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Indian Autos Blog is seeking a full time editorial team member. We are looking at a freelance automotive blogger/journalist/writer located IN CHENNAI (and only in Chennai) and is willing to report to work at our office six days a week to help us cover daily news.
Interested writers must travel to the outskirts of Chennai city (Porur) everyday, where our office is located and must be knowledgeable with the latest industry developments and enthusiast news/events.
Requirements:
- Some prior automotive writing experience
- Think and deliver quickly
- Good grammar and knowledge of English, know where to place commas and full stops
- Willing to learn and experiment new things
- Basic knowledge on image editing
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There are many question marks hanging over the Nissan Murano. It was said once that this stylish crossover will be imported and sold in India. Over the last six months, that decision has changed. Nissan is likely to have changed its mind, opting for the more aggressive CKD route to lower its price and gain volumes.
The Murano received a diesel engine in Britain, and this same engine could debut on the model coming to India next year. There’s no confirmation from the company, but we suspect it will bought to India next year. Nissan could also look at the Qashqai and Juke, its other crossovers, as viable options.
Coming back to the 2011 Murano, this stylish crossover is in its second generation now and has been on sale since 2002. The name Murano comes from a region of Venice, Italy which is known for the hand blown glass produced there.
Nissan has now given this crossover new front and rear fascias, including new head lamps and tail lamps, 18-inch wheels and various interior additions. A new exterior color, Graphite Blue has been added.
Nissan’s interior upgrades include a new white meter color and new center stack colors. iPod connectivity is now standard across the models.
click through to see the press release and images
Volkswagen is anything but lackluster in the Indian Auto market today. The company has spent big money in production, product launches, marketing, dealer expansion & what not. It entered the market in 2007 & 3 years later it has a slew of products right from the 5 lakh Polo to the 80 lakh Phaeton.
VW was very enthusiastic about the Tiguan way back in 2007, but we never got the car. VW was focusing on the launch of the Polo & simultaneously launching products like the Beetle, Phaeton and the Toureg to build up the brand, though all these three shipped to India are somewhat earlier generation models.
VW still has no plans to bring the Tiguan as it is focusing on the Polo & the Vento. But we are pretty sure that VW will bring this SUV into the country in the future. The 2013 Tiguan carries the family face with the VW Golf like front look & similar looking taillights too.
The car is compact & smart looking & could prove to be a good urban SUV. The 20-30 lakh rupee SUV segment is the new thing to talk about in the Indian Auto Market – the BMW X1, Merc low cost SUV, Land Rover Freelander, Audi Q3 & still counting.
VW could bring in the 2013 Tiguan at a good price tag with a punchy diesel engine & by then, could take advantage of its wider dealer network (as compared to Germans rivals) to garner sales. No official word yet from VW, but we hope that now we get the new generation Tiguan in 2013 rather than the present gen. Watch this space.
Hyundai is planning to introduce a brand-new entry-level sedan in Russia and emerging markets. The car in question is the Verna RB, which according to internet sources, is a sedan based on the i20′s platform.
We earlier reported that the Verna RB will be 12-13 lakh rupees, but that isn’t true after the emergence of this recent report unless Hyundai is looking at the CBU or CKD option. If the compact RB is based on the i20′s platform, we find no reason why they must import it.
It will also feature a specially tuned suspension set-up adapted to Indian road conditions. The Verna RB should be sold under a different name and will lock horns with the Honda City, VW Vento, Ford Fiesta and the likes.
This is the exact same segment which the Verna is currently participating in. With fresh competition arriving in the form of the Euro Fiesta sedan and Nissan Micra-based sedan, Hyundai must position the RB sedan below the Verna considering it will have a 1.4-liter engine producing 109 hp.
Thanks to Tycho, we’re able to bring you a development on the India-bound Chevrolet Sail.
Tycho reports that General Motors is developing an electric variant of the Chevrolet Sail hatchback in China. While there are no technical details to share, we can safely expect a powertrain meant for maximum range and modest power.
That brings us to the question – Will GM India use the e-Sail as a replacement for the defunct e-Spark project?
