi-spec DZire will come equipped with standard features such as AC, power steering, front and rear bumpers, outside rear-view mirrors and black door handles.

The Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire will come with a price tag of Rs 5.91 lakh for the diesel variant and Rs 4.88 lakh for the petrol variant. The DZire Tour will go on sale from April 2012 and will be sold only to taxi and fleet operators.

New Hyundai Santa Fe breaks covers, gets the Fludic avatar

The All new 2012-12 Hyundai Santa Fe (ix45) has debuted at the New York Show. The Santa Fe now boast Hyundai’s Fluidic Sculpture” Design language. The third-generation crossover will be available in three versions: a five-passenger Santa Fe Sport, Santa Fe Sport 2.0T and larger seven-passenger LWB Santa Fe.

The new Santa Fe long wheel base with a seven seater option will make it to the Indian market.

To create the illusion of constant motion, Hyundai designers have used a three-bar hexagonal front grille, LED accents, low stance, rising beltline, black trimmed optional roof rails and wraparound taillights.These cues let people know immediately that Santa Fe is a Hyundai.


Design elements also include standard chrome grille and door handle accents, bodycolor mirrors, rear spoiler, aggressive exhaust outlets as well as lower bumper, wheel arches and door trim in contrasting paints.

On the interiors the Santa Fe is equipped with heated rear seats and available eight-way power driver seat, to a standard 40:20:40 folding rear seat back, both boast flexibility and a pleasant cabin for all. Also new for 2013 – and standard on all Santa Fe models with cloth seating – is a YES Essentials seat fabric treatment that provides soil-resistant, anti-odor and anti-static properties for added longevity and livability.

Internationally the Santa Fe buyers will get an choice of a 2.4-litre petrol Direct Engine (GDI) engine or a turbocharged 2.0-litre GDI engine on the Sport variant, while the LWB will be equipped with a 3.3-liter V6 engine. The three engines are mated to a 6 speed automatic transmission.

The Indian version will however get the same engines a 2.4 liter diesel engine with a six speed manual or automatic gear box option.

We can expect the Santa Fe in India by mid of 2012. We hope this time Hyundai brings via the CKD route which will help bring the costs lower.

 

Mercedes-Benz GL-Class revealed before official launch

2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class breaks cover before official launch at the New York Auto Expo. The Second Generation GL-Class looks a lot more promising and adopts the new design language also seen on the SL and SLK Class.

Based on the new M-Class platform the GL-Class gets extended wheelbase which can now support 7 seats more comfortably.

On the inside the GL Class continues its highly refined, elegant themes, with supple leathers, wood-grain trim, and sculpted surfaces. It reminds us of the new M-Class too some extent.

The engine options include Mercedes’ new direct-injected V6 and V8 engines – in the case of the AMG variant, that should included the new 5.5 litre twin-turbo V8. The Gl-Class will get seven-speed automatic transmission, and all GLs come with 4MATIC all-wheel drive and Benz’s Airmatic air suspension.

The GL Class gets Projector lamps and day time running LED lights and a Two-slat grille with a large Mercedes logo in the centre which presents the GL-Class a very aggressive look.

New Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

It’s been a couple of years since Mitsubishi had promised us the launch of the Pajero Sport in India. There had been instances, when “confirmed” launch dates had been given out by the Japanese car maker. However, the rising Yen meant that the SUV would never make it to the market at a lucrative price point, which in turn resulted in HM backing out at the last moment.
But things have moved along since then. The official unveiling is over; the prices of the Pajero Sport are finally out; moreover,one can finally own a Pajero Sport in India.With all that done, we find out if the Pajero Sport has enough go to match its show.


Exterior:
If the Toyota Fortuner was a little too bulky for you, wait till you see this one. The front gets that typical Mitsubishi rally sport treatment that we all saw on the previous-gen Outlander. Adjacent to the grille are a set of attractive clear-lens headlamps that house the projector beams.

By the looks of it, you’d think it has Xenons too – but don’t be fooled, those are just halogen projectors. The front bumper helps the car with its butch look. It carries heaps of muscle and gives the SUV a great road-presence. From the side, the Pajero Sport looks rather boxy and may not appeal too many.

It does get flared wheel-arches that house the bulky 17-inch rims, but overall it still doesn’t cut-it. At the back too the look is rather toned-down. The tail-lamps draw inspiration from an Alfa-Romeo, which to me looks a little out of character. You’ll be shocked, but the rear doesn’t carry any badges except for the Mitsubishi emblem. I like! Overall, the looks of the Pajero Sport are subjective. While I thought it looked great from a few angles a few of my friends thought otherwise.


Interiors:
Get inside, and it’s an understated mix of black, beige and silver materials. Those familiar with the inside of the Outlander will feel at home in the Pajero Sport; the layout and design of the dash is similar and a lot of the parts including the steering wheel withintegrated controls for the audio unitis shared with the Outlander.

A small MID unit above the music playerdisplays the different all-wheel drive settings, time and temperature. We didn’t get an opportunity to play around with the all-wheel drive settings, as our run mainly consisted of city driving.



Specifications:

 
ENGINE:
Fuel: Diesel
Installation: Front, Longitudinal
Displacement: 2477cc
Max. Engine output, kW (PS) @ rpm:131 (178) @ 4000
Max. Torque, Nm @ rpm: 400 Nm at 2000 – 2500 rpm

CHASSIS & BODY:
Construction: Body on ladder frame, five-door SUV
Tyres: 265/65 R17
Weight: 1885Kg

TRANSMISSION:
Type: All-Wheel Drive (Super-Select)
Gearbox: 5-Speed Manual
Model: Floor Shift, Manual operated, Synchromesh

PRICE:
Ex-Showroom (Delhi): Rs. 23.53 lakhs