Chevrolet Sail makes it to India

Chevrolet Sail is speculated to be the successor of the Chevrolet Aveo. The Chevrolet Sail goes highly aggressive with the sharp front. If not for the logo of the company on the front grille the car would have been as bare as a desert. The newly awaited Sail is not much of an alien in terms of looks compared to the outgoing model. However one cannot expect the same treatment for the interiors which is expected to be quite different from the current version.

The car is speculated to come with a 1.2 L petrol engine or it can also come with a higher 1.4 L engine capacity. The car is also expected to come in the diesel variant as well going by the current fuel prices for gasoline. However the diesel engine will not be the robust diesel powertrain type.

The car is expected to hook the 1.3 L Fiat diesel engine for the Sail. All the details including the price of the car and the specification all have been kept under tight wraps for a big surprise. The car will look to be a little different in terms of its approach to the market and will not follow the herd by going for the volumes. Instead the car will look to attract or satisfy a particular set of target audience. This is clearly evident from the bold and flat front of the car which wants to make a statement that it’s different from the rest of the folks.

The Chevrolet Aveo could not match up to the market expectations and had Luke warm responses. The company has wasted no time and energy worrying about the past and has come up with an ideal reply to its previous folly. The company very well realizes the intense heat in the up the car market and is playing the game to its strength.

The company is looking to firmly establish an image for itself in the market. It is in fact working towards the long term goal of boosting the sales and increases their market share. The car will compete with the likes of the upcoming Maruti Swift Dzire and Tata Manza. The Chevrolet Sail is specifically being developed for the domestic car market and if rumors are to be believed the car is already available in the China in both the sedan and hatchback versions.

Hyundai I10 Needs No Petrol

Hyundai i10 has taken stock of the rising fuel prices and has wasted no time in coming up with an LPG variant to the already popular and best selling hatchback from Hyundai India. The non petrol variant of the Hyundai i10 BlueDrive will come with a 1.1 Liter IRDE2 engine. The car will lack the same muscle power and also be smaller in size compared to the 1.2 Liter Kappa VTVT engine. All this drawbacks do trickle down to a more fuel efficient car compared to its predecessors. Seizing the opportunity the Hyundai i10 BlueDrive will look to capitalize on the high fuel efficiency quotient.

The LPG car comes is available in two variants of Era and Magna. The Era comes at a cost of 4.16 Lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi while the Magna is priced at INR 4.3 Lakhs. The car has a fuel tank capacity of 34 liters which comes with a factory fitted LPG tank. The car is already open to bookings and you can expect the deliveries to happen within the next few weeks. This is also looked upon as Hyundai’s answer to its competitors who have diesel variants as well.

The bad news on the other hand is that the new Hyundai i10 BlueDrive LPG variant comes at a price that is expensive by Rs. 27,000. However in the long run it is a reasonable amount of money to pay for the cheaper LPG fuel option. As a fuel option, the Hyundai i10 BlueDrive still retains the petrol tank as a standard. You can easily switch from one mode to another with the dashboard mounted switch.

The boot space has managed to keep its space with a toroidal fuel tank design thereby occupying the least space for the LPG tank. The other notable feature worth a mention is the alternator management system (AMS) which essentially regulates charging of the battery during acceleration and deceleration.
Do not expect the alternator system to boost power supplies though one must commend Hyundai for packing such an advanced for entry level hatchback car. Looks like times are changing and Hyundai has already begun the change.The Hyundai i10 BlueDrive is expected to compete with the likes of Chevrolet Beat and the Maruti WagonR who also have a LPG variant.

New Skoda Yeti Unveiled In India

Skoda Yeti finally showed its colours in India although we might have to wait a bit longer for the official launch. The Czech auto maker unveiled its 4X2 off-roader. The previous launch of the Skoda Yeti did not do much to ring in the cash registers due its high pricing as compared to its opponents in the same segment. Initially the car did manage to start off on a high with a decent sale of around 200 vehicles per month but over the long run and in the current period the car barely manages 50 units per month.

