RE Bullet 500 launched

Royal Enfield’s Bullet 500 is good for 26.1bhp and comes in a new green colour.

Royal Enfield has launched a new variant of its Bullet Twinspark called the Bullet 500.

This new variant gets tweaked styling, a larger capacity engine and upgraded brakes. The Bullet 500 comes in a new green colour, a silver and golden restyled Royal Enfield emblem, a backrest mounted on the grab handle for the pillion and borrows the tail-light from the Classic series.

The new Bullet 500 houses a four-stroke, twin spark, 499cc, single-cylinder and air-cooled engine which will breathe through a throttle position sensor equipped carburettor. This engine generates maximum power of 26.1bhp at 5100rpm and peak torque of 4.17kgm at 3800rpm.

This engine is mated to a 5-speed, 1-down, 4-up shifting gearbox, transferring power to the rear wheel via a chain. The Bullet 500 weighs a hefty 193kg and is held together via a single downtube tubular steel frame. This new Bullet uses a telescopic fork suspension in the front and a set of gas-charged shock absorbers at the rear.

This motorcycle uses 90/90 x 19 inch rubber in the front while a 120/80 x 18 inch tyre does duty at the rear. For stopping power Royal Enfield has provided the Bullet 500 with a 280mm disc in the front and a 153mm drum brake at the rear.

The Bullet 500 is priced at Rs 1.53 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). According to the manufacturer, the Bullet 500 will first be available in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi-NCR and Kerala which have traditionally been the best markets for it. 

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Honda launches Dream Neo

The Dream Neo uses HET-equipped, carburettor-fed, four stroke, single-cylinder, 109cc engine.

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India has taken the wraps off its latest commuter motorcycle called the Dream Neo. This new model will slot in under the Dream Yuga in Honda’s burgeoning commuter bike line-up that also includes the upmarket CB Twister.

Honda has clearly played it safe with styling with a simple bikini fairing to shroud the angular headlamp. The simplistic instrument cluster includes a speedometer and a large fuel level readout presented in an easy-to-read layout. Riders will also like the switchgear that is shared with other Honda bikes. The designers have tried to differentiate the Dream Neo from its competition with funky graphics for the fuel tank and side panels. Sadly, the 8-litre fuel tank makes do with a hinge-less filler cap. As has become the norm, much of the Neo’s cycle parts come finished in black. Styling at the tail is nothing out of the ordinary either though the tubular grab rail does look a tad outdated. 

The Dream Neo uses a carburettor-fed, four stroke, single-cylinder, 109cc engine that is equipped with the Japanese marquee's latest Honda Eco Technology (HET). This technology incorporates improved combustion, a cleaner spark thanks to a Nickel-plated spark plug and optimised inlet ports. HET also uses lower tension piston rings, improved oil seals and lighter engine components to reduce friction. This technology is targeted at improving fuel efficiency.

This engine comes allied to a four-speed gearbox with shifts in an all-down pattern. Peak power is 8.25bhp at 7500rpm while torque is at 0.85kgm at 5500rpm.  

An upright seating position is also sure to find favour with buyers in this segment. The Dream Neo deploys a single downtube, tubular frame that uses the engine as a stressed member. Suspension is a combination of telescopic forks up front and rear springs are allied to a sturdy rectangular section swingarm. 80/100 x 18 inch tyres are the norm both front and rear. Interestingly, the base variant (kick, spoke) comes with MRF tuff-up tubes while the middle (kick, alloy) and top-spec versions (electric start, alloy) come with MRF tubeless tyres. 

Prices for the Dream Neo start at Rs 43,150 (ex-showroom, Delhi) which puts it at par with the Hero Passion X Pro, Suzuki Hayate, TVS Star City 110 and Mahindra Pantero. Given the competitive pricing and Honda’s strong brand equity in India, don’t be surprised if the Dream Neo becomes one of the top sellers in the massive volumes, budget end of the motorcycle segment. The top-end variant is priced at Rs 47,240.

