The Volvo XC90 Ocean Race Edition has been launched in two colours, Blue Pearl and Electric Silver metallic colour. It sports an exclusive Ocean Race emblem on the side fender and the roof rails. While the five-seater SUV costs Rs 50 lakh, the seven-seater is priced at Rs 51.5 lakh. Volvo plans to sell 25 XC90 Ocean Race Editions in India.

A total of 10,000 special edition cars are expected to be sold worldwide as part of the nine-month long Volvo Ocean Race. At different stopovers, the limited editions would be launched. In India the limited edition was launched in connection with the Volvo Ocean Race Kochi stopover.

Volvo is currently marketing its products through four dealerships which are located at Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. The compaany is fully importing its cars and there are no plans at present to set up a plant.

Read more...

TVS has launched a new variant of the Apache 160 RTR. The new variant of the Apache is known as the Apache RTR 160 RD and comes with a factor fitted rear disc for a premium of Rs. 2,000. The 200mm petal rear disc will give the Apache very good stopping power.

Read more...

Mahindra has postponed the launch of the Xylo. The Mahindra Xylo will be launched on 13th January and bookings will start on 14th January.

Read more...

Mercedes is offering a Rs 8 lacs discount on the E Class, making it amazing value for money. At that price, the Mercedes E 220 CDI Elegance will cost just Rs 80,000 more than the C 220 CDI Elegance. Factor in the additional three percent finance payout option, and you’ll save that eighty grand too. If you’ve been saving up for a Mercedes, this is as good a time as any to upgrade to the E-Class.

This substantial discount comes on the back of ever-weakening sales due to the on-going credit crisis, plus the fact that the E is in for a replacement next year with the W212 series.

Read more...

Hyundai will be launching the i20 on the 29th of December. Check out the pics of the Indian Hyundai i20 Asta.

Read more...

The Fiat Linea petrol will get a 1.4-litre 95bhp twin-cam engine. This 16-valve motor does duty in the Grande Punto in Turkey, and will be offered in the Grande Punto when it goes on sale in India later next year. This engine will be produced at Fiat’s Ranjangaon plant, which will help Fiat to keep costs down. The Linea’s launch has been postponed to January due to low sentiments after the terror attacks.

Fiat is also revamping its entire dealer network with the aim of improving its service standards as it prepares to launch the Linea. The company wants to change the perception of its service and aftersales network and is investing heavily in an extensive dealer upgradation programme.

Read more...

The Tata Logo will be now seen right from the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano to Kimi Raikkonen’s super fast Ferrari Formula 1 Car, the F2009.

The scarlet Ferrari, will for the first time feature the logo of an Indian company - Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). The Tata Motors logo was first seen in the competition in 2005 on Jordan cars when Narain Karthikeyan drove for the team.

“Building on our existing long-term relationship of over three years, Tata Consultancy Services has entered into an historic agreement with Ferrari for an enhanced technology and marketing partnership,” TCS said in a statement. “As part of the deal, the Tata logo will be displayed on Ferrari FI car for the 2009 Formula One season,” it added.

TCS had earlier inked a deal with the Italian team in 2005 to provide software solutions beginning 2007. But the Ferrari cars did not sport the TCS logo. F1 is not a new territory for the Indian conglomerate.

The TCS-Ferrari deal comes when the world of motor sport has had a fortnight of setbacks with Honda withdrawing from F1 after four decades of participation, and other Japanese majors Suzuki and Subaru having pulled out from the World Rally Championship.

Tata Motors has a longstanding relationship with Italian auto major Fiat SpA - which owns Ferrari - with the duo having a joint venture in India for manufacturing drivetrains, apart from a combined sales and service network for all Tata vehicles and Fiat cars.

Read more...

Aston Martins take on a 4 door supercar, the Rapide is expected to be launched mid next year. These basic computer rederings makees us believe that this family supercar will be a better alternative to the Lamborghini Estoque and Porsche Panamera GT.

