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IRDA plans to introduce long term insurance plans for vehicle owners. Currently, motor vehicle have to renew their insurance every year which is hassle for many not just because of the process of renewing but also due to pesky calls from insurance companies. The long term which could be plan for 5 years at one go could be cheaper as well compared to the current method.  IRDA also aims to use this long-term policy cover to promote insurance, especially in rural areas. However we still don’t whether long term plans can be availed by new car owners only or for customers with different vehicle age also.  Watch this space for latest updates.

Tata Zest Review

Tata Zest, a new vehicle entered into the Tata Motors sedan segment which looks very trendy and upmarket compared to its similar other vehicles such as Indica Vista, Hyundai Xcent, Honda Amaze, Maruti Suzuki Dzire and Indigo manza. The Zest is expected to be priced around Rs.6-7 lakhs respectively.

Dimensions

The dimensions in terms of its length, width and height are described below.

1)      Length – 3995 mm

2)      Width – 1706 mm

3)      Height – 1570 mm

Along with that, it has a larger wheelbase of around 2,470 mm and ground clearance of about 165 mm.

Design and Style

Exteriors

Actually, the new Tata Zest is completely different from other vehicles with its exterior design, interior, powertrain and underpinnings which makes it very fresh and new.  At the front end, the vehicle gets a Tata smile grille which has metamorphosed into the humanity line and trust line above and below the radiator grille. The headlamps are very bright with LED rings around the projector lenses resembling rings of BMW cars.  These projector lamps are really good offering better vision at night time ride. It consists of two chrome lines above and below the honeycomb mesh radiator grille extending itself into an attractive headlamp by making use of chrome elements.

In the middle of the black honeycomb mesh grille, the Tata emblem is situated looking very bold and strong.  The bonnet of the vehicle incorporates a mild power bulge which is quite good. Below that, the bumper houses a large central air dam with twin horizontal slats adding visual width to the new vehicle. The car gets a boomerang shaped LED daytime lights giving an unique character.  The window sills are decorated by chrome treatments while the remaining part comes in black plastic. It features a sharply styled OVRMs as well as turn signals with dual tone color combination of body colored and black color. The side profile of the vehicle is well furnished with slashed out, straight alloy wheel s with 185/60 16 inch tire for better road performance.  Apart from other external features, it has a LED tail lamps at the rear joined by a wide chrome garnish above the number plate which is quite beautiful.  The Tata Zest is well fitted with an advanced braking mechanism of AntiLock Braking System and an adjusted suspension system for better handling of the vehicle even cornering.

Interiors

Not only the exteriors, the interiors also looks very new with dual black and beige color combination interiors offering an appearance of world class cabin.  The dashboard of the Tata Zest is decent with silver trim inserts, three spoke multi function steering wheel, air conditioning vents flowing with the sweep of that dashboard.  It has a revised instrument cluster with an integrated multi-information display and five inch touch screen infotainment system from Haman, with integrated navigation from Map My India.  The Tata Zest comes with small highlights including mirror finished plastic strip above the glove box looks like a luxurious wood finish. The cabin is very spacious provided with premium quality material seats which give an excellent fit and finish.  It also offers more space in order to keep leg, shoulder and knee for every passenger.  It is possible to keep many luggages with a boot space capacity of about 390 litres.  In addition to all, the Tata Zest has several good features such as smartphone pairing, voice recognition for controlling the infotainment system, twin drive modes etc.

Engine Specification

The new Tata Zest comes in both petrol and diesel engine options such as 1.2 litre turbocharged petrol and 1.3 litre Quadrajet diesel motor VGT and AMT diesel engine.  The diesel engine is expected to deliver the maximum power output of 73 BHP and maximum torque output of 200 NM with a five speed manual gearbox.  It may be available with the option of an Automated Manual Transmission. Similarly, the Revotron 1.2 litre turbocharged petrol engine gives the power of 83 BHP and torque of 140 NM. The fuel efficiency of the new Tata Zest is expected to deliver 12 kmpl and ARAI mileage may be around 22-23 kmpl.

