Indian Auto Afternoon Update Industry Update

07 March 2017

MotorTrend India (www.motortrend.in)Ford Figo Aspire Performs Well in Safety Tests

Maruti Vitara Brezza and Hyundai Creta SUVs Sales Milestone

Tata Tigor Compact sedan India launch on 29th March

Car Wale (www.carwale.com)Geneva Motor Show 2017: Tata Tigor Geneva Edition

Tata unveils its first sports coupe, the TAMO RACEMO

Geneva Motor Show 2017: Diamond-painted Ghost Rolls Royce’s star

Aston Martin hypercar gets Valkyrie badge

Renault Kwid Climber brochure leaked

PSA Group buys Opel from General Motors

Fly-Wheel (www.fly-wheel.com)Team BHP (www.team-bhp.com)

Norway's achievement - 50% of new cars are electric or hybrid

Mercedes-Benz globally recalls 10 lakh cars over faulty fuse

Rumour: New Hyundai Santro to launch in second half of 2018

Tata Tiago AMT launched at Rs. 5.39 lakh

Over Drive (www.overdrive.in)2017 Geneva Motor Show: 190PS Tamo Racemo showcased

2017 Geneva Motor Show: Seven-seater Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace showcased

2017 Geneva Motor Show: Volkswagen Arteon showcased

2017 Geneva Motor Show: Volkswagen unveils driverless Sedric concept

Tata Tiago AMT launched in India at Rs 5.73 lakh

Mercedes recalls 10 lakh vehicles globally over faulty fuse

2017 Geneva Motor Show: 1,500PS Dendrobium electric hypercar teased

TopGear India (www.TopGear.com)This is the Tamo Racemo

The Lamborghini Huracán Performante is here

Aston Martin names its hypercar 'Valkyrie'

The Volkswagen Arteon looks like no other VW

Motor Beam (www.motorbeam.com)TAMO RACEMO Unveiled At Geneva Motor Show

Aprilia 250cc India Bike Still Away, To Focus On Scooters

Hyundai Ioniq India Launch At 2018 Auto Expo

Mahindra Ford Tie Up Possible For Producing Passenger Cars

Range Rover Velar Revealed, India Bound

Rush Lane (www.rushlane.com)Mercedes-Maybach G65 G-Class debuts at 2017 Geneva Motor Show

Mercedes AMG GT R debuts at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show

Mercedes Benz X Class Pickup debuts at 2017 Geneva Motor Show

Car Dekho (www.cardekho.com)

Meet Tamo Racemo, Tata’s New Sports Car!

Tata Tigor Launching On March 29

King Of The ‘Ring: Lamborghini Huracan Performante Unveiled

Meet The 2018 E-Class Cabriolet

AutoTech Review(autotechreview.com)Ford Tests Personalised 3D Printing with Lightweighting

Tata Launches Petrol Tiago With AMT At Rs 5.73 Lakh

Triumph Partners CSS India 2017 to Promote Safe Riding

Autocar Pro (www.autocarpro.in)Pulsar brand to evolve with its customer base: Bajaj Auto’s Eric Vas

Two-wheeler OEMs record improved numbers in February

Jaguar Land Rover sales up 9% in February to 40,978 units

Volkswagen reveals self-driving pod-like Sedric concept

Car Trade (www.cartrade.com)Geneva 2017: Diamond encrusted Ghost is Rolls Royce s star

Geneva 2017: Tata Nexon Geneva Edition revealed

Datsun offering Rs 8,000 off on the Redigo on Women's Day

GM sells Opel brand to PSA Group

New Renault Captur to be shown tomorrow at Geneva Motor Show

Other Sites

MotorTrend India (www.motortrend.in)

Ford Figo Aspire Performs Well in Safety Tests Motor Trend India

In the first set of #SaferCarsForIndia results for 2017, Global NCAP has released the scores for crash tests conducted on the FordFigo Aspire compact sedan. The car is fitted with double airbags as standard, and scored three stars for adult occupant protectionand two stars for childprotection.

The protection offered to the heads and necks of the driver and passenger was good thanks to the airbag. However, the chest of thedriver had weak protection while the chest of the passenger had marginal protection. The car lost out on a higher star rating due tofactors such as not having any Isofix anchorage points for child seats and no seat belt pre-tensioners.

Rohit Baluja, President of the Institute of Road Traffic Education said: Statistics by the Government of India reveal that speed is thecausative factor of deaths of over 64,000 people in road crashes every year, and that in 2015, over 63% of the 1,46,000 road crashfatalities occurred on national and state highways. In 2014, our first year of Indian testing, the Ford Figo scored zero stars, but thisyear it has scored three. Ford has demonstrated that progress is possible and importantly, this progress will save lives in India.

Top

Maruti Vitara Brezza and Hyundai Creta SUVs Sales Milestone Motor Trend India

Indians love compact SUVs and their strong demand and sales figure is the biggest proof of this fact. It has been two years sinceIndia has seen tremendous growth in the popularity of compact SUVs and the leading car makers of the country are to be givencredit for the immense success of this segment. Both Maruti and Hyundai have been leading this segment with their respectiveofferings, Creta and Vitara Brezza. Surprisingly both vehicles are currently the leaders in their segment despite being differentiatedby a small price difference. Both these vehicles have not been harming the sales figure of each other, but instead, they are firmingup this segment.

The Brezza is the newer offering out of the two and within a year of its launch, this SUV has managed to cross domestic sales of1lakh proving itself to be a very successful model. The Brezza has managed to achieve this milestone with one diesel engine onlyand due to unexpected demand; Maruti is also waiting for the right time when they can introduce other engine in Brezza. TheBrezza is powered by a 1.3L, Multijet diesel engine churning out a peak power of 89bhp and comes mated with a 5-speed manualgearbox. The Brezza is the only compact SUV to be available with dual tone colours which is available in the top variant only. Thefuel efficient diesel engine, spacious interiors and compact SUV look are some of the biggest advantages of the Brezza.

Along with Brezza, the Hyundai Creta has also reached a milestone of crossing the domestic sales figures if 1.5lakhs in less than

two years of its launch. The Creta has been positioned very smartly as it targets the buyers of entry level premium buyers with easeof driving in city traffic. The Creta has a long list of premium features and variety of engines which has something for everyone. TheCreta is available with 1.4L, 89bhp diesel engine and two 1.6L engines; one engine each of petrol and diesel. The 1.6L enginescome with a choice of automatic transmission as well giving it an upper hand over other SUVs.

The Creta is currently the most popular choice of those who want a proper SUV which is easy to drive like any other sedan; neitheras small as sub-four metre SUVs nor as huge as full size SUVs. With new version of Creta awaited, we can expect the sales figuresto go even higher while the addition of new engine in Brezza line-up will further increase the market share of this segment in India.

Top

Tata Tigor Compact sedan India launch on 29th March Motor Trend India

Tata Motors has shown the production spec of its upcoming compact sedan called as the Tigor. The Tigor is expected to belaunched this month end on the 29th in India. This is our first look at the Tigor in its production avatar and it looks good. The car yousee here is the Geneva Edition.

The Tigor which earlier had a codename as Kite 5 is a styleback in Tata speak which is basically a sort of a coupe like rear andswoopy styling. Suffice to say this is the best looking car from Tata Motors and also the best looking compact sedan.

Inside the design is similar to the Tiago but unlike the Tiago it gets a touchscreen infotainment system also with a rear cameradisplay amongst other features. There is an 8-speaker audio system also. The engine options would be shared with the Tiago toowith the Geneva Show car having the 1.2 Revotron petrol engine.

Top

Car Wale (www.carwale.com)

Geneva Motor Show 2017: Tata Tigor Geneva Edition Car Wale

Amidst a spate of unveilings at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, Tata Motors has introduced its first ‘Styleback’ –Tigor Geneva Edition at the ongoing event. The new model takes the next step in the IMPACT design journey. The Tigor will bepowered by a Revotron 1.2-lite 3-cylinder Petrol engine with multi drive modes.

In terms of dimensions, the vehicle measures 3992mm in length, 1677mm width, height of 1537mm and 1450mm wheelbase. TheTigor Geneva Edition flaunts a chrome Humanity Line at the front that extends into the projector headlamps to create the face of thecar. This emphasizes the flowing, visual width of the front, while the chrome eyebrow adds a premium touch. The strong shoulderline (Slingshot line) executed around the car highlights the prominent LED Tail Lamps, further accentuates the length of the car.

Tata Tigor Geneva Edition will be equipped with smart and exclusive connectivity systems. Tata Motors has worked closely withHARMAN to design and engineer an acoustic audio and infotainment system, which has been certified by globally renownedGolden Ears and tuned by seasoned Harman audio experts. The infotainment system comes with a touchscreen to access thevarious connectivity options and supports the park assist system with a display for the rear camera. With eight high fidelity speakersdesigned to deliver true and natural sound and steering mounted controls for the infotainment system, the TIGOR Geneva Editionensures that driving is fun and convenient.

Amidst a spate of unveilings at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, Tata Motors has introduced its first ‘Styleback’ –Tigor Geneva Edition at the ongoing event. The new model takes the next step in the IMPACT design journey. The Tigor will bepowered by a Revotron 1.2-lite 3-cylinder Petrol engine with multi drive modes.

In terms of dimensions, the vehicle measures 3992mm in length, 1677mm width, height of 1537mm and 1450mm wheelbase. TheTigor Geneva Edition flaunts a chrome Humanity Line at the front that extends into the projector headlamps to create the face of thecar. This emphasizes the flowing, visual width of the front, while the chrome eyebrow adds a premium touch. The strong shoulderline (Slingshot line) executed around the car highlights the prominent LED Tail Lamps, further accentuates the length of the car.

Tata Tigor Geneva Edition will be equipped with smart and exclusive connectivity systems. Tata Motors has worked closely withHARMAN to design and engineer an acoustic audio and infotainment system, which has been certified by globally renownedGolden Ears and tuned by seasoned Harman audio experts. The infotainment system comes with a touchscreen to access thevarious connectivity options and supports the park assist system with a display for the rear camera. With eight high fidelity speakersdesigned to deliver true and natural sound and steering mounted controls for the infotainment system, the TIGOR Geneva Editionensures that driving is fun and convenient.

Top

Tata unveils its first sports coupe, the TAMO RACEMO Car Wale

Tata made some huge waves at its 20th year of participation at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. While we got a glimpse of the TataTigor and the Nexon, the big news was the unveiling of Tata’s first sports coupe, the TAMO RACEMO. The two-seatersports coupe in its concept trim looks quite radical with typical rakish sportscar windscreen, lots of muscular bulges and plenty offloating panels all around.

The icing on the cake is that the RACEMO also gets ‘scissor’ doors which we hope makes it to the production car aswell. The front of the RACEMO reminds one of the DC Avanti in a lots of places and truthfully said, that’s not a bad thingconsidering the Avanti is a good looking car too. All said and done, it might not possess the good looking genes of an Italian butlooking at the details, the RACEMO comes across as quite a stunner.

Another first for the TAMO RACEMO is the introduction of the MOFlex platform, a structural technology that enables greaterfreedom in surface design efficient large-scale part integration leading to modularity and faster time to market. What is alsointeresting is that the RACEMO concept took just 24 months to turn from sketch into reality.