Read more...

Hyundai India is planning to launch the i20 on 28th December. The i20 will be initially launched with a 1.4 liter Kappa petrol engine. The Hyundai i20 will be priced in the Rs 5-6 lakh range. Hyundai has no plans to launch a diesel variant of the i20 as of now.

Hyundai i20 will take on Suzuki Swift Zxi and Skoda Fabia. Hyundai had started exporting i20 to Europe in November 2008. While this model will replace Getz in Europe over the medium term, the company is non-committal about its phase out schedule for India.

Read more...

The world’s fastest Audi R8 has just landed with a 5.2L V10 from the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 giving it 528-hp. This V10 R8 goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and attains a top speed of 196 mph. but this car isint cheap and costs $181,568 USD. Why would i buy a Audi for that much?

The Audi R8 V10 features new magnetic ride dampers as standard, a new rear diffuser to generate more downforce, twin-oval tailpipes, LED headlamps with daytime running lights, high-gloss black paint for the large air intakes in the front, and 19-inch alloy wheels. Ceramic brakes are optional along with a Bang and Olufsen stereo and Nappa leather. The Audi R8 V10 is mated to either a 6-speed manual or an R-tronic semi-auto that allows it to return an estimated fuel economy of 17 mpg.

This version of the R8 was initially going to have the same engine as the RS6, a 5.0 litre V10 TFSI engine. It was thought initially that this version of the engine, which produces 580 PS (572 hp/427 kW), was going to be fitted. However, the twin-turbo system overheated, and one prototype was destroyed at the Nürburgring.

Read more...

Tata Motors, owner of Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR), is helping the luxury car brand set up its dealership network in India.

“Our sales and marketing department has helped facilitate a visit by the senior people (from Jaguar and Land Rover). They have come, they have seen and they are putting some plan in action.” said Ravi Kant, Tata Motors managing director.

Tata Motors is now exploring the domestic market in India after the success of Land Rover in China and Russia. The move also comes at a time when the Tatas are trying to refinance a $3 billion bridge loan used for the takeover, leading to downgrades by credit ratings agencies.

In spite of the credit crunch in Britain, which has affected Land Rover sales in the country, Jaguar is doing well, going by the sales figures of its new models released recently. “In the current situation, I would prompt them to be (in India) sooner than later because they would like to find one more avenue to sell more,” Kant said.

He suggested that Tata Motors also facilitate other opportunities for its new subsidiary, particularly Land Rover, in areas such as defence. Tata Motors is already a significant supplier to India’s defence industry. However, he said that while Tata Motors faced “cyclical pressures” similar to other producers, it was on track to bounce back. The group was spending $4-5 billion to revamp its range, a move he said was essential to reviving sales.

Read more...

At the Autocar Performance Show there were some awesome superbikes. Checkout the awesome superbikes.

Read more...

Bajaj Auto Ltd, India’s second-biggest motorcycle maker, would launch 6 new bikes in the first six months of 2009 to revive sales that fell 37 per cent in November.

To beat the slowdown, group firm Bajaj Auto Finance Ltd is offering a retail finance scheme to buy Bajaj’s vehicles at an interest rate of just under 8 percent, Bajaj Auto Ltd said in a statement. This is expected “to revive sales in the short term.

“Spending on new products will put pressure on margins,” said Prayesh Jain, research analyst with India Infoline. The products would do well only if they were different from its existing motorcycles and targeted at a new category. Bajaj’s motorcycles, with engine capacities of more than 125cc, cater largely to the urban segment that has been severely hit by the credit crunch and rise in interest rates, he added.

The dwindling sales are expected to continue in December as dealers also cut back purchases to avoid piling up inventories. Bajaj said it would launch a new motorcycle every month from January to attract buyers.

Read more...

Mercedes Benz India, the Indian arm of Daimler of Germany, is set to launch its premium AMG cars in India next week. The German giant will also showcase its entire product range in the next quarter to reverse the trend after a 20% fall in growth in October sales.

