Hyundai India to launch i20 Cross in March & ix25 in August

2014 have been a delightful year for Hyundai India, as the manufacturer sold 4.10 lakh units in the calendar year, marking its highest market share of 21.6% in the history of 16 years in India. Hyundai’s strong performance has been propelled by successful product launches like the Grand i10, Xcent, Santa Fe and the most recent, the Elite i20. In 2015, the manufacturer will be following the same strategy and new cars like Verna facelift, i20 Crossover and compact SUV ix25 will be launched this year. Yesterday, we reported that new Verna will be launched on 17th February, now a source have confirmed that the i20 Cross will reach stores in second week of March, while ix25 will be launched in August.

The compact SUVs and Crossovers are getting popular in India, and Hyundai is not selling any product in the said segments. These new offerings will provide Hyundai a strong base in the rising segment and will further add numbers to its sales. The i20 Cross is based on the new Elite i20 and apart from a full body cladding, roof rails, projector headlamps with daytime running lights and LED tail lights with revised front and rear bumper will differentiate it from the hatch. With the rugged look company might offer bigger 17-inch alloy wheels to add more to its sporty stance. Under the skin the Cross will share the same 1.2-litre Kappa2 and 1.4-litre CRDi diesel engine. Hyundai is planning to launch the car in second week of March, which will also be its global debut.
Hyundai ix25 is a compact SUV, which is based on Kia Soul’s platform. Production version of the vehicle showcased at 2014 Beijing Motor Show, where it grabbed the show. Initially, it was designed for Chinese market, but seeing the increasing popularity of compact SUVs in India, Hyundai has decided to launch the product in India as well. The compact SUV is based on Hyundai's 'Fluidic Sculpture 2.0' design philosophy; therefore it resembles the flagship SUV Santa Fe. The dimensions of the vehicle are 4270mm length, 1780mm width, 1630mm height and 2590mm wheelbase.

With a length of 4270mm, it measures over 4 meters, which means it will have better space and a bigger price tag as it doesn’t qualify for excise duty cut meant for small cars. There is no clarity on engine option yet; however we are expecting 1.4-litre VTVT petrol, 1.4-litre CRDi diesel and 1.6-litre CRDi diesel from Verna. The testing of the vehicle is going on and the launch is likely to happen in August.

Hyundai is known for high localization of its vehicles, and Hyundai is aiming over 90 per cent localization for both i20 Cross and ix25. We are expecting a price of around Rs. 6 lacs for petrol and Rs. 7 lacs for the diesel variant, possibly there will be only two variants with all the features on board. While, the ix25 will be priced competitively to battle it out with Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano,  we are expecting a base price of around Rs. 7.5 lacs for it.

Honda Jazz Gets 5-Star Safety Rating

The India bound 2015 Honda Jazz has scored five star safety rating at the Australian NCAP (New Car Assessment Program). In the combined result of ANCAP and ASEAN NCAP, Jazz scored 36.58 points out of max 37. This said, Jazz in Australia gets standard - six airbags, stability control, Hill-Start-Assist among other safety features.

Adding on the Indian context with respect to Jazz’s getting 5-star in Aussie and ASEAN NCAP, safety is gaining top priority nowadays among buyers against its perception as luxury feature before. It is to be observed what will be standardized in Jazz by Honda India. But since Honda is offering driver side airbag and ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) with EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution) as standard features in City, expect Jazz to come loaded with the same.

Mechanically, Jazz will be powered by the same 1.2-liter i-VTEC motor generating 87 bhp and 109 Nm of torque. The City’s 1.5-liter i-DTEC diesel engine will also be offered that produces 99 bhp and 200 Nm of peak torque, which will definitely give the upcoming Jazz its uber cool fuel economy tag.

Maserati sixfolds its sales since 2012

A whopping 136 percent sales growth compared to 2013 and sixfold the sales figure for 2012, Maserati, the Italian luxury sports carmaker has managed to achieve such unbelievable milestone last year.

