Auto Expo 2014 venue changed

The Indian Auto Expo 2014 will move to a larger exhibit area in Greater Noida.

The next edition of the Indian Auto Expo, to be held in 2014, is all set to get a change of venue. The event is traditionally held in January at the Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, but to avoid clashing with the Detroit Motor Show and owing to unavailability of the conventional venue, it’ll be held from February 6-12 in Greater Noida, announced the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

The 2014 Expo is also about to get a lot bigger with exhibitors being allotted over 50,000 sq.m of space as opposed to less than 40,000 sq.m available for the exhibit this year. SIAM will organise a bus and utility vehicles show from February 15-18 in 2013 as a trial run leading up to the Expo the year after.

“We will be showing only vehicles and accessories at the India Expo Centre and Mart at Greater Noida,” said Vishnu Mathur, director general, SIAM, adding that components will be exhibited at a separate venue. 

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Jaguar axes C-X75 supercar

Jaguar has cancelled production of supercar C-X75 owing to global economic crisis

The Jaguar C-X75 supercar has been axed. Global brand director Adrian Hallmark confirmed that the decision not to put the radical hybrid into production had been taken due to the current global economic crisis.

Five working prototypes will continue to be developed until next May. Up to three of these will then be sold at auction, while one will go into a future Jaguar museum and the other will be kept by Jaguar for running demonstrations.

“We feel we could make the car work, but looking at the global austerity measures in place now, it seems the wrong time to launch an £800,000 to £1 million (Rs 8.74 crore) supercar,” said Hallmark. “This is backed up by other products from us that people are screaming out for.” 

The C-X75 was first revealed as a concept at the Paris motor show in 2010. Its hybrid drivetrain included a pair of gas turbines to power the car once charge from the four electric motors, one mounted at each wheel, had expired. In May 2011, Jaguar confirmed the C-X75, which features the firm’s first bonded carbonfibre chassis using Williams F1 expertise, had been signed off for production, albeit without the gas turbines.

The original drivetrain had been replaced with a turbocharged/supercharged 1.6-litre petrol engine and two electric motors, mounted at either end of the car, driving transaxles and powered by a liquid/air-cooled battery pack. The combined power figure of the hybrid drivetrain was 888bhp and combined torque 590lb ft. The C-X75 could crack 0-60mph in 2.8sec and promised 0-100mph in less than 6.0sec. An all-electric range of 60 miles was quoted.

Hallmark said the undisclosed investment in the C-X75 would not be wasted, and 60 percent of its technology would filter through to future Jaguars. The hybrid technology, he said, could be used on a three-cylinder engine to give it the power of a six-cylinder engine. The C-X75’s sophisticated aerodynamics should also influence future Jaguars, while the high-pressure supercharger technology could be used on future performance Jaguars with four-cylinder engines.

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Skoda teases new Octavia

Ahead of an official unveiling expected in the next few days, the Czech manufacturer has released teaser images of the new 2013 Octavia.

Skoda has released a number of images of its new Octavia ahead of an official unveil expected over the coming days.

The shots give little away as to the design of Skoda’s C-segment challenger, but it will carry the same front grille treatment as the Rapid, as well as similar taillights with an exaggerated C-shaped graphic. It will also feature a kick-up line in the side window line for the first time.

Built on the Volkswagen Group’s flexible MQB platform, the 2013 Octavia will be slightly larger than before, to further distance itself from the recently-introduced Rapid. The most revealing image is of the dashboard, which features a range of familiar VW Group components. Skoda has previously said it will introduce more upmarket versions with more luxurious cabins.

The Octavia’s international engine line-up will likely be a 138bhp 1.4 TSI petrol and a 104bhp 1.6 TDI diesel. A 220bhp vRS version is scheduled for a reveal globally next summer. India is likely to get the 2.0-litre diesel and a 1.8-litre turbo petrol motor which are likley to be carried forward from Skoda's current Indian lineup. 

The biggest question is how Skoda will position the new Octavia in our market, especially considering the Laura continues to be a strong seller even after all these years. 

