Volkswagen is facing the tough task of essentially giving itself a brand rebirth after the 'dieselgate' scandal. While the automaker will face a massive financial burden over the years to come, the brand's 'Das Auto' tagline may be a part of the collateral damage.

Translated, 'Das Auto' means 'The Car'. In a show of corporate humility, executives at Volkswagen have considered dropping the tagline from future promotional activities. A Volkswagen spokesperson said the tagline may not be dead just yet, but it won't accompany the VW badge in an upcoming advertising campaign. The removal of the tagline would only be a symbolic move of course, but it could be seen as a stepping stone to an outright brand image revamp.

The company had recently announced a fix for the defeat device used in the EA 189 TDI engines that displace 1.6L and 2.0L. While corrective measures are being implemented, the company is facing several penalties and lawsuits from private owners and government ANSI PDF Download  bodies alike. Additionally, the logistical and financial burden of recalling cars globally will see the brand fighting to improve its perception for the years to come, while maintaining its solvency.

Courtesy : Team BHP

The Bugatti Chiron is scheduled to make its debut at the 86th Geneva motor show in 2016. After several spy shots and an official confirmation of the car's name, Bugatti has released a teaser of its next hypercar.

The image does not reveal much as the car is under a veil, but the side profile looks similar to that of its predecessor, the Veyron. The design is in line with a sketch that Bugatti has been showing to prospective customers and is also similar to the Vision Gran Turismo concept. The Chiron is being shown to select customers and more than 100 orders have already been received. The Chiron is almost done with its final testing phase, with a number of prototypes spotted in several continents for the fine tuning process.

Reports suggest that the Chiron will be powered by a redesigned version of the W16 engine that was used in the Veyron, with output figures being quoted at around 1,500 BHP and 1,500 Nm of torque. The new car is likely to make the use of a hybrid electric powertrain to boost its performance. The top speed is speculated to hover in the range of 435 - 450 km/h. While the public debut will take place in March, more official images are expected to be revealed in the run up to the in-the-metal debut.

Courtesy : Team BHP

BMW will unveil three new models and one facelift at the 2016 Auto Expo that'll be held from February 5-9. The line-up includes the new BMW X1 SUV, 7-series sedan and the 3-series facelift. Here are a few details of the models to be showcased.

BMW X1

The BMW X1 may have been the model that introduced the compact luxury SUV segment in India, but over the years with rivals like the Mercedes-Benz GLA and Audi Q3, the competition has been tough. This new model could just change that. Designed to look more SUV than jacked-up estate, the new X1 is also more spacious on the inside than the outgoing one. The last bit has been made possible by building the X1 on BMW’s new front-wheel- drive platform. While some may mourn the demise of the original’s defining rear-wheel-drive set-up, the carmaker insists the new X1 still API Standard Download  drives like a BMW should. For India, the X1 will most likely be available with BMW’s 189bhp, 2.0-litre diesel motor, eight-speed automatic gearbox and xDrive all-wheel drive.

BMW 7-series sedan

The recently unveiled BMW 7-series is a significantly better car than its predecessor. Its evolutionary styling may not seem exciting initially, but its classy interior, high-tech features, improved ride and sharp handling elevate it to a new level of excellence, making it a much more serious rival to the S-class. It's almost as good from the back seat and is much nicer to drive, and that puts the new 7-series back in the game. BMW is likely ANSI Code Download  to launch this model at the Auto Expo 2016.

BMW 3-series facelift

The facelifted 3-series will feature minor cosmetic tweaks to make it look wider than the earlier car. It gets an all-new front bumper with a wider air dam. Select variants get the option of LED headlamps. Also seen is a restyled rear bumper and new LED tail-lamps. In India, we expect the updated 3-series to continue with the 2.0-litre diesel engine that is offered in the current car.

Courtesy : Autocar

Ford is expected to launch the new Endeavour in India on January 19, 2016. The company has started training for its sales and service staff for the SUV.

The new Endeavour features a prominent trapezoidal grille, projector headlamps, bumpers with scuff plates, side steps, a roof-mounted rear spoiler, wraparound tail lamps, ORVMs with integrated turn-indicators and alloy wheels.

The interiors of the SUV are modern compared to the outgoing model. There are seven seats, a redesigned dashboard and centre console, reworked controls for the air-conditioning and a new Ford SYNC2 infotainment system.

The new Endeavour is likely to come with an option of two diesel engines - 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder and 3.2-litre, 5-cylinder. The vehicle is expected to be launched in manual and AWS Standard PDF Download  automatic transmission versions and two-wheel drive as well as four-wheel drive configurations.

The Endeavour will compete with the Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and other SUVs in the D2 segment.

Courtesy : Team BHP

Ford is reportedly pairing up with Google to create a joint-venture for the development and manufacturing of autonomous vehicles.

Whether we, as driving enthusiasts, like it or not, there is no escaping the fact that autonomous cars are the next big thing in automotive evolution. Every carmaker worth its name is hard at work perfecting its own self-driving car, but Silicon Valley has clearly taken the lead in this race. So it only makes sense that they team up and make use of the resources of the other.

Now, according to a report from Yahoo Autos, Google and Ford are forming a partnership to build self-driving cars, a move that pairs one of the world's top automakers with one of the pioneering companies developing robo-car technology. The partnership is slated to be announced at the Consumer Electronics Show taking place in Las Vegas next month, the report stated, citing multiple anonymous sources.

Ford spokesman Alan Hall said the automaker would not comment on speculation.

"We have been and will continue working with many companies and discussing a variety of subjects related to our Ford Smart Mobility plan," Hall said. "We keep these discussions private for obvious competitive reasons, and we do not comment on speculation."

Meanwhile, the two companies ASME Standard  have the connