Indian Autos blog

The car project with Nissan is not happening. There is no progress with Nissan on it.

Dheeraj Hinduja, the new chairman of Ashok Leyland reveals shockingly without being explicit to Business Standard. The Ashok Leyland-Nissan small car project is seeing no headway and the lights can be turned off.

Hyundai’s top-level management told Indian Autos Blog during the launch of the Santa Fe that there was no question of diesel engine on the current i10 as the petrol model’s mileage was handsome. They vitally added the next generation i10 will have one on-board and it will take them about two years to develop a diesel model.

We assume that by 2013, the diesel i10 will be on sale in India. But the big question is – which model will they put it in? Is there something like the next generation i10 under works now?

We believe the next generation Picanto, seen testing overseas, is what will be the diesel i10 everyone wants to buy. The operation isn’t going to breach any company rules or practices. At the Paris Motor Show last month, Hyundai unveiled the ix20 which was a Kia Venga wearing the Hyundai logo.

What we’re saying is not official, mind you. We checked the Picanto’s history and learned it was a Hyundai too. Well, sort of. The currently selling Picanto shares its underpinnings with the Hyundai Getz and it is equipped with a 1.1-liter 3-cylinder CRDI engine that produces 75PS of power.

Our friends in Brazil (an important market for the car) tell us there is fair chance for the Picanto’s unveiling next year in Seoul and a Brazil launch a few months following that.

So is the case of the next generation i10 cracked? We think so.

Yamaha has finally launched the Midnight Special edition on FZ, FZ-S and Fazer to celebrate Diwali. The bikes have John Abraham’s signature and model number engraved on them, which truly makes them special. Click here to learn more.

Honda and Bajaj are working on entry-level commuters. While the Bajaj bike is expected in 2011, Honda’s for-the-mass bike doesn’t have clear intentions. Both these bikes will have extra-efficient engines that will travel to the moon and back on a liter of fuel. Learn about them by visiting Indian Motos Blog.

With news flowing thick and fast on India being the hub for the next generation Skoda Fabia, top officials flew down to India today to take part in the roll out of the 25,000th Fabia in India.

The 25,000th Fabia rolled out of the company’s recently inaugurated Chakan plant which also manufactures the Polo and the Vento. Rumor has it that this same plant will manufacture Skoda’s C-Segment sedan and perhaps even the sub-Polo/sub-Fabia small car in the future.

Click past the break to listen it to what the Skoda people has to say at the event.

Not everything that glitters is gold; But gold, in it’s refined form, glitters without fail!

Check out these two monumental creations made from gold that you can buy

1) A Lamborghini Reventon made entirely from gold and diamonds. Click HERE for more.

2) A rich Fiat 500 garnished with gold trimmings. Click HERE for more.

Earlier this year, Ford displayed its urban car concept named Start at the Beijing Motor show, its first concept car after three years. It was basically a sub Fiesta car which used a 1-liter, 3-cylinder, Ecoboost engine to bring 120 horses to life.

Back then Ford said that the Start is purely a design study with no production plans for the time being.

Ford is now thinking of putting this car in production by 2014 and to replace its aging KA model. If plans are anything to go by, this new KA will be on the European streets by 2014 sporting a price tag of less than 10,000 Euros.

However, there could be a version of the Start concept for emerging markets like India, Brazil and China. The Start Concept could be the next generation Figo (you have to forget the new Fiesta’s existence, as this is in the Indian context) or perhaps even a smaller car that will slip below the Figo. Remember that Ford hasn’t ruled out possibilities of a low cost car, and the Start could form the basis for such a model

If the Dutch company The Tuk Tuk Factory’s plans are anything to go by, Asia’s mass mover is all set to storm the European market.

A Tuk Tuk is essentially a 3-wheeled auto rickshaw which is a popular people mover in the Asian countries. It gains its name from the distinct ‘Tuk Tuk’ sound that the engine makes when revved hard.

Unfortunately, the Tuk Tuk that are planned to be launched in Europe will not make any such sound (or clouds of white smoke) because they will be fully electrified. The company plans to launch a 3-seater, a 6-seater and a cargo version in all EU countries, priced competitively in between 11,000 and 14,000 Euros.

According to the company, the electric tuk tuks can do a distance of 70-80 kms on one charge because they have been fitted with the biggest battery that the company could lay their hands on.

Prototypes of these vehicles have been running up and down on the streets of Amsterdam for over a year now and the company is now seeking partners for sales and distribution of the vehicle.

Have you spotted any of them in Amsterdam?

We told you earlier about a new small car from Dacia is in the works. The car as we told you is referred to as the Dacia City, which won’t be its final name.

It will be the cheapest Dacia (unless the Bajaj-Renault ULC is badged a Dacia) and as the name suggests it will be a city car. It is based on a platform similar to the Logan/Sandero and will be 3.5-3.6 meters in length. It will be a 5 door car and will use lots of bits from other Dacia’s to keep the costs as low as possible.

To further keep the costs down the car will be confined to a petrol motor. A 1.2 liter 16 Valve 75 BHP unit. There is a possibility of the 1.5 dci (70 BHP) also coming in at a later stage. Both these engines will be used on Renault and Nissan’s vehicles here in India.

The car will not be very stylish as such but will carry a family look with the front looking similar to the Sandero. But what is even more interesting is the price tag. According to reports it will be priced between 5000-6000 euros. This means we are looking at an under 4 lakh rupee price tag if at all this comes to India.

Renault has aggressive plans for India and this Dacia will not be A bad option. A good value for money hatch is what a company must have to succeed in our market. The Renault V-Platform hatchback is on track for India and will be priced above 4 lakh. This Dacia could sit very well below it. And then we also have the the Bajaj-Renault ULC that will be priced under and just above 2 lakh.

Stick around to IAB for more on this baby Dacia.