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Maruti Ritz Automatic coming next month

Ritz automatic to come with a 4-speed gearbox.

Maruti will soon add an automatic transmission-equipped variant to its Ritz lineup.

The Ritz auto is expected to come with a four-speed automatic transmisison mated to a 1.2-litre K12 petrol engine that churns out 86bhp. 

Like the Dzire automatic, the Ritz auto will be available only in the mid-spec VXI ABS trim level. 

The Ritz automatic will be Maruti's third automatic gearbox-equipped model in India. It is expected to compete with the likes of the i10 automatic and the Honda Brio automatic.

Our sources tell us that the ex-showroom price of the Ritz auto will be around Rs 6.3 lakh. The Brio automatic, which has a five-speed auto 'box, is priced from Rs 5.74 lakh to Rs 5.99 lakh, while the i10 auto, which comes with a four-speed gearbox, costs Rs 6.16 lakh. 

Maruti dealers have started taking bookings for the Ritz automatic with a booking amount of Rs 50,000. Deliveries will commence by January 15, 2013. 

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Gautam Singhania unveils India’s first drift car

After winning the Allstars European Drift Championship in Malta, Singhania has a car designed specifically to hone his drifting skills.

Gautam Singhania, chairman and managing director, Raymond Limited has unveiled India’s first and only exclusive drift car. He designed this car after his victory at the AllStars European Drift Championship held at Malta in September, 2012. 

Speaking about the occasion, Gautam Singhania, founding chairman of the Super Car Club (SCC), said, “Drifting as a motorsport has always attracted and intrigued me. I always wanted to learn this form of motorsport. It was a great experience while competing at the AllStars series. It feels like a great honour to be the champion in one of the most premier professional drifting competitions in Europe. The competition was intense but I managed to win. I will definitely pursue this sport further. The drift car is testimony to that and I have been practicing in it to hone my drifting skills.”

The series saw over 30 participants from all across Europe competing in the final round. Singhania, driving a modified Nissan Sylvia S13 at the competition, was able to score enough to win the title by 2.5 points. The championship win made Gautam Singhania the first Asian and Indian to participate and win the event.

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Maruti A-star Aktiv launched

Special edition A-Star Aktiv gets cosmetic updates at an additional cost of Rs 14,990.

Maruti Suzuki has launched a special edition variant of its A-Star hatchback. The new edition is called A-Star Aktiv and is available in VXI and VXI A/T trim levels.

The A-Star Aktiv variant gets special body graphics, red coloured wing mirrors, spoiler and fog-lamp inserts with blacked out door frames. The interiors get special seats and steering wheel cover, special floor mats and a rear parcel tray, as well as door-sill guards and a keyless-entry system.

There are no mechanical changes to the hatchback and it continues to be powered by the 998cc KB10 petrol motor that gives a fuel-efficiency figure of 19kpl (ARAI tested). The A-Star Aktiv is available at a premium of Rs 14,990 over the respective standard variants. 

Maruti A-Star prices (ex-showroom, Delhi)  

VXI M/T: Rs 4.10 lakh
VXI A/T Rs 4.61 lakh

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Updated BMW 5-series coming next year

Refreshed 5-series will be officially showcased at the Frankfurt Motor Show next year.

The current-generation BMW 5-series (Codename: F10) will soon be due for a mid-cycle refresh.

The German carmaker is already testing a mildly reworked version of its Mercedes E-class-rival. The updated 5-series is likely to officially be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor show in 2013.

While development of the new car still has the good part of a year to run, changes being made to the 5-series appear less significant than those adopted by the upcoming revised E-class.

Externally, the 5-series will get more heavily structured bumpers and the lamp graphics will be revised, and our sources tell us that the existing bodywork will be largely untouched. Revisions to both bodystyles are limited to a new grille, lights and front and rear bumpers.

Inside, BMW plans to provide the 5-series with the latest version of its iDrive multimedia system and a configurable instrument display already recently introduced on the facelifted 7-series.

