Vicky.in Blog

Tata Motors which is going its difficult phase is planning a new hatchback to take on the Maruti Celerio and other hatchback to regain its customers. Tata Kite will slot between the nano and indica. Remember, earlier it was speculated a new car called dolphin will be launched on the indica platform. Whether kite and dolphin are same cars or different ones, we dont know at this point of time. Kite would be produced at Tata Motors sanand plant, an ET report claims. Tata has unused resources at its sanand plant due to the dismal sales of nano. Tata is said to be planning the launch of kite in 2015. For this year though, zest and the bolt could be the cars to watch

Royal Enfield has given  the Thunderbird a new colour shade along with introduction of new logo for the brand. The stone (matte) black colour. However what has caused ripples is the disclaimer for the Matte black colour by the company.  The disclaimer goes on to says that do not polish your motorcycle as it increases gloss and advises to wash it only with plain water.

The most deterring is the last part of the disclaimer which says scratches or marks can’t be removed.

 

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd today launched the limited edition ‘XUV500 Sportz’ built on its W8 model. XUV 500 Sportz is priced at Rs. 13.85 Lacs (Ex-showroom New Delhi),  XUV500 Sportz’ is equipped with the following features and comes at a premium over the 28 variant.

¸ Unique Alloy Wheels with signature red inserts

¸ Convenient rear-view Camera

¸ Sporty Leather-Fabric Seats

¸ Fog lamps & door handles with red accents

Speaking on the launch of the ‘XUV500 Sportz’, Vivek Nayer, Chief Marketing Officer,  Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “We are pleased to introduce the  limited edition ‘XUV500 Sportz’ for discerning customers. The Mahindra XUV500, with its winning combination of aspirational styling, advanced technology & safety features, comfort
& convenience has already created an impact in the hearts & minds of consumers. This new offering of ‘XUV500 Sportz’ aligns with our leadership position in Indian motor sports & rallying and reflects our ‘Sporty’ DNA very well. We believe that it will create a new benchmark in exclusivity to further enhance the XUV500’s appeal amongst customers.”

The much awaited upgraded edition of Karizma R and Karizma ZMR has finally hit showrooms. Hero showcased its upgraded range of products last year which included splendor i-smart, pleasure – IBS, new Karizma R and new  Karizma ZMR. Other products alos received minor updates including updated graphics. While most of these products have already been launched, the launch of new karizma R and Karizma ZMR is due for longer time. The unveiling of Hero HX250R and other all new products marred the importance to some extent.

2014 Hero Karizma R which gets  scintillating body graphics, dual dynamic head lamps, astra gold front and rear disc brakes, integrated LED tail lamp and digital analogue meter console is priced Rs83.158 (ex-showroom pune).  2014 Karizma R produces a maximum power output of 19.2 bhp. It can zoom to 0-60 km/hr time is 3.6 seconds.

2014 Karizma ZMR which produces a slightly higher peak power output of 20 bhp and peak torque of 19.7Nm at 6500 rpm is priced Rs1,04,986 (ex-showroom, Pune). 2015 Edition of Karizma R and Karizma ZMR comes in five colours – black,red,white,grey and yellow

 

 

Toyota ranks highest in dealer satisfaction ranking while Nissan is the worst among all

When the industry is going through slowdown, you can’t expect nothing more than the colours and the graphics.  Following the footsteps of Bajaj Auto (which introduced pulsar in twin colours), TVS motors has launched the Apache in Matte Black colour. Except the colour, all the mechanicals and features remain the same. TVS Apache rtr 180 is powered by an 177cc which produces 17.03bhp at 8500rpm and a maximum torque of 15.5Nm at 6500rpm. A five-speed gearbox with one down and four up gearshift patterns draws the power from the mill.

Yamaha which unsuccessfully fought 100cc segment has finally seen the gold mine in the form of scooters. After hectic consultation within the management, Yamaha finally launched the Ray scooter which was received well by the Indian customers. Buoyed by the success, Yamaha launched cygnus alpha now it plans another addition to the portfolio with delight scooter.   Delight is powered by 114cc single-cylinder air-cooled FI engine that produces 7.10bhp of peak power at 7000rpm and maximum torque of 7.6Nm at 5500rpm.

We don’t know whether India would get the Fuel injected Delight or Yamaha will use the same Ray scooter engine for the delight.  Delight scooter is spotted on the outskirts of Pune by the netizens. Delight is said to be homologised to suit the IMV act.  Expect the Delight to hit the market around the festive season.

The much expected Gixxer is all set to be launched shortly. Ever since the launch of gixxer, the expectations are running high. However despite the unveiling at the auto expo, the price,power and torque was not revealed.  However the sketchy details are now evolving, Gixxer is said the carry the GS150R engine. Gixxer produces 13.9PS of peak power and 13.4Nm of peak torque. Gixxer carries the  single cylinder, air cooled engine from GS150R.

We expect the gixxer to carry forward the carburettor instead of the advanced fuel injection which is set to come-in the 150cc segment. Expect the launch of gixxer to happen shortly. Going by the Suzukis pricing policy, Gixxer could be priced at a slight premium over the GS150R

Buoyed by the success of Maruti’s celerio AMT, Tata which plans to launch the Zest AMT might also bring the Bolt AMT. Bolt AMT could be equipped in its diesel variant.  Tata Motors plans to equip the diesel-powered Bolt with an AMT  reports NDTV.  Bolt diesel which is powered by a 1.3-litre, Quadrajet engine that develops 74 bhp and 190 Nm.  Bolt car also features a manual transmission.

The car will also be available with a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine (revotron unit) that produces 84 bhp and 140 Nm of torque.  Availability of Tata Bolt petrol AMT is not confirmed yet.

Bajaj Auto has launched its successful Pulsars with an exciting range of two-tone colors. The new range is all set to re-define the sporty & sought-after design of the Pulsar 150, 180 and 220. This new range will now provide Pulsar enthusiasts choice of three striking colors including Pearl Metallic White, Sapphire Blue and Cocktail Wine Red. The new two tone Pulsars will be available at no additional cost.

Commenting on the launch of new range of Pulsars with two-tone colors, Mr. Sumeet Narang, VP (Marketing), Bajaj Auto said: “The Pulsar is India’s No1 Sports bike for more than a decade now. As a market leader in the sports category it’s our endeavor to constantly offer our customers state of the art technology, best in class features & performance and of course great styling. We had earlier introduced vibrant two-tones in the Pulsar 200NS and received an overwhelming response from our customers and hence we have now extended the concept on the entire range of Pulsars. We are confident that the new avatars of Pulsar will appeal to the new age biker, who is seeking a bike that not only offers great technology, but also unparalleled aesthetics.”

The success of Pulsar range is an acknowledgement of Bajaj Auto’s commitment to unparalleled design and development.