The Sail is a much bigger car compared to the Spark. The Spark’s localized well and the battery packs and motors were supposed to come from REVA which was based out of Bangalore. The Sail however, comes from China and the Indian government doesn’t see Bangalore in the same way as Beijing. The duties will be higher and GM would lose out on the pricing front.
The Sail was developed by GM China and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) – a 50-50 joint venture between General Motors and its Chinese partner SAIC. It comes fitted with a 1.2-liter and 1.4-liter petrol engine that is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.
GM has said that it will bring out electric vehicles for India through its in-house program in the next few years. The launch of the e-Sail can serve as a probe testing local waters to more affordable electric cars from GM in the future.
GM India, what are you thinking?
It is learnt today that Tata Motors will assemble Land Rover models at its Chikhli facility in Maharashtra in the next few months. The Freelander 2 will be the first model to roll out of the assembly line, which was leased out to Mercedes Benz previously.
Currently undergoing maintenance to prepare it for the shifts, the Chikhli facility over the next few months will see machinery installation for the assembly of the Freelander 2. There is no word on localization yet, Tata Motors could look up to its wide vendor base to source minor electrical and electronic components locally.
Wheelosphere reports that the Freelander 2 will be assembled starting this November. The Land Rover Freelander 2 is the cheapest model in the LR range.
The Freelander 2 has been a very profitable model for Land Rover with sales reaching 200,000 units since its introduction.
The Chikhli facility has a capacity to produce 3,500 units in a year working on a single shift. We don’t think JLR will stop with the Freelander. Many of its models, over time, should reach the Chikhli facility as kits from Britain.
The Freelander 2 currently in the CBU form costs Rs 33.79 lakhs (Ex-showroom Mumbai) and assembling it locally could reduce its price by 5-10 lakh rupees.
The 2011 year model was unveiled (pictured) listing a new 2.2-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine capable of generating either 148 horsepower (110 kW, 150 PS), or 187 horsepower (140 kW, 190 PS). This could be the best bet for the Indian market.
As a part of its expansion exercise, JLR will increase dealership count from three to seven in the 2010-11 period.
The basic structure or shell is what holds the components of a vehicle for it to be called an automobile. The shell or frame as I can put it, acts as a support to the drivetrain, suspension system, wheels, tyres, steering system to name a few.
What are the types of frames?
* Body on frame (or Ladder frame)
* Unitized, Chassiless or Monocoque construction
Body on Frame (Pictured above)
The body on frame construction is applied only in bus, truck and other commercial vehicles. In passenger cars, the body on frame construction is slowly becoming obsolete. Usually the chassis or the skeleton which holds the steering, suspension, drivetrain, wheels, tires and accessories like fuel tank and others are used as a base to mount the body. The body is fastened to the chassis using clamps and bolts.
Unitized or Monocoque Construction (pictured above)
Unitized construction is simply a type of construction that combines the body and the frame into one entity. All modern passenger cars adopt this form of construction. Pillars, rails, sills and panels are all welded together to make a unitized frame.
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International blogs are carrying stories of Skoda adopting the 1.6 TDI engine on the Superb in Britain. This engine replaces the 1.9 TDI by producing the identical power (105 PS) and torque (250 Nm).
While the engine is able to produce same power, due to its smaller displacement, it emits fewer emissions. This is a very important aspect for a car sold in the UK because it decides how much you are going to pay as taxes and charges from the time you drive your car out of the showroom.
In the UK, the 1.6 TDI CR is available only with the five-speed manual gearbox and is available in S and SE trim levels. Prices start at £17,480 (12.64 lakh rupees approximately).
In India, you can buy the Skoda Superb with three engines – The 1.8 TSI manual transmission (Petrol), 1.8 TSI Automatic Transmission, 2.0 TDI CR Automatic Transmission (Diesel) and the 3.6 V6 FSI 4×4 Automatic Transmission.
That brings us to the question – Isn’t this 1.6 TDI engine what you’ll be driving if you’re inside a Volkswagen Vento?
