Yes, the Etios Liva has been shown to the media last year. The display car’s door was locked so we never got to experience the rear seat comfort or operate the features. The car’s been delayed as the Etios sedan’ taken the market by storm with over 10k bookings within weeks of the price announcement.
There are news reports of booking cancellation due to the sheer number of choices today in the sub-7 lakh rupees segment. Toyota’ also met with component shortage issues after the earthquake and tsunami ripped a part of Japan.
Next year we will see the Etios diesel in the market and along with it another long queue outside Toyota dealerships.
The Liva will be fitted with a 1.2-liter petrol engine with variable valve timing. The diesel model next year will be a 1.4-liter engined car.
Hat tip to Vikram Rudy Ani for the pictures!
After two launches in quick succession from VW, the sister concern Skoda is ready to create some waves itself. Recently, out of no where, we saw the spy pics of the Skoda Rapid being tested near Aurangabad and now MotorBeam has spotted a test mule of the Skoda Scout.
Yesterday, a reader from Kerala wrote to us saying “Skoda Fabia Scout is been testing in India. When I went to the Skoda showroom in Cxxxxxx they had unusual looking Fabia there with temporary-type number plates. My house is near the showroom, I went there to inquire about the mud flaps for my Fabia and unfortunately I forgot the cam. The Scout was full of dirt, maybe it was being driven hard all over the place.”
To put in simple words, a Fabia Scout is a normal Fabia with a rough road package. The car spotted had a 1.6L engine and did not have roof rails. Please note, this is not the estate version so don’t expect massive boot space.
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The solo run of the BMW X1 in its segment is about to end very soon. Audi rival is ready to take on the baby crossover from BMW head on. Audi recently launched the A7 and the RS5 in the Indian Market.
Audi executive Michael Perschke -
We are planning to launch the A6 in August followed by the Q3 early next year
This whole ‘launch after launch’ from Audi is an effort to accomplish the huge sales target that the company has set for itself. The company plans to sell 4,800-5,000 units in 2011.
The Audi Q3 is expected in a long list of engines will include a 147kW 2.0L TFSI engine, a 171kW 3.0L turbodiesel V6 and a 210kW 3.6L FSI V6 in the diesel category. The engine to watch out for if you are on a budget is the VW Group’ 2.0-liter diesel engine featured on the Passat, Laura and Jetta.
The key success factor for this baby SUV would be the pricing. Audi needs to have an entry level variant to compete with the BMW X1 in a price bracket of 22-23 lakh rupees.
The rival from Mercedes – the GLC is still undergoing testing and will be ready only by 2014.
In the recent months, Honda Siel India has forgone it dominance in almost every segment in the Indian car markets. A few blame it on irrational pricing such as Jazz, a few blame it on lack of options but a major chunk of people blame it on lack of diesel engine options.
Honda has finally woken up from its sleep and is now formulating strategies on how to enter the diesel market in India. According to the company, the first car to get a diesel heart will be the Honda City which is pretty much an obvious choice considering the fact that it is almost the bread and butter for the company.
Jnaneswar Sen, senior vice-president (sales & marketing), HSCI -
The rapid dieselisation of the market has happened only in the last one year, as the price difference between diesel and petrol has gone up from Rs 10 to Rs 21. We had to prioritize our efforts to be a big brand with big volumes, which will come from Brio.
However, Honda only has outdated diesel engines which cannot be plonked in the City. Hence, the company is in the process of developing a 1.4L and a 1.6L diesel engine. So is it party time for all the Dieselheads? Not quite. Honda will take two long years to develop this particular engine.
Mr Sen further added -
We are developing a diesel engine in Japan to power City. It could take us more than two years.
Two years? That’s an awful long time for the Honda City to suffer the onslaught of its diesel rivals. Don’t you think so?
Left – Lada’ next generation Kalina spied in Russia. The new compact car expected to hit the market this year. The Kalina was born in 2004 and is sold in a variety of body styles fitted with 1.4- and 1.6-liter petrol engines. The Kalina is sold as the Lada 119 in Finland as its name means “rattle” in Finnish language.
Right – Ford Figo, a revolutionary product for Ford which changed the way India thinks about the Blue Oval. The Figo is a re-skinned previous generation Fiesta with 1.2-liter petrol and 1.4-liter diesel engines. It will be exported to 48 countries from India.
AutoBild has rendered the Volkswagen Polo facelift. The Polo facelift is expected to bow in by the end of 2013. The Polo facelift is expected to be a sort of a next generation car. Like how the Passat B7 is a based on the outgoing Passat but with thorough cosmetic changes and revamped interiors, the next generation Polo could take a similar path. We don’t find any major drawbacks on the Polo for a revamp.
A set of cosmetic like LED clusters in the headlamp and a start-stop feature could be suitable for the Indian market. When IAB visited the Chakan plant in Pune last year, VW officials said the company had already started working on the next generation Polo which could have advanced technology funneled down from bigger Volkswagens.
Volkswagen is also working on a set of new derivatives on the Polo platform including a SUV which could be branded as a Suzuki. Do we see the Maruti Gypsy revival based on the Polo?
This image could have been captured at a design studio where the next gen Mercedes S-Class is taking shape. We have brought you spyshots as well as a video of a camouflaged S-Class testing in the cold weather. Unveiled back in 2005, the current Mercedes Benz S-Class is getting long in the tooth. The new S-Class will borrow certain styling cues from the F700 and F800 concepts. Codenamed W222, it will be a step ahead of the new E-Class and unlike the other two Germans, Mercedes won’t come out with a longer and wider version of a smaller business saloon.
The new S-Class will be a technological marvel using the new Mercedes MRA (Mercedes Rear-wheel drive Architecture) component set. The brand new four-link front suspension will insulate road noise and vibration from the cabin. A revolutionary technology called MBC (Magic Body Control) will feature on the new S-Class that will use a camera to spot road adulation ahead and prepare the car to encounter it with minimal passenger discomfort.
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A forum member from Dacia Club Russia posted these images of the new Renault Duster taken at the Russian factory recently. The front-end is integrated with the Renault diamond instead of the Dacia badge and there’s more chromium there than you’ll get at the chemist. Renault sells the Duster as a Dacia product with a Renault nameplate. Headlights of the Russian Duster remain same as those of the Dacia.
The Renault Duster’s interiors are also slightly different. The center console is new and the finish is superior. Power window switches are present on the doors as well. The interiors have become a bit more ergonomic.
Renault will introduce the Duster in India next year and it is almost certain that the model you see here will be sold here. There is very little chance of the Dacia grille and badges accompanying the Duster as the Logan, a flagship Dacia product, didn’t have them.
