Hyundai to offer surround view parking in future models, signs up with Broadcom

 

Hyundai has announced that it has joined hands with semiconductor giant Broadcom to jointly develop advanced telematics which will go into the future Hyundais.
The partnership will give rise to features like surround view parking and lane departure warning for the next generation Hyundai cars. The move is to be technologically ahead of the competition.
The South Korean automaker will leverage Broadcom’s proprietary BroadR-Reach Ethernet technology which provides a high bandwidth in-vehicle network with 100 mbps connectivity. The network eliminates the need of wires thereby reducing the weight and cost.
The Ethernet technology is also compatible with IEEE 802.1 audio and video bridging which makes for high quality media streaming. Hyundai is positive that the collaboration with Broadcom will help them achieve significant developments for upcoming cars.
Hyundai’s head of infotainment design Mr. Sunjai Lee said, “The in-vehicle Ethernet network will enable key features including infotainment, lane departure warning, park assist and telematics to deliver greater value to our customers. I chose to partner with Broadcom as they deliver superior Ethernet-based innovation to enrich the driver and passenger experience.”
So I can expect the next gen Hyundai’s to come packed with electronic gizmos which are sure to garner the attention of tech savvy customers. With the next generation i10 (code – BA) and i20 (code – IB) on the horizon, can we see Hyundai revolutionizing the mini car segments in India with help coming from Broadcom?

Goodbye and good luck Michael!.. End of an ERA!!!

To us, there are two adorded and high-powered Micheals from the world of cars signing off this year. The first one announced his retirement on October 4, much to our disappointment.

Michael Schumacher said that he will hang up his helmet at the end of this year’s Formula 1 season after three not very successful years with the Mercedes AMG Petronas racing team.
In his second career in the cockpit, Schumacher has added just one pole position in qualifying and a single podium finish to that spectacular report card overflowing with race wins and qualifying poles from his Benetton and Ferrari years. No Formula 1 driver in history has had the success of Schumacher.
However his contribution in developing the Mercedes race car for Lewis Hamilton to take over next year may have been his biggest and possibly the contribution as a team man. If his successor Lewis Hamilton wins the championship in 2014, which many believe he will, Schumacher should be given an equally big paycheck and trophy to take home!
The second Michael may not be driving a fast car or wearing a racing suit everyday to work, but Michael Boneham has prepared a launch pad, much like the German driver, for his company to be a formidable challenger later in this decade. Ford India announced this week that Michael Boneham, Ford India’s president and managing director, has elected to retire at the end of the year. Boneham spent the last 27 years working for Ford in various capacities. His first assignment in Ford was at the Human Resource office in Ford Australia. He subsequently took up manufacturing and general management roles in Europe, North America and APA.
In India, he began working as the executive director in Ford’s manufacturing facility in Chennai. In June 2008, he received a promotion to lead Ford India’s foray into new segments as its president and managing director.
I’m going to recount some of my meetings and interactions with Boneham in this blog post.
Boneham’s biggest feat in his 4.5 year stint at the top is the launch of the Figo, the truly game-changing vehicle for Ford India. My first interaction with Boneham was at the unveiling of the Figo back in September 2009. Boneham was visibly nervous and he had to be. This was Ford India’s biggest event since they entered India through a joint venture with Mahindra in the mid-90′s. At the end of his presentation, a tensed Boneham called out Mr. Alan Mulally to the stage as “new president” instead of “Ford’s president” only to be thanked by a jovial Mulally who is one of the few CEOs in the auto industry that I know who can take a joke.
At the end of the day’s event, Mulally approved of the work Michael and his team were doing. And 2.3 lakh Indian customers have joined Mulally since then.
My second interaction with Boneham was at the media night of the Figo deep-dive program in Goa in January 2010. Not many car manufacturers in India had understood how online media could spread the word throughout the world within hours of an event. Boneham walked up to me and asked what I thought about the Figo. In our first interaction I didn’t miss the chance to ask him about the various global models, about the Figo’s future variants and then finally slipped in a question about electric cars. I learned that the internal combustion is staying as the priority for future Ford models (in India). He turned away to meet other guests whispering to me that technologies “like Ecoboost” are the future.
My second interaction with Boneham came at the unveiling of the Fiesta at a shopping mall in New Delhi in April 2011. Boneham said the cars destined for India will all be built on the B-, C- and CD-Platforms and didn’t share my enthusiasm of giving the Figo a 1.6L engine and racing stripes as a limited edition model.
My third interaction with Boneham was during the ground breaking ceremony at the Gujarat site for a $1 billion manufacturing plant in August 2011. Ford invited only a select few from the media, and I was there with them on that special morning to see them all wearing a red turban and tilling the ground with a giant shovel! Later that day Boneham said he’ll bring cars to India that can be useful in building market share and usable by Indians before introducing premium brands or halo cars.
Boneham sounded bullish about the Figo’s untapped potential in export markets when I last met him at the 400,000th engine roll-out celebrations a few months ago. Out of the 35 markets Ford India exports to, Mexico and South Africa were volume boosters, he said, and promised to launch “something similar to the Fiesta Classic” with the Figo during the festive season. In these four years his understanding of the Indian market is its a value market. He said the customer is buying into the idea of value, and not a low price.
Joe Hinrichs, Ford group vice president and president, Asia Pacific and Africa, released this statement on Boneham’s decision to head into retirement -
His (Boneham’s) strategic direction over the past few years has better positioned our India operations for continued future success. I truly appreciate Michael’s contribution to Ford Motor Company and wish him and his family all the very best!
Michael, thank you for supporting the online media and bloggers like me through these last three years. I wish you loads of fun and happiness as now you will have time to do the things you always wanted to do!

