Honda City Diesel

Honda City Diesel Preview

Honda is believed to have recently reduced production of the City in a bid to free up assembly line space for the Amaze diesel. However, a more plausible and well known reason is that Honda will unveil a completely new version for the global markets, in India, on November 25. It is expected to get a new design and also be offered with a diesel engine giving Honda a firm chance to book itself a place in the C-Segment of the Indian car market.

Exterior

The 2014 Honda City is expected to imbibe many features of the ‘Exciting Design H!!’ language that characterises the recently unveiled Jazz/Fit premium hatchback. It is expected to get a similar fascia but like the Amaze and the Brio, we believe that Honda will modify the grille slightly to differentiate both cars. Honda could also retain the same side profile and rear end as the current car but with sportier touches. New exterior design features are likely to include LED brake lights (like the ones found on the Accord) and new design for the alloy wheels and indicators mounted on the OVRMs.

Honda is believed to have increased the length and consequently the wheelbase in a bid to increase interior space. We hope that it will adapt the same lines as the current car but in a more sportier design in a bid to make the City appealing to a wider audience. However, the reality is that apart from spy shots of heavily camouflaged cars spotted testing in China, we have no idea of what the car looks like. There is also no official word from the Japanese automaker on the unveiling of the car so we can only speculate on what the new model will be like at this moment.

Interiors

Inside, we expect that much of the design elements will be taken from the new Jazz/Fit due it being based on the principles of the design language as well as in a bid to keep the costs down. However, for the Indian markets, we expect that Honda will retain many of the features and design elements from the current car. This means a black dashboard, beige upholstery for the lower spec models and leather for the top-end diesel and petrol variants. The rear seats are now likely to get a blower and bottle holders making it only the third car in the segment to do so.

Feature list

The City despite being a well-known face in the C-Segment had to always contend with having a rather small feature list as compared to its rivals. Eventually to counter this, Honda introduced the AVN package with the top spec V variants. This is now likely to become a standard feature in the top spec diesel and petrol variants of the new car.

Variants

The new Honda City will get all the standard variants that are there in the current car. We believe that there will also be a new top spec VX variant which will be available with both engines and gearbox options.

Engines

The bit we are most interested in is that Honda is likely to offer the new City with the same 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine that powers the Amaze sedan. It is expected to have the same output as the Amaze and this means 98bhp and 200Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. However, there is also a possibility that Honda may introduce the 1.6-litre i-DTEC engine which is in the recently launched UK spec CR-V diesel. It produces 116bhp and 300Nm of torque, a respectable figure for a C-Segment sedan. The petrol on the other hand will continue to be powered by the 1.5-litre i-VTEC mill that produces 116bhp and 146Nm of torque. It is mated to a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic.

When do we get to see it on the roads?

Reports suggest that Honda dealers have already started taking bookings for the new City but deliveries are only expected to begin just ahead of the 2014 Indian Auto Expo. The City is expected to have a high amount of localisation and may be exported to many other countries from the Indian plant. It is likely to be priced in the range of Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 11.50 lakh for the top spec diesel variant.

When launched, the new Honda City will compete in the C+segment with the Renault Scala, Nissan Sunny, Chevrolet Sail, Fiat Linea, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Verna, Skoda Rapid and the Volkswagen Vento. Honda is expected to offer the diesel engines only in the S, V and most likely a VX variants all of which will be priced Rs 1 lakh more than their petrol equivalents.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
ITEMS	City Petrol	City DIESEL
ENGINE
Configuration	4-Cylinder inline	4-Cylinder Inline
Valvetrain Type	SOHC	DOHC i-DTEC
Displacement (CC)	1497	1498
Maximum Power (ps/rpm)	116 @ 6600	98 @ 3600
Maximum Torque (nm/rpm)	146 @ 4800	200 @ 1750
TRANSMISSION
Type	5 - Speed MT / AT	5 - Speed MT
SUSPENSION
Front	McPherson strut with stabilizer,coil spring	McPherson strut with stabilizer,coil spring
Rear	Torsion beam axle with stabilizer, coil spring	Torsion beam axle with stabilizer, coil spring
Steering Type	Rack & Pinion Power steering	Rack & Pinion Power steering
BRAKES
Front	Disc	Disc
Rear	Drum	Drum
TYRE
Size	175 / 65 R15	175 / 65 R15

