Maruti Suzuki’s New K-Series Wagon R To Be Launched On April 23

Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) is all set to introduce a new version of its second-best-selling car, the WagonR. A Rs 290-core investment had been made by the company for the development of its new car which will hit roads through the dealers across India on April 23.

Though the New Maruti WagonR has not yet been displayed on any platform, but a handful group of journalists were given a sneak peek at the car by Maruti.

The K-series WagonR model shows more taller longer and spacious stance than its predecessor. It will feature the newly developed K-10B engine from the popular K-series engines which is also part of the Zen Estilo and the A-Star. The price for the new Maruti WagonR model is still not revealed, though it is expected to be slightly above the previous models price range of Rs 3.30 to 3.50 lakh. The vehicle will be sold in three variants – LX, LXI, VXI.

Mileage is expected to be around 18.9 kmpl under test conditions by MSIL. The car will be features a cable-type transmission, which makes gear-shifting an easier process. The new HVAC design also allows for superior cooling. MSIL will be obtaining 93% of the total car parts for the new WagonR locally, while the rest will be imported from Japan.

MSIL currently only has plans to market the petrol version of the new model. The new Maruti WagonR also has the basic qualities of the previous version, which has sold more than 8.5 lakh units since its launch in 1999. The company hopes to retain the position and in fact do better with with the launch of its new model.

Beetle launched in India

After the success of the Jetta and the Passat in India, Volkswagen has launched the much-awaited New Beetle in Mumbai. The Volkswagen Beetle is a classic car. It is a two-door four-seater hatchback that combines classic lines with the latest technology. The Beetle will come in a colour palette of Salsa Red, Sunflower, Deep Black, Razor Blue, Reflex Silver, Gecko Green and Campanella White.

This iconic car was initially called the Kafer, the German word for "beetle", from which the popular English name originates. Since August 1967, Volkswagen began using the name Beetle for this brand.

Also known as the “Bug”, the Beetle came into being in 1938 when Adolf Hitler ordered Ferdinand Porsche to design a "people's car". Erwin Komenda, Porsche's chief designer, was responsible for the design and style of the car. When the car was launched, critics had predicted a complete failure for the Beetle because of its peculiar styling and less powerful engine, but the car proved the critics wrong and went on to make history.

The original Beetle had the longest production run of any vehicle ever from 1938-2003. The Beetle has revolutionized the world by being the best selling single design car in history with a sales record of more than 21.5 million units. The New Beetle was introduced in 1998 and it drew heavy inspiration from the exterior design of the original Beetle. Unlike the original Beetle, the New Beetle has its engine in the front with front wheel drive and luggage storage in the rear.

The New Beetle comes with a 2.0L I4 petrol engine which can churn out 115 bhp. The engine is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Moreover, the engine shows low figures for fuel consumption at an average of 13.5 km/l and complies to the stringent Euro IV emission norms. It has been imported from Volkswagen's Mexico factory as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) which attracts an import duty of 110 per cent.

With its immortal rounded contours, the Volkswagen New Beetle is an unmistakable designer object on four wheels. The New Beetle flaunts body-coloured outer rear mirrors, door handles and bumpers and runs on 15-inch alloy wheels. The beady headlamps commands attention and the circular tail lamps add grace to the rear fascia. The bonnet with the Volkswagen emblem inscribed on it is an example of outstanding workmanship and appears as if the car is giving you a wide grin.

Coming to the inside, the car greets you with the with the legendary flower vase and top-class leather upholstery. The cozy cabin adds a touch of sophistication to the car with the leather-covered steering wheel rim, gear lever knob and handbrake lever grip as well as premium leather seats. This classic hatchback includes standard features like electrically adjustable mirrors, 3-spoke tilt/telescoping power steering wheel, traction control, central locking, MP3 compatible "gamma CD" radio with Aux-in, height-adjustable front seats, electric sliding roof with sunblind and many more.

The Beetle assures safety of its passengers with ABS with EBD, EDL, ESP, front head restraints and dual-frontal and side airbags. With an ex-show room price Mumbai price of around Rs 23 Lakh, the Beetle will certainly grace the garage of the rich car enthusiasts.

Santa Fe to Grace Indian Roads by Next Year

It has been a long time since Hyundai has been announcing the launch of its SUV, Santa Fe, in India. And this time also you may not quiet believe it. But yes, this time it might possibly happen. The reason why one could expect the coming of the car is because it is raining SUVs in India now. And every other company is planning to launch an SUV. And Hyundai would never want to lag behind.

