Happy Diwali

Wishing everyone a happy, prosperous and a safe Diwali.

Delhi Roads – What Is Going On?

I am sure everyone would agree that the capital has by far the best roads in the country, compared to any other metro. I have seen Bombay, and the state of affairs there is pathetic. The only city which comes close is Bangalore, though it’s not as good.

But off late, it seems Delhi is loosing its sheen. One season of heavy rains and everything has gone haywire. It looks as though there wasn’t such a thing as roads in Delhi, ever. Want to time travel? Come to the capital and we’ll take you at least fifty years back in time. Want to go to the moon? Well don’t wait, come to Delhi and we’ll make you the thirteenth man on the moon. NASA should test their next lunar rover/mars lander right here in Delhi. We have got the best of lunar surface complete with craters and what not. Atacama Desert pales in comparison.

Doesn’t matter which car you are in, our roads will let you know about every single crater your expensive set of wheels falls into. What you need is not a 7 Series or an S Class, what is needed is a Tata 207 to make it to the destination. It costs less to repair a 207 than the Merc or the Beemer.

Flyovers. The worst I tell you. Most often than not something or the other brakes down on it’s way up. This usually is a truck, which is not allowed to ply on roads during day time, but do that anyways by bribing the cops. Why these idiots drive up a flyover on a full load (overload?) is a mystery, which not even the full complement of scientists at CERN can solve. Origin of the universe doesn’t even measure up.

These trucks usually drive on full racing slicks and with rocks protruding out of the road surface in all their glory, a puncture is inevitable. This happens mostly during rush hour traffic, and to add a bit of excitement to the proceedings, the biggest boulders in the vicinity are placed around leaving three-quarters of a lane for the rest. A Russian Obstacle Training course is a cake walk.

The state government has got grand plans for the Commonwealth Games 2010, and by the looks of things all their plans have fallen off into one of the innumerable craters found all over the place. The only way Delhi will look like Beijing for the 2020 Olympics, if they do come to Delhi, would be a miracle of god.

Gearhead Picks From Paris - Lamborghini Estoque

Starting a couple of weeks before the Paris show, Lamborghini started releasing pictures of the thing in parts. I must say they created quite a buzz about it. At Paris they finally unveiled the Estoque concept, named after a kind of sword used by matadors.

Lamborghini is calling this low, four door, four seater an ‘everyday sports car’. With that long wheelbase that might be stretching it a bit. Permanent four wheel drive is present and those 22 inch wheels look sinfully gorgeous. Power might come from the V10 from the LP 560-4 or a turbo V8 derived from the same. An economical option could be a V8 with a hybrid module or for the first time in Lambo history a high performance diesel.

The front end carries the current Lambo design theme with those sharp looking air ducts in front and the Reventon inspired tail lamps. At 5.15 meters long it is almost as long as an S-Class and at 1.35 meters high, it is well, not that high.

If it goes into production, and I don’t see why it shouldn’t, the Panamera and the Rapide will have something of a tough fight at hand.

Gearhead Picks From Paris – Jaguar XKR-S

First they had the XK. Then came the hot version, the XK-R. And now this, the XKR-S. What next? An XKRS-R of course. Jokes apart this is the fastest Jaguar since the XJ220.


Company claims a 0 – 100 in 5.2 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 280 kmph. Now that is fast. Suspension is upgraded with new springs, dampers and anti roll bars. The CATS (Computer Active Suspension Technology) get recalibrated for better ride and handling.

Braking duties are handled by Alcon R Performance brakes with 400 mm discs up front and 350 mm at the rear, both grabbed by red monobloc six piston callipers. With the kind of top speed it boasts of, anything smaller wouldn’t have cut it.

Exterior changes include revised front air-splitter, side sill extensions, new rear spoiler and bumper with a new diffuser. Wheels are 20 inch Vortex alloys. The car is available only in black with contrasting finish to grille, sills, wheels and vents. Transmission is six speed sequential shift box with paddles behind the steering.

The car goes on sale soon with the run being limited to just 200 units in both left and right hand drive meant only for Europe.

Gearhead Picks From Paris – Fiat 500 Abarth

This is the variant Fiat should have introduced instead of the 1.3 diesel. This little nugget sports a scorpion badge on the hood and the specs tell you that it can sting. A 1.4 liter turbocharged motor is present under the hood making a healthy 160 bhp. So a 100 on the speedo should come around in 7.4 seconds or so.

A top whack of 210 kmph is better than a few mid size cars can do. The car sports 17 inch wheels and a racy body kit. The car gets a lowered suspension for better handling. Just the car for commuting on weekdays and racing around the track on weekends.

Gearhead Picks From Paris - Skoda Octavia\Laura Facelift

What do these headlamps remind you of?

