A day after we broke the story on the new Sumo Gold confirmations arrive in the form of spyshots. Here we able to spot the cosmetic differences between the Victa (right) and the Gold (left). The chrome band on the hood, the Gold nameplate on the left hand side of the rear door are prominent along with GX trim. Like the Grande, the Sumo Gold is adorned with beige and yellow trimmings on the bodywork.
The 3-liter-CR4-powered Sumo Gold is of paramount importance for Tata Motors if it has to claw back to a better position as the Bolero’s outright domination in the UV segment has hurt them badly. Likewise GM India is also working on an upgraded Tavera for a late 2011 launch, sporting the 2-liter diesel engine sourced from ICML (Rhino) complying to BS4 emission norms.
General Motors is also testing SAIC vans that it will use next year to reach a respectable position in the LCV/UV market which is attracting so many new players.
The Skoda Rapid was unveiled on the 8th anniversary special broadcast of the NDTV Car and Bike Show. On this special occasion, our very own Auto Editor of NDTV Siddharth Vinayak Patankar remarked -
We began in October 2003, with the honest intention to present the best from the world of automobiles to our viewers – and I mean the whole world. I am happy that the original intent remains intact, and we have been able to build on that foundation to challenge our own boundaries and continue to excite our faithful audience.
Skoda chose to exclusively debut the C Segment Rapid on CNB as a birthday gift to Siddharth and his team. Moreover, CNB is one of the most watched automotive shows in India and hence is an excellent platform for the Rapid. Of late Siddharth has been riding on a slew of exclusives. A notable example was the first drive experience of the Beat diesel which influenced buying decisions of many IAB readers too after we directed so many of our readers to the NDTV video page.
However Siddharth’s show hasn’t been true to its name. Besides cars and bikes, he was seen describing the Tata Prima’s drive quality and in recent episode compared the Ashok Leyland Dost mini truck with rivals!
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Before you make your judgment, let me clear the air. Yes, the image is of a Mercedes Viano (also called as the V Class). For those who are in the dark, the Mercedes Viano is a 5 door van sold by Mercedes in international markets. It is available in six or seven seater combinations but can also be extended to eight seats. It is available in petrol and diesel engines with a manual or automatic gearbox.
The interesting part is that Mercedes India has no plans to launch the Viano in India as they believe that it may adversely impact the brand. So then why is this Viano being tested in India and more importantly why are the badges covered?
Could this be the Force MPV which is due next year?
If you would remember correctly, we brought you a story on Force Motors product plan till 2013. In that plan, Force Motors has reportedly made it clear that once it has the dealership network in place, it plans to launch an 8 seater MPV. Before the launch of the Force One, the company had inked a pact with Mercedes to procure engine and the platform for this MPV. All hints are pointing at the Mercedes Viano.
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Prices for the Volkswagen Up! have been announced in the UK and they start from £7,995 which is approximately 6 lac INR. We must note that even the entry level variant is loaded with many features and the standard equipment includes body colored bumpers, day-time running lights, CD player and 14 inch steel wheels. ABS and Airbags are standard features across the range.
It is powered by a 60PS 1.0 liter petrol engine connected to a five speed transmission.
At £8,970 the Move variant features central locking, air-con and power windows. Start Stop system is optional at an additional £360 combined with which the car can run 23 kmpl of petrol.
Above these is the High edition which boasts of a more powerful 75PS 1.0-liter engine and heated front seats, leather wrapped steering, infotainment system and 15 inch alloy wheels.
There are two special editions called the Black and White both based on the High trim featuring chrome mirror caps, unique seat upholstery and 16 inch alloy wheels.
Deliveries in the UK will begin around November-December 2011.
If you’re not avidly following every step the Top Gear UK team is taking in India we must inform you that the trio, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May with their camera crew have covered Mumbai-Jaipur and arrived in the capital, New Delhi a few days ago!
IAB captures them beautifully for you.
The trio is driving an old (but oh-so-beautiful) Jaguar, an old Mini Cooper and an old Rolls Royce. This indicates that the Christmas special will have a vintage touch in relation with India.
On the funny side, which is so obvious with Top Gear, we see the cars carrying musical instruments over them and a lot of Indianization like flower garlands, clay elephants, tricolor stickers and amazingly the Spirit of Ecstasy on the Rolls Royce has been replaced by an idol of Lord Ganesha!
Along with the 3 cars we also spotted an old Austin Allegro 1300 Super. Mark it as this could just be some sort of surprise on the show!
click through for photos that you’ll give an arm for !
Tata Motors has launched the Manza sedan and the Prima commercial vehicle range for the South African market at the ongoing Johannesburg International Motor Show 2011. Tata has also displayed a barrage of other products laden with new technology.
Tata says that both products have been launched understanding the South African customers and the company aims at having a larger impact in that market in the coming years. South Africa is among the top priority markets for Tata Motors.
According to the official website, Tata Motors South Africa sells the B-Line (original Indica), Indica, Indica Ego (Vista) and the Indigo.
Among the large number of commercial vehicles and buses on display, Indian readers can connect well with the Tata Xenon CNG. The unavailability of CNG could be the road block for the small-volume Xenon in India. There is a much bigger market for the Xenon in South Africa and SAARC countries.
Both the Prima and the Manza have been testing completely in South Africa before the introduction. The Manza will be available at the Tata showrooms in S.A from the beginning of 2012.
IndianAutosBlog.com fan Pankaj Purohit imagined a crossover on the Swift platform. He translated his thoughts into an image with the help of an image editor and mailed us the final drawing.
Suzuki is working on a sedan on the Swift platform (dubbed Swift 3.99) that will replace the Dzire next year. Post the Swift 3.99 project, will they dare to think of something off-beat such as Pankaj’s creation to challenge the likes of the Renault Duster and Ford’s next generation EcoSport?
Our hunch is by retaining chunks of the Swift’s design, customers will need no introduction to the new derivative. The car can come under the Swift umbrella and that’s the best present any Suzuki product can dream of in India.
Suzuki is not new to the idea of crossovers. It sells a crossover version of the bigger SX4 in the US and around Europe. Maruti Suzuki flew down an example and showcased it at the Auto Expo last year to see what India has to say.
Suzuki does not have a bigger diesel engine, and that’s the minus point they need to address. The Volkswagen-Suzuki relationship has turned sour forcing Suzuki to look up to Fiat for filling this void. The 1.6-liter Multi-jet engine is a great idea for the Swift crossover and Maruti can place it besides the SX4 sedan.
What do you think about Pankaj’s idea?
Peugeot’s rigorous testing program for the 207 carries on as IAB reader Sujit found out while driving in Pune. The 3-door version is not a good idea for India as attendance is mostly full in the rear seats of Indian car owners.
We like to travel with our relatives and many of us are part of joint families. Providing them a makeshift entrance by liberating space between the B-Pillar and a reclined seat is not the best way to welcome them into their newest family member. Further, many Indians appoint chauffeurs or pass on driving responsibilities to younger members in the family. In this case, the aged person experience difficulty in settling down at the back.
Peugeot is in the process of building the Gujarat production facility and as there is no plan for a joint production facility to roll the cars out of, the mini Peugeots will not hit the Indian roads till 2013.
