This is the second part of the most popular stories from last week in the world of automobiles. Click on the image to read the respective topics.
1. VW Polo facelift
Volkswagen India will launch the VW Polo facelift on the 15th of July. Exterior changes of the car are down to a few tweaks such as a chrome foglamp enclosure, headlamps with new reflectors, new alloy wheel design and revised rear bumper. The big change is under the bonnet of the diesel variants which come with a four-cylinder 1.2L motor, replacing the noisy three-cylinder engine.
2. Tata Bolt
The Tata Bolt was caught testing yet again before its launch in September. Revealed prior to the 2014 Auto Expo, the Bolt is the second lifeline for Tata Motors to redeem itself in what is a second year of collapsing sales. The Bolt is a totally reskinned Tata Vista with a fresh design language. The interior has been overhauled with a new human-machine interface. Under the hood, the car's petrol engine would be a new turbocharged 1.2L unit, while the diesel engine will remain the 1.3L Fiat mill.
3. Tata Revotron engine
Another product of Tata Motors that hit headlines last week was the Revotron engine. The 1.2L engine debuting in the Zest will be the first of a family of motors. While Tata Motors officials were not forthcoming on the displacement bandwidth, they confirmed that both cars and utility vehicles would be recipients of the turbocharged engines. Technology of a similar vein was also confirmed for diesel engines.
4. Fiat Punto AMT
The Fiat Punto facelift (European spec) with an AMT was introduced in the Indonesian market. The Fiat Dualogic gearbox pairs to the 88.7 bhp 1.4-liter engine, an option that is open to Indian customers as well. The Punto is a CBU in Indonesia, and for a price of INR 14.35 lakhs, it comes with cruise control, 7 airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP, Hill Start Assist, adaptive cornering lights, ambient interior lighting and power adjustable lumbar support for the driver seat.
5. Volvo XC90
Production of the current Volvo XC90 ceased at the Swedish factory last week. Volvo also announced that the successor to the 12-year old SUV, of which over 6 lakh units were made, would be the world's most powerful and efficient SUV. By using a combination of a turbocharger, supercharger and an electric motor mounted on the rear axle, the XC90 achieves an unheard of 400 bhp output for a CO2 emission of just 60 g/km.