These remind me of the 3 Series. The car though is not a BMW. It’s a Skoda, the Octavia or as we know it here in India, the Laura.

And these are not the only changes, there is a new grille, bumpers and tail lamps. Changes on the inside are minor, like white backlit dash, new air con controls, and new design steering wheel.

A new engine option, though not coming to India, is a 1.4 liter TSI which can be mated to a seven speed DSG gearbox.

The face lifted car should come to India by the beginning of next year. Also on the cards is a mild facelift for the previous generation car which is still sold here as the Octavia.

Gearhead Picks From Paris - Hyundai i20

Hyundai showed the next of the i-series car at Paris, the i20. The car is a replacement model for the Getz in the international markets. It is longer and wider than the Getz and also sits lower. Styling is not radical like the quirky i10 and is inspired by the i30. In profile the car looks a lot like the Getz though it is much beefier. There is the same family grille seen on the i10 with the Hyundai logo. The rear is bland and uninspiring, again like the i10.

For Europe the car will get seven engine options. Petrol engines include 80 PS 1.2, 100 PS 1.4 and the 126 PS 1.6. Transmission options are five speed manual on all three or four speed automatics on the 1.4 and 1.6. The diesels include the new 1.4 making either 75 PS or 90 PS and a 1.6 making also in two trims making either 115 PS or 128 PS. Drivetrains are five speed manual for 1.4 and six peed manual for 1.6.

Here in India it will get the 1.2 Kappa and the 1.4 petrols and also the 1.4 diesel. Auto option should be offered on both petrols. Features like airbags, climate control and ABS should also make it to the options list, considering the Skoda Fabia has them.

Pricing will start above the five lakh mark for India.

Gearhead Picks From Paris - Suzuki Alto/A-Star

If you think that this is some sort of an attempt by Suzuki at making your life miserable if you are in the market for a small hatch, you can’t be more wrong. Given they have more models and variants in the small car segment than any other manufacturer, launching the new Alto or the A-Star as it will be called here in India is a good thing. You see there is already a marked shift in the Suzuki sales here. The Alto makes more numbers than the 800. The Swift has people waiting for it in lines miles long and cars like the Wagon-R and the Estilo (please don’t call it the Zen) will be all but forgotten when the car comes out at the end of this month.

Also the car is a modern design and should meet modern safety standards, comes with the latest generation powerplant and will be made in India for the world. So the quality should be right up there with the best. Bet you people will be drooling all over it in no time.

This little number is powered by a new 1.0 liter three cylinder engine making 68 PS of power. The car measures 3500 mm in length which is well within the regulations for the tax sops which the government has stipulated. Fuel efficiency should hover around the 18 kmpl mark and should hit a top speed of a 150 kmph.

Pricing is going to be the key and it should find a place somewhere below the Swift. After launch in India the car will go on sale in other international markets by the beginning of next year.

Gearhead Picks From Paris - Chevrolet Cruze

The Cruze is the Civic rival from the GM stables. Expect it to sell along side the Optra in the country. It’s a small car by American standards but for our market it is a ‘big’ car and slots neatly into the entry level of the D-segment.

For Europe the car will come with a 1.4 liter four cylinder turbo petrol making 140 bhp of power apart from 2.0 liter common rail diesel and 1.8 liter petrol. The later two will make it to India. The styling is likely to appeal to a large number and the car also has the new Chevy split grille and a sloping roof line.

The car will go on sale in Europe by the middle of next year and should hit our shores by the end on next year.

Gearhead Picks From Paris

In the following posts are my picks from the Paris Auto Show. Nothing specific, something that will/might come to India or something that I like.

Mitsubishi Outlander Launched - Update

Mitsubishi’s third SUV offering in the country after the Montero and the Pajero, the Outlander has been launched in the country. The Outlander has been a very successful vehicle for Mitsubishi in Europe, North America and Japan.

The car comes with a 2.4 liter 16 valve MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing and Electronic Control) engine. The power output is rated at 170 PS @ 6000 rpm and the torque figures stand at 226 NM @ 4100 rpm. The engine is a light weight unit made of aluminum and also uses some plastic bits like the intake headers to keep weight in check.

The soft roader is targeted at the urban customer who travels mainly on city roads but likes to get a bit of sand in the face everynow and then. Hence it comes with three drive modes, namely the 2WD, 4WD and 4WD Lock. Each mode can be switched on the fly and should give the car some sort of off road credentials. It’s the Pajero’s little brother after all.

The transmission is a six speed CVT with paddle shifter behind the steering wheel. The price is a little off of the Honda rival. While the CR-V starts at just above Rs. 17 lakh for the 2 liter version and goes all the way up to higher end of Rs. 19 lakh for the 2.4 liter automatic, the Outlander is pegged at Rs. 20.20 lakh (ex-showroom). Let’s see how things pan out for the new Mitsu.

