Audi Testing A8 Facelift In Peak Mumbai Traffic

Audi is extensively testing the A8 facelift and the vehicle has already been spied multiple times overseas. The upcoming A8 model is now doing its test rounds in Mumbai and it’s not just the outskirts but even peak Mumbai traffic where this camouflaged test mule is raking in the miles. With Mumbai roads being at their worst in the monsoon season, there is no better place to test the ride quality of any vehicle. Audi seems to have found the very right place to fine tune its Mercedes S-Class rival.

The 2014 Audi A8 facelift debuts online on the 21st of August and the German automaker will also unveil the S8 at the same time. The public debut will take place at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. The updated Audi A8 features a host of cosmetic changes with the biggest being the new Matrix headlights. These lights have 25 individual diodes and a camera monitors what’s ahead, thereby turning off a few LEDs to prevent blinding effect on oncoming traffic and warning pedestrian in case they are coming too close to the vehicle.

Think of the Matrix headlights as intelligent lights you never have to touch as they automatically dip and light up according to the situation. Sadly though, Audi won’t be able to sell the A8 with these lights in the US due to a 1968 regulation wherein both low and high beam lights should be provided in a car. The 2014 Audi A8 has self adjusting lights. The 2014 Mercedes S-Class also does away with bulbs and uses an all LED setup with each headlight having 56 LEDs.

Other changes to the updated Audi A8 include revised bumpers, hood and boot along with minor updates to the interiors to boost the luxury feel even further. The same set of powerful engines will continue to power Audi’s flagship vehicle with minor revisions for increased performance and reduced emissions and fuel consumption. The updated Audi A8 will go on sale in India early next year. It will continue to be brought in via the CBU route even though Mercedes-Benz and BMW are locally assembling the S-Class and 7-Series in India respectively. The battle between the updated Audi A8 and all new Mercedes S-Class will be interesting, as the latter has taken the game several notches higher.

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2014 Hyundai Elantra Facelift Unveiled

Hyundai has officially unveiled the 2014 Elantra facelift in South Korea. The company started teasing the updated model a few weeks back and many test mules were spotted in the country as well. Known as the Avante in Hyundai’s home market, the updated Elantra measures 4550 mm in length due to an increase of 5 mm in the front bumper and 15 mm in the rear bumper. Hyundai has made changes to the front and rear bumpers, radiator grille, fog lamps and alloy wheels. The headlights now get daytime running lights with projectors. LEDs are used for the DRLs and rear tail lights.

Hyundai has made changes to the interiors as well and the updated Elantra now gets a raised centre arm rest and upwardly re-positioned centre AC vent. The company has given the rear seat air vents along with ventilation function. The infotainment screen is a 3.5-inch OLED unit and Smart Parking Assist System (SPAS) has been added along with flex steer. These changes although minor, will freshen up the vehicle, which is one of the best selling cars for Hyundai in many markets.

Hyundai has given the 2014 Elantra the 1.6-litre diesel engine with stop/go system which produces 126 BHP of power and 279 Nm of torque. It is mated to both manual and automatic transmission, which are 6-speed units. In India, Hyundai is unlikely to touch the engines and the 1.6-litre diesel and 1.8-litre petrol will continue to deliver a good mix of performance and economy. Hyundai will launch the updated Elantra in the Indian market early next year. The Hyundai Elantra is selling well for the company, having recorded a respectable 437 units last month.

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Next Generation Ford Endeavour Concept Leaked

The concept version of the next generation Ford Endeavour, known as Everest in the international market has been leaked. The leaked images of the concept showcase the new design philosophy of Ford, which is neatly executed on the upcoming SUV. The new Endeavour is already being tested in some parts of the globe and is expected to show up at the upcoming 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show in concept guise. The Ford Endeavour is currently in its second generation, which needs a makeover, as the competition is getting stiff.

The Ford Endeavour is based on the Ranger pickup’s ladder frame chassis. From the looks of the new concept, the overall design language has changed drastically. The front end is dominated by a large sliver finished grille, which looks very EcoSport like. The aggressive looking angular headlamps are connected neatly to the grille. On the chin, it gets a broad scuff plate, which also acts as an extended fog lamps housing. On the side, it gets a fender vent for a sporty touch and brawny wheel arches connected with a meaty crease line.

At the back, the Ford Endeavour concept gets a wrap around windshield tipped with a roof mounted spoiler. The scuff plate at the rear gets treated with similar styling as seen on the front integrating the rear fog lamps. The tailgate gets a thick chrome strip that meets the tail lamp cluster neatly. Overall the design is attractive and reflects a proper stance of a full sized SUV. It is expected to have fresh interiors loaded with features and 7-seater capacity. The engine options expected to be introduced are a 2.2-litre TDCI with 150 HP and 3.0-litre TDCI with 200 HP.

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Volkswagen Polo Carbon Edition By IDE Autoworks

IDE Autoworks, a Gurgaon based design studio has come up with a unique exterior modification on the Volkswagen Polo, which is named as Carbon Edition. The design studio specialises in vehicle graphics, vehicle wrapping and personalised design solutions for customers. The Polo Carbon Edition design theme focuses on exteriors finished with black carbon touch along with red accents. The Polo has a base white colour body with a contrasting carbon fibre black roof finish, which is a textured vinyl material used with thin red strips running along the edges.

