Entry posted on November 17, 2011 by
Shrawan Raja;
Read More on Fiat
Speaking to IndianAutosBlog.com this evening, Fiat India said that the study for introducing Bravo in India showed that it isn’t a viable proposition. The Bravo could have been positioned between the Punto and Linea and was being looked at seriously. Fiat India has no plans of bringing the Bravo to the Indian market.
The official noted that Punto and Linea models with feature add-ons will be launched in New Delhi on the 3rd of January, 2012. Fiat will not take part in Auto Expo and this event is likely be hosted at a different venue.
The upgraded models should not be confused with the Punto Evo or the refreshed Punto shown at Frankfurt as Fiat has planned a somewhat India-specific operation. The official added that there are no changes to the body on the Model Year 2012 Punto and Linea vehicles. The powertrains are also likely to stay on.
The Toyota Fortuner facelift is caught testing again by our Bangalore based reader Farzand KS and his friend Binshad TP. Farzand and Bishand for the first time snapped a black test mule camouflaged heavily to hide what otherwise is a more aggressive front-end compared to its predecessor.
New headlamps, grille, bumper, tail lamp and wheels transform the Fortuner into a mini LC Prado. The marketing team should have scratched their heads to describe the mechanicals as there are no changes in that department.
The interiors sport a different color combination, blue backlight and repositioned steering buttons.
We’ve discussed the new Fortuner in detail on previous posts and published a video of a mule trying to flee from a YouTube user earlier this week. To complete the full line of offering, there is talk of a 4X2 version and an automatic transmission on this facelift. We’re waiting for more details, stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com.
The American media calls this vehicle as the next generation Nissan Altima, but rumor has it that the next generation Altima is the Teana successor in Asian markets.
From the front, the D-Segment sedan appears like a Sunny XL
Indian readers will easily connect with this clumsily clad test mule that looks like a Sunny XL with pulled back headlights, V-Shaped grille and swooping roofline. It competes with D Segment vehicles such as the Toyota Camry, Skoda Superb and Honda Accord.
The next generation Teana is likely to be seen for the first time in late 2013. Codenamed W42L, it could have minor cosmetic revisions to differentiate it from its American counterpart. Nissan replaced the long running Versa with the Sunny in America and sells the Micra as the March in Thailand and China.
Entry posted on November 17, 2011 by
Shrawan Raja;
Read More on Honda
Here’s a video Honda USA released at the showcasing of the 2012 CR-V yesterday in Los Angeles. The redesigned five-seat CR-V is equipped with a 2.4-liter i-VTEC engine generating 185hp and married to a 5-speed AT.
Honda has taken the wraps off the brand new CR-V. IAB readers will not be surprised in any way as we have covered this best selling SUV from Honda right from its testing phase. Honda, despite of the Thailand woes, has finally managed to unveil the CR-V at the Los Angeles Motor Show.
One case easily see the difference in the design language from the previous generations. Where the previous generations were a bit boxy, the 2012 CR-V is very aerodynamic with fluid lines flowing throughout the body.
The fourth gen CR-V has certainly raised its game and is more upmarket. As predicted earlier, the size of the CR-V has surely grown but it is still a 5 seater and not a much wanted 7 seater.
The new CR-V is built grounds up with totally fresh interior styling. On the inside, there are some really cool features such as:
Car designs were the forte of Italians. With their swooping lines, jaw dropping design and snaking body styles, the Italians conquered many hearts across the globe.
However, these days a lot of talent is showing by India in the design world. Remember Dilip Chabria made the first prototype of the gorgeous Aston Martin Vanquish. Renault has also set up its design studio in Mumbai which was responsible for the Pulse. Indian designers have played a hand in many globally acclaimed designs such as the Nissan 370Z.
Crowd-sourcing is the new deal and also the cheapest way to get fresh opinions. Volvo has joined the bandwagon to get opinions on what the future of the XC90 should look like. Volvo did not bring anything exciting to the LA Motor Show but they have released 4 different design direction of the XC90 that the company is contemplating on.
Volvo’s recent efforts of design have produced some astonishing results such as the S60, XC60 and the C30. The company has almost reinvented itself from the dodgy designs of the past. In order to keep the torch burning, the company has released four sketches of the XC90 representing the four different design direction.
Sure, they may look pretty similar from a hawk eye perspective but remember the devil is always in the details.
Our favorite design is the second one simply because it is something fresh that we have never seen before. Irrespective of the design, the new Volvo XC90 will be built on a Scalable Platform Architecture with a four-cylinder pot with a generous dollop of turbocharging. The company is also focusing on developing KERS technology for their future vehicles.
The new XC90 makes its debut in 2014 so pick your favorite now. Remember Volvo is listening!
Entry posted on November 16, 2011 by
Arjun Rajput;
Read More on Skoda
Skoda India finally fills the wide gap between the Fabia hatchback and the Laura with the Rapid. Prices start from a very aggressive 6.75 lakh with the petrol also available with automatic transmission. The launch was held in Delhi this afternoon and in this detailed post, we bring you details on how the event unfolded.
Skoda celebrates three occasions today – 1 – Launch of the Skoda Rapid 2 – Completion of 10 years of Skoda in India and 3 – Launch of the new logo and the tag line ‘SIMPLY CLEVER’ in India.
Talking about its history, Skoda reminds us at the start of the presentation that it was them who created the 10+ lakh rupee car segment in India with the Octavia. They were the first to launch a ‘super/premium-hatchback’ in India i.e the Fabia and have set the benchmark in the affordable luxury limousine segment with the Superb.
Here are some other details discussed at the conference today -
Speaking to IndianAutosBlog.com this evening, Fiat India said that the study for introducing Bravo in India showed that it isn’t a viable proposition. The Bravo could have been positioned between the Punto and Linea and was being looked at seriously. Fiat India has no plans of bringing the Bravo to the Indian market.