Mitsubishi Outlander Launched In India

Hindustan Motors has launched the CR-V rival, the Outlander. The soft-roader is priced at Rs. 20.4 lakh (ex-showroom). Powering the car is a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder unit. The Outlander will be made in the country and not be imported as a CBU.

More updates to follow.

New Mahindras Launched

Scorpio Automatic

Mahindra & Mahindra have launched their hugely successful SUV, Scorpio with an automatic gearbox. This makes the Scorpio the only SUV in the market in the sub 15 lakh category to sport an automatic transmission.

The gearbox is a six speed unit sourced from an Australian firm, Drivetrain Systems International. Then engine is the same mHawk unit displacing 2.2 liters making 120 bhp of power. The auto option will be available in two trims. The VLS priced at Rs. 10.24 lakh (ex-showroom) and VLX priced at Rs. 10.75 lakh (ex-showroom).

The company is planning to lure those buyers who have used automatics before and also targeting the fairer sex, given the ease of driving that comes with an automatic.


Bolero VLX and Bolero Special Edition

Mahindra & Mahindra have also launched new variants of their old work horse the Bolero. The new version introduced is the VLX with a 2.5 CRDe engine making 97 bhp of power. The car is priced at Rs. 6.9 lakh (ex-showroom).

Another iteration of the same is the Special Edition. This variant comes in two colors namely, Mist Silver and Golden Sahara Beige. Upping the luxury quotient are the leather seats and a CD-MP3 player. The variant is priced at Rs. 6.49 lakh (ex-showroom).

New Honda City Launched

The much awaited car from the Honda stables has been launched in the country within weeks of its launch in Thailand. The car is an all new design and is based on the Jazz and looks much better than the car it replaces. Honda calls it the ‘Arrow Shot Form’. The look is aerodynamic and very sporty.

The new City is bigger than the current car in all respects. It is 5mm longer and equally wider and also has its wheelbase extended by a 100mm. This liberates space on the inside and gives the big boot a capacity of 506 liter. The car has been lowered by 15mm than before too. I just hope it doesn’t have the habit of kissing the breakers as the Civic, although with 15 inch wheels that should be negated.



The engine is a 1.5liter i-VTEC unit producing 118 PS of power. This is the highest for a 1.5 liter engine in the country. The engine is E10 ready and is also Euro IV compliant. The suspension is McPherson struts up front and H type torso beam suspension at the back.

Two transmission options are available. A five speed manual is one and replacing the CVT is a new five speed auto. The big news though is that the auto comes with paddle shifts behind the steering a la Civic. A first for the class.

The safety quotient goes up more than a few notches with ABS (Antilock Braking System) with BA (Brake Assist), Dual SRS Airbags, pre-tensioner seat belts and G-CON (G-Force Control Technology) being standard across the range.

Another talking point is the music system. Forget carrying anymore disks, the system has no option for them. Only thing you’ll need is your iPod or a USB drive or for that matter your phone, though there is a provision for an after market one.

The car is available in two variants, the 1.5E and the 1.5S. The auto tranny is available in the S trim only. The 1.5 E is priced at Rs 7.7 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the 1.5S (MT) for Rs. 8.20 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and the 1.5S (AT) for Rs. 8.90 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). This pricing is bound to give more than a few sleepless nights to the competition. Another success story in the making for Honda? You bet.

Bajaj Platina 125 DTS-Si Launched

Bajaj Auto have launched their latest motorcycle in the growing 125cc category, the Platina with a 125cc DTS-Si engine. The company intends to lure the 100cc buyer away by pricing its 125cc offering competitively. The Platina 125 has been priced at Rs. 39,000 (ex-showroom). This puts it right into the entry level price band.

The engine is the DTS-Si unit from the XCD, and one can expect similar performance and fuel efficiency from the new motorcycle. The motorcycle has features such as ride control switch, Electric Start, Auto Choke, Maintenance Free Battery, Anti friction bushes in front forks, Bajaj’s trademark SnS suspension and twin pilot lamps.

Mind you, at 39k its cheaper than the HH Splendor that too with an electric start. If this doesn’t increase sales for Bajaj in the 125cc category, I don’t know what will.

Singapore Grand Prix - What Gearhead Thinks

If ever there was an example of F1’s double standards, this is it. These guys talk about cost cutting and what not and then go and want to conduct a race at night time. Do they know how much money could have been saved on cabling and lighting equipment?