One look at the specs is enough to give us an idea about the RACEMO’s sporty credentials. The car gets a mid-mounted 1.2litre turbocharged and intercooled, 3-cylinder Revotron unit that will push out an impressive 190PS @ 6500rpm and 210Nm oftorque @ 2500rpm. Now that is some serious power from a three cylinder engine. It also gets a 6-speed AMT transmission withpaddle shifters.

To make it handle like a sportscar the car gets independant double wishbone suspension at the front and back along with 205/50R17 tyres in the front and wider and larger 235/45 R18 tyres at the back.

While there is still some time before we get to drive the actual car, one can drive it in the popular Microsoft gaming franchise, ForzaHorizon 3. RACEMO is the first Indian car to be available on this platform. Considering the fact that the game boasts some of themost elite cars available, this is quite a big draw for the RACEMO.

Considering TAMO has been established to develop products with quicker turn-around times, expect near to production version ofthe RACEMO to be shown at the 2018 Auto Expo in India.

Top

Geneva Motor Show 2017: Diamond-painted Ghost Rolls Royce’s star Car Wale

Rolls Royce is the epitome of luxury motoring and every time the British marque makes sure it stays ahead of anyone who wants tocome even close to it. At Geneva this year, we have the Rolls Royce Ghost Elegance taking centre stage at the Rolls Roycepavilion and it has been painted in real diamonds.

This is not a show car purpose-built to wow Geneva. It is an actual customer car, the one that has been ordered by one gentlemanwith money that would probably make Richie Rich look pauper. It took three Rolls Royce paint specialists to create this paint whichhas actual crushed diamonds more than two months to get it right.

Built under the Bespoke programme which is known to create some extraordinarily personalised cars for the Rolls Royce clientele.The long-wheelbase Rolls Royce Ghost is painted in the Diamond Stardust paint with 1000 diamonds crushed in it. The car ispainted in the two-tones of black and silver with red and black coach-lines. The Diamond Stardust paint gets a thick clear coat aswell, making sure the paint finish is as immaculate as every other Rolls even to touch.

Top

Aston Martin hypercar gets Valkyrie badge Car Wale

The Aston Martin AM RB001 has been in the works for more than a year now. The hypercar is being built with Red Bull F1 teamand Adrian Newey taking care of the aerodynamics. According to reports, the hypercar will now be called the Valkyrie – oldNorse for the one who chooses who gets to die on the battlefield and who doesn’t.

Keeping the ‘V’ name tradition going forth, the Valkyrie will join the Vulcans and the Vantages in the Aston Martingarage. The Valkyrie is powered by a bespoke Cosworth V12 and is expected to develop close to 1000bhp of power in tandem withthe electric motors. It will also get the Formula 1 inspired KERS technology to boost the output along with the F1-inspired bodywork.

Top

Renault Kwid Climber brochure leaked Car Wale

Last year, at the 2016 Auto Expo, Renault unveiled two new concept cars based on the Kwid hatchback. One was the Kwid Racerwhich was a track oriented concept while the other was a Kwid climber, an off-road oriented version of the micro SUV. We hadhoped for a long time that Renault would bring one of these models into production. Now, as per a leaked brochure, Renault willbring to life the Kwid Climber concept.

The leaked images indicate that the vehicle gets a host of cosmetic updates both on the inside and outside but remains the same

mechanically. A majority of the changes are on the outside where the car has been painted in a shade of legendary Renault AlpineBlue while the mirrors, roof rails and bash plate have painted in orange. A new addition this car are the grey alloy six-spoke wheelswhich is a first for the Kwid. The cabin is standard top-of-the-line Kwid fare but with orange inserts for dashboard, gear knob andedge of the seats.

This Kwid Climber is expected to be offered with the 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine producing 67bhp/90Nm. It can be had with afive-speed manual or a five-speed AMT (which is visible in the pictures). We believe that it will be priced Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000more than the equivalent standard model.

Top

PSA Group buys Opel from General Motors Car Wale

The PSA Group, owner of Citroen and Peugeot has officially announced it is buying Opel and Vauxhall, from General Motors as partof a deal worth 2.3 billion Euros (approx Rs 15,000 crore). The agreement between the American giant and French carmakerincludes the Opel/Vauxhall brand subsidiary worth 1.3 billion Euros and GM Financial’s European operations valuing 0.9billion Euros.

This acquisition makes PSA Group second largest car manufacturer in Europe, behind Volkswagen Group; with a market share of17 per cent. According to the agreement, the possession of Opel’s, and its British subsidiary Vauxhall’s automotiveoperation, six assembly and component manufacturing facilities, an engineering centre in Russelsheim, and around 40,000 GMemployees will move under PSA’s ownership. The engineering facility in Torino will be retained by GM, though.

However, Opel’s product will continue to use the technologies until PSA can wholly develop the acquired brand. This meansthat current model range will have to wait until the end of their life-cycle to move onto PSA platform whereas the new cars likeCrossland X and Grandland X will be the first to be based on PSA’s architecture. The association will also help both the firmswith the electric technologies with the added benefit of GM-Honda joint venture, whereas the existing supply of Holden and Buickmodels will continue.

Opel has been under GM banner for a long time now and was always facing financial turmoils. According to PSA, the acquisition will‘turnaround the company’, as it expects an annual saving of 1.7 billion Euros by 2026, of which a significant part isexpected to be delivered by 2020. PSA expects Opel/Vauxhall to reach a recurring operating margin of 2 per cent by 2020 and 6per cent by 2026, and to generate a positive operational free cash flow by 2020.

PSA Group is set to make a re-entry in India through a joint venture with C.K. Birla Group. It intends to manufacture one lakh units ayear, with the operations to commence by 2020.

Top

Fly-Wheel (www.fly-wheel.com)

Team BHP (www.team-bhp.com)

Norway's achievement - 50% of new cars are electric or hybrid Team-Bhp

Norway has claimed that over half of the new car registrations in the country for the first month of this year have been for electric orhybrid cars. According to the official figures revealed, 33.8% of new car registrations in January 2017 were of hybrids, while electriccars contributed 17.6% to the total new car sales. As a result, the cumulative sales of hybrid and electric cars in the countryamounted to 51.4%.

This inclination towards hybrid and electric vehicles is the result of various efforts by Norway's government to promote electrificationof the country's car fleet. Oslo, Norway's capital, offers various benefits to electric car owners, including bus-lane access, privilegedparking and toll-free travel. The country also has all infrastructure-related facilities for electric car owners. In addition to plenty of theregular recharging stations, Norway also has the world's largest fast-charging station, which has the capacity to charge 28 carssimultaneously in just half an hour.

Thanks to all these initiatives, Norway currently has the highest per capita number of all-electric cars in the world. The country isnow aiming to completely eliminate fossil-fuel powered vehicles by the year 2025.

Top

Mercedes-Benz globally recalls 10 lakh cars over faulty fuse Team-Bhp

Mercedes-Benz has issued a global recall for replacing a faulty fuse in its cars. The malfunctioning fuse has reportedly caused 51

vehicle fires across the globe. The company claims that no injuries or deaths have been reported due to the fires. Mercedes will bereplacing the faulty part at no extra cost to the customer. The recall process will begin in the United States from July this year. Thecompany hasn’t mentioned the recall schedule for other countries yet.

This recall will affect around 10 lakh cars globally. A regulatory disclosure filed by the German luxury carmaker mentions that themodels affected by the said recall will include the C-Class, E-Class, CLA, GLA and GLC; all manufactured in the period fromFebruary 1, 2014 to February 1, 2017. Mercedes has already implemented a fix in its production lines across the globe to avoid anymore new cars getting the faulty part. Additionally, the company will also be adding an additional fuse to all cars that are currentlylying at dealerships, before they are sold.

It is being reported that the risk of fire arises when a vehicle refuses to start. Repeated attempts to crank the engine can overheatthe 'current limiter' (fuse), which can then melt nearby parts in the engine bay and thus pose a risk of fire.

Top

Rumour: New Hyundai Santro to launch in second half of 2018 Team-Bhp

Hyundai Motor India's CEO and Managing Director - YK Koo, has indicated that the company might launch the new Santro in Indiain the second half of next year. This will mark the revival of the Santro brand name in the country, after it was officially discontinuedin 2015.

Though deeper details about the new Santro haven't been revealed yet, reports suggest that it will be offered with two petrolengines - a 1.1-litre and a 1.2-litre. It will be introduced to fill the gap between the Eon and the Grand i10, which has widened afterthe regular i10 was discontinued last year.

It is also being reported that the new car might get a new name as well. However, Hyundai hasn't yet commented on the same. Thecar is being developed by the company's global R&D team, with inputs from the Indian arm's R&D centre in Hyderabad.

Top

Tata Tiago AMT launched at Rs. 5.39 lakh Team-Bhp

Tata Motors has announced the launch of the Tiago AMT at a price of Rs. 5.39 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The AMT gearbox willonly be available in the XZA petrol variant and has thus been introduced at a premium of around Rs. 40,000 as compared to thecorresponding manual trim.

The Tiago AMT is currently only being offered with the 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder Revotron petrol engine that produces 84 BHP and 114Nm of torque. The AMT gearbox on offer with the Tiago petrol includes four gear positions - Automatic, Neutral, Manual andReverse. It also comes with a creep function that enables the car to crawl forward as soon as the brake pedal is released. TheTiago AMT further comes with 2 driving modes - Sport and City.

The Tiago AMT will directly be competing against the Maruti Celerio AMT, which is priced in the range of Rs. 4.52 lakh to Rs. 5.25lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Top

Over Drive (www.overdrive.in)

2017 Geneva Motor Show: 190PS Tamo Racemo showcased Over Drive

Last month we reported that Tata Motors will showcase its all-new and first-ever sportscar at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show. And nowthe Indian car manufacturer has officially unveiled the TaMo RaceMo mid-engined rear wheel drive car.

The TaMo Racemo is based on a MOFlex Multi-Material Sandwich (MMS) structure. This will also underpin future offerings by thecompany and will reduce the time between concept and production model. This new platform and has been co-developed by theTata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC) and Engine Research Centre (ERC). While the former is based out of Coventry,UK, the latter is in Pune.

The Tamo Racemo doesn’t resemble any of the cars from Tata Motors and gets a fresh design language. We expect thesame to inspire the next gen cars from the company. In terms of features, the Racemo gets a digital instrument cluster withconnected car technology. The infotainment system will offer advanced navigation, predictive maintenance, remote monitoring andover-the-air updates using Microsoft cloud-based technologies including advanced analytics, internet of things (IoT)

The TaMo Racemo is powered by a 1.2-litre Revotron motor that makes 190PS of motor. That is simply impressive as even the MiniCooper S with its 2.0-litre turbocharged motor makes 192PS. Whereas the Volkswagen Polo GTI churns a similar power out with a

1.8-litre motor. Tamo claims that the RaceMo can do 0 to 100kmh in under 6 seconds. Though there is still time for the actualproduction car to surface on the street, you can still take the Racemo+ for a spin on the Microsoft’s Forza Horizon 3. TheRacemo is the first Indian car to be available on this platform.

From the looks of it, the Tamo Racemo is already an exciting sportscar but the company is not stopping at it. TaMo will also bebringing spruced up version called the Racemo+ that has been built for the next Gran Turismo.

Tata Motors will have Racemo showrooms which will offer all the performance-spec cars from the brand. These showrooms willhave a different approach in terms of design, look and feel when compared to the standard showrooms. We expect the TaMoRacemo to make it to India by the end of this year.

