IAB readers will be aware of Audi India’ plan to introduce the A6 saloon in August followed by the Q3 junior crossover early next year. Also planned are variants of existing cars later this year, but let’s set that aside for another day.
The new A6 was caught testing by our friends at Motoroids near Mahim, Mumbai. The improved A6, as they point out, is visually very appealing pulling elements from exterior and interior of the larger and more premium A7. The A6 is the best seller in the Audi India portfolio. This segment is where maximum numbers are registered by the other two German companies as well.
Wearing swirl camouflage (seen on the Rapid test mule), the twin tail pipes and tail lamp design gave it away. Motoroids adds there will be a choice of four engines to choose from – 2.0- and 3.0-liter diesels producing 175bhp and 245bhp respectively while 2.8- and 3.0-liter petrol engines will churn out 200bhp and 300bhp respectively. The 2.0-liter diesel engine is available on other VW Group cars like Jetta, Laura, Passat and Superb. 6-speed manual and 7-speed dual clutch gearboxes are likely to feature on the Indian spec model.
When IAB contacted the local Audi dealer, we learnt that the older gen A6 is taken out of sale. This Audi dealership ran a special offer to push off the stocks – a flat discount on purchase or a 0% interest scheme on a select payout option. Customers who come asking for the A6 are being told to wait for the new model’ introduction. With the A6 in August and Q3′s arrival next year, we expect Audi India to narrow the gap between the four rings and the three-pointed star.
On the Car and Bike Show Facebook page, enthusiast Chirag Madan has uploaded an image of the new Maruti Swift on Indian soil donning not an inch of camouflage. The location of capture is yet to be ascertained. Wherever that maybe, it tells us the waiting will soon be over. The improved Swift, introduced last year in Europe, will carry over the currently serving powertrains. Variable valve timing is anticipated on the petrol variant in a hope to improve performance.
Several readers have written to us stating select dealerships are accepting deposits to pre-book the new Swift. While the company hasn’t spoken about the new Swift and nothing official is , many inquiries are said to be received in dealerships across the country. The new Swift could demand waiting period stretching into months if you are slow in reacting. IAB’s received at least 50 emails in the past one month regarding the new Swift’ launch date and specifications. The Swift is set to play 2011′ Ford Figo.
As Toyota prepares the Liva for a June-end launch, we can’t wait to see how customers react upon its introduction. Which way will they go? Comparisons will be drawn, and the real advantage for Maruti is the diesel engine. If they introduce both engines at launch, the Swift is likely to accelerate past the Liva as upward revisions in petrol prices have left the car buying population miffed. Many customers will switch to diesel and since the Liva diesel won’t appear until next year, the Swift’s job will be easier.
To benefit from the excise relief, manufacturers are working on cars under 4m in length with engines displacing not more than 1.2-liters (petrol) or 1.5-liters (diesel).
The first manufacturer to try out a sedan complying to these regulations was Tata Motors with the Indigo CS. Tata managed to make the CS look simple and clean. On seeing it at the Auto Expo 2008, some remarked it looked better than the regular Indigo.
Mahindra will try pulling off a mini sedan with the Verito, and the result is not going to be eye candy. In its regular form, people mouthed off about the Dzire. They found the incongruous boot pasted to its back a reason not to buy the car. Many of us believed the next generation model will see a more cohesive design as the sedan will be part of the program. But that might not be the case.
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Codenamed SK251, the C-Segment assault from Skoda has been spotted once again in outskirts of Pune. A contrasting aspect of this test mule is the swirl camouflage, a feature on test cars in Europe and America.
In India manufacturers usually cover up vehicles with black or blue cloth that doesn’t allow light to pass through. We’ve seen them test cars with black duct tape, surgeon’ white tape but with rendering specialist SRK and IAB around, companies are now forced to use new and improved methods of camouflaging and fake body parts to mask the design 
Overdrive reports that the Skoda Rapid is expected to unveil the vehicle during the 2012 edition of Auto Expo and sales could begin in March 2012. Like the Vento, VW will take the Skoda Rapid to global markets. There is no doubt in our mind about the positioning strategy. The VW hierarchy will see the Rapid ranked below the Vento in the Indian line-up. Based on a slightly older Fabia platform, it is common sense to believe that a Fabia sedan will cost less to produce than a relatively new Polo-based sedan.
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Reports from Mozambique (country in southeastern Africa) have given us the idea that Tata Motors is interested in investing in country. According to macauhub, a website covering business developments, Tata has plans to build as assembly line in the Zambezia province. Talks have reached ” a very advanced” stage according to the country’ trade minister. A textile factory could be converted into an assembly unit as sufficient levels of water and electricity are available in the area.
The honorable minister refused to comment on a time line for market introduction of Tata products but stated that a few examples of the Nano have reached Mozambique for on-road tests. The technical staff appointed by the government, after trial runs, will understand the urban runabout’s compatibility to the harsh Mozambique terrain and weather.
BSMotoring has carried an interesting story talking about new models from Tata Motors during this financial year. An important model reported is the Indica Vista facelift as the company’ not been among the volumes in a segment that’s loaned a new face to Ford, Volkswagen and Nissan operating with one hatchback.
Tata has an incredibly large number of variants on the Indica platform and the Vista has variants for economy as well as performance-seeking customers. Be it Indica or Indigo, the formula for Tata Motors has been to offer something for everyone.
The Vista (the Indica prefix has diminished over the years) introduced in August 2008 has seen two fast-selling anniversary edition models, one not-very-fast-selling 90hp variant and four engines in all (SAFIRE90, SAFIRE65, Quadrajet and TDi for BS3 cities). In 2012, Tata could give it a much-needed cosmetic overhaul as a number of cars like Etios Liva, Brio, Renault hatchback are going to join the ranks.
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Our friends at BharatAutos.com have grabbed close-up photographs the compact Xylo undergoing test runs in Ooty, Tamil Nadu. Vehicles like the Xylo pickup and W201 have been tested for high altitude performance in the popular hill station that attracts plenty of summer-dodging vacationers. Pilot production of the compact Xylo has started according to one reports which go on to add that the market introduction is less than 8 weeks away.
The mini Xylo will have a similar front-end, but Xylo’ rear-end design will not be carried over on to the sub-4 meter sibling. Tail lights are located on top of the D-Pillar and the space wheel mounted on the rear door will spice things up on the otherwise mundane rear. Reverse guide lights are implanted on the bumper and a two-tone paint job could be unique to the mini Xylo. Bharat Autos points out the hideous wheel wells is perhaps the only eye sore from the design stand point, but this is a practicality-over-presence vehicle offering generous amounts of space and comfort to entry-level, value-favoring sedan buyers.
The next generation Camry is a subject of intense discussion after a Toyota official in America was quoted by WardsAuto talking about a fall 2011 debut (September-October). We now have what Chinese weblogs claim are initial spy shots of the 2012 Camry mule, parts of which are packed inside wooden boxes to hide its silhouette from prying eyes of the horsepower paparazzi.
Reports claim there is no delay in the introduction of Camry due to the Tsunami/Earthquake in Japan back in March. The objective of the new model is there for everyone to see – to take on the Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord, two of the better selling cars in its segment. In India its plan will be to dethrone the Superb and put an end to the Passat Bluemotion’ energetic and supremacy-attempting act.
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IAB readers will be aware of Audi India’ plan to introduce the A6 saloon in August followed by the Q3 junior crossover early next year. Also planned are variants of existing cars later this year, but let’s set that aside for another day.