These people want to introduce KERS in a bid to extract more energy but they have no idea of how much energy would be wasted in lighting up the whole track. I’m guessing enough to power a small village in India for a week. And what is wrong with the Europeans anyway. Can’t they get up early to watch a day race? I know we stay up late to watch the Canadian and the Brazilian races.

A totally bogus idea I say. I just hope nobody gets hurt during the course of the race.

150 Posts

A hundred and fifty is down. More on the way…

Bajaj Ups Stake In KTM

Bajaj Auto through their wholly owned subsidiary, Bajaj Auto International Holdings B.V. have bought a further 59,500 shares in KTM Power Sports AG. This takes their total tally of shares to 1,782,500 in one of Europe’s fastest growing motorcycle manufacturers.

This translates to 25.8% voting rights in KTM up from 21% before. Rajiv Bajaj is already on the board of KTM. The companies are working together on a 125-250cc liquid cooled engine platform and also three other vehicles.

2009 Yamaha R1 Launched

Old news now, but I’ll post it anyways.


Yamaha have given the venerable R1 a thorough upgrade. In fact it’s not an upgrade at all but a completely new motorcycle. The former king of the liter class is back to rest its crown from the CBR. And from the looks of things, it just might do it.

Leading the charge of this all out attack is the all new engine. Displacing 998 cc the engine gets a whole bunch of tech inputs from the lessons learnt in MotoGP. There is a cross plane crankshaft, not the big bang design from the M1 though. The crank puts each connecting rod at 90 degrees from the other and hence an uneven firing order. Yamaha says it help low down torque like a twin and still has a high rev power of a four. Brilliant! The YCC-T (Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle) and YCC-I (Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake) continue.

Taking a leaf out of Suzuki books, Yamaha have given the R1 a D-MODE switch which gives the rider a choice of three throttle control maps. The B Mode is for less sharp responses (wet conditions) while the A Mode lets the rider enjoy the quick responses in a low and mid range. The normal mode is the regular maniac mode for those brave souls who want to really exploit the capabilities of the R1.

Chassis parts have been upgraded as well. The frame is all new and the swing arm is new as well as more rigid than before. The subframe is now made entirely out of magnesium, thereby reducing weight. Another thing making its way to the R1 from the M1 is the SOQI front suspension. Here the compression duties are handled by the left fork while rebound duties are handled by the right fork. The steering damper is electronically actuated unit. The footrests are adjustable with a 15mm height and 3mm front to rear adjustment.



The ram air intakes are now integrated with the headlights and the whole look of the bike is a bit too Kawasaki for my liking. Also there is a gear position indicator and a programmable shift light. The later comes handy on the track.

So a lot of new features at only a little more than before make the flagship Yamaha a winning proposition. So those of you who have got the dough and have been itching to get one, wait a little longer and you can have the very latest by the beginning of next year.

Yamaha FZ16 Launched - Detailed Specs And Pictures

India Yamaha Motor's second offering in the 150cc category is the FZ16. The company has launched the bike today in Goa. The bike is loaded with features like the full digital display, monoshock rear suspension, tubeless tires front and rear. The bike features one of the widest rear tire of any motorcycles in the market today. The design of the bike has been derived from the FZ1000 sold in the international markets.


The bike sports a carburetted 153cc engine making 14PS of power. Gearbox is a regulation five speed unit with a one down four up shift pattern. The foot pegs are rear set and with a short handlebar should provide a sporty riding position. The instrumentation is an all LCD affair, but looks a bit garish with the mix of different colours thrown in. The suspension at the rear is a monoshock while the front gets a thick pair of telescopic forks.


No kick starting this bike with the electric start being the only means to get the engine up and running. Retardation duties are performed by disk brake up front and a drum rear. The bike has been priced at Rs. 65000 (ex-showroom) and is right in the ball park as far as the competition goes.


Expect a fuel efficiency in the region of 45 kmpl. Being a Yamaha it most definitely will be a good handling package and for once Yamaha have given the bike a fat pair of tires. Competition better watch out.


Specs


Engine
Engine type - Air-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, 2-valve
Displacement - 153.0cc
Bore & Stroke - 58.0 × 57.9mm
Compression ratio - 9.5:1
Maximum output - 14PS / 7500 rpm
Maximum torque - 14 N.m / 6000 rpm
Starting method - Electric starter
Lubrication type - Wet sump
Carburetor type - BS26
Clutch type - Constant Mesh wet multiplate
Ignition type - CDI
Primary/secondary reduction ratio - 3.409 / 2.857
Transmission type - Return type 5-speed

Chassis
Frame type - Diamond
Suspension (front/rear) - Telescopic / Monocross
Wheelbase - 1,335mm
Brake type(front/rear) - Hydraulic single disc / drum
Tire size (front/rear) - 100/80-17 / 140/60-R17


