Contrary to what other websites and forums have been reporting, Tata Motors’ corporate communication team today cleared the air by playing down reports of Aria arriving next month. The Tata Aria is a crossover which debuted as the Xover concept in Geneva back in 2005. At the Auto Expo in January this year, Tata showcased the production model and said it will launch it during the course of this year.
We contacted the corporate communications wing of Tata Motors, and this is what they shared -
The launch date for the Aria is not set. The 3rd week of August is too early. We had said earlier that the vehicle will come during the second quarter of this year. The Aria is something big for Tata Motors as it is one of our next generation cars. We’ll get to know about its launch in advance. It certainly won’t happen in August.
Going by the level of equipment on-board the vehicle, the Aria is going to raise eyebrows in Europe and possibly America if it ever lands there. 3D surround sound, in-dash built in GPS, infotainment system, multifunctional steering wheel, dual air conditioning with automatic climate control and cruise control, 6 airbags and ESP are some of the features you can buy the Aria with
Powered by a 2.2-liter CRDI engine that performs duty on the Safari and Sumo Grande, the vehicle is endowed with a 4X4 system with an all-wheel drive with torque on demand which according to the terrain, senses and distributes drive.
The Tata Aria is expected to be priced between 12 and 15 lakh rupees.
Hyundai yesterday released first official interior shot of the India-bound Hyundai Elantra. The vehicle is badged as ‘Avante‘ in Korea and is expected to drive into India by the end of 2011.
We already showed you live shot of the Elantra’s interior, so there’s nothing really new for readers who’ve already seen that.
The large LCD infotainment screen bundled to a GPS screen is certainly not going to make it to the Indian model. Seats are finished in leather and a dark tone. Interiors are expected to be class leading.
Aluminum pedals, a multifuction steering wheel, a tachometer with 6700 rpm redline, and a speedo that goes up to 240 km/h will be included on the Indian model for certain.
The 2011 Elantra will be in Korean showrooms this August. We expect the new Elantra to be priced between 14 and 18 lakh rupees.
Minutes back, Porsche launched the all-new Cayenne in India. Prices range from 59.22 lakh to a whopping 1.27 crore rupees. Press release and official images will follow. Stay tuned!
All prices are ex-showroom Mumbai
Cayenne – 65.82 lakh (3.6 liter V6 – 296 hp)
Cayenne S – 78.62 lakh (4.8 liter V8 – 395 hp)
Cayenne Turbo – 1.27 crore (4.8 liter twin-turbo V8 – 493 hp)
Cayenne DIESEL – 59.22 lakh (3.0 liter V6 TDI – 237 hp)
Cayenne S Hybrid – 75.46 lakh (3.0 liter V6 – 375 hp)
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Overdrive has obtained the brochure cover of the soon-to-be launched K-Series Engined Maruti Alto. The car is expected to hit showrooms across the country next month.
The leaked brochure cover shows the redesigned front end of the car which has been embellished with a new horizontally slatted radiator grille with a horizontal chrome strip, redesigned headlamps and front fog lamps with a new housing for the lamps.
The K-Series Alto will be based on the current Alto’s platform and will have a larger engine bay to accommodate the bigger, more powerful 1-litre K-Series motor. The car will also feature upgraded brakes and suspension to deal with the greater power and heavier weight of the new car. The new Alto will also have 50 mm more legroom over the current car and hence will be slightly longer in length.
The K-Series Alto will also have completely refurbished interiors with a new steering wheel and gear knob. The car could borrow a lot of interior components from its bigger stablemates such as the Zen Estilo, WagonR, Swift and the Ritz.
The new Alto when launched will fill the gap currently existing in Maruti’s lineup between the 800 cc Alto Lxi and the Lx variants of the Zen Estilo and the WagonR . The new Alto will be a typically Maruti value-for-money hatchback with good fuel efficiency and low running costs and should round off Maruti’s small car portfolio for the Indian market, till the all-new next-generation Swift arrives during the first quarter of 2011.
After seven long years of waiting, Toyota finally took the call on the Corolla diesel. The Altis, technically speaking is the second gen Corolla for India buyers, who love the comfort and refinement that the Altis generously offers.
Initial impression
The Corolla Altis has beaten arch rival Honda Civic in India, the latter doesn’t have the diesel engine which every one of its competitor offers now. But the real low, for us, is the engine itself. A 1.4-liter diesel engine for a car like the Corolla which competes with the best in the world, is disappointing. We’ve not driven the vehicle so we can’t really pass a judgment. But Toyota is a global leader in passenger vehicles. Vehicles like the Prius, iQ and even Fortuner have changed the way the game is played. With such revelations as products, we expected Toyota to give the Corolla a bigger and more powerful diesel engine.
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Carwale has posted spy pics of what looks to be the new Maruti Alto fitted with the 1-litre K-Series engine which currently powers the A-Star, Zen Estilo and the new WagonR. The new Alto is expected to be launched sometime next month.
The car in the spy pics has a redesigned tail lamp, a new horizontal strip of black plastic above the now hatch- mounted numberplate and wider tyres. The car in the image also appears to be taller than the current Alto, and this could be due to the new tyres.
The car will be powered by Maruti’s K10B, 1.0-litre K-Series engine pumping out 66 bhp and 90 Nm of torque. The car will be priced in the 3-3.5 lakh price bracket and could deliver an ARAI certified fuel efficiency figure of 20 kmpl.
Entry posted on July 21, 2010 by
Naveen;
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Fiat
Yes, the numbers could have been better
Fiat India CEO, Rajeev Kapoor on the not-so-successful JV with Tata in India. Tata is failing to boost sales numbers for Fiat in India and the JV isn’t as fruitful as Fiat would expect it to be.
Entry posted on July 21, 2010 by
Naveen;
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Ford
Ford India is said to be planning to enter the ever growing Indian commercial vehicle segment.
The Tata Ace started the revolution and even global players like General Motors and Nissan are tempted to enter the lucrative segment. Ford could be next?
A Ford India insider to Financial Express -
Ford has mega plans for Indian commercial vehicle market and the company is already in the last leg of strategising its approach for the Indian market. A formal announcement is expected in the next few months.
When company officials were contacted to confirm this news, they declined to comment but considering the company’s confidence levels soaring high after the Figo’s success, someting could be cooking at Ford India.
We will bring you more updates (or raher confirmations) on Ford India’s commercial vehicle segment foray soon.
