Indian Autos blog

In a surprise of sorts, Mahindra displayed the first vehicle of its kind at the World Hydrogen Technologies Convention 2009 held in Delhi today. The Hy-Alfa is just another Alfa goods carrier to the layman.

But peel its skin and there is a marvel hidden beneath. The Hy-Alfa runs on compressed hydrogen gas with zero emissions, the first of any such vehicles ever made.

Dr. Mathew Abraham, General Manager (R&D), Mahindra & Mahindra R&D Centre -

The Hy-Alfa is the first vehicle of its kind in the world. It runs on nothing but compressed hydrogen gas and is incredibly engineered to run with absolutely zero emissions, which makes it a pleasure to drive on congested city roads. Hydrogen is, in fact, the technology and fuel of tomorrow and is the long term solution to pollution, energy security & CO2 emission related concerns

This futuristic technology has come to life not only because of Mahindra’s in-house resources and talent, but also due to companies with which it has collaborated, some international. Recently, Mahindra, along with other partners has signed an MOU with UNDIO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) India and ICHET (International Centre for Hydrogen Energy and Technology) Turkey to experiment a 15 Hy-Alfa Demo project next year at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.

This is very similar to the hydrogen demo vehicles that VW put on duty during the Beijing Olympics.

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. Even a school goer knows hydrogen is a clean fuel and its combustion in the presence of oxygen releases water, which fills a major portion of the planet’s surface area.

Apart from the hydrogen goods carrier, Mahindra has on display drivable full hybrid vehicles, micro (start/stop) hybrid vehicles, bio-fuel vehicles, an electric passenger vehicle, a hydrogen combustion engine vehicle and many recyclable and reusable materials and technologies.

Fiat India’s turn around car is going a little overboard. No, not in the real world but in our wildest dreams. A sure fire recipe for a walloping failure, a Fiat Linea convertible is foolish enough to only roll in the roads laid inside our brains.

But why pack it inside a fantasy bubble? Interpretation using digital graphics could prove you’re not the only one in the planet who needs a ride on this budget Italian convertible.

Hope lies with the customization houses in Arabia and Russia whose previous creations include gold plated Porsches, Hummer limousines and all kinds of automotive pornography experimentation.

The Yeti is arriving at the Delhi Auto Expo next January. With roughly five months to its Indian launch, we thought it would appropriate to show to you all how customizable this car is.

To help matters, in comes the lubricious Cobra kit for the Yeti. This tradition-breaking SUV with Cobra’s apparel looks more aggressive.

The Skoda Yeti gets a bullbar made out of stainless steel. The front bumper is also redesigned and stainless steel fenders add panache. Underbody protection is supplemented by a protection plate. A step plate is also available either in aluminum or stainless steel.

At the rear, the Yeti receives a protective plate under the bumper, which protects it from minor collisions. The Yeti also gets fashionable black twin-spoke alloys.

Skoda Yeti Cobra kit Image Gallery

Sold with a 15,000 km service interval and a three-year/100,000 km warranty, the A-Star has been introduced in South Africa as the Suzuki Alto.

Our friend Scott from SA Car Fan tells me the Alto was displayed at the Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS), held last year weeks after the car’s official debut at the Paris Motor Show. The Alto comes with the same 1,0-litre 3-cylinder 12-valve DOHC petrol engine which we Indians get, that produces 50 kW at 6,000 rpm and 87 N.m of torque at 4,500 rpm.

Entry level Alto GL

The entry level Alto GL offers driver and passenger front airbags; side-impact protection beams, ISOFIX child seat preparation; factory-fitted immobiliser; air-conditioning with pollen filter; tinted glass; halogen headlights and a full-sized 14-inch spare wheel as standard features.

Upmarket Alto GLS

The upmarket Alto GLS features 14-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, colour coded door handles and side mirrors, remote-controlled central locking, height adjustable steering wheel, electrically operated front windows and a 6-speaker AM/FM radio with single MP3 CD-player.

The Alto GLS also gets folding rear seats in a 50:50 split configuration. In terms of safety, you have everything you require – it is equipped with ABS, Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA) along with the safety equipment on the entry-level model.

Our pal Kamal over at Burn your fuel, reports Tata Motors is working on a special edition Indigo CS, which is pitched at young professionals with a limited budget. The sedan was engineered to benefit from tax exemptions, and is a big hit in our country.

Compared to the regular car, the Indigo CS had small yet effective changes. Like for example, the steering wheel was made a touch smaller and the engine was altered for a more silent operation.

The special edition CS, which is scheduled for Diwali, boasts of a couple of big changes, but otherwise, it borrows items from its family members.

* New Headlamps with Blinkers
* Side Indicators on Powered Mirrors on the Exteriors (from Indigo XL)
* New Wooden Finish Centre Console (from Indigo XL)
* New Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel (from the refreshed Indigo)
* New Door Handle Caps
* Sporty Pedals
* Six-Powered Electric Seats (from the XL again)

The new Indigo CS Limited Edition will be colored with Porcelain White (borrowed from the Indica Vista Anniversary edition)

Ratan Tata has made it official that the makeshift Sanand plant in Gujarat to manufacture the Nano will be operational by January 2010. Tata was forced to vacate from its nearly complete Singur factory in West Bengal after political agitations and death threats issued to company workers.

Speaking at the company’s annual general meeting, Tata said there has been a lot of positive feedback for the Nano and countries in Asia and Africa have shown a lot of interest.

Once strong demands in India are met, the plant will manufacture cars, possibly more powerful ones, for the European and aforementioned markets.

He added yellow and silver color Nanos are in great demand.

The Czech-based and Volkswagen-owned automaker Skoda, has outed teaser images of the around the corner Skoda Superb Estate that debuts at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.

The Estate version, compared to the sedan, will score better in practicality with its larger boot space. However, from experiences in the past, companies will think twice before instituting estates in India. Indians have accepted station wagons poorly, be it a 5 lakh or a 15 lakh rupee vehicle. Not even a single luxury car makers in today’s crop tried importing estate models in spite of the sedans, which they are founded on, enjoying a respectable status in our country.

Offered with the new Superb Estate, will be a spread of engines including a 1.4 TSI powerplant (with various versions, ranging from 125HP to 170HP) and the top-end 260HP 3.6 liter V6. Diesel engines will also come, including a 170HP 2.0 liter TDI.

Hyundai has unveiled the all-new Tucson crossover in Korea a few hours back. It held a press conference where the production model was unveiled for the very first time.

The 2011 Hyundai Tucson has a totally different exterior styling to that of the out-going model. Hyundai’s new design language and the attractive ix-onic concept car come together on the Tucson to make it one of our favorite cars.

Added features are the panoramic glass-roof, hill-start assist control, downhill brake control (DBC), vehicle dynamic control (VDC), rear-view camera and others.

For a start, Hyundai will use only one gasoline and one diesel engine. Hyundai will offer either a 2.0L Theta II gasoline engine (166 horsepower) or the 2.0L R-diesel engine (184 horsepower). Engines are married to Hyundai’s all-new 6-speed automatic transmission and the diesel model comes in both front-wheel and all-wheel drive options.

When the new Tucson goes on sale overseas, Hyundai says it should be able to sell 260,000 units per year, apart from Korea.

Sales will begin early in 2010.

For India -

With Toyota bringing in the Fortuner, the game is pushed to the next level. Ford’s launching the facelifted Endy shortly and the new Nissan X-Trail is not very far away. When a spate of new cars from others in this segment are scheduled, Hyundai should look to make best use of the demand by re-introducing the new Tucson at an aggressive price.

Let us see if it comes to India.

2010 Hyundai Tucson Image Gallery