Range Rover Autobiography India edition at Rs. 3.75 Crore

Land Rover, the Tata owned brand has offered its range topping Range Rover LWB Autobiography edition at an eye watering Rs 3.75 Crore and Rs 3.85 Crore (diesel and petrol respectively, ex-showroom Delhi). This makes it the most expensive SUV in Rover’s line up as well as in our country. This iteration of the standard Range Rover is over 160mm longer in wheelbase, hence the name LWB (Long Wheelbase). Making it first appearance in 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show it has finally made it here.

The Autobiography edition is bestowed with top-class luxury features than the standard Range Rover. There is not much to the mechanicals of the car, except the increased wheelbase and the cockpit is where the real difference is made. There is vital use of leather on the inside coupled with the wood incorporation, defining Landy’s attention to detail.

Rear passenger comfort is taken good care of with reclining seats, center console with various controls, flexible tables, chiller, 10.2 inch infotainment screens mounted on front headrests facing towards rear. Then their are other features like massage feature, lumbar massage on the rear seats, 12-way adjustable driver seat.

At the exterior, there isn’t much to differentiate as there are subtle upgrades like a distinct front grill, 21 or 22 inch gloss aluminium alloy wheel options. While the rear gets chrome garnish with uniquely put tail-lamp cluster. Land Rover has put enough power reserve to propel this epitome of luxury. On the diesel front it gets the 4.4 litre SDV8 that produces 335bhp while the petrol is the 5.0 litre supercharged V8 that generates a massive 503 Bhp. Both these are mated to 8-speed automatic gearbox.

Toyota Corolla Hybrid at AutoShow Shanghai

Toyota has revealed Corolla Hybrid for the first time outside Japan at the on-going 2015 Auto Shanghai in China. The vehicle will be manufactured by Toyota FAW joint venture and will be launched in the Chinese market by second half of this year.

The new Corolla Hybrid offers subtle changes over the current Corolla Altis/Corolla. At the outset, the vehicle gets refreshed headlamps flanked around new dual-slat grille which integrates with headlight graphics. The bumper of the hybrid is also spruced-up compared to the stock Corolla.

Hybrid version features larger air dams and the bumpers use plenty of chrome add-ons. And it has the regular hybrid logo - Blue Toyota badge - indicating it returns more than the stock Corolla! At the rear, things remained unaltered, except for the chrome garnish running through the LED taillights, the vehicle lot of chrome applique throughout the body. Moreover, the vehicle rides on new diamond finish alloys and adorns a new blue color specific to it.

Toyota did not reveal much about the specification of the Corolla Hybrid, but according to the Chinese media - the vehicle is powered by a 1.5-liter Atkinson cycle gasoline motor coupled to an electric motor. The setup extracts maximum power close to 100bhp, consuming nearly 4.9 liters to 100 km in the Chinese driving cycle.

New Hyundai Santa Fe with 8-inch Infotainment System

 Hyundai India is offering a brand new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system in Santa Fe. Interestingly, the Korean automaker hasn’t done any promotion for this new addition. The website is showing the latest brochure with the updated infotainment system and automatic lighting function.

As per the new touchscreen infotainment system, it gets host of features like flexibility of DVD-USB, Bluetooth streaming, voice recognition, Sat-Nav with pre-loaded maps, 6 speakers and certainly a bigger screen for a better experience. On the downside, this system is only available in the automatic transmission version. And the manual version will be coming with the same age old 4.3 inch touchscreen unit. Looks more like a move to push the sluggish automatic-trans sales of Santa Fe.

Everything else remains unchanged including exterior styling as well as under the hood. Mechanically, it gets the 2.2 litre 4-cylinder CRDi motor that puts out a hefty 194.3 bhp of power and 429 Nm of peak torque and mated to 6 speed manual transmission and an automatic option. The former is a 2 wheel drive version while the automatic is available with AWD option.

Santa Fe’s other interior features sum upto steering mounted audio controls, Bluetooth and cruise control switches, start/stop button, an advanced driver information cluster, glove box chiller, 12 way power adjustable driver seat and dual zone climate control.

Audi TT India launched at INR 60.34 Lac

Audi India has launched its much anticipated TT sports car in an on-going event in Delhi. Priced at INR 60.34 Lac, the TT has only been launched in a single petrol-powered 45TFSI variant.

Based on the modern MQB platform, this third generation TT is 50 kilograms lighter than its predecessor despite having a 37 mm longer wheelbase. Its overall silhouette remains more or less the same and features the characteristic pronounced wheel arches and sloping roofline. While the new trapezoidal family grille, sleek matrix LED headlights and redesigned taillights are some of the new elements on the third gen TT.