Braking and Suspension

The braking and suspension is really good with front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.  This combination of disc and drum brakes helps to halt the vehicle suddenly without any skidding. On the other hand, the vehicle is easy to handle with a dual path independent McPherson Strut with anti roll bar suspension at the front and semi independent twish beam with coil spring at the rear suspension which is quite outstanding.

Verdict

The consumers can choose the new Tata Zest for its excellent exterior design and styling features.  Along with that, it gets a much improved interior design, powerful revotron petrol engine, better driving dynamics, extended equipments and first in class automated manual F-Tronic transmission etc. All these excellent features would definitely impress the consumers. Eventhough it has many good features, the Zest need some improvements over the interiors and especially airbags should be included.

Inspired by the impulse, Hero showcased the Passion PRO TR at the auto expo. Now Hero Motocorp seems to have launched the model silently in the market. The off roader (yes you read it right) passion pro tr has reached showrooms though the sales is yet to begin. The pseudo off-roader look could be nice addition to instil the charm of the ageing Passion brand. However the acceptance of this pseudo off roader among the mileage and price conscious customers is yet to be seen.

Passion PRO TR comes with new off road-tyres,new headlamp grill,engine guard, knee pad on fuel tank, raised front fender, a tyre hugger, cross bar in the handle bar and plate. However the mechanical remains the same. Passion Pro TR shares the same 97.2cc engine which pumps out 7.8PS of peak power at 7500 rpm and 8.04Nm of peak torque at 4500 rpm. The fuel tank with knee pads now gets an increased fuel tank capacity of 12.8 litres. Passion Pro TR is available in three colours – Electric Blue, Sports Red and    Black with Sports Red.

Mahindra which is extensively testing its new 110cc scooter to take on the mighty Honda activa might come up smart intelligent features. Mahindra first introduced remote flip key, follow me headlamps and anti theft system in its 106cc motorcycle – centuro. Centuro is received well by the customers considering the fact that Mahindra is a new manufacturer in the two wheeler industry. Mahindra is keen to replicate the same in the scooter segment where it already sells 125cc duro dz and rodeo rz. The 110cc will take the manufacturer to directly compete in the mass segment where currently activa, maestro and wego is dominating. Especially remains the king in the scooter segment ever since its launch. Mahindra G101 (internal code) scooter looks to upset the run of the Activa with these new features. Whether it can? only time will tell

Spy pictures of Mahindra G101

It seems like Bajaj is fed up with camouflaging its upcoming pulsar 150NS. The bike is now driven across various cities without any camouflage. The new pulsar was expected to be launched before july. However, Bajaj Auto seems to have holded its plan for unknown reasons. KTM RC200 and KTM RC390 are also waiting to see the light for a longer time. Coming back to the pulsar 150NS, similar to its predecessor 150NS will also bring in innovative technologies like 4 valve engine and monoshock suspension to suit the needs of new age buyer. However, the introduction of fuel injection in pulsar 150NS might still be a dream considering the fact that Bajaj has not introduced 200NS FI in India (though its available in international markets).  But going by the Bajaj’s History pulsar 150NS will be price competitively and fuel efficient as well (a deadly combination to set the sales chart fire).

Pictures of Bajaj Pulsar 150NS (credits to motoroids.com)

Nissan Sunny 2014 Review

The Japanese manufacturer Nissan has launched its new face lifted Sunny priced at Rs.6.99 lakh for the petrol variant and Rs.7.99 lakh for the diesel variant.  The new Sunny would definitely be a tough competitor to its similar other new cars in terms of style, class leading space and engine transmission packages.

Variants

The Sunny 2014 comes in both petrol and diesel variants.  The petrol variants of the car along with its price details includes

1)      Nissan Sunny XE –  Rs.6.99 lakh

2)      Nissan Sunny XL – Rs.7.61 lakh

3)      Nissan Sunny XL CVT – Rs.8.91 lakh

Similarly, the diesel variants of the new Sunny are described below.

