Overdrive magazine has posted images of the new Volkswagen Touareg caught testing in Pune. The 2011 Touareg is the second generation model unveiled in February last year.
When we asked Volkswagen India why they launched the outgoing model two months before the all-new Touareg (you see here) was premiered, they said if customers were not provided options they would look at a competitor brand for honoring their needs.
This is exactly what VW told Indian Autos Blog last year -
If we waited for one year and then introduced the Touareg in India, the customer will go for X, Y or Z. We want the customer to buy our product and after five or so years when he’s looking to buy his next car, he would come to VW for the replacement.
The RHD (Right Hand Drive) conversion usually takes six months and Volkswagen has takes its time in bringing the new Touareg to the Indian market.
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The Mercedes A-Class has moved on in its life. Spied for the second time, the bean shaped replacement model is back in the spotlight, this time with moderately less camouflage.
Mercedes is not going to give it away completely, even though a patent drawing revealing design details about the car has leaked on to the web. Much of main body parts have been covered but we do know that design inspiration will be drawn from the dramatic A-Class concept car previewed earlier this year.
The traditional Mercedes grille continues to hang on to the new A-Class but the light, compared to the concept has toned down.
Powertrains are going to be same as the 2012 B-Class, so a total of five petrols with 109 PS to 204 PS as well as four diesels with 122 PS to 204 PS is expected to be offered when the model is introduced in some markets early next year. The new A-Class is built using a less expensive front wheel drive architecture. In the future one can expect to see a dual clutch transmission along with all wheel drive.
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One of the big three hatchbacks (new Swift, Honda Brio and Etios Liva) which is supposed to create a shakedown in the market is finally out of the bag.
Displayed at the Delhi Auto Expo in 2010 as a concept car and under testing ever since, the Toyota Liva was launched 3 days ago in Delhi with a base price of 3.99 lakhs (ex Delhi). Here is the surprise, in just 2 days, the Toyota Liva has registered 1,005 bookings from all across the country!
The Liva doesn’t make you go wow, an aspect tech-savvy youngsters might miss. There’s no complexity or diverseness in the Liva’s design. Like other Toyota vehicles its function over form in the Liva. You can host a golf tournament inside the cabin and drive to the moon and back with a tank full of petrol.
With 251 liters of boot space and a 20 liters of storage space (you can fill the glovebox with nine 500ml bottles and place seven 1 liter bottles at different places across the cabin) you could do shorter cross-continent trips in the Liva with five people in comfort.
The Liva’s an Indica designed by the Japan. The idea of providing the middle class with an affordable, spacious and fuel-efficient car is what Mr Tata set out to do in the mid 90s. The Liva is more an Indica than a Swift, though it is hunting down the latter with its low price tag and legendary Toyota brand name.
Sources have told Indian Autos Blog that the Fiesta could be launched in the beginning of July if everything goes well. Ford has said that the Fiesta will come in the second half of 2011 and production began at Chennai two weeks back.
Ford conducted a preview in April, a fashion show last month and a deep dive during the beginning of this month. A formal launch is the only event left unchecked. The Fiesta will be offered in both petrol and diesel right from the start.
Newly developed 1.5-liter petrol and diesel engines will be paired to 5-speed manual transmissions. The 1.5 TDCi (diesel) produces 90bhp/204Nm and returns 23.5 kmpl. The Duratec Ti-VCT (petrol) produces 108bhp/140Nm returning 17kmpl. Ford is tight lipped about prices, but our hunch is that it will start at 7.99 lakh rupees (ex-showroom Delhi).
Ford might not offer a stripped-down variant as it will clash with the Fiesta Classic. We’re expecting to see two petrol and two diesel variants. The top-end model will have features such as voice-activated controls, cruise control, rear parking sensors, semi-automatic climate control, Bluetooth connectivity and a USB port for iPods.
