Wednesday 30 November 2016

Audi’s Quattro division set to rename Audi Sport



The German based luxury carmaker, Audi has announced that the Quattro GmbH division will be renamed to Audi Sport GmbH. The Quattro is the performance and technology division established in Neckarsulm in 1983 and around 1,200 employees working over there. With the new Sport brand name, the carmaker will manage the Audi sporty RS models, customer race cars, R8 models and Audi Sport lifestyle products.
Audi Sport GmbH will plan to introduce the eight new models in the next 18 months to increase the company’s position in the luxury car market. Additionally, the authorised Audi Sport dealers to be increased from 370 to 600 by the end of the next year.
Currently, the Audi Sport GmbH division has the huge list of product portfolio that consists of the Audi RS3 sedan, Audi RS6 Avantand RS6 Avant Performance, Audi RS Q and Audi RS Q3 performance, Audi RS7 Sportback and RS7 Sportback performance, Audi R8 Coupe and Audi R8 Spyder, Audi TT RS Coupe, Audi TT RS Roadster and Audi S8 Plus.
The Audi A6 and A7 models to get the sports versions along with the fastest versions of the Audi Q5 and Audi Q7 SUVs from the new Sports division. In fact, the Audi A6 and A7 models have received the facelifts in the market.
Currently, the few RS versions available in the Indian market and the new announcement creates the interest in the Indian customers like what models will come to India in the coming months. Some of the Sports models confirmed for the global market will also be offered in India.

2017 Audi Q5 Luxury SUV Spied in Mumbai



The 2017 Audi Q5 is the upcoming luxury SUV that has been spied for the testing at Mumbai surroundings, according to the automotive industry report.  The pre-production Audi Q5 model has attended the test with no camouflage and the model will be assembled at the company’s Aurangabad plant. The upcoming luxury SUV is the second generation model that will most probably launch in the second-half of the next year in the country.
The Audi Q5 will be developed based on the MLB-Evo platform, which also shares in new generation Audi cars, such as Audi Q7, Audi A4 and Audi A5. The new Audi Q5 is 34mm longer, 4mm taller, 51mm wider and 12mm longer in wheelbase compared to the existing model.
Let’s talk about the specifications, the current Audi Q5 is only offered with the 2.0 TDI engine and the drivetrain of Quattro AWD. The engine is mated with the 7-Speed S-Tronic gearbox to send the power to all wheels. This combination is expected to be offered in the upcoming Audi Q5 with slightly more power.
The Audi Q5 petrol variant to be offered at the launch and the model comes with the specifications pack of the 2.0L TFSI 252PS petrol, standard Quattro AWD and 7-speed S-Tronic. The expected specifications of the Audi Q5 are Matrix LED headlights, ambient lighting with the around 30 different colors, dynamic turn signals, Audi Virtual Cockpit included with the high-resolution 12.3-inch display, MMI Navigation Plus infotainment with the MMI touch and 8.3-inch display, tri-zone climate control and Qi wireless charging.
The 2017 Audi Q5 to be available in the Indian showrooms in the mid months of 2017.

Tuesday 29 November 2016

All Volkswagen Polo and Vento versions get dual airbags and ABS

Volkswagen, the German car company has announced that all variants of the VW Polo and Vento get the standard safety features of Antilock Braking System and dual airbags. Both Volkswagen cars with the standard features are available with the all authorised Volkswagen dealerships in the country. The introduction of the standard features on the best-selling Volkswagen cars is worthy for the Indian customers.
Michael Mayer, director of VW Passenger Cars India, said we at Volkswagen believe that the safety features are the primary need in cars so that the company has announced the standard safety features. The Introduction of the standard safety features to increase the company’s market range in India, according to him.
With the committed announcement, the Indian customers will enjoy the safe driving experience. In fact, the Volkswagen Polo has obtained the 4-star safety rating in the protection of the adult occupant in the global agency’s crash test. Very recently, the company has introduced the performance-based version, Polo GTI in India for the potential customers. Currently, the German company is also available with the more powerful Polo GT TSI and GT TDI versions.
The Volkswagen Vento is also offered with the limited edition, namely Vento Preferred in India along with the different versions, which consist of three engine options, such as 1.5L TDI, 1.6L MPI and 1.2L TSI.