Top

2017 Geneva Motor Show: Seven-seater Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace showcased Over Drive

Volkswagen has showcased the Tiguan Allspace at the Geneva Motor Show today. The Allspace is a long-wheelbase seven-seatversion of the standard Tiguan, which is on sale in international markets. According to Volkswagen, the Tiguan Allspace will now beable to accomodate an extra row of seats or an additional 115 litres of bootspace at the rear. This is because it is 215mm longerthan the Tiguan, with an increase of 110mm in wheelbase.

Other than the profile of the car being altered due to the increase in length, the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace looks almost similar totheTiguan with small changes being made just to the bonnet and the front grille.

The Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace is powered by a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol motor that puts out 150PS. The other petrol motor that canbe availed on this SUV is a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol unit that comes in two states of tunes – 180PS and 219PS. The dieselvariants of the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace use a 2.0-litre motor that can be optioned with a power output of 150PS, 180PS or239PS.

The 1.4-litre petrol engine will be available only with front-wheel drive, whereas the 2.0-litre petrol gets AWD as standard. The2.0-litre diesel motors making 180PS and 239PS get AWD as standard too whereas it is an optional extra on the 150PS variant.

Volkswagen had displayed the standard Tiguan at the 2016 Indian Auto Expo. It has been testing the SUV on Indian soil and weeven drove the car last year. In India, the Volkswagen Tiguan will be equipped with a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel motor producing 177PSand 350Nm. While we’re not sure about the Allspace variant making its way to India, Volkswagen will be launching thestandard Tiguan here in the first quarter of 2017.

Top

2017 Geneva Motor Show: Volkswagen Arteon showcased Over Drive

Volkswagen has been issuing teaser images of the Arteon, the premium saloon that is likely to replace the ageing Phaeton. Thelatter was once the flagship sedan from the German car manufacturer. Its 14-year production ended globally last year. TheVolkswagen Arteon will be built at the company’s Emden plant in Germany. And this one might make its way to India as well.

Sharing its underpinnings with the new-gen Passat, Superb and other group models, the Volkswagen Arteos is based on the MQBplatform which is believed to be light weight and therefore more efficient than the previous platforms. The Arteon sedan measures4,861mm in length, 1,872mm in width and 1,427mm in height, making it shorter, wider and lower than the new-gen VolkswagenPassat.

The Volkswagen Arteon looks like nothing that the German car manufacturer has ever made. Though it is a premium four-doorsedan, Volkswagen insists on calling the Arteon a grand tourer. Taking its styling cues from the Sport Coupe Concept GTE that wasshowcased at the 2015 Geneva show, the Arteon comes with sleek LED headlights. These lights merge in the grand six-bladeradiator grille. Additionally, the overall front design makes it look wider than it actually is. The silhouette of the Volkswagen Arteonmight make some of the more premium offerings shy away. And similar is the case with the rear. It is very interesting to see howVolkswagen has managed to bring in a coupe-like design theme on a four-door sedan of this proportion.

The gorgeous exterior design of the Volkswagen Arteon has been matched with an equally well-equipped cabin. The higher variantsof the Arteon will come with digital cockpit with TFT screens that is also seen in present-day Audi cars. Additionally, there will begesture-controlled infotainment system, heads-up display and LED lighting system.

The international-spec Volkswagen Arteon will be powered by a range of turbo inline-four motors like the 1.5-litre TSI with cylinderdeactivation producing a power output of 148PS and a 2.0-litre TSI that will be offered with two states of tune – 188PS and276PS. The diesel variants of the Volkswagen Arteon will make use of a 2.0-litre motor with a choice between 148PS, 188PS or236PS. Looking at Volkswagen’s keen interest in electrification, we expect the company to roll out a Arteon GTE plug-inhybrid too that will use the same tech as the Passat GTE.

The Volkswagen Arteon that has been showcased is available in two variants – Elegance and R-Line. The deliveries in theinternational market are expected to begin by the end of this year. It might hit Indian shores in 2018.

Top

2017 Geneva Motor Show: Volkswagen unveils driverless Sedric concept Over Drive

If you are someone who enjoys driving, the future doesn’t look too bright for you. And that is because almost every carmanufacturer is working on tech to completely chuck the human intervention. Volkswagen has unveiled the Sedric concept that willbe the group’s first self-driving car. This all-electric autonomous pod previews a vehicle with a Level-5 automated driving, thehighest stage of automation.

The Sedric gets its naming from “self-driving car”. The pod concept was designed, developed and built at theVolkswagen Group Future Centre in Potsdam in collaboration with Volkswagen Group Research in Wolfsburg. The German brandstates that the concept has been designed for the whole VW Group and not for a single brand. This is evident with the absence ofVW logos on the concept. Though the overall design and detailing highlight the characteristic VW traits.

With its latest line of concepts that include the I.D. range and now the Sedric, Volkswagen seems to be prioritising electric andautonomous technology that will be seen in its future line-up of cars. In addition, this will help the German brand improve its imagethat got affected due to the diesel emission scandal.

Coming back to the Sedric, this driverless pod concept has been developed under a new platform that Volkswagen calls ModularElectric Drive or MEB. The same is shared with the VW’s I.D. concepts and will be seen in production EVs in the future. Withthe help of such offerings, Volkswagen is on its target of selling 1 million EVs till 2025. Powering the Sedric is a 60kWh battery packpositioned under the floor that will offer a claimed range of 400km. Helping the Sedric are an array of radar, camera and Lidarsensors mounted on the roof.

Since the Sedric is a driverless concept, one won’t find a typical steering wheel, dashboard or pedals. Instead, it comesequipped with only three buttons – go, stop and call operator. Volkswagen explains that the Sedric can be called for using asmartphone, and then directions can be given with the help of voice-activated controls.

Top

Tata Tiago AMT launched in India at Rs 5.73 lakh Over Drive

Tata Motors has launched Tiago with an AMT at Rs 5.73 lakh, ex-Mumbai. It will be paired only with the Revotron 1.2-litre petrolengine. The 3-cylinder naturally aspirated motor puts out 85PS at 6,000rpm and 114Nm at 3,500rpm. The AMT will only beavailable on the top-spec XZA variant and is Rs 43,000 more than the manual Tata Tiago XZ. All the other variants will still beoffered with the 5-speed manual gearbox only.

The Tiago’s AMT gets a Manual mode as well as a Sport mode. Unlike the manual variant, the Tiago AMT will also beoffered with Eco and City modes which will change only the engine mapping for better efficiency or performance.

Like almost all AMTs in the market, the Tiago’s unit will come with a creep function, which eases the manoeuvrability inslow-moving traffic conditions and during parking. The creep feature enables the car to crawl as and when pressure is eased off thebrake pedal, and also prevents the car from rolling back on slopes.

The Tata Tiago AMT competes with the Maruti Suzuki Celerio AMT, the Honda Brio AT and the Nissan Micra CVT. Since the HondaBrio uses a traditional torque convertor and the Nissan Micra uses a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), it is the MarutiSuzuki Celerio and the Tata Tiago that would compete against each other with AMT gearboxes.

Top

Mercedes recalls 10 lakh vehicles globally over faulty fuse Over Drive

Daimler AG has issued a recall of 10 lakh recently produced Mercedes-Benz cars which might be at risk of catching fire due to apotentially faulty fuse. The recall has been issued in the light of 51 vehicle fires, but there have been no reported injuries or deaths.

The recall would affect around 3,07,629 Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the United States alone. The US is among the three biggestmarkets for Mercedes-Benz, and a majority of the fires were reported – 30 of the 51 to be exact – in the US only. Therecall would affect around 75,000 vehicles in the United Kingdom, and figures for other countries are yet to be released.

Daimler announced that the faulty fuse is found in some of their A-, B-, C- and E-Class cars as well as in their CLA, GLA and GLCvehicles. The issue is with a defective “current limiter” which could cause the starter motor to overheat if there arenumerous attempts to start the vehicle. If this happens, the overheating motor could melt parts near it and potentially start a fire.

The solution to the problem seems to be outfitting an extra fuse, as a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson said, “Any affectedvehicles in inventory will not be sold until they can be outfitted with the additional fuse.” Mercedes-Benz was quoted assaying that the fix will be implemented on new vehicles rolling off the production line, and those at dealerships’ stockyardswill be fixed before delivery.

Mercedes-Benz will start notifying the affected car owners in the US about the replacement schedule later this month, but the

replacement parts would not arrive until June 2017. Details of when customers from other markets would be notified are unavailableas of now.

Top

2017 Geneva Motor Show: 1,500PS Dendrobium electric hypercar teased Over Drive

It is not often that you hear a Singapore-based brand working on an electric hypercar, but this time around there is one. VandaElectrics, owned by Wong Fong Engineering, will be showcasing the Dendrobium electric hypercar at the 2017 Geneva MotorShow. The company has released a teaser video of the same.

The present portfolio of Vanda Electrics includes a mini electric truck with a payload capacity of 1 tonne. Powered by a 48V ACelectric motor, the Ant truck offers a range of 100km in one full charge and can reach a maximum speed of 40kmph, claims thecompany. The other offering from Vanda Electrics is an electric scooter that takes 60 minutes to fully charge and offer a range of64km. However, both of these offerings are in the concept stage.

The company states, “Vanda Electrics is set to develop electric transportation solutions to capitalise on the global shifttowards electric mobility. Under the Vanda umbrella, a suite of electric mobility products and battery storage technologies will bemade available to the market, with a focus on three key segments – hyper luxury, consumer and industrials.”

The two concepts that we mentioned fit in the industrial and consumer categories. The Dendrobium electric hypercar will be itshyper luxury model that will come with fast-charging modular battery system, the Titan 8. The company has tied up with WilliamsAdvanced Engineering. The technical details of this hypercar are still not out, though it is believed to make 1,500PS with a claimed0 to 100kmph acceleration of 2.6 seconds. The hypercar is named Dendrobium after the orchid species found in Singapore.

Top

TopGear India (www.TopGear.com)

This is the Tamo Racemo TopGear India

So, here we are. 16 years on from Tata's first crack at building a sportscar, Tata is back with another two-door, and this time, it willbe built. Welcome, everyone, to the Racemo.

It is - as we expected -- a low-slung coupe, with its engine mounted amidships -- a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol motor making187bhp and 210Nm of torque. It may not sound like much for a sportscar, but we're expecting the Racemo to be light -- it's even gotfabric straps in place of proper door pulls! Tata claims the Racemo will do 0-100kph in under six seconds.

The Revotron is mated to a six-speed AMT, which may be a perplexing choice for a car that's supposed to be racy, but we'll have towait and see what Tata has managed to make of it. There are two variants -- a more road-oriented Racemo, and the track-readyRacemo+. We don't yet know of the exact differences between the two, but you can see the + sports a rather aggressive body kit, amassive rear spoiler and a lip spoiler, too. It also rocks different wheels and a different steering wheel.

It's the first car to be based on Tamo's MoFlex platform, a modular platform that'll let Tata spin off a smattering of products in a shortamount of time. And by the looks of it, it doesn't seem like the Racemo is too far off from being production ready.

Top

The Lamborghini Huracán Performante is here TopGear India

Six minutes, 52.01 seconds. A Nürburgring lap time that will have triggered a number of alarm bells throughout the performance carfraternity, set by a car that wears its racing DNA about as conspicuously as a haymaker to the face.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the brand new Lamborghini Huracán Performante; a car so extreme its own makers describe it as a‘streetfighter’.

It is of course, the hardcore, track-honed edition of the Lamborghini Huracán, and there are a number of vital stats we must rattlethrough before we get to its party piece.