Mazda rebadge Suzuki Wagon R for Japan

The Japanese ‘Kei’ cars look compact and simple but engineering them takes a whole of lot of effort, money and time.

Mazda has found a solution to have a kei car for their home market without breaking into a sweat. They just borrowed the new Wagon R from Suzuki and stuck Mazda badge to it.
The 2013 Suzuki Wagon R was unveiled at Tokyo last month.
The regular Wagon R was accompanied by a sportier version called the Wagon R Stingray. Mazda has adopted both the models and named them as Flair and Flair XT respectively.

The Flair duo have no changes to the exterior when compared to the Wagon R twins, except for the logo and front grill and at 3.39 metre of length and 2.4 metre of wheelbase, the dimensions are identical too. You would have correctly guessed by now that the interiors have nothing new.

The Mazda Flair comes with the same mechanical carriage as the Wagon R. The 660 cc three cylinder motor has both normally aspirated and turbocharged versions. The former makes 52 bhp while the latter pumps out a healthy 64 bhp. The cars are equipped with CVT transmission, a big boon in metro cities like Tokyo where traffic can get out of hand.
The engine has a fuel efficiency of 28.8 kmpl in the normally aspiration avatar and the force fed version is good enough for 25 kmpl.

The rebadging move is mutually beneficial since Mazda gets the all important kei car in their product range while Suzuki benefits from reduced cost due to enhanced scale of production. Mazda sells a rebadged version of the JDM Alto, badged as the Carol.

Volkswagen working on a 7 seat SUV concept for Detroit 2013

I have to admit that we are impressed with the VW Taigun mini SUV concept presented at the Sao Paolo Motor Show.

The Taigun was creating using a set of components from the Up!. I loved its exterior design and the funky dashboard. VW’s R&D head and board member Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg has vowed to send this concept into production, while VW’s sales director Mr. Christian Klinger speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the launch remarked that the market for such an SUV existed in Brazil, China and India.

Volkswagen today confirmed that it is working on yet another SUV concept for the 2013 Detroit Motor Show that is conducted every year in the month of January, though this one may not be relevant to India. The new concept in question will be based on the VW Passat’s underpinnings and will provide seating for seven people. It will be offered in petrol and diesel options with front or all wheel drive.

The new sever seater SUV will slot between the Tiguan and the Touareg and will be produced at the company’s Chattanooga production plant in Tennessee where the Passat is localized. It will compete against the Toyota Highlander, Ford Edge, Chevrolet Equinox and Honda Pilot. None of these SUV models are sold in India.

Apart from this new concept, Volkswagen is also working on a Polo-based SUV and an Up!-based micro SUV. The Polo-based SUV is expected to be ready by 2014 and will be primarily be a front wheel drive car to accelerate volumes. The Up! based SUV, previewed by the Taigun, will be the smallest SUV in the Volkswagen family and will turn up at VW dealers in 2015.

Volkswagen is clearly bullish about the growth of the SUV segments. It is planning one SUV on almost every platform that it has available. This stress on SUV is to achieve their goal of dominating the global auto market by 2018 with 10 million units sales annually.

Next generation Tata Nano to be ready in 3 years for foray into Europe and America

Tata Motors have announced that they will give Tata Nano the attention it needs to become a success.

With the small car segment still being the crux of Indian auto industry, Tata’s renewed emphasis on Nano is the right thing to do. The Nano’s sales figure stood at 9,000 units last month which according to the newly appointed Managing Director Mr. Karl Sylm, is “not particularly where Tata Motors wanted it to be.”

The focus for the next year is to introduce the CNG version in the first half and the much awaited (and much needed) diesel variant a little further down. There is also talks of a facelift coming sometime in 2013.