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Hyundai Grand i10

WHEN: September 3, 2013

HOW MUCH: Rs 4.2 lakh (petrol) / Rs 4.95 lakh (diesel) est starting price

ENGINES: 1.2-litre petrol, 80 PS / 1.1-litre diesel, 70 PS

COMPETITION: Maruti Ritz, Ford Figo

Hyundai will bring in an all-new car to the Indian market – the new Grand i10. This new car is a replacement for the current-generation in most markets, but in India it will continue to be sold alongside the existing i10, slotting in between it and the i10. To justify the ‘grand’ epithet, Hyundai’s engineers have stretched the wheelbase by approximately 100 mm compared to the European-spec version of the new i10, to liberate more interior room.

The other big news is on the engine front. The new Hyundai Grand i10 will be powered by an all-new three-cylinder diesel engine, codenamed U2 VGT. This new 1.1-litre diesel engine is essentially a three-cylinder version of the 1.4-litre four-cylinder diesel found in the larger i20. Hyundai hasn’t revealed any specifications as yet, but power output is expected to be in the range of 70 PS.

There will also be the option of the popular 1.2-litre Kappa engine, which does duty in both the current i10 and i20. Five-speed manual gearboxes will be standard with both petrol and diesel versions, with the 1.2-litre Kappa petrol having the option of a 4-speed automatic transmission as well.

We do not have any images of the interiors as yet, but according to some sources, the new Grand i10 will have a host of segment-first features, including rear AC vents, electric folding mirrors, audio controls on the steering wheel, music system with Bluetooth and USB connectivity plus 1 GB of hard drive space to store your favourite music. Regular features like power steering, air-conditioning and front power windows are expected to be standard even on the base version. This being a Hyundai, customers have come to expect a lot of value-add in the form of features at a given price, and with this new Grand i10, it will be no different. This is Hyundai’s tried-and-trusted recipe to delight customers, and it is definitely working. We expect 4 or five trim levels, plus two engine options, and the petrol AT as well, taking the total number of variants to around 10!

These are pictures of the European version of the new i10. The Hyundai Grand i10 as sold in India will be longer, sitting on a wheelbase which is 100 mm longer. The extra length will be visible in the rear doors between the B- and C-pillars.

We haven’t seen the car in the flesh yet, but from these pictures you can see that the new Grand i10 is a smartly styled product, which moves smartly away from the ‘wet soap’ look of the existing i10. The new i10 borrows some styling clues from its brethren, but the car manages to look stylish without being over-the-top. Hyundai’s designers have displayed admirable restraint with this one.

Pricing of course is key, and that is something which will be revealed only on September 3. However, there are some pointers as to what the likely pricing of the new Hyundai Grand i10 could be. For starters, the cheapest diesel hatchback in the Hyundai range is the i20 diesel, with a starting price of Rs 6.0 lakh, ex-showroom. The Ford Figo LXi starts at Rs 4.6 lakh, while the Chevy Beat diesel starts at Rs 4.7 lakh. The cheapest diesel from Maruti, the Ritz LDi, starts at Rs 5.4 lakh. I would hazard a guess and say that prices for the new Grand i10 diesel would start at just under the Rs 5 lakh mark.

As far as the petrol Grand i10, powered by the 1.2-litre Kappa motor, I expect prices will start at around the Rs 4.2 lakh mark, which is about 30,000 more than the current i10. This will be a smart pricing and positioning strategy from Hyundai.

Much will ride on the new Grand i10, but given Hyundai’s widespread dealer network, and the strong equity the company already enjoys, this car has all the right ingredients to succeed. At the risk of repeating myself, the Indian customer is getting further spoilt for choice, and that is always only a good thing.