First off, the engine. The Huracán’s 5.2-litre naturally-aspirated V10 becomes Lamborghini’s most powerful ever V10.Taking cues from Lambo’s motorsports programme, the revised V10 - complete with a bronze manifold cover, a-la Diablo -features optimised engine fluid dynamics, reduced losses in the air intake, titanium valves, and a new exhaust system.

So, headline figures are 631bhp and 599Nm of torque. Interestingly, Lamborghini claims 70 per cent of that 599Nm of torque isavailable at just 1,000rpm. The whole lot is allied to an optimised version of Lambo’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission

and four-wheel-drive system, to record a 0-100kph time of 2.9s, 0-200kph in 8.9s, and a top speed in excess of 325kph.

Chassis? Much stiffer, as expected. Springs and bars are 10 per cent stiffer than on the regular Huracán, the roll stiffness has beenimproved by 15 per cent, and the radial and axial arm bushings are a whopping 50 per cent stiffer. Lambo’s ANIMA systemthat controls the various suspension modes has also been modified – Strada favours traction, Sport gives more rear bias foroversteer, while Corsa is flat-out, track attack mode.

Now, pay attention because this is the most important bit: the Huracán Performante features active aero in the shape of the‘Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva’, or ALA. At the front, there are two flaps which, with the ALA system off, remainclosed and, in conjunction with the rear wing, deliver maximum downforce. With ALA active, they’re opened by an electricmotor nestled in the centre of the splitter, boosting air flow and reducing drag and underbody pressure.

The huge rear wing – one of the new forged carbon-fibre elements – is actually hollow, and the two upright supportshave airboxes at their bases (which sit inboard, in the airflow at the base of the rear glass decklid) each containing motorised flaps.

The airboxes sweep up the fast-moving air from the decklid and flow it through the rear wing upright and into the wing itself. Thatspeedy airflow then runs through the spoiler’s horizontal plane and is released through a narrow channel underneath itssurface.

Because the forged carbon can be made into complex structures, each side of the wing has its own channel fed independently fromthe airbox on each respective side. With ALA active, the flow through the wing is optimised in different ways. Under heavy brakingthe airflow is stopped, leaving the wing to act traditionally, and keep the car balanced and planted.

When cornering, the system monitors the steering and yaw inputs and shuts off air to the inside to increase the downforce on thatwheel, while opening the valve in the channel on the other. It’s active air braking downforce. Got it? Good. Let’s moveon.

The whole thing weighs just 1,382kg (40kg lighter than the regular Huracán), takes design cues from Lambo’s Super Trofeoracers, and is all centred around those active aero bits. There’s lots of matt and gloss carbonfibre, naked forged composites,a ‘razor-blade’ sharp front, higher-mounted exhausts, and of course, the Italian tricolore on the side.

The bronze forged wheels are courtesy of Narvi, measuring 20in, wearing Pirelli P Zero Corsas, though you can option thetrack-friendly Pirelli Trofeo R. Inside, there is much forged composite material used for the air vents, paddles, door handles andcentre console. The lightweight seats wear Alcantara, and there’s a digital cockpit that tells you just what that complicatedaero is up to at any given point.

“The Huracán Performante is the convergence of technological developments to produce a car delivering perfectperformance,” explains Lamborghini boss Stefano Domenicali. “This new car represents the powerhouse ofLamborghini DNA and innovation.

“It illustrates the pinnacle of Lamborghini V10 production car performance to date, on both track and road, and is perfectlyexemplified by its name: Lamborghini Huracán Performante,” he added.

Top

Aston Martin names its hypercar 'Valkyrie' TopGear India

Well there’s a surprise. The internet was awash with rumours that Aston Martin and Red Bull’s forthcoming hypercar,codenamed AM-RB 001, would be badged Nebula. But the internet has egg on its face. At the Geneva Motor Show, Aston hasannounced it will, in fact, be known as the Valkyrie – continuing Aston’s fascination with names beginning in‘V’.

Named not after the 2008 Tom Cruise film, but taken from Norse Mythology, a quick Google reveals the Valkyries to be “agroup of maidens who served the god Odin and were sent by him to the battlefields to choose the slain who were worthy of a placein Valhalla.” Now that’s how you name a car.

In the words of Marek Reichman, Aston’s chief designer: “Aston Martin model names have deep meaning. They needto inspire and excite. The Aston Martin Valkyrie is an incredibly special car that demands an equally remarkable name; anuncompromising car that leaves nothing in reserve. The connotations of power and honour, of being chosen by the Gods are soevocative, and so pertinent to a car that only a fortunate few will ever experience.”

The only other new information is that the Valkyrie will wear Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, measuring 265/35 at the front and325/30 at the rear. The Michelins will be attached to lightweight magnesium alloy wheels (20 inches at the front, 21 inches at therear) featuring race-spec centre-lock nuts to further reduce unsprung mass.

We already know that Cosworth will be taking care of the engine – a 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12. There’s no wordon power output yet, but the aim is for a one-to-one horsepower-to-kg ratio – how low they can get the kerb weight isanyone’s guess at this stage. The gearbox will be a seven-speed paddleshift built by Ricardo, while Rimac (yes, the verysame company behind the insane Concept_one electric supercar) will take care of batteries for the hybrid boost system.

Canadian company Multimac will pick up where they left off with the One-77 and Vulcan and build the MonoCell carbon tub. Alconwill make the carbon-ceramic brakes and Bosch is currently working on a fiendishly complicated electronic stability system.

So, it’s being designed by some of the biggest names in the business – including Red Bull F1’s mastermind

Adrian Newey - it has a glittering roster of top-tier suppliers, and now it has a name. What do we think internet, is this the car tomake the Porsche 918, McLaren P1 and LeFerrari look like old news?

Top

The Volkswagen Arteon looks like no other VW TopGear India

Well isn’t this a pleasant surprise? It’s the Volkswagen Arteon – a “five-door gran turismo”that’s set to sit above the capable yet impossibly dull Passat in VW’s line-up. In effect, it’s the replacement forthe fine-looking CC – VW’s take on the Audi A5 Sportback and BMW 4 Series Gran Turismo. A conventional,three-box saloon with a hatched-back and coupe-like roofline inspired by the Sport Coupe Concept GTE of Geneva 2015.

And doesn’t it look interesting? The front-end is certainly a departure for VW. It could’ve stuck a swoopier rear-end ona Passat, but no. It’s instead given us something that looks like no other VW. And whatever you think of the way this thinglooks, you’ve got to respect them for putting the effort in.

Underneath the Arteon is the familiar MQB platform that also underpins, well, just about every other big VW. Longer, lower andwider than the Passat, the Arteon will come with the normal array of petrol and diesel engines – highlights are the 1.5-litreTSI ‘Evo’ from the facelifted Golf, and the 276bhp 2.0-litre turbo four from the fast Superb among others. The mostpowerful engines get seven-speed DSGs and 4Motion AWD as standard – these are variously available as options acrossthe range.

Inside too is standard-issue VW, with the busy ‘Active Info Display’ digital dials and 9.2in infotainment screen withgesture control. We hope VW’s improved on both compared to how they are in the facelifted Golf.

Also worthy of note is the active safety tech on offer. The latest generation of VW’s Emergency Assist system knows whenthe driver is having some kind of medical emergency, and is able to slow the car and move over into the slow lane autonomously.Lane Assist now reacts to swerving lorries, and the car’s LED headlights are linked to the GPS so they know where cornersare, and can adapt accordingly.

The Arteon launches mid-June in Germany, and orders can be placed straight after the car’s reveal at the Geneva MotorShow.

Top

Motor Beam (www.motorbeam.com)

TAMO RACEMO Unveiled At Geneva Motor Show Motor Beam

Tata Motors has finally revealed the highly anticipated TAMO RACEMO at the ongoing Geneva Motor Show. The sportscar hasbeen designed at Tata Motors’ design studio in Turin, Italy. It also gets some elements from the company’s IMPACTdesign language. The front fascia looks quite aggressive and gets Bi-LED headlamps.

The TAMO RACEMO gets a 1.2-litre Revotron turbocharged petrol engine producing 190 PS of power at 6500 RPM and 210 Nm oftorque at 2500 RPM. The engine is mated to a 6-speed AMT gearbox and it gets paddle shifters and push button reverse. 0-100km/hr comes up in under 6 seconds which is quick.

The vehicle gets an all-round independent double wishbone suspension. The tyre sizes are 205/50/17 and 235/45/18 at the frontand rear respectively. The car also gets all 4 disc brakes and ABS with EBD. It also gets dual front airbags and has been designedkeeping the upcoming Indian safety regulations in mind. It gets a standard 3-point seat belt or an optional 4-point harness.

The TAMO RACEMO is built on a MOFlex multi-material sandwich structure and such type of a structure is used for the first time inthe automotive industry. The sports car is going to hit the showrooms soon and we expect it to fetch good response for thecompany. It is expected to be priced in the Rs. 25-30 lakhs price bracket.

For those who love video games, the TAMO RACEMO is available to drive in Forza Horizon 3 on your XBOX and it is the first Indiancar to be made available in the game.

Tamo Racemo– Powered by a 1.2-litre Revotron turbocharged petrol engine– The engine is mated to a 6-speed AMT gearbox– Gets all 4 disc brakes, ABS with EBD and dual airbags

Top

Aprilia 250cc India Bike Still Away, To Focus On Scooters Motor Beam

The latest resurgence of European niche motorcycling brands such as Aprilia and Moto Guzzi has been a reason to rejoice for2-wheeler enthusiasts all over the country as they can finally look forward to upgrading from their Pulsars and Apaches andexperience the thrill of riding a real performance beast.

But the Indian auto market is a tough taskmaster and thus without a considerable marketing budget and after-sales infrastructure,these brands fail to get the traction they deserve. Thus, the parent company of these marquees Piaggio has decided to scale downthe introduction of exciting new products with the Aprilia and Moto Guzzi badge and instead focus on manufacturing scooters underthe Vespa and Aprilia banner.

Piaggio has reportedly decided to shift its attention towards developing and launching new scooters, in order to reach out to massesand make Aprilia a recognizable name. The company says it is important for them to build a brand connect first before launchingcompetitive products at later stages. The superb Aprilia SR 150 scooter was the first step in this direction and it looks like moreproducts are on their way too, either under the Aprilia brand or with a Vespa badge.

The budget performance bike segment has witnessed tremendous traction in recent years. New launches from Bajaj Auto, KTM,Yamaha, Benelli, Hyosung and UM Motorcycles have populated the market and made it more competitive. The BMW G310R and itssibling the TVS Akula is said to further toughen the war. The entry-level performance motorcycling segment (250cc-350cc) is set toboom in near future and thus the move can be considered as a street-smart business tactic by Piaggio so that it stands out from thecrowd when the customers come thronging to the showrooms later.

Aprilia 250cc India Bike– Piaggio currently retails vehicles with the Aprilia, Vespa and Moto Guzzi badges– The company says that it will scale down introduction of future motorcycles– It wants to increase the brand recall value of its vehicles by playing into the mass market scooters segment

Top

Hyundai Ioniq India Launch At 2018 Auto Expo Motor Beam

Hyundai is all set to expand its product portfolio in the coming years and what better way to do it than by adding hybrid products tothe line-up. The automaker is going to launch the Ioniq hybrid at the upcoming 2018 Auto Expo. The vehicle will be brought down toIndia via the CKD route and will compete against the likes of the Toyota Prius.

