Here’s the new Touareg spotted in Delhi by reader Lakshay Mohan Gupta earlier this week.

The new Touareg is nothing new to IAB readers as right from April last year we’ve been talking about it. For some reason Volkswagen chose not to launch it at the Auto Expo. The price of the new model with the V6 diesel engine is expected to start just above 42 lakh rupees.

Our friends at many Volkswagen dealerships tell us that they’ve suggested the company to price the five-seat Touareg attractively as alternatives from other German SUVs have brand power that can’t be matched.

The CBU-route Touareg uses a 3-liter V6 turbodiesel engine that produces 240bhp/550Nm.

Volkswagen will launch the new Touareg very soon as select members from the media were recently invited to test the off-road capabilities of the vehicle.

2011 Volkswagen Touareg video from Delhi

Mahindra sells two versions of the Xylo, one for the personal segment and another for the commercial segment. The facelift has improved the car’s looks as it has cleared the clutter. The front-end looks orderly and some guidance has come from the commercial vehicle twin, Genio.

The launch of the new series is conducted tomorrow in Mumbai and as usual IAB, from ground zero, will bring you the prices and changes.

[Source - Facebook.com/groups/rehanandselvin]

The side profile is highlighted with new rub rails and blacked out pillars. The mildly tweaked tail lamp is the only addition we can notice on the rear. Except for the redesigned steering wheel, we’re not able to spot any differences in the cabin.

Details of the powertrain and whether Mahindra will plonk the 2.2L mHawk mill under the Xylo’s bonnet will be understood in under 48 hours. Stay tuned to IAB!

[Source - Team-BHP.com]

The Picanto, sometimes known as the Morning, shares its parts bin with the i10 but designers have executed the Picanto to look more lively.

As we’ve pointed out on previous occasions, there’s no Kia in India, so there is no place for a Picanto.

Hyundai will not rebadge this as the i10, as the next generation i10, expected to touch down next year, (codenamed BA) is assumed to be a different vehicle. Selling a Kia in a Hyundai dealership is not a wise idea and is a short-term solution. These cars look very similar and could cross-cannibalize their sales. There has to be a marked difference in the design, powertrain and features for them to coexist peacefully. Selling them under different roofs is the way forward.

These spy photos sent in by our Chennai readers Akshay Goyal and Naved Ahmed show the left-hand-drive Picanto near the Marina beach (World’s second longest beach) in Chennai. Will Kia consider the Indian market seriously as it expected to outgrow many developed markets in the next 15 years? VW-Skoda-Audi and Renault-Nissan are out to prove that badge engineering and platform sharing are not wrong strategies in India.

If Kia enters the Indian market, it can position itself as a premium brand over parent Hyundai. Kia has fascinating vehicles in its family and the best part is many of them share their underpinnings and powertrains with Hyundai. They may have to use Hyundai’s help to manufacture India-specific low-cost vehicles but their overseas models will garner plenty of admiration and fans in India.

Kia Picanto testing in Chennai

can’t see the slideshow above? Head over to the Flickr page hosting all the images.

The dashboards of these cars don’t differ, much like the Etios twins or the Swift twins. The Indigo Manza is perhaps the only vehicle in this segment to bear a different dashboard compared to its centrally-mounted dials its hatchback counterpart is endowed with.

At Pragati Maidan, the Sail hatchback’s display area was chained and hence one couldn’t get a close view of the interior. The Sails will at some point in 2011 replace the Aveos.

See hi res pictures of the Sail hatchback from the Auto Expo collection

The test mule has a driver side airbag so we conclude it is among the higher variants. It has a manual gearbox and power window switches are grouped between the front seats, a unique ergonomics strategy.

The interiors are dual tone, but there’s nothing exciting there. There are plenty of hard plastics and the features like steering-mounted controls, start-stop button and automatic climate control are missing.

After the launch of cars like the Beat and Cruze (on the newer 300 Series platform), that sport an unique design language, interiors that grab eyeballs and features that are smart, the Sonics should have followed them to present the similar experience to drivers in new segments.

As the Sails are based on an old platform and have a simple, uncontroversial design, the GM India’s lineup could be discontinuous and pulling in different directions.

Chevrolet Sail hatchback spyshot gallery

Can’t see the slideshow above? Head over to our Flickr page to see all images.

Showcased at the Auto Expo, the Tavera Neo3 is expected to launch in the next few weeks. It uses ICML’s “G-One” series engine that displaces two liters and pumps out 100PS of power. GM will continue offering the existing 2.5-liter engine on the Neo3 for customers in BS3 cities.

The Neo3 is going to be sold alongside the Wuling MPV. Either in late 2012 or early 2013, a smaller Wuling MPV (dubbed HongTu) joins the lineup as the third MPV.

See close-up images of Chevrolet Tavera Neo3 from the Auto Expo archive

The Neo3 features the Chevrolet bowtie on a larger twin-port grille. Clear lens headlamps, dual-tone body color on the highest variant, gold bumpers, beige and dark grey color combination on the interiors, soft-feel cashmere upholstery, ice blue dash illumination, perforated leather upholstery and seven captain seats are available.

General Motors says the high percentage of Neo3′s local content results in competitively priced spare parts.

Generally, Indian manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Force Motors et al do their winter testing in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. However, this Indian manufacturer has gone much further for winter testing.

The Mini Xylo has been in the pipeline for a long time now. Most specifications and interior shots have been widely discussed by IAB over the last two odd years. The Mini Xylo was supposed to debut at the 2012 Auto Expo in New Delhi. However, M&M chose to delay the launch by a few months.

Mahindra always wanted to launch its range of SUVs in US and Europe. Although US launch did not go as planned, yet the company is trying very hard to establish its foothold across the Atlantic.

When it comes to Europe, the latest launch of M&M – XUV500 is all set to enter the European markets by 2013. However, the hottest selling product in Europe right now is the Dacia Duster, a compact SUV around 10,000 GBP (7-8 lakhs). The Mini Xylo will be a lot cheaper than the Duster and will offer 2 extra seating. Has that thought crossed Mr Anand Mahindra’s mind?

[Source: Worldcarfans.com]

When the unsuspecting Mercedes crew are filming for the promos far away from the prying eyes of the bhp paparazzi, a cyclist with a video camera decided to advance the unveiling ceremony through a Youtube upload.

Mercedes Benz must be pissed.

Mercedes is introducing the 5-door hatchback before the sedan and the SUV bodystyles (all three could reach India in the next two years) according to our friends at CarScoop. The hatchback is a direct competitor to the likes of the Audi A3 (which is also moving to the next generation at the Geneva Motor Show next month) and the BMW’s new 1 Series introduced last year.

Designed around the Concept A-Class showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo last month, its fair to say Mercedes’ A-Class has edged out its rivals to take the crown of the most creative design in its crop.

[Source - CarScoop.blogspot.com]