Porsche Panamera's Cabin

PORSCHE'S finally handed out pics of the new Panamera's, cabin, which promises to be as high-quality as any other car in the range, but more practical and useable than most.
Clearly, it's a strict four seater, so grandma has to be left at home. Those who get to travel though, will get to choose between13 combination of shades and materials, will get a Burmeister sound system and 445 litres of luggage space.
Porsche also reveals that PDK versions will get a stop-start system, to cut down fuel consumption and CO2.

VW Touareg Hybrid

This is the Next-Gen VW Touareg. Of course, it looks the same like the current one. But looks can be deceptive. For this reason, Volks Wagon was plastered huge stickers yelling 'Hybrid' along the sides. And to make sure they drive home the point they have even repeated it in a bigger font.
This is a prototype of what we can expect from the German marque in the not so distant future. More to the point, this is what we can expect in the new Touareg. Well, you see developing a fresh looking exterior was going to be the easy part anyway, compared to what they plan to put under the bonnet and under the car - literally. And the only reason this prototype is on these pages is because... it is brilliant.
Yes, that's the word. VW tell us this is near production has ready. That's got are appetites going. Because there are two things VW is doing differently with this environment - friendly car of the future. First, they have decided to bring ti under there umbrella blue of technology, blue motion! Yes in VW world, blue is green, which is good. More importantly they have made this vehicle capable of going fast. No, seriously fast. For starters zero - 100kph is under 7 seconds! How do you like that? Add a claimed fuel efficiency figure of over 10kpl. And just to make sure all tree - huggers stop booing the SUV, they have done it first with an SUV, knowing that this breed needs all the Eco-friendly bits. First, not small cars.
This Touareg is a petrol - electric hybrid. There is a 3.0 - litre supercharged V6, using VW's home - grown advanced direct-injection system or TSI. This is mated to an 8-speed auto, interspaced with the electric or E-motor. Some interesting figures here. The V6 TSI is capable of close to 330bhp in maximum power turns, with whopping 440nm for company. This, is note, is equivalent to the V8 that currently propels the Touareg. So in absolute terms, you will get an equally powerful engine consuming less fuel, from the simple logic that lower displacement equals lower fuel consumption. Eco - friendly bit anyone?
This is just part of story. The better half of this Hybrid is the 38 Kilowatt E-motor. This brings along just over 50bph and 300nm of the Torque. Not excited yet? Hear this. Kick down or put gearshift selector in S(yes, environment - friendly sport model!), stamp the throttle and both the petrol and electric motor work in unison. Combined, they launched an assault on tarmac with close to 550Nm torque and 372bhp. exited now?
VW isn't trying to change the world. It's using the best of watts at disposal New technology, sure, but usefully combined with what's around today. For example, the use of Nickle - metal hydride batteries to power the E-motor. This is more durable and robust that the costlier but more effective Lithium ion batteries. More importantly, NiMH does the its meant for in the Touareg Hybrid pretty well. So why go for a costlier alternative?

Fiat Linea

ALSO ADMIRED BY THE CRITICS OF THE INDIAN AUTO INDUSTRY

AUTOCAR 'Car Of The Year - 2009'
AUTOCAR 'Best Mid-Size Car - 2009'
OVERDRIVE 'Mid-Size Car Of The Year - 2009'
TOP GEAR 'BBC TopGear Medium Saloon - 2008'

BMW X3 Series

An agile diesel is perfect for India, and this engine is as good as any out there. At long last BMW decided the petrol-only X3 wasn't working as well in India as they'd like, and plugged in the sweet 2.0-litre turbo diesel from the 320d. And it works, oh it works. It's both muscular and smooth, and the 1,995cc motor manages to whip out its 177bhp and 350Nm with astonishing quietness too.
This engine should have turned the X3 from a bit to a nonentity in BMW's lineup to a star, but sadly the car's niggling flaws remain.
BMWs are supposed to be many things. Exciting, for one. Fun to drive. A bit snooty-MBA too. What they aren't supposed to be is vaguely disappointing. Which is what the X3's always been, a sort of"Oh, well, all right, maybe I can live with it" member of the BMW tribe, trying to cash in on the soft-roader trend and not entirely succeeding. It's never quite right, never really been able to get out m under the shadow of its brethren-and unfortunately, this continues.
It's a combination of things. For one, this isn't one of Bangle's better designs: it's fussily detailed, too eager to try new things at the expense of actually looking nice. The interior's better, though I'd advise you to stay away from the carroty leather we had in our test car. Also, don't think about taking a fifth person on long drives.
Handling is also a problem. Body control is excellent, but the steering doesn't weigh up as much as I'd like, and feels a bit vague through corners, which is unforgivable in a Beemer, and the brakes, through strong are squishy and have no feel.
The central problem though, is the ride. On concrete, it's fidgety. On wavy tarmac your neck hurts from all the bobbing, and over potholes your teeth clack together. It gets better at high speeds and on very smooth roads, but this sort of car is mostly used in the city, where badly laid tarmac keeps drumming at your thighs and buttocks. It's particularly bad at the rear, which bucks and kicks over speed-breakers and ruts.
See, it's not a bad car: it has a lot going for it, but it just never comes together. The other problem is that there are just too many alternatives. Want a nice, slick soft-roader? The Outlander is about 80 per cent as good for 50 per cent of the price. Want a luxury soft-roader? The Q5 and XC60 will be along soon, and being much newer, should be better sorted. Want a BMW? The 3-Series is pretty good. Want a BMW SUV? The X5 is pricier but much sweeter.
So no, The X3 in any form is not quite the car that I'd break down a BMW dealer's doors for, but if you think otherwise, the wonderful new diesel might just seal the deal.
Price: Rs 39.9 lakh (ex-showroon New Delhi)
Performance: 0-100kph in 8.9 seconds