Apart from this, Hyundai will also introduce mild hybrid tech in its sedans and compact SUVs by May 2018. The government alsoprovides subsidies to hybrid vehicles under the FAME scheme. As of now, Hyundai doesn’t have a single hybrid product inits Indian portfolio.

The company is ramping up its investments for India and will invest Rs. 5000 crore by 2020. The company will launch new productslike the next generation Santro, a new compact SUV, etc. Hyundai will also launch Prime versions of the Grand i10 and Xcent andthese will be targeted towards fleet customers. The cars will have lesser features and will be cheaper to buy.

Hyundai Ioniq India Launch– The Ioniq will be launched at the 2018 Auto Expo– Other vehicles will get mild hybrid tech by May 2018– Prime versions of the Xcent and Grand i10 will be launched for the cab market

Top

Mahindra Ford Tie Up Possible For Producing Passenger Cars Motor Beam

Mahindra & Mahindra and Ford India are discussing a possible tie-up in which the former will make use of the latter’sproduction facility in Chennai to produce cars. If this tie-up goes through, both the automakers will benefit in terms of financials.

While the current partnership talks are related only to manufacturing, in the future it could even result in platform or technologysharing. There is quite some idle production space at Ford’s plant in Chennai and hence Mahindra wants to use it.

The Chennai plant has an annual production capacity of 2 lakh units and only 1.2 lakh units have been produced. The Americanautomaker also has a manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat which has an annual production facility of 2.4 lakh units and only60% of it is being utilised.

Mahindra Ford Tie Up– Mahindra wants to utilise Ford’s plant in Chennai– The annual production capacity is 2 lakh units, with only 1.2 lakh units being made– The companies might share technologies or platforms later

Top

Range Rover Velar Revealed, India Bound

Motor Beam

There is a huge gap between the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport and to fill this, JLR has now revealed the RangeRover Velar. Looks wise, the basic architecture remains the same, but the Velar gets sharper lines, an aggressive looking face withrevised projectors and LED DRLs. Going just by the looks this stands out as the most aerodynamic Land Rover ever.

Coming to the interiors, the Velar gets a new Touch Pro Duo infotainment system that comes with two 10-inch touchscreens. Theintention behind this is to reduce the number of buttons to an absolute minimum. The system is fully configurable with the lowerscreen giving faster responses and ensures that there is no lag in functions traditionally controlled by buttons.

The Velar comes with a choice of six engines. The base 2.0-litre diesel in 180 HP and 240 HP guises, the base 2.0-litre petrol with250 HP while a 300 HP version is expected to join the fray later. There is also the range topping V6 diesel with a 300 HP mill and aV6 petrol with a 380 HP mill. The petrol V6 is a supercharged engine – the only non-turbo engine in the range. The all-wheeldrive will be offered as standard equipment with the Terrain Response, an active rear locking e-differential and Torque Vectoringsystem.

The Range Rover Velar too is a capable off-roader, and has been developed as the most road-biased Range Rover yet. Expect theall new Range Rover Velar to make it to the Indian shores in late 2017 or early 2018 and will go against the likes of the Audi Q7 andPorsche Macan.

Range Rover Velar– The Range Rover Velar will share the technology with the Jaguar F-Pace– The Velar will sit between the Evoque and the Range Rover Sport– The car boasts of the most high-tech Land Rover interior design ever

Top

Rush Lane (www.rushlane.com)

Mercedes-Maybach G65 G-Class debuts at 2017 Geneva Motor Show Rush Lane

Here are the first photos of the much awaited Mercedes-Maybach G65 4×4 Landaulet. This new variant of the classic G Class withbody style akin to a limousine, and passenger section covered by a convertible top, will be launched in Europe first.

Set to be offered in limited numbers, the G65 4×4 Landaulet will sport an electrically operated folding fabric roof opening exclusivelyover rear seats. As seen from photos, the rear portion of the cabin is completely separated from its front end and receives seatingcapacity for two along with a central console and TFT displays in front of them.

Mercedes-Maybach G65 4×4 Landaulet gets a body structure as seen on the G500 4×4, while B pillars and rear screen areremoved to create a large rear segment. The hood, when not needed can be stowed away in a special section at the rear of thevehicle.

Engine specifications aboard the Mercedes-Maybach G65 4×4² Landaulet include a Mercedes AMG twin turbocharged 6.0 liter V12engine offering 629.6 hp power at 5,000 rpm and 999.2 Nm torque at 2,300 to 4,300 rpm mated to a 7 speed torque converter withautomatic gearbox and 4 wheel drive system with 3 individual differential locks.

On display at 87th International Motor Show, Palexpo, 9-19 March 2017, Mercedes-Maybach G65 4×4 Landaulet is also expectedto be launched in India where pricing would be in the INR 2.5-2.8 crore range.

Top

Mercedes AMG GT R debuts at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show Rush Lane

The Mercedes AMG GT R, the most aggressive road legal variant of the AMG-GT line, made its global debut at the GoodwoodFestival of Speed last year. Now, the car has made its debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. Nicknamed as the “beast ofthe green hell”, the AMT GT R is available in a special AMT Green Hell Magno paint job.

Sharper body kits, a mean looking front grill with vertical slats, new alloy wheels and a massive fixed rear spoiler differentiate theGT R from the regular variants of the sportscar.

Inside, the track ready Merc is trimmed with leather and Alcantara with bright yellow stitching. The AMG branded racing bucket seatfurther enhances the car’s intent.

The new variant is powered by a pumped up version of the 4.0-litre Bi-Turbo V8 petrol engine which pumps out 75 PS and 50 Nm oftorque more than the GT S. The output figures stand at 577 PS and 700 Nm of torque.

Thanks to the extensive employment of carbon fibre in body panels, the Mercedes AMG GT R will be lighter than the GT Ssignificantly. 0-100 kmph is achieved in 3.6 seconds while top speed stands at 318 kmph.

Top

Mercedes Benz X Class Pickup debuts at 2017 Geneva Motor Show Rush Lane

Mercedes Benz showcased two mid-size luxury pickup concepts at the Artipelag art museum in Stockholm, Sweden in October lastyear. This was introduced in two formats, Concept X-Class ‘Stylish Explorer’ is seen in a pearly white while‘Powerful Adventurer’ receives a pea green exterior.

Stylish Explorer and Powerful Adventurer are both distinctive in character. While Stylish Explorer offers a premium and sportyexperience, Powerful Adventurer is a hardcore off-roader. Of the two, the Stylish Explorer made its motor show debut at the 2017Geneva Motor Show today.

X-Class Stylish Explorer is seen as a regular double cab model with sporty bumpers and distinctive 22” alloy wheels.Powerful Adventurer gets high ground clearance, extra body cladding and wide wheel arches along with off-road wheels and tyres.

Huge headlights and massive grilles are evident at the front of both concepts, while at the rear wraparound LED lamps are seen onStylish Explorer while Powerful Adventurer gets a two light set up. Both concepts are based on the Nissan Navara chassis. Interiorsspell of distinctive Mercedes-Benz designs seen in its gauges and air vents along with dashboard design while both concepts sportstick style gearshifts.

Mercedes Benz X Class Pickup concepts will be powered four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. The automaker claims it will havepayload rating of 2,425 points and towing capacity of 7,717 pounds. Mercedes Benz is investing $1 billion into this project withproduction planned with Renault Nissan Alliance.

Production for Europe, Australia and South Africa markets will be conducted at Nissan plant in Barcelona in 2017 while for LatinAmerican markets production will be undertaken at Renault plant in Cordoba, Argentina in 2018.

Top

Car Dekho (www.cardekho.com)

Meet Tamo Racemo, Tata’s New Sports Car! Car Dekho

The Geneva Motor Show has always been the mecca of world premieres in the auto space ever since its inception in the year 1905.A couple of decades ago, concepts showcased and premieres made at Geneva were not relevant for the Indian market.

But soon, this motor show became important for us around the late ‘90s as Tata Motors emerged as one of the presenters atthis annual event. Tata is celebrating its 20th year at the Geneva Motor Show. Moreover, shows like these grabbed our attentionfurther of late, as cars nowadays are developed keeping the global clientele in mind, especially the ones from leading markets suchas China and India.

Out of all these Swiss shows that Tata has attended, this year’s Geneva Motor Show is perhaps the most vital one for theautomaker as it has revealed the first car from its debutante sub-brand, Tamo. Who would’ve thought that the first vehicle– Racemo – from Tamo, which is one of the steps Tata has taken in its route to rejuvenation, will be a sports car?

The Racemo evoke the nostalgia of the Tata Aria Coupe from the Geneva Motor Show 2000, which never saw the light of the day,and eventually, its name was used for a crossover – the Tata Aria. That said, the Racemo will certainly make it toshowrooms. However, Tata hasn't issued a statement regarding its production prospects, but a market launch could take place earlynext year.

Speaking of the cars, there will be two versions, namely, Racemo and Racemo+. The former is a road-legal one, while the latter is atrack-oriented version. Interestingly, both the cars will be featured on Microsoft’s Forza Horizon 3, making it the first Indiancar to be available on this platform! It is also the first car that will use Tata’s new connected tech, which it has developed withMicrosoft.

The design looks futuristic and the use of different materials in its construction makes it looks unique. It packs scissor doors and theexhaust tip is placed higher up, just like the Mclaren P1.

The Racemo is based on a new MOFlex platform, which according to Tamo is a MMS structure (multi-material sandwich) and hasbeen used for the first time in a passenger vehicle globally. It is powered by a turbocharged Revotron engine (probably amid-mounted, rear wheel drive layout), which puts out 190PS of max power at 6500rpm and 210Nm of peak torque at 2500rpm.Tamo has not revealed the engine capacity, but it's likely a low displacement motor. As per the images, the engine is mated to anautomatic transmission with paddle shifters. Tamo claims a nought to 100kmph sprint in under 6 seconds!

Top

Tata Tigor Launching On March 29

Car Dekho

Good news has surfaced for all those waiting for the Tiago-based sedan. Home-grown automaker Tata Motors has confirmed thatthe Tigor will launch in India on March 29, 2017. Test mules of the Tigor have been spotted on several occasions over the past fewmonths and the company itself released a sketch in February this year.

The Tigor is surely one of the most anticipated cars to make its way to Tata showrooms. Tata Motors has tagged the Tigor as aStyleback. Like the Tiago, which has been a success for the company, the Tigor will carry Tata Motor’s new Impact designlanguage. However, similarities between the two cars will run much deeper than just the exterior looks.

Slated to create a new segment in the industry, the Tigor will share most of its underpinnings with the Tiago. That means it will beoffered with the same 1.2-litre petrol engine (85PS/114Nm) and 1.05-litre diesel motor (70PS/140Nm). Both the engines will comepaired with a five-speed manual transmission and, like the recently launched Tiago AMT, the Tigor is also expected to get a variantwith automated manual transmission.

On the inside, it is likely to be just as feature-rich as the Tiago. The equipment list includes ConnectNext infotainment system byHarman with eight-speaker sound system, GPS navigation support via Navi Maps, cooled glovebox, two drive modes (Eco andCity), dual-tone interior upholstery, dual airbags, ABS with EBD and corner stability control. Prices for the Tigor are expected to startaround Rs 4.5 lakh and it is likely to overlap a couple of top-end variants of the hatchback it is based on.