Tata hopes that the introduction of CNG and diesel versions will boost the sales to projected numbers and the company is also looking at expanding the exports of the current model to South Africa and ASEAN countries. Tata has comprehensively tested and showcased the Nano in Indonesia this year, and export volumes are steady to Sri Lanka and Nepal.

Sylm also announced that the all-new Nano which is aimed at North American and European markets will hit the market in three years from now featuring a new design, bigger engine and overall improvement.

The second generation Nano could be based on the Megapixel concept that was showcased at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year complying to the high standards of safety, comfort and emissions set by western countries.

Next generation BMW X1 to get an Evoque-like sister car

The BMW X1 is by the far the most successful model from the BMW’s ‘X’ range

.BMW has extended its family by a good 3 lakh customers with help of the X1 in just two-and-a-half years.

Although the BMW X1 received a small facelift recently abroad and will soon follow into India, talks have already begun on the new generation model.

I already know that the next generation model will move away from the BMW 3 Series platform to the new UKL platform of the Mini Countryman. Yes, the new generation BMW X1 will be a front-wheel-drive model. BMW is working on making the next gen BMW X1 the most agile FWD cars in its class. The move to the FWD architecture will make the X1 less inexpensive to build for BMW.

Another interesting news is that BMW is working on a smaller coupe-crossover as a cousin sister for the X1. Think of the BMW X2 as what the MINI Paceman is to the MINI Countryman. It will have smaller proportions and tighter rear headroom. It will have a shallow glasshouse and a dynamically angled roofline.

So every BMW SUV will get a coupe-crossover sister in the lineup. The BMW X1 will have BMW X1, BMW X3 will get BMW X4 and the BMW X5 already has BMW X6.

Facelifted Maruti Ritz petrol joins the lineup at 5.15 lakh

When Maruti Suzuki gave the Ritz a comprehensive, there was a bit of confusion.



Although the press release harped about the 52 changes in the model, it did not mention a word about the petrol variant.
With the festive season rush building up, Maruti Suzuki has finally launched the facelifted Ritz petrol for the Indian market for a starting price Rs. 5.15 lakh. Our friends at Motorbeam bring us a detailed price list of the Ritz petrol –

New Maruti Suzuki Ritz Petrol Pricing (ex-showroom, Mumbai) -

• New Ritz petrol LXi – Rs. 5.15 lakh
• New Ritz petrol VX (without ABS) – Rs. 5.50 lakh
• New Ritz petrol VX (with ABS) – Rs. 5.80 lakh
• New Ritz petrol ZXi – Rs. 6.24 lakh

The changes to the Maruti Ritz facelift’s exterior include:

• New front bumper
• New grille
• Redesigned fog lamp housing
• Body side moulding
• Electrically adjustable rear view mirrors
• Rear spoiler
• New alloy wheel design
• There new colors to the family – breeze blue, mystique red and granite grey

Changes to the Maruti Ritz facelift’s interior include:

• New audio system with USB
• Day and night inside rear view mirror
• Improved rear seating
• Multi-information display MID
• Steering mounted controls
• Dual front airbags

The Maruti Ritz is powered by a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder K-Series petrol engine which generates 83.8 bhp and 113 Nm of peak torque. It is mated a 5-speed manual gearbox.
Maruti Suzuki hasn’t yet launched an automatic version of the Ritz in India or neither have they updated their website with these details.

Volkswagen confirms twin-cylinder diesel engine for Up! in 2013

Volkswagen’s R&D head and board member Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg was a bit talkative at the Sao Paulo Motor Show.

On the sidelines of the ‘Taigun’ SUV’s unveiling, he told Autocar UK that a twin cylinder diesel is under works for the Up! in 2013.
The twin-cylinder engine comes from the uber-fuel-efficient Volkswagen XL1 concept, which is also heading to production in limited volumes next year. VW India showcased the XL1 at the Delhi Auto Expo held in January 2012.
If diesel engines call one place home, it is India. 8/10 cars in the B+ and C Segment are diesel-powered. Tata is developing a diesel engine for the A Segment, while Maruti and Hyundai may join the race soon with sub-1 liter diesel motors that return 30kpl or so. Diesel-powered cars have long waiting periods in every segment, their fuel efficiency and refinement levels are constantly improving.
VW India is testing the Up! non-stop in and around its Chakan plant in Pune. At least two prototypes, in 3- and 5-door body styles, have been called in for trials. Indian Autos Blog readers have sent in images of these two white test cars a few times in the past few months. VW India has not made a decision to sell the Up! in India.
Hackenberg said all derivatives of the New Small Family platform (which the Up!, Up! based sedan and the proposed Taigun are part of) are compatible with the twin-cylinder diesel engine. Production of the Taigun is expected to start in 2015 according to the my report.