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Mahindra Verito Vibe is a hatchback

Mahindra's sub-4-metre Verito derivative gets tail gate and large luggage area.

These are the first undisguised pictures of the Mahindra Verito Vibe which confirms that this sub-4-metre iteration of the Verito saloon, due for launch next month, is clearly a hatchback. 

Instead of simply chopping the boot, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has given the Vibe a two-box body style with a large tailgate straddled by equally large tail lights that sit on a new C-pillar. A prominent lip in the tailgate and roof rails attempt to give a touch of sportiness. However, the sharp rake of the C-pillar is at odds with the Vibe’s otherwise upright stance and is far from cohesive with the rest of the car.  Ahead of the C-pillar, the Vibe is, as expected, identical to the Verito saloon sharing the same doors and body panels. The only difference is up front where the Vibe sports a different grille and front bumper. 

 

Unlike other sub-4 metre saloon derivatives like the Indigo eCS, Maruti Swift Dzire and Honda Amaze, which are aimed at saloon car buyers, the Vibe is targeting hatchback owners who don’t mind trading the prestige of a three-box car for practicality and luggage space. In fact, the Vibe, despite being cut to under 4 metres is likely to be the hatchback with the biggest boot. 

 

The rest of the Vibe is similar to the Verito or the Renault Logan on which this car is originally based. It is powered by the same Renault K9K 1.5 litre diesel engine, which puts out a modest 68bhp. The weight difference between the Vibe and regular Verito is expected to be marginal and hence the hatchback’s performance is likely to be similar to the saloon’s. There is no petrol engine option planned for the Vibe which at launch, will be available with just one engine option

M&M is expected to launch the Vibe sometime in May for an estimate price of around Rs. 5.75 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base model. M&M currently sells an average of 1,200 Veritos a month but mainly to the taxi market. With the Vibe, M&M hopes to at least double the combined sales of the Verito saloon and Vibe but more importantly, attract private buyers with its new hatchback. 

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Cars to get pricier by 2015

Fresh set of safety and emissions norms by the Indian government in 2015 will drive car prices up by around 1.5 to 2.5 percent.

Owning a car in India is expensive, and things on the horizon tell a bleaker tale. With the introduction of a host of fresh safety and emission norms by the Indian government in 2015, carmakers have their work cut out. Cars are set to cost 1.5-2.5 percent more and the prices of two-wheelers will go up by two percent. 

Although this change will see costs go up, what it also does is pave the way for cleaner emissions and improved safety. Cars will now have to abide by Bharat Stage V (BS-V) norms (similar to Euro V), which will mean that existing cars will need redesigned powertrains, and new cars will have to abide by BS-V norms. 

Also, new regulations on cleaner fuel will be in place, where the sulphur content has to be less than 10ppm. It will also become mandatory for cars to have fuel efficiency labels, enabling buyers to choose more fuel-efficient cars. Also, the government is looking to allow cars to convert to hybrids by installing special kits. Also, two-wheelers will now have to come with a control unit to prevent evaporation of fuel when parked. This comes as standard on cars, and this will prevent unnecessary fuel wastage from bikes too. 

As far as safety is concerned, the standards for crash testing have been raised. Higher standards for head-on, offset-front, and lateral collisions will come into place. New rules for rear impacts will also be in place with the aim to protect passengers and allow doors to be opened from the inside in case of accidents, and also to minimise fuel leaks. Also, cars need to meet pedestrian safety requirements to minimise the impact on collision. Additionally, cars will have to come equipped with a strap-on seat for small children. There will also be new compatibility rules for the car’s electronics to ensure that they don’t interfere with each other’s functioning. 

And, to try and cut down on traffic snarls, the government has made RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags a compulsion for all new cars. These tags will reduce waiting time by enabling smooth movement through toll plazas and will enable easy payment of parking charges.

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Taking on the Touareg

We put the VolkswagenTouareg through a rigorous off-road test to see if VW's tall claims of the SUV's abilities hold up.