Top

King Of The ‘Ring: Lamborghini Huracan Performante Unveiled Car Dekho

Lamborghini has unveiled the most hardcore version of the Huracan at the 2017 Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS).Christened ‘Huracan Performante’, it features new Lambo's lightweight tech, active aerodynamics, new chassisset-up, all-wheel–drive system and an enhanced powertrain. Stefano Domenicali, chairman and CEO, Lamborghini, said,“The Huracan Performante represents the powerhouse of Lamborghini DNA and innovation; a 360-degree approach tocreating class-leading super sports cars.”

The newest addition to the Huracan family is also the most powerful. Although it is powered by the same 5.2-litre, naturallyaspirated V10 engine that does duty in the rest of the range, it is tuned to pump out 640PS of power and 600Nm of torque. Thepowerplant is mated to a seven-speed dual clutch transmission; and with 70 per cent of the engine’s torque available at1,000 rpm, the Huracan Performante can crack 0-100kmph sprint in 2.9 seconds. The figures are exactly the same as those of itsbig brother, the Lamborghini Aventador S, which was recently launched in India. Lamborghini claims that the top speed of theHuracan Performante is clocked at 325kmph.

More grunt isn’t the only area that Lamborghini has worked on. To keep the overall weight as low as possible, the HuracanPerformante is built on a hybrid aluminium and carbon fibre frame. The body is produced from aluminium and Lamborghini’sforged composite. Thanks to the lightweight forged composite material, which was used to make the front and rear spoiler, enginebonnet, rear bumper and diffuser, the overall weight has gone down by 40kg.

The car also features Lambo’s active aerodynamics tech – Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva (ALA). It provides theperformance-oriented sports car with an active variation of aero load for high down force or low drag. This helps in getting the cararound a race track in the quickest time. It has become the undisputed king of the ’ring (Nürburgring Nordschleife) inGermany by clocking a lap time of 6 minutes and 52.01 seconds. That’s about five seconds quicker than the Porsche 918Spyder and seven seconds faster than the Lamborghini Aventador SV.

Of late, Lamborghini has been making cars worthy of both your bedroom wall and the garage. The Huracan Performante is anotherproof of that.

Top

Meet The 2018 E-Class Cabriolet Car Dekho

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the new E-Class Cabriolet on the Internet, which will have its public debut at the upcoming 2017Geneva Motor Show this week. The tenth-generation E-Class saloon version made its debut at the 2016 North AmericanInternational Motor Show in January and was launched in India on February 28. However, it is the long-wheelbase version, whichwas China-exclusive till now, that made its way to the country.

Speaking of the Cabriolet's launch, it is expected to make its Indian debut later this year or early 2018, and will replace the ninthgeneration-based model that is presently on sale.

Like the current cabriolet versions of the S-Class and the C-Class, the 2018 E-Class Cabriolet looks distinct from the saloon,courtesy its redesigned rear profile, with subtle overall differences. Mercedes-Benz claims it to be a proper four seater since thenew Cabriolet has a significantly larger footprint compared to the outgoing model.

Speaking of the numbers, the overall length of the 2018 E-Class Cabriolet is nearly 123mm more than the previous model, while thewidth and height are up by 74mm and 30mm, respectively. The significant increase in length has resulted in a 113mm-longerwheelbase.

2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet Length: 4826 mmWidth: 1860 mmHeight: 1428 mmWheelbase: 2873 mm

The newly developed soft top of the 2018 model, which is available in dark brown, dark blue, dark red and black colours, can befully opened and closed in 20 seconds when travelling at a speed of up to 50 kmph. Like the S-Class Cabriolet, Merc affirmed thatthe soft top’s multi-layered structure with insulation reduces wind and driving noise, and is equally effective when it comes toclimate comfort. It offers a boot capacity of 38 litres (310 litres with the roof open).

The 2018 E-Class Cabriolet carries over the features of the saloon model including the dashboard. Features such as all-LEDheadlamps (optional high-resolution Multibeam LED headlamps), twin 12.3-inch displays with one single seamless glass for theinstrument cluster and infotainment system (not offered in India with the new saloon; might be offered with the Cabriolet), Air BodyControl (air suspension), aluminium hybrid construction, and others.

Besides these, it also receives Mercedes-Benz Cabriolets-exclusive AirScarf and AirCap draught-stop system. The former is aneck-level heating system, while the latter is a wind deflector system, which reduces in-cabin turbulence.

Mechanically, the new Cabriolet will be available globally with a choice of petrol and diesel engines. However, in India, it is likely tocontinue with the turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol (E 400 guise), which puts out 333PS of power and 480Nm of torque. Theseven-speed automatic gearbox will be replaced by the new nine-speed unit like the saloon.

Top

AutoTech Review(autotechreview.com)

Ford Tests Personalised 3D Printing with LightweightingAFPSee This Story In : AutoTech Review

Ford Motor Company is exploring how large one-piece auto parts, like car spoilers, could be printed for prototyping and futureproduction vehicles, as the first automaker to pilot the Stratasys Infinite Build 3D printer. The new 3D print system is located atFord’s Research and Innovation Center in Dearborn.

Capable of printing car parts of practically any shape or length, the Stratasys Infinite Build system could be a breakthrough forvehicle manufacturing, providing a more efficient and affordable way to produce tooling, prototype parts, or components at lowvolumes, like Ford Performance vehicles, or for personalised car parts.

As 3D printing becomes increasingly efficient and affordable, companies are employing this emerging technology for manufacturingapplications in everything from aerospace, to education, to medicine. Wider adoption in 3D printing has been driven by recenttechnology advances, new areas of application and government support, according to Global Industry Analysts Inc. By 2020, theglobal market for 3D printing is expected to reach $9.6 billion, the organisation reported.

In the future, 3D printing could have immense benefits for automotive production, including the ability to produce lighter-weightparts, which may help improve fuel efficiency. A 3D-printed spoiler, for instance, may weigh less than half of its metal-castequivalent.

Additionally, 3D printing is a more cost-efficient way to produce parts only needed at low volumes, like prototypes and specialisedparts for racing cars. Further, Ford also may use the technology to make larger printed tooling and fixtures as well as personalisedcomponents for customers.

Specifications for the part are transferred from the computer-aided design program to the printer’s computer, which analysesthe design. Then, the device goes to work, printing one layer of material at a time – in this case, plastic – and thengradually stacking the layers into a finished 3D object.

When the system detects that the raw material or supply material canister is empty, a robotic arm automatically replaces it with a fullcanister. This allows the printer to operate for hours or days while unattended.

Though 3D printing isn’t yet fast enough for high-volume production manufacturing, it is a more cost-efficient way to produceparts only needed at low volumes, like prototypes and specialised parts for racing cars. In addition, when not limited by theconstraints of mass production processes, components can be designed to function more efficiently.

Using traditional methods, an engineer would create a computer model of the part and wait for months for prototype tooling to beproduced. With 3D printing, Ford can print the same part in days at a significantly reduced cost. For example, a prototype for a newintake manifold could be produced over a couple of days as opposed to several months, at an order of magnitude lower cost.

“With the Infinite Build technology, we are now able to print large tools, fixtures, and components, making us more nimble indesign iterations,” said Ellen Lee, Ford technical leader for additive manufacturing research. “We’re excited tohave early access to Stratasys’ new technology in order to help steer the development of large scale printing for automotiveapplications and requirements.”

Top

Tata Launches Petrol Tiago With AMT At Rs 5.73 Lakh AutoTech Review

Tata Motors has launched the Easy-Shift Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) variant of its Tiago hatchback in the petrolversion, at Rs 5.73 lakh, ex-showroom Mumbai. The Tiago AMT will be available in the XZA trim, and is powered by the 1.2 l,three-cylinder Revotron petrol engine. The Easy-Shift AMT in the Tiago is the first-in-class model to feature ‘Sports’mode, and also has the creep feature for manoeuvrability in heavy traffic and ease in parking.

The Tiago Easy-Shift AMT comes equipped with four gear positions – Automatic, Neutral, Reverse and Manual. It offers twodrive modes– Sports and City, for a peppy driving experience as well as city cruising, the company noted. The Manual modeenables the driver to shift gears by flicking a gear stick. The creep feature in the AMT enables the car to crawl as soon as thepressure is eased off the brake pedal, without pressing the accelerator. Tata Motors said that this function also prevents the carfrom rolling back when it starts from an inclined position.

Mayank Pareek, President, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors, said the Tiago was the company’s first productto be launched under the IMPACT design language. He added that the car has been instrumental in the growth of TataMotors’ brand across the passenger vehicle market. The Tiago AMT has been introduced in line with the company’scommitment of launching products that cater to the need of the ever-evolving customer, noted Pareek.

Top

Triumph Partners CSS India 2017 to Promote Safe Riding AutoTech Review

Triumph Motorcycles India announced its association with the California Superbike School (CSS) with the aim to makeinternationally benchmarked motorsports skills accessible to talented enthusiasts and equip them with the responsible and saferiding practices. Triumph intends to make its roadsters and super sports motorcycle range available to CSS that coach for trainingand practice.

The California Superbike School (CSS), recognised as a prominent motorcycle racing school in the world, operating in 27 countriesaround the world. CSS first came to South East Asia in 2010 when it set up camp in India at the MMSC Track in Chennai and overthe last seven years has trained over 500 students successfully. Trained over three days, riders receive the most effectiveprogression of skill sets ever devised for learning the techniques of riding and cornering.

Sharing his views about the training session, Vimal Sumbly, Managing Director Triumph Motorcycles India Pvt Ltd, said,“Owning a powerful bike is becoming popular in the country so it is imperative that we provision for the appropriate skill setsto keep owners safe while they make the most of their motorcycles I personally feel this is an ideal training school for anymotorcycle enthusiast because it prepares you for the track and for the street.”

TT Siddharth, creator of CSS here in India, said “Enthusiasm among participants has been exceptionally high. We recentlyconducted two separate sessions both of which were completely booked. Riders personally come up to us and shared how CSShas improved their riding techniques. I would like to extend a very warm thanks to Triumph Motorcycles for supporting us in thisspecial endeavour.”

Top

Autocar Pro (www.autocarpro.in)

Pulsar brand to evolve with its customer base: Bajaj Auto’s Eric Vas Autocar Pro

Pune-based Bajaj Auto has repeatedly positioned itself as a solely motorcycle manufacturer. The company has a stranglehold at thetop-end of the commuter motorcycle market, also referred as the premium commuter category. Its strong presence in the 150cc andabove segment can be attributed to brand Pulsar, which remained the company’s flagship brand for more than a decade.

Pulsar was not only the best performing umbrella brand for Bajaj Auto in terms of sales, but it has also continuously redefined thepremium end of the commuter motorcycle market over the past decade and a half. The latest Pulsar model saw itself in a fully-fairedavatar – as the RS 200 – equipped with modern technologies including Bajaj-patented triple-spark ignition system onsingle-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 200cc engine, single-channel anti-lock braking system (ABS), twin projector headlamps, LED taillights, advanced exhaust system and others.

Notably, the Pulsar RS 200 became the first motorcycle from the stable of Bajaj Auto to offer a single-channel ABS system on itstop-end variant. The Pulsar RS 200 was also instrumental in highlighting a fast-catching technology trend that defined buyerpreference for ABS as a safety feature in the price range of above Rs 100,000.

Currently, the Pulsar brand slots in the engine displacement bandwidth of single-cylinder, 135cc to 220cc.