Suzuki Baleno (Maruti Baleno) launched in Bahrain


The India-made Baleno has launched as the Suzuki Baleno in Bahrain at BHD 4,850, equal to Rs. 8.82lakhs in Indian currency. The hatchback on sale in Bahrain offered with the chrome finished door handles, HID projector headlights, LED DRLs, privacy glass, roof spoiler, rear wiper, 16-inch alloy wheels and 185/55 R16 tyres. The Bahrain-specific Suzuki Baleno comes with the boot volume of 355-litres that can be extended to 1,085 litres with the folded rear seat.
The interior of the Baleno hatchback offers with the new dashboard with silver accents, fabric upholstery, 2-DIN music system, six audio speakers, leather covered multi-function steering wheel, 4.2-inch TFT color display, as well. The safety features offered in the Baleno are ABS, six airbags, EBD, rear disc brakes and EBA.
Speaking of the mechanical specifications, the hatchback on sale in Bahrain is offered by the 1.4-litre K14B petrol engine, which is naturally-aspirated and rated at 94PS power and 130Nm torque. The local-specific Baleno is available with either 5-speed manual gearbox or 4-speed automatic gearbox.
The Baleno is offered in Bahrain with the warranty of five years and unlimited kilometres along with the insurance, registration, as well. With this kind of facilities, the Baleno will have the best market in the country.

Monday 28 November 2016

Volkswagen Arteon to attend 2017 Geneva Motor Show

Volkswagen has unveiled the first official look of the new Volkswagen Arteon in a sketch format, ahead of its global debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show in the next year. According to the company, the sketch provides the first appearance of the new top model that will be positioned above the VW Passat to target the middle-class buyers.
The German company expected that the new VW Arteon will replace the Passat CC four-door coupe in the global line-up. The complete specifications and details of the Arteon yet to be revealed while the four-door fastback is expected to feature the horizontal radiator grille and LED headlights.
Volkswagen expected that the new design of the upcoming model to get the dominant appearance and striking layout. Moreover, the VW Arteon fastback will get the specifications like frameless windows, improved boot and top-hinged tailgates like in the VW family models, Skoda Superb and Audi A7.
The exterior design of the upcoming VW model is unique with the combination of the expressive design and practical values, according to Tobias Suhlmann, exterior designer of Volkswagen. As per the report, the new model to be based on the Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) platform and offered by the increased cabin space in the rear.
The VW Arteon is 50mm longer than the VW Passat and sufficient for 1700L of luggage volume when the rear seats folded. The new Volkswagen model will receive the engines from the MQB based models, 1.4-litre and 2.0-litre TSI turbocharged petrol and 2.0 TDI turbo diesel engines. Coming to the transmission, the upcoming model will get the 7-speed DSG gearbox, which helps to send the power to all wheels through the 4MATIC system.
The VW Arteon model will be debut at the Geneva in the month of March 2017 and received the market launch by the mid months of the next year.

Audi to expand Sport’s RS range by 2018


The luxury carmaker of the Volkswagen Group, Audi plans to increase its sports RS range in the automotive market by 2018. The reports indicated that the portfolio of the RS range models to be expanded from seven to fifteen by the next year. One of the company’s officials said that the RS badged models will be increased with the variety of specifications.  
Currently, the Sports RS range of Audi includes RS Q3, RS3, TT RS, RS6 and RS7 and the company has also considered the RS versions of the future generation Audi A4 and A5 cars. Moreover, the high-performance variants of the every model in the portfolio will get the Sports range, like the RS8, RSQ7, RSQ2, etc.
In fact, the company has launched the Audi TT RS Coupe and Audi TT RS Roadster models in this year with the 2.5-litre turbocharged engine. Additionally, Audi has showcased the RS3 saloon car at the Paris Motor Show.
Stephan Winkelmann, head of the performance sub-brand of German marque, said the company has a lot of plans but, we didn’t disclose them. The complete details of the new models of the Audi RS range will bring to you soon.