Dimensions
Overall Length × Width × Height - 1,975mm × 770mm × 1,045mm
Seat height - 790mm
Wheelbase - 1,335mm
Minimum ground clearance - 160mm
Dry weight/Curb weight - 126 kg / 137 kg
Fuel tank volume - 12 liters
Engine oil volume - 1.2 liters


Features

Full Digital Display

140 Section Tubeless Rear Tire










Monoshock Rear Suspension

Colours

Wallpapers

Images courtsey: India Yamaha Motors

2009 Honda City Launched In Thailand

Honda has launched the new City in the Thai market. The same model is also due for the Indian car market and will be out in a short time. The Thai model is powered by a 1.5 liter i-VTEC engine making 120 bhp. Two transmission options are either a five speed manual or an automatic. Company also claims better fuel efficiency figures than before.

The current car looks anything but outdated and though some people didn’t like its looks almost everybody wanted it. And Honda being Honda, have decided that the dolphin looks is passé and its time to get in a replacement. The new car gets the new Honda family looks with the three slat grille and thin long and very Civic-ish headlamps. The design is taut and looks sporty and thankfully not something that we would have to train ourselves to get used to like the last time.

The trim levels for India, I am not really sure about. But rest assured it will be loaded, relatively speaking. Expect the engine to be tuned to make around 110 bhp to deal with the fuel quality here. Pricing will be premium compared to the rivals and I expect the top end variant to hover just below the cheapest Civic.

Toyota Corolla Altis Launched

Toyota Kirloskar Motors have finally launched the new Corolla, badged the Corolla Altis. The pricing starts at Rs. 10.80 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and goes all the way up to Rs. 12.8 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) which at first sight looks par for the course.

The car comes packed with features like the HID head lamps, head lamp washer, auto dimming rear view mirrors, power adjust for driver seat and even cruise control. The same 1.8 liter engine powers the Altis but now makes 130 bhp, about 7 bhp up from the outgoing model.



Transmissions on offer are a five speed manual and a four speed auto with a manual mode. The triptronic though doesn’t have paddle shifts behind the steering. The company also claims better fuel efficiency than before.

Another battle in the making with the Civic then?

GM Upgrades The Tavera

General Motors has launched a new variant of the Tavera called the Tavera Neo-2. The car has been clocking at par figures thanks mainly to the taxi operators taking a liking to its fuel efficiency and space combo. This time though GM have made it a little more up-market and have tried to make it more family friendly to lure in the family man.



Lots of goodies are on offer. Like the individual captain seats for the middle row (a la the Innova), new steering wheel, rotary knobs for the air conditioning, leather seats, twin glove boxes, etc.

On the outside the nose is slightly altered with a bigger grille and an equally bigger Chevy bow tie logo. But all this also costs a little more, and at approximately Rs. 9.55 lakh (ex-showroom) in Delhi it certainly isn’t cheap. Also on the horizon though is Toyota with an upgrade of the Innova. Watch this space.

You Think It – You Blog It

I am quite frankly getting sick and tired of this. Any given day at least one brilliant idea for a post does a proper sortie in my head. Takeoff, barrel rolls, cobra maneuver, dog fight, refueling and a proper landing to wrap things up. This can be anything really, from cars to motorcycles, phones, technology, blah blah blah. The works.

Now the thing is that by some crazy miracle of god, either I don’t get the time to write it down (I write on a paper first) or completely forget about it. Also I am a bit of a laid back character (people often make the mistake of labeling me lazy) and I don’t know how but the whole thing just takes a leave of absence without submitting an application.

Then after a few days this idea will saunter back into my brain again. I will again evaluate the whole thing over and as soon as I am about to put it into words, someone else has already done it. This is either in the papers, their blogs or magazines.

I simply hate this. Not their work, but this lack of time. Also putting something similar on the blog would seem like I am copying their stuff. I don’t want to be included in that list of people who have no problem lifting other people’s works. I simply don’t know what to do about this whole thing.

Bajaj To Launch Platina 125 DTS-Si Electric Start

The 125cc segment is getting crowdier (is that the word?) by the day. Buyers want more power without sacrificing on fuel efficiency and manufacturers are only happy to oblige with new launches, better margins of course.

In an earlier post I had written about three new 125cc motorcycles coming out from Bajaj stables, one of which would be a bigger Platina. Well, the company has confirmed the eminent launch in its press release today.



The production of the Platina 125 will commence this month and you can expect the motorcycle in showrooms soon. The engine doing duty on the new variant will be the same as on the XCD. So it will be equally fuel efficient and torquey too. Just hope Bajaj differentiates the new variant from its smaller cousin.

Press Release:

In keeping with its 125cc + segment focus, Bajaj will commence production of the new Platina 125 DTS-Si Electric Start in September’08, targeting 10.000 units in the very first month.