Suzuki Splash to be launched as Maruti Ritz in India.

Maruti makes a Splash

MARUTI will continue its onslaught on the small car market with the launch of the new Ritz, aka the Suzuki Splash. The car is a second generation Wagon-R that takes its styling cues from the test of the Maruti family. The styling's being done keeping in mind European tastes, which makes this car much different from its predecessor's purely functional boxy shape.
The interiors will be very much simple but highly functional and will adopt the same design theme as the A-star.
The Ritz will also have the same 1.0-litre, three-cylinder KB series engine that is seen under the hood of the A-Star. There is even a possibility that more powerful petrol and diesel variants of the Ritz will be launched in the future. The petrol and diesel variants will have 1.3-litre engines like the one that can currently be seen in the Swift lineup.

Front angle view:-
Rear Angle View:-Side Angle View:-
Wheel and Headlamp:-
Front Seats:-

Rear Seats:-Steering Wheel:-

BMW launches its fifth and latest 7-series in India.

FIVE TIMES SEVEN

RICK FOLKS who have been looking out for a German luxury saloon but find the Mercedes - Benz S-Class a tad too common and the current BMW 7-Series' flame-surfacing design a bit too extreme can now rejoice. BMW, in an effort to cater to a wider audience with more subdued tastes, has launched the all-new but rather bland looking fifth-generation 7-Series in India.
BMW will be offering a choice between two petrol variants and one diesel for the Indian market. The first of these will b the top of the 750i, which will have a monstrous V8, will churn out 402bhp and will reach 100kph in 5.3 seconds. With an ex-showroom price of Rs 93.4 lakh, the car will be available in eight colours and will boast a long list of standard features and technology that might put a Boeing 747 to shame. The other two models, the 730Ld and 740i will be launched by mid-2009.

America to get its own F1 team; Merc's F1 participation gets sanctioned

Changing the Formula

DAIMLER'S Board narrowly approved Mercedes' participation in Formula 1 - a decision that was taken by the board after a majority affirmative vote by its members. Given the current global financial crisis, speculation continues about whether other car-makers will follow the footsteps of Honda and withdraw from this expensive sport.
But as old players exit, new ones take their place. Ken Anderson, a Nascar and Lndycar engineer, will be launching a USF1 team in 2010. The USF1 team is in the nascent stages of development. The team is still scouting for headquarters in North Carolina and has to sign drivers for next season. The team intends to showcase American technology and promote American drivers in F1.

FIAT, CHYSLER STRIKE A DEAL

Fiat Group, Italy and Chrysler LLC are forming a strategic partnership that includes Fiat taking 35 per cent stake in Chrysler. The partnership gives Chrysler Fiat's technical expertise on low emission front-wheel drive cars. This will help Chrysler to jump start work on its own small car by using Fiat's technical platforms as its base, which will save time and money. In return, Fiat will sell its cars through Chrysler's existing dealer network in America.

Mahindra and Fiat Rejoice

Auto sales have hit a 14-year low. Every car-maker is offering free TVs, insurance policies and cash discounts on their products in this time of recession. But despite this grim market scenario, Fiat and Mahindra seems to be laughing all the way to the bank. Fiat has sold 1,512 units of the Linea saloon for the month of January and Mahindra has sold 1,788 units of its MUV, the Xylo, within two weeks of the latter's launch.