The launch of RiO by Premier is a classic example of the demand for SUVs India. Premier was a very famous Indian car manufacturer. But the company was away from business for a long time, till yesterday when it re-entered the Indian car industry with its mini SUV.

Hyundai also has plans of launching a small car in India by 2011. It will be an 800cc small car.

It was two years back, in 2007, Hyundai first announced its plans to launch its SUV, Santa Fe, in 2008. But things didn’t work out and the company was not able to launch the car in 2008 as promised. We had also expected the launch of the SUV this year. But the latest information is that the Santa Fe will be seen in the Indian roads next year.

In India, Santa Fe is expected to be launched both in petrol and diesel models. It will be available in 2.7-litre petrol engine and 2.2-litre diesel engine. The price of the SUV is not known. But it is sure that this new model from Hyundai will surely create a tough competition for Toyota Fortuner, Honda CR-V, and Chevrolet Captiva.

New Maruti SX4 Launched

Delayed for over two weeks, the new Maruti Suzuki SX4 has still not lost its fervour. The wait is over and the Maruti SX4 has been finally launched. The main attraction of the SX4 is that the engine of the SX4 is equipped with an advanced variable valve timing (VVT) technology.

The SX4 is an attempt of Maruti Suzuki to wipe out the different assumptions about the brand that is prevailing in the car market. The popular notion is that Maruti is not a great performer when it comes to the big cars. And with other major companies such as Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota striving hard to satisfy the ever growing demands of the customers, Maruti will be in no time pushed to the wall as a small car manufacturer alone. This fear of the company might me the driving force behind the company’s new launch.


Maruti Suzuki has also introduced a 4-speed automatic transmission. The VVT technology guarantees that there is no shortage of power or wastage leading to improved optimized fuel consumption, engine efficiency, and lesser carbon emissions. The advanced VVT technology helps in starting the car accelerating it and climbing steep slopes better.

The SX4 is an environment friendly car that complies with the BS IV regulation, which will be effective from April 2010. It is among first cars in the A-3 segment that abide by the BS IV regulation of emission.

The SX4 has a more efficient engine that gives a mileage of 15.6 km per litre of petrol. The 1.6 litre engine produces a maximum power of 104.68ps @5600 rpm and a high torque of 145Nm @4100 rpm. The new SX4 has been made vibrant with a brand-new sporty honeycomb grille and 10-spoke 16 inch alloy wheels and dual tones interiors and plush upholstery.

The 4-speed automatic transmission is the best choice for city drive. A smooth and sporty drive allows an easy down-shift and effortless up-shift. A cluster of computer controlled sensors continuously administers the throttle input and optimize the engine response accordingly, thus requiring no changing of gears.

The new SX4 has two-tone beige colour interiors. At night, the steering mounted controls are illuminated for effortless usage. There is also new provision of USB connectivity on the dashboard.

The SX4 also has auto climate control system, windshield antenna, illuminated key insert, and variable instrument illumination.

The new SX4 is available in 2 transmissions namely manual and automatic. The two variants in manual transmission are VXi and ZXi. The SX4 is now available in seven metallic colours namely Azure Grey, Pearl Arctic White, French Éclair, Oyster Blue, Clear Beige, Silky Silver and Midnight Black.

The SX4 VXi manual is priced at 6.68 lakh, SX4 ZXi manual at 7.37 lakh, SX4 ZXi leather at 7.71, SX4 ZXi 4-speed automatic at 8.02 lakh, and SX4 ZXi leather 4-speed automatic at 8.36 lakh.

Premier Launches RiO in India

Premier Ltd. is among the oldest auto makers of India. And the company has launched its first ever sport-utility vehicle model. This new mini-SUV will be manufactured with China's Zotye Holding Group. This new kid of Premier is expected to be a tough competition for Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, Scorpio M2Di, and Mahindra Bolero.

This is an auspicious occasion for Premier as RiO, this new SUV of the company, is the beginning of a new phase of the company in India. The once famous company has manufactured the all-time favourite Indian car, Premier Padmini. And now, the company is expecting to repeat the magic.


The 1.5-liter turbo-diesel engine RiO will be imported by Premier from Zotye and will be assembled at its factory in Pune.

Premier RiO is based on the first-generation Daihatsu Terios. And it is powered by Premier’s own engine that is basically a downsized Peugeot TUD5 diesel engine. The 1490cc engine RiO delivers a 65 bhp of peak power.

The company is taking necessary steps so that RiO will meet the new emission norms of the government that will come on effect from April 1, 2010.

