We’ve been featuring a string of Fiat small cars over the last few months, and among them is the Fiat Topolino, here rendered by a Greek auto magazine.
The Fiat Topolino is one of many small cars developed by Fiat for the world that is under threat by recession and oil prices. Initially there were rumors of involvement of Tata Motors, but there has been no confirmation from either sides. Fiat could build this car in India and export it to Europe. That could be a possibility.
The Topolino will be the size of the Smart Fortwo and Toyota iQ. It will be powered using a 900cc engine and will be priced close to the Fiat Panda.
Source- Autotriti Greece
Few days back, you might have read from the Updates in the sidebar that Maruti Ritz is to be launched on the 15th of May. What you might not have heard is the fact that Maruti officials are going around announcing that Maruti Ritz’ main rival is the Maruti Swift. How uncool is that? Let’s hear what Maruti Suzuki MD Shinzo Nakanishi had to say
Ritz will directly compete with Swift. In the past, when we have launched cars in the same segment, it has helped the market to grow. With the launch of Ritz, our customers would have two cars to choose from in the same category”
Just to remind you, WagonR and Zen Estilo are two Marutis competing in the same small car segment. Mind you though, the Wagon R was facelifted when the Esilo came out. Apparently, the idea was to create a spectre of two new cars being launched.
In Swift’s case however, no major facelifts have been done since 2004, and by seeing the number of Swifts on the road (75% in the compact car segment), i would’nt be surprised if someone says he/she has gotten ‘BORED’ of the Swift!
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After a 17-day worker strike, Hyundai has resolved the situation and decided to shift i20 production to Europe. Thanks to the strike, export targets fell short by 15% and production was down 5%. The company’s also facing electricity shortage after talks with the state government failed.
Kiwi land registers its first entry here on Indian Autos Blog for a special edition Suzuki Swift. To mark 100 years since the company’s founding, the Suzuki Swift comes with a new grille, tail lamp, low profile tires and interiors.
Actually the grille is borrowed from the Dzire 
The car also comes in an irresistible chocolate brown, its chrome alloys are classy, defining its identity as a special edition.
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Regular Indian Autos Blog reader Sulakshan has emailed us what he claims is the Skoda Superb Hybrid test mule. These pictures were captured in Bangalore city, a locality where Skoda extensively evaluated the regular Superb.
Sulakshan informs us there was a green block letter “hybrid vehicle” badge on the front left fender and as the driver sensed he was being followed, he stepped on the pedal and sped away. Sulak claims when he rolled down the window to confirm from its silent operation, the busy road proved noisy and his ears could pick up nothing, or rather could not pickup ‘nothing.’
A little probing on google verifies Skoda has no hybrid technology at the moment. Maybe this is their first attempt? Could Porsche’s hybrid technology be under the skin of this Superb? It could be anything.
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Supposed to be replaced by the i10, the Hyundai Santro has not only lived to talk about it, but is also set to undergo a cosmetic surgery by the year end. The changes are purely cosmetic and no announcements on the diesel engine yet.
Our friend Shaun from South Africa who earlier tipped us about the Chevrolet Cruze in Port Elizabeth, stumbled on another discovery. This is a vital model if I was GM, as the Aveo isn’t performing very well.
The Chevrolet Aveo sedan with visual changes is now available to our neighbors China. It won’t be long before GM drags it into India, but significant change needs to be under the bonnet to transform it into a high-volume sedan.
Changes are minor on the Lova (known in China)- The headlamps are new, the radiator grille is a bit wider and taller, the trademark yellow bow tie has also bloated the line running across is fatter and lends it a different look. The Chevrolet Captiva SUV has a similar face.
The V-shaped front bumper is similar to the Chevrolet Cruze. The fog lamps are placed in an aluminium housing. The alloy wheels are newly designed and the wing mirrors are twin-color.
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German tuning company AVUS Performance today revealed its new customization kit for the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. The standout is obviously the heavily tuned 6.L V8 engine that produces 585Bhp and 600Nm of torque. Hence, the car can effortlessly hit 200Mph (300 Kph).
The AVUS C63 upgrades consists of
- stiffer suspension layout
- Mirror covers
- Black painted front grille, roof and Mercedes star
- a stainless steel exhaust system that makes the car louder
- 19“ AMG multi-spoke rims (20“ optional)
- 8-piston brake calipers on 380mm diameter discs
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