The newly launched version of the Skoda Yeti is quite cheaper compared to the earlier 4X4 car and is sure looking to make amends for the previous loss in the sales numbers. The current 4X2 car is a front wheel drive which is run by a less robust engine.The 2.0L TDI power-train garners up to 110 bhp at 4200 rpm of maximum power along with a maximum torque of 250Nm at 1500 to 2500 rpm. The engine is equipped with a five speed manual gear box. The new variant is also lighter in weight in comparison to the previously heavier Skoda Yeti. The car is quite off beat and bold and is offered in a single variant only that is named as Active compared to the earlier cars which were also offered in Elegance and Ambition variants as well.

We have to wait some more time for the official launch. There has been no announcement by the company and the exact price is also being kept under the wraps by Skoda’s dealerships. The car will still be expected to be cheaper by INR 2-2.5 Lakhs in the new 4X2 variant. The car has not changed much in terms of the outer looks and matches the former 4X4 variant in most aspects. The changes though are expected to make their way in the interiors of Skoda Yeti 4X2.

In India Skoda sells the high end sedan variants like the Skoda Laura and Skoda Superb. Recently the company launched its entry level sedan the Skoda Rapid and the Skoda Fabia hatchback.

Renault Duster Is Open To Sharing

Renault Duster has fallen prey to the re-badging concept. Nissan has entered a partnership with Renault like most of the car makers who make a partnership with another company to build a car which the company does not hold by itself. This means that Nissan will come up with a car built on the same platform like the Renault Duster.

This move is looked upon as highly cost efficient process and also leads to larger options for the consumers to look for. All the company has to do is enter a tie up and have some meetings over the dinner and then you have a car that you wanted.This is in fact a first time in the re-badging era where by an upcoming car is sharing its platform with another upcoming car. Nissan and Renault are already sharing the platform of Nissan Micra and Renault Pulse. This time around though Nissan will be returning the favour by sharing the platform of the upcoming Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) Renault Duster. This is will be a Nissan badged five-seater SUV. Renault Duster is a compact SUV and will be hitting the Indian shores in the early 2012.

Renault is a Paris-France based automaker while Nissan comes from Yokohama-Japan and both these allies have been in the sharing business from the year 1999.Others that have also followed suit to the rebadging of vehicles among the current crop of companies are the Volkswagen Vento and the Skoda Rapid. In the hatchback segment Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia followed by the current Nissan Micra and Renault Pulse.

The sharing of platform and rebadging works for companies only if they are willing to deliver some value to each other in terms of sales and after sales services. There have also been instances of some ugly fights like the Renault and Mahindra partnership which turned to be quite a soar experience for the both the companies.

Maruti Suzuki WagonR Votes for Diesel

Maruti Suzuki Wagon R could very be available in diesel version as well. The current trend is looked upon as result of the booming fuel prices and the poor automobile sales in the recent past. The company would like to retain its sales figures by comforting the audience with the launch of a diesel variant for its car models.

In this direction the first car likely to get the nod for the diesel variant is the WagonR hatchback which would be powered by a diesel power-train. The move augurs well for the company because currently over ninety percent of the car sales are gobbled up by the hatchback segment and going by the diminishing sales of these giant killers, it looks like a step in the right direction.Even other competitors are following suit with the likes of the Chevrolet which recently unveiled the diesel version of the Chevrolet Beat and the future trend could very well be going the diesel way.

The car is speculated to be powered by diesel engine with a 1.3 Litre and four cylinder engine which will have the maximum power of 58PS and deliver a maximum torque of 150Nm. The expected mileage of the vehicle is expected to be around 25 km.

If all goes well with the diesel version of the Wagon R the company could very well dole out the diesel versions of its other models as well. The future market surely looks well for the diesel cousins. The company already offers the Maruti Suzuki Swift and Maruti Dzire and the Maruti Suzuki SX4 in the diesel version.

The diesel variant will however come with some strings attached to it in the form of a price hike of up to Rs 80,000 or higher. Currently, the Maruti Wagon R price stands around Rs 4.20 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for top-end petrol variant. Meanwhile if you are feeling the pinch of the fuel prices you can have some solace by going in for the Maruti Suzuki WagonR DUO which is a LPG variant of the hatchback and comes at modes price of 3.35 lakh onwards.