New V and Dominar brands ride up

In the past 18-20 months, Bajaj Auto has attempted to consolidate an existing brand (Avenger) and has established two newmotorcycle brands – Bajaj V and Bajaj Dominar.

While with the Avenger 150, the company aimed at making the most of the latent demand for affordable cruiser application in themotorcycle segment – a segment first, it positioned the Bajaj V across 125cc and 150cc commuter bands.

The Dominar 400, its most recent model, now sits at the top end of the entire portfolio as a premium entry level midsized motorcyclewith city and highway applications.

All three brands are performing well for the company. According to the SIAM industry data, while the company has sold 205,002units under the Bajaj V umbrella, it has also retailed an impressive 179,791 units of Bajaj Avengers between April 2016 and January2017. Together, both brands have sold 384,793 units during the first 10 months of the ongoing fiscal, which indicates BajajAuto’s reduced dependency on the Pulsar brand for volumes in the domestic market.

Nevertheless, the potency of the Bajaj Pulsar brand continues to be incontestable in its segment. The company has sold 476,409units under brand Pulsar during the aforementioned 10-month period of FY2017.

The nearest rival, TVS Motor’s Apache brand (150cc-200cc), has reported cumulative sales of 256,328 units during thesame period.

Autocar Professional estimates that the Pulsar brand is likely to contribute to the tune of more than 25 percent of BajajAuto’s FY2017 domestic volumes, which are, as per the market estimates, expected to cross the two million unit milestonethis fiscal.

Pulsar of the matterSpeaking to Autocar Professional on continuing to focus on the Pulsar brand, Eric Vas, president – motorcycle business,Bajaj Auto stated, “Pulsar remains to be an iconic brand for us. All iconic brands evolve. They evolve around cubic capacity,style, applications and many other parameters. The adventure sport was one such application (AS 150 / AS 200). I don’t seeany company that restricts itself to one brand. It is a brand that attracts a certain type of customers and we will do what is essentialto retain that customer with us.”

The Bajaj Dominar 400 is seen as an attempt to upgrade the ageing Pulsar customers to a bigger, more premium and tech-ladenmotorcycle.

Commenting on the direct relation between the brand’s evolution with the evolving customer base, Vas elaborated,“Honestly, we don’t look at it in terms of such a tight bandwidth of cubic capacity. We look at a type of customer andask ourselves, ‘What does this customer want?’. We try to solve that. This is the reason why the RS 200 and AS 200came to the market. Yes, the AS 200 needed a lot of work to be done and we are currently completely re-working on it. The NS 200had a big fan following, we brought it back in much better form than ever before. We will bring the AS back also when we are ready.So the Pulsars will keep evolving. I don’t want to say that it will never go beyond 220cc, if we will see a need to put a 300cc,we will do so. But it will only evolve with its customer base.”

“Actually, the Pulsars have also evolved. For example, it started with the Pulsar 150 and Pulsar 180, then we brought inPulsar 220, which has done really well for us. The BS IV changes on the Pulsars are quite significant changes in terms ofrefinement, power delivery, throttle response. A huge amount of stuff has happened, which I call as below the hood engineering.It’s not apparent but you realise it when you ride it. I think particularly a lot of changes have been done to the Pulsar 150. Ifyou ask me I would say it’s like an all-new engine, which offers performance of a different level altogether,” as hesigned off.

Top

Two-wheeler OEMs record improved numbers in February Autocar Pro

The top seven two-wheeler companies in India have reported flat growth in February 2017 as OEMs like Honda, Yamaha, RoyalEnfield and Suzuki Motorcycles covered up for the deficits recorded by Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Company. Theseven players reported total sales of 1,374,536 units last month (including exports by few companies) as against 1,373,376 unitssold in February 2016.

February 2017 saw flat growth of 0.08 percent YoY, reflecting that overall numbers are nearly level with year-ago volumes. While onone hand, this brings relief to the industry after a disastrous December, stakeholders remain anxious about the saleability of the BSIII-compliant stock across dealerships.

Almost all major two-wheeler manufacturers have either switched or are in the process of switching their products to BS IVcompliance. Although the mandatory upgrade to BS IV emission norms will result into an industry-wide hike in vehicle prices,research agencies expect this may temporarily draw customers to retail stores for hurried purchase of existing stock. Nevertheless,it is clear that the industry has bounced back, albeit not completely, and the industry players expect sales to grow further from here.

In February 2017, Hero MotoCorp, TVS Motor Company and Bajaj Auto registered negative YoY numbers. Honda, on the otherhand, rallied up with growth numbers, followed by Yamaha, Royal Enfield and Suzuki.

According to Hero MotoCorp, it sold a total of 524,766 units last month, down by 4.76 percent YoY (February 2016: 550,992). Anofficial communication from India’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer to the Bombay Stock Exchange conveys that thecompany has shifted to producing only BS IV-compliant two wheelers from March 1, 2017. “Majority of Hero two-wheelers

had already been made BS IV- compliant quite some time back and the company has fully transitioned to producing only BS IVvehicles across the range from March 1, 2017,” quotes the company document.

The country’s second largest two-wheeler OEM, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) reported sales of 369,865 unitsin February 2017, up by 5.25 percent YoY (February 2016: 351,401). Commenting on HMSI’s performance in February2017, Yadvinder Singh Guleria, senior vice-president (Sales & Marketing), said, “With the continued momentum of recoveryafter demonetisation, Honda has emerged as the first choice of Indian two-wheeler customers. This recovery period has beenfavourable for Honda, as we continue to grow with a 1.4 percent increase in domestic market share of 27.2 percent.

For Honda, our market strategy is well placed and from March 1, 2017 we have started production of only BS IV models at all of ourfour plants.”

Earlier this month, HMSI launched the BS IV-compliant version of its bestseller, the 110cc Activa 4G, which also marks the fourthgeneration of the Activa in local markets. In accordance with the statutory mandate, it has also been equipped with the automaticheadlamp on (AHO) feature, just like all other models. It can be recalled that Autocar Professional, in its report on the Activa 4G,had highlighted that the BS IV-compliant version is priced nearly Rs 2,000 more than the BS III-compliant Activa 3G first launched inFebruary 2015.

Moving slow and steady, TVS Motor Company has saw domestic sales of 172,611 units in February 2017, down by 5.78 percentYoY (February 2016: 183,199). TVS has been consistent with its scooter sales, all thanks to the 110cc Jupiter model. The companyis, however, understood to be readying an all-new scooter model for the 125cc segment. The upcoming scooter model is aimed atfurther propelling the growth and market share in the booming scooter segment.

On the other hand, it is also busy doing its ground work for rolling out the first product – G 310 R – under its alliancewith BMW Motorrad soon. The incoming naked street motorcycle will take on the likes of KTM 250 Duke, KTM 390 Duke, BajajDominar 400, Yamaha FZ 25 and DSK Benelli TNT 25.

Besides that, the company is also understood to be in the process of upgrading its existing products to BS IV emission norms. In anofficial communication to Autocar Professional, K N Radhakrishnan, president and CEO, TVS Motor Company said, “TVSMotor Company is a responsible corporate citizen and is fully supportive of a better environment for our customers, employees andstakeholders. We are fully geared up to meet the government’s new BS-IV emission guidelines.”

Pune-based Bajaj Auto has reported total domestic sales of 142,287 units last month, down by 5.86 percent YoY (February 2016:151,141). The company, which became the first two-wheeler major to convert its entire existing portfolio of products to BS IVemission norms, is betting big on its recently launched premium midsized motorcycle – the 375cc Dominar 400.

Bajaj Auto is busy expanding the retail network for the Dominar 400, which was rolled out in January 2017 for commercial salesacross only 22 cities. The company hopes to make the model available across 80 to 100 cities by end-March 2017. “Thatwould mean the Dominar 400 would be available around 200 Bajaj Auto dealerships by end of this financial year,” Eric Vas,president, motorcycle business, Bajaj Auto told Autocar Professional recently.

India Yamaha Motors has registered sales of 68,095 units (including exports to Nepal) during February 2017, up by an impressive19.55 percent YoY (February 2016: 56,960). Commenting on his company’s performance, Roy Kurian, vice-president (sales& marketing), Yamaha Motor India Sales, said, “In 2017, Yamaha continues to grow with a surge in February 2017 saleswhile concurrently ensuring government of India guidelines to introduce BS IV compliant models for all products.”

The company has recently rolled out its entry level midsized motorcycle – FZ 25, a single-cylinder, 249cc naked street modelfor a competitive price of Rs 120,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi). The model is company’s second global product in the boomingmidsized motorcycle segment, first being the YZF-R3, a race track-biased twin-cylinder, 321cc fully-faired model.

Yamaha, which is chasing its ambitious plan of achieving sales of one million units in CY2017, is aggressively working on itsnetwork expansion plans and marketing strategies to boost its scooter and motorcycle sales this year.

Royal Enfield reported sales of 56,737 units in February 2017, up by a decent 19.28 percent YoY (February 2016: 47,567). Thecompany remains the only two-wheeler brand that remained unperturbed in the market despite demonetisation. This is thanks to itsstrong order book (including backlogs) that helped it report impressive monthly sales through the past 3-4 months.

Suzuki Motorcycle India registered total sales of 40,175 units in February 2017 (including exports), up by 25.09 percent (February2016: 32,116). It had recently rolled out the BS IV-compliant Gixxer range and its 125cc Access 125 scooter adding new colouroptions for the buyers. According to the company, the new upgraded models have been well-received by the customers in themarket.

Top

Jaguar Land Rover sales up 9% in February to 40,978 units Autocar Pro

The Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover has reported its best-ever February retail sales of 40,978 vehicles, up 9% on February2016, thanks to strong sales performances in China and North America. The premium luxury carmaker sold 88,671 vehicles in thefirst two months of 2016, 6% up on the same period in the prior year.

Retail sales for the month of February were up year-on-year across many key regions: 40% in China, 16% in North America and14% in the UK. Europe and other overseas markets were down 2% and 7% respectively year-on-year.

Commenting on the performance, Andy Goss, Jaguar Land Rover Group Sales Operations Director said: “I am delighted to

see another historic month of sales, thanks in large part to impressive performances in China and North America as well ascontinued customer demand for the Jaguar F-Pace and Discovery Sport. The all-new Land Rover Discovery went on sale inFebruary and the already strong demand makes us optimistic that it will more than outweigh sales of the previous model.”

Jaguar had its best February performance, delivering 12,203 vehicles, up 81% on the previous year, due to continued solid sales ofthe XE (3,309 vehicles) and the all-new F-Pace (5,323 vehicles). China recorded outstanding year-on-year growth of 118%.

Land Rover retailed 28,775 vehicles in the month, down 6% year-on-year. Best-sellers for the month were the Discovery Sport,retailing 8,357 vehicles, the Range Rover Evoque, retailing 7,806 vehicles and the Range Rover, with retails of 4,790 in the month.

Sales have now begun for the all-new Discovery and this month Land Rover launched a new addition to the Range Rover family,the Velar.

Top

Volkswagen reveals self-driving pod-like Sedric concept Autocar Pro

The Volkswagen Sedric, a futuristically styled self-driving vehicle concept, has been revealed ahead of its Geneva Motor Showdebut.

The Volkswagen Group concept previews a hi-tech vision for the future of individual mobility into and beyond the next decade.

Called the Sedric – an acronym for the words “self-driving car”, the new pod like four-seater has beendeveloped as part of the German car maker’s Together-Strategy 2025 programme as a foundation for a plannedtransformation of the Volkswagen Group from a traditional engineering led company to one specialising in integrated mobilityservices through its newly created Mobility Solutions division.