Maruti Alto 800 clocks a colossal 21,000+ bookings in the first week

The festive season is in full swing and i can definitely bet on Maruti Suzuki to make the most of it.

After launching the Ritz petrol  in the Indian market, the automaker has released information that it has clocked 21,200 bookings in the first week of launching their latest entry level hatchback, the Maruti Alto 800.
The Alto 800 had already clocked 10,000 bookings on the day of its launch. Today, the automaker confirmed showroom inquiries for the Alto are already up by 32% over October last year. The bump in inquiries has increased the overall demand for their range by 15 percent.
Out of the 21,200 bookings, Maruti Suzuki has already retailed 7,000 units. This includes the event held in Kerala where 200 cars were delivered to their respective owners in a single day.
The automaker has been holding over 50 mega camps in the rural market where its vehicles are displayed and customers can come and buy off the shelf.
A clever move by Maruti Suzuki is to introduce the CNG variant of the Alto 800 right from the launch day. The CNG variant may not be of any use in the rural areas but will definitely be a consideration in some of the metros where it holds a cost advantage over petrol.

Spied – CAD model of 2013 Skoda Octavia’s headlamps

The third iteration of Skoda Octavia is being prepared for the debut next year and here is the leaked CAD model of the car’s headlamp.



The new Skoda sedan will replace the Octavia II which is sold as Laura in India. Surprisingly the Czech manufacturer didn’t take much of an effort to disguise the test mules and i have already posted two vedio's of test mules from the highways of Poland and Czech Republic.
Autoforum.cz has managed to acquire a CAD drawing of the new Octavia’s headlamps reportedly from an automotive lighting company which is responsible for supplying the headlamp units to Skoda. It’s learnt that the entry level Octavias will make do with the halogen bulbs while the better equipped versions will receive HID bulbs. The cars also get DRL.

The new car has a slightly wider stance and the headlamps are narrower and sharper. The lower air dam and the fog lamps are expected to undergo change of shape. The rear of the car looks less bulky than the current model and the shape of the tail lamps are concealed by red camouflage, but it’s clear that the new tail lamps are sleeker than the Octavia II.
The 2013 Skoda Octavia looks much sharper and much more modern than the present car and aligns itself in line with the new family look, trailor-ed by the MissionL and VisionD Concepts.
The car is expected to make its debut in Geneva motor show next March but the online revealing could happen much earlier.

Honda launches limited edition CR-V in Malaysia

Honda has launched the new CR-V in many countries so far including our neighbour Pakistan, but we are yet to receive the latest iteration of the soft roader.

The petrol prices are not kind towards the CR-V and competent diesel SUVs are running the show in its segment in India. Nevertheless Honda is testing the CR-V in India which implies that it’ll be launched soon enough albeit only with petrol engine.
Meanwhile, the Honda Malaysia has launched a limited edition of the old CR-V to try and squeeze the last bit of life remaining in it before greeting the Malaysians with the new CR-V.
The Honda CR-V ‘Limited’ has few subtle exterior changes like the slightly modified front grill and a new rear spoiler. On the inside, the CR-V ‘Limited’ comes with leather seats, illuminated side steps, 2 DIN music system with touch screen interface. The multimedia system also has navigational capabilities and rear parking camera.
The windshields get a premium security solar tinted film which prevents the glass from shattering in case of an attempted break in. Standard features like side airbags and stability control will continue to be offered.
The Honda CR-V ‘Limited’ will retail at RM 1,53,980 (around Rs. 27.05 lakhs) which is a premium of RM 4,000 (around Rs. 70,300) over the regular model.
Honda is preparing to launch the new CR-V in India and could device a similar strategy to clear the inventory of the current CR-V.

Suzuki’s product planners have a pile of crossovers lined up till 2016

It seems that all I’ve been doing for the last few days is reporting about crossovers. I mean what can i do, they are more popular than Barack Obama is on Twitter.





