Volkswagen launched its mid-size luxury sport utility vehicle Touareg in 2002. Touareg was the third SUV from the automaker Volkswagen and shares its platform with the Porsche’s Cayenne. Now, Volkswagen India is all set to launch Touareg in India this december in a price range of 45-55 lakhs. The Touareg is Volkswagon’s radical new sports utility vehicle which represents an attempt to attract a more upscale group of buyers to the Volkswagen brand – buyers who might otherwise be tempted by Mercedes Benz. Accordingly, the company calls the Touareg “one of the most important new vehicle launches in VW history.”
olkswagen India has also started a advertisement which is presently being aired on all leading TV channels in India. In the ad a kid enters Volkswagen showroom and asks: Can we book a car in advance….?? And books a New Beetle for his 18th birthday, a Jetta for his 21st birthday and a Passat when he will become CEO of his dad’s company. The ad ends with sneak peek of Touareg SUV with big VW logo & slogan “Das Auto” which means “The Car” in german launguage. In my opinion this is one of the best ads in which they have shown all the models avaialble in India. Great move by Voklkwagen guys to improve the brand image of the company. Waiting for the launch of New Beetle & Touareg in Indian Market.
Honda India has launched the all New 2009 model of CR-V in Indian market. The base model with 2.0 litre engine has been priced at Rs. 22,51,000 rupees (EX-Showrrom Mumbai), which is very high in comparison to its rivals – Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour & Chevrolet Captiva. New Honda CR-V is sold as a CBU import and will be available on confirmed order basis. It also comes with a 2+2 year warranty and 24-hour roadside assistance as standard.
New Honda CR-V comes with a refreshed look, sporting a new two-step front grille, a re-sculpted hood and front bumper design and oval shape fog lamps. The new CR-V is 45mm longer than its predecessor and measures 4575 mm in length while maintaining the same width, height, ground clearance and head clearance. A new 10-spoke alloy wheel design replaces the previous 7-spoke alloy wheel design.
- New Two-Step Front Grille & Re-Sculpted Hood
- New Front & Rear Bumper Design, New 10-Spoke Alloy Wheels
- Oval Shape Front Fog Lamps, Body Colored ORVMs With Side Turn Indicators
The top model of New Honda CR-V comes with three additional features which includes Cruise Control, Electric Sunroof & Option Of 5 Speed Automatic Transmission.
The New Honda CR-V is available in two new colours – Opal Sage Metallic and Premium Mystic Night Pearl along with the existing range of Polished Metal, Alabaster Silver, Crystal Black Pearl and Premium White.
New Honda CR-V is available in 2 engine options – same which were doing duty in the outgoing models – the 2.0 litre & 2.4 litre petrol engines. The 2.0 litre engine is a 1997cc i-VTEC which generates maximum power of 141 bhp at 6000 rpm with maxium torque of 192 Nm at 4200 rpm. The 2.4 litre engine is a 2354cc i-VTEC which generates maximum power of 159 bhp at 5800 rpm with maxium torque of 218 Nm at 4200 rpm.
Price Of New Honda CR-V (Ex-Showroom Mumbai)
- New Honda CR-V 2.0 MT – Rs. 22,51,000.00
- New Honda CR-V 2.4 MT – Rs. 24,00.000.00
- New Honda CR-V 2.4 AT – Rs. 24,78,000.00
Launched at the Tokyo motor show, the long rumoured SAI, which at one point was being considered for Europe, comes in above the Prius as Toyota’s new 2.4-litre, front-drive hybrid saloon. Essentially, a reworked version of the Lexus HS250h that’s already on sale in the US and Japan, SAI has the same overall profile with those long, sloping A and C pillars and broad shoulder lines running along the top of the doors.
But Toyota has made the SAI almost four inches shorter and up to 70 kgs lighter than the HS250h. The SAI also get subtly different head and tail light treatment, new grille, bonnet, wings and so on. Power comes from the same 2.4-litre hybrid system as the HS. This sees Toyota’s long running 2362 cc four cylinder engine (now with Atkinson cycle) team up with an electric motor and reduction gear, with nickel-metal hydride battery pack mounted beneath the boot floor. Total system power stands at 140 kW (or 187bhp).