Hyundai's engineers have retuned the suspension, with optimised linkage points. A choppy ride was one of the flaws of the earlier car, and the company is confident the new Grand i10 is capable of setting a class benchmark for ride quality.

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BMW Pencils in 3 Series Gran Turismo

WHEN: June 2014

HOW MUCH: Rs 35 - 40 lakh

ENGINES: 2.0-litre diesel,185 PS, 380 Nm / 2.0-litre petrol, 245PS, 350 Nm

COMPETITION: Volvo XC60

BMW India will add yet another model line to its offerings in India, when it launches the 3 Series Gran Turismo, or 3 Series GT, in the country next year. The new BMW 3 Series GT will be produced at the Chennai facility, alongside the 3 Series sedan with which it shares most of its running gear.

So what is the 3 Series GT? Simply put, it’s a stretched, hatchback version of the current 3 Series. The wheelbase is 110 mm longer, and the car is 89 mm taller than the sedan. It’s also got a swooping coupe-like roofline, and a hatchback rear. It’s an answer to a question nobody asked, but BMW have gone ahead and built it anyway.

An increase in length has meant an increase in weight also. The 3 Series GT is 140 kilos heavier than its sedan brother.

It follows the same thought process that the 5 Series GT did, of offering the space and practicality of an estate car, but in a more stylised package. BMW seems to be making something of a habit of blurring the boundaries between different segments, but to its credit, the 3 Series GT does appear a tad more convincing than what the 5 Series GT did.

The front end is immediately reminiscent of the 3 Series sedan, but the lights and twin kidney grille elements are taller. There’s also an additional crease line along the length of the body, and the coup like roof is of course all-new. In fact, the 3 Series GT does manage to pull off looking like an attractive car in its own right.

**Inside, the 3 Series GT borrows the same dashboard from its sedan brother, but then that’s a good thing. BMW has also raised the seats by 59 mm, which means you get a more commanding driving position, while the company claims that rear legroom is 70 mm longer. The boot has 520 litres of luggage space, which is considerably more than what the sedan offers, while the rear seat back splits and folds in a 40:20:40 ratio to afford even more practicality.

**Power comes from a range of familiar engines, and while the 3.0-litre, 6-cylinder turbocharged petrol in the 335i probably won’t make it to India, expect the 4-cylinder 328i petrol, as seen in the sedan, to very much be a part of the GT’s engine line-up in India. The 2.0-litre 320d diesel will of course form the mainstay of the range, and there’s an even more powerful version of this same engine in the 325d, in a similar state of tune as seen in the recently-updated 5 Series sedan. All engines will come mated to the company’s slick 8-speed automatic gearbox.

The electrically operated hatchback with its twin motors have contributed to the rearward weight bias of the 3 Series GT.

The new 3 Series GT will be produced locally, and BMW India’s Chennai plant, and will be the eighth locally-produced model, after the 1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, X1, X3 and Mini Countryman. Local assembly will mean that BMW will be able to price it competitively, but it will come at a premium compared to the 3 Series sedan. There is a substantial price gap in BMW’s line-up, especially between the 3 Series and 5 Series sedans, and the 3 Series GT will slot into this gap perfectly. We expect prices to start at Rs 35 lakh for the 320d, when it goes on sale in June next year.

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Maruti Suzuki WagonR Stingray to launch today

The much anticipated Maruti Suzuki WagonR Stingray has been finally launched in India at a staring price of Rs 4.10 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Launched in a total three variants- LXi, VXi and VXi (O), it comes at a price range of Rs 4.10-4.67 lakh. The WagonR stingray has received several advanced features such as ABS, driver side airbag, drive info display, first-in-class projector headlamps, gun finished alloys, premium black upholstery, music system with USB and Aux-in support and many more. The Stingray features the same 1.0-litre K-Series petrol engine, which also powers the regular WagonR. The interior design of the car too looks similar to that of the WagonR, but the major difference between two cars is the exterior design. The Stingray gets new bumpers, larger air dam, boot spoiler, revised fog lamps and the grille with LED treatment, which help it look sportier and more aggressive in appearance than the WagonR.