Ford is clear about the Fiesta’s ambitions. It is not looking for outright supremacy. It will present the Fiesta to driving enthusiasts who are not looking for stretching their legs at the back seat passing on the driving responsibilities to another person. The Fiesta diesel is a great car to drive. Learn about it in our detailed drive report coming up next month.
The Toyota Etios Liva follows the Japanese company’s philosophy – A Toyota for everyone. The Liva is the cheaper Etios designed to take down the Maruti Swift with its XL cabin, A-Class fuel economy and low price. Toyota launched the sedan model last year and they had to delay the Liva’s introduction from April to June because the production line was not able to keep up with the demand.
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After the success of the Smart Drive program, Ford is doing more to bring the Figo in contact with prospective customers by taking the Figo to where they live. They are organizing the ‘Bharat Yatra’ pan-India drive covering 1,000 cities to give prospective buyers a first hand look at the car.
Figo sales aren’t at year 1 levels anymore as cars like the new Swift, Etios Liva and Honda Brio are corrupting minds of the Figo buyer. He would like to wait to see these models before making up his mind.
To celebrate the sale of 100,000 Figo cars, Ford has started a pan-India ‘Bharat Yatra’. The Bharat Yatra is a road show which will travel to 1,000 cities across India gives people a firsthand look at the popular hatch. The initiative from Ford will last for 100 days.
The Yatra will cover 1,000 cites in 100 days. It kicks off Kolkata on June 29 and covers West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. Next week two more convoys will start in Pune and Bangalore. All three three convoys will visit 18 Indian states over the next 100 days. Not only will they cover Tier 1 and Tier 2 locations but Tier 3 areas as well.
Customers will be invited with their families to experience the Figo and click pictures with it. Ford’s exporting Figo to five countries and will add another forty eight this year. The Yatra attempts to revive sales as the B segment is flocked with many new models.
The passenger car segment is currently experiencing a slowdown. Automakers are easing of their production lines to compensate the slump in demand. Last year, same period, the passenger car market grew by 31%, however, this year it is only 17%. That is nearly half of the growth completely wiped off!
But the 17% growth is still a considerable number.
Diesel preference fluttering because of price. In a study of diesel vs petrol for customers who drive 2,000-3,000 km a month, petrol still is the correct choice but customers fear that further price hikes will result in petrol losing its advantage.
Car buyers carried misconceptions about diesel producing noise and vibration and would find it uncomfortable to sit in a display car. Having test driven new generation diesel cars, they love the torque wave offered once the turbocharger cuts in. Everyone loves acceleration and a power rush on tap.
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For a car rolling out of Hungary (where Swift and Ritz are already manufactured) in 2013, Suzuki is buying Fiat’s 1.6-liter diesel engine, Reuters reports. Suzuki has refused to name the car, but we believe this could well be the next generation SX4 in crossover and sedan forms.
Suzuki has updated the Swift and the next car needing immediate attention is the SX4 which like the Swift is a global car. We’re going to rule out Alto (A-Star) or Vitara as they need smaller or larger engines.
It is not understood why Volkswagen’s 1.6-liter TDI engine was not elected to occupy the engine bay of the 2013 Suzuki. The new Suzuki model could have reached advanced stages in development before the VW joined hands with Suzuki. Also there is a possibility that an existing platform designed to suit the Fiat 1.6 better, underpins the 2013 car.
The peppy and energetic 1.6 TDI on the Vento is a main reason for its sales success.
Meanwhile economy-oriented Maruti Suzuki is working on the R3 MPV for a January Auto Expo unveil. This vehicle, if exported to European countries might need a bigger diesel engine. In India the slightly larger SX4 is powered by the 1.3 Multi-jet with a VGT.
If Maruti Suzuki can reach an agreement with Fiat, the 1.6 can allow them to offer more choice to customers. Fiat India has meanwhile not shown any interest in launching the 1.6 diesel on the Linea.
Overdrive magazine has posted images of the new Volkswagen Touareg caught testing in Pune. The 2011 Touareg is the second generation model unveiled in February last year.