Curiously, although it’s smaller and lighter, the SAI registers the exact same super frugal 56-65mpg as the more plush HS250h in Japan’s economy cycle, while C02 is an equally impressive 101-107g/km. Inside, the SAI is clearly a lot plainer and less fancy than the HS250h. Prices start at around Rs 18 lakh for the base model, and Rs 22 lakh for a top spec one in the UK.
Further afield, although Toyota won’t confirm it, the SAI’s 2.4-litre hybrid is also expected to drop into the upcoming Lexus compact premium hatch, due in 2011, that Japanese sources suggest may be called CT200h. At Frankfurt, Lexus gave an early pointer to this new premium A3 challenging hybrid player, of course, via the LF-Ch concept which may also spawn an SUV.
Premier India which was once famous for its padmini sedan, is now planning to make a bang with the launch of a all new SUV – The Rio. Rio is basically the Zotye RX6400 which is manufactured by leading chinese auto manufacturer – Zotye Autos. The factory occupies 500,000 square meters and there are over 6,000 employees. They have the capacity of annually producing 100,000 cars.
Rio a.k.a RX6400 is a small city SUV which has been developed on basis of advanced technology from domestic and international autos. And its strong power comes from Mitsubishi engined 1500cc engine.
The Doshis of Premier Auto have been waiting to be back with a bang. The company has tied up with a Chinese auto company Zoyte International.
The CKD version of the car will be assembled at premier’s Chinchwad facility in Pune, where it currently manufactures Sigma van and Road-star pick-up. Rio will be less than four metres in length and will have a less than 1.5-litre diesel engine, it may thus get the tax benefit of a small car.
It is expected that the Premier Rio is likely to be priced around Rs 5 lakh. Premier Auto hopes to sell 1,000 units of the product initially. The existing 30 dealerships of Premier will sell the product and the company is opening up another 20 by the year end. The investment in this project is just a couple of crores as of now as the company would be using its existing assembly line in Pune.
Press Release Mumbai: Land Rover today launched the highly acclaimed Freelander 2 in India. The Freelander 2 joins the acclaimed Discovery 4, the quintessential sports tourer, the Range Rover Sport and the ultimate luxury 4×4, the Range Rover, all of which were launched earlier in India in June this year.
The Freelander 2 has redefined the compact premium 4×4 segment. It delivers outstanding on-road performance as well as class-leading off-road ability, the hallmark of Land Rovers. A dynamic design, purposeful stance, smart and spacious interior, and an abundance of advanced technologies complete the package.
The Freelander 2 is powered by a 2.2 litre common rail turbodiesel engine. The engine is transversely mounted to provide extra space for better crash protection, front end styling and allows a shorter bonnet for more cabin space. Land Rover’s unique Terrain Response system is standard on the vehicle.
The Freelander 2 boasts an exceptionally strong monocoque body and inner safety cell, with front and rear crumple zones which absorb energy on impact. It received a 5 star rating in the rigorous Euro NCAP tests for adult occupant protection – a first in its class. This, along with dynamic technology systems, airbags and command driving position complete the all-terrain, all weather package of the Freelander 2.
Commenting on the launch, Rohit Suri, head, premier car division, Tata Motors, said, “We are encouraged by the response to the Land Rover vehicles in India. The Freelander 2, Land Rover’s best-selling model globally, now complements the Land Rover range in the country. As we expand our reach across various cities in India, we will continuously enhance the Land Rover product portfolio and enable more and more customers to experience the benchmark in premium offroading vehicles.”
The Freelander 2 is available in 3 trim levels in India – S, SE and HSE – with a starting price of Rs33.79 lakh ex- Mumbai.
Japanese automotive company Nissan has launched all New spruced up X-trail SUV & New Teana in Indian Market. It is expected that New Teana & X-Trail will help Nissan India in boosting its falling sales.
Nissan India is gearing up for the launch of its small car Micra next year and is keen to build the brand with a range of exciting products including the 370Z sports car which is likely to be launched at the 2010 Auto Expo.
Nissan India has launched the all new X-Trail in 3 variants – LE, SLX MT & SLX AT.
Price Of New X-Trail (Ex-Showroom New Delhi):
- New X-Trail LE – Rs. 20,81,000 - New X-Trail SLX MT – Rs. 23,18,000 - New X-Trail SLX AT – Rs. 25,08,000
It is avilable in 7 shades:
- Blue Sapphire - Pearl White - Quartz Silver - Diamond Black - Champagne Gold - Graphite Grey - Titanium Grey
New Teana has been launched in 2 variants – XL & XV.
