The veil of camouflage is off the 2012 Honda CR-V. After being spied countless number of times on the road, Honda has finally revealed what’s been hiding behind the black covers. The 2012 Honda CR-V concept gives us full details of what the new SUV from Honda would look like. Yes, we know that this is not the production model, but Honda is known to put concepts in production without changing them one bit.
At the outset, it is clearly a huge departure from where Honda left. The new CR-V is certainly bigger than the older one. It is certainly more aggressive than the previous generation with new sharper headlamps and a brand new grill. The headlamps remind of us previous Accord with double barrel projectors. You also get a skid plates in the front and roof rails on top to make it look more outdoorsy.
Instead of the previous generation boxy design, Honda has opted for a more fluidic and aerodynamic approach. Hopefully they have managed to reduce the drag quotient which should result is better fuel economy. Two sharp lines on the side indicate that Honda is really trying to show its designing finesse.
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As you read this post (first on IndianAutosBlog.com), GM India is announcing prices of the Beat diesel simultaneously in Mumbai and Delhi.
Chevrolet Beat diesel price (ex-showroom New Delhi) -
PS – 4.29 lakh
LS – 4.59 lakh
LT – 4.99 lakh
LT optional (ABS, Airbags and Alloys) – 5.45 lakh
The Chevrolet Beat diesel is powered by a 1-liter XSDE SMARTECH diesel engine equipped with a fixed geometry turbocharger, vacuum operated wastegate and insta torque boost technology. This is the smallest diesel engine in the world in mass production with a service interval of 15k kilometers. It produces 62.5PS/liter of power, 160.26Nm/liter of torque and returns a mileage of 24kmpl (iCAT approved).
Other features of the Beat diesel include Pro-Vario Assist Featherlite Electronic Power Steering which provides variable assistance above 40kmph. The Beat diesel is further equipped with a gas charged, rebound tuned suspension specially for Indian driving conditions, Intelligent launch support system which helps in launching in inclined surfaces, SMART engine and clutch protection mode which increases fuel efficiency and clutch wear.
The diesel Beat is offered in three variants PS, LS and LT. The LT trim is fully loaded but ABS, Airbags and Alloy wheels are optional.
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Mahindra has introduced a special edition Xylo called the Celebration II available in a pearl white color along with a special Xylo corporate Advantage scheme providing buyers with special discounts and personalization services. There have been a few special edition models in the past to remind buyers of the slightly old Xylo.
Apart from the new color the Xylo special edition gets
New Badges and graphics
Blue Vision Headlamps
Ski Racks
Blacked out B and C pillars
Italian leather seat covers, steering and gear knob
The accessories and special color gives the Xylo a face wash till a proper facelift bows in next year.
A research project initiated by CISR (Center for Information Systems Research) and MoES (Ministry of Earth Sciences) along with nine other institutions including CSMCRI, IIT-Kharagpur, IICT-Hyderabad, NIOT- Chennai and NIO Goa is the Chevrolet Tavera that can run on 20% BioDiesel blend made from marine micro algae. The Biodiesel was extracted and prepared using layers of micro algae found naturally growing in the Western coast of India discovered by the [ Read More ]
To this day, I can still hear the gentle spool of the Volvo S60 that we drove quite a while back. Sadly, Volvo India is not doing that great in the Indian market. The three Germans have literally gobbled up the Indian Luxury market, leaving the Swedish company with very little customers.
A very important reason why the German are leading is because of their ‘Executive’ versions of the products. Executive means the same cars in terms of engines and other technical specifications but stripped off their luxury features. This is totally a volumes game where numbers matter the most.
Volvo, till now, did not have executive versions of any of their car. All of them were fully loaded and thus had a higher price tag which made them a bit uncompetitive. But all of that is about to change.
The company reportedly has plans to launch stripped-down variants of some of its models to boost sales.
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The Indonesian Motor Show is turning out to be very important from the Indian perspective. You must have seen the spy shots of the new Toyota Innova that we brought you earlier this year. Now, Toyota Indonesia has finally unveiled the new Innova and there are a few important upgrades to talk about.
The exterior is not massively changed but some major tweaks to the headlamps and the front grill gives it a very fresh look. From head on, it reminds you of the old corolla Altis with broader headlamps. The tail lamps have been tweaked as well with the new Innova having three sections instead of the current two.
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August 17 will be quite a busy day for IAB. First, the mighty Maruti Suzuki Swift will embrace us and will try to redefine the hatchback segment. Now, VW India will also flex its muscle and will try to redefine the C+ segment by launching the VW Jetta.
IAB readers have caught the VW Jetta totally undisguised doing its testing rounds. So clearly there is no surprise when it comes to the exterior styling. It is exactly the same as the European Jetta. It is sort of like a VW Vento that has hit the gym and is now totally pumped up!
The new Jetta will be the sixth generation model based on a much larger platform than the old Jetta to liberate more space at the back. The car is partly based on the PQ35 platform which is the basis of many VW, Skoda and Audi cars.
The new Jetta will be powered by a 2 liter TDI mill that produces 140 bhp of max power. This is the same engine from the Skoda Laura and is quite well accepted for its performance, mileage and reliability.
VW India will launch it with a DSG gearbox and a 6 speed manual as well. Unlike the Passat which was launched only with a diesel engine, a turbocharged petrol engine will be available on the new Jetta.
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So August 17 will be the judgment day for Maruti Suzuki India as it will launch the most eagerly awaited hatchback of 2011 – The new Swift. Once again, MSIL will try to re-write the rules of the hatchback market. The good news is that the company is is leaving no stones unturned before the D day. To make sure there are no supply constraints, the company plans to expand the capacity to 17.5 lakh units in the next two years.
Supply constraints are the ugly side of business. The demand exists, people are willing to shell out dough, profits just waiting to be made, but sadly the manufacturer can’t make enough cars. No manufacturer wants to see this ugly side but many of them unfortunately do.
Toyota India burnt their hands big time due to supply constraint when they launched Etios sedan in the market. The waiting list almost extended to 9 – 11 months. Of course, no human being can wait for a car for that long and Toyota India started seeing booking cancellations. Supply constraints can cause trouble and damage.
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At the outset, it is clearly a huge departure from where Honda left. The new CR-V is certainly bigger than the older one. It is certainly more aggressive than the previous generation with new sharper headlamps and a brand new grill. The headlamps remind of us previous Accord with double barrel projectors. You also get a skid plates in the front and roof rails on top to make it look more outdoorsy.