Everyone is creating some sort of crossover to make sure their product portfolio is complete.
The Paris Motor Show and Sao Paulo Motor Show saw a slew of crossovers taking center stage. Back at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo, we saw the XA Alpha Concept, EcoSport concept and the Duster touch down, so we predict India’s got the virus too!
Suzukifan reports that Suzuki is planning an onslaught of crossovers to take on the competition. The list includes –
C-segment Crossover – Although the SX4 is offered in a 4X4 variant, Suzuki has planned a full blown crossover for the C segment to compete against European compact cars such as VW Golf, Opel Astra, Ford Focus, Renault Megane and Peugeot 308. This new crossover will be the production version of the S-Cross Concept showcased at the Paris Motor Show. This new Crossover will not replace the SX4 crossover but will sell alongside it. It is slated to debut in 2013.
B segment Crossover – The XA Alpha Concept showcased at the New Delhi Auto Expo will enter production in late 2014. Because the XA Alpha Concept is a bit bigger than the current Jimny, Suzuki is in a conundrum of whether to use the Jimmy brand or not in countries where it is already popular.
A segment Crossover – Kenichi Ayukawa, a board member of Suzuki, has confirmed that an A-segment Crossover from Suzuki is scheduled for debut around 2014-2015 and will be limited to 3.55-3.65 meter in length. Suzukifan reports that this crossover will head to developing countries. Could this be an off-road version of the Wagon R or is it just the kei version of the Jimny Ayukawa saan is talking about?
Next generation Jimny – An all new Jimny (also known as the Gypsy in India) is planned for early 2014. If the XA Alpha is launched in India, we will not see the next generation Jimny on the Indian roads.
Next generation Grand Vitara – The Vitara recently received a small facelift in small markets around the globe. An all new Grand Vitara was planned for 2011 but unfortunately it is now delayed till early 2015. It is based on the Kizashi platform.
Suzuki certainly seems very upbeat with the whole crossover funda. However, small cars will still be the focus for its Indian subsidiary.

Why is Tata Aria not doing well?

I’ve taken note of some thought-provoking replies and summarized them below:
Price:
This is one reason we saw in almost all the comments. People find the Tata Aria very expensive and overpriced, something that doesn’t bode well with the brand image. Tata’s products are inexpensive and offer ‘more car per car’ but the Aria seemed to break that rule and hurt itself in doing so.
Having advanced technology and more features is definitely the only way to keep pace with the competition, but the Indian customer isn’t willing to pay a premium, at least not on a brand they associate with low cost vehicles. Tata definitely has to make the pricing attractive without cutting down on the features.
Only through building advanced products can Tata make the customer change his opinion or view on the brand, but opinions take years and generations of products to change. The marketing of the product could have been better, India didn’t buy the concept of a crossover.
Our reader Sandip Mohanty has put it across in a nice way “To me Aria is not pricey but rival companies offer cheaper products, even if its a bit inferior. And high price payers look for brand image.”
“It is undoubtedly the most advanced product from Tata but the main reasons for not doing so good in sales is that people are not ready to pay such a premium for Tata branded product,” said Shrikant Khandelwal.
Design:
Well this is one department where individual preferences are plenty. I feel that the Aria is a well-designed product, is simple, clean and has built the right amount of muscle, though the rear is too bland and the brings back images of the Indigo Marina.
The best looking part of this car is the front. It carries the typical Tata family face but with a more edgy and modern styling. The wide chrome grill and the long sweptback headlamps work for me, but I learn that it hasn’t for many of our Facebook fans.
Coming to the side the design is again very clean. The huge glass area makes the car appear longer. The flared arches lend a muscular character to the mostly flat side panels.
The designer took all the time working on the front three quarters that the rear was just a last minute execution. In my view, Tata should carry out a rear-lift as the current design feels like its come from the Indica family.
Interior:
The interior of Aria is again a feat for Tata Motors. By far, this is the best job done by their designers and the engineers and shows what awaits us on future models.
This vehicle is labelled as a 7 seater but the last row lacks space.
“3rd row seats not adequate, styling not good compared to competitors” says a nodding Abhi Muktheeswarar.
There are just too many storage options not just on the side pockets and floors but also on the roof. Tata has shown a more upmarket Aria at the 2012 Auto Expo featuring an expensive entertainment system and black tint headlights. These could be interesting inclusions on a limited edition model, with redone paint work and upholstery.
If there’s one thing everything agrees on, it is Tata being the best special edition car producer in India. We don’t see why an Aria special edition will not put the spotlight on this forgotten Tata.
Technical:
The Tata Aria now comes in both 2WD and 4WD options. It is by far the most advanced product from Tata with features like Automatic headlamps, Rain sensing wipers, Navigation system, etc.
The engine is a 2.2L diesel motor and works silently. Currently the Aria uses a manual transmission but an automatic gearbox variant could be introduced too, if the Aria AT Concept from the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo is anything to go by.
Overall, the technical aspect has come a long way but the point that troubles the Aria is the poor reliability record of its older siblings. On top of this, there have been many horror stories about the Aria revisiting the service center with repeat complaints.
This is what Sree Ganesh had to complain, “My colleague’s Aria got into an accident. Once taken to the dealer it was promised to be repaired in 20 days. He just got his Aria back a week ago – a complete 4.5 months after it was given for service. And within this 1 week time the Aria has visited the service station twice”
After Sales Service:
A major reason why people do not buy a Tata product is listening to the feedback from existing customers about the poor service quality they receive at the authorized service centres. While Tata is going all out to prove to its future customers that their products have indeed improved, they must also show improvements at the service center level. If a customer is paying for a premium product he should be treated to a premium experience.
Final Verdict:
Overall the Tata Aria is undoubtedly a premium MPV. If the next generation Indica and Indigo are designed and engineered the same way, they can compete with European and Asian car makers quite easily.
“Tata needs to improve its image drastically and the quality of plastics. The dealership attitude is also very sick. Tata has to work out in a major way on the whole package. The Aria is a great product but not projected in a right way, the company needs to uplift their image. I don’t agree that the price should be reduced. Instead the quality should be upped. All the best Tata am sure you guys are good at it”, very apt suggestion by Ashish Bathija.
At the helm of GM India, Karl Slym introduced a game-changing service scheme of Chevrolet mini car owners not having to pay a penny for scheduled service and maintenance trips to the workshop for the first three years of ownership. This became an additional bonus when buying a Chevy, though it didn’t drive up volumes.
The implementation of this scheme at Tata Motors workshops may not be feasible, but the big man has to come up with creative and never before seen strategies to all the problems that exist on the perception of Tata products and its ownership experience. The noose around Tata’s neck is tightening with the constant bombardment of improved cars from the competition which now include world-class car companies such as Renault, Volkswagen and Nissan.
If not, the dream of being the No.2 company in India, may not be realized.