Price Of New Nissan Teana (Ex-Showroom New Delhi):
- New Teana XL – Rs. 21,00,000 - New Teana XV – Rs. 25,40,000
Shades available in New Teana:
- Oynx Black - Luna Blue - Brilliant Silver - Amethyst Grey - Bordeaux Red - Pearl White
Audi India is planning to assemble its compact SUV Q5 in India at its Aurangabad plant. The plans are expected to come into effect by early next year towards the end of the first quarter. Audi currently assembles luxury sedans Audi A4 and A6 at its Aurangabad plant and intends to set up a new line to assemble nearly 500 SUVs.
“We will start local assembling of our SUV Q5 at the Aurangabad plant. This year we are expecting to sell 200 units of the car, while it should go up to 500 units from next year,” Audi India Managing Director Benoit Tiers said.
The company has recorded remarkable sales in 2009 in India by selling 1128 cars till now. It is expecting nearly 70 percent sales growth in the current year in India as compared to last year. It is eyeing to become the most successful luxury car brand in India by 2011. Currently, BMW leads the market followed by Mercedes-Benz.
Audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, announced the launch of the new Audi Q7- the latest version of largest selling performance luxury SUV in India. The new Audi Q7 is available in three engine options – 3.0 TDI quattro, 3.6 FSI quattro and 4.2 FSI quattro at Audi dealerships across the country from 3rd September 2009.
New single-frame radiator grill in high gloss black with vertical chrome bars adds robustness to the car in conjunction with new Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights. The new Audi Q7 also comes with optional high-end headlight version that integrates not only a low beam, high beam, and turning and cornering lights, but for the first time also a special superhighway beam. The restyled tailgate presents a more forceful contour. LEDs are standard equipment in the taillights. An aluminum exterior package adds further highlights to the styling. The S line exterior package is designed for sports-minded customers and is available as an optional equipment.
Some of the standard equipment of the new Audi Q7 includes 18-inch wheels and adaptive air suspension that enhances the sporty precision of the car’s handling as well as its strong off-road performance. The LEDs as a standard fitment in the taillights adds to the appeal of the SUV. Enhancements in the front include smaller exterior mirrors, contrasting paint finish for the bumper and main body, an enhanced single-frame radiator grille, restyled bumpers, a newly ribbed designed integrated underbody guard in the center section of the bumper, making it more robust. Additions to the rear of the new Audi Q7 have the bumper with a contrasting paint finish and a restyled tailgate.
The hallmark of all Audi cars is the integration of technology with luxury and the new Audi Q7 is no different. The top-of-the line version of the MMI systems includes a hard disk drive, a single DVD player, and voice control, with the option of including a Bluetooth telephone, an advanced radio tuner, Rear Seat Entertainment Preparation, and the Advanced Sound System from Bang & Olufsen.
The new Audi Q7 range starts at (ex-showroom Mumbai) INR 53,40,000 for the 3.0 TDI quattro, INR 55,20,000 for the 3.6 FSI quattro and € 42,696 for the 4.2 FSI quattro (non homologated). The new Audi Q7 is available in an exciting palate of new colors like Ibis White, Teak Brown, Orca Black and Graphite Grey as well as the existing colors which include Deep Black, Bahia Beige, Cobalt Blue, Condor Grey, Ice Silver, Garnet Red and Lava Grey.
Audi present the new bombastic model of Q7 … When it was first rolled out three years ago, the Audi Q7 performance SUV immediately achieved a leadership position – as a sporty, comfortable as well as high-performance recreational and business vehicle on a grand scale. Now Audi is making it even better – more elegant and more efficient, with lower emissions: the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI consumes only 9.1 liters per 100 kilometers (25.85 US mpg). And now it’s also available in a new version as a TDI clean diesel, with the world’s cleanest diesel technology and even lower fuel consumption of only 8.9 liters/100 km (26.43 US mpg).
The Q7 is the large Audi for sporty individualists, for people who are seeking a vehicle that will take them anywhere they want to go for sports, recreation, and business. Its dynamic proportions and distinctive lines express this character, and subtle modifications endow its styling with even more elegance.
