There will be a lot of ghost on streets if Rolls Royce ambitions are anything to go by. The baby Roller is all set to have many cousin sisters in the future.
Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, the CEO of Rolls Royce said to Bloomberg -
I’m quite confident that we’re going to see a Ghost derivative to come. There’s still a lot of potential in the market.
The major focus of the company will be on emerging markets like China, India and the Middle East. The CEO’s enthusiasm is buoyed by the recent increase in the sales. Rolls-Royce had a 17% drop in sales in 2009 due to recession. But as the economy is recovering so are the sales and the company has set an ambitious target of 2,000+ cars in 2010.
Although he didn’t give any hint as to how the product line up will expand, we are expecting a longer wheel base model for the emerging markets following it up with a Drophead.
With competitors piling up the pressure with a new launch every other day, Hyundai is not sitting idle either. Come September 24, the i10 will get a new face along with a more powerful engine at a launch function scheduled to be held in Mumbai.
The design will be heavily influenced by their new design philosophy – Fluidic Sculpture. The design was showcased in the RB concept as well. The model is bolder with more aggressive headlamps and a hexagonal, honeycomb grill sprinkled with some chrome.
On the engine front, it will get the same 1.2-liter MPFI Kappa Petrol Engine but with VTVT (variable valve timing) and 2 added horsepower.
The interiors are expected to be the same with minor changes like a digital fuel gauge and a different background lighting.
It is expected to be Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 more expensive than the outgoing model.
The Toyota Land Cruiser Prado was launched in India with a diesel heart last year. Drivers appreciated it for its off-roading ability, show it any terrain, and it’ll take up the challenge with a smile.
But there are limitations to what a car can do even if it’s a Land Cruiser Prado. If you see a dry patch of land with bumps, gravel, mud, sand, steep inclines and even tiny craters, then yes, you can use your Prado to conquer with speed and skill.
But if there’s a 10 foot deep trench or ditch filled with water waiting to swallow elephants, you’re better off with a boat or a hovercraft, as this man found out.
Entry posted on September 22, 2010 by
Shrawan Raja;
Read More on Ford
The redesigned Ford Ranger pickup truck will debut at the Australian Motor Show this year with “taut” and “toned” lines. As expected the Ranger truck will carry a front-end similar to the new Explorer. This design language is expected to journey into other big Fords in the future.
There’s an Indian connection to this vehicle. The next generation Endeavour will share visual similarities with the Ranger and both share the same platform.
Many vital components are likely to be carried over to the Endeavour including the engine and gearbox. It looks like Ford will continue to use the 3.0-liter TDCi engine found on the existing Endy.
The SUV project has just been kicked off in Australia under the guidance of Ford’s SUV guru Ted Hoevener. After hearing of this development, We expect the new Endeavour to be ready by the beginning of 2012.
Honda engineers in America have been testing the new Civic quite frequently. They are a very possessive kind and don’t want their test vehicles to feature on websites in the form of pictures. They use their hands, shoulders, heads to take evasive action and come in the way but the photographers have a story to reveal everytime.
Through these images one is able to learn about the size of the car, which should remain largely the same. Clear interior shots reveal curved cockpit and extremely large number of controls and buttons.
The front-end of the car is more upright and there are new character lines on the 2011 Civic’s doors. The car’s overall shape and design are no different.
The current Civic employs a 1.8-liter petrol engine and the new one is said to have a 2.0-liter. There’s not much available at this point on what will lurk under the car’s bonnet and whether the call of the diesel lover will be answered on Honda’s newest edition of its world famous brand.
Force Motors introduced the Trump brand in India last year and recently, they roped in Bollywood star Salman Khan to endorse it. The vehicle has met with moderate success and is pitched directly at the Tata Ace buyer.
Following the footsteps of Tata, Force Motors is readying a passenger carrier on the Trump’s platform. Wheelosphere has the scoop on their front page with a detailed analysis.
The vehicle will be called Trump Trip which is very catchy. The build quality, gauged by looking at the test mule, isn’t very impressive but for a point-to-point people carrier, this isn’t going to matter too much. The engine and gearbox will be carried over from the Trump and so are many of the other components.
With three rows of comfortable seating and ample luggage space, has Force got a winner on its hands.
BMW’s bread earner is all set to go for an upgrade in 2012. The testing has already begun on the Nurburgring with many spyshots floating on the internet. Internally called as the F30, the model promises to be a Back-to-Basic philosophy with aggressive lines dominating the design.
Speaking about the design; the new 3 series is expected to have a pushing kidney grill (like the one seen on the Z4) coupled with a bulging bonnet. The L-shaped headlamps will wrap around the back with subtle concave and convex lines flowing throughout the body.
The 3 Series will be offered in a myriad of 4 and 6 cylinder engines. Speculations are that the Munich giant is also planning a 3 cylinder engine for better fuel mileage. The performance version of the 3 series, the M3 may drop the V8 and adopted a turbo-charged 6 cylinder engine.
The new 3 Series should also be assembled in India with around 10-15% localization. It should be here by the end of 2012.
Entry posted on September 22, 2010 by
Shrawan Raja;
Read More on BMW
BMW launched the new X5 yesterday in India and here is the press release explaining the models on sale in detail. The new X5 isn’t an all new model, it’s a facelifted vehicle brought into India as a CBU.
Press Release -
The new BMW X5 debuts in India.
More dynamic and luxurious than ever, the new BMW X5 enhances itself with highest level of driving pleasure and unprecedented efficiency.
Gurgaon. The new BMW X5 was unveiled at Bird Automotive, the new BMW dealership facility in Gurgaon. The new BMW X5 has been launched in two variants: BMW X5 xDrive50i (petrol) and BMW X5 xDrive30d (diesel) and can be ordered at BMW dealerships across India.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Andreas Schaaf, President, BMW India said, “The new BMW X5 continues to set the standards in driving dynamics, combining more than ever before the fascinating driving experience offered by a BMW X model with outstanding efficiency. Its expressive design, innovative features and its premium character render the new BMW X5 the ultimate ambassador of its segment in every sense of the word.”