Not much is known about the upgrades under the hood, but we can expect the engine line-up to be more fuel-efficient than the current offerings.

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New Sports Cars and Coupe for 2013

Jaguar F-Type

Easily one of the stars of the 2012 Paris Motor Show, Jaguar’s gorgeous new F-Type sports car is on its way to India come 2013. A spiritual successor to the 1960s E-type, the F-type will initially be available in convertible form only, while the more India-friendly coupé will make its way here a year later. The F-type is a strict two-seater, and shares a lot of its underpinnings with the XK grand tourer, though it is considerably smaller than the larger Jag and similar in size to the Porsche 911. Buyers will have the option to choose between a pair of supercharged 3.0-litre V6s with power outputs of 335bhp and 375bhp, and also a range-topping 488bhp 5.0-litre V8, all of which will come mated to an eight-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. Expect prices to start from Rs 1 crore for this leaping cat.

FACTFILE
Engine: 3.0-litre petrol, 3.0-litre petrol, 5.0-litre petrol
Power/torque: 335bhp/45.9kgm, 375bhp/46.9kgm, 488bhp/63.7kgm
Kerb weight: 1597-1665kg
L/W/H: 4470/1923/1296mm
Expected: Mid-2013
Price: Rs 1 crore onwards*

Audi S5

The S4 has already made its India debut and will be joined by other cars from Audi’s red-hot S performance range soon. Among the models due for launch are the S6 and S7, each of which is equipped with a stonking 414bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. The S8 is on its way here too. It gets all the luxury trappings of an A8 and the same twin-turbo V8 as the S6 and S7, albeit with 513bhp on tap. It’s the ultimate wolf in sheep’s clothing. While the S6, S7 and S8 will cost a sizeable amount more than their current range-topping variants, the S5 coupé will actually cost less than the RS5 already sold here. It will also be less powerful than that car, but with 329bhp on tap, still promises to be an absolute blast to drive.

FACTFILE
Engine: 3.0-litre petrol
Power/torque: 329bhp/44.9kgm
Kerb weight: 1750kg
L/W/H: 4640/1854/1369mm
Expected: Mid-2013
Price: Rs 75 lakh* 

* Estimated, ex-showroom, Delhi

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New MPVs for 2013

Ashok Leyland Stile

If the Stile looks familiar, that’s because it is Ashok Leyland’s version of the recently launched Nissan Evalia MPV. But where the Evalia is targeted at private car buyers, the Stile will be positioned primarily for commercial users and tour operators, and as a result will be sold at a considerably lower price point. The Stile will feature a different nose and, in keeping with its intended purpose, will also come with a toned down cabin. You can also expect the Stile to do without many of the Evalia’s safety features like ABS and airbags. However, the Stile will still be powered by Renault’s 1.5-litre K9K engine, but possibly in a lower state of tune. There could also be a CNG version in the future.

FACTFILE
Engine: 1.5-litre diesel
Power/torque: 65bhp/16.3kgm
Kerb weight : NA
L/W/H: 4400/1695/1880mm
Expected: Mid-2013
Price: Rs 7.5-8.5 lakh*

Chevrolet Enjoy

As the success of the Maruti Ertiga has proven, there is a huge market for well-priced MPVs in India. To cash in on this demand, Chevrolet is all set to launch its own MPV called the Enjoy. Unveiled at the 2012 Auto Expo, the Enjoy is actually a Wuling CN-100, which is part of GM India’s Chinese partner, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation’s product portfolio. While the styling is quite ordinary by modern standards, the seven-seater’s main selling point will be value for money. The Chinese version gets removable second and third rows which, if offered on the Indian model, will greatly add to the Enjoy’s versatility. Powering the MPV will be a 94.6bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine, but the 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine-equipped version is expected to form the bulk of sales. Interestingly, British sportscar maker Lotus worked with engineers at GM’s Bangalore technical centre to fine-tune the Enjoy’s chassis. However, the success of the Enjoy will hinge less on how it takes corners and more on how well it is priced. So if the buzz around a sub-Rs 6 lakh starting price is true, the Enjoy could go on to be a big hit. 

