Category Archives: Automobile

Automobile

Maruti Suzuki 2016 Alto 800 Facelift – All the things you need to know

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Maruti Suzuki, the most favourite and trusted car maker of India has many cars which can boast of large selling volumes in our country. The entry level hatch back segment is the most competitive and best selling category in the Indian perspective. Maruti Suzuki has a range of compact hatch backs models, among which the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 is one of the most popular cars which carries forward the legacy of the original Maruti 800 which was the most popular cars in the Indian history. Now with continually increasing competition in the automobile market, this car maker has decided to introduce a face lifted edition of the Alto 800.

 

 

Alto 800 is undoubtedly the most favourite entry level car in India as well as the best seller from the house of Maruti Suzuki. It comes in two new vibrant colour options namely, Mojito Green and Cerulean Blue. On the exterior, the front profile of this model has also been designed in a new way with restyled head lamps, a new front bumper, redesigned front grille and provision for fog lamps.

 

 

Alto 800 Facelift
Alto 800 Facelift

The side profile of this car has been kept mostly unchanged while the same goes for its rear portion. The wheels come with a new design and the bumper is now 35mm longer than before. In its dimensions, the face lifted version of Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 is of 3430 mm in length which is 35mm longer than earlier version and 1490 mm in width, 1475 mm in height and offers a wheel base of 2360 mm. Inside the car, the cabin has been given certain updates. It now comes with fabric upholstery for the seats and door pads and a passenger side ORVM as standard with additional space for storage in the rear of the car. Full wheel covers, a new rear spoiler, front power windows and central locking system are other standard features on offer. Other upgrades include door trim fabric, keyless entry, head rest for the rear seats, remote fuel lid opener. The new Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 will still be driven by the same 800 cc three cylinder petrol engine which generates 47bhp with 69Nm of maximum torque. The face lifted Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 delivers 24.7 kmpl mileage for the petrol variant, while the CNG model claims to deliver 33.4 kmpl of mileage.

 

 

New Alto 800 TCO is expected to range around 4.41 lakh for 5 yrs while Alto 800 on road price starts at 2.5 lakh and goes up to 3.70 lakh in Delhi which makes it quite affordable and therefore a hot selling package from the house of Maruti Suzuki.

Automobile

Mahindra KUV100: Buyers put money on quirky and SUV-like character

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The KUV100 is the latest model to join in the alpha numeric series of cars from the house of Mahindra and Mahindra. It joins the likes of the XUV500 and TUV300. The Mahindra KUV100 is one ‘kompact’ and ‘kool’ car and thus has been named “Kool Utility Vehicle”. It has got a vivacious design with new looks starting right from the chassis up to its engine.

 

The KUV100 appears much bolder and more imposing than its competitors in the hatchback category. It has an SUV like bonnet with swept back head lights which are fitted with tiny LEDs. KUV 100 is compact and has a height of 1,655mm, is 1,715mm in width with a ground clearance of 170 mm which is fantastic. The cabin is quite spacious and offers ample storage space and an amazing boot space of 243 litres.

MAHINDRA KUV100

Car enthusiasts and experts who harbour puritan views do not agree to call the KUV a SUV – they feel that it is a mutant variety at best, though market realities may differ. Mahindra’s newest car comes with their smallest diesel engine and a petrol engine for the very first time. Imposing looks, decent interiors and features, great fuel economy and superb pricing have made the KUV a very attractive package for consumers. SUVs are gaining increasing popularity as the vehicle of choice for more people and are now being offered in various shapes and sizes.

 

This sub 4 metre ultra-compact car has been offered by Mahindra to not only fulfil the desire to form a new segment in SUVs, but also to take on the hatch back segment, which records high selling volumes too. With the KUV 100, Mahindra’s has gone back to the earlier curvy design to allure the primary target section for the KUV – the urban youth. The nearest competitors for the KUV 100 should be hot selling cars like the Maruti Swift and Hyundai Grand i10, and the new Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. Apart from its compact dimensions, the KUV 100 looks quirky. It comes with a design that is more likely to grow on us with time, and in all possibilities people will either hate it or love it. The best way to view this car is from the front three quarters. Its SUV like appearance gives way to the conventional hatchback like look at the rear.

 

The KUV 100 has the quirky looks, loads of features, impressive mileage, good price, good performance along with a SUV-ish feel which is desirable for many consumers and has therefore experienced fantastic response from the car buyers, clocking an average monthly volume of 3,500 units with a waiting period of about four months.

Automobile

Automatic transmission cars priced under INR 15 lakhs

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With the growing popularity of automatic transmission cars in India, many of the car makers are investing to launch cars with an auto transmission box. Starting with the sub compact sedans to full-fledged SUVs, car buyers of today have a wide collection of cars with automatic transmission to choose from. Here we have listed some of the top selling sedans with automatic transmission under the 15 lakh price bracket.

 

  • Maruti Suzuki Ciaz AT – India’s favourite car maker Maruti Suzuki has been able to place a strong hold in the mMaruti Suzuki Ciaz AT id segment sedan category with the launch of its Ciaz. Maruti Suzuki Ciaz is a complete package packed in with features and quite a practical option to buy. The car also gets a very effective 4 speed automatic transmission system in the mid and top of the line models, which has equipped this car to take on against its competition. Maruti Suzuki has offered the automatic transmission only in the petrol models that feature the company’s trusted 1.4 litre K 14B VVT engine that is capable of producing 91bhp power and developing 130Nm of maximum torque. This car is priced between 8.76 lakh to 10.13 lakh (ex-showroom price, Mumbai).