This follows the successful launch of the new Discover 135 DTS-i, in August’08 of which 27,091 units were sold in its very first month.

By virtue of these introductions and the growing popularity of the 125cc + segment in which it is the leader, Bajaj expects its domestic motorcycle sales to register double digit growth in the second half of FY09.

Similarly, Commercial Vehicle sales are expected to grow in the second half of FY09 on the back of two new products, one each in the passenger and the goods segments.

Export growth is on plan.

Sushil Kumar And Vijender Singh Win Bronze At Olympics

Many many congratulations to grappler Sushil Kumar and pugulist Vijender Singh for having won a Bronze Medal each in their weight catagories. Boys, you've done the country proud. Keep up the good work.

New Tata Indica Vista Launched – Specs And Pictures

Tata Motors today launched the all new Indica Vista after showcasing the same at the Auto Expo earlier this year. The new Indica Vista is bigger than the V2 mostly on the interior space front. The car looks exactly like it should, that is a bigger Indica. Car comes is seven trim levels and seven colour options.

The new car comes with a choice of three engine options, a petrol and two diesels. The petrol is a 1.2 liter Saffire engine making 65 bhp of power and 96 Nm of torque. The two diesels are a 1.3 liter Quadrajet (Multijet in Fiat speak) making 75 bhp of power and more importantly a whopping 190 Nm of torque. Both the engines are being manufactured at the Fiat – Tata joint venture engine plant at Ranjangaon in Maharashtra. The third engine is the same 1.4 liter TDI which has been improved further and mated to a slicker shifting gearbox. The engine makes 71 bhp of power and 135 Nm of torque.

On the outside the car sports the new design upfront with the honeycomb grille and a center character line on the hood. Side on the car looks like an Indica and the rear continues with the Christmas tree tail lamps.

The interiors now use better quality bits. The instrument cluster now moves to the center and driver gets height adjustable seats. The steering is tilt adjustable too. A 2 – DIN music system with a USB port and remote improves the desirability quotient. Lots of storage spaces are provided with under seat box capable of holding a laptop. Thoughtful touches like the rear wiper switching on when reverse is engaged when the front wipers are on is not usually seen in this class, at least not in India.

The car comes with a best in class 24 month (75000 kms) warranty. But the best part of it all is the price. The car starts at Rs. 3.49 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi) for the 1.2 Liter petrol and goes up to Rs. 4.88 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi) for the 1.3 Liter Quadrajet diesel. The TDI continues at the same cost as the V2 TDI did. Airbags and ABS will follow when the car is launched in the international markets. The pricing is killer and should give the competition a really tough time.

Four versions of the V2 will be on sale. These are the 1.2 Xeta, 1.4 naturally aspirated IDI, DICOR and TCIC diesel.

Chevrolet Cruze Coming Soon

The Optra has not had as much success in the country as GM would have liked. First it was the Corolla and now it’s the Civic that has been giving it a hard time. Even the introduction of a diesel engine and a SRV front end has not helped much. So the next best thing to do is to get in a fresh model. Enter the Cruze.

The car in the pictures is the Chevrolet Cruze that will go on sale in Europe next year. So it should be available in India by late next year I suppose. The engine options on the European version will be 16 valve 1.6 liter and 1.8 liter petrol engines making 112 bhp and 140 bhp respectively. Also available will be a 2.0 liter turbo diesel making 150 bhp and a very impressive 320 Nm of torque. A five speed manual and a six speed auto will do the duty of transferring power to the wheels.

As far as the design is concerned, the Cruze is not going to win any beauty pageants. Not a bad looking car, but not a great looking car either. GM are doing the four door coupe thing with the Cruze, which most often than not results in reduced headroom for the rear passengers. On the inside the Cruze has the ‘twin cockpit’ thing going on, supposed to be inspired from the Corvette GM says.

When it does come to India, expect it to sell along side the Optra, taking on the soon to be launched Altis and the segment leader Civic.

Auto News Update - August 2008

VW Beetle coming to India
Hitler’s dream, Ferdinand Porsche’s child is coming to India. The Beetle will most likely make it to our shores by next year and will cost more than what a few luxury cars cost. Fiat has already got the 500 here and the Bravo is coming too. So can Europe’s biggest car manufacturer be left behind? Obviously the company is not looking at it as a big seller. Instead it will be the face of the company and show the people here what VW is capable of.

