One of the most awaited sedans in India, the Skoda Rapid is the best kept secret in the industry. Very little information is available about this car on the internet and hardly any automotive journos know what the outcome will be.
It all started with the Octavia – Skoda’s bread winner and brand sculptor in India. The Octavia established the Skoda’s presence in India and made way for other premium products such as the Laura (internationally the second generation Octavia) and Superb.
However, after the compulsion of BS4 norms in major Metros, the Skoda Octavia’s sales started dwindling in India. Fortunately, the Laura showed no such decline and continued to be the segment favorite.
With a lack of a replacement for the Octavia, Skoda decided not to refine the engine to BS4 norms and let the Octavia brand slowly and steadily die in India. This created a huge gap in the product portfolio of Skoda India because there was no Skoda car was present between the Fabia and the Laura.
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Our good friend Siddharth Vinayak Patankar of the highly popular Car and Bike Show on the NDTV network unwrapped the Chevrolet Beat diesel on last evening’s episode.
Siddharth gave readers the lowdown along with a brief comparison with the Ford Figo.
Details revealed during yesterday’s CnB show
- A 936cc 3cyl diesel engine producing 57bhp and 150Nm of torque is paired to a new 5-speed gearbox
- Turbo lag is less as the turbo is small and comes to optimum operating speed quickly
- Suspension is tuned for more comfort
- The cabin is more silent than the Figo’s
- Variants are the same and equipment hasn’t been discounted on any of them
- ARAI approved fuel efficiency figure is 24kmpl
- Steering system shifted from hydraulic to EPS
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A vitally important car for the European market, Toyota’s all-new Yaris has been launched in Europe. Ask me why this is on Indian Autos Blog and I’ll tell you that the sedan version of the Yaris is an interesting option for the Indian market. If you are new here you might want to read our earlier discussion the Yaris sedan’s chances in India.
Companies are taking up the C-Segment on war footing. We saw the Verna break cover in May. The Fiesta will be launched next month. Nissan’s Sunny will be released during the festive season followed by the Skoda Rapid in 2012.
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AutoWeek Netherlands has published an image of the new S-Class (learn why we call it the time machine) undergoing static (suspension?) tests in a lab. The flagship limousine (code – W222) is devoid of components except for the body panels and LED headlamps.
As it is a closed environment, testing was conducted in the absence of any camouflage. The new S-Class is expected in 2013 and real world testing is on in full swing.
The currently running S-Class was unveiled in 2005 and since then has received powertrains and variants. In India, the S-Class will receive upgraded engines this year.
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Goa On Wheels has carried photographs and details of the refreshed Premier Rio with beige interiors from a showroom. There’s no change to the mechanical setup, the 1.3-liter Multi-jet BS4 engine transplant has not yet taken place suggesting that a festive season or Auto Expo debut is likely.
Goa On Wheels states that the beige stimulates the interiors. The headliner is also bathed in beige giving the interiors an airy feel. Quality has been stepped up and the new gear knob looks snazzy. The interior quality is marginally better and the door panels are beige treated too.
Premier is working out plans for a new Rio. A cosmetically overhauled Rio is in the testing phase and the 1.3L Multi-jet motor will land up under its hood. This will make the Rio a silent, refined and more drivable vehicle. There are still no sports utility vehicles under 7 lakh rupees in India. The Rio continues to be this segment’s torchbearer.
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We’re used to calling the Duster as a Dacia SUV because Renault had not taken the effort to slap the silver diamond on the car.
That’s going to change as Renault officially has its own version of the Duster expected in the middle of 2012 here in India. Sources in Renault India noted that none of their products will bear Dacia logos even if they are products picked from the Romanian company’s model pool. The model you see here will be the car landing in India.
The Renault Duster will be officially launched at the Auto Show in Buenos Aires this month and differences are both to the exterior and interior. The car gets a completely new face soaked in chrome. South American customers will be able to order wheels painted gray. Interiors are constructed using improved material according to the car manufacturer. The center console has been redesigned is different to the model sold in Europe.
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Our friends at Polo Driver have reported on an interesting tuning package that is suitable for Volkswagen Vento owners in India. German tuner Oettinger has published details of its upgrade to the 1.6-liter TDI engine which in its standard form develop 104bhp. Once the package is installed, power is bumped to 124bhp.
Performance is improved lower down the rev range, with an additional 47Nm of torque. This takes the grand total to 297Nm (range of the Sumo Grande/Scorpio). The mountain of torque improves acceleration times as 0.6 seconds is shaved off in the 0-60mph sprint.
Oettinger isn’t a roadside mechanic shop who isn’t entirely certain of the nature of work. They’ve been in the tuning parts business for 50 years and they offer two years’ guarantee on engine, gearbox and drivetrain upgrades. The 1.6 TDI engine features on many VW Group vehicles in Europe (VW, SEAT, Skoda and Audi models) and it can be installed in any of them.
If you are looking to beef up your Vento with Oettinger’s product, be ready to shell out 1090 Euros (about 70k rupees). This of course is independent of the costs incurred in transporting your Vento to one of Oettinger’s 150 Performance Centers in Europe.
Sources in Renault India have told IAB that the Koleos SUV, expected during October, will not be priced below 20 lakh rupees. The company is looking to give India a category-breaker and market it as a premium vehicle playing substitutes for the Honda CR-V and BMW X1.
Fitted with every possible electronic gadget and safety will be given uttermost importance, IAB is told that Renault will offer almost the same comfort and safety features Europe gets. The Koleos is powered by a high displacement diesel engine (2.0-liter) producing about 150PS. Renault might offer both transmissions (6-speed manual and automatic) at launch.
In another development, the Korean version of the Koleos, Renault Samsung QM5 was spotted testing in Korea wearing camouflage to hide its reworked nose. The QM5 is a popular choice in Korea, but that isn’t the case in every market. The X-Trail based SUV was withdrawn from UK due to poor sales.
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One of the most awaited sedans in India, the Skoda Rapid is the best kept secret in the industry. Very little information is available about this car on the internet and hardly any automotive journos know what the outcome will be.
