Indian Autos blog

As you can see, coverage of the Maruti Suzuki Ritz on Indian Autos Blog continues, but the intensity has diminished just a little. We’ll continue to give a post here and there and why shouldn’t we? This is a new car and we’re excited about it. The excitement won’t die down till we test drive the car.

Enjoy images of the Indian spec Ritz after the break

Gadgets -

The Skoda Superb is laden with an annoying number of driver and occupant assist gadgets EPS, Parking Assist, power seats (driver and front passenger), a large touch screen in the centre of the dash which displays information on the CD playing, your phone, the radio station to cite few.

The list proceeds easily on for another page or so, but this is the stuff we used for the time of our drive.

The touch screen positioned mid-dash is wide and clear and the level of information conforms to every driver’s needs. It does away with buttons, minimizing clutter.

click through to read more

Audi India aims to sell 1,500 cars this fiscal and is looking on track. The company expects growth of 55% and will manufacture 1,000 cars this year from its newely constructed Aurangabad plant, which has a installed capacity of 3,000 cars a year.

The Audi Q5 SUV will be launched in India on the 4th of June. Pricing is expected to start at 38 lakh till 45 lakh rupees for the roof model. Interestingly, the Fiat Grande Punto will also be launched the same day!

The Audi Q7′s exteriors were tweaked slighlty by LEDs incorporated in its lights, restyled grille and additional colors. It will be introduced in Europe this year with the option of the new clean diesel engine, but is doubted if that will be available on its Indian model slated for 2010.

About 100,000 AUTO BILD magazine readers have voted the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class the best-looking car in the world. The E-Class Sedan was the overall winner while the E-Class Coupé grabbed top spot in the “Coupé and Cabriolet” category.

Apart from looking good, a unique combination of driving assistance systems have gone into the E Class (these may fetch more awards in future). Among them are features such as drowsiness detection, Adaptive Highbeam Assist and the DISTRONIC PLUS proximity control system which plays an important role in helping to prevent rear-end collisions.

E-Class trademarks such as long-distance comfort, use of high-quality materials and the perfect ergonomics are retained. The best part however is the car’s long term value. Some independent analysts say that the new E-Class will have a miniscule depreciation value and will offer the best value retention in its class.

click through to view high-res images of E-Class sedan and Coupe

Listen to what Toshihiro Suzukiu Chief Engineer of the Maruti Ritz has to say -

For all of you who were looking for the perfect blend of style and features, the wait is finally over. It is a privilege to introduce the new benchmark in car design – the all new Maruti Suzuki Ritz.

Ritz is the culmination of six months of research on European car trends, fashion, lifestyle and design. After which it underwent a series of thorough tests on Indian Roads to fine-tune the car to better suit the needs of the Indian consumer. User friendliness formed the core objective in Ritz’s development. It is a multipurpose vehicle suited to all users, irrespective of their age and lifestyle. Its strong-flared fenders create a sure-footed look with a reassuringly stable silhouette, unlike other tall wagons.

click through for more and the press release

In case you did not know, Maruti Suzuki India Limited has launched the Ritz, and we are continuing our coverage on the car throughout today.

We previously showed you the international Suzuki Splash TV advertisement, which has no similarities to the above Indian version.

This Maruti Ritz TV Advertisement, I have not yet seen on any Indian TV channels.

I don’t know whether it is worth airing since it conveys no meaning or message. The guy walks to the car, gets into it and starts driving. He looks up at the end of it and the camera zooms out to show him driving again.

Maruti, you need to hire someone else to make your Ads. This isn’t very good.