FACTFILE
Engine: 1.4-litre petrol, 1.3-litre diesel
Power/torque: 94.6bhp/NA, 77bhp/20.9kgm
Kerb weight: 1205kg
L/W/H: 4305/1680/1750mm
Expected: November 2012
Price: Rs 6 lakh*

Force Motors New Trax

Spurred on by the continued success of the Mahindra Bolero, Force Motors is readying a new version of its long-running Trax utility vehicle. The new Trax will come with smarter styling and updated interiors, and will feature the OM616 diesel engine that uses a two-valve common-rail system. Since it’s BSIV compliant, this engine will enable the new Trax to be sold in the metros as well. Spec for spec, the Trax’s pricing is likely to mirror the Bolero’s. Force Motors is also working on reviving the Gurkha to take on the Mahindra Thar.

FACTFILE
Engine: 2.6-litre diesel
Power/torque: NA
Kerb weight: NA
L/W/H: NA
Expected: Mid-2013
Price: Rs 5.5-6.5 lakh*

Force Motors MPV

With the soaring popularity of MPVs, Force Motors may have an ace up its sleeve with its own people-mover, which is scheduled for launch in late 2013. The MPV will be a Force Motors-badged version of the Viano that will be built under license from Mercedes-Benz. Larger than the current lot of MPVs on sale in India, the yet unnamed model could be sold as an eight-seater. We expect the MPV to come with the 139bhp Mercedes-Benz-licensed OM611 2.2-litre diesel engine, which also does duty in the Force One SUV. While prices are not known yet, we estimate Force Motors will launch this MPV with a price in the Rs 10-15 lakh band.

FACTFILE
Engine: 2.2-litre diesel
Power/torque: 139bhp/32.7kgm
Kerb weight: NA
L/W/H: 4763/1338/2253mm
Expected: End-2013
Price: Rs 10-15 lakh*

Hyundai MPV

The concept you see here previews some of the styling cues you can expect on Hyundai’s new MPV for India, which could make production by late 2013. Going by the 4.3-metre-long Hexa Space show car’s design, the production version (codename: HND-7) will have a distinct bonnet section and won’t be a mono-volume MPV like its contemporaries. Details like the peeled-back headlamps, flared arches and boomerang tail-lights could make it to the final version too. Built on an approximately 2.7-metre-long wheelbase, the MPV could be offered as an eight-seater with a unique 3+3+2 seating layout. Likely to sell with the 1.6-litre diesel from the Verna and Elantra, the concept’s turbocharged 1200cc Kappa petrol motor and six-speed automatic gearbox hint at some of the other possible powertrain options. You can expect Hyundai to price this interesting MPV on par with the Maruti Ertiga.

FACTFILE
Engine: 1.2-litre turbo petrol, 1.6-litre diesel
Power/torque: NA, 126bhp/26.5kgm
Kerb weight: NA
L/W/H: NA
Expected: Late-2013
Price: Rs 6-9 lakh*

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New Luxury Saloons for 2013

BMW 7-series facelift

While the changes may be difficult to spot, this is the facelifted BMW 7-series that is due for an India launch at the end of this year. Look hard and you may notice the new car’s thicker grille surrounds, full LED headlamps and restyled front bumper. The changes to the cabin are not all that comprehensive either and include new front seats, a redesigned iDrive system and a new rear-seat entertainment package. As before, the 7-series will be available with a choice of one diesel and three petrol motors, but in line with BMW’s push for improved efficiency, these motors will now come mated to the eight-speed auto ’box from the 5-series.

