Looks like Tata Motors is now obsessed with ‘electrifying’ almost everything.
First we had the Vista EV which inches close to its UK debut. Now, Tata Motors is entering the Commercial Vehicle segment with the Tata Ace EV. It will be the first electric mini truck that, according to reports, will be launched in the UK market.
The Tata Ace EV, like the Vista EV, was developed at Tata’s European Technical Centre in Coventry. It has a 25mph top speed and (being a mini truck) can carry 500kg payload at any point of time. Its on-board trickle charger runs from a standard 13A socket through an RCD-equipped cable.
The company has also planned a big brother for the Ace EV – a 3,500kg GVW class which is scheduled for launch in two years’ time. Tata Motors has also shown a Nano EV recently and is interested in commercializing it in the future.
We recently brought you the rendering for the 2011 Suzuki Solio straight from the designer’s desk. Now, Suzuki has pulled the cover of the car and we are glad to announce that it’s not boxy anymore. Well at least sort of.
Based on the 2011 Swift’s platform, the Solio is been given a complete revamp from head to tail. The designer has made sure that the car doesn’t look just boxy anymore, it looks aerodynamically boxy. It’s a Tall boy, so we really cant blame him.
The Solio measures 3,710mm in length and has been blessed with a 1.2-liter Swift’s gasoline engine producing 91HP. The engine is mated to a CVT gearbox with optional four wheeled drive. Although the really cool stuff is sliding doors at the back, so you can park in tight spaces and don’t have to worry about getting in or out
And there is even better news from Suzuki as the company has partnered with Mitsubishi Motors as joint OEMs and will offer 800 Solios to Mitsubishi per month for all the boring reasons like mass production, economies of scale, cost efficiency that only MBAs can understand
Sadly, this car is for JDM only. But if history is any witness, the Solio was nothing but a rebadged Wagon R in the international markets. So is this the New ‘Blue Eyed Boy’?
If Suzuki is planning to bring this car to India (which we are sure will not be anytime soon) can we a humble request – Please keep the sliding doors
After first reporting the spy video revealing GM’s MPV plan, another video of Wuling Hongtu showing off its skin has surfaced from Baroda, Gujarat.
The Hong Tu was originally developed for the Chinese Markets by GM and its Chinese partners Wuling and SAIC and was premiered at the Beijing motor show. During the launch, GM mentioned that in order to make Hongtu handle like a car, they had tested it for 170,000 kilometers using the same standards adopted for medium and high-end passenger cars.
In India, Hongtu will have to battle it out in the segment having Maruti EECO and other smaller vans. It will manufactured locally and should come with a small petrol and diesel engine.
We all know that Gujarat is the emerging new ‘Motown’ of India. All manufacturers are making a beeline to set up shop in Gujarat. Amidst this enthusiasm, Hyundai also has decided to construct a diesel plant in Gujarat with an installed capacity of 150,000 units per annum.
The plant will manufacture 1.1L, 1.4L and 1.6L engines which will be used for domestic consumption. Hyundai will be investing 4 billion rupees over the next three years and the plant will be operational in 2013 or early 2014.
But IAB is no Economic Times so what does all this malarkey mean to you?
• Cars like Verna RB and i20 (whose powertrains are imported) are bound to get cheaper with local manufacturing
• i10 could be the first beneficiary of the locally-produced diesel engines. The next generation i10 will certainly come with a diesel engine.
• Hyundai HA low-cost car (to be priced under the Santro) that will hit the market by late next year or early 2012 could also be endowed with a diesel heart
• Hyundai, like Fiat, could source the engines to other manufacturers who are currently importing their diesel engines resulting again in a price drop
It looks like Hyundai is moving in for the kill with diesel powertrains. It’s cars will do exceedingly well if they can be priced a bit more aggressively. Hyundai must consider a MPV and a mini SUV for India once the diesel plant is operational.
We’re back after a slightly extended pit stop. We took the new year time as a good opportunity to venture out and spend time with family and friends.
Now that we’re back, what do we have in store?
1) Spotted – Tata Winger CNG
2) Rendering – Is the VW Vento CS a possibility?
3) IAB New Year special – Visit to Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi
4) Loads of weird, wacky and cool cars from around the world
5) Unlimited fun! 6) A massive surprise