Porsche aims to sell 20,000 electric cars annually


The Volkswagen Group’s Porsche aims to sell 20,000 units of its first electric car in a year, according to the report from a German magazine. The statement was announced by the luxury carmaker’s chief executive, Mr Oliver Blume in the meeting with one of the popular German magazines, Automobilwoche. Porsche’s first electric car, the Mission E will be launched in the automotive market in 2019.
Porsche is the second highest contributor to the Volkswagen Group in terms of profit and expected to create 1400 jobs for the development, production and sales of Porsche Mission E, which competes with the Tesla Model S.
The company sold 31,350units of Porsche 911s in the global market in 2015 and of which, 8,360 units from the US market. As an effect, the carmaker puts the goal of 20,000 Mission E electric car sales annually.
Porsche profit declined in July due to the lesser sales and the group’s major scandal so that the company needs to sell at least 10,000 units in a year to make the profit. The electric car specialist in the US market, Tesla had total sales of 50,580 units in 2015, therefore the company targets to at least touch the 20,000 sales in a year.
The Porsche Mission E is the fully electric and sports sedan, which reaches the acceleration speed of 0 to 62mph in just 3.5seconds with the speed 600hp. The four-seater electric car powered by the lithium-ion battery pack and reached the driving range of above 300 miles on 15-min charge of battery.

Sunday 27 November 2016

Volkswagen India imported Passat 1.6 TDI for R&D


Volkswagen India is planning to bring its Passat brand back to the Indian market by the next year and the company has already started the testing of the vehicle in the country. The carmaker is considering both diesel versions and the hybrid version of the Passat GTE for the Indian market. Around two months back, the automaker has imported the diesel version of the Passat, which is available with the 2.0-litre TDI engine. The industry expected that the Passat GTE will come to India for R&D soon but, the company has surprisingly imported the lesser 1.6-litre TDI diesel version of the car.
All are expected that the Volkswagen Passat will see the production with the 2.0-litre TDI engine, but it has imported the smaller diesel version for research and development. The total indicates that the carmaker may plan to downsize the powertrain like the Audi A4. Previously, the luxury carmaker Audi introduced the new Audi A4 sedan with the smaller and less powerful engine of 1.4-litre TFSI instead of the older engine 1.8-ltre TFSI.
The new Volkswagen Passat sedan has unveiled for the first time in India in GTE avatar at the 2016 Auto Expo. AT that time, the company has announced that the Passat will be launched in India by the next year to compete with the newly launched Honda Accord Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid.
Speaking of the engines, the Passat diesel version will be offered by the four-cylinder motors, 2.0-litre TDI and 1.6-litre TDI, which will be tuned to increase the fuel efficiency and performance. The hybrid version, Passat GTE will be offered by the 1.4-litre TSI engine, which mated to the powerful electric motor and has the capacity to return combined output of 215bhp. The 6-speed DSG will be offered as the standard transmission option in the Passat GTE.
Volkswagen India will introduce the Passat diesel versions with two 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre engine options in the country followed by the GTE version.