The company has confirmed the retail of approximately 36,500 cars in 2014, up 136 percent as against 15,400 cars sold a year before. Marking a new record for the brand, Maserati is well on its way on achieving the 50,000 unit sales target promised by Sergio Marchionne CEO FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) three year back.

The major contributor in this growth remained the Ghibli executive saloon, with 23,500 units delivered to customers last year. It was followed by the brand’s another luxury flagship saloon, the Quattroporte, with 9,700 units, whereas the total was completed by 3,500 units of the GranTurismo and GranCabrio models.

While the company experienced growth in all major markets during the year, North America remained its biggest market with 14,690 cars sold here, up by a hefty 110 percent in comparison to 2013’s tally. China was the second biggest market for Maserati, with 9,400 units and growth of 148 percent compared to 2013. In third place was Europe, which witnessed a large jump of 153 percent compared to 2013, with 6,360 units sold there.

While the Asia-Pacific region (excluding China), showed 206 percent increase over 2013 with 4,000 units retailed there. The Middle East followed with 2,050 units, accounting for a growth of 144 percent.

Meet the 2015 Shelby GT Mustang

SHELBY GT COSTS $39,995 OVER THE PRICE OF THE FORD MUSTANG GT

Shelby American has unveiled the ‘Shelby’ iteration of the Ford Mustang GT, christened as 2015 Shelby GT. What differentiates it from the stock Mustang GT are the regular Shelby add ons - racing stripes, decals and Cobra badging. Apart from this, the vehicle has also used carbon fiber  modestly. Shelby is currently accepting bookings for the vehicles while first batch of deliveries are slated for the second quarter of 2015.

UPGRADES in STYle:

The Shelby GT gets carbon fiber body kits - front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser along with carbon fiber hood, carbon fiber mirror caps and a carbon fiber rear spoiler. Moreover, it also sports new grille, racing stripes and ‘Shelby Cobra’ badgings, to make it look apart.

UPGRADEs in engine:

The 2015 Shelby GT is powered by the same Ford’s 5.0-liter V8 but it is breathing from a Ford Racing supercharger and sports exhaust system. Courtesy to the upgrades, the motor extracts more than 627 bhp. Don’t be disheartened with the 627 bhp, one can also opt for the performance package which increases the output to excess of 700 bhp. Along with the engine upgrades, it also gets Ford Racing short throw shifter (for manual transmission Ford Mustang GTs), Ford Racing handling package (upgraded - shocks, springs and sway bars) and Wilwood front brakes. It rides on 20-inch alloy wheels with Michelin tires.

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India Bound 2015 BMW 1-Series Facelift Revealed

BMW has officially revealed its entry level - 1 Series’ facelift. The mid-life refresh of the hatch comes in the form of heavy stylistic and mechanical updates. Speaking of the Indian launch, the 2015 BMW 1-series is expected to enter later this year.

upgrades IN STYLE:

As per the front profile, the quirky headlight of the on-going car are gone for good, in-comes the more familiar beemer face featuring large ‘kidney grille’.The hatch now comes standard with daytime running LEDs while complete LED lighting system (LED headlights with High-Beam-Assistant function and LED fogs with cornering function) is optional. Moreover, the rear profile gets a new wrap-around lights and gets a flamboyant makeover compared to the ongoing hatch with LED taillights adding extra character. On the inside, dashboard receives subtle changes in terms of aesthetics along with updated infotainment systems.

upgrades in ENGINES:

The updated 1 Series get a new 3-cylinder 1.5-liter turbo petrol and diesel engines. The petrol motor pumps out 109 hp of max power and 180 Nm of peak torque while the diesel chucks out 116 hp of max power with 270 Nm of peak torque. Apart from this, the existing engines of the hatch are updated. Speaking in context with India, BMW currently offers 1 Series with 1.6-liter petrol along with a 2.0-liter turbo diesel. The company expected to continue with this setup but there are chances that the Bavarian automaker will launch the new 3-cylinder diesel and petrol engines in the country, since the new Mini was recently launched with these powertrains in India.