Like Volkswagen, Skoda will bring out a city hatchback that will slot in below Fabia next year. Part of the VW-Skoda-Seat New Small Family, the mini Skoda will be a cosmetically different Up sporting interiors familiar to the other Skoda cars.
The design director of this vehicle Jozef Kaban has told CAR Magazine that the three vehicles (expected to be VW Lupo/Skoda Youngster/Seat Arosa) will have visibly more differentiation than the Peugeot 107/Citroen C1/Toyota Aygo trio. Body work will be different with independent bumpers, plastic moldings and subtle metalwork changes. Design inspiration will come from the VisionD concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The report mentions that the “C” graphic on the tail light will continue to be a design feature of this urban runabout.
Though the Up! concept had the rear engine RWD layout (think Tata Nano), it has been scrapped in favor of the conventional front engine FWD package present on all compact cars in India.
CAR has detailed engine options too. It is understood that 1.0- and 1.2-liter petrol engines will join hands with three- and four-cylinder diesel engines. The three-cylinder diesel engine CAR is talking about could be the 1.2 TDI used on the Polo and Fabia. The Indian Fabia also uses a 1.2-liter petrol engine.
Talking to reporters at the Sri Lankan Tata Nano launch, Tata Motors CEO Carl Peter Forster insisted hybrid technology is suited better for bigger vehicles. A South Korean newspaper published an interview where Ratan Tata spoke about a hybrid Nano.
Tata Motors CEO Carl-Peter Forster -
We believe the hybrid solutions will be introduced in larger vehicles. To introduce hybrid in such a small car [Nano] the price would end up being increased by 50, or even, a 100 per cent of the current price.
Talking about alternate fuels, Tata Motors is said to be planning diesel, CNG and LPG Nano variants. IndianCarsBikes.in back in February insisted that the highly fuel efficient diesel Nano will return 40kmpl. An pure electric prototype (pictured) was an exhibit of everyone’s interest at the Geneva Motor Show last year. The company had displayed the European Nano two years ago sporting a different design and interior.
Forster believes a lot of work has to be done to drive down battery prices to an affordable level. Tata assembles the Vista EV in Coventry for UK market consumption.
Our friends at Quatro Rodas in Brazil sent in renderings of the 5dr Lupo hatchback. Part of the Up! family, Lupo is another compact Volkswagen understood to be placed under the Polo. Based on test mule footage that has emerged online, we know a 3dr version of the same is in the works.
At the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, Lupo hatch makes its international debut. European markets could begin receiving the car by the end of 2011. Making between 60-105hp with petrol and diesel options, the city car will be priced from under 8,500 Euros (5.5 lakh rupees) in Germany according to ProMotor.ro. One reason for a this high price is the German spec model’ expensive safety features that come standard. There is no official word from VW India, but they have confirmed that work is underway on a car smaller than Polo.
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A representatives from Ford in America has confirmed the development of a 1.0-liter, 3cyl EcoBoost engine. Smallest in Ford’s portfolio, the direct-injected petrol engine will find its way under hoods of global Ford vehicles in the coming years.
Indian Autos Blog readers will not be surprised as we’ve already analyzed a 1-liter 3cyl “Fox” engine planned for the next generation KA hatchback. International blogs claim that the 1.0-liter engine could produce 120hp, equivalent to the 1.6-liter Duratec petrol engine, a bit of info we laid out in that Fox article.
The 3-pot motor will have split cooling which warms the cylinder block faster in cold weather improving fuel efficiency. The exhaust manifold and cylinder head are cast as a single piece lowering exhaust gas temperature thereby allowing the engine to run in a wider rpm band. The 3-cylinder engine features direct injection, variable valve timing, offset crankshaft and a turbocharger. Despite all the add-ons, the engine will be light and offers better efficiency, response and performance than a 1.6-liter Duratec engine, found under the hood of a Fiesta.
