Carronline is reporting that Ford will introduce the all-new Fiesta-based EcoSport (code – B515) in Brazil next year. The mini SUV is anticipated to join the Indian arsenal to attack the uncertain sedan customer who is looking for more style and space. The EcoSport has been spotted testing around the globe and IAB has had a close eye on its development. At the moment, Ford is testing the platform with a Fiesta hatchback body shell.
Sources tell us that the B515 will be a “coupeish SUV” and customers will love the driving position. Interior bits will come straight from the Fiesta and the exteriors will sport Kinetic design touches (inverted trapezoidal grille, pulled-back slim headlamps, pronounced shoulder line, emphasized wheel arches etc). Having said that, the B515 will be taller, meaner and bulkier Fiesta hatchback for less-aware customers.
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Crossovers have suddenly taken the market by storm. They provide the benefit of a raised ride height, ample boot space without compromising the driving dynamics of the vehicle. In India the BMW X1 has been well accepted though one car argue more for its price than the aforementioned benefits. BMW’s X6 has done well abroad and there were reports that a slightly smaller crossover is in the works.
German rival Audi is certainly betting big on them.
Just like the SUV range of BMW starts with ‘X’, for Audi, it starts with ‘Q’. We have seen the Q7, Q5 and the latest Q3. Now, rumor mill is churning news that Audi plans to fill all the gaps in the Q range.
First in line is the Q1 crossover which is a diminutive SUV either based on the A1 platform or the modular architecture planned for the next-generation A3. Plans are to rush this baby crossover in the showrooms by 2013. The Q1 could look like an Audi A1 on giant heels.
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Ever since Mercedes said it is studying the possibility of launching the new A and B Class models in India, we have set our eyes firm on their development. We have brought you many spyshots and renderings from the early development stages but many of them were camouflaged mules.
Now AutoBild has snapped up some un-camouflaged pics of the new B-Class being tested/shooting for promos. From the rear profile, the car shares a lot of its design from the current generation E class.
The new B Class will be a mini MPV and will share the front-wheel-drive architecture with the next gen A Class. Reports suggest there will be a choice of five petrol/gasoline engines and four diesels. The petrol engines will range in output from 109 PS to 204 PS and the more powerful diesels will send 122 PS to 204 PS to the front wheels.
Stay tuned as the story unfolds.
Was The Ultimate Driving Machine always your dream car? Did you always want to flaunt a BMW key in front of your friends but never had enough moolah to buy one? Well, there is some good news for you. BMW India has decided to enter the pre-owned car market from this September.
As the growth of Automobile Industry in India slows down, BMW India has decided to fuel their growth with pre-owned luxury cars.
Andreas Schaaf, BMW India President -
“There is a huge potential in pre-owned car market in India and its a very lucrative business for us. Therefore, BMW India is planning to set up its pre-owned car selling business in September this year. We are manufacturing and assembling BMW cars from 2007 and feel that we have enough opportunities to focus on this pre-owned car market”
The second hand car market is big business for auto manufacturers. Most of them even have dedicated channels to push pre-owned cars. Mercedes India has been selling pre-owned cars from its official showrooms since 2010. It was only about time BMW entered the fray. We are also sure that an announcement from Audi would be just around the corner.
Hyundai is busy at work on the HA small car expected towards the end of 2011. There is heavy demand for cars costing between 2.5-3.5 lakh rupees and the 800cc hatchback will honor that need. Dressed in heavy camouflage one is still able to understand where the design inspiration trickles in from. We can expect the HA to look like a cross between the i10 and the Santro. Fluidic sculpture design interpretation will be seen, but not heavily.
We predict that alternate fuels will catch Hyundai’s fancy as a diesel engine to power a car of this size is not available right now. LPG is a good idea due to its availability and popularity while CNG fuels will work well in select parts of the country.
Korean engineers worked closely with their Indian counterparts in Hyderabad for the last four years to develop the mini car. Production of the sub-i10 car could begin by the end of October at the Chennai plant (where the i10 is manufactured for the entire world) and prices may start as low as two lakh rupees for the basic model that lacks power steering, power windows and power locks. For the international markets, Hyundai can look at the 1-liter Kappa engine introduced recently on the European i10.
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After rumors of Nissan planning to bring the Infiniti brand to India, it was only time that Toyota announces the Lexus brand in India. India and China are two of the most lucrative markets for luxury cars right now. Most international brands are making a beeline to enter the Indian market as soon as possible. However, Lexus cars (being a luxury brand) will not sold from Toyota’s sales outlets. If the company brings the line of luxury sedans and SUVs, it will establish separate dealerships for retailing them.
During an interaction with Indian Autos Blog back in December 2009, a top TKM official said there was a plan in place to bring Lexus to India. He was however unwilling to commit on a time frame. Lexus vehicles are currently brought into the country by private importers.
Toyota India also has plans to introduce a Financial Subsidiary so that the customers can avail of loan facility easily. Called as Toyota Financial Services, this subsidiary will help boost Toyota’s auto sales in the future. Their market study is almost over, though a final decision on entry is still pending.
Ford India in a press release issued today evening noted that production of the new Fiesta has started at the Maraimalai Nagar complex near Chennai. Chennai is the sixth facility in the world to produce the new car after China, Germany, Spain, Mexico and Thailand.
The new Fiesta will come with a pair of 1.5-liter engines with class-leading fuel efficiency figures. It is expected to touch down at dealers during the course of July with manual transmissions. Ford India will not produce the hatchback at the moment and there is a strong possibility of it arriving in the next few years.
Features like voice activated climate and audio control, cruise control, ABS, EBD, height adjustable seat, electrically operated mirrors, fuel consumption indicator and remote key will be available on the top-end variant. Two petrol and two diesel variants are expected in the first phase followed by an automatic transmission variant next year.
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Necessity is the mother of all inventions. So when you feel the need for an Audi and have a few pennies in the bank, what do you do? You either work hard all your life, live in poverty and deposit your savings on an Audi. Or you go out an make yourself one.
A ready example is the car you see here. A Polish man who owns an 1986 Fiat Uno is an Audi aficionado. Like most of us he was cash-strapped, and could only dream of driving an expensive Audi. During one of those long and difficult nights, he thought why not build one using the existing car. He set out to construct the A3 on his old Fiat Uno, but we must say he’s ended up with something from a segment higher.
For some reason he’s placing it on sale for 7,900 Euros. Somebody tell him that if he manages to sell a few such replicas, he’d save enough money to buy a new Audi.