“AMG cars are special, high-performance sports cars which are custom made for each consumer and start at least at Rs 1 crore and can go up to Rs 2 crore,” said Mercedes Benz India corporate affairs head and board member, Suhas Kadlaskar.

He admitted that markets are expected to remain depressed during 2009, but said the company would not go for a single layoff in India though its parent is reportedly moving towards a shorter working week for 47,000 employees in Germany. “We have 450-500 people working in India. We are not going for any layoffs here,” he said.

During October-November, Mercedes saw its sales dip 20% year-on-year to 175 cars. However, during January-September, the company reported an impressive 60% growth by selling 3,141 cars against 2,491 cars in the year-earlier period.

Read more...

Fiat India plans to launch a CNG version of the Palio and my question to them is why? oh, why? Fiat India is looking at multiple fuel options for its product range. The Palio CNG will be launched in 2009 but we think Fiat should concentrate on launching the Grande Punto first.

“Company would launch a CNG version of the Palio in 2009. This initiative is in line with the Indian automotive industry’s move to shift to environment-friendly fuels, which promise less operating cost and lower emissions. For instance, Indica, Santro, Wagon R, Ikon and Marina have both CNG and LPG options.” said Mr Rajeev Kapur, CEO, Fiat India.

Read more...

Honda is planning to launch its superbikes in India following Yamaha's and Suzuki's steps. Honda plan to launch the CBR1000RR Fireblade in India next year.

“We will launch two models in super bike category with 800-1000 cc engines in this fiscal. Apart from this, we will also bring a new model in the mass market category before March next year.” said Honda General Manager Marketing N K Rattan. “To start with, we will establish our showrooms in the metros. Later on we will expand taking into account serviceability and other issues,” he added.

Read more...

The Ferrari California is an expensive car. Yeah it might be a cheaper Ferrari but it still is expensive. Not many can buy a California but why not configure your own. Ferrari has launched the Ferrari California Configurator and you can choose your choice of colour, wheels, interior trim and much more here.

Read more...

At the Autocar Performance Show, JBL had got modified Swifts. The car had an awesome audio system. The two Swifts are painted in JBL theme, black and orange and have around Rs. 5 lac worth equipment on board. The Swifts started of essentially as LXis and were modified in New Delhi by Autopsyche. Checkout Awesome JBL Swifts.

Read more...

Lamborghini India has got the Gallardo LP560-4 at the Autocar Performance Show. The baby Lambo looks awesome and has a V10 powerplant that can take the supercar from 0 - 100 in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 320+ kmph. Checkout more pictures of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4.

Read more...

Toyota India is considering a diesel version of the Corolla Altis. The Corolla hasn't really set the sales chart on fire and Toyota has cut down production of the Corolla Altis. Indians love diesel car for their economy and a diesel Corolla will be very a logical step and will give the Corolla a upperhand against the Civic.

Toyota can't transplant the European Corolla engine into the Altis due to complications. Thus Toyota is considering its smaller 1.4-litre turbo-diesel that powers the Yaris hatchback for the Corolla. Toyota engineers have hinted that its compact 1.4 motor could be boosted to give more power in the 90-100bhp range and transplanting it to the Corolla is a relatively straightforward process.

Read more...

As expected, Honda Motor Company chief Takeo Fukui in Tokyo confirmed on Friday afternoon that the Japanese manufacturer is withdrawing from formula one ahead of the 2009 season. He said the decision was taken as a result of the prevailing conditions in the automotive sales sector, including a near-unprecedented decline of more than 30 percent in its biggest market, the United States, last month.

“Honda Motor Co. has come to the conclusion that we will withdraw from all Formula One activities, making 2008 the last season for participation,” Fukui stated. “This difficult decision has been made in light of the quickly deteriorating operating environment facing the global auto industry, brought on by the subprime problem in the United States, the deepening credit crisis and the sudden contraction of the world economies.”

