Chevrolet Enjoy to launch in late April with aggressive pricing

GM India is planning to roll-out the Chevrolet Enjoy on the Indian market in late April at aggressive price points. GM India commenced series production of the Enjoy at its manufacturing plant in Halol, in early February.

GM India’s Managing Director Mr. Lowell Paddock confirmed to us that the Enjoy will launch in 2+3+3 and 2+2+3 theatre-style seating configurations. The third row is claimed to be more spacious than an Innova’s, while unlike most other utility vehicles which feel heavy to operate, the Enjoy, according to a source who drove the Indian model, feels fairly light and responsive to inputs.
GM will launch the Enjoy with the Sail’s 1.3-liter Fiat Multi-jet engine that will produce 78PS power. The engine doesn’t get hardware updates, and its frugal nature is bound to be its selling point. There’s a 1.4-liter S-TEC petrol motor that’ll pair with this diesel option to attend to both kinds of customers. Both engines will be mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.
GM India is currently not pursuing alternative fuel options, placing all its bets on the diesel variant, which could turn out to be a hot seller if priced beating the Ertiga.
The Enjoy is not a creation of GM India. Its an economy passenger van designed and developed in China by the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture for customers in China.

Lamborghini Veneno LP 750-4, a carbon fibre shark makes its online debut

A carbon fiber shark is the first impression you get after looking at this audacious Lamborghini Veneno LP 750-4!



The Veneno is the fastest raging bull till date and is commissioned to commemorate Lamborghini’s 50 years of making supercars. The stunner is extremely exclusive with only 3 cars to be made. And all the three are already sold to customers at a staggering price of 3 million Euros (plus tax)!

Named after one of the fastest and the most aggressive fighting bulls from the early 20th century, the Veneno is based on the Lamborghini Aventador. The chassis and the body are made of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP). The interior uses Lamborghini-patented materials like the ForgedComposite and CarbonSkin.
The Veneno is arguably the most radical looking road legal supercar. The nose is razor sharp with number of air splitters aiding aerodynamic efficiency and downforce. The headlamps, the air intakes ahead of the rear wheel arches, the rear spoiler and diffuser make the car look like a racing prototype.

There is a central fin which starts from the middle of the roof and terminates at the adjustable rear spoiler. The engine bay has openings for engine cooling and air intake. Overall, the Veneno justifies its name with innumerable sharp edges and precise surfaces.
Powering the super Lambo would be the 6.5 litre V12 engine from the Aventador. The engine produces 750PS of power (50PS more than the Aventador) and transfers it to all the four wheels through a 7-speed robotized manual gearbox.
The Lamborghini Veneno LP 750-4 will grace the stage tomorrow at the Geneva Motor Show and the three units will be built and delivered to their owners during the course of the year.

Audi’s five member Geneva contingency includes the A3 Sportback g-tron

Audi announced that they would be having five world premieres at the Geneva Motor Show, scheduled on March 5.



We already know four of those five models. They are:

1. The 552 bhp Audi RS 6 Avant
2. Five-door S3 Sportback
3. The 306 bhp RS Q3
4. The hybrid A3 e-tron

Late last evening, Audi announced the fifth member for team Geneva. It is the A3 Sportback g-tron, a CNG powered A3 if you may, but with a lot more tech underneath.
Its two tanks placed under the luggage compartment floor can each hold seven kilograms of CNG at a maximum pressure of 200 bar. The five-door A3 can run on Audi’s version of CNG called e-gas, regular CNG and ordinary petrol.



The 1.4 TFSI has received some modifications related to the cylinder head, turbocharging, injection system, and the catalytic converter. It now develops 110 bhp and 200 Nm of torque. This gives the A3 Sportback g-tron a top speed of 190 km/h with 0-100 km/h taking 11 seconds.
Fuel consumed on an average is less than 3.5 kilograms per 100 km of CNG. CO2 tailpipe emissions are less than 95 g/km in gas mode.



Coming to the range of the car, CNG model provides a range of around 400 km while the conventional petrol will add another 900 km. Two displays in the instrument cluster provide the driver with the information on the fuel level in each of the tanks.
Stay tuned for Audi’s announcements and more photographs from the Geneva Motor Show.

Hyundai HB20S sedan launched in Brazil

Hyundai HB20S, the booted brother of the HB20 hatchback has been launched in Brazil.

 

The Hyundai HB20, a low cost hatchback based on the i20 was launched in Brazil last year and the car went on to become one of the best selling vehicles in the country. There is a neck and neck competition between the HB20 and Chevrolet Onix with the former barely managing to edge past the latter.
The rivalry between the two hatchbacks is all set to be further extended as the sedan versions of both the cars have been launched back to back. Just a few days ago, the Prisma, the Onix sedan broke cover and now it is Hyundai HB20S’ turn.
Now before getting exited about the i20 based sedan, let us explain you that HB in the name stands for Hyundi do Brazil (Hyundai for Brazil) implying that the HB20S is specifically made for the Latin American country. The sedan borrows its 1.0 litre flex fuel engine from the hatchback.
The HB20S looks stylish and well proportioned, with its swooping roof line and a sharp, good looking wrap around tail lamps. In short, the HB20S looks like a baby Verna.
The entry level model is well equipped. The HB20S packs in power steering, air conditioner, dual airbags, power windows, audio system with radio and MP3, Bluetooth and USB connectivity. The price starts from 39,495 Reals (Rs. 10.95 lakhs).
The Hyundai HB20S is bit expensive that the Prisma but it is also slightly better equipped. And that means the competition between the sedans will be as intense as the hatchbacks if not more.

Tata Motors to bring new products; plans to revise product portfolio

Tata Motors is witnessing a dwindling market share in domestic passenger car market and it is high time for India’s largest automobile manufacturer to step in and plug the loop holes.

Had it not for JLR’s record breaking global run last year, Tata Motors’ bank statement would have been in a pretty bad shape. The company is planning to come out of the adverse situation by being present in segments that are witnessing growth.
Mr. Karl Slym, Managing Director of Tata Motors told media on the sidelines of BCIM car rally that, “In passenger cars, i am not in a strong position. I have lost market share. There are segments that are booming in which i don’t have products. On new products, new features, new launches, we have been rather quite, we need to change that.”
The statement gives a hint that Tata is working on new products to fill the void in their portfolio. For example, the automaker doesn’t have a compact SUV which is the pick of the lot nowadays.
Mr. Slym also added that in short term, that is in few months, there would be minor improvements made on the cars, in medium term (in a year or so) there will be “drastic changes with new products” and in long term there will be a portfolio revision.
Tata Motors is in a dire need of fresh and new products and i hope, in the long run, the automaker would scale back the lost height. The next gen Nano, Indica and Indigo along with a mini SUV would prove very crucial in the company’s future portfolio.