Honda Fit Twist crossover debuts at Sao Paulo motor show

I am assuming that Brazilians have a strong liking for crossovers.

After Hyundai HB20X crossover, Honda has given the Fit (locally called the Honda Jazz) a rough-road package to create the Honda Fit Twist crossover- the first Honda vehicle exclusively for the Brazilian market.

Like the HB20X, the Honda Fit Twist is also a faux off-roader with power going to the front wheels only. But unlike the HB20X, Honda has not tinkered with the ride height or the suspension settings of the Fit

Honda Fit Twist design features:
Restyled front grille
Plastic cladding on the front and rear bumpers
Plastic cladding on the wheel arches and side sills
Matte aluminum finish for the protective guards
Mirror caps
Taller roof bars
16-inch alloy wheels
Dark headlamps
Crystal clear taillamp fixtures


Honda Fit Twist interior features:
New upholstery
Waterproof floor carpet in the boot area
Chrome accents on the dashboard, air vents and handbrake

The Honda Fit Twist will get a 1.5-liter flex-fuel engine generating 116hp on ethanol and 115hp on petrol, mated to a manual or an automatic gearbox.

The new Honda Fit Twist crossover will go on sale in Brazil at the end of October with a starting price of USD 28,600 (15.31 lakhs INR).

Sadly, the Honda Fit Twist has been conceived purely with the Brazilian market in mind and Honda has no plans to introduce it anywhere else in the world.

The Brazilian Renault Fluence GT packs a whopping 180 hp

The Sao Paulo Motor Show is on and we are seeing manufacturers revealing some shiny new wares.Renault Brazil has unveiled a more powerful version of the Fluence called the Renault Fluence GT.

The Renault Fluence GT is powered by a 2.0-liter 16V turbocharged petrol engine generating a healthy 180 horsepower. Thanks to the twin scroll turbo, the Fluence GT can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/hr in under 8 seconds and keeps pulling till it hits the top speed of 220 km/hr.Pure go and no show is clearly not acceptable. The Fluence features some exquisite styling details too.

Renault Fluence GT exterior features:
Sporty 17′ inch wheels with unique design
Rear spoiler
Skirts on the front, back and sides
‘Dark Metal’ finish on the mirrors and door handles

Renault Fluence GT interior features:
A black dashboard with shiny black accents
Aluminum pedals
‘Renault Sport’ badge on the sills and doors
Sports seats with red stitching
Leather wrapped steering wheel with more red stitching

Renault Fluence GT equipment:
Dual zone air conditioning
Power steering
Six airbags
ESP and traction control
Ceiling solar electric
Keyless entry
Xenon headlights
Rain sensor wipers
Auto headlamps
Radio with Bluetooth
Media center with integrated TomTom GPS
Parking sensors

The Renault Fluence GT will be offered in white, black and red body colors with a three year warranty.

The price for all this – 79,370 Brazilian Reals (approximately 21 lakhs INR)

2013 Ford Fiesta sedan (facelift) bows at Sao Paulo

Representatives of the Blue Oval revealed the facelift of the Fiesta sedan for the first time to 700 journalists assembled at the Ford press conference in Sao Paulo on Monday putting an end to weeks of speculation on the whereabouts of the four-door model.Ford premiered the Fiesta five-door (hatch) at the Paris Auto Salon last month.