Fukui also revealed that Honda will not even remain involved in F1 as an engine supplier, despite attempts to sell the Brackley based team as a going concern before the 2009 season commences in late March.

Instead, it is understood that Honda team boss and former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn has arranged that ant potential buyer of the Brackley outfit will be powered by 2.4 litre Ferrari V8s. 2008 constructors’ world champions Ferrari have the capacity to supply an extra team next year, given the switch of customer partner Force India to Mercedes power.

According to early speculation, one potential buyer of the team could be Dubai International Capital (DIC), which came close to buying Super Aguri when Honda pulled its support for the satellite team earlier this year.

Read more...

Skoda India is offering maintenance plan to all buyers of Skoda products till the 25th of this month. The offer is valid on all Skoda cars - the Fabia, Octavia, Laura and Superb. The maintenance plan will be valid for 3years/50000kms which ever is earlier.

Read more...

If you are waiting to buy a car, get ready to be pampered. To beat slowdown blues and ‘compensate’ customers for buying a car in December a month period people avoid to buy the next year’s model car companies have announced heavy discounts, running up to as much as Rs 91,000.

All the major companies like Maruti, Hyundai, Tata Motors, Ford and General Motors have announced, or are in the process of finalising, schemes that offer you cars at big discounts, virtually making it a lucrative proposition for those still waiting to buy.

The biggest cut has been announced by Ford that has slashed the price of the petrol variant of its ‘Fiesta’ model by as much as Rs 91,000, bringing down its ex-showroom price to Rs 5.29 lakh from Rs 6.2 lakh. The price cut on the popular diesel variant has been cut by Rs 51,000.

Maruti officials also said that they were further sweetening the offers for customers to pull them back to showrooms. “We have decided to increase the total discount offer on the WagonR model from Rs 25,000 to Rs 35,000 and on the Alto from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000,” company officials said, adding that models like Swift Diesel and Dzire would be out of the scheme considering they enjoyed a waiting period. However, company dealers said even these models could have discounts, but in January when Maruti could clear some of the unsold 2008-make units.

Hyundai has cut prices of the Santro by Rs 33,000 to Rs 299,000. The price of Accent will go down by Rs 7,200 to Rs 499,903, while Verna will be cheaper by Rs.24,000.

Tata Motors also sweetened the offer on its Indica and Indigo models. The company increased the discount value on the Indica by Rs 5,000 to Rs 30,000 and on the Indigo (excluding the CS range) by Rs 15,000 to Rs 40,000. On the Sumo Grande utility vehicle, it is now offering a whopping Rs 65,000 discount (against Rs 14,000 worth rebate on insurance previously).

General Motors has also decided to continue with its offer, that includes a big Rs 58,000 discount on the Spark mini car and Rs 53,000 on the Aveo sedan. Even Mahindra is expected to announce discounts for December soon.

Read more...

In an attempt to boost sales in a depressed market, Hyundai Motor India has slashed prices of its cars by up to Rs 33,000, besides offering benefits like free insurance and exchange bonus.

The company said in statement that its popular Santro model will now be cheaper by Rs 33,000 at Rs 299,000. The price of Accent will go down by Rs 7,200 to Rs 499,903, while Verna will be cheaper by Rs.24,000.

“The schemes announced should provide an impetus for our sales and offset part of the ownership cost, which has gone up considerably in the past few months,” Hyundai India senior vice-president (marketing and sales) Arvind Saxena said.

Hyundai is also offering free insurance, exchange bonuses and free car accessories worth as much as Rs.15,000 to attract reluctant customers.

Read more...

The Indian Government has reduced prices of fuel. Petrol will now be cheaper by Rs. 5 and Diesel will be cheaper by Rs. 2. Time to burn some rubber.

Read more...

The new Skoda Superb was unveiled at the Autocar Performance Show but will reach showrooms only in February 2009. Prices of the new Superb will start at Rs 20 lakh for the base petrol model, going up to Rs 25 lakh for the top end petrol.

