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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Mahindra Mini Xylo Facelift Coming in Next 24 hours


Mahindra Mini Xylo is coming soon to set this festive season on fire. The Xylo facelift will make its debut in the next 24 hours. This has been one of the most talked about vehicles after the launch of the highly successful XUV500 and looks there is no stopping the SUV maker. The Xylo facelift has been spied under strenuous conditions and looks like it will be a vehicle that will successfully meet the challenges on the terrain.

The company has not at all hurried the process of launch and is leaving no stone unturned to make the Mini Xylo deliver the best performance in all possible conditions. Recently the Xylo facelift has been spied in the icy conditions of Scandinavia in Europe.

Previously the company has received overwhelming response with the facelift launch of the Mahindra Scorpio, Mahindra Bolero and even the Mahindra Verito. The facelift version of the Xylo becomes all the more important because the original version of Mahindra Xylo has not been able to repeat the success like some its other cousins. All the details regarding the Mahindra Mini Xylo have been kept under tight wraps.

In terms of the pricing the Mahindra Mini Xylo is expected to knock the sails off the premium hatchbacks with a price tag of Rs 5 Lakhs. The Xylo Mini is also expected to come with the same chassis but will be shortened aptly suiting its Mini tag. The 2.5 CRDe engine of Mahindra Xylo is also expected to be reduced to 1.5-litres and reductions include one cylinder, bore and stroke. The Mahindra Mini Xylo will have only two row of seats there by limiting the seating capacity to five.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Renault Pulse Petrol Coming Soon


Renault Pulse will soon be available in both the fuel variants. The car is already available in the robust diesel engine. However, it will soon be available in the refined petrol engine also. This is really a contrasting move from the company considering that most of its vehicles were running on diesel. In fact the first car Renault India brought on was Renault Fluence sedan, which was available in both diesel as well as petrol variant. Later the Koleos SUV entered the market which is only offered in diesel version.

The petrol variant of Renault Pulse will be having a 1.2 litre, 3 cylinder petrol engine which will delivers 80 BHP of power. Strangely, one would also be eagerly be awaiting the price tag of the Renault Pulse because the Renault Fluence petrol price is higher than its diesel version. The petrol version of Renault Fluence sedan has automatic transmission, whereas the diesel version has been bestowed with the manual gearbox. Therefore, there is a slight possibility that Renault Pulse petrol variant might be blessed with an automatic gearbox.

This means that the Renault Pulse which has been inspired from the Nissan Micra platform will be costlier than its inspiration in the market. The Renault Pulse diesel has a 4 cylinder in-line K9K diesel engine with a displacement of 1461 cc which delivers 64 Ps of peak power at 4000 rpm and 160 Nm of torque at 2000 rpm.

The Robust diesel vehicle also delivers a highly robust mileage of 23.08 kmpl and hits the 100 km mark in just 14.5 seconds with a top speed of 160 kmph. This means the car is a nippy mover on the busy city streets and good hitch on the long escapades as well.

The Renault Pulse weighs just 970 kg. The length of Renault Pulse is 3805 mm. The width is 1665 mm with a height of 1525 mm. The wheel base of Renault Pulse is 2450 mm. The base model of Pulse diesel (RxL) has been priced very competitively at Rs. 5.77 lakhs while the top-end RxZ version is priced at Rs.6.25 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. Renault Pulse competes with likes of the Nissan Micra, Honda Jazz and the Volkswagen Polo in the premium hatchback segment.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

BMW X6 In A New Avatar


BMW revealed the first official pictures of the updated X6 SAV (Sport-Activity Vehicle). At first, one might not notice the difference at all, but upon careful inspection one should notice a plethora of changes from the front to back.

BMW X6, the multi faceted SUV with the stance of a coupé will be available in a face lifted version in the global markets sometime in mid-2012. The makeover includes relocated foglights, which now sit high up in the outer air inlets. The grille is now louder with the addition of optional adaptive LED headlamps; these come as standard on the new performance-oriented BMW X6M as do the blue aluminium brake callipers. The bravado of this car is admirable and it has loads of personality.

The makeovers on the back side include a new horizontally mounted twin LED light banks that add weight age to the car’s width. The new paint finishes in the form of Marrakech Brown metallic, Orion Silver metallic and Midnight Blue metallic and new bi-color, along with double spoke 19-inch alloys for the BMW X6 xDrive 50i model complete the makeover job. On the inside, there are two new upholstery color choices of Ivory White Nappa Leather and Vermillion Red Nevada Leather.

The X6 is also equipped with an M-diesel engine. The desi audience gets the X6 xDrive50i with a 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine and an X6 xDrive30d. If rumors are to be believed, the new X5 and the X6 could also get an eight-speed gearbox. The X6’s suspension is tuned tightly to make it sporty, but some argue that it makes life difficult for the daily smooth terrainer. The new transmission is said to increase performance in both X6 models. The xDrive35i is claimed to be quicker by 0.2 second, whereas the twin-turbo V-8 xDrive50i is faster by 0.1 second off. It is expected to compete with its brother BMW X5 and its rival Audi Q7 in Indian market.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Mercedes Benz GL SUV Launched in India


Mercedes Benz GL Grand Edition makes its debut in India in a face lifted version. The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is a full-size crossover SUV built by the German carmaker Mercedes-Benz. Built to seat 7 in reasonable comfort, the GL-Class is the Mercedes-Benz of choice for those who want more than just a luxury car. With SUVs becoming a hot favorite in India in the recent past, so much so that the GL has been a runaway success in India. The GL-Class is a fusion of elegance, style and off-road capability.