Approximately 700,000 visitors will see the Fiesta sedan facelift and other exhibits between Oct. 24 and Nov. 4 at the Sao Paulo Motor Show where it is on view.The Fiesta sedan is accentuated with Ford’s new design language. The Aston Martin front trapezoidal grille, restyled head lamps and the sculpted hood are carried over from the new Fiesta hatchback.

The rear is all-new with a restyled bumper, reshaped stop light sporting new detailing, new addition in the form of linked reflectors on the bumper for better safety and a reshaped registration plate enclosure. The design has tricked the rear to look bigger and longer – this is good news to prospective Fiesta customers who voiced their dislikes on the boxy boot on our Facebook page recently.

Adjectives Ford uses to signify the departure from the 2012 model are ‘sporty’ and ‘robust’.The ergonomics and design specialists have worked on the cabin, lending it new displays and a revised center console. The interior trim is new, and we must add, very lively. The gear shifter position has moved in the view of better comfort.

Other changes from the 2013 Fiesta hatchback such as recalibrated steering system and new components in the chassis and suspension travel into the Fiesta sedan facelift.

Ford is selling the Fiesta sedan in Brazil with 7 airbags, traction control, Hill Launch Assist, and the SYNC multimedia system. Power is drawn from a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder flex fuel engine.

Ford introduces the new Fiesta sedan in Brazil next year, which is when the exact specifications, sorted variant wise, will be known.

Ford India is unlikely to launch this facelift before 2014.

Ford India tells IAB that their focus is on B and C Segments

During the Ford Figo facelift’s media drive in Mumbai a few days ago (drive report is coming soon) IndianAutosBlog.com got an opportunity to discuss a few things with Mr. Anurag Mehrotra, Vice President of marketing, Ford India.

When asked about the possibility of a facelift for the Endeavor which is struggling against more contemporary rivals, Mr. Mehrotra said that the company’s current focus is to concentrate on the B and C segment.
The refreshed Ford Figo is the weapon of choice in the B Segment while the much anticipated EcoSport will take care of the C Segment.
The Ford Figo facelift has as many as 140 changes compared to the outgoing model out of which 10 are exterior changes. The changes include tweaks to engine to achieve better pickup but the fuel economy figures are unchanged. The headlamps have larger reflective surface.
He also informed that the EcoSport will be available with a normally aspirated petrol engine (could be the 1.5L engine from the Fiesta) along with the 1.0-litre EcoBoost and a diesel engine. However he declined to be more specific about the launch time of the EcoSport which is slated to enter the market in early 2013.
There is been much said and revealed about Ford EcoSport except its launch date and Ford India is very confident about the compact SUV’s capability in Indian market.

Spied – VW Polo 1.2 TSI caught testing

Finally the prayers of the petrolheads are about to be answered! The guys at Overdrive have spotted this VW Polo carrying TSI badge testing on our roads.
We ended the VW Jetta TSI's driving review by pleading VW to bring the Polo TSI and this test mule give us ray of hope. VW has discontinued the Polo 1.6 and the 1.2 TSI with 104 bhp is expected to become driver’s petrol hatchback.
The turbocharged direct injection petrol engine develops a healthy torque (for its size) of 175 Nm at a very low 1,550 rpm which makes for a fun-filled driving experience. The European Polo TSI can sprint to 100 kmph from rest in less than 10 seconds, however the cars with TSI engines which are sold in India don’t run on stratified cycle (lean burn cycle) owing to the poor fuel quality.
The Polo 1.2 TSI is expected be sold only in Highline trim. Interestingly the test mule has GT badge, suggesting that VW may not bring the Polo in GTi version with body kits and special interiors which would shoot up the cost. That’s a clever move!
VW has been silent about bringing the 1.2 TSI and it comes as a pleasant surprise to driving enthusiasts. While it may not rake in volumes, it’s sure to have delight the owners with its performance.
If not, this is just a test mule here as part of some silly global testing program, designed mainly to disappoint Indian driving enthusiasts. C’mon VW India, let’s go for it!

Karl Slym speaks about the Safari Storme, upcoming products and company plans

In a conversation with Karl Slym, we discuss the facets of the old and new Safari, various upcoming facelifts or upgrades, and whether the Safari Storme will be a game changer for the company. Read on to find out Slym’s thoughts.