Outrageous claims, half truths and blatant lies. That’s pretty much what the majority of advertisements these days want you to believe. Slimming teas that morph your physique from a couch potato’s to a ramp model’s, magic rings that promise Bill Gates’ wealth (overnight, of course) and inflatable sofas that are strong enough to hold two trucks on either side (don’t even ask why) are some of the finer examples from afterhours television.

Touareg's off-road toys accessed from this console behind the gearlever

Even in the automotive space, you have over-the-top advertisements of motorcycles that will deliver 100kpl under ‘standard test conditions’ and rudimentary utility vehicles being driven flat-out on what could pass off as a stage on the Dakar Rally. You can’t help but take these ads with a bucketful of salt.

But every once in a while you see something believable, something that really speaks about a product’s abilities and little else. Volkswagen ran such a campaign for the new Touareg. In true VW style, the presentation was simple. All that the manufacturer claimed was that its burly, premium SUV is good enough to take off-road courtesy its decline assist, sideways tilt ability and the ability to wade through fairly deep water. Three ads, three claims. Question is, should you believe those claims? Should you risk taking your Rs 58.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) Touareg into the wild in the belief that it’ll get you back safely? Time then to bring out our lab 

coats and run some experiments.

Digits on the right indicate the decline angle. 

Our open-air laboratory is the fairly challenging off-road trail at Nineteen Degrees North at Aamby Valley near Lonavala. It’s the same place where Mahindra held its Great Escape in the monsoons earlier this year, so we know it’s not going to be easygoing for the Touareg that VW has lent us. Unwilling at first, VW’s press team finally relents and gives us the SUV, hoping all will go well. Well, a lot of that depends on what the Touareg can and cannot do. Here goes.

Claim 1: Goin’ down

Our first task is to check the Touareg’s Hill Descent Assist. VW claims its SUV’s sophisticated electronics will see you through a 31-degree descent. That may not seem like much on a protractor, but when you’re driving downhill in something that weighs 2.1 tonnes, it is more than a bit intimidating. There’s confidence in knowing the Touareg has an approach angle of 24 degrees, departure angle of 25 degrees and a ramp breakover of 27 degrees. But more than anything else, this is a test of its Hill Descent Assist (see box on page 127). The system, in effect, governs engine speed and automatically modulates the brakes to maintain a steady crawl downhill. All a driver needs to do is steer.

Touareg's Hill Descent Assist modulates brakes, ABS and ESP to help it drive down steep slopes. All that's left for the driver to do is to steer to keep out of trouble.

So without wasting much time, I gingerly turn on to a sharp descent that leads us to a small lake. We’re now perched precariously on a hill side. Gulp. I let go of the brake and allow the electronics to do their thing. The seatbelts tighten, there’s a creak here and a minor slide there (we’re on loose mud) but the Touareg maintains its composure. In a matter of seconds, we reach level ground as if nothing happened. That was quite slick. We couldn’t find a steeper descent (the best we managed was 24 degrees), but I’m convinced the Touareg will match the claim easily.

Claim 2: Side winder

Things get trickier for our second experiment. The test is to check whether you can drive your Touareg across a slope and reassure you that it won’t tip over. In narrow gullies and the like, the ability of an SUV to do so is the difference between charging forth or prematurely ending a jungle excursion.

Always attack a slope head-on. When you cant' the Touareg's 27-degree tilt ability comes in handy. Unfortunately, driver Nikhil's tilt angle is much less. 

We’ve found just the place to verify VW’s lateral gradient claim of 27 degrees. It’s a small hillock by a partially dried lake and dramatic enough to put a smile on photographer Ashley’s face. We’re quite confident the big SUV will manage the ‘Tilt Test’, but things can get hairy if we do it wrong. The entry is an exhibition in axle articulation with each suspension compressed to a different level and one of the rear wheels in the air. Ashley can see the electronic differential lock intermittently apply the brakes on the wheel with no traction till all four wheels are on terra firma. The Touareg is properly sideways now. A quick glance at the digital inclinometer confirms it’s moving at a 27-degree tilt. And that’s steep. I know because I can feel gravity pulling my innards out. I can also tell you it’s quite a sight to see the sun out the side window. So this has been a success too. Round 2 goes to the Touareg as well.

