High powered Volkswagen Polo ‘GTD’ diesel variant coming to India in 2013

Our friends at AutoCarIndia.com reported this afternoon that VW India has firmed up plans to launch a more powerful diesel variant of the Polo.

According to the scoop story, the Vento’s 1.6L diesel engine will be launched on the Volkswagen Polo as a diesel hot hatch. The only diesel hot hatch in India currently is the Fiat Punto 90hp, which is as good as forgotten.

Branded as ‘VW Polo GTD’ the enthusiast-focused variant is expected to be nothing less than a pocket rocket with 105hp/250Nm on tap on a body that’s lighter by 90kg! GTD is the diesel counterpart of GTI, representing VW’s sporty variant.

If Volkswagen feels the cost of the Polo 1.6 GTD would rise to Vento levels, they can wait for the 1.5L TDI engine (a derivative of the 1.6L engine, under development) before proceeding with a larger displacement Polo variant.

Cars that are under 4m long and have a diesel engine displacing under 1.5 liters are eligible for an excise benefit of 12%, levied on larger cars.

Autocar India reports a body kit and low-profile tyres would feature on the Polo 1.6 TDI. Volkswagen has shown fast-looking Polos at the 2012 Delhi Expo in January and at this month’s Autocar Performance Show, so spicing things up would need no brainstorming or planning.

The report adds that VW India will launch this vehicle with brand enhancement as priority.

[Source - AutoCarIndia.com]

Tata Motors to relaunch Aria with “image corrections”

Two years after introducing its crossover utility vehicle Aria, Tata Motors is planning a relaunch.The company is in the process of making some changes to the vehicle and expects the new version to hit the roads over the course of the next year.

Sales of Aria never picked up due to issues of quality and pricing.

“Aria is misunderstood. It’s a great idea, a car that offers space as well as comfort. Like it happens to other manufacturers, some products are a bit ahead of time and therefore misunderstood,” said Karl-Heinz Servos, project director, joint projects, Engineering Research Centre at Tata Motors.

When launched in 2010, Aria was compared with Toyota Innova, the multipurpose benchmark.

Despite growing demand for SUVs, Aria did not get the reception the company sought. Tata Motors admits to having quality issues with the car, which are being addressed now. “Also, it was priced a bit high.Not because it was not worth it but because of competition. It was also compared too much with the Innova -- including on the price front, which was not correct, and made a difference,” sources said.

“It’s a solid car. First it needs a few image corrections. We will do something quick which will change the perception. We need to relaunch the ca. If it continues the way it is currently, then it is not good for the company,” said Servos.

Once a strong player in the SUV space, Tata Motors has been losing market share in the segment.

Tata Motors is now working on a new range of SUVs and MPVs in all segments.

BMW previews 2 prototypes of Born Electric

 

The BMW Group unveiled a sneak preview of two prototypes of ‘BMW-i Born Electric’ — the next generation BMW i3 Concept and the BMW i8 Concept Roadster — here as part of a world tour organised by the company.

With its zero-emissions all-electric engine and a range of 80-100 miles, the BMW i3 Concept is designed mainly for city use.

The company’s global tour has only New York as the stop for the US. The worldwide tour includes Rome, Ddorf, Tokyo, London, Paris and Shanghai.

The BMW i-3 and i-8 will become the first purpose-built electric and hybrid-electric production vehicles to be made primarily from carbon fibre when they become available for customers in 2013 and 2014, respectively, said Peter Miles, executive vice president (operations) BMW Group North America, yesterday.

BMW-i was introduced by the BMW Group last year and is now in the process of preparing for the launch of vehicles under the brand in the next few years.

With BMW-i, the BMW Group is consolidating its position as the most innovative and sustainable automobile manufacturer in the world and is responding to the challenges of the future in terms of eco-sustainable mobility.

The brand itself is a part of an imitative dubbed ’Project-I’ that BMW launched decades ago and brought together a group of top thinkers within the company to explore the future of mobility, Miles said.

“As street parking continues to be one of the biggest challenges in our congested cities and because the time spent searching for parking is a major reason for increased emissions and wasted fuel, we feel that our involvement with these innovations is a key component of BMW-I strategy,” Miles said.

Together with its premium electric vehicles, BMW also offers a range of services for mobility.

These are services aimed at optimising the use of parking spaces, the utilisation of navigation systems that can access local information, intermodal road maps, and car-sharing schemes such as DriveNow.

Among the most eye-catching features of the BMW i8 Concept Roadster are the upward-swiveling, windowless doors and a range of purpose-oriented on-board equipment, including electric kickboards stowed under a transparent tailgate.

The sports car is based around the innovative ‘LifeDrive’ architecture, itself underpinned by a lightweight modular construction and the use of high-quality high-tech materials, said Henrik Wenders, Head of BMW i-8 Project Management in BMW Munich facility.

The BMW i8 Concept Roadster is a plug-in hybrid powered by an eDrive drivetrain combining a high-performance electric motor and petrol combustion engine.

The lithium-ion battery supplying the motor with power can be recharged in an extremely short space of time from any domestic power socket, the company said.

India-bound Ford B-Max garners 2,500 orders in Britain in just 6 weeks

Ford’s mini MPV B-Max is enjoying eager responses from the Britons.

Ford has already delivered 1,000 cars in less than six weeks and claims that the bookings have exceeded 2,500 units. The mini MPV has a sliding door which has the traditional B pillar structure integrated into it.