FACTFILE
Engine: 3.0-litre petrol, 4.4-litre petrol, 6.0-litre petrol, 3.0-litre diesel
Power/torque: 315bhp/45.9kgm, 443bhp/66.3kgm, 536bhp/76.5kgm, 255bhp/57.1kgm
Kerb weight: 1900-1980kg
L/W/H: 5212/1902/1478mm
Expected: December 2012
Price: Rs 95 lakh-1.5 crore*

Honda New Accord

Once the king of its segment, the Honda Accord has lost ground to newer rivals like the Skoda Superb. Things could change when Honda brings in the all-new Accord in mid-2013. As is clear in the pictures of the India-bound US model, the design is a lot more mature than the current car’s, with crisper lines and a more athletic stance. The cabin sees an improvement too with a classier dashboard and even more space than before. Engine options will include a new, and more efficient, direct-injection 2.4-litre petrol (with the choice of a CVT gearbox), but there will be no V6 petrol as on the current car. The sad news is that, like before, there are no plans for a diesel variant, which will invariably limit the big Honda’s appeal in India.

FACTFILE
Engine: 2.4-litre petrol
Power/torque: 182bhp/25.1kgm
Kerb weight: 1475kg
L/W/H: 4851/1849/1465mm
Expected: Mid-2013
Price: Rs 20 lakh*

Jaguar XF 2.2 Diesel

As things stand, the XF is Jaguar’s bread-and-butter model in India. And it’s all set to get a whole lot more accessible. For starters, Jaguar is finally going to equip the XF with its base 188bhp, four-cylinder 2.2-litre diesel engine. So far, Jaguar had found it difficult to tune the engine to be compatible with local diesel available in India, but could bring in the motor, without a diesel particulate filter,  by end-2012. The new engine will give Jaguar just the right model to take on the Mercedes-Benz E 220 CDI, BMW 520d and Audi A6 2.0 TDI, which form the bulk of sales in this segment. New engine apart, what would really help bring the prices of the XF down is if Jaguar locally assembles the car alongside the Land Rover Freelander at Tata Motors’ plant in Pune. At present, the XF is brought into India as a completely built unit and the recent increase in customs duties has only worked to put it at a serious price disadvantage against its locally assembled rivals.

FACTFILE
Engine: 2.2-litre diesel
Power/torque: 188bhp/46kgm
Kerb weight: 1745kg
L/W/H: 4961/1920/1460mm
Expected: December 2012
Price: Rs 45 lakh*

Skoda Superb facelift

Skoda will give its cars a new corporate identity and the Superb will be the first recipient of the new look in India. The luxury saloon will get a larger, more angular front grille and the headlights get sharper detailing as well. Daytime running lights are another possibility. The makeover will extend to tail styling as well, with reshaped lights and a new bootlid that will now house the number plate. A slighlty revised dashboard could also be part of the update.

FACTFILE
Engine: 1.8-litre turbo-petrol, 3.6-litre petrol, 2.0-litre diesel
Power/torque: 160bhp/25.5kgm, 260bhp/35.7kgm, 140bhp/32.6kgm
Kerb weight: 1567kg
L/W/H: 4838/1817/1482mm
Expected: Early-2013
Price: Rs 18-28 lakh*

Mercedes-Benz E-class facelift

Originally launched in India in 2009, the W212 series Mercedes-Benz E-Class is set to get its first update shortly. The updates will mainly focus on styling and, going by the spy pictures of the prototypes undergoing testing in Europe, the freshened E will look quite different. The big news is the updated E-class will lose the quartet of headlamps that have identified the car since the W210 model of 1995. In their place, the E-class will possibly get larger, single-piece headlights with square-shaped LEDs outlining the main lights. Other changes will include a lowered grille and restyled front and rear bumpers. The cabin is expected to receive a more comprehensive screen-based menu to replace many of the buttons on the dashboard. You can also expect more power from the improved powertrains.  

FACTFILE
Engine: 1.8-litre turbo-petrol, 3.5-litre petrol, 2.2-litre diesel, 3.0-litre diesel
Power/torque: 183bhp/29kgm, 272bhp/35.6kgm, 203bhp/51kgm, 228bhp/55kgm
Kerb weight: 1732kg-1825kg
L/W/H: 4868/1854/1471mm
Expected: Mid-2013
Price: Rs 40-55 lakh*

* Estimated, ex-showroom, Delhi

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