Hyundai’s next big launch – the 2011 Hyundai Verna (Hyundai RB), is being spied on a daily basis. These images is the second installment after we posted images of a blurry back-end and front three-quarter spy shot.
The Hyundai RB is styled like the new Tucson and Sonata. All three incoporate the fluidic design sculpture, which describes Hyundai’s modern design language. This could be Hyundai’s first car sporting the new design language, perhaps the i40 could reach here earlier.
We’re not sure about the engine options but our hunch is Hyundai will use the same 1.5 and 1.6 liter petrol and diesel engines on the Hyundai RB. The engines could have upgraded technology to deliver a better driving experience.
The RB might be manufactured in India as early as 2011. With the competition stiffening in India, Hyundai has got a terrific product in the RB which can take care of things is priced well.
Perhaps the biggest shortfall of the Toyota Fortuner was its brakes, which according to auto magazines were underpowered. Well, Toyota has been taking these claims seriously and is offering bigger brakes on its big-hit SUV. Cars delievered from February come with larger brakes similar to the Land Cruiser Prado.
Toyota will also upgrade brakes of vehicles which were delivered before February but on a case-to-case basis, reports Autocar India.
We would also love to see Toyota offering automatic transmission and customization options in the future.
Managing Director of Ford India Mr.Michael Boneham in a chat with DNA, said Ford is working on another small car for the Indian market. Boneham believes in having more than one Ford small car in the Indian market. The company classifies China and India as its growth markets.
Managing Director of Ford India Michael Boneham -
As a policy, we do not develop any car for a single market so this is being developed on a global platform. We need to have multiple products in the small car space.
Earlier this week, we wrote about compact Ecoboost engines being developed in another part of the world. We’re also aware of Ford’s heavy investment in its Chennai plant to manufacture engines and we sense both these developments are inter-related. We think Ford would continue to use the B-Platform (underpins the Figo) and one derivative of it would be this small car.
The smallest car in Ford’s existing international portfolio is the Ka which essentially is a re-skinned Fiat 500. It will be a costly affair to manufacture such a model in India and involves a lot of complications.
Deliveries of the Figo are lagging by 4-6 weeks, with 70% of the sales constituted by the two top-end models.
President and Managing director of GM India, Mr.Karl Slym addressing the media yesterday said the first SAIC passenger vehicle will come out during the first half of 2012. The vehicle will be manufactured at Talegaon with components arriving from local suppliers.
President and Managing director of GM India, Mr.Karl Slym -
We will move all cars to this plant to make room for CVs at our Halol plant, which will also roll out the first LCV as part of its joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) Motors by the end of 2011. The first passenger car as part of this JV from Talegaon will be rolled out in the first half of 2012.
Slym said the Talegaon facility will produce engines up to the capacity of 1.5 liter. The Halol facility, which presently manufactures Spark, Aveo and Tavera will be utilized for rolling out SAIC commercial vehicles of sub-1 tonne capacity. He did not divulge information on the body style of this vehicle but it is widely believed that it will be a small car in the size range of the Tata Nano. The vehicle’s design has been carried out by Chinese engineers.
VW displayed its latest accessories for the Polo at the AMI Leipzig 2010 motor show which concluded last week. Along with the display, VW also publicized these fascinating accessories with exciting offers.
The nature of these offers are not clear so we assume these must be cash discounts. From 1 April to 30 June 2010, the ‘Enter low, get out large’ promotion helps German VW Polo customers purchase styling products and lowered suspension kits.
Accessories for the VW Polo which qualify for the offer include front and rear aprons, side skirts, roof spoilers, racing pedals and lowered suspension springs. Beside these parts, Motorsport-style multi-spoke 17” alloy wheels and carbon fibre-effect interior trim panels are also eligible for the offer.
Like on the BiFuel VW Polo post we discussed a couple of days ago, top priority would be given to delivering cars to customers as soon as possible. VW will also ramp up production and soon the demands will be met. After this stage is reached, VW should think of those who would love to accessorize their Polos as the initial attractiveness quotient would have been depleted. The lowered suspension might not be a suitable product for Indian roads, but the eye-catching alloy wheels and racing pedals will certainly be on our Polo, if we owned one.
Visit Volkswagen Accessories’ German-language ‘Stylingaktion’ microsite for details of the incentive and a look of the different products on sale.
Autocar India reports that Toyota has upgraded the Innova to meet Bharat Stage 4 emission standards. This development permits the vehicle to registered in places like Mumbai and Delhi where the tighter emission standard have been put in place.
Technical specifications of the 2.5-liter turbocharged engine has changed a little bit. The major change comes in the form of an intercooler and alterations in the catalytic converter. The remain changes pertain to the ECU.
You can tell the BS4 model apart from the regular Innova by the Bharat Stage 4 sticker under the rear windshield. The installation of the intercooler has also increased the price tag of the model. The BS IV Innova D4D VX will be Rs 27,000 dearer than its BS III variant.
Hyundai will introduce its globally popular sports utility vehicle ‘Santa Fe’ in India, not as CKD reported earlier, but as a completely built unit (CBU). Powered by a new 2.2-liter CRDi turbo unit, it produces 197 horsepower and 422 Nm of torque between 1,800 and 2,500 rpm.
Can Hyundai offer the Santa Fe at with the 20 lakh rupee price tag if the car is brought in as a CBU? Remember that shipping in a car through the CBU route will invite a 110% duty on the price of the car.
HMIL Managing Director Hang-Woo Park -
We will bring the Santa Fe SUV to India this year. It will be a completely built unit. But after two-three years we may consider it for manufacturing as completely knocked down unit.
Selling a few Tucsons in a year, Hyundai is quick to respond to questions on cannibalization of the new model and the currently running Tucson.
HMIL Marketing and Sales Vice president Arvind Saxena -
There are no plans to give a facelift to Tucson. It will not compete with Santa Fe.
Many of us thought the Tucson was phased out. We don’t see any ads on TV or the newspaper. It isn’t featured on any magazine neither does Hyundai speak about it to the media. Hyundai has not given the Tucson any importance, for reasons we don’t know.
We sincerely hope Hyundai is considering the ix35 (next generation Tucson) for India. Quite clearly, Hyundai wants to compete with the big boys Honda, Skoda and Toyota with products like the Sonata YF, next generation Accent and the Santa Fe. So why should the Tucson miss out again?
Fiat is working hard on the next generation Palio scheduled for release in India sometime in 2012. The 2012 Auto Expo could be a suitable stage for its unveiling. The project is named 326 and Fiat could also use the same platform for a sedan model as well.
The 2012 Palio, according to the recent reports could be longer and wider than the existing model. Design cues could be sourced from big brother- the Punto. During the launch of new variants of Fiat Punto last month, representatives of Fiat have said that it would not develop a new platform for the small car and would use the Palio’s instead.
The rendering shown here is based on the Fiat Punto, and should not be taken very seriously. It is completely for the sake of representing how much of the 2012 Fiat Palio design could turn out to be.
The front sees headlamps that resembles the Fiat Stilo while the rear has vertical lights, similar to that of the Punto. The looks very sporty & stylish & has a feel of solidity to it.
This model you see here could certainly replace the long in the tooth Palio that we currently have with a starting price of 3.5 lakh rupees.
Engine options are not clear as of now but a sub 1.2 litre petrol & diesel engine are expected. The 2012 Palio could come with Fiat’s Multiair technology. The car could also be sold in Brazil & China.