Several products out of your portfolio, like the Aria, were not received all that well in the Indian market, so are you expecting the Safari Storme to be a game changer?
It is a game changer as far as the positioning is explained. It follows the pure breed of the old Safari and with the addition of the new features, it makes it more desirable not just in India but also globally. We have the DNA of the old Safari and now with international level of quality and looks. So with this new international product, we are believing it to be a game changer for us.
The old Safari had some quality issues so what kind of on road and off road tests have you performed on the Safari Storme?
We have covered hundreds of thousands of kilometers testing various aspects of the Safari Storme in various conditions. The Aria platform it sits on is much stronger and rigid and that reflects on the durability of the car. The hydroform technology used in the frame makes it much stronger and rugged which reflects on the drive the car. We have tested the Safari Storme more than any other SUV in our portfolio. Rest, you can judge the ability of the car yourself at the Safari Storme drive just after the launch.
Globally, people are shifting to buying more SUVs, very similar to a situation in USA. So are you going to have a small SUV under the Safari or a premium SUV to decrease the gap between the Aria and the Freelander 2?
What we are already offering are two models of this SUV, one being a pure breed off-roader and another one that looks the same but is meant to stick to the roads at a much lower price. It’s a growing market in India so the segment we bought this SUV in is the D segment and each one of us (automakers) is growing with the growing market and it makes sense to move according to the customer and offer a full range of SUVs.
What are your plans and strategies for the upcoming festive season?
If we talk about refreshing the portfolio there are different things that we need to do like facelifts, upgrades, etc. We launched the new Manza Club Class yesterday and we are launching this new Safari Storme today so as to brace ourselves for the upcoming festive season.
And then of course there are various other things that we need to do to refresh our portfolio like bringing in new products and improving the styling as well. Our job is to highlight the products, as you mentioned earlier, that are not doing so good which no doubt are great products but somehow couldn’t build up enough customers.
There has been a rivalry between Tata and Mahindra, so now that you have regained the number 3 position, and with these new launches, do you plan to just hold your current position or do you plan to move further up the line?
One or two products are just stepping stones. The one we launched yesterday defines luxury and takes it to a new level and today we launched the Safari Storme and even in its category, there’s nothing with this kind of styling or this kind of performance. As far as aspirations or numbers are concerned, we see ourselves as very strong competitors and beyond that there is no reason why we can’t challenge the ‘number one company’ given the capabilities in our company and the honest work put into each product it holds.
This is an important product for Tata given that UVs have been a major segment for the company for very long and there has been no new launches. Even the Safari Storme has been delayed too much. What are the sales volumes you are looking at given that SUVs are doing really good in India? Also the top end pricing is very close to Aria so will it affect its sales anyhow?
We are working on customer’s expectations and we have identified that the product that we had earlier and the product that we are selling now, there was a slight expectation mold with the Safari Storm coming in. So in my opinion, we will be able to make this product appeal to a larger customer base than the old model. This product should start appealing to a different category of customer for us to conquer more of the market.
Does the old Safari stay in your portfolio? What about the prices?
Yes, as I mentioned to you that newer customers will fancy this product and we have the die-hard loyalist for the older Safari also. So these two models will continue to sell parallel to each other. According to the market dynamics we will have to see what happens with time and will determine the position of this product in our portfolio.

Skoda Superb facelift rendered; Next gen Skoda Octavia detailed

The Skoda Superb is a very well received product in Europe and also in India where it is the market leader.

The rendering represents the wagon variant – Not to worry as the front fascia is same for the sedan and the wagon

The Czech automaker is revising the car to keep it inline with its newer offerings.
Automobile Magazine France has accurately rendered the restyled Superb, and through these image, we’re able to catch all the new detailing on the facelift. The Superb is been on sale for four years and the refresh is aimed at rejuvenating the car’s life.
The styling is an evolution of the existing model and the facelift adopts the new family looks, previewed by the VisionD concept. Skoda may not change the mechanical kit, they maybe tweaked to improve fuel efficiency. Minor changes to the interior is also expected.

2013 Skoda Octavia spied:

 

 

Automobile Magazine have also spied a fully camouflaged top-end variant prototype of the 2013 Octavia and we’re able to figure out new details.
The headlamps will get sleeker and sport daytime LED running lights. The traditional Skoda grill gets a change of shape as the new logo now sits on the extruded piece of the bonnet. The front bumper may undergo restyling to keep up with the rest of front fascia.
The test mule is too heavily camouflaged to study the changes to the profile but the rear has few noticeable changes.
The chrome strip in the boot lid is missing and the license plate enclosure is shifted to the boot lid from the rear bumper. There is a crease above the license plate and unlike the current model which has a part of its tail lamp on the boot lid, the facelifted version will get a single piece tail lamp unit with the Skoda’s signature ‘C’ shaped brake light element.
The 2.0 litre TDI unit will continue the duties under the hood with few tweaks to improve power output, fuel efficiency and to decrease emissions.
The facelifted Skoda Superb is expected to be unveiled in 2013, while the Octavia replacement is expect to bow at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2013.