Claim 3: Amphibian

That’s two hits in a row but to fully live up to VW’s claims, the Touareg has one more area to prove itself. It has to wade through 580mm (or nearly 2 feet) of water. Whether or not you’d cross a stream in your Touareg, this simulation is a litmus test for the big VW’s abilities in the worst of a Mumbai monsoon. Water crossings are arguably among the most challenging off-road scenarios and require a fair amount of skill. Maintaining a constant slow pace is ideal to ensure water doesn’t enter the engine through the exhausts. So, it helps that you can raise the Touareg’s suspension to reduce the chance of this happening. We’ve measured 580mm from the floor and marked it on the Touareg’s side. Ashley’s trained his camera on the marker and gives us the go-ahead. Air suspension set to Special Off-Road, the Touareg gently rolls down the bank.

The angle of entry is pretty steep, so there’s water right up to the front grille till the SUV levels out. Thereafter, it’s literally smooth sailing for the Touareg, which breaks the calm of the water with a gentle wave and cruises forward without any hesitance. It’s only on the exit do we see the dual exhausts sputtering out water. We are dry and the Touareg is running. What that means is that our little experiment is complete. 

Verdict

So there you have it. The Touareg proved to be just as capable off-road as VW claims it is. It may not be the ultimate off-roader but thanks to some clever electronics, it can do more than what you’d expect from a typical premium SUV. So believe the ad. The Touareg truly is just at home in the urban jungle as it is in the real one. But this is not the last of our ‘reel-to-real-world tests’. Manufacturers, be warned. All your advertisements are going to be under the scanner from this day on.

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Mahindra readying electric Verito

India’s first pure electric saloon is slated to be launched within a year. M&M also has plans of rolling out electric variants of the Gio and Maxximo.

Following the launch of the e2o electric car, Mahindra & Mahindra is all set to launch the electric version of its entry-level saloon, the Verito, within a year.

It will be powered by Reva’s electric powertrain, and will produce 29 kW (38.9bhp). The battery pack will around take six hours for a full charge, which will give a claimed range of 100km. A quick charge can also be done in a little over an hour.

M&M is investing about Rs 150 crore to develop electric versions of two of its other vehicles, the Gio and Maxximo, as well.

Speaking about the company’s plans for electric vehicles, Pawan Goenka, president of automotive and farm equipment sectors, M&M, said, “We will be using the electric vehicle technology on some of our existing products. We are almost ready with the electric Gio and Maxximo, and we have also developed a prototype for the electric Verito.”

He also added that the company has kept a fleet of 50 electric Maxximos ready, and these will be launched after assessing the response to the recently launch Mahindra e2o.

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Hyundai HB20S not coming to India

South America-specific model based on a completely different platform would be financially unviable to bring to India.

If you have seen images of Hyundai’s HB20S saloon on the internet, and thought it would make a great addition to the company’s Indian line-up, don’t hold your breath. Hyundai has has no plans to bring the HB20S to India.

Both the HB20 hatchback and HB20S saloon have been designed specifically for the South American market, where the saloon is offered with 80bhp 1.0-litre and 128bhp 1.6-litre petrol engines. Considering these cars are built on an entirely different platform from the ones used for the i20 and Verna and share very few common components with them, it would be a financially unviable move for the carmaker to bring any HB20-based model here. Assembling cars from an all-new platform in India would require a huge investment.

 

Moreover, considering that the HB20S is not a sub-four-metre saloon, if introduced here, its pricing and positioning would also clash with the Verna in Hyundai’s model range.

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Honda Amaze bookings open

Honda has started taking bookings for Amaze saloon launching on April 11

The much awaited Honda Amaze saloon will be launched in India on April 11. The carmaker is expected to price its first compact saloon here at around Rs 6-7.5 lakh. The carmaker has started taking bookings for an amount of Rs 21,000 (refundable) and is currently promising a 30-day delivery period. 