Honda sells 300,000 units launches Civic Sports
A little more than a decade ago, Honda set up its Indian subsidiary Honda Siel Cars Limited and launched the City. Since then the model has gone through three major changes already and a fourth is in line. In the mean time the Accord also came and so did the CR-V. No small car though. So how many cars do you think they have sold in this period? Don’t know? 300,000 cars. No small cars, only sedans and SUVs. To celebrate the feat, the company has launched a limited edition of the Civic, called the Civic Sports. The car will come with a boot spoiler, side skirts, white wheels and Sports badging all round. No change to the engine, but then it already is a jewel. Oh before I forget, only 1000 will be made with the serial number displayed inside the cabin so hurry.

Happy Independence Day

Best wishes to everybody on the occasion of the 61st Independence Day of the nation.

Bajaj KTM To Make More Than Just Motorcycles – Three New Vehicles Under Development

If you thought that the only thing Bajaj and KTM were working on was motorcycles, then get ready for this. Not only are the two companies working on a liquid cooled 125-250cc platform, but also under development are a trike, a scooter and an intra city budget car.

The car will be an intro city runabout with a seating capacity of four. Expect it to be a good handler and frugal as well. No confirmation if it will come to India, since Bajaj is already working on a car with Renault.

The scooter though will make it to your nearest Bajaj dealership. No details yet, but if it has even an ounce of KTM blood in it, be rest assured it will be a hoot to ride.

The trike will most likely be a load carrier.

Abhinav Bindra Wins Gold At Beijing Olympics

Abhinav Bindra won the first individual gold medal for the country today at the Olympics. He won the gold in the 10 meter air rifle event. Many many congratulations to Abhinav!!

Bajaj Alters 125cc Platform Strategy

The second largest two wheeler manufacturer in the country, in a bid to consolidate its position in the market has redrawn its strategy for the 125cc platform. There will be three platform levels in place. The top rung occupied by the Discover, Pulsar and Avenger models. The middle tier being occupied by the XCD platform, while the lowest by the Platina.

There are going to be new launches in the months of September, November and in February. The extravagantly styled XCD Sprint will be the last of these launches, which means it would be the last to come out in February.

Now the interesting bit of news is that a 125cc version of the Platina will be rolled out. The reason behind this, according to Rajiv Bajaj is that they "…had earlier kicked off with the Boxer and CT 100 in this segment but they were easy to imitate and competing models quickly joined the arena. Even when we added interesting features to the Platina, it was only a matter of months before competition followed suit”.

But with the 125cc version of Platina he says, "An electric start 125cc would positively take two years to imitate quite unlike the past where we saw competing models emerge in six months".

The thing is that there are already 125cc models from various manufacturers in the market and bringing out a competing model shouldn’t be as hard, unless the bigger Platina is as fuel efficient as the 100cc variant and only slightly higher priced. Bajaj have a knack of pricing their motorcycles competitively and till now no other manufacturer has been able to match the price - efficiency combo of the XCD either.

But one must remember that they used to have a 125cc variant of the Platina before the Platina. Wind 125 anyone?

Jaguar Back At LeMans

It was the late 50s when Jaguar raced and won the LeMans 24 Hours with the D-Type, winning five times. The cat was also there at LeMans as recently as 1988 and 1990, again winning.



So how long will they stay away from racing? Not long if Ratan Tata has his way. In a recent Annual General Meeting, the Chairman had commented about the possibility of a return to LeMans.

Although no time table is in place, at least they are thinking about it.

A-Star To Debut In Paris

January this year Maruti showcased the A-Star concept at the Auto Expo. The production model of which is about to debut at Paris in October. The car is the new Alto in the international markets, whereas in India it is expected to be sold as the A-Star alongside the current Alto.

Power comes courtesy a 1 liter engine meeting Euro 5 emission norms. The new engine is expected to be fuel efficient as well. The car will be produced in India and be exported to its international markets from the country.


Nissan also has a contract with Suzuki to produce 50,000 units of the A-Star to be badged as Nissan for sale in Europe.

Although similarities in design to the i10 can’t be missed with the bulging headlamps, raised bonnet, grille integrated in the bumper and the upward kink in the rear doors. Is it just me or two different companies reading the safety regulations ever so closely?

Toyota Prius Coming To India

Expect Toyota to retaliate to everything Honda does and vice a versa. Both companies have been at it in the Indian market as well, with the Civic-Corolla and Accord-Camry battles before.

Now that Honda has introduced the Civic hybrid, Toyota is going to bring in the most successful hybrid car of all times, the Prius, to our shores. "We are preparing to bring Prius into the Indian market though we have not set any timeline yet," said Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltd vice-chairman Vikram Kirloskar.

The Prius runs on a 1.3liter petrol engine as well as an electric motor powered by batteries. It is one of the most fuel efficient cars in the world and also one of the least polluting. Its cult status in US, its biggest market, can be gauged by the figures of 592,000 units since launch. Also the fact that Hollywood celebrities vouch for it, doesn’t do any harm to it’s reputation. Overall the Prius has clocked more than one million units world wide.

