For decades the Indian Government was the sole source of assurance for sales of Ambys was the government. All senior and junior politicians were ferried around in the white Ambassador cars.
The good old Ambys are now being replaced by SX4, Accent and Superb. They are modern, offer better comfort and come with more prestige. They are sophisticated and make a statement. HM is being deserted, but it plans to make a comeback with two new products.
IndianAutosBlog.com has just learned that HM is planning to introduce the sub-4 meter variant in the next 6 months.
The comfortable and spacious interiors, retro looks (read details here) paired with a common-rail diesel engine will bring the Amby on par with some of its advanced classmates. A Pune based design studio is tasked with inserting a sense of style into the Ambassador’s primitive layouts.
click through to read more
IndianAutosBlog.com reader Tarun Samuel emailed this snap of the Hyundai HA test mule caught near the Hyundai factory in Sriperumbudur near Chennai. Instantly noticeable from the image is the Santro outside mirror.
The body panels and fitments appear to have been redesigned completely. The Hyundai HA will not be a stranger in its own home. Despite its rock-bottom price, she follows the Fluidic Sculpture design ideology.
We’ve shown you another test mule from near Pune where the mule sported hub caps. Hyundai HA is a junior i10 with a whiff of Santro in it ready to pounce on the Maruti Alto this Diwali.
We’ve already brought you some of the features expected on the Hyundai HA in a previous post -
We are sure you must have heard about the recent 1.75 lakh rupees discount on the Honda Jazz. Turns out, it was a stock clearance sale because Honda is launching a facelift model of the premium hatchback Jazz on August 18. So what’s in store for the new Jazz you ask?
The Jazz facelift will sport new headlight and taillight design, new black front grille, new bonnet and front bumpers. The interiors will see a change of dashboard colors along with some chrome rings on AC vents. Overall, it is not a major departure from the current Jazz but a mid life facelift.
The engine will be the same 1.2-liter i-VTEC unit churning out 90 PS but it will be tuned to give better fuel economy. There are rumors that Honda India has localized quite a few components for the new Jazz. So expect the prices to be rationalized.
An anonymous IndianAutosBlog.com reader has tipped us on the variants and features of the Jazz facelift.
Honda Jazz facelift colors – Black, white, silver, rallye red and urban titanium metallic.
click through for images
IndianAutosBlog.com reader Jishnu sent in snaps of the Etios Liva diesel and Etios diesel emitting small puffs of black smoke while being testing in Bangalore. The mules were spotted testing in JP Nagar 7th phase with the same body panels, interiors and front end.
Jishnu’s spotting confirms that, except for the addition of a badge, everything will be similar compared to the petrol Etioses.
Unlike the petrol, the diesel engines under both the bonnets will displace the same capacity. A 1.4-liter turbo CRDI engine will drive the wheels returning in excess of 21kmpl in the ARAI mileage tests. It will be mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.
click through for a bouquet of Etios diesel and Etios Liva diesel spy pics
If you liked the smaller Evoque, you are in for a treat. According to sources, the new Range Rover will be heavily influenced by the design language of the Evoque. The next generation of the Range Rover will be the fifth generation and is expected to be a major departure from the earlier models.
For starters, the new Range rover will be based on the modified version of the Jaguar XJ platform (the S-Class challenger) which will be optimized for off-roading. This specific test mule was spotted doing its hot weather testing and provides a glimpse on what can we expect from the new Range Rover.
As you can see, the new Range Rover will have a more the receding roof-line and a raked windshield than the current model. This is a clear evidence of the Evoque based styling.
Land Rover is also expected to make the new Range Rover lighter than the current model to increase performance and more importantly to boost fuel economy. In order to do that, the company is expected make use of more aluminum in its construction.
The engine options will also get minor upgrades. The company is expected to produce 2 hybrid options – one petrol and one diesel.
The new Range Rover could make its debut in late 2012 or early 2013.
More news has started flowing in on the 2014 Audi A4. Just to bring everyone up to pace – Audi is presently testing an Audi A4 facelift. The idea is to bring it on par with the current generation Audi A6 and A8 in terms of design and performance.
But the car we’re dealing with in this news update (rendered below) is the next generation model that will succeed the A4 facelift.
According to AutoBild Germany the 2014 Audi A4 will be based on the MLB Evo platform. It will be 120 to 150 kg lighter than the current generation model. At the same time, it will be much bigger than the current generation A4 because the new model will have to compete against the new BMW 3 series which has grown bigger than the current model.
It will definitely have both petrol and diesel variants. Although no definite information is available on the engine options, Autobild is predicting that the Petrols will have power ranging from 150 to 350 PS and the diesels will have 150 to 300 PS.
To please the green party, both engine options will be fitted with stop/start system, brake energy regeneration and a thermal energy recovery system.
click through to read more
There are a lot of cars in the market that are jack of all trades, but very few have a distinct selling point. One such car is the Ford Fiesta which a by-word for driver’s car.
The old Fiesta wasn’t really the king of its segment but if you have a wheelman in you, it was pretty much the obvious choice.
The old Fiesta got down-segmented but still retained its DNA. But now, there is a new boy in town flashing the Fiesta badge. We have covered the global Fiesta right from its testing phase, to the deep dive experience and the launch. But is it any good to drive?
Let’s find out:
click through to read more
Hyundai brought the Santa Fe to India last year in October to resurrect their dreams to capture the SUV market. The earlier failed attempts of Tucson and Terracan had mired the Hyundai brand quite badly in the SUV market. Hyundai tried to pay it safe by not manufacturing the Santa Fe but by bringing it through the CBU route. Given the heavy baggage the CBU route brought along, Hyundai managed to garner plenty of orders.
Hyundai has already started testing the new Santa Fe (supposedly rebranded ix45). The new Santa Fe will be the third generation model as the second generation was launched 4 years ago. We already have presented two stories of the Santa Fe undergoing testing.
This time, its Autoblog.it who have clicked the Santa Fe undergoing hot weather testing. If you check the design of the new head lamps, it has a distinct Fluidic design which is Hyundai’s new design philosophy. The new fluidic design will make it look more dynamic and stylish.
Reports have suggested that the New Santa Fe will sport a 2.0-liter engine hooked up to a manual transmission. The interior will sports a double binnacle design for the instrument panel.
We expect to see the new Santa Fe model making its debut next year. Hopefully, Hyundai will simultaneously launch it in India and try doing another Fluidic Verna.
