The Mitsubishi Montero (known as the Pajero internationally) is receiving minor upgrades in Australia. Called the Pajero RX it will be a limited edition restricted to just 1,200 units.
It is a tradition by Mitsubishi to bring out a RX every year to keep the Pajero brand fresh.
Mitsubishi says the new limited edition will offer the car’s already proven off road capabilities with a few touches in a hope that customers will feel special.
The Montero/Pajero RX offers the following equipment over the regular RX -
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Another spy shot of the new Fortuner has been leaked on the internet revealing new details. The rear will have Fortuner embossed on the chrome face plate right above the number plate similar to the Maruti Wagon R K10 and V-shaped tail lamps will also feature.
The changes on the new Fortuner will purely be cosmetic, according to sources.
We have already shown you the front view of the refreshed model that mimics the bigger Prado and Land Cruiser with the chrome grille and 3D headlamps.
TKM’s management told Indian Autos Blog that there were no immediate plans for Fortuner facelift as the product is doing well. One has to be very optimistic to see the facelift arriving in India this year. The festive season is a great time to pull out the new model, but given that Fortuner still demands a waiting period means Toyota can take its time in deciding the launch time frame.
An Auto Expo entry is another possibility as the playing field will be crowded with Honda CR-V, Renault Koleos, Audi Q3 and new Chevrolet Captiva within the next 12 months.
What do you think has to improve on the new Fortuner?
What you are seeing here is the refreshed previous generation Ford Ka Latin America gets this year. The current generation KA is a completely different car. It is built on the Fiat 500 platform and is manufactured by Fiat in Poland with different body panels, improved suspension and mildly different interiors. Both should not be confused.
The Latin America KA you see here is only available in 3-door and we don’t know if rear doors, mandatory for any segment in India, can be provided without making overhauls to the body structure. Even compact hatchbacks in India are chauffeur driven in India and what’s worse than selling a car that has a door only for the driver. Many Indians travel with relatives in the rear seat. These are elders who might find it severely uncomfortable to squeeze between the driver seat and B-Pillar during ingress.
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Manager Magazine has reported that an affordable car for China, India and Brazil next year will be based on the Up! series and cost 6,000 Euros (3.83 lakh rupees). As the debut of the Lupo (hatchback of the Up! series) nears, speculation is rife about it arriving here in 2012 with a 800cc petrol engine and 1.2-liter diesel engine.
IAB readers will know that VW has dropped plans to sell rebadged Marutis in India and the new small car will have the “Volkswagen” name in block letters at the rear similar to the Polo and Vento. The Lupo will be seen for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September this year. A number of models are planned on the Up! platform and the possibility of a car under the Polo is exciting news to VW fanboys.
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The Nissan Micra is a sales success for the Japanese company which was questioned for shifting the production site and making markedly different design changed during its introduction last year in March as the Nissan March in Thailand.
Nissan has been making the Micra/March ever since 1982 in convertible, sedan and hatchback forms. The latest model was introduced in India last year with a 3cyl petrol engine followed by the highly fuel efficient, no-turbo lag 1.5-liter diesel variant which we felt was the best city hatch in India for someone starting a family.
Nissan announced that by the end of May 2011, it had made 6 million units of the fourth generation Micra (codenamed K13) globally. The Micra is produced in India, Thailand, China and Mexico and sold in over 70 countries.
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Honda America has gone public with the 2012 CR-V after the official website has a section requesting you to signup to receive updates on the soon to be launched crossover.
Here’s what the website says -
With a new design—both inside and out, new features and new possibilities, the 2012 CR-V will set a new standard for the class. As a top-selling crossover for over five years, expectations for the 2012 CR-V are high and we’re confident they will not only be met, but exceeded. Much more will be revealed over the next several months so be sure to sign up on this page to receive updates.
The new CR-V is a crucial model for Honda in India as the 20-30 lakh rupee crossover/SUV space is prone to a lot of tussling. The Chevrolet Captiva, BMW X1, Toyota Fortuner and the Renault Koleos are very desirable cars and feature-packed and stylish enough to take away limelight away from the Honda. The lack of a diesel engine is hurting its sales in India. In America however this won’t matter as the market share of diesel cars is not considerable.
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Renault aired a couple of images of the Duster which we featured earlier in the week from Buenos Aires Motor Show at the Delhi press conference on Tuesday.
Like IAB suspected, the same model, customized and tweaked for India, will be locally manufactured and introduced in the second half of 2012. The Duster will be manufactured alongside Nissan products at Renault Nissan alliance’ Oragadam plant near Chennai. Renault officials mentioned that the Duster was a huge success in Europe and one could buy two Dusters for the price of one VW Tiguan. The updated Duster will also be sold in Brazil and Mexico this year.
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The current BMW 7 Series or F01 that you see running down the Indian streets was actually launched in 2009 and since then hasn’t been touched one bit. Over the course of time, Audi and Jaguar have launched their brand new flagship sedans which have definitely garnered good attention in the market. Mercedes is also testing its new S Class for about a year now for an introduction next year.
So it was about time BMW designers showed some love to the long forgotten 7 Series. After about 3 years of duty internationally, BMW will give the 7 Series a mild facelift. Carscoop caught an early prototype of the BMW 7 series being tested with some mild camouflage in Germany.
Judging by the pics, one can easily figure out that there will be minor changes to the front – nothing too stark. A few LEDs strips on the headlamps and a revised rear bumper can be easily seen. The test car also has newly designed set of exterior mirrors that house the turn signals. This test mule is the hybrid version of the 7 series because it had ‘Active Hybrid’ badges all over it. The same facelift will apply to the petrol and oil burning variants.
The official debut will take place sometime later in the year and the deliveries should start next year. We expect BMW to assemble the 7 Series, currently shipped as a built product from Germany, in Chennai later this year or early in 2012.
The Mitsubishi Montero (known as the Pajero internationally) is receiving minor upgrades in Australia. Called the Pajero RX it will be a limited edition restricted to just 1,200 units.