Skoda Rapid Launched

Skoda Rapid comes as a no exception and is the latest to join the bandwagon of cars sharing the same platform. This is the norm with most auto makers who have many other cars under them. Some even go to the extent of selling the same cars with a different name. The Volkswagen family is one of the biggest in the auto segment and has many big whigs like the VW itself, Skoda, and Audi. Even in the past most of the models from Volkswagen have borne out of the same platform but they had managed to keep a unique identity for themselves.

The first looks will surely fool you into thinking that the car is nothing more than a Vento. The front end of the car gets the Fabia touch. The bonnet is the usual run of the mill with sporty looking lines and ridges for the Skoda Rapid. The grille is given a nice side profile with the big badam shaped head lights. From the front, the Rapid is like the Fabia cousin, but if you manage to look a bit steeply you will find that the extended hood rises and flows into the compact cabin making for a well dressed boot.
The back end of the car is a straightforward Vento with some tweaks to the tail lights. The space between the number plate and the tail lamps shows the presence of a ridge hitting the roof line. The Skoda also shows off its quality with the crystal cut at the boot. The Skoda Rapid has neatly integrated all the tweaks into the existing Vento style and the car surely looks to have that charm with its soft and subtle features.

On the exteriors the Rapid is more of a Skoda and it is at the insides of the car does one feel betrayed. The interiors of the Rapid are a direct rip off the Vento in terms of the same old principles of simplicity, novelty, usefulness and extremely ergonomic.
The drive wheels are a Skoda trademark with superior quality but minus the mounted controls. The trim and the shades for the dashboard have gone the effeminate way from the usual masculine black and vivacious beige of the Vento. All in all, the Rapid seems to capitalize on what the previous VW models have already proven without much fuss. The Skoda Rapid will compete with the likes of Honda City, Hyundai Verna and its own Volkswagen Vento.

Tata Nano gets a Makeover

Tata Nano has realized its drawbacks and has come up with a series of changes since its inception in March 2009. The car has taken serious note of its past mistakes and has under gone some quality renovations and the face-lifted model has a host of cosmetic changes including new seats and fabric, new front seat headrests, a beige-coloured dashboard to brighten up the interiors, passenger-side outside rear-view mirror, new wheel-cap design and floor mats and will also be available in attractive new colours.

With regard to the mechanics, the car has undergone some serious improvements. The drive wheel is the first one to get the changes and the castor-angle has been improved to reduce the steering effort which was one of the biggest complaints in the current car. The beta version also gets the tweaked suspension setup and an anti-roll bar to set right all the previous flaws in its ride and handling. The chassis has also been made stiffer by making changes to the structure with better bonding of the body panels. This will invariably ensures that the car is also improved in terms of the refinement levels.

The power factor for the new renewed Tata has also been boosted by nearly 10 percent, from 35bhp to 38bhp. This might however not reflect in the performance gain as the step-up in power has been offset by taller gearing in a bid to achieve the magical 25kpl figure which was until now a forte of the other Tata cars like the eV2 and eCS.

The engines come in a two-cylinder engine and a more powerful three-cylinder 900cc motor. These might not suit the modern standards and are a far cry from its present rivals. The new car will also come in shades of pearl-white and striking colours such as orange and green along with the current sunshine yellow. The best part is the car is not expected to come with any price revisions, which is expected to be launched later this month. The Tata Nano will look to regain some lost ground with the likes of Hyundai Eon and the Maruti Alto.

Nissan Leaf And Renault Fluence Is The Future Electric Car

Renault Fluence, Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt have already made their mark on the western markets. Now with the rising fuel prices and inflation, the Indian auto market might also go the electric way. The petrol price has shot up by over 53% in the last couple of years and the diesel prices have also been increasing by 25% not wanting to be left behind. In fact even the future trend indicates that there seems to be just no stopping. Now that India is facing the heat, the induction for electric cars in the market has become a necessity, especially due to the fuel prices that seems to be pinching even the richest of pockets.

Currently the electric version of the Renault Fluence ZE is available at a price of 13 lakhs including the subsidy provided by the government which amounts close to 1 lakh rupees. The electric versions of Nissan Leaf and Hyundai i30 also come at a price range that is somewhat similar to the Renault Fluence ZE.The government has also put the icing on the cake with the removal of import duties. This means the actual cost of the Fluence ZE or Nissan Leaf would be available with a price tag of around Rs. 17 lakhs. This means that for every kilometer you travel in the car it will cost around Rs. 0.5 per km, almost cheaper than the local calls you make from your mobile phone.