The Polo Carbon Edition also gets a unique full length racing stripe aligned on the passenger side. On the white body surface, the racing stripe is finished in dark grey, while on the carbon black roof, the stripe is treated in white colour for a neat contrast. The broad stripe also consists of a bar code with the chassis number of the car stamped on it to give an exclusive identity to the owner of the Polo Carbon Edition. On the lower side of the car, another stripe runs to the rear with a fade out design and VW branding.

The OVRMs are also finished in similar colour tone as the roof, which features black carbon fibre vinyl with red accents for a sporty touch. Up front, the Polo Carbon gets a black VW GTI grille outlined in red along with a lower black grille hinted with chrome. The VW logo on the grille is turned into matte black with red accenting. The headlamps are derived from the Euro-spec Polo featuring matte black, silver and red elements. The wheels are given a gunmetal colour and the front brake callipers are painted in red. The tail lamp cluster is also Euro-spec. There are no performance upgrades in the Polo Carbon Edition. Do you like the changes?

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BMW i8 Plug-In Hybrid Is A 40 km/l Sports Car

After introducing the BMW i3 recently, BMW is all set to introduce the i8, which is a plug-in hybrid sports car. BMW believes that the i8 is the most progressive sports car of this era. With the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car, BMW has focused on traditional driving pleasure along with high fuel efficiency and low emissions. The 2+2 seater design passenger cell of the BMW i8 is sculpted using carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) that helps in cutting the weight of the vehicle significantly.

The BMW i8 has got an impressive drag coefficient of 0.26. Paired to this light weight body shell and aerodynamic exteriors is a 3-cylinder 1.5-litre BMW TwinPower turbo petrol engine combined with an electric drive system. The TwinPower petrol motor produces 231 BHP of power that powers the rear wheels, while the 131 HP electric motor powers the front wheels. The i8 has a combined power of 362 HP with 570 Nm of torque. The setup of the body results in 50:50 weight distribution that gives a low centre of gravity. The i8 weighs less than 1490 kgs.

The BMW i8 is capable of a 0-100 km/hr sprint in 4.5 seconds. The electric range alone stands up to 35 kms with a top speed of 120 km/hr, while the top speed with the petrol power alone is limited to 250 km/hr. Average fuel consumption of the BMW i8 is 40 km/l and the CO2 emissions stands at 59 g/km. The lithium-ion battery that runs the electric drive is placed centrally, which, at a standard household socket takes less than three hours for a full recharge and less than two hours at a BMW i Wallbox.

The hybrid engine of the BMW i8 comes mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, which can be manually controlled by switching to Sport mode. The i8 is also equipped with Driving Experience Control that offers two settings – Comfort and Eco Pro. The Comfort mode offers a combination of sporty performance and fuel efficiency, while the Eco Pro mode is a driving style optimised for fuel efficiency. The BMW i8 is fully equipped with Dynamic Stability Control, ABS, Cornering Brake Control, Dynamic Brake Control, Brake Assist, Brake Standby, Start-Off Assistant, Fading Compensation and Brake Drying function.

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Jaguar F-Type Launched at Starting Price of Rs 1.37 Crore

Jaguar India has today launched the F-Type sportscar, with prices starting from Rs 1.37 crore for the V6 S version, while the V8 S will cost Rs 1.61 crore. These prices are ex-showroom Mumbai prices, pre-Octroi, meaning the on-road price for a new Jaguar F-Type  V8 S will set you back close to Rs 2 crore.

But for the money you do get an exhilarating sports car, one with true pedigree and character, and a which will, over the course of its lifetime, depreciate only slightly. Given the limited production run for the F-Type globally, this car has all the making of a classic.

As the designations suggest, the V6 S model is powered by a V6 engine, while the V8 S is powered by a V8 engine. Both engines are supercharged, and Jaguar claims the F-Type V6 S will accelerate to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, and on to a top speed of 275 km/h. The F-Type V8 S meanwhile gets to the ton in a mere 4.3 seconds, with a top whack of 300 km/h.

Both cars get a limited-slip differential to transfer all that power to the road as usable performance, and while the V6 S has a mechanical differential, the full-fat F-Type V8 S has an electronic differential or e-Diff, which uses complex electronics to ensure that both rear wheels provide maximum traction at all times. The go-faster tech extends to the Launch Control as well, which provides for maximum acceleration from a standing start. Another feature which is expected to be popular are the Active Exhausts; pressing a button on the centre console opens a valve in the exhaust for even more volume and entertainment.

Sales expectations for the F-Type in India are expectedly sober, and in the Indian market the F-Type will compete with the likes of the Porsche 911 and Audi R8.

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Hyundai to launch Grand i10 next month

India’s second largest passenger car manufacturer, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, will launch its fifth small car —Grand i10 — next month with an expected price of Rs. 5-7.2 lakh for the petrol variant and Rs. 5.5-7.5 lakh for the diesel variant.