“We will bring an exciting range of engines: a 1.8-litre, 160bhp TSI petrol, a 2.0-litre diesel with 140bhp, and a new 3.6-litre V6 petrol with 260bhp.” said Thomas Kuehl, Board Member of Skoda India.

The V6 will be launched a few months after the 1.8 petrol and 2.0-litre diesel versions. The Superb is known for its limo-like space and will prove to be the biggest threat to Group stable-mate the Volkswagen Passat.

Read more...

The Bugatti Veyron was the fastest car in the world till the SSC Ultimate Aero TT came along. But Bugatti won’t give up so easily. They plan a more powerful version of the Veyron which is set to hit roads by March next year. The current Veyron does 253mph but the new Veyron is set to do 264mph. We really don’t know whether this is true but you should check out the letter after the jump.

Read more...

Luxury sedans such as Toyota’s Lexus and Mercedes Benz S-Class will be easier to import, especially from the US, with the government doing away with safety and emission certificates from the ‘country of origin’ but the vehicles must comply with European standards.

A new imported vehicle with FOB (freight-onboard) value of $40,000 or more with over 3,000cc for petrol- run engine and over 2,500cc for diesel engine would be eligible for the easier norms, the directorate general of Foreign Trade said in a notification.

Under the relaxed rules, imported vehicles which need homologation to make it suitable for Indian conditions , need not have a certification from an authorised body in the country of origin, as was required earlier. But, they need to comply with EU standards. Industry experts say the move will help companies like Toyota, which can now import its Lexus brand, and Mercedes Benz to bring its S-Class.

US does not have a nationalized certification authority and makes import of vehicles cumbersome. At the time of customs clearance, a Type Approval Certificate of a global accredited agency from the country of origin would be required.

Read more...

The 2009 Hyundai Accent has regained the title of Cheapest New Car in America with a starting price of $9,970, thats around Rs. 5 lacs. The American Accent is essentially the Indian Hyundai Verna, whereas Hyundai continues to sell the old Hyundai Accent in India.

The $9,970 pricetag applies to the 2009 Accent GS 3-door with a manual transmission, which comes with a 110-hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine (Hyundai Verna Petrol), power steering, advanced front airbags, front seat-mounted side-impact airbags, roof-mounted curtain airbags, tire pressure monitoring system, front variable intermittent wipers, 60/40 split fold-down seatback, six-way adjustable driver seat, adjustable head restraints for all seating positions and rear spoiler.

However Hyundai needs to give its Indian vehicles a better warranty : -

All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by The Hyundai Advantage, America’s Best Warranty. Hyundai buyers are protected by a 10-year/100,000-mile power train warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, a 7-year/unlimited-mile anti-perforation warranty and 5-year/unlimited-mile roadside assistance protection.

Read more...

Check out the picture gallery of the ugliest car to have come out from Stuttgart, Porsche Panamera Picture Gallery.

Read more...

Mahindra has launched a website of the upcoming Innova challenger MUV, the Ingenio Xylo. The website doesn’t have much info about the Xylo but Mahindra wants to build suspense before they launch the car. Not that they haven’t build suspense as the car has been on test by Mahindra for quite some time long. Mahindra will be launching the Xylo in December this year.

Read more...

Suzuki has launched its two hyper sports bikes, the Hayabusa and Intruder M1800R, both priced at Rs 12.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Hayabusa is powered by a 1,340 cc engine, while the Intruder is powered by a 1,783 cc V-twin engine.

“This launch is very significant when we are globally surrounded by uncertainties. Suzuki has been delivering superior technology, which has been proven world-wide. We intend to showcase the same in India,” Suzuki Motorcycle India Vice-President (Sales & Marketing) Atul Gupta said.

The bikes will be available in Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Stay tuned for more pictures, details and info on the superbikes.

Read more...