Alfas and Maseratis greet guest at the Auto Expo next month
Carwale is reporting Fiat will bring cars from the Alfa Romeo and Maserati stable to the Auto Expo next month. Fiat will exhibit a new dark blue color Linea along with 1.6-liter Multijet engine and 1.4-liter T-Jet engine variants in its booth.
The above cars will be accompanied by the facelifted Palio, a Fiat 500 and the Bravo, sources add.
Fiat is looking at amplifying its powertrain instead of its portfolio. It plans to rebuild the Fiat brand by selling many variants of the Palio, Punto and Linea as possible in India. We have also learned Fiat is looking to bring commercial vehicles and the first model that comes to mind is the Palio strada pickup truck.
We have to wait till the Auto Expo to learn more on these models.
Few hours back, we put up spy shots of the new Micra hatchback testing in Norway. Now we’ve got computer generated images of the upcoming Nissan Micra sedan (code – L02B), which enjoys the same V-Platform and impacts the crowded Indian shore by the end of 2011.
The Micra sedan, as told by the people familiar with the car’s development, will compete with cars like the Honda City, Hyundai Verna and Ford Fiesta. It will have extra legroom and feature bigger engines. The 1.5-liter CRDI engine capable of generating 200Nm could be the prime mover on the sedan.
We don’t have any more information on the vehicle. Spyshots are expected considering the 2011 launch date.
At the Tokyo Motor Show two months back, Suzuki displayed the Suzuki A-Star concept, which was fundamentally the A-Star hatchback with added elevation. The interiors were a lot lively and the mechanicals were altogether different.
The tall boy Alto gets 658cc water-cooled, inline-three-cylinder, DOHC, 12-valve engine mated to a CVT.
This specification is for the Japanese-spec Alto and the Indian model, if it ever falls out, will use the K-Series engine or possibly VW’s electric powertrain through the recently formed JV.
With added room, this looks like a solid contender to the Chevrolet Spark EV in my view.
click through to view the image gallery
The new Nissan Micra is set to arrive next year. 0.9-1.5 liter engines are rumored.
The next generation Nissan Micra which will be produced in five countries and exported from India to over a hundred countries was caught testing in Norway. Nissan-Renault’s V-Platform will form the basic structure of the new Nissan. Gasoline powertrains will displace 0.9-1.2 liters. We expect Nissan to offer the 3-cylinder 1.2-liter engine when it hits the market next year.
A 1.5-liter diesel engine is also in the works for a later date. It reportedly uses a turbocharger which bumps up peak torque to 200Nm.
Nissan has said it reduced the number of components on the Micra to a considerable extent. This contributes to the performance and fuel economy of the car.
More details are expected in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
Tata Sumo Grande Mk2 comes with refreshed interiors and new clutch plate material
Tata Motors will launch the upgraded Sumo Grande on the 14th of this month. Renamed Mk2, the Sumo Grande gets vital upgrades to achieve better sales. Few years ago, Tata Motors carried out a similar procedure on the Indica hatchback (Indica V2) which worked wonders for the company.
Tata will not switch engines or gearboxes. Instead they have focused on getting the NVH levels right. The vehicle, according to reports online, is more refined. Interiors also feature minor changes – the steering wheel for example is taken from the Indica Vista, and the seats are more upmarket.
click through for list of changes on the Grande
The first Indian VW Polo rolled out of Pune plant and we have all the pics and info.
VW India started production of the much anticipated Polo hatchback at their Chakan plant today and gracing the occasion were the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Mr. Ashok Chavan, Volkswagen Group Board Member Prof. Heizmann and VW Group India Head Joerg Muller.
This was an very important occasion as the first locally manufactured Polo rolled out from the Pune plant. It is VW’s first opportunity to show how serious they are about the Indian market.
Speaking during the press conference after the rollout of the first car, VW’s heads made a few important statements -
The Chakan plant is the most modern VW facility anywhere in the world.
The Polo would be available only at VW dealers which are 25 in number now. The number will grow to 40 over the next few months.
click through to read the entire story and view the images
Maruti’s seven seater Eco’ price could start around 4 lakhs
Maruti Suzuki’s Versa replacement will be named Eco. The 7 seater MPV, which many of us believe is a revamped Suzuki APV, goes live at the Auto Expo next year.
The Versa wasn’t working for Maruti and the company hopes the Eco will turn it around for them. Maruti produced the Versa only for special cases in the last few months. Production of the model now has come to a halt.
We’ve seen plenty of speculation on the price point of this new model, but no clear indication from Maruti till now. Whether Maruti will fit it with a fuel efficient diesel powertrain is another question raised.
Maruti Suzuki India Managing Executive Officer (Engineering) I. V. Rao -
We will be launching a new van by the end of this fiscal. This vehicle will replace the Versa, whose production has already been stopped
All our questions will be answered once the Auto Expo begins.
The SYM Cevalo 125cc bike could be Mahindra’s surprise exhibit at Auto Expo 2010
Stories on many blogs indicate Mahindra 2 wheelers will display the 125cc SYM Cevalo at the upcoming Auto Expo. The Cevalo will join the Rodeo, Duro and Flyte next year. With a 125cc 4 valve air-cooled engine, the Cevalo’s 15bhp power comes thanks to fuel injection technology.
Toyota will show not one, two, three or..err..ok, they’re going to bring 13 cars to the Auto Expo next year. 13! I hope they launch at least 2 of those in India next one year. Wait, they have already said the small car (EFC) and its sedan avatar will ply Indian roads by 2011. So our desire has already been fulfilled, then.
Which car does Suzuki sell in 69 countries? Which car recently touched the 100,000 mark in cumulative sales exports? Which car despite having “Star” in its name, needs discounts and offers to sell in India? Shame that countries other than India find the A-Star a fuel sipper and nippy city hatch.
The Tata Nano adds another trophy to its cabinet by booking a berth in the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in New York next year from February 18 to April 25. The Nano will be showcased for its innovative design and advanced technology.
Due to fluctuations in exchange rate, Honda will increase prices of its models by about one percent in January next year. Honda sells the City, Civic, CR-V, Accord, Jazz and Civic hybrid in India.