 Just ahead of the car’s launch we managed to catch hold of some spy shots of the Stingray in white shade. As the pictures reveal, up front the car features a slim and sleek chrome-finished grille, a large air dam, redesigned fog lamp housings and projector beam headlamps (a segment first). [Update: Maruti WagonR Stingray launched at Rs 4.10 lakh]

The rear sports combination lamps with clear-lens treatment, a spoiler and a chrome strip with “Stingray” embossed on it.

We haven’t got a shot of the interior, however, reports suggest Maruti hasn’t made any major changes inside barring an all-black treatment in place of the dual-tone shade on the regular WagonR.

The sporty touches to the Stingray could likely be confined to just the styling with no changes expected to the car’s performance which means Maruti may likely carry over the same efficient 1-litre, 68PS K10 engine that does duty on the regular WagonR to power the Stingray.


The Stingray is expected to sell alongside the existing WagonR though at a slight markup of Rs 30,000-Rs 40,000 over the regular model. Stay tuned to ZigWheels.com for more updates from the Stingray’s launch later this afternoon.

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Nissan Unveils Terrano Compact SUV In India

Nissan Terrano, which is the premium badge engineered version of the Renault Duster has been unveiled. The pre-sales booking of the Terrano will commence from 1st September and it is due to go on sale pan India in the month of October. This is the fourth vehicle to be manufactured locally at Nissan’s Oragadam plant along with the Micra, Sunny and Evalia. It is officially confirmed that theNissan Terrano will be priced sub-Rs. 10 lakh onwards and the exact pricing will be released near to the launch.

The Nissan Terrano boasts of premium styling over the Renault Duster. The carmaker has already started dispatching the Terrano to a few dealers. From the looks of it, Nissan has done significant changes on the exteriors including new set of headlamps and tail lamps along with revised bumpers, redesigned grille and roof rails. The overall stance of the Nissan Terrano remains the same as the Duster and so are the underpinnings, which are identical.

On the inside, the Nissan Terrano gets two tone beige interiors with piano black finish on the centre console and chrome surrounds around the AC vents. The steering wheel is all new and the space inside is identical to the Duster. The storage space on the top of the centre console is now closed to increase utility. The Nissan Terrano will be offered in 6 colours namely grey, silver, bronze, red, black and white. The vehicle will be priced around Rs. 50,000/- more than the Renault Duster. Do you think this badge-engineering is worth the extra premium?

At today’s event, Nissan highlighted the design of the Terrano, which although a Duster under the skin, is being marketed as a blockbuster with Nissan SUV genes (a DNA test will reveal it’s has Dacia heritage). The features are identical to the Duster, which means the top-end variant gets ABS, airbags, touch-screen audio system, steering column mounted audio controls, etc. The Nissan Terrano will be offered with three engines, which are identical to the Duster. The company plans to export the Terrano in the future and hence the 1.6-litre petrol engine is being offered in the vehicle. It produces 101 PS of power and 145 Nm of torque. The 1.5-litre k9k diesel engine is offed in two states of tune, producing 85 PS, 200 Nm and 110 PS, 248 Nm respectively. There is no automatic gearbox on offer.

Clearly Nissan has tried its level best to spruce up the Duster and the badge engineering exercise seems to be better than what Renault has managed with the Pulse and Scala. However one can’t change the fact that the Terrano is going to be very overpriced, considering the Duster itself is overpriced for what it offers. With the Ford EcoSport redefining the very definition of value for money, can Nissan command a premium over the successful Duster and get away? We doubt, considering the Nissan badge doesn’t hold a premium image with buyers.

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Toyota to launch Camry Hybrid in India

India’s atmosphere is already being abused with the fumes from the cars. There are not many eco-friendly cars in the country to change the situation and the Indian government is not interested to bring less polluting hybrid cars in the country and thus, no special tax rebate for the hybrid segment.

TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID INDIA

Toyota is one such company with hybrid technology in today’s market with their world renowned Prius. The Prius is not doing very good in the market with only 175 units sold since its launch in 2010. Toyota has now decided that it will assemble the cars in India. Soon, Toyota is planning to launch the top-of-the-line; Toyota Camry hybrid in India which will be assembled at the Bangalore facility of Toyota.

TOYOTA TO LAUNCH THE CAMRY HYBRID IN INDIA

The Camry Hybrid is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine which works efficiently to provide 178 Bhp of maximum power. Toyota equips the engine with their revolutionary VVT-i technology and Acoustic Control Induction System which increases performance, efficiency and torque throughout the engine rpm range. Toyota Camry hybrid would be the most expensive sedan to be sold in India under Toyota badge.

TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID INDIA BOUND

The top trim Prius has an ex-showroom price of Rs. 31.24 lakh, the Camry Hybrid will cost somewhere around Rs. 35 lakh in India. Toyota could launch the car by end of the year. 

TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID

Well, this is great news that Toyota is launching their second hybrid vehicle in India but the import taxes of the country do repel such manufacturers to bring in new technology to the country. We do hope that the taxes imposed by the Indian government are relaxed for such vehicles for the sake of environment and of course, for the sake of technology in cars!!

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Mustang - Ford Motor Company

The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the platform of the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, and thus dubbed as a "1964" model by Mustang fans, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A. The Mustang has undergone several transformations to its current fifth generation.

The Mustang created the "pony car" class of American automobiles—sports car-like coupes with long hoods and short rear decks—and gave rise to competitors such as GM's Chevrolet Camaro, and Pontiac's Firebird, AMC's Javelin, as well as Chrysler's revamped Plymouth Barracuda and the first generation Dodge Challenger. The Mustang is also credited for inspiring the designs of coupes such as the Toyota Celica and Ford Capri, which were imported to the United States. 

Background :-

The Ford Mustang was brought out five months before the normal start of the 1965 production year. The earliest versions are often referred to as 1964 models, but VIN coded by Ford and titled as 1965 models with production beginning in Dearborn, Michigan on March 9, 1964 and the new car was introduced to the public on April 17, 1964 at the New York World's Fair.

Executive stylist John Najjar Ferzely, who was a fan of the World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane, is credited by Ford to have suggested the name. John Najjar Ferzely co-designed the first prototype of the Ford Mustang known as Ford Mustang I in 1961, working jointly with fellow Ford stylist Philip T. Clark. The Mustang I made its formal debut at the United States Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, New York on October 7, 1962, where test driver and contemporary Formula One race driver Dan Gurney lapped the track in a demonstration using the second "race" prototype. His lap times were only slightly off the pace of the F1 race cars.
An alternative view was that Robert J. Eggert, Ford Division market research manager, first suggested the Mustang name. Eggert, a breeder of quarterhorses, received a birthday present from his wife of the book, The Mustangs by J. Frank Dobie in 1960. Later, the book's title gave him the idea of adding the "Mustang" name for Ford's new concept car. The designer preferred Cougar or Torino (and an advertising campaign using the Torino name was actually prepared), while Henry Ford II wanted T-bird II. As the person responsible for Ford's research on potential names, Eggert added "Mustang" to the list to be tested by focus groups; “Mustang,” by a wide margin, came out on top under the heading: "Suitability as Name for the Special Car."The name could not be used in Germany,however, because it was owned by Krupp, which had manufactured trucks between 1951 and 1964 with the name Mustang. Ford refused to buy the name for about US$10,000 from Krupp at the time. Kreidler, a manufacturer of mopeds, also used the name, so Mustang was sold in Germany as the "T-5" until December 1978.
Mustangs grew larger and heavier with each model year until, in response to the 1971–1973 models, Ford returned the car to its original size and concept for 1974. It has since seen several platform generations and designs. Although some other pony cars have seen a revival, the Mustang is the only original pony car to remain in uninterrupted production over five decades of development and revision.

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