Saturday 26 November 2016

Maruti Suzuki stops Ritz (compact hatchback) production

The automotive sources reported that the leading Indian car manufacturer has stopped the Maruti Suzuki Ritz production in India. The statement was directly disclosed by the development sources to ET Auto. Moreover, the carmaker has also indicated that zero production of the compact hatchback (Ritz) in the last two months, based on the reports from SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) data.
Some of the sources recommended that the Ritz will be replaced by the Maruti Ignis compact crossover. In fact, the company has planned to stop the production in February 2016 but, the company has received the production of 28,000 units in India. So that the company has continued the production of Ritz to July 2016.
Besides, the Ritz compact hatchback reported the least number of sales compared to the Celerio and Swift. As per the reports, Maruti Suzuki Ritz reported 3038, 2515 and 5 units in the last three months (August to October). Launched in 20009, the Ritz has received 2500 to 3000 units of sales per month and not been successful in the country. The sales structure of the compact hatchback is very less compared to its siblings and other Maruti Suzuki cars. With these reasons, the company stops the production of Ritz.

Six Suzuki Cars Attended 2016 Bogota Motor Show


Six Suzuki models, Suzuki Baleno, Suzuki Swift GT Line, Suzuki Swift Sport, as well have made its introduction at the 2016 Bogota Motor Show in this month. The Suzuki Baleno premium hatchback is exported from India and offered with the four-cylinder 1.4L K14B petrol engine for Colombia. With the naturally aspirated engine, the Suzuki Baleno produces 94PS power and 130Nm torque. The showcased Baleno is available with the specifications of the 5-speed manual gearbox, six airbags, Bluetooth connectivity, ABS, EBD and Color display. In Colombia, the Suzuki Baleno is priced COP 49,990,000 (Rs 10.77 Lakhs).

Along with the Suzuki Baleno, the Suzuki Swift Sport was showcased in Colombia and it costs COP 76,990,000. The Swift Sport is powered by the 4-cylinder 1.6L engine, which is rated at 134hp and 160Nm and mated to the 6-speed manual gearbox.
The existing Swift GT Line also showcased at the show and it is powered by the 1.4L four-cylinder VVT engine, which is comfortable with the 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic gearbox and rated at 94PS and 130Nm output. The Swift GT Line costs COP 49,990,000 in Colombia.
Along with the Baleno, other Suzuki models presented at the 2016 Bogota Auto Show are Suzuki Alto, Suzuki Jimmy, and Suzuki Swift Dzire.

Friday 25 November 2016

Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Felicity edition available in India


The leading carmaker, Maruti Suzuki has introduced the limited edition of the Wagon R, which was named Felicity, in the Indian market. The special edition of the hatchback comes with the cosmetic updates like the reverse parking sensors along with voice guidance and display, Bluetooth music system and speakers. Moreover, it comes with the new PU seat, body graphics, steering cover and rear spoiler for an additional look to the hatchback.
The Wagon R Felicity limited edition will be offered in two variants, LXi and VXi with all current fuel and gearbox options. The limited edition available in the market at the price tag of Rs. 4.40lakh on the LXI variant and Rs. 5.37lakh on the VXi AMT (O) variant.
on the occasion of the Wagon R Felicity introduction, Mr RS Kalsi, executive director of Maruti Suzuki said Wagon R is the successful car brand in the Indian market so that we wanted to introduce the brand by creating something special with the feature rich look. The special and fresh look of the Wagon R will have the popularity and more acceptance compared to the existing models, according to him.
The Wagon R is the company’s successful product along with the Alto 800, Alto K10, Swift and Swift Dzire and received the updates to keep the brand alive forever. The Wagon R has occupied one position in the list of top five selling cars in India for the last five years. In the period of April to October 2016, Maruti Suzuki has sold more than 1lakh units of the hatchback with the sales growth of 2.7% compared to the year-ago period.
The cost of the Maruti Wagon R is reasonable with the host of AMT and fuel options so that it receives the long-term success in the market. The company is expecting that the limited edition, Wagon R Felicity will attract the more buyer, especially compact car customers and Wagon R supporters.

