Automobilestillnow

Big Lambos need big, wide roads. Heck. Even small Lambos need big, wide roads. And that’s precisely why we’re on the section of National Highway 3 that connects Mumbai to Nashik and beyond. Wide, largely smooth and free from much traffic (if you time yourself well), it’s a road you’re also probably familiar with through the pages of this magazine. It’s where we went supersonic in the mental Lamborghini Aventador a few winters ago.  With us today, however, is Lamborghini’s latest — the Huracán. As most of you will know, it’s the successor to the mighty Gallardo. For the others, here are just some of its otherworldly details and numbers to get you up to speed — 5.2-litre V10. 602bhp. 0 to 100kph in 3.2 seconds. 325kph top speed. Gulp. But I’m not going to put either performance figure to the test today. I’m solely here to play matchmaker between a great car and a great road.   The day starts early in Thane, north of Mumbai. It all begins with a compressed or...

Spyker has been handed a lifeline after a court decision to declare the company bankrupt was overturned on appeal. In December the troubled Dutch manufacturer filed a voluntary petition for protection from its creditors while it "addressed short-term operational and liquidity challenges". Company chief Victor Muller expected to receive an injection of funding, but when this was not forthcoming, a Dutch local court appointed an administrator in charge of Spyker's affairs. In the days following the bankruptcy ruling, the extra funding did arrive, and Spyker lodged its appeal against bankruptcy. The appeal was upheld, meaning Spyker is now in a 'temporary moratorium of payment', a procedure that allows a company to continue operating its business and managing its assets in the ordinary course of business while at the same time restructuring. Muller expects his company to exit the temporary moratorium within a matter of weeks: "Following that exit...

BMW has revealed images of the M135i facelift. It comes shortly after the carmaker revealed details about the upcoming 1-series facelift. The M135i gets the same powertrain as the M235i, ie it gets a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine producing 322bhp and 46kgm of torque. It can go from 0-100 in 5.1 seconds, or in 4.9 seconds if the optional eight-speed automatic transmission is used. However, this power output is still shy of segment rivals - Mercedes A45 AMG and Audi RS3. As reported earlier , the 1-series facelift will get a restyled front mainly due to the revised engines, some of which need greater cooling than before. It gets larger air intakes, as a result. BMW has reshaped the headlights too - they are more rectangular than before, with space for revised lens units. At the back, the tail-lights are now more in line with BMW's family style, thanks to a shallower main unit and distinctive 'blades' that run in from the edges of the rear hatch itself. T...

The Jaguar F-Pace has been spotted testing on international roads. The test mule has close-to-production bodywork, suggesting that preparations are in line with its 2016 international launch. The images indicate that Jaguar's first production SUV, that the carmaker is touting as a 'sports crossover', will share its overall design and shape with the C-X17 concept shown at the Frankfurt motor show in 2013. The F-Pace's size and dimensions seem near identical to the C-X17, which is 4.72m long – 400mm longer than a Range Rover Evoque – and 1.65m tall. The F-Pace gets a more upright stance as opposed to Jaguar's typically rakish car designs. However, the plunging roof at the rear means that it retains a sleek profile. The bluff front end treatment suggests it will follow the C-X17's lead in as much that the driver will look over the bonnet, rather than down it. The C-X17 concept had what Jaguar called “an assured driving position” set at “a low height...

Tata Motors may have a reputation of making cars that are more functional than stylish, but the carmaker is aware that it needs to do more on the design front to appeal to buyers. Tata’s upcoming compact SUV, codenamed X104, will be styled to look “like a mini Evoque” say sources in the company. In fact, the sharply tapering roofline has resulted in the manufacturer even sacrificing a bit of rear seat space in the interest of giving it a sleek look. The X104 compact SUV is based on the same X1 platform that also underpins the Bolt and the Zest, and some mechanical bits such as the steering and suspension have been carried over. However, for that typical SUV look, the wheel arches will be enlarged to accommodate larger 17-inch wheels. Mechanically, the X104 will also see the debut of Tata’s all-new 1.5-litre diesel motor that develops a good 110bhp, and a new six-speed manual gearbox designed to handle the extra power and torque. Sources say that despite the engine’s pow...