The Mercedes-Benz GL350 CDI Blue Efficiency comes with a 2987cc engine with six-cylinder mated to a seven-speed transmission. The GL350 produces 221bhp, whereas the E350 CDI produces 228bhp and the ML350CDI produces 234bhp.This oilburner churns out 221bhp of power at 3800rpm and has a maximum torque of 510Nm packed in it. The SUV hits the 100kph mark in 10.7 seconds.

The new GL features a reworked front-end that gets a bigger grille with three horizontal chrome-bars and a slightly-larger and more prominent three-pointed star at the center. The front bumper is re-profiled as well and the head-lamps now get dark-tints too. Additional styling updates include new paint shades and re-styled 20-inch alloy wheels. Interior enhancements for the Grand Edition include black / porcelain and black / maroon leather upholstery, velour floor mats and a ‘Grand Edition’ badge on the centre console.

Standard on all GL-class models are features like the 4MATIC all-wheel drive, AIRMATIC air suspension, Direct-Steer system and the Adaptive Damping System. It also gets PARKTRONIC and COMAND APS system with a reversing camera. Additional features include off-road ABS, Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR) and Hill-Start Assist.

The GL ‘Grand Edition’ comes in two variants; Executive which is priced at Rs 60.9 lakh and Luxury retailing at Rs 65.5 lakh (all prices ex-showroom). The Mercedes Benz SUV competes with the likes of Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Volvo XC90.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Maruti Swift Dzire 2012 Starts from Rs. Rs 4.79 lakh


Maruti Swift Dzire goes 2.0 with its next generation avatar. The new Swift Dzire starts from Rs 4.79lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Like the old Dzire, the new is also available in both petrol and diesel engine options. Most importantly the new Swift Dzire has made the sub-four-metre cut and hence is cheaper than the current Dzire available in the market. The 2012 variant will also be offered as a four-speed automatic petrol variant.

The entry level petrol (LXi) variant starts at Rs 4.79 lakh, and goes up to Rs 6.19 lakh for the top-end ZXi variant. The automatic is only available in the VXi variant at Rs 6.54 lakh. The entry level diesel version starts at Rs 5.80 lakh and Rs 7.09 lakh for the top-end.

The new Dzire makes its entry in to the compact saloon category and this makes it quite different from the current variant. The car is shorter by 165mm at 3995mm. This means the boot gets shorter and will more or less look like a notchback instead of a proper sedan. The 316 litres boot space is a on a tight leash but is still good enough to hold the weekend’s luggage.

The power mills are the same 86bhp, 1.2-litre petrol and 74bhp, 1.3-litre diesel motors. The K-Series petrol engine is peppier by 2bhp compared to the older car. The 1.3-litre DDiS motor remains mainly unchanged.

In terms of the looks, the compact sedan manages to look different from its hatchback cousin – the Swift. The slatted grille at the front and wider air dam along with bigger fog light capsules are the makeovers at the exteriors.

On the backside, the quarter glass is now more typical along with bigger doors. The interior cabin is not much alien except for the odd beige plastics on the lower portion of the dashboard and door pads and the light seat fabrics really enhance the ambience inside.

On the road, the petrol Dzire hits the 0-100kph mark in 12.6 sec, while the diesel Dzire would take 14.8 secs for the same. The new Maruti Swift Dzire competes with the likes of the Tata Indigo eCS, Toyota Etios and the Mahindra Verito.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Volkswagen Vento Has a Fiery Start


Volkswagen Vento had a fiery start at 7.42 am near Vaishali restaurant on Fergusson College road on Monday morning. Kailash Suresh Gupta, 40-year-old car owner, luckily managed to escape with help of passers-by pulled him out of the car after a struggle. Gupta got locked inside his Volkswagen Vento and was saved by other commuters, who pulled him out after breaking the windows of the car.

The fiery start on the morning has sent shivers down Volkswagen Vento buyers. The owner of the car had his seatbelt on and people had to struggle to get him out. Rakesh, Gupta's brother said the car company later took the vehicle in its possession and officials were trying to ascertain the fault that caused the fire.

"We have been informed by company officials that company authorities from Germany will be flying in to India to ascertain what went wrong," Gupta said. Rakesh said his brother had purchased the car not even a year ago and had recently got it serviced.

"Commuters present on FC Road saved my brother," Rakesh said. "Passers-by broke the glass to pull Gupta out from the burning car as he was trapped inside and was unable to get out." Unfortunately, Gupta before being rescued has 60 per cent injuries on his face, hand and legs and has been undergoing treatment at Surya Hospital.

The Deccan police said Gupta, a grocery shop owner in Kasarwadi, had gone for his daily exercise on the University of Pune campus. Later he had stopped over for breakfast at Vaishali. As he started off again from there, his car caught fire.

The fire brigade rushed to the spot and the flames were doused in about 10 minutes. The Deccan police said the fire was caused by a short circuit and as the car got locked up it became difficult for Gupta to come out. Recently, the Tata Nano was also in the news when it burst into flames. Even in the global market, The Japanese car maker Mazda recalls 65,000 cars due to poisonous spiders attack.