The big news is that Honda's new 1.5-litre diesel engine will make its debut in the new Amaze. Along with this new engineered-for-India motor, the saloon will also be offered with the 1.2-litre petrol engine that is shared with the Brio hatchback. While the diesel-powered car will come with a five-speed manual gearbox, the 1.2-litre petrol variant will come with the options of both a five-speed manual and a five-speed automatic ’box.  

While based on Honda’s Brio hatch, the saloon gets subtle styling tweaks in the form of a different grille, fog lamps (only on the Indian version of the car) and new alloy wheels. The carmaker, in a brilliant engineering move, has given the Amaze a considerably longer wheelbase than the hatch, resulting in spacious interiors.   

The introduction of the diesel engine here marks a significant step for Honda, which has stubbornly stuck to petrol motors till date and consequently lost a lot of fans to diesel motor-equipped competition. The Amaze could well be the carmaker’s ticket to supremacy in the entry-level saloon segment here and could dethrone the current segment leader, the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, as well as pose a serious threat to other rivals like the Tata Manza, Toyota Etios and Mahindra Verito.

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Skoda Superb facelift revealed

Updates include revisions to the exterior and interior; expect it to be launched here by the end of 2013.

Skoda has revealed its updated Superb saloon, which features revisions on the inside and out.

On the outside, the new Superb gets a new grille, logo, head- and fog-lights, bumpers, front fenders and bonnet. Skoda has also added bi-xenon headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights, and the rear lights have also been redesigned.

The changes in the cabin include a new four-spoke steering wheel, a new gear lever, new colour schemes and the front passenger seat can also be moved from the rear electronically. There’s also an automatic reverse parking system.

The facelifted Superb will continue to be offered with the same engine choices when it is launched here. This includes a 1.8-litre TSI petrol engine, a 2.0-litre TDI and a 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine. The TSI motor comes with the option of a six-speed manual or a seven-speed DSG auto ‘box, while the 2-litre diesel and the 3.6-litre V6 is available with a six-speed DSG only.

"The Skoda Superb is the pinnacle of our model line-up and proves its capability as a manufacturer. The present comprehensive facelift has made our top model even more attractive,” says Skoda CEO Winfried Vahland. “The Skoda Superb offers comfort beyond the middle-class standard. This means lots of room, excellent functionality, high comfort, top safety, great value for money and timeless elegance. We are always intent on offering our customers a little bit extra car.”

An official launch date hasn’t been announced yet, but the facelifted Superb is expected to hit showrooms here by end-2013.

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Honda Amaze diesel is India’s most efficient car

With an IDC figure of 25.8kpl, the Amaze will be India’s most fuel-efficient vehicle when launched.

Honda’s highly anticipated Amaze saloon will launch on April 11 with the company’s new made-for-India 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine under the hood. This will be Honda’s first diesel engine in India and it is set to cause a sensation when it’s launched. The Indian market is skewed towards cars that promise more per litre, which explains why the Amaze has already garnered the interest of most Indian car buyers. The Amaze diesel will, in all likelihood, enter the market as India’s most efficient car (if you take the Indian Driving Cycle or IDC figure of 25.8kpl into consideration). Of course, real world figures will be lower. But how has Honda done it? How has it made this car so efficient?

Weight-saving was high priority for Honda when designing this car, which is evident by its use of a thin-walled aluminium engine block, an aluminium head and lightweight cast-iron cylinder liners. In an effort to further reduce weight, Honda has opted for an open-deck construction, unusual for an aluminium diesel engine block, as a closed deck construction is normally considered to be stronger (aluminium blocks in the past were known to suffer from warping under heavy loads).   

