BMW proved to India that by thinking a little bit ‘out of the Box’ one can create a product that is an absolute winner. The segment that BMW created for itself by introducing the X1 was a compact coupe-SUV.
But the Germans Auto giants are oddly like toddlers giving a class exam. What one does, the other one copies. So it was only a matter a time before Audi brought in its X1 rival – Audi Q3. Mercedes, on the other hand, is taking its sweet little time to work on its contender – Mercedes BLK.
TopSpeed.com has rendered this Baby Merc up for debut in 2013-14. A lot of the design cues are similar to the Concept A-Class that was revealed earlier this year. It features have sharp angular headlamps, bold wheel arches, a coupe like roof line ending with a hatch back rear end.
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One top Ford official earlier this week confirmed that the new Fiesta will be launched in July. At the product unveiling in Delhi in mid-April, Ford told IAB that diesel and petrol variants will come with class-leading fuel efficiency.
Now a source with direct knowledge on the matter tells IAB they are likely to introduce them paired to manual transmission in 2011. As they are in possession of the automatic transmission technology, the company only has to decide when it is appropriate to put it on the market.
Once the demand for the mainstay variants are met, the Fiesta AT can be introduced. This could happen sometime in 2012.
The best car in the world (or SUV to be precise) as proclaimed by Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson has finally made it big. Skoda – the Czech Automotive Czar has announced that the 100,000th Skoda Yeti has just rolled off the assembly line today at its hometown in Kvasiny.
The Yeti is made in 3 factories across the globe –Kvasiny in Czech Republic, Aurangabad in India and Kaluga in Russia.
The Yeti is quite a popular compact SUV in the markets that it is sold. Overall, the demand has increased by 34 percent compared to a year ago. As a result, Skoda has introduced the Yeti in many variants such as 4×4 all-wheel drive, front wheel drive, even a tree-hugging Greenline version. The success has reportedly encouraged Skoda to develop a smaller Yeti.
Michael Oeljeklaus, the board member for the area of production -
The Yeti is a great success for SKODA. The fact that we have already cracked the threshold of 100,000 produced vehicles after only two years firmly emphasizes that.
At IAB, we quite like the Yeti for its niche segmentation and quirky styling. It is one of the few lifestyle products that has made us turn back and look. What are your thoughts about the Yeti?
During an interaction today with the VP of General Motors India Mr.P Balendran, we understood that the company is beginning to take the MPV market in mega cities of India very seriously.
The Chevrolet Tavera which enjoys a good image among cab operators will be given a new lease of life during the last quarter of 2011. The top official GM said that it will be fitted with a BS4-compliant Sonalika-sourced diesel engine, which we understand from an industry insider is a 2-liter CRDI mill developing about 100bhp.
Eleven months ago, IAB had speculated on the introduction of a 2-liter Sonalika CRDI engine on the Tavera fitted with a ECU sourced from Continental. Subsequently SRK was asked to a do a rendering of the Tavera facelift and a few weeks back we brought you the entire list of changes on the cosmetic front. So this for IAB readers is not a serious development. It can classified as a mild update.
To put in a nutshell the BS4 Tavera will have a new engine along with cosmetic changes such as new alloys, body graphics, new grille, clear lens lamps and a slight change to the interior. The 2.0-liter CRDI engine is expected to coexist with the currently serving 2.5-liter diesel engine.
The next generation Tata Safari could be delayed further, perhaps beyond the festive season and till the Auto Expo 2012, IAB has learned.
The Merlin was supposed to be launched earlier this year but changes to the product kept coming from rounds of customer feedback and it was more of starting out with something, gaining energy in the process, tempted to addressing more areas and doing it till satisfaction is reached. The project we believe started with minor mechanical alterations and a cosmetic overhaul, but several more revisions and briefs came about causing the lengthy delay.
The Safari Merlin will go through an exhaustive re-skinning exercise and will sit on a platform created using certain parts of the Aria. The engine bay will not witness changes- the 2.2-liter DICOR engine producing 140bhp power and 320Nm of torque will carry on dwelling there. Powertrain changes might be simple alterations like a new flywheel and redone gear ratios. Changes made to the steering unit and suspension system will make it a better city car.
Parts of the dashboard will be upgraded with new materials and a moderately redesigned center console won’t stimulate interiors. Whether or not to run the existing Safari alongside the Merlin is a pending call, but it is highly likely that the Merlin will serve as a replacement model than an addition to the Safari range.
Tata’ not had the habit of launching many new products at the Auto Expo in the past. If the Merlin visits the Tata stall, chances are that it could be a display rather than a launch.
To view more spyshots, visit our earlier Tata Safari Merlin post.
Speaking to IndianAutosBlog.com, vice-president of GM India Mr. P Balendran said an electric variant of Beat hatchback will be exhibited in India this month. Note that the event is not a launch.
GM will display the vehicle to gather feedback from the public. The vehicle has no connection to the Spark EV or REVA with who they joined hands with to bring out a rolling prototype of the Spark EV during the Auto Expo last year. The project was scrapped ties after Mahindra acquired controlling stake in REVA. The Beat EV is developed completely in-house by General Motors.
When questioned on the progress of the Beat diesel project, Mr Balendran said the vehicle will be launched after the 15th of July. The Beat is powered by a 1-liter 3cyl diesel engine that produces about 57bhp and 140 Nm @ 1,750 rpm. A few months back our friends at OnCars.in reported that the Beat’s new diesel engine will be marketed as XSDE (eXtra Smart Diesel Engine). It will be mounted with a fixed geometry turbocharger and paired to a 5-speed manual transmission.
Image – 2007 Chevrolet Beat Concept
Ever since the first spy shots of the Tata Aria made its appearance online, people have drawn comparisons between this crossover and the Innova. It is inevitable as the silhouette of this model (from the spy shots) was close to an Innova. Tata missed a MPV in its portfolio (barring the Sumo if you may), the launch of the aggressively priced Mahindra Xylo rolled together with company’ habit of offering more for less were further reasons for the confrontation. In the mind of the public, Tata still has some way to go till it can sell premium products.
The Innova wasn’t the primary target customer for the Aria. They were looking at variants of the Endeavour, Captiva, Outlander and the Fortuner. Tata’s idea was to offer an inexpensive CR-V with higher levels of practicality. The misinterpretation by media and the public alike is reason enough to find other ways of marketing the product. Instead of showing it as a cross between a SUV and sedan, it will begin emphasizing the feature-rich nature of the Aria next month.
Tata’ also planning a 4×2 version, but this will not lack features or technology. Tata could simply remove the transfer case and deem the product ready for sale. The company perceives it as a premium product and wants consumers to see it that way. So do not expect the Aria 2WD to be a cost-down version. A huge price or equipment difference won’t exist. The Aria 4×2 hence will not act as a gateway to Innova customers.
The first Tata Nano arrived in Nepal earlier this week and began the “Nepal Yatra” a nearly 40k km endurance drive to see how it copes with Nepal’s road and weather conditions.
The test vehicles will pass through the Nepali plains, mountails and hills. Sipradi Trading, the sole dealer for Tata Motors products, will begin selling the Nano for a price of 5-7 lakh Indian rupees once the test concludes and reports emerge, thanks to the an anti-CBU duty structure. Tata hold 22% of the passenger car market in Nepal with Vista currently as its best seller.
