Entry posted on October 31, 2011 by
Shrawan Raja;
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Sources recently told IndianAutosBlog.com that Tata Motors is unlikely to conduct the launch of the Safari Merlin in 2011.
From where it stands now, a debut or showcasing of the Safari replacement is not in the vicinity. Tata has the option of making a splash at the Auto Expo in January 2012, but showcasing the new model can lead to the death of sales of the existing Safari. Dealers loaded with stock will find the going tough if Tata opts to display the Merlin as customers will be tempted to wait for the new model before making a decision.
The source adds that Merlin is seen as the replacement to the current Safari hinting that the original may not stay on.
Barring any further delays, the launch of the Merlin is not expected to take beyond May-June 2012. Prices are touted to reside in the current zipcode as the XUV500 in the immediately higher segment with so many new features takes the game to a different level. The Merlin will hence be sandwiched between the Sumo Grande and the Aria.
Spyshot sent in by our regular reader Bhushan P from Pune.
The next generation Mercedes E-Class will shed about 350kg AutoBild.de has reported. Light weight is achieved by the substituting of carbon fiber in its body. Instead of steel or aluminium alloy, select parts of the car are made using this material, usually associated with supercars and F1 racing cars.
Expected during 2014-15, the thematic inspiration is likely to be the CLS Class. The carbon fiber brings along extra rigidity, leaving designers with more freedom. They could install gullwing doors as it allows the deletion of the B-Pillar from its structure. Given the E-Class is a business saloon, the upward opening doors options could be provided alongside the regular 4- and 2-door formats and is not expected to be a standard feature.
The Indian scene for the E-Class is bright and sunny with the cheaper E220 CDI preparing for a December debut. Mercedes has not stopped with the 4-door E-Class for the Indian market. It brought in the Coupe, Convertible and in December 2011 dives into the corporate edition pool to pump up the numbers.
For meeting strict emission standards in the coming years, Mercedes is planning fuel cell and petrol hybrid variants on the next gen E-Class. For a start, Mercedes has made the best possible move with the emission-friendly, light-weight carbon fiber structure that consumes less fuel during motion.
Image – Sketch of the current generation E-Class Coupe
The Toyota Fortuner facelift, shown at the Indonesian Motor Show earlier in the year reached dealerships in the SUV-loving country of Oman. The 2012 Fortuner is a cosmetic upgrade featuring chrome radiator grill, cylindrical-shaped projector lamp, rear license plate garnish and black wood grain paneling in the cabin.
The facelift provides Fortuner familiarity to other siblings in the SUV range. The Prado and Land Cruiser are also sold in India. Whether it is petrol or diesel, Toyota has not made changes to any mechanicals.
Three variants of the Fortuner are available with two petrol engines – 2.7-liter Premium, 4.0-liter Exclusive, and 4.0- liter Grand. The larger motor packs a V6 with 24 variably-operating valves. Both mills are mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission.
Toyota is yet to determine the extent of damage the Thai floods have caused to its vendors and production line. TKM imports kits for Fortuner from Thailand which then are assembled at the Bidadi plant in Karnataka. Will the floods delay the introduction of the facelift in India?
Disclaimer – Contents of this article are purely speculative and corresponding actual developments are cases of coincidence.
With diesel engines taking over every segment, Hyundai won’t be watching from the sidelines. General Motors was quick to bring in the diesel edition of the Beat giving them a head start in the A-Segment hatchback race. With a well planned pricing strategy and great fuel economy, it gave them better volumes.
Maruti Suzuki has reportedly said that they are waiting for the 1-liter diesel engine derived from the Punto’s Multi-jet. The tiny oil-burner is a great partner for the Wagon R and other recipients could be the Zen Estilo and the next generation mini car to challenge the Eon.
The message is clear – Diesel is the way forward and no manufacturer can overlook it. Marketing the savings of a petrol engine for the sparsely used mini car isn’t on their agenda anymore as rival companies have turned their focus on developing a micro-diesel to be future-ready. No one wants to be left out in this race. Consumers are demanding for diesel engine irrespective of the vehicle size or monthly running. Its better to offer the choice than to believe that demand will not rise.
International blogs report that the Peugeot 207 successor, the Peugeot 208, will touch down on November 2nd. Prices and variants are likely to be listed only during the Geneva Motor Show staging in March 2012. This week’s event could be a silent affair with photographs and text unloaded on the web.
Below is the teaser video mentioning the event date.
Peugeot is targeting no less than 500,000 units a year out of which nearly 30% is expected to be consumed by France. There is a saloon version of the vehicle on the cards as well, just like Nissan did with the Micra and the Sunny. The report on CarsUK states that the 208 will be shorter and lighter than the 207, but clever packaging liberates more interior room. This has also worked to lower fuel consumption. Peugeot was seen testing 3- and 5-door editions of the 207 around India this year.
Under the hood, Peugeot is following the Micra’s footsteps with a 3-pot petrol engine and a 90bhp e-Diesel engine. Peugeot has identified Gujarat as its production hub for the Indian market as well as exports to surrounding countries. The 208 is the likely candidate to roll out of this plant once construction is finished sometime in 2013.
Yesterday was quite a significant for the Indian automotive industry. Of course, we saw all Formula 1 cars did their qualifying lap for the first ever Indian GP. But something more interesting came our way from Renault.
Renault displayed a production version of their new small car for India in Noida and christened it ‘Pulse’. The reason why its significant is because this will be the first production car by Renault which was finalized in their design studio in Mumbai.
Renault was quite open about their strategy for the Indian market. They showcased the next 5 cars on their website which will be launched in India a long time ago. After the Fluence and the Koleos, it was time for a mass market hatchback to be launched in India.
Although the name ‘Pulse’ was rumored a long time back, no one had actually seen the car before. As internationally, Renault is known for its typical french, quirky design, we were quite excited to get the first glimpse of the Pulse.
So presenting to all our viewers, the first comprehensive set of pictures revealing all the finer details of the Renault PULSE.
Mismatch in product expectations coupled with a high price tag made sales hard to come by for the Tata Aria. Just when Tata decided to rectify their mistake by removing the AWD system and reducing the price, Mahindra launched XUV500 which moped up all the bookings.
Sticking to their philosophy that the ‘Aria is a premium product’, Tata Motors is working on an automatic variant for the Aria. According to Carwale, Tata motors is taking the help of JLR to develop their first auto box. Testing has already begun for this new automatic variant in India and in UK.
The new automatic box could be a 5 speed or a 6 speed box. It is the perfect feature to be introduced on the Aria because Mahindra is still long way from introducing an automatic variant of XUV500. Of course, the automatic variant of the Aria will more expensive than the top end 4X2 Aria but the important question is by how much?
So do you think an Automatic variant will breathe some life into the Aria’s sales?
Skoda India is gearing themselves for their next important launch in India. After launching the facelifted Skoda Fabia and Laura RS, Skoda will launch their Rapid sedan in India. So far we know that the Rapid is based on the VW’s Vento’s platform, powered by Vento’s 1.6L petrol and diesel engine, looks close to a Fabia with a boot and will feature automatic variants.
But new teaser revealed by Skoda emphasizes on the ‘driving’ aspect of the car. Now, Skoda has a long line up of awesome handling cars that are driver focused to the core. So let’s hope the Rapid sticks to the bloodline.
Sources recently told IndianAutosBlog.com that Tata Motors is unlikely to conduct the launch of the Safari Merlin in 2011.