Majority of the electric cars are powered by lithium ion batteries, which gives a road run of 180 km on a full charge. This will surely augur well for the city drives. The cars will also be a huge plus with absolute silence and being offered only on automatic transmission. The drive becomes hassle-free and the linear power distribution is more than satisfactory.

One of the main hindrances in purchasing an electric car is the monthly charge that one has to pay for the battery. The cost ranges between Rs. 4500 and Rs. 6500 depending on the usage of the car. The battery may be replaced by the company at the end of 3 years and can even be swapped for another set for no additional cost.

Mitsubishi Colt Ready To Jolt

Mitsubishi Colt sketches were already released at the start of year but the car will finally see the light of the day at the Tokyo Motor Show next month. Mitsubishi will look to fill yet another gap in its business with the launch of a hatchback named the Colt. The car is speculated to be launched in the name of Mitsubishi Mirage in India.

The car will be produced in Japan and is expected to be available in Australia in the mid 2012. The car like most of its contemporaries will come with dual toned beige interiors and in a combo of black as well. The interiors of the car reveal that this dual tone style will surely go down well with the likes of the Indian audience.

The car will be good in terms of the fuel mileage due to the engine start-stop mechanism and the Alternator technology. The engine will also be sleeker which will be yet another feather in the cap to improve the fuel efficiency. On the other hand the Alternator technology will help distribute the load equally and once again invariably result in better mileage. The company is planning to come up with an electric version of the car if all goes down well with the current version.

Mitsubishi has a car for every other segment in the desi market except the entry level hatchback which is currently selling like hotcakes in India. The Mitsubishi colt specifications currently in the market comes in a 1.5 litre, four cylinder engine which generates a maximum power of up to 70 bhp and 210 Nm of torque. For India we could have a smaller engine and probably come at a lesser cost as well. The Colt boasts some of the high tech Japanese features like style, central locking, rain sensing wiper and remote fuel filler cap. The Car is priced at 400,000 baht as per the Thailand currency which roughly translates into 638 496.55 Indian rupees in the Indian market. The Mitsubishi Colt is expected to compete with the likes of the upcoming Renault Pulse, Volkswagen Up and Chevrolet Spark in Indian market.

Tata Sumo in a Gold Avatar

Tata Sumo is now more stylish and trendy with its new gold look. The new Tata Sumo has been revamped to the suit the needs of the youth and people looking for a posh vehicle. The car is still the same old powerful SUV and tames even the toughest of terrains with ease.

On the Occasion of the launch, Mr. R. Ramakrishnan, Vice President, Commercial - PCBU, Tata Motors said, "The Tata Sumo Gold is a result of extensive consumer studies and field tests. The product has been designed to fulfill various requirements, long-awaited by the new generation customer."
The Tata Sumo Gold still has the robust engine at its core and packs quiet a punch. The Tata Sumo completely surrenders to the rider’s command and let itself loose with two powerhouses. The car claims to be the best in pick up, raw power and a mind boggling torque.

The CR4 Turbo - BS4 clearly is a state of the art technology and infuses a new era of off road experience with the powerful engines. The car comes with power horse of 2956cc which delivers an output of 85Ps at 3000rpm and a torque of 250Nm at 1000 to 2000rpm. The car is also excellent with a mileage of 14.7 kmpl.

The other Di Turbo BS3 is a Di Turbo engine made up of 2956cc engine which is a complete maniac and throws out 70PS @ 3000rpm and a torque of 225Nm at 1600 to 2000rpm. The size of the engine itself leaves the rest of the competitors behind. This engine delivers an impressive mileage of 14.3kmpl. It directly competes with Mahindra Bolero and Mahindra Scorpio in Indian market.

The Tata Sumo Gold is a car to be reckoned with its daring stance, sexy graphics and a neat pose to carry the attitude. The front grille, wide rear, spare tyres below the body, large 15'/ 16' wheels with wide 215 mm / 185 mm radial tires and a high ground clearance of 190 mm completes the renewed avatar of the Sumo Gold.