VOLVO TO INCREASE INDIAN DEALERSHIPS

To tap the sales of luxury cars in the country, Volvo Car India plans to increase its presence in India by opening around nine more dealerships this year. This was announce at the appointment of a new Volvo dealership in New Delhi, Auto Kashyap India Pvt Ltd.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage,

Serious Want-age

BILL THOMAS, OF TG UK, is an Australian, and therefore a very difficult man to please. But even he was blown away when he drove Aston Martin's RS concept, the car that has now morphed into the V12 Vantage, the car that company describes as the most potent in its 95-year history. Ready to make its debut at the Geneva show in March, the V12 features a 6.0-litre engine with 510bhp and 570Nm, which will take this pint-sized beast from 0-100 in 4.1 seconds, and top out at 310kph. Aston also went and put the Vantage platform on a diet, so the V12 is only 50kg heavier than the V8 and you can even opt for carbon fired seats, chopping away a further 15kg, which sounds just the right king of hardcore. Thankfully, the car also comes with the six-speed manual 'box that Aston does so well, not the flappy-paddle system that it can never get right. Prices are expected to cross Rs 1 crore without any sort of duty. But then, you'd pay twice that for this package, wouldn't you?

New Porsche GT3 911

Like nails, but harder

THEY are not talking about us, then, but I'll still take the new 911 GT3, thangyverramuch.
It's the sort of update I like: more power, better handling and electronic aids that can be completely switched off. Porsche, with its tongue firmly in its cheek. says the new GT3 is "more usable day to day more that the previous one," but then gets back to business by saying it's much faster. The coolest bits are the single-bolt alloys and the engine mounts that stiffen when you drive quickly. The keys, please?

Renault holds on for car launch this year.

RENAULT has temporarily put on hold its plans to launch cars in India by 2010. This comes in the wake of the global slowdown as the company has decided to hold back on investments on its assembly line at the plant in Chennai.

T h e company announced a Rs 4,500 crore investment last year over a period of sever years to produce four lakh cars annually in an alliance with Nissan. However it has now stopped hiring for production activities and is awaiting for market conditions to improve. The company had originally planned to roll out cars based on four platforms where it would have a production capacity of 2 lakh units, with the rest produced in collaboration with Nissan, in a bid to keep the cars' prices down.

Citrogen DS

Revival of the Citroen DS

As part of its 90th anniversary, Citroen will announce plans for the revival of it's legendary DS range, with the unveiling of the DS3 at the Geneva Motor Show. The car will be in showrooms next year. The 2012 Citroen DS4 will follow, in the beginning of 2011, will the top-of-the-line 2011 DS5 being released at the end of the year.
The current models don't get the madness of the old DSes and although details are not out as yet, I hope it gets a fancy suspension, read hydro pneumatic.

Urban challenge

The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency of the US Defence Department has been organizing the Grand Challenge since 2004 where driverless cars cover a course in a stipulated time. The 2007 Grand Challenge was held in an urban setup and won by Tartan Racing's Chevrolet Tahoe named 'Boss' developed jointly by GM and Carnegie Mellon University. The car covered a 96km route which involved merging traffic, intersection, stop signs etc, in 4 hrs 10 mins, In the future such cars can be linked together with automated highway systems to ensure better use of highway networks.

The new Chevrolet Spark.

Another Sparking car

JUST before its unveiling the Geneva, GM has released, more details of the Spark.The Chevrolet Spark will be produced near Baroda at the GM's Halol factory. The sporty tone prevail and to give the profile a smooth look, designers have also incorporated the door handles on the C-pillar. Inside the theme has been carried over with steering mounted instruments and a large and sweeping dash.
Powering this new Spark will be a range of 1-litre and 1.2-litre four cylinder petrol mills which are claimed to provide a combination of performance and fuel economy.

Fuel Economy 12.3(city) / 16.9 km(highway), 1.0L I-4 Petrol Engines Available 1.0L S-TEC In-line 4, 63bhp Petrol Transmission 5-speed Manual Transmission

Nissan Qazana Concept.

Nissan's next concept

REPORTS suggest this concept is a hint at Nissan's net generation compact car - Qazana. It will be produced at the Sunderland plant from next year.
The design is dominated by large, wide wheel arches and a lower shape which gives a feeling of solidity. The upper body is endowed a sporty appeal. The car gets five doors, with the rear doors opening forward once the front doors have been opened, much in the style of 'suicide doors'.

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C7 launching in June 2009.

The Sting is back

AT the Chicago Auto Show GM disclosed the Corvette Stingray concept, whose form strongly reminds one of the original Corvette Stingray from 1963.

The car will be premiered on 24th June 2009 in the Spielberg film "Transformers: Revenge of the fallen". The Stingray study and the next generation Corvette C7 are based on the same platform.


The further development of the production model is currently questionable, considering the precarious financial position of GM.