Indian Autos blog

The Audi A8 is coming to India this Diwali and only in the long-wheelbase form. You might think it’s just a stretched A8 with additional rear legroom, and as it seems, you’re wrong.

Watch how the Audi official explains and demonstrates the pampering you’ll indulge in if you’re sitting in the rear seat of the A8 L.

BMW has made it official that its new X5 SUV will be launched in Gurgaon on the 21st of September.

The new X5 isn’t a model change. It is the current gen X5 which was introduced in 2006 with new front bumper and air intakes as well as a bouquet of minor cosmetic changes. The BMW X5 is offered with a 4.8-liter 8-cylinder petrol engine or a 3.0-liter straight-6 diesel engine.

KTM’s 125cc Duke is nearing completion and is all set to come out of a production line. We’ve heard this model will be made at Bajaj’s Chakan facility next year and priced close to a lakh. Read more on the KTM 125 Duke here

This Citroen 2CV lends a new meaning to tin on wheels. Click here to see a Citroen 2CV made out of tin cans

Origami that interests a petrol head. Ever seen a Yamaha MT-01 made out of paper, with full attention to every detail? Click here to see the Yamaha MT-01 made out of paper!

Hyundai today confirmed to Indian Autos Blog that it will launch the new Hyundai i10 VTVT on the 23rd of this month. The VTVT variant is the 1.2-liter engine with variable valve timing, something we speculated back in February this year.

Specifications are unavailable at this moment, we expect marginal increase in power and torque. Fuel economy is also expected to improve slightly.

But the really big change comes in the form of a facelift to both the front and the rear of the vehicle. Styling cues for this facelift will be borrowed from the 2011 Avante, which adopts Hyundai’s new fluidic sculpture design.

This means the facelifted i10 will debut in India before it heads to Paris for a global unveil. The Paris Motor Show will see the launch of the 1.0-liter i10 too, which is not expected in India.

Click here to see a real life Transformer made from Chevy Camaro parts
Click here to see a real life Transformer made from Chevy Camaro parts
Click here to see a real life Transformer made from Chevy Camaro parts
Click here to see a real life Transformer made from Chevy Camaro parts

Don’t you just envy the guy who sits in the 1st class seat of the Boeing or who switches on the massages function on the rear seats of the 7 series? Well, now you could go ahead and pamper yourself in a similar manner for a fraction of that cost.

MKraft, a Mumbai based company is offering some uber luxurious customizations on the Toyota Innova.

The company’s focus is on luxury & more importantly space. Their concept of ‘STRETCHBACK’ is rather interesting. Of course in the literal meaning they want to suggest the idea of relaxing & enjoying the drive but more importantly the play of colors, textures & lighting in side the car cabin just make it feel so much more spacious.

The car’s cabin is no less luxurious than a private jet. It features a LCD television hooked onto the partition between the driver and the rear passenger . The car also has a dish fitted on the roof so that you can enjoy TV on the move. You get a kusic system that is connected to the TV. A DVD player to watch movies, & guess what you can even hook up your XBOX or Play Station to the TV & convert the cabin into a gaming zone.

The car also features a refrigerator, cabinets to keep your items, roof mounted reading lights & side throwing ambient lights for the readers. It comes with two fully automatic supremely comfortable seats separated by a centre armrest which houses all the controls for the gizmos on board.

Even the exterior gets a body kit making the car more sporty. The driver gets his own music system & reverse cameras.

So whether it be your home theater system, or your reading lounge, or a place to watch the news, play games or just sit back & daydream, this is it.

At a price of 4.5 lakhs and a donor car, you can spoil yourself with all the luxuries you ever wanted.

click through for the image gallery

Who said India was the only place where Suzuki sells old models (read Maruti 800)?

China is another one!

The Suzuki Esteem (Changan Suzuki LingYang) which after serving the Indian market for more or less 15 years, was finally went into retirement two years back. But in China the car is still running the race.

In fact just recently the car has received a facelift in China. It still looks like a breadbox with a very basic looking front & rear & even more basic interiors.

The car gets a 1.3 liter engine with an output of 67 kW. Its major trump card is the backseat which is quite spacious.

It maybe noted here that in China both luxury cars & basic cars such as these sell in massive numbers. Zotye Auto last month said it will continue the task of producing the 800 in China.

When Ratan Tata first got the concept of the 1 lakh car his main objective was to give people a cheap means of transport so that they could migrate from the unsafe 2 wheeler to the more safer option- the 4 wheeler. He aimed at those those family’s who could not afford a car with his Nano.

But latest reports reveal a shocking tale. According to Tata Motors’ dealers around 60-80 % of the Tata Nano buyers already own one or even two cars and buy the Nano to commute inside the city. Many customers who shared their views, reveal they use this car for city runabouts.

Their Honda’s, Skoda’s and Toyota’s are too big to maneuver or park in the congested confines of Indian cities. So whether it be picking up children from school or drawing out some money from the local bank, or bagging a few vegetables from the market, the Nano hits the sweet spot.

Sure, the car is not used for highway journeys but in the city, it is a complete automobile. Another point to be noted is that of the 1,00,000 Nano’s booked only 20% were the basic no frills versions- another indication at the fact that not many 1st time buyers are eying the Nano.

It was believed that the sales of 2 wheelers will be dented when the Nano arrives but that is hardly the case. People also seem to appreciate the cute looks of the Nano.

No wonder Tata is contemplating on launching a more deluxe version of this car to further enhance its appeal!