Toyota had recently introduced the plug-in variant of the Prius to increase its range. The plug-in variant can be plugged into any electric socket and the batteries can be charged when the car is not being used. This helps in improving fuel efficiency further since the fuel that would have been used in charging the batteries is saved.

Whenever it comes, expect it to be priced at a premium over similarly sized cars and to be imported as a CBU.

Auto Sector News Update

Mahindra Kinetic Deal: Mahindra & Mahindra who had evinced interest in entering the two wheeler segment earlier have entered into an agreement with Kinetic Motor to form a joint venture company which will be called Mahindra Kinetic Scooters and Motorcycles. Mahindra will own 80% stake in the new company and Kinetic will own the rest. Mahindra have agreed to buy the manufacturing assets of Kinetic for Rs. 110 crore. The utility major have been planning a foray into the two wheeler market for a while now, with news of a joint venture with a Chinese manufacturer also filtering through and reports of interest in buying MV Agusta recently.

Mahindra have also recently bought an Italian two wheel design house called Engines Engineering. What is not clear as of now is whether the Taiwanese major SYM, which holds an 11% stake in Kinetic is a part of the venture or not.

Chrysler talking to Tata, Fiat: The No. 3 manufacturer in the US market, Chrysler is said to be in talks with Tata Motors for sale of its Jeep Wrangler in the Indian car market as well as other Asian markets where Tata has reach. Also Chrysler is talking to Fiat for lease of its production units in the US.

Discussions with Tata also include the sale of the electric version of the Ace mini truck. Tata had earlier shown the battery powered version of the Ace.

In other news Fiat will now handle the financing of Jaguar and Land Rover in Europe while Tata is open to the idea of Fiat selling the Nano in markets where Tata is still not present.

Poll Result - Lakh Rupee Motorcycle

The result of the poll is here. Most number of you would buy the new Yamaha YZF R15, 40% to be exact. While 20% would wait for a better machine to come out. The interesting thing is that 60% votes went against the Yammy. I was expecting a lot less. But still it seems the R15 is a favorite among the bikers compared to the other similarly priced motorcycles.

The next poll though is about cars. I would like to know about your buying preferences again. Vote people, vote.

New Bajaj Discover 135 Launched

Bajaj Auto has introduced first of its promised four launches in the 125cc category for the current fiscal. Although it is not what most of us were anticipating, but anyhow the Discover 135 has been upgraded.

The new model features the following changes:

Racer breed tank mounted spoilers with integrated indicators
Striking new dual tone graphics
Digital speedometer with tachometer and reserve fuel indicator
All new aggressive front fairing
Nitrox Suspension & front disc brake (Sports version only)
Wider rear tyre and racing wheel stripes (Sports version only)


The three versions in which the Discover 135 is now available are the Sports, Electric Start and Kick Start. These are priced between Rs. 46,248(ex-showroom) to Rs. 51,895(ex-showroom).

This launch leaves three more launches in the 125cc segment from Bajaj. As regards to the Discover brand, it seems good strategy to not slap a completely new design on the face of the customers in the form of the soon to be launched Discover 150. So the Discover brand is not going to move up the ladder into the 150cc ballpark completely as was thought but straddle between 125 and 150.

But given Bajaj’s penchant for dropping models without as much as a whimper tells me it is quite possible still.

Volkswagen Looking To Expand Range - Beetle Might Be Launched

After launching the Jetta in the market, Volkswagen is looking to expand its product range and is quite bullish about the Indian market. Models currently under consideration are the Passat CC, Tiguan SUV and the Beetle.

Beetle will be a perfect car for Volkswagen to have in its lineup, having a sort of halo effect on the rest of the range. If it comes, it definitely will come through the CBU route.

Next year the S-Class rival, the Phaeton will be launched. Also the production of the Polo based hatch back and sedan version of the same are slated for production in the upcoming plant.

Fiat 500 Launched

Fiat has launched the highly acclaimed small car, the 500 in the country. The car has been launched in only two trims, and only one engine option, unlike Europe, where a buyer can customize the car in any which way possible. The car comes to our shores via the CBU route.

The engine powering the retro modern design is the same 1.3 liter 75 bhp unit found under the hood of the Palio and the Swift. ABS and EBD is standard feature. Top Speed is a little above 160 kmph mark. Airbags are also a given, considering the car was given a five star rating by NCAP. There is even an airbag which protects the knees.

It costs about Rs. 14.30 lakh (ex-showroom) in Delhi, so it is obviously not meant for everybody. Unless you are a millionaire and the wife has been pestering you for a self driven car, here is a perfect car for the lady. Don’t think twice before buying it. She will love you even more.