Power is sourced from a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that puts out 230 bhp of maximum power and 370 Nm of peak torque. This power is sent to all wheels through as six-speed dual clutch automatic transmission which in turn is mated to brand’s famous Quattro all-wheel-drive drivetrain. In this state of tune it can touch the 100kmph marker in just 5.3 seconds and can hit up to a top-speed of 253 km/h.

Honda New Jazz in mid-July

While the new introductions in 2014 helped Honda to strengthen its position in India, the Japanese carmaker is now prepping up to enter some new segments during this year to keep the momentum going. The first in this list will be the ‘Jazz,’ premium hatchback, which according to our sources will be making its way in mid of July.

On the design front, the new Jazz does seem to share quite a bit with its elder sibling, the City sedan, considering the fact that both cars follow the latest design philosophy. The large angular headlights that fuses into the grille looks bold, while the large air dam lower on the bumper, adds sportiness to the front fascia. The muscular creases on the bonnet and strong lines flowing throughout the body, goes quite well with the overall look.Being a chrome-loving nation, we expect that the Indian-spec Jazz will have more chrome garnishing, compared to what the world gets.

The Jazz will most likely get the same engine options as the Amaze, in a bid to attract the excise duty cuts. The petrol variants will be powered with a 1.2-litre petrol engine, good for 90PS of peak power and 109Nm of torque. While the diesel engine will be the same 1.5-litre i-DTEC engine that powers all the Hondas currently. It will continue to make 100PS of power and 200Nm ofmax torque. Though in its first innings, the Jazz had failed to attract many buyers, but now with the new design and a diesel engine in the offering, the car looks a lot better package now. We expect Honda not to repeat the same mistake again and price the Jazz at a competitive price this time.

Mercedes-Benz plans new coupe

Mercedes-Benz is prepping up an all-new two-door entry-level coupe that will be launched somewhere around 2019, claims a UK-based publication. The new coupe will most likely arrive as a replacement for the on-going three-door A-Class hatchback and draws its exterior design from the recently introduced Mercedes-AMG GT supercar, including a practical lift-back.

This all-new coupe will be based on the brand’s second-generation MFA platform, which will further underpin a new range of compact cars from their stable. This new front-wheel drive platform is being developed by Mercedes-Benz in collaboration with the Renault-Nissan Alliance, and been described as more flexible than current MFA structure. It has been designed to allow greater variation in wheelbase and track widths as well as provide wider scope for the storage of batteries and gas tanks in possible hybrid and fuel cell derivatives of the standard models.
Powering the new coupe will most likely be a range of overhauled four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, being developed with the same Renault-Nissan Alliance. While a range-topping turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder AMG version producing up to 400bhp and featuring standard four-wheel drive will also be making its way.

Bugatti Preparing the Veyron Successor

Bugatti, originally French and now owned by Volkswagen group is oiling up its Veyron successors named as Chiron. Reports say that this all new car hypercar will do 0-100 kmph in just 2 seconds! Yes, 1, 2 & reached. It was expected to launch later this year but according to VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech who said that it needs more work and will make it till 2016.

Bugatti is expected to use the W16 8.0 litre engine from the Veyron that may produce more than 1500 PS and will add to the Formula1 car beating performance. The torque is believed to remain 1500 Nm but it will be coming in at a lower rpm than the current car. Now, just in case if VW wishes to go by the literal meaning of Chiron, this car could even be a hybrid. As Chiron is half man and half horse, this car could be half fire and half electricity-or at least some part could be electric.

Chiron is believed to get 92% new or modified parts from the Veyron. And if it gets the hybrid thing it could be all the more economical and usable on daily basis. Despite, it will also reach more than 450 km/h yet retuning a fuel economy as good as 5.8 km per litre, believe it, as these are exceptional for a W16 petrol with 4 turbos.

Nissan Micra tops 2014-15 car exports

Nissan’s entry-level offering, Micra, was India’s biggest model exported in 2014-15 with 76,120 units shipped overseas. It was followed by Hyundai Grand i10 with 63,585 units and the Volkswagen Vento with 56,064 units exported during the tenure. While the Grand i10 has also been a success in the domestic market with 99,088 units, and even Vento up to certain extent, the Micra has not fared that well, but made a mark for its manufacturers in the foreign markets.

