Every now and then there is some company that is sending some driver to drive around in their car & prove how phenomenally fuel efficient their cars are. This time around it is Hyundai.
In order to show how eco-friendly their hatchback- the Hyundai i20 – is, they placed Australian Rally Champion Ed Ordynski behind the wheel of one such model and sent him on a journey from Sydney to Brisbane.
Not only did Ed reach Brisbane but he crossed it & reached further ahead to Bundaberg covering a distance of 1269 km (788 miles) on one tank of fuel achieving a figure of 28.4 kpl on the stock Hyundai i20!
Australian Rally Champion Ed Ordynski -
I originally thought Sydney to Brisbane on one tank seemed an impossible task, especially on the Pacific Highway but then the i20 just kept on going – far beyond our wildest expectations. It was a remarkable journey and a truly special result
The i20 had a 1.4 liter petrol motor with CVVT technology which you can buy in India as well.
General Motors India announced a few days back that their engine plant at Talegaon will become operational by November this year. GMI had invested big money on this plant & is confident that it will further strengthen their foothold in the Indian Market.
This flexible engine plant can manufacture both Petrol & Diesel engines simultaneously. The plant is capable of manufacturing upto 160,000 engines per annum. Come November & the first engine to roll out from this plant will be the 1.0 liter diesel engine for the Beat.
GMI had not launched the diesel Beat alongside the Petrol version earlier this year as the engine plant was not ready. The company wanted to produce the diesel engine locally to keep the costs down and launch the diesel variant of the Beat at a competitive price tag. Expect the diesel Beat to go on sale in January 2011.
GM will also be manufacturing the Multijet diesel engines that will power the next gen Aveo siblings at this plant. So you can expect those cars to be pretty well priced too.
Meanwhile GM is very happy with its sales in the country. The company has a target of selling 1 lakh units this year as opposed to 69,579 units last year & has already managed to sell 68,000 units in the 1st half of 2010. The opening of this plant means that we can expect many well priced Chevy’s in the future which will further push the sales of GM.
The simple definition of glove box – storage space allocated inside the dashboard with a lid.
The glove box or glove compartment is part of the dashboard. It is a storage area provided just above the front passenger’s footwell. It is used to store maps, books and other small articles. Manufacturers have introduced cooling vents inside the glove box to make it suitable to contain perishable items. Dual glove boxes, one above the other, have also started appearing on certain cars like the Honda CR-V.
The lid of the glove box serves the purpose of hosting cup holders. The glovebox lid can also consist of a jacket to hold papers. In some glove boxes, a light provided inside helps sort things in the dark.
Glove box volume has grown to a considerable extent. Modern glove boxes can take in a laptop. There can also be a compartment inside the glove box to carry maps or vehicle documents. It can also act as a dust-proof environment for the USB port, which is a regular feature in today’s cars.
The origin of the word is debatable, but the most logical explanation is the compartment was designed to store gloves used by the driver in the olden days to protect his fingers from the rushing cold air. Another derivative is the usage of gloves by the coachman of the horse-drawn carriage to prevent injury from the rough rope that controlled the animal.
Hyundai’s latest design philosophy the ‘fluidic’ sculpture theme seems to have caught everyone’s attention. The latest to receive this design is the 2011 Hyundai Verna Hatchback. The car was caught completely undisguised (the Verna hatchback’s shell was spied before) and the picture shows its stark similarity with the Sonata YF Sedan.
As compared to the next generation Verna sedan, the Verna hatch gets minor changes on the front with a more subtle grille and a slightly redesigned bumper. The ORVMS did not carry the turn signals as seen on the sedan. Even with just a low resolution spy shot, we’re sure that the car will have fabulous road presence.
The dimensions of the car are 4.08 mtr x 1.70 mtr x 1.46 mts while the wheelbase is the same as the sedan at 2.57 mtr. Engines are likely to be the 1.4 liter petrol & 1.6 liter petrol with outputs 107 BHP & 122 BHP respectively. It would be available in both manual & Automatic transmissions.
The car is expected to go on sale in China next month & then will be subsequently launched in other markets. It is highly unlikely that this car would come to India as the Hyundai i20 is enjoying a lot of success with its ‘premium hatch’ image & hatchbacks priced above 7 lakh do NOT sell in India. Ask Honda!
The test mules of the next generation Audi A6 are already doing rounds & the first renderings of the car suggest that the car borrows quite a few design cues from its siblings –the A7 & the A8. Just like the new BMW 5 series which looks like a mini 7 series, the A6 looks like a mini Audi A8.
The 2012 A6 is expected to go on sale in Europe in early 2012 & Audi needs to hurry up to get this one into India. The A6 sells in minuscule numbers as compared to the E class & the 5 series as both these were launched in their new avatars while the A6 continued to sell in its previous generation with only minimal upgrades.
The 2012 A6 looks stunning with the mean looking LED’S running through the headlamps & the coupe like silhouette . The car is substantially bigger than the previous model. The body will receive a good dose of aluminum panels to keep the weight in check. The A6 shares its chassis with the A7 which is entirely made up of steel.
Audi is sharing all key components among its MLB models i.e A4, A8, A7 & the Q5 in order to save costs. The 2012 A6 will come in both front wheel drive & Quattro options mated to a dual clutch seven speed gearbox. Engine options are unclear but the range is expected to start with the 200bhp TSI engine with the V6/V8 topping the range.
According to media reports, the 2012 Clio will be built on the Nissan Micra V-Platform. What’s better? – It could be manufactured at Renault-Nissan’s Oragadam facility, near Chennai.
The 2012 Clio could use the Nissan Micra’s 1.2-liter 3-cylinder petrol engine and perhaps even the 1.5-liter diesel motor. It is way too early to ascertain any technical details, but we suspect mechanically, the Clio and the Micra will be almost the same.
A creative TV commercial consisting of the VW cars sold in India. The VW Vento has missed out, but nevertheless it hasn’t harmed the creativity or message in the ad.
Maruti Suzuki has sent us a powerpoint presentation containing slides describing why the Suzuki A-Star AT is better than the i10 AT. There are a number of reasons why you should go for the A-Star AT, according to Maruti, who attacks the Hyundai i10 from every possible angle and in every department.
The war has been waged. Is Hyundai ready to counter-attack?
click through to see the powerpoint presentation. Flash needed.
