Automobilestillnow

Maruti gave the Swift a  mid-cycle refresh late last year. Now Maruti is following suit with the Dzire, which is expected to hit showrooms very soon. Bookings are already underway at dealerships all over India, with deliveries promised within two to three weeks. Although not officially launched yet, we have got our hands on the details of the changes in the new Dzire and the prices. The petrol variant now gets four trims, while the Diesel retains three trim levels. Here are the prices for the updated Maruti Swift Dzire compact sedan. Petrol Dzire LXi – Rs. 5.07 lakh Dzire LXi (O) – Rs. 5.20 lakh Dzire VXi – Rs. 5.85 lakh Dzire ZXi – Rs. 6.80 lakh Diesel Dzire LDi – Rs. 5.99 lakh Dzire VDi – Rs. 6.85 lakh Dzire ZDi – Rs. 7.81 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom, Delhi) Maruti Swift Dzire facelift: What’s new? External changes on the updated Dzire include a new front bumper with a larger air dam, and re-styled fog lamp inserts with L-shaped aluminum trim on its sides. The h...

Toyota Motor Corporation, Nissan Motor Co and Honda Motor Co plan to collaborate to help accelerate the development of hydrogen station infrastructure for fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). Specific measures that will be taken will be decided by the three manufacturers at a later date. For hydrogen-fueled FCVs to gain popularity, it is not only important that attractive products be launched, but hydrogen station infrastructure must also be developed. At present, infrastructure companies are working towards building such an infrastructure but they face difficulties in installing and operating stations since FCVs are not common on the road. Following the formulation of its Strategic Road Map for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in June 2014, the Japanese government has highlighted the importance of developing a hydrogen station infrastructure as quickly as possible in order to popularise FCVs. Consequently, the government is not only supporting the installation of hydrogen stations by means o...

The latest version of the BMW M4 Coupé is set to head the Safety Car fleet for the 2015 MotoGP World Championship. BMW has not revealed precise figures, but it says that a new and innovative water-injection cooling system has boosted the six-cylinder engine's power output. The water-based cooling system is located in the boot, with a five-litre tank, a water pump, sensors and valve delivering water to the injectors at a pressure of 10bar. According to BMW, the water tank will only need to be refilled every fifth tank of petrol, even if the car is being driven at high speed on motorways. The water-based cooling system supplements the standard cooling system and aims to regulate the temperature of the turbocharger at track speeds, in order to enable the safety car to keep performing at higher speeds for longer. While this system is not available on any car other than the M4 safety car for now, BMW has said it will be used on an M-series model in the near future, following...

Chevrolet has announced that it will launch the Trailblazer SUV in 2015 and the Spin MPV in 2016. The Chevrolet Trailblazer is a full-blown SUV that will rival the likes of the Ford Endeavour, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and the Toyota Fortuner. In fact, this ladder-on-frame Trailblazer is said to be a proper seven-seater and more spacious than its rivals. Under the skin, the Trailblazer comes with the choice of a 2.8-litre, 180bhp or 2.5-litre, 150bhp diesel units in the international markets. However, it is still unconfirmed what engines will make it to Indian markets. Also, it is yet to be known whether the Trailblazer will replace the slow-selling Captiva or will be sold alongside it. In order to keep costs in check and keep prices competitive, Chevrolet is likely to bring the Trailblazer in India via the CKD route. The other model, the Spin, will jump into the MPV fray in 2016. The Chevrolet Spin is a spacious seven-seater MPV which will compete against...

These are the first-ever undisguised spy shots of the next-generation Audi A4 sedan. This pre-production test-mule was see doing rounds in Turkey. From the photos, one can easily make out that the new A4 will be almost a size bigger than the current car which it replaces. This is possibly due to the addition of the new A3 sedan to the line-up. The next A4’s direct rival, the new Mercedes C-Class has also grown in size in its latest avatar in order to accommodate the new CLA sedan in its global line-up. The next-gen Audi A4 test mule clearly shows its all-new angular tail-lamp design which mimics the styling seen first on the A3 which is also sold in our market. Another point to notice is the dual-exhaust system neatly integrated into the rear bumper. The new Audi A4 sedan is expected to be based on Volkswagen Group's flexible MLB architecture which will also underpin many other offerings within the group. Expect Audi to load the next A4 sedan with newer fuel-efficient...

As things stand, Tata has a lot riding on the Bolt. The beleaguered carmaker has not had a big success in the hatchback segment since the Indica, and it needs one bad if it wants to continue its phoenix-like rise from the ashes that started with the launch of the Zest compact sedan last year. First impressions are positive and it’s evident Tata has put its heart and soul into getting the Bolt right. The Bolt’s attractive looks are only half the story. But let’s not jump the gun here. For the Bolt to turn things around for Tata, it has to better its competition. In the diesel hatchback domain, that’s competition from the likes of the Hyundai Grand i10 and the Toyota Etios Liva. The Grand i10 is the biggest seller in the segment, while the Etios Liva recently got a mild update to keep it in the reckoning. Both competitors have their share of strengths and will provide the benchmarks against which the Bolt will be judged today. So, without further ado, here’s the Bolt in its...

The Toyota Vios sedan has been seen testing in India for the first time. The Vios will eventually replace the Etios sedan once it goes on sale here. Sources tell us that the Toyota Vios will be here in about two years from now. The Vios is considered to be a strategic car for emerging economies, hence, expect it to be locally produced to keep costs down. This third-generation Vios sedan spotted testing in India is already on sale internationally since the last two years. It is manufactured principally for growing South-east Asian markets, where it is positioned below the Corolla, rivaling the Honda City in most of these countries.  The Vios sedan carries Toyota’s new design language as seen on the Corolla and Camry. When launched, the Vios could come with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine that puts out 107bhp, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. The 1.4-litre diesel motor will also be made available in this car. The current generation car is 4,410mm long, 1...