Other models that made it to the ‘Top 10’ export list, include the Nissan Sunny with 38,759 units and Hyundai i20 having shipped 38,144 units abroad. In terms of manufacturers, Hyundai topped the list with three models in the Top 10, while Maruti Suzuki and Ford shared the second spot with two models each. Maruti exported 31,594 units and 28,697 units of the Alto and last-year withdrawn A-Star. On the other side, Ford’s export for both the models- EcoSport and Figo were on decline. A year before, the exports of the EcoSport had jumped more than 200 percent, from around 17,000 odd units to a whopping 55,178 units.

On the whole, India exported 6,22,470 vehicles in 2014-15, posting an increase of 4.42 percent over 2013-14. Hyundai still remains the country’s top exporter with 1,91,221 vehicles shipped, followed by Maruti Suzuki at 1,21,701 units, just a tad ahead of Nissan, which exported 1,20,331 units.

Ford Figo Aspire

Ford India is prepping-up for their biggest launch of this year - Figo Aspire. The compact sedan was revealed publicly in March at the inauguration of Ford’s second manufacturing facility in Sanand Gujarat. And we brought you exclusive info on Aspire, that its launch is most likely around May, but remember last minute changes always happen in this industry! We brought you 5 things you must know about that differentiate Ford’s debutant venture in the sub-4m sedan arena.

Among few of its odd-looking peers, Aspire gloats with its Aston-Martin-esque grille and flamboyant Ford Kinetic 2.0 design philosophy. It does not look as if the boot is obnoxiously added to a hatch, rather it appears larger than it actually is. The best looking vehicle in this segment currently - Tata Zest has now taken the second spot! Moreover, the rear profile of the Aspire is not as ‘aspiring’ and flashy as its front profile but its not boring either.

First in Segment to get 6-Airbags and Emergency Assistance

Ford India has taken a step ahead, they have equipped the Aspire with first-in-class side and curtain airbags along with dual front airbags, making a total of 6 airbags. Apart from it, Aspire will gets ABS (anti-lock braking system) along with EBD (Electronic brake force distribution). It is expected that the ABS will be standard in the Aspire, except for the base variant trim while airbags are likely to be offered from the mid trims. Speaking of the Emergency Assistance, in the unlikely event of a mishap on the road, SYNC Emergency Assist automatically calls for help (108) via your paired phone. 

Ford SYNC voice guided audio system and Ford My Dock

Aspire gets SYNC audio system, which is also offered in Fiesta and EcoSport in the country. It features a 3.5-inch non-touch TFT display screen offering - voice commands, Bluetooth phone integration and lets you control your apps, music and calling, hands-free. It even reads out incoming text messages. SYNC in the Aspire will be equipped with - AppLink - smartphone integration that recently debuted in EcoSport while it was launched in India with the Fiesta facelift last year. With the help of SYNC, AppLink lets you use your selected smartphone apps through voice commands, eg. ESPNcricinfo app.

For lower trims, Figo Aspire will feature a unique My-Ford-Dock, it helps in docking your mobile onto the dashboard for charging, music streaming and navigation. And similar to that of EcoSport, Bluetooth connectivity is likely to be standard across the range along with an audio player.

Engines - 1.2L TiVCT petrol and 1.5L TDCI diesel:

Petrol: Using the current Figo’s 1.2-litre block, Ford India has developed a new motor -  messing with its head, incorporating variable valve time - in Ford words - TiVCT - Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing. Specifications of the engine are not disclosed yet but expect the motor to be juicy generating power in-between 80-85 bhp and 110-115 Nm of torque, will be mated to a five-speed manual.

Diesel: Figo Aspire diesel will get Fiesta/EcoSport’s 1.5-litre TDCI DV5 turbo diesel. Reportedly, the power figure of the engine can witness a slight bump compared to current 91 PS and 204 Nm in EcoSport. However, even if the specs remain same, this engine in Aspire will still be fairly competitive in the segment. Ford Fiesta with this motor delivers 25.01 kmpl, expect the Figo Aspire to deliver more.

First in Segment to get 6-speed dual-clutch ‘PowerShift’ Automatic and 1.5-litre Ti-VCT Petrol

If reports and spy shots are to believed, Aspire is also getting a 6-speed dual clutch automatic transmission with a 1.5-liter Ti-VCT motor. Dual Clutch transmission will be a segment first add-on and currently, it is only available in mid-size sedans - Vento and Rapid, which are in a segment above. However, it was not the Vento or Rapid which brought the dual-clutch auto box into mid-size sedan space, it was the versatile Ford Fiesta 1.5-liter Ti-VCT PowerShift. And indeed Aspire is getting the same Fiesta’s mechanicals.