1)      Nissan Sunny XE D – Rs.7.99 lakh

2)      Nissan Sunny XL D – Rs.8.60 lakh

3)      Nissan Sunny XV D – Rs.9.33 lakh

4)      Nissan Sunny XV D Premium (Leather) – Rs.9.80 lakh

5)      Nissan Sunny XV D Premium (Safety) – Rs.9.60 lakh

Colors

The attractive color shades available for all the variants of Sunny 2014 are listed below.

1)      Night Shade

2)      Pearl White

3)      Deep Gray

4)      Onyx Black

5)      Bronze Grey

6)      Blade Silver

Dimensions

The new Sunny comes with an excellent external dimensions in terms of its length, width and height which includes

1)      Length – 4455 mm

2)      Width – 1695 mm

3)      Height – 1515 mm

Along with that, the vehicle provides the larger wheelbase of around 2600 mm, minimum turning radius of 5.3 m and boot space of about 490 litres respectively.

Design and Style

Exteriors

The company brought some changes at the exterior of the Sunny 2014 which makes everybody to turn their head at the first sight. The exterior appearance is very elegant with an aerodynamic lines and chrome highlights.  The front headlights of the vehicle go very deeper into the bumper and more prominent Nissan grille.  The revised headlight and fog lamp provides a bright and clear vision during the night time ride.  The chin of the Sunny 2014 has been decorated up with chrome accents around the fog lamps.  It has a high tech option of start stop engine which simplifies life and elevates the whole experience.  At the top of the Sunny, a short Antenna is placed for getting clear signal which is quite useful.  The new vehicle comes with a dual horn option, green tinted glass and many other excellent features.  Apart from that, it has a body colored outside door mirrors, rear defroster with timer,  black sash tape on B pillar etc. In terms of safety and security, the Sunny 2014 is well incorporated with engine immobilizer, airbags,  ABS + EBD, Brake Assist, central door lock, low fuel level warning, door ajar warning, headlight on warning lamp, key remove warning lamp, speed sensing auto door lock, Anti Theft device with alarm and many more.  All these features altogether ensure much safety and security to both the driver and passengers.

Interiors

Nissan has improved a lot in terms of its design, comfort, convenience and entertainment features.  It comes with a simple elegance which looks very trendy and modern.  At the front, the car has been offered with a decent dashboard with connectivity to live life on the go.  The top end XV premium 1 and premium 2 trims features a leather seats and leather wrapped gear knobs, a completely new 2 DIN audio system with Bluetooth Connectivity and a display screen for the reversing camera.  The cabin has been further enhanced with the steering mounted audio controls of chrome finish which is quite premium. The cabin is really attractive, luxurious and spacious along with class leading rear knee room, premium textures and a focus on comfort assuring that every passenger feels like a VIP.  One of the most important modifications over the Sunny involves that the multiple shades of grey interior have been replaced by a look which comes across as a lot. Along with that, there is a new leather covered steering, chrome line dials, centre console of piano black, silver accents lift the ambience if the cabin considerably.  Apart from that, it also provides a larger space to keep the passenger luggage’s and everything very safely.

Engine Specification

The Nissan Sunny 2014 has been developed with a better performance engine ensuring high power and torque delivery.  The petrol variants of the vehicle comes with a 1498 cc, HR15 engine which delivers the maximum power output of 99 PS at 6000 RPM/101 PS at 5600 RPM (CVT) and maximum torque output of 134 NM at 4000 RPM.  On the other hand, the diesel variants of the Sunny 2014 has been designed with a 1461 cc, K9K dCi engine producing the peak power of 86 PS at 3750 RPM and peak torque of 200 NM at 2000 RPM respectively.  The petrol variant of the vehicle is incorporated with a five speed MT/CVT where as the diesel variants have a five speed MT.

Fuel Efficiency

The new Sunny is expected to be one of the fuel efficient car with fuel tank capacity of 41 litres. The vehicle is well equipped with an electronic fuel injection control for the petrol variants and common rail system for the diesel variants which is quite outstanding.  It has an Electronic Power Steering for both petrol and diesel variants giving more power to the vehicle. The fuel efficiency of the petrol variants of Sunny 2014 includes 16.95 Kmpl for MT and 17.97 Kmpl for CVT while the diesel variant delivers an impressive fuel efficiency of around 22.71 Kmpl.