 

  • Ford Figo Aspire DCT – The Figo Aspire from the house of Ford proved to be the real game changer whFord Figo Aspire DCT en it was launched in India during early 2015. The Ford Figo Aspire was the first car to roll out of the new plant of Ford in Sanand, Gujarat and it came with some features that were not only new but also first in its class. Some of those features included 6 airbags and a 6 speed Dual Clutch Auto Transmission box. This transmission unit only came coupled with the powerful 1.5 litre petrol engine of Ford Figo Aspire and is capable of generating power of 110bhp with a peak torque of 136Nm. The Figo Aspire costs between 5.48 lakh to 8.91 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

 

  • Skoda Rapid DSG - Skoda Rapid is one of the oldest car models on offer in this list but that is simply becauSkoda Rapid 1.5 TDI DSGse the car comes with a very powerful and efficient automatic transmission system which is the same as Volkswagen’s tried and tested 7 speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG). Skoda has plans to soon launch the face lifted edition of the Rapid that comes with some cosmetic changes as well as design upgrades. Both the current edition as well as the upcoming version of Rapid comes with the 7 speed DSG that will be coupled with the car’s very popular 1.5 litre TDI engine that delivers a maximum of 104bhp power and maximum torque of 250Nm. The DSG units offer for a smooth driving experience as well as precise shifting, which makes the Rapid one of the best automatic sedans which is priced around 7.79 lakh to 11.96 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).
Automobile

Has the Honda BR-V been a hit in India?

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The performance of Japanese car makers Honda’s performance in the Indian car industry has been mostly dependent on two of their cars namely Amaze and City. That is in spite of the fact that Honda has got a reasonably varied collection of cars, most of which are in the mass segment. The compact SUV segment in India is quickly growing and has the capability to change the dynamics of performance of any car manufacturer.

 

Honda is marketing the BR-V as a compact SUV. It is quite a decent car to drive. But its appearance is very MPV type more than SUV. In fact, the restyled strong front fascia with chrome details looks slightly out of place with the overall design. It also misses few important features. The BR-V is also priced a bit towards the higher side. Unveiled at the Auto Expo in February, the BR-V on road price has been placed above Honda’s Mobilio with a price that starts at INR 8.75 Lakhs. However, the BR-V appears more of an MPV than an SUV, which raises questions over its success potential in India.

 

Hond BRV
Hond BRV

In terms of design, the BR-V appears to be a mix of multiple cars from Honda including the Brio, Mobilio, Jazz and City.  The front fascia of the Honda BR-V has got an exciting look to it, while the interiors of the BR-V are quite elegant and smartly designed.  With a boot space of 691litre, the third row inside the BR-V offers decent comfortable space with the seats down and moreover. The unique thing about the BR-V cabin is the three row seats which allow seating up to 7 people, which is 2 more than its rivals, but it needs to be seen if this feature gives the BR-V an edge over its competitors. The rear seats have their own AC vents. The BR-V has both diesel and the petrol engines – a 1.6 litre 16 valve SOHC petrol engine and a 1.5 litre 16 valve DOHC diesel engine. The diesel engine comes with only a manual transmission system whereas the petrol engine has both manual as well as a CVT. The Honda BR-V has a ground clearance of 210mm along with 16 inch tyres.

 

Honda has launched its BR-V on road price at an introduction of INR 8.75 lakh. Like most other Honda cars which are priced slightly above their rivals, the BR-V is no different. The diesel variant starts at about 10 lakh going up to nearly INR 13 lakh. Whereas, it’s major rivals, the Creta and the Duster, are priced at 8.5 to 9 lakh going up to 13 lakh, you can check the on road price of it by visiting IBB also. So clearly, the BR-V has no significant advantage in terms of price, over its rivals. This might turn prospective car buyers away.

 

Automobile

Maruti Suzuki Wagon R MPV

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Suzuki Motor Corporation had unveiled an MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) car in Indonesia, based on its very popular Wagon R hatchback. Named the Wagon R, this car could soon be launched in the India market as a hatchback car in the already brimming segment, bringing with it many more possibilities. The platform and wheelbase for the Wagon R MPV is the identical to that of the Wagon R we all know. The only difference is extra spacious interiors and head space than the earlier Wagon R. While no official news has been heard about the launch, the Wagon R MPV India launch could possibly be slated by the end of fiscal year 2016-2017.

 

Maruti Suzuki has already imported two units of the Wagon R MPV in India for R&D purposes. One of the cars is powered by a 1,197cc, K-Series petrol engine, whereas the other car comes with a 1,248cc, DDiS diesel motor. Since this is very similar to the Wagon R hatchback, so based on the Wagon R hatchback, this MPV will be positioned above the Eeco and below the Ertiga. Mated with a five-speed manual transmission, the Swift returns an impressive mileage of 20.4kmpl.

 

 

IBB reviews say that this seven seater Maruti Suzuki Wagon R MPV is going to be considered as the third generation of the Wagon R, with its tall boy looks and equally fuel efficient engines offering great mileage. There will not be much changes from the Wagon R interiors but since this is a 7 seater, the seating style will be different though comfortable and adequate. The boot space may be a little crunched up so the last row will be folded to create more luggage space.

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