Positioned between its two existing small cars i10 and i20, Grand i10 will compete directly with arch rival Maruti’s bestseller Swift. It’s small car line-up also includes Santro and Eon.

With a 1.1 litre diesel engine, Grand i10 will be Hyundai’s cheapest diesel offering in the country. “This car is built on an absolutely new platform and will be offered with the 1.1 litre diesel engine in India for the first time,” said Rakesh Srivastava, senior vice-president, sales, Hyundai India. “It is very different from the current i10.”

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Force Motors Launches Gurkha SUV

Force Motors launched the Gurkha SUV at the International Bus and Utility Show 2013 being held at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida. The Gurkha SUV is priced at Rs 6.25 lakh onwards.

The Gurkha is powered by the 2.6 litre Mercedes OM 616 derived turbo charged intercooled engine. This engine produces 82 PS of maximum power at 3200 rpm and pumps 230 Nm of peak torque at 1800-2000 rpm. The engine is mated to a 5 speed synchromesh transmission with Hi - Lo option on transfer case.

Prasan Firodia, Managing Director, Force Motors stated, “The vastly superior gradeability and its ability to negotiate undulating terrain makes the Gurkha an ideal vehicle for ‘off road’ conditions. The macho looking Gurkha has timeless classic appeal that would interest off-road enthusiasts across the nation.”

The Gurkha will be available in three colours options with body graphics.

The Prices for Ex-Delhi Showroom are:

Gurkha 4X2 - Rs 6.25 lakh (Soft Top)

Gurkha 4x4 - Rs 8.35 lakh (Soft Top)

Gurkha  4x4 -Rs 8.50 lakh (Hard Top)

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Chevrolet Cruze

General Motors announced the launch of its new Chevrolet Cruze. The revised Cruze gets a more powerful 2.0-litre engine, 6-speed manual and AT options with prices starting from Rs 13.85 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi).

The all new 2.0 litre VCDi engine under the hood of the Chevrolet Cruze delivers 166 PS of peak power and 380 Nm torque. The Engine Management System, coupled with variable geometry turbo-charger and Common Rail Direct Injection (CRDI) system promises impressive performance, better fuel economy and reduced emissions.

The new Cruze also gets a new six-speed manual gearbox in comparison to the five-speed unit that does duty in the old car. The saloon is also available with a six-speed automatic box, carried over from the earlier one.

The 16" alloy wheels, keyless go, steering mounted audio controls, six-way adjustable driver seat, dual airbags, ABS and a dead pedal comes as standard features across all variants. In addition to these features, the top-end LTZ variants (MT and AT) get foldable and heated outside mirrors, music streaming via Bluetooth, leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, leather upholstery, rain sensing wipers, cruise control on steering wheel, rear parking assist, anti-glare rear view mirror and electric sun roof.

Available in three trim levels, the base LT manual variant is priced at Rs 13.85 lakh, the LTZ manual variant will be sold at Rs 14.77 lakh and the automatic LTZ variant costs Rs 15.67 lakh. (All prices ex-showroom, Delhi).

The new Chevrolet Cruze will compete with the likes of the Renault Fluence Volkswagen Jetta, and Skoda Laura.

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Chevrolet India Launches Sail Sedan at Rs 4.99 lakh

Chevrolet India has finally introduced the Sail sedan, with prices for the base petrol variant starting below the five-lakh-rupee mark. The Sail sedan will be available with the same petrol and diesel engine options as the Sail U-VA hatchback, and will be available in a total of four variants each.

The ex-showroom prices in Mumbai for the new Sail sedan are as follows:

Sail 1.2 Petrol Base Rs 4.99 lakh

Sail 1.2 Petrol LS Rs 5.49 lakh

Sail 1.2 Petrol LS ABS Rs 5.70 lakh

Sail 1.2 Petrol LT ABS Rs 6.42 lakh

Sail 1.3 Diesel Base Rs 6.29 lakh

Sail 1.3 Diesel LS Rs 6.59 lakh

Sail 1.3 Diesel LS ABS Rs 6.80 lakh

Sail 1.3 Diesel LT ABS Rs 7.52 lakh

Even the base variants of the Chevrolet Sail sedan will get front power windows, power steering and air conditioning as standard. Strangely though, the difference between the LS and LS ABS variants is not just ABS, but a stereo with Bluetooth connectivity as well.  Given that the price difference between the two variants is just Rs 21,000, it would make sense that most customers would opt for the LS ABS variant over the LS.

The driver’s airbag is available on both the LS and LS ABS, but a front passenger airbag is only available with the LT ABS variant.

The new Sail also comes with what Chevrolet India calls its “3-5-3 Advantage”, which includes 3 Years Chevrolet Promise (maintenance and repairs for 3 years/45,000 km, whichever is earlier), 5 year warranty on engine and transmission (or 150,000 km, whichever is earlier) 3 year vehicle warranty (or 100, 000 km, whichever is earlier).

The 3-5-3 Advantage however, is not included in the sale price of the Sail, and customers have to pay for it separately.

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