A top Ford India official told our friends at DWS that the much-anticipated new Fiesta will debut in July confirming IAB’s suggestive report last month. Ford unveiled the Fiesta at a mall in mid April where target customer “Ajai” drives in with friends and family to shop and burn spare time.
Ford setup a fitting environment for tech savvy individuals. The display area, instead of exhibiting a Fiesta along with a sales representative holding a notebook, turned into an experience one would go through while using the new Fiesta. The motion-sensing monitor contained details on the new Fiesta one could flip through, and the seating area had interesting features where the visitors could understand the new Fiesta better.
A monitor certainly works better than a sales person to the younger crowd. The only thing missing was a simulator, perhaps that could be a good idea for the Focus that arrives in 2012.
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It’s hardly been a few months since the new Passat was revealed but the web is already buzzing with information and speculation on the next generation Passat (8th generation) expected to bow in before 2014.
With changes reserved to body panels, material switch and design changes in the cabin, the existing Passat (Passat Bluemotion for Indians) is not an all-new model or next generation model as Volkswagen proposes.
The 2014 Passat could be the first Volkswagen to use the new kit architecture as its underpinning. The current B7 Passat is based on the PQ47 platform. The 8th generation Passat will cease using the PQ47 and will instead be built using the Volkswagen MQB (Modularer QuerBaukasten in German and Modular Transverse Matrix in English). The platform relocation is interesting as the MQB will underpin a gamut of VW family products including the next generation VW Polo, Skoda Laura, Audi A3 and the Seat Leon.
The all-new architecture will cover pretty much everything in Volkswagen’s future, right from the Polo till the Passat. The MQB kit cars will share the same engine, front axle and pedal box location. The beauty of this platform lies in its flexibility – it will allow cars of varying wheelbase, track and length to be formed on it.
Automobile blogs based out of Thailand, a hot market for Honda products, have started reporting on the Honda City mild makeover expected to debut by October. To ensure no misinterpretation – there will be no drastic redo on the exterior.
Subtle changes to the front fascia, tail lights, bumpers and wheels are obvious. A display that gives out real-time fuel consumption data is expected to make an appearance. Other relevant additions will be appreciated, but we’re puzzled about which ones will make the cut. Interior upholstery can upgraded and minor changes to the dashboard is another prediction.
Honda revealed a City concept car two years ago in Australia sporting LED lamps and new wheels (pictured). Inspiration for the City facelift should most likely come from there.
Honda has said that its compact diesel engine won’t be seen till 2013 so that pretty much puts an end to the powertrain debate. The existing 1.5-liter petrol mill that drums up 118PS will remain shoe-horned under the City’ hood.
What do you think Honda should do with the new City?
Constant developments are a part of Mercedes’s philosophy. The company works simultaneously on the future models on multiple products in its portfolio. Earlier we brought you a brochure scan of the Mercedes ML-Class and spyshots of it being tested in Germany. Now, we have its big daddy – the 7-seat 2012 GL-Class caught on cam at the Nürburgring.
The test mule is draped in a good amount of camouflage so details are hard to come by. But CarandDriver reports that the car will feature a rising beltline, blunt nose, larger windows, and a sloped stop light. The car is not expected to get any larger because it already quite a large vehicle only second to the R-Class MPV.
It is expected to be powered by the same 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6, which makes 210 hp and 400 lb-ft only the engine may get more fuel efficient. A hybrid also is likely down the road. The SUV is expected to debut early next year
Mercedes hasn’t been able to capture the fancy of the luxury SUV buyers in India. BMW and Audi still dominate this particular territory. Hopefully, with the all-new ML-Class and the GL-Class, Mercedes India will start climbing back to the top position.
Like Volkswagen, Skoda will bring out a city hatchback that will slot in below Fabia next year. Part of the VW-Skoda-Seat New Small Family, the mini Skoda will be a cosmetically different Up sporting interiors familiar to the other Skoda cars.