Mr. Antony Ireson, Marketing director of Ford Britain said that there has been a phenomenal response for the B-Max’s marketing campaign which offered a chance to win unusual prizes that would not normally be available to the general public. He stated that he was amazed to see the true level of interest especially since most of the customers placed orders even before visiting the showroom.

Another fact that brings cheers to Ford is that 63% of the bookings came from customers who intend to use the B-Max as their private vehicles while 22% came from motability customers and 15% from fleet operators.

The B-Max is available with 3 petrol and 2 diesel engine options. The 1.0 litre EcoBoost is available in two states of tune – 100 PS and 120 PS.

The entry level 1.4 litre petrol motor develops 90 PS while a 1.6 litre petrol motor develops 105 PS and is the only engine to be available with Powershift automatic gearbox. The diesel power comes from a 1.6 TDCI with 95 PS and a 1.5 TDCI with 75 PS.

Ford India is likely to launch a seven seat version of the B-Max called the Grand B-Max as part of the 8 new products that Ford India has promised by mid decade. The Grand B-Max will be an Ertiga fighter and is expected to launch here in 2014.

Ford India has not confirmed any new launches besides the EcoSport, which is the second of the 8 products, following the launch of the Fiesta sedan last year. The B-Max is a MPV hat on the Fiesta platform.

[Source: Carscoop.blogspot.com]

Ducati’s new models for 2013

" New 821cc Hypermotard, Hyperstrada, Diavel Strada and Panigale 1199 R showcased. "

Ducati has unveiled their smashing 2013 line-up at the EICMA motor show in Milan, revealing an all-new Hypermotard with a now liquid-cooled, 821cc, four-stroke, Ducati trademark L-twin engine. The new Hypermotard puts out 110bhp at 9250rpm, and peak torque of 9.1kgm at 7750rpm, and there’s a premium Hypermotard SP, with top-of-the-line suspension, as well as Marchesini wheels and upgraded brakes.

Fresh addition to the Hypermotard family is the multi-role Hyperstrada, following in the footsteps of acclaimed elder sibling, the Multistrada 1200. The Hyperstrada shares the Hypermotard engine, offering three riding modes, Sport, Touring and Urban. For comfort, the Hyperstrada deploys a high set handlebar, wind protection visor, and wider, better padded seat along with a main-stand and 50 litre luggage carrying capability. 

There’s also a new Diavel Strada, a touring variant with wind deflecting visor, 15mm higher and 60mm closer handlebars, improved seat, heated grips, two auxiliary power supplies, 41 litres side storage panniers and a pillion rest.

There’s also a new Panigale 1199 R, with several carbon fibre bits including a rear tyre hugger and swingarm protector. The 1199 R houses the same recently released Superquadro, 1198cc, L-twin engine, now with lighter components and a remapped ECU that enables it to rev 500rpm higher. The 1199 R is available with race-kit including Termignoni exhaust system and an adjustable swingarm for track use.

Expect Ducati’s new variants in India sometime in 2013. 

Second edition of Tata Nano Art-in-Motion showcased in Pune

Tata Nano, to some extent has been victimized by its ‘world’s cheapest car’ tag.

The Indian auto giant is now trying to change Nano’s fortunes by infusing more amounts of desirability into it and to make the little car more appealing to people, especially to college going folks.

The Tata Nano: Art in Motion series is one such initiative which turns the Nano into a platform for artists to showcase their mettle as well as promote the Nano as a personal choice.

In the second edition, an Art Nano called the Weekender was presented during the NH7 music festival that took place in Pune. The Weekender Art Nano was painted by graffiti artist Bruce Dunn and the theme portrays self expression.

The first edition of Tata Nano: Art in Motion was painted by renowned Indian artist Sangeeta Babani whose theme was celebration. Tata Motors has announced a series of Art in Motion projects to promote the Nano.

In the media release issued for bringing this creation to light, Tata Motors said -

“The Weekender Art Nano continues the Nano: Art-in-Motion tradition of empowering artists to use the Tata Nano as an outlet for their creativity, and a canvas for their lives.”

The Weekender Art Nano was inspired by music and has been painted using a combination of luminescent and acrylic paints.

Ford Figo facelift gets unveiled in South Africa

"The North American based automaker Ford has recently unveiled the facelifted version of the Figo model in South Africa."

According to the car manufacturer, the Ford Figo facelift is getting some minor updates and it’s available with the 1.4 liter Duratec gasoline engine, which is producing a total output of 83 HP (62 kW) and it has a peak torque of 127 Nm (93 lb-ft). The unit is burning 6.6 liters of fuel every 100 km (42.8 mpg UK / 35.6 mpg US) and it’s emitting 156 g/km of CO2.

Besides the gasoline burner, the facelifted version of the Ford Figo is also coming with a 1.4 liter Duratorq turbo diesel engine, which is developing a total output of 68 HP (53 kW) and it has a peak torque of 160 Nm (118 lb-ft). This is allowing the model to burn 5.3 liters of fuel every 100 km (53.3 mpg UK / 44.3 mpg US) and emit just 139 g/km of CO2.

The 2013 Ford Figo facelift is also getting a different front bumper and modified engine hood, redesigned lower and upper grilles and the Ambiente is available with 8-spoke wheels, while the Trend is coming with a new design for the alloy rims. The entry-level Figo Ambiente is packing the ABS, EBD and Passive Anti-Theft System (PATS) amongst others

[soucre:inautonews.com]