Volkswagen aims to become world leader in electric cars by 2025


The German car company, Volkswagen aims to become a global leader in the segment of electric cars by 2025 with the introduction of variety models. The company is focusing on the clean-energy vehicles to overcome the major diesel emission scandal. Volkswagen plans to sell 10lakh electric cars per year and also wants to become the global electric car leader by 2025.
To increase the portfolio of electric cars, the company will be funded new investments and applied more fundamental changes in the next 10 years. Volkswagen has already committed for biggest revamp and concentred on the future technologies like self-driving cars, electric cars and digitalisation.
Volkswagen is trying to increase the company’s core brand by expanding the future rich portfolio of products.  Hence, it is working on the next-generation cars in all kinds of segments, especially in the e-cars segment. Before that, the VW Group tries to recover from the diesel emission scandal raised in the last year. The default device with the emission cheating software installed in 11 million diesel vehicles and the crisis damaged the company’s image as well as hurt sales in the global market.
Volkswagen has launched the larger and seven-seat SUV, Atlas and plans to introduce 17 new SUVS in the global market by 2020. The carmaker want to take the big step that will be continuously expanded in the worldwide with the long-term plans and clear strategies.
Besides, the company has announced that it plans to cut 30,000 jobs to save Rs. 26,843 Crore (3.7 billion euros) as it has planned to investment in future technologies. The list of the India-specific VW cars to be increased in the coming years as most of the Indian customers will wait for the better models with the new technologies.

Mahindra officially discontinued two-door e2o electric car in India


With the introduction of the Mahindra e2oPlus four-door variant, the largest Indian utility vehicle maker has confirmed that the e2o two-door electric car discontinued in India. Mahindra has also removed the two-door e2o from its official website. However, the two-door e2o electric cars will be exported as the 2 door models have more demand in the global markets.
The two-door electric car has received the disappointing number of sales in the country so that the company has launched the four-door Mahindra e2oPlus. The four-door models are more comfortable and more value in the domestic market as the Indian customers habituate with the regular four-door vehicles.
Mahesh Babu, Mahindra Electric CEO said, we expected that the Indian customers will give more value to the Mahindra e2oPlus than the 2 door e2o electric car. So, the company confirmed that the e2o won’t be sold in India. Moreover, Babu added that we don’t have plans to introduce the two-door models in India.
Some of the sources reported that the 2-door e2o will be made based on the customer’s order but, Mahindra puts an end to such kind of rumour with the new announcement. In fact, the two-door Mahindra e2o was introduced as a first electric car under the brand of Mahindra Reva in 2013. The model also received the subsidy from the Indian government under the FAME scheme.
Currently, Mahindra e2oPlus available with a more powerful motor that is rated at 41bhp and 91Nm maximum output. The four-door version offers with the top speed of 85km/h and supports the 140km range with the bigger battery.
The new Mahindra electric car is available in four colors, Wine Red, Coral Blue, Solid White and Arctic Silver. The e2oPlus is offered in P4, P6 and P8 variants, which priced in the range of Rs. 5.46lakh to Rs. 8.46lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Wednesday 23 November 2016

2017 Volkswagen Polo GT TDI to get Ameo’s 1.5L 110PS TDI engine


Based on the new reports, the upcoming 2017 Volkswagen Polo GT TDI will power by the 1.5-litre 110PS TDI engine, which is used in the Volkswagen Ameo. The same turbodiesel engine was also introduced in the Volkswagen Vento and rated at 110 PS of power at 4000 rpm and the torque of 250Nm at the frequency range from 1500 to 3000rpm.
The largest turbocharger helps the hatchback to give the best performance. Unlike the Vento and Ameo, the Polo GT TDI will get the 7-speed DSG as the standard transmission instead of the 5-speed manual gearbox.
Thrust Zone has captured the images of the spotted model, which gets no exterior changes. Being a high trim, the model gets the 15-inch Estrada alloy wheels, Milan Titanschwarz fabric upholstery, Climatronic automatic air conditioning, ambient lighting, dual airbags and rear parking sensors.
Additionally, the Polo GT TDI to get the advanced specifications like touchscreen infotainment system that was attached with Mirrorlink connectivity. The same feature was already available in the existing Polo Highline.
Volkswagen continuously increases its portfolio in the Indian market with the introduction of new models and variants. Just less than five months of period, the German carmaker has launched Ameo compact sedan, Volkswagen Polo GTI, Polo AllStar edition and Vento Preferred edition in the country. Volkswagen India is planning to launch the new range of vehicles in both passenger car and electrical segments by the end of this decade.
Moreover, the local unit of Volkswagen is expanding its network in India to increase the brand range, equal to the Indian carmakers. Volkswagen India is working on the next-generation Polo and Vento models, which will get the new engine options and specifications according to the customer requirements.