With carmakers across the board hiking prices after the withdrawal of the excise duty exemption, sales are expected to slow down considerably. In anticipation of this slump, dealers across the country are offering mouthwatering discounts and other benefits on various models. Take a look at some of the best options available right now. Hatchbacks Chevrolet Beat and Spark You can avail a cash discount of up to Rs 43,000 on any of the diesel or petrol versions of the Chevy Beat that are in stock. Along with this, an exchange bonus of up to Rs 25,000 is on offer in case you plan to trade in your existing car at the showroom. If you already own a Chevrolet car then you will also be eligible to earn an additional loyalty bonus of Rs 20,000. Save another Rs 3,000 if you work for a listed corporate company. The Chevrolet Spark can be bought from showrooms with a cash discount of up to Rs 37,000. There’s also an exchange bonus of Rs 20,000, a corporate discount of Rs 3,000 and...

The McLaren 675LT will make its global debut at the Geneva motor show in March. The new model joins the existing 650S and 625C in McLaren’s Super Series. The 675LT is being described as the "lightest, quickest and purest" model in the range. McLaren says the car's focus is on "performance-optimised aerodynamics, increased downforce, driver engagement, power and reduced weight". The British manufacturer has also confirmed that power for the new model has been increased to 666bhp, or 675PS, hence its name. That's a significant hike over the 641bhp of the 650S, which is powered by McLaren's staple twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 engine. Performance figures have still not been revealed. The 675LT is expected to share the same shape as the 650S, but with subtle design differences around the front bumper, a new low-mounted side air intake, and an elongated rear end. The 675LT is reported to be 100kg lighter than the 650S, which weighs 1330k...

Toyota has officially confirmed that it will return to the World Rally Championship in 2017 with a Yaris WRC. Toyota Motor Corporation president Akio Toyoda announced that the world's biggest carmaker would end its WRC absence stretching back to the end of 1999. The firm's motorsport arm, Toyota Motorsport GmbH, will develop the Yaris WRC for the next two seasons before its world championship entry. The Yaris WRC  was unveiled was recently revealed to the public. Toyoda said, “When I was in Finland last year, many fans asked me when Toyota would return to the WRC. People talked about Toyota's history in the WRC. I was filled with surprise and gratitude that so many people still remembered. I started to feel strongly that we must return while people still remember. We are doing this to make better cars, to make people smile." He described Toyota's 2017 programme as a new start rather than a comeback, given how long it had been away. “We decided to re...

India Kawasaki Motors has just launched its biggest adventure touring bike for India, the Versys 1000. The recently updated Versys 1000 now comes with smarter-looking horizontal headlights, with an air vent tucked away between them. This updated Versys 1000 competes against the Suzuki V-Strom, already available here. The Kawasaki Versys 1000 is powered by a 1043cc, four-stroke, liquid-cooled, in-line four cylinder and fuel-injected engine.  There’s a DOHC and four-valve per cylinder head on the new Kawasaki Versys. Peak torque of 10.4kgm is produced at 7,500rpm on this big bike. Long stroke, fat USD forks up front and a long travel monoshock suspension at rear ensure the Versys has high ground clearance. To help halt the 249kg Versys 1000, Kawasaki has provided ABS equipped twin petal disc brakes in front and a single disc brake at the rear. Kawasaki also equips its Versys 1000 with a slipper clutch system and traction control. The Kawasaki Versys 1000 is priced a...

McLaren has unveiled its new Formula 1 car as it enters a fresh era with Japanese engine manufacturer Honda. Images of the new MP4-30 were released on Thursday, ahead of the car hitting the track for the first time at Jerez in Spain on Sunday. The team hopes that progress in its design structure, as well as its new relationship with Honda, can help Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso in their push to get the team back to the front of the grid. The MP4-30 has been heavily influenced by chief engineer Peter Prodromou, who arrived at McLaren from Red Bull last September. The silver, red and black car features a long low nose without the thumb extension seen on the Williams - and a tightly packaged rear end around the new power unit. It also features a split roll-hoop inlet. Honda is returning to F1 after a six-year absence, and is renewing a relationship with McLaren that delivered multiple wins and world titles from 1988 to 1992. Honda's motorsport chief Yasuhira...

Mitsubishi has teased a new concept car which is expected to make its debut at the Geneva motor show in March 2015. The concept looks to be an evolution of the XR-PHEV concept that Mitsubishi showcased in 2013, and could inspire a future performance crossover that would sit below the Outlander PHEV in global markets. From what can be seen in the images, the concept gets Mitsubishi’s large central grille design, as well as traditional SUV styling traits. Mitsubishi says the two-wheel-drive concept is powered by a plug-in hybrid powertrain and will come with a “high-output” electric motor offering a “low environmental impact, dynamic agility and athletic design”. The XR-PHEV concept, which was revealed at the Tokyo motor show in 2013, was powered by a turbocharged 1.1-litre three-cylinder engine coupled to an electric motor, producing a combined output of 134bhp.

