Chanced upon this Youtube video that shows how you seemingly can fit an universe of things in the Skoda Yeti’s cabin. The Yeti is expected in India in the next couple of months with a diesel engine and a price tag of 15 lakh rupees. If you don’t know, we’ve already shown you a preview of the Yeti from an Indian dealership.
Archive for August, 2010
By Mahir Majid
Spoilers, skirts, bumpers, body-kits, alloys etc. There are tons of products available in the market to personalize your car. Some enhance the looks of the cars others just destroy the car and what it stands for.
Some auto parts store recently introduced a body kit for the Nissan Micra (known as Nissan March) in Thailand. Now you really don’t have to be Dominic Toretto or Brian O’Conner to say that the kit isn’t doing any justice to the car.
It feels as if some 16 year old woke up one morning and thought, how do I make my Nissan Micra more interesting and have something to show off when I take my mates for an outing? Turns out the guy was seriously out of ideas and he stuck something on the front bumper and thought it looked cool so did it all round the car.
You see these disasters all the time on the roads and the only thought is what was the guy thinking while getting the body-kit bolted on? Out of the tons of equipment you can possibly add to make a car more interesting like a new color scheme or two tone interiors or an upgraded ICE or a turbo charger or two, how can you pick up the most wrong kind of equipment and say look I have a modified Nissan Micra!
There are some cars that can do well with the most outrageous body kits like the Mitsubishi Lancer or the Honda City but there are some like the Micra which just can’t carry it off. It’s a cute curvy city car! Why not leave it the way it’s meant to be. It’s like putting an English bulldog’s collar on a cute little Chihuahua.
By Ragav Ramesh
Suzuki announced that their 2011 model Suzuki Kizashi and Swift would debut at the Paris Motor show next month for Europe. Both the models are expected to go on sale for its European customers by this Autumn.
The 2011 Swift is a lot lighter, longer and roomier than its present model. It would be launched in both petrol and diesel variants; 1.2 litre petrol motor would be developing around 94 HP and the 1.3 litre turbo diesel engine, which would develop 75 HP. These are the K-Series and Multi-jet engine respectively.
On the other hand, the Kizashi sport is going to undergo some cosmetic changes like newly styled 18-inch alloys, low ride height and distinct aero pack like side skirts and interior trim upgrades.
As far as the Indian arena is concerned, we expect both these models to be launched in early 2011, since Suzuki wouldn’t want to leave its current pride for Swift in India to fade out by the launch of Figo, Polo, Micra, etc. They would definitely want their hot cake to get much hotter by giving an upgrade. Though nothing is official yet, we will have to wait and watch how Suzuki is going to plan its launches for its Indian fans.
By Ragav Ramesh
With just a month to go for the Paris motor show, General Motors is performing final checks on the 2011 Chevrolet Aveo so that it’s ready for the flashing lights. GM is also doing rigorous testing in China to give the best ride and performance for its demanding customers.
The 2011 Chevrolet Aveo twins sit on the GM Gamma II platform and for the Indian market we are expecting a locally manufactured 1.3 Multijet diesel engine and the power terrain from Talegaon. Worldwide the next gen Aveo will come fitted with a 1.2L, 1.4L, and 1.6L petrol engines and we expect both 1.2l & 1.4l for the Indian market.
The new Aveo has got aggressive styling borrowing the shark front nose from the Mitsubishi Lancer and the interiors from its current Beat which has won accolades for its design globally.
Looking at the spree of small car launches and much more scheduled in the line up, all we can say is that the small car market is getting hotter in India and the manufacturers can’t afford to make mistakes in any department. GM will want to make sure the that the 2011 model doesn’t go unnoticed like the outgoing Aveo, which succumbed to competition without a proper diesel engine or facelift.
Bottom-line is for all the buyers looking in for a decent sized hatchback with good engines, comfort and boot space, and an unique design that’ll stand out even with the passage of time, help is almost here!