Brakes and Suspensions

The Sunny 2014 is well packed with a sound and dynamic braking and handling features.  Both petrol and diesel engine is fitted with disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear. These combinations of disc and drum brakes ensure immediate stopping of the vehicle while driving even at high speeds.  The vehicle is easy to handle with the McPherson Strut front suspension and Torsion Bar rear suspension.  The side profile of the car is decorated with steel and alloy wheels depending upon the variants.  The variants such as XE, XL, XL CVT comes with a steel wheels with tire size of 185/70 R14 and other variants XV, XV Premium has an alloy wheel with a tire size of 185/65 R15. This excellent road grip tyre gives better road performance even in wet and bumpy roads.

Safety Features

The Sunny 2014 has lot of exciting and thrilling safety features which are listed below.

1)      Engine Immobilizer

2)      Airbags

3)      ABS + EBD

4)      Brake Assist

5)      Central Door Lock

6)      Low Fuel Level Warning

7)      Door Ajar Warning

8)      Headlight On Warning Lamp

9)      Key Remove Warning Lamp

10)   Speed Sensing Auto Door Lock

11)   Anti Theft Device With Alarm

Verdict

Overall, the Sunny 2014 is good at exterior and interior designs along with an advanced technology engine which would definitely impress the car enthusiasts.  Additionally, the vehicle offers more comfort, convenience and safety which is really good.

 

 

Honda today launched  CD 110 Dream to take on the Hero Motocorp in the competitive 100cc market will soon launch a premium 160cc motorcycle to take on the Bajaj Pulsar. Honda’s attempt to capture performance seekers has been a failure. First  came the Unicorn India’s first bike with monoshock suspension and then the Unicorn dazzler with rear disc brake. Honda even brought the CBR150R replica of mighty Honda CBR1000RR. However none of these bikes could match the  Bajaj Pulsar’s run.  Honda’s upcoming premium commuter bike will be powered by a slightly more powerful single-cylinder, 160cc, four-stroke engine and will be sportier than existing 150cc models.  It will take on the newly launched Yamaha FZ FI, Bajaj Pulsar 150cc and TVS apache.  Whether the new bike will come with fuel injection technology is not known.

Honda which is on a warpath to become India’s No 1 bike maker has unleashed another low cost variant of it dream series bike. Honda which is already quipped to be making loss on dream series bikes ( to the tune of Rs2000 – Rs4000) surprised everyone by launching a bike at Rs41,100 which is cheaper than Hero HF dawn by Rs50. Honda test ride mode that is close to actual city riding conditions / ICAT mileage 83.32 kmpl). CD Dream 110 is powered by a 110cc engine producing a power output of 8.25 BHP @ 7500 RPM and peak torque of 8.63Nm @ 5500rpm. CD 110 Dream comes with Honda Eco Technology or HET is claimed to offer 74km per litre. It comes in 3 exciting colors  – Black with Red stripe, Black with Blue Stripe and Black with Grey stripe. The bike would be available in  Kick, Drum and Spoke variant only.

As expected, yamaha today launched the 2014 version of FZ and FZ-s. The new versions comes with fuel injection technology and priced Rs 76,250, while the FZ-S is priced at Rs 78,250 (both prices, ex-showroom, Delhi). The blue core engine is said to be 14% fuel efficient over the outgoing FZ. The psuedo intakes under the tank has been revised and also the following changes. Carbureted engine is replaced with Fuel Injection technology and surprisingly it is 2kgs lesser than the outgoing one.

Pictures of 2014 Yamaha FZ and FZ-S

new instrument cluster

new tail lamp assembly

 

full tyre hugger

seat grab rail

split seats

 

 

 

TVS has said they would launch a new executive motorcycle in the 125cc segment.The recent spy pictures confirms the same. The victor is being extensively tested across Tamilnadu. Victor is said to be built on phoenix platform and in all probability it could share the body parts and engine with phoenix. However, the new styling and the brand “victor” could generate a new set of buyers for tvs. Expect the launch by the festive season