BMW has announced that it will be launching the i8 in India on February 18. The i8, a hybrid sportscar from the Bavarian carmaker, was first revealed in production form at the Frankfurt motor show 2013. In India, however, BMW showcased the car at the Delhi Auto Expo 2014, and had also confirmed that it will be launching the car here. The i8 has an almost-extraterrestrial look. Its low slung, coupe-like structure, draped in the silver shade, with blue accents, give it a slick look like no other car around. The heart of the i8 is a petrol engine and an electric motor. Both work individually or in tandem, to give the i8 its sportscar-like drivability. The petrol engine is a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged unit that makes 228bhp, while the electric motor makes 129bhp. The combined output stands at 357bhp. BMW claims that the i8 can sprint from 0-100 in 4.4 seconds, while managing an electronically-limited top whack of 250kph. What adds to the i8’s performance, is that the...

Suzuki group has laid the foundation stone for its new manufacturing property in Gujarat. We had earlier, in 2012, confirmed that the Japanese group will be setting up a production plant in the state. The premises is located at Hansalpur, and will have three plants with a total annual capacity of 750,000 vehicles. Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel, laid the foundation stone for this new setup, in the presence of Takeshi Yagi, ambassador of Japan to India, Rajnikant S Patel, home minister of Gujarat, Osamu Suzuki, chairman & CEO, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan, R C Bhargava, chairman, Maruti Suzuki India and Kenichi Ayukawa, managing director, Maruti Suzuki India. The first of the three plants is scheduled to start production in mid-2017, with an investment of about Rs 3,000 crore, and will have an annual capacity of 250,000 units. The vehicles manufactured at these facilities will be supplied exclusively to Maruti Suzuki India, to help it achieve the annual sa...

So here it is, captured by Visor Down testing in Europe, what will be the very first TVS-BMW bike. This naked streetbike that will shortly be manufactured and sold by TVS, will be built with BMW technology at its heart - a four-stroke, single-cylinder powerplant is tipped to displace somewhere around 300cc, as reported by Autocar India last year.    KTM and Bajaj have already moved the goalpost in the segment, with their brilliantly positioned 390 Duke. Keeping that in mind, it's safe to estimate that this eagerly awaited Indo-German bike will match up and deliver similar, if not better, performance. We'd like to see a power figure of around 40bhp, although the enthusiast in us will hope for a touch more from this exposed-chain driven bike. Expect the bike to get healthy engine specifications including fuel-injection, in addition to the existing liquid-cooling technology.    Looking at the images clicked by Visor Down, we can tell you that this new TVS...

Adding to their long list of entertainment systems, Blaupunkt has launched a new android-based multimedia and navigation system called Cape Town 940. It runs on the Jelly Bean version of the Android operating system. The Cape Town 940 is available as an aftermarket fitment, and is priced at Rs 54,990. Some of the features that the new entertainment system boasts of include a 6.8-inch touchscreen, customisable user interface, internet connectivity via WiFi, smartphone integration, standalone music player application, HDMI/MHL, reversing camera display and steering mounted controls compatibility, independent rear seat entertainment and Bluetooth connectivity capable of connecting two phones simultaneously. The Cape Town 940 can also be had with optional maps on the SD card, which provides navigation, with live traffic updates for a few cities (Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai for now), speed alerts and lane guidance. The navigation function has been sou...

Volkswagen will launch the Jetta facelift on February 15. The facelifted Jetta will get a thorough update to give its competitors, the Skoda Octavia and Hyundai Elantra, stiffer competition. Prior to this, VW had launched a mildly refreshed version of the Jetta in October 2013. The Jetta facelift will get a grille and headlamps that appear like a single continuous element, while the new and wider air dam will aim to improve aerodynamics. At the back, the LED tail-lamps are slimmer and now placed higher than before. Inside, there's a new corporate steering wheel; bigger, cleaner dials in the instrument cluster, and a new high resolution trip computer. Mechanically, the Jetta facelift will continue with the same 1.4-litre turbo petrol and 2.0-litre TDI diesel engines. The diesel engine, however, will get a 10bhp increase in power. Expect Volkswagen to price the Jetta facelift in the Rs 16-20 lakh price range.