By Ragav Ramesh
When our in-house future models simulator Shoeb R Kalania drew an image of the next generation Civic which had a striking resemblance to the current Civic, people joked. They thought we knew nothing about what we’re doing, some even sent us hate emails and hate comments requesting us to shut up or shut down.
But what we know for sure, to the disappointment of the Civic fans, is the next generation Civic will be very much like the existing one. It’s going to have improvised design, smaller dimensions and more efficient engines. There is no sign of diesel, perhaps it’s in the pipeline.
There is an uphill task for the Japanese company to bring out a design that beats the current design, which as per my personal opinion that Honda designers went a decade ahead of the time while designing the current model, is going to be almost impossible to achieve. It’s pointless to even try bettering the current Civic’s design.
Nevertheless, its Honda that we’re speaking of, and their designers are working very hard to bring in the best like the same they have been doing for several years.
Looking at the initial styling we can say that it’s a perfect big brother of the current city. Please note that this all the design sketches could just be hints. Who knows Honda might have a complete bouncer for its audience at the final launch!
We quite like the way the Maruti Ritz rolls. We love the driver’s seat placement, it provides great all-round visibility and makes you feel like you’re in a mini SUV. Its easy to access rear bench and the really impressive K-Series engine are other things I can pickup on to laud this hatchback. The Multi-jet diesel only makes the package sweeter. This surely is a car that we’d spend our money on.
What we’re not sure about is why Maruti would celebrate the Ritz’ birthday in August (it’s almost September) considering it was launched last year in May. In Hindu tradition, you have a star birthday, which falls on a different date as to the “English birthday” where you go out with your friends to celebrate by drinking beer and partying hard into the night like anyone else would.
So has the Ritz taken to Hinduism? Or have the chaps at Maruti, busy launching new models and celebrating milestones, simply forgot to wish the Ritz a happy b’day?
Whichever the case maybe, the special edition Ritz Genus is out there in showrooms, a few thousands will be made and here are the features
* Keyless entry
* Tilt steering
* Parcel tray
* Distinct Body graphics
* Rear wash and wiper
* Radio + CD player with speaker
* Body side moldings
* Dual tone dashboard
click through to view the image gallery
By Kaustubh Shinde
An Italian motoring website has posted spy picture of the rear of the Accent hatchback. Caught in China, the pics tell us that it is a premium hatchback that shares its “Fluidic Sculpture” design scheme with the new 2012 Accent sedan that was unveiled Beijing Motor Show in April.
The model has been caught wearing absolutely no camouflage. The website also reports that this could be an Asia specific model looking at the current market trends.
If things are to go by, there are 2 models in the current Hyundai’s Indian line up that need replacement. The first one is the Hyundai Accent and the other one is the Hyundai Getz.
So will the design cues of this hatch hold any relevance to the H800? Will Hyundai bring the Accent hatch to India and place it above the i20?
By Kaustubh Shinde
What is the one common thing between the Lamborghini Gallardo, The Ferrari 458 Italia and our very own Tata Nano
They spontaneously catch fire!
Another Nano has caught fire in front of the MCD office in south Delhi on Friday. Fortunately, no one was injured in this accident. An onlooker explained that there were sparks coming from the rear of the car and as soon as the ignition was turned on, the flames emerged from near the engine and went on to completely engulfed the car. The fire fighters were rushed in but by that time the car was destroyed almost beyond recognition.
This will be the 6th one to be involved in such an incident. Previous events happened in Mumbai, Lucknow, Delhi and Vadodara.
Debasis Ray, the spokesman for TATA motors -
We will find out why this incident has taken place and, if necessary, take all requisite steps. While this incident has taken place, you need to acknowledge that there are thousands of Nanos running absolutely normally. We have also launched a subsequent program to inspect all the Nano cars already sold to customers
The company has managed to sell more than 50,000 Nanos since the deliveries began in July 2009. It has also built a dedicated plant in Sanand, Gujarat to meet the rising demands. It is also about to open a second round of bookings in a phased manner.