Maruti Suzuki Ignis launch scheduled in early months of 2017


The news about the Marui Suzuki Ignis is usually updating in the automotive market since its first debut at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. The Indian carmaker was previously planned to introduce its Ignis crossover in the Indian market during the festive months of 2016. But, the launch has postponed to the next year due to the waiting period of Baleno and Brezza. Currently, Maruti Suzuki planning to launch upcoming sub-4metre crossover in the Q1 of 2017.
Very recently, the India-bound Suzuki (Maruti) Ignis was showcased at the 2016 Bogota Auto Show. The Suzuki Ignis has been made its debut in the European market at the 2016 Paris Motor Show and already on sales in the Japanese market.
The India-specific Ignis is expected to be slightly different from the global-specific Suzuki Ignis, in terms of styling and features. Maruti Suzuki Ignis will receive the engine options from the Baleno premium hatchback, such as 1.2-litre K-Series 84bhp petrol and 1.3-litre DDiS 73.9bhp diesel motors. Moreover, the Maruti Ignis will get the SHVS mild hybrid system to return the best mileage.
In the International markets, the Suzuki Ignis measuring the length of 3700mm, the width of 1660mm, height of 1595mm, ground clearance of 180mm and wheelbase of 2438mm. The global-specific crossover underpinned by the Baleno’s platform and available with the features like LED daytime running lamps, projector headlamps, newly designed grille, as well.
Coming to the safety features, the Ignis will get the dual front airbags, side airbags, curtain airbags, lane departure warning, EBD, ABS and ESP. The Maruti Ignis will compete with the sub-4metre vehicles, in terms of features and price. The Baleno RS with the Boosterjet petrol engine will also be introduced in the first quarter of the next year.

Mahindra opens new spare parts warehouse in Jaipur


The largest Indian utility vehicle manufacturer, Mahindra has inaugurated the new spare parts warehouse in Jaipur. Mahindra has invested a total of Rs. 150 Crore on the new facility in Mahindra World City (MWC) and the facility will cater the spare parts in North and North West regions using the company’s farm equipment business. With the new facility, the company will create more than 450 jobs in the Jaipur.

Jaipur’s new facility is the utility vehicle maker’s 4th spare parts warehouse, which is one of the most modern and largest warehouses in the Indian market. This is the first one opened in northern India and offer the automotive as well as tractor spare parts to the North West and North region Mahindra customers as per their requirements.
The other three facilities opened in India, Kanhe for Automotive Parts, Hyderabad for Commercial Vehicle Parts, and Bhiwandi for Tractor Parts, which supplies spare parts directly to the Mahindra dealerships. With the introduction of the new facility, the company will satisfy the large set of customers as well as fulfill the requirements of sales and services.
Mr Hemant Sikka, Mahindra’s Chief Purchase Officer (Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors) announced that the inauguration of the new facility in Jaipur is the pride moment for the company. Besides, Mahindra has invested the new spare parts facility in Rajasthan and we expected that it will increase the industrial growth in the Northern region. In the coming years, Mahindra will expand the network of spare parts warehouses in Kanhe, West Bengal and Southern states, according to him.