Suzuki’s Indian two-wheeler arm, Suzuki Motorcycle India Private Limited (SMIPL), has just launched an updated version of its Swish 125 scooter at Rs 51,661 (ex-showroom, Delhi). The updated Swish 125 now gets four new paint schemes - silver, black, white and red. To add to its upmarket feel, Suzuki has also given the Swish 125 a digi-analogue instrument console that displays the time, a service reminder, and houses dual trip meters. It also gets new blue lens position lamps. The maintenance free battery, tubeless tyres and telescopic front suspension are carried over to the updated scooter. The Swish 125 is powered by a 124cc, single-cylinder, four-stroke engine that also powers the Suzuki Access. It produces 8.58bhp at 7,000rpm, and 1kgm of peak torque is produced at 5,500rpm. It comes with a push-button starter as well as a kick lever. Atul Gupta, executive vice president, Suzuki Motorcycle India Private Limited (SMIPL), says that they believe that the new Swish ...

The Tata Sumo turns 20 years old this year, and while the current car will soldier on for a few more years still, the company has big plans for the next-gen version. The next Sumo that is expected in 2018, will use an all-new platform codenamed ‘Raptor’ that will also underpin a new range of budget SUVs and MUVs. What’s most interesting about this new Raptor platform is that it will break with convention and will not be built on ladder-on-frame architecture, nor it will use a car-like pure monocoque setup. Instead, it will use a new technology known as the ‘Body Integrated Frame’ where, as the name suggests, the frame is integrated or welded into the chassis. This allows the company flexibility with the cars it builds on this platform – for example, choosing a stiff, heavy frame for vehicles that are likely to go off road, versus a lighter one for SUVs which are more car-like. So the new Sumo could have the correct level of stiffness, while still being much lighter and more...

Volvo has confirmed that it is primarily focused on launching plug-in hybrids, while EVs are not an immediate priority. Lex Kerssemakers, VP – product strategy, Volvo, said that, despite being in a position to launch fully electric cars, the brand will not do so until market or legislative demand makes it necessary. The firm is already focusing on its four-cylinder-only engine strategy, and is successfully launching plug-in hybrid models in international markets. Kerssemakers says that Volvo is already on target to meet customer requirements. “Our focus is the roll-out of our plug-in hybrids,” he added. “Once there is a more sustainable business case behind full EV, we can do it - our platform is scalable and fully flexible. But we must see how the EV business evolves, and what pressures there are from fuel efficiency requirements and cities closing borders. With plug-in technology, we have some answers now - good efficiency and the option of driving in and out of cities ...

Mahindra Two-Wheelers has recently bought 51 percent stake in Peugeot Scooters, and has also invested Rs 114 crore to finance Peugeot, through their strategic partnership. It certainly looks like things are moving along as Mahindra has brought six scooters from Peugeot’s international scooter portfolio to its headquarters in Mumbai. However, these scooters are not confirmed for sale in the Indian market yet, and Mahindra is remaining tight lipped about the project at the moment. Out of the range seen here, only a few scooters look suitable for our Indian mass market. However, only time will tell if Mahindra will actually bring them here or will continue to market them abroad. In which case, Mahindra may produce the scooters here and export them to foreign markets. Viren Popli, Chief of Operations, Mahindra Two-Wheelers said, “At this time, we are not making any comment on the way forward plans as we are still in consolidation phase”. The company mentions their intent to...

Here's a reason for Royal Enfield patrons to celebrate. Potential customers, who wish to buy new motorcycles this year, can avail an extended warranty of two years or 20,000km on their bike. Prior to this, there was no option to extend the warranty of a Royal Enfield bike. You could ony avail a standard one year limited warranty. The extended warranty will help boost demand, which the factory hopes will translate into more Royal Enfield owners. Apart from that, Royal Enfield, with a set of new and upgraded engines are now facing fewer problems than on the previous generation motorbikes, making the extended warranty program possible. This is a win-win situation for both, the company and clients. Royal Enfield now offers 11 different motorcycles in its existing motorcycle portfolio. 

Let’s talk about compact luxury for a moment. Where once upon a time, every sahib worth his salt had to be hauled around in close to five metres of lavishly trimmed metal, these days, it’s perfectly acceptable for him – or today’s version of him, at least – to be at the wheel of a stylish compact luxury car. The flavour of the season is the compact sedan, what with the excellent Audi A3 launched in 2014, and the swoopy Mercedes-Benz CLA launching later this month, and the luxury hatchback invasion of 2013 before that. But let’s not forget what first introduced India to the idea that a relatively small car could still be a thing of opulence, command a price higher than Rs 20 lakh, and wear a fancy badge on its nose. It was, of course, the compact luxury SUV. Brought to our roads by a shrewd BMW and its X1 in late 2010, the segment grew into a twosome a year later thanks to Audi and the capable Q3. BMW even updated the X1 in 2013 with more equipment, a new gearbox, new st...