Billed as the first concept car to be developed as a cross-brand ideas platform within the Volkswagen Group, the new concept hasbeen created as a solution to providing intuitive individual mobility in a universally usable vehicle with an easily understood controlconcept.

The Sedric also explores how the car will exist in a shared economy, being conceived to be used within a sharing platform for useby multiple users. It is credited to to a trio of high ranking Volkswagen Group officials: Michael Mauer, head of design; JohanJungwirth, Chief Digital Officer and Ulrich Eichorn, head of Research and Development.

Conceived to dovetail with the Volkswagen Group’s recent investment in the mobility service provider Gett and theestablishment of its own in-house mobility service provider MOIA, the Sedric brings together future mobility ideas being pursuedthroughout the Volkswagen Group in a compact concept that does away with traditional proportioning and a classic car like interioras well as features such as a steering wheel and pedals.

In their place is a smoothly surfaced one-box, pod like creation that houses a roomy four seat lounge like cabin featuring speechcontrolled propulsion via an electric motor sited within the rear axle delivering around 134bhp and driven by a lithium ion batterypack mounted within the flat floor providing a claimed range of around 250 miles.

At the heart of the Sedric is a highly contemporary autonomous driving system that draws on Level 5 technology being developedby the Volkswagen Group for use on driverless cars planned for launch after 2020. It uses five individual LIDAR (light, image,detection and ranging scanner) devices mounted atop the Sedric’s roof in combination with seven cameras and variousradar sensors.

OneButton to the futureLinking the new concept with its user is a so-called mobility controller that Jungwirth describes as the key fob of the future, dubbedOneButton. With a press of a button, the controller hails the new Volkswagen, displaying its arrival time with coloured signals as wellas a vibration signal designed specifically to guides a person with impaired vision to the car.

The Volkswagen Group describes its new mobility concept as the “father of numerous concepts” already underdevelopment, suggesting it will also get “children and grand children” within its portfolio of brands, which include, Audi,Bentley, Bugatti, Seat and Skoda.

Development of the new Volkswagen Group concept has taken place at the Volkswagen Group’s so-called Future CentreEurope in Potsdam, Germany following a greenlight to the program from the company’s chairman, Matthias Mueller, in May2016. It draws on mobility and propulsion ideas first presented by the Volkswagen Group at last year’s Geneva Motor Show.

Speaking at the Group's traditional pre-show event, Mueller said: "Sedric is a foretaste of automated vehicles at the highest stage ofautomation. Sedric independently controls all driving functions, and it has been systematically developed to meet user’sneeds. You talk to Sedric as you would to your personal assistant. All of the controls are voice controlled. And you choose whetherSedric goes the fastest, eco-friendly or a scenic route. Sedric drops you off at your location then drives off to find a parking space orgo to the next person in need of transportation."

"Sedric creates a feeling of plenty of space, like a lounge on four wheels. It makes autonomy fun."

Commenting on the fact that Sedric is the first ever concept car to come from the Volkswagen Group, Mueller said that although theconcept "stands for a new self-image" of the group as "an incubator for ideas", the group will not build its own cars in the future -and will leave that function to individual brands."

That said, Mueller did confirm that elements from the Sedric will appear in cars from the VW Group brands in the coming years, asthose brands move forwards with autonomous vehicles.

Top

Car Trade (www.cartrade.com)

Geneva 2017: Diamond encrusted Ghost is Rolls Royce s star Cartrade.com

This is not a show car purpose-built to wow Geneva. It is an actual customer car, the one that has been ordered by one gentlemanwith money that would probably make Richie Rich look pauper. The Rolls Royce Ghost Elegance taking centre stage at the RollsRoyce pavilion in Geneva has been painted in real diamonds.

The Elegance has been built under the Bespoke programme which is known to create some extraordinarily personalised cars forthe Rolls Royce clientele. The long-wheelbase Rolls Royce Ghost is painted in the Diamond Stardust paint with 1000 diamondscrushed in it. The car is painted in the two-tones of black and silver with red and black coach-lines.

The Diamond Stardust paint gets a thick clear coat as well, making sure the paint finish is as immaculate as every other Rolls evento touch. It took three Rolls Royce paint specialists to create this paint which has actual crushed diamonds more than two months toget it right.

Top

Geneva 2017: Tata Nexon Geneva Edition revealed Cartrade.com

Tata is on a roll at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show and alongside the Racemo sports car has also showcased the Nexon GenevaEdition. It is a sporty version of the compact SUV and has been decked up for the motor show.

Much like the concept vehicle that was showcased at the 2016 Indian Auto Expo, this vehicle too sports a dual-tone paint job whichin this case is a red body with a white coloured roof. It gets the familiar Tata face but with swoopy headlights and funky lookingpropeller shaped alloy wheels. Given the brightness of the red paint used, it allows black coloured wheel arches to stand out andgive the car a proper SUV stance.

The Nexon Geneva Edition gets plush interior that includes a openable console with armrest to complement the SUV character. Adynamic, elegant integrated dashboard design with premium materials and surface texture gives an upmarket feel to the car.Ergonomically placed bottle and cup holders, multiple utility spaces, handbag hangers, laptop and iPad trays to ensure hassle freelong journeys and city drives. Automatic climate control with rear AC vents makes the passengers more comfortable at rear.

It will be offered with a new 1.5-litre diesel engine which has been mated to a six-speed manual. The SUV is 3.95-metres andcomes with a 44-litre fuel tank. In addition this vehicle gets dual airbags, ABS with EBD, corner stability control and ISOFIX mountsat the rear.

This new compact SUV will take on the likes of the Ford EcoSport, Mahindra TUV300 and the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. Expect itto be launched either by the end of this year or in early 2018.

Top

Datsun offering Rs 8,000 off on the Redigo on Women's Day Cartrade.com

The Datsun Redigo can be booked by women for a discount of Rs 8,000 on March 8. The carmaker has introduced this offerespecially for women on the eve of International Women's Day.

Apart from this special discount, the carmaker has launched #DrivenByHer social media campaign to encourage women drivers.This digital campaign aims to celebrate this day while also challenging narrow mindsets about women drivers in society. Thecarmaker will share stories through their Facebook and Twitter page.

Satinder Singh Bajwa, VP Sales, Network and Customer Relations, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd., said, "On International Women'sDay we are proud to launch Datsun #DrivenByHer campaign to celebrate the spirit of womanhood and their achievements.Additionally, Datsun is offering a special benefit for women customers who choose to buy a Redigo. With more women driving andbuying cars in India, Datsun believes in being a facilitator to empower women with the added power of individual mobility."

The special Redigo benefit offer can be availed at all Nissan and Datsun dealerships across India, but will be applicable on March 8only. Prospective women buyers can visit any nearest dealership to avail the offer.

Top

GM sells Opel brand to PSA Group Cartrade.com

The owner of Citroen and Peugeot, the PSA Group has announced it is buying Opel and Vauxhall brand from General Motors. Thedeal is worth 2.3 billion Euros (approx Rs 15,000 crore) which includes the Opel/Vauxhall brand subsidiary worth 1.3 billion Eurosand GM Financial’s European operations valuing 0.9 billion Euros.

This acquisition makes PSA Group second largest car manufacturer in Europe, behind Volkswagen Group; with a market share of17 per cent. According to the agreement, the possession of Opel’s, and its British subsidiary Vauxhall’s automotiveoperation, six assembly and component manufacturing facilities, an engineering centre in Russelsheim, and around 40,000 GMemployees will move under PSA’s ownership. The engineering facility in Torino will be retained by GM, though. However,Opel’s product will continue to use the technologies until PSA can wholly develop the acquired brand. This means thatcurrent model range will have to wait until the end of their life-cycle to move onto PSA platform whereas the new cars like CrosslandX and Grandland X will be the first to be based on PSA’s architecture. The association will also help both the firms with theelectric technologies with the added benefit of GM-Honda joint venture, whereas the existing supply of Holden and Buick models willcontinue.

Opel has been under GM banner for a long time now and was always facing financial turmoils. According to PSA, the acquisition will‘turnaround the company’, as it expects an annual saving of 1.7 billion Euros by 2026, of which a significant part isexpected to be delivered by 2020. PSA expects Opel/Vauxhall to reach a recurring operating margin of 2 per cent by 2020 and 6per cent by 2026, and to generate a positive operational free cash flow by 2020.

Top

New Renault Captur to be shown tomorrow at Geneva Motor Show Cartrade.com

An all-new iteration of the Renault Captur is due to be revealed tomorrow at the Geneva Motor Show. This new version will have anupgraded design and some new equipment.

Renault says that the new Captur keeps the essentials that made it a success, including its two-tone body colour option. That said,personalisation options have been extended with two new body colours: Desert Orange and Ocean Blue, and a new roof colour,Mercury Silver.

As with Renault’s latest models, the new Captur features full LED headlights (depending on the version). Meanwhile, thedaytime running lights are built into the lower bumper in a C shape while the rear lights get the same signature. The grille has alsobeen upgraded to more closely resemble that of Renault’s other crossovers, notably with a chrome strip. From the third trimlevel up, the Captur can be fitted with a fixed glass roof. Available only in two-tone configuration, the new feature improves ambientlight in the cabin.

Engine and gearbox configurations are expected to be carried over from the current car. We will have to wait till March 7 for fulldetails because that’s when Renault will officially unveil the new Captur at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show.

Top

Other Sites

NURC MediaNext Pvt.

DirectorSapna KulshresthaMobile: 9810975257

Production-in-ChargeS. K. MandalPhone: 011-22626650

Editing-in-ChargeGulab Singh YadavMobile: 9999132357

Marketing-in-ChargeRashmi ThakurMobile: 9958949710

Accounts-in-ChargeVimal ParasharMobile: 9910631712

PLEASE NOTE

NURC Industry Updates contain edited/truncated text of Industry-specific news as it appears in various select dailies and websites. These are NOT full stories, unless otherwisespecifically mentioned. The stories contained herein are informational only and no representation is made or warranty given as to their content, reliability, truthfulness orusefulness. User assumes all risk of use. It be clearly understood that NURC updates do not claim to, and neither mean to, replace the Print or the Internet editions of variousnewspapers whose articles are featured therein. For the best and complete news reading, NURC urges its readers to read the full text of the stories from the Newspaperswhose credits are given after the headline, and visit the related website whose URL is given below the text matter of each news item.

NURC News Update - AUTOMOBILES

News on Indian Auto Industry. Copyright 1999 NURC MediaNext Pvt. Ltd.

This update purports to be a compilation of the top stories for the day in the leading Indian and International dailies, websites and other information sources and NURCMediaNext Pvt. Ltd. cannot and does not vouch for their authenticity. NURC MediaNext Pvt. Ltd. cannot be held responsible for any loss(es) arising out of or incidental to theuse of this News Update. Reproduction or redistribution without express permission of NURC MediaNext Pvt. Ltd. is strictly prohibited and is a violation of the subscriptionagreement. Such instances will result in immediate cancellation of subscription to the Service without any refund for the remaining period at the sole discretion of NURCMediaNext Pvt. Ltd.

This email is a solicited newsletter. We sent you this email because you/your employer organisation signed up for our daily industry updates. If you do not wishto receive these email updates in future, please contact us at vimal.p@nurcmedianext.com to unsubscribe.

Powered by Enablingbiz Esoluttions