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.