When we learnt that Hindustan Motors was working on Pick up truck based on the Ambassador, the earth almost slipped below our feet. Then, we found something in the pages of history that proved HM is quite capable of making this pick up truck. Now, thanks to the folks at Teambhp, we have a spy shot of the HM Ambassador Pick up truck.
From the looks of things, this is a single cab pick up truck with an average size loading bed. The interiors are bare bone utilitarian – simple and basic. The engine options are anyone guess right now – could be a diesel, could be CNG.
HM is has set its heart in diversifying the Ambassador brand name. First, the CS version then the Pick Up version. Of course, the current Ambassador is all set to get a complete revamp in 2012.
What’s next a hot rod version of the Amby?
As we all know that our beloved hatchback – Maruti Suzuki Swift is all set to get a complete revamp very soon. We have caught this car testing on the Indian roads countless number of times. Of course, the European markets have already received this model quite early and are fully enjoying it
However, some very interesting information has come by. CarAdvice.com.au is reporting that Suzuki has officially confirmed the diesel version of the 2011 Swift will debut in Europe on June 1.
As usual, the 2011 Swift also features the DDiS technology (essentially Fiat’s Multijet diesel technology). You get a 1.3-litre, turbo-diesel, four cylinder engine producing 74bhp of power. But the best part is that it has received an average fuel consumption rating of 3.5L/100km. This is a whopping 28Km/Litre.
The website also reports that the Swift DDiS can do a 0-100km/h dash in 12.7 seconds, with a potential top speed is 166km/h. The car also features 16-inch alloy wheels, seven airbags, air-conditioning, USB connectivity and heated electric mirrors.
The 2011 Swift petrol was launched in Europe in the September 2010. Hopefully this does not mean India has to wait for the diesel Swift 9 months after the petrol model is launched?
As we type this in, IAB representative Bharat Iyer is sitting at the inauguration of the Ferrari’ first showroom in India at Janpath, New Delhi. Ferrari invited Indian Autos Blog to be part of this very special launch which also marks the Prancing Horse’ official entry into the exotic car-loving nation.
We are anticipating to see key models from the range today on the showroom floor. Prices and waiting periods will also be made clear during the course of today’ event. Like any or every other launch, IAB will try to bring you the prices and pointers from conference first, so stay tuned !
Situated in Janpath, Ferrari New Delhi was built in a period of 90 days. It is 5k sq.ft in area with space for three display vehicles. A showroom in Mumbai will come up in early 2012 as Ferrari aims three digit sales in the next three years. It is also studying other locations to open additional outlets. The entire Ferrari range is available in India and one main reason for the delayed entry was the search for the right partner. Cars that stand for racing, technology and exclusivity, Ferrari will not leave customers to research and decide the right car. They will educate customers and potential customers on the brand’s pedigree and everything on this world-famous supercar brand.
Ferrari says its cars will run on 97 Octane gasoline due the engine’ higher compression ratios. Cars will take three to twelve months for delivery from the time of booking and waiting periods depend on the model and level of customization requested. Service intervals are long – once in a year or every 10,000km.
The Chinese market (one of Ferrari’ largest markets in the world) differs in terms of positioning, but people are equally passionate about these cars.
Ferrari prices in India (ex-showroom, New Delhi)
California – 2.2 crore rupees
599 – 3.57 crore rupees
458 – 2.57 crore rupees
Update – Click “Continue” to see more images. Come back every five minutes and refresh this page to see more updates.
After miserable attempts of tapping the SUV market through the Tuscon and the Terracan, the Santa Fe has finally clicked for Hyundai as a SUV product. However, the company has still not managed to harness the potential of the SUV because it is brought to India in CBU form which results in a huge price tag.
However, Hyundai India plans to set things right by opting in for CKD operations for the Santa Fe. According to The HinduBusinessLine, the Santa Fe is currently undergoing homologation duties at ARAI. Such type of testing is generally done a few months before local assembly starts.
When asked about the recent development, Mr Arvind Saxena, Director, Marketing and Sales, Hyundai Motor India said,
Starting CKD operations for the Santa Fe is part of our plan. Typically, we would wait for volumes to touch at least 150 units a month for it to make sense economically. At present, we are doing about 100 units a month.
By opting in for CKD operations, the Santa Fe could get considerably cheaper as CKD attracts less taxes.
The company also said that it will start a fresh round of bookings for the Santa Fe in June and this time it plans to sell 1,400 units in the current year.
Will the reduction in price tag make the Santa Fe more attractive buy vis-à-vis the current favorite Toyota Fortuner
While India waits for news on the CKD/SKD operation of the Teana facelift, blogs overseas have begun speculating on the next generation model. The new Teana (J32) is based on the D Platform (shifted base from the previous model) and was launched in 2009.
There is no chance of the next generation model appearing before late 2014 or early 2015. But that won’t stop Nissan and Teana aficionados from speculating and launching renderings into the internet.
Sooner or later, Nissan will begin local assembly of the cosmetically revamped Teana at Oragadam, Chennai. The rendering of the next generation Teana seen here is heavily inspired by the 370Z. Even if Nissan is working on the next generation model in Japan, it will be at the drawing board level.
VW-controlled performance car manufacturer Porsche has launched the Cayman S Black limited edition on the Indian market. The soft launch took place on Saturday. The Cayman S Black limited edition is priced at Rs 75.45 lakh rupees(ex-showroom Delhi). The company plans to manufacture 500 examples, so this is an exclusive car by every stretch of imagination. The Black is an upgraded version of the Cayman with new features.
The front seats are trimmed in black partial leather and it has a sports steering wheel. Climate control and cruise control are handy features on long journeys. The Porsche Communication Management (PCM), Porsche’ way of saying “satellite navigation” is available and the black audio interface plays MP3 files. The system is also Bluetooth compatible.
The black color scheme of the Cayman S Black Edition is consistent throughout. This is stretching the limited edition status a bit too far as everything from the dashboard, gear lever, seats to the alloys are painted in black.
Sitting behind the passenger cell is a 6-cylinder, 3.4-liter boxer engine capable of generating 330hp at 7400 rpm and a peak torque of 370 Nm at 4750 rpm. This rockets the Cayman to 100kph from a standstill in just 5.1 seconds. Equipped with PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe) dual-clutch gearbox, the car accelerates till 279km/h.
One will argue that there are not many roads in India to explore all of the Cayman model’ capabilities but customers will counter argue that they are tired of waiting for the government to give them the facilities. Moreover the Cayman driver is more concerned about making a statement than a 279kmph speed dash.
It’s not the first time we’re hearing about auto manufacturers reaching out to Gujarat for putting up a plant. We’ve heard stories about Hyundai and Ford’ interest in investing in Gujarat last year. Tata Motors produces Nano from Sanand while GM India rolls out vehicles from Halol, both places situated in Gujarat. The new company to join the Modi-led Gujarat bandwagon is Maruti Suzuki. DNA Money reports that a delegation [ Read More ]
A low-res brochure shot showing the rear of the next generation M-Class has made its way to the web. Hosted on Burlappcars.com, the 5-seat SUV looks to have taken more than a few design touches from the E-Class wagon. The brochure scan also indicates that the vehicle is very nearly done.
There’s no shortage of test mule footage on the internet. IAB has carried spy shots (leaked image of the front-end) and a complete video of the car during various stages of testing in Europe. Expected to bow in during the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the latest line of gasoline units (3.5-liter V6 and 4.6-liter V8) will join the V6 oil burner at launch. A 5.5-liter V8 from tuning arm AMG could also make the cut.
Mercedes India told a newspaper that it plans to assemble the M-Class in India. Could the new M-Class be introduced in India as a CKD model by the end of 2011?
When we learnt that Hindustan Motors was working on Pick up truck based on the Ambassador, the earth almost slipped below our feet. Then, we found something in the pages of history that proved HM is quite capable of making this pick up truck. Now, thanks to the folks at Teambhp, we have a spy shot of the HM Ambassador Pick up truck.