It is also expected that the company will start delivering RiO in the month of December. This mini-SUV was expected to launch in the Indian market during Diwali. The growing love for SUVs in the country will truly help in the sales of RiO. During April-September 2009, the sales of SUVs in India rose 3.5%. And it is expected that the demand will still grow because of the rising disposable incomes and the construction of more cross-country highways.




The Rio will be offered in three variants, the EX, which is priced at Rs 5.25 lakh, the DX at Rs 5.50 lakh, and LX at Rs 5.95 lakh, ex-showroom, Pune.

New Audi Q7 - NOW in INDIA

The luxury car maker Audi has launched the new Q7 in India. The New Audi Q7 is a full-size luxury crossover Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).

The new Audi Q7 comes in three engine variants. There are two petrol engine options to select and one diesel engine option. The petrol engines are 3.6L FSI Quattro which can generate 280 bhp and the 4.2L FSI Quattro that churns out a power of 350 bhp.

The diesel engine is powered by a 3.0L TDI Quattro engine that can produce 240 bhp. Audi gives us a wide palate of eleven new colours to select: 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.

The new Audi Q7 is a sporty, comfortable, high-performance SUV. The SUV is designed to grab attention of the customers with its side view that commands attention. The low window area, the arched roof line and the tautly curved body surfaces presents a coupe-like silhouette and this design is truly mesmerizing.





New accents at the front and rear end appeal the eyes of the viewers. 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 new Audi Q7 SUV is endowed with adaptable headlights that switch on or off according to the movement of the car, showing the path ahead clearly. 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 optional equipment.

The new Audi Q7 can boast of some new features like voice control that can enable the driver to operate a cell phone or music system by just uttering the phone number or the name of a song. The new Audi Q7 has comfortable seating for seven persons with ample legroom and luggage space of about 2,035 litres.

Audi is expecting to sell 1,700-1,800 units and a growth of 70 per cent by the end of this year. Audi India has achieved a growth of 62 per cent in 2009 by selling 1,128 cars so far.

The entire Audi model range, comprising the newly launched, Audi Q5 and the new Audi A6, the Audi A8, the Audi Q7, the Audi A4, the Audi TT and the super sports car Audi R8, are currently available at 12 dealerships across the country. The German luxury car behemoth is also planning to expand its dealership to 18 in two years in India.

Audi India is expecting to start assembling its Q5 SUV in India by March 2010. They will the assembling process at the Aurangabad plant. The company currently assembles its luxury sedans A4 and A6 at its Aurangabad plant.

The new Q7 is available in the showrooms from 3rd September 2009. The new Audi Q7 range starts at (ex-showroom Mumbai) Rs 53.4 Lakh for the 3.0 TDI Quattro, Rs 55.2 Lakh for the 3.6 FSI Quattro and Rs.29.9 Lakh for the 4.2 FSI Quattro.

Hyundai Motors launches face lifted new Santro

Hyundai Motors has unexpectedly launched its face lifted version of its flag-ship model, Santro.

Hyundai’s first car in India and the so called original tall boy, Santro has set a firm footing since its official introduction in 1998. The new face lifted Santro has been designed with luxurious interiors and improved exterior features to grab the attention of the customers.

The new face lifted Hyundai Santro comes with a price tag of Rs 2,63,999 for the Non-AC while Santro GLS (LPG) will carry a premium of 3,69,499.Ex showroom Delhi. The colour scheme in the new face lifted Santro will come in 8 exciting colours such as Crystal White, Black Diamond, Sleek Silver, Electric Red, Dark Grey, Silky Beige, Berry Red and Sparkle Blue to appease the buyers.

The original ‘Tall Boy’ Santro has been continuously improved to meet the changing customer needs and has kept itself abreast of the latest technology and design. While the new Santro continues to be powered by the trusted 1.1 eRLX Epsilon engine that develops a whopping 62 bhp and has a proven fuel-economy, durability and power-efficiency.

The new face lifted Santro has many added features to considerably raise the bar for cars in this segment. On the exterior the new Santro will be distinguished by a body coloured Radiator Grille and Full Wheel Cover and the rear gets decidedly more sporty with the addition of a Rear Spoiler which further highlights the new look Santro.

For the interiors, the new face lifted Santro boasts of several significant design revisions with premium sophisticated new fabric in dual-tone Beige & Brown with premium silver touches at multiple locations which adds significantly to the spacious interiors and enhances the visual appeal of the interiors. A rear parcel tray has been added to provide convenient storing for utility items. The new sporty front seats add to the style and comfort factors.