BMW India will launch the X3 in the next 45 minutes in Pune but IndianAutosBlog.com already has the prices and details. The all India ex-showroom prices of the new X3 are
xDrive 20d – 41.2 lakh rupees
xDrive30d – 47.9 lakh rupees
Deliveries of the new X3 begins in September. A total of 8 colors are being offered with a choice of 5 colors for the leather, Brake regeneration technology, EPS, Start-Stop system and run flat tires.
BMW has not rejigged prices after seeing Audi come to the mid-30 lakh with a stripped down Q5, at least not during the launch. Over the next six months, BMW could drop prices by a few lakh rupees with a corporate edition variant.
BMW X3 Specifications
Stay tuned for more details from the launch.
The Germans are heating up the scene in the luxury car market. As the BMW India gets ready to launch the X3 tomorrow, ripples have already started spreading throughout the automotive scene.
Audi India has introduced a corporate edition of their Q5 (which will go head-to-head with the X3) to lower the entry point in the mid-size SUV market.
The Q5 was earlier available in 2 variants
• TFSI Quattro with a price tag of 44 lakh
• 3.0 TDI Quattro with a price tag of over 50 lakh
This Business Edition will start at an astonishing price of just Rs.3,513,000 (ex-showroom Maharashtra). For that price you get 17-inch alloy wheels, xenon-plus headlights including LED daytime running lights, leather and leatherette interiors with wood inlays and a multifunctional 4-spoke leather steering wheel.
It will have a 2.0 TDI Quattro with 170 PS mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission. The expected fuel economy is 12.80 km per litre.
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The Mitsubishi Outlander has been on sale for many years now. However, like any other Mitsubishi product, the Outlander has been over shadowed by other competing products. As a result, the Outlander barely manages to ship 50 units every month. So Mitsubishi has gone the Maruti way and has introduced a special edition of the Outlander called the ‘Chrome Edition’.
Unlike the name suggests, there is very little usage of chrome on the outside which is on the ORVM. The other changes to the exterior include a rear spoiler and some body protection mouldings.
On the inside, you get an illuminated and a roof mounted DVD player with screen. This pretty much sums up the Chrome Edition.
The Outlander is a very handsome looking SUV. The mean and aggressive face of the EVO suits very well to the SUV giving it a very distinct image. It looks and feels like a very premium product.
Considering it comes from Mitsubishi gene pool, it has decent off-roading skills as well. However, it has a serious flaw – It only comes in a petrol variant.
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In India, a three-door (passenger doors and boot door) car is not the best bet to penetrate the market. Indians are likely to travel with family members or friends at the back seat. When we have elders sitting at the rear, it becomes very difficult for them to get in and step out.
It is for this reason India has seen very few three-door models. We also have the strange habit of appointing chauffeurs even if our car is an A segment hatchback. If a door is provided for the driver and the owner is asked to squeeze into the back seat, you will end up with an angry man who might not return to buy another Volkswagen.
Volkswagen is planning to introduce the sub-Polo Up hatchback in India next year. Last year around the same time, they said they were internally discussing the Up. Since their partnership with Suzuki has not made headway, they will not rely on Suzuki platforms to design India-specific cars.
The Volkswagen Up will be seen for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show and soon after it will be followed by SEAT and Skoda editions. VW has previewed the three-door Up through high resolution pictures and SRK got cracking to add two extra doors and show a RHD image.
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Sources have told IndianAutosBlog.com that “work has already started” on Automatic Transmissions for cars “bigger than the Indica Vista.” While the market is not immediately ready for Automatic transmissions, gradually the demand for them will pickup. Here’s why -
- As more people take to cars, female drivers and elder citizens especially will find them convenient
- Traffic jams can be a less torturous experience behind the wheel of an AT variant
- People who see cars as white goods and not as a catalyst that provides a feast to the senses will find them worth considering
- AT technology is developing at a cheetah’s pace and fuel efficiency figures are drawing closer to manual
- Tata Motors can export the AT variants to UK and Europe where there is higher demand
While the source will not give us additional details, it is learnt that testing of the new gearbox could begin testing in 2012. The Indigo Manza could carry it first, but we’ll have to wait and see if Tata will provide it on the next generation Indica. This will be Tata’s first attempt to develop an Automatic gearbox for a passenger vehicle.
Tata is also said to be putting its vehicles through a diet program. Details are sketchy, but new materials and certain lighter mechanical components could lead to a significant weight loss. A lighter car accelerates faster, stops quicker, handles better and stretches the buck at the pump.
The passenger edition on the Force Trump platform was spotted testing by IndianAutosBlog.com in Pune today. To be marketed as the Trump Trip, the mini van will lock horns at bus stops with the Tata Ace Magic and Mahindra Maxximo mini van. Technical specifications are not clear at this point, but the powertrain is more or less going to produce the same output.
The Trump 15 is powered by a single cylinder 600 cc indirect injection diesel engine producing 14hp @ 3,400rpm and 37Nm @ 2000-2200 RPM. The Trump Trip is a very useful creation for society as it shares the burden of public transport. Due to budget and roadway constraints governments cannot have an endless fleet of buses to serve our saturated cities.
The Trump works out as a perfect share-taxi over short distances. From an engineering perspective, is safer than a three wheeler and as it has a roof. It does not expose passengers completely to the outside elements making it a more comfortable choice. The operator usually waits at every stop to pickup 6-8 people and transports them to the next stop.
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If you ask me what is new on the Indica Vista refresh, I can’t point out too many things. The idea is very simple however – the facelift provides Tata Motors a chance to iron out small niggles, add few features and remind customers that their entry is a worthy alternative to the Swift or the Etios Liva.
What’s changed at the front?
The front end has been transformed by the transplant of the Manza’s face. The triple barrel headlamp is new and in comes what Tata calls as “Chrome Pack” that adorns richness and premiumness to the Vista. For a car under 6 lakh rupees, the Vista has the highest chromed components.
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