What’s more, Honda’s automotive lubricants partner, Idemitsu, has developed a special engine oil with an ultra-low viscosity rating that helps the Amaze achieve its high fuel efficiency figure. Honda has also worked hard at reducing the mechanical friction of the i-DTEC engine, something it has done for years with its petrol motors. Engineers have used shorter and thinner piston skirts in an effort to reduce mechanical friction even further, and these and other changes have resulted in a greatly reduced amount of overall friction. Honda claim a massive reduction in mechanical friction of 40 percent at 1500rpm over conventional diesel motors, and that is huge, especially since the aforementioned engine speed is where diesels normally spin.

All these measures have helped the Amaze set an impressive 25.8kpl mileage figure in the IDC. This figure ousts the Chevrolet Beat diesel’s 25.44 kpl, the Indica CR4’s 25kpl and even the Tata Nano’s 624cc petrol engine that returns 25.4kpl. Again, these numbers are not real-world figures, but are comparable because they are recorded using the same test procedure. All these measures go a long way in helping save fuel, which results in a major disparity in the real-world efficiency figures and IDC figures.

But why are the IDC’s figures recorded so exaggerated? The IDC is the platform used for the industry-approved fuel efficiency figures, which car companies have chosen to voluntarily disclose. Its test involves a cycle that lasts for 1,140 seconds and covers 10km, which translates to an average speed of 31.6kph. There’s lots of start-stop involved and there is negligible amounts of engine revving. The gentle driving technique also involves a fair amount of cruising in top gear. Also, all tests on the IDC are done with the air-con switched off, and this skews the figures even further. Nonetheless, IDC figures do allow for a good reference point for relative comparison between cars.

So, the Amaze will enter the Indian market as the most fuel efficient car, at least based on figures given by the IDC.

Here’s a list of the top 10 fuel efficient cars in India to give you a better idea of what Honda has achieved.

1.     Honda Amaze – 25.8kpl

2.     Chevrolet Beat diesel – 25.44kpl

3.     Tata Nano – 25.4kpl

4.     Tata Indica CR4 – 25kpl

5.     Toyota Etios Liva – 23.59kpl

6.     Nissan Micra diesel – 23.08kpl

7.     Maruti Swift diesel – 22.9kpl

8.     Maruti Alto 800 – 22.74kpl

9.     Chevrolet Sail U-VA diesel – 22.1kpl

10.   Volkswagen Polo diesel – 22.04kpl

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New Skoda Octavia spied in India

New Octavia will be launched in the coming months.

Skoda is preparing to launch the new Octavia in the coming months. We have recieved a picture of the all-new Octavia being tested in India. 

Built on VW’s new MQB variable platform that allows for almost infinite variations in length, wheelbase and width, the new Octavia is 90mm longer and 45mm wider than the Laura. The wheelbase now stands at 2686mm, and that is just shy of the one used for the VW Passat.

The fit and finish on the inside has also been stepped up. Seams are almost invisible, the quality of plastics is improved for the most part, and the neat and simple design of the dash is quite appealing. Boot space stands at a generous 590 litres.

The new Octavia will also come with a range of new safety features such as lane assistance, automatic braking system and also fatigue detection system. It will also get as nine airbags. The new Octavia will also come equipped with adaptive cruise control and intelligent light assistant that switches automatically between low and high beams, and traffic sign recognition as well.

Though the car has a much larger footprint, prices are expected to be even more competitive than they are now (the Laura currently starts at Rs 12.9 lakh for the 1.8 TSI). The EA888 1.8 TSI engine will be upgraded and will now make around 175bhp in India. There will also be a new automatic version that is sure to attract a whole new set of customers. The base petrol, however, will be a 140bhp version of the 1.4 TSI, the engine seen on the VW Jetta, and is likely to be even more affordable. As earlier, there will also be two diesel versions. Both will use the same 2.0-litre TDI engine, but power outputs could be upped to 120 and 150bhp, respectively. Other engine options for the future include a 105bhp 1.6 diesel and possibly a 200-plus-bhp petrol vRS version, which could hit a top speed of 250kph. A diesel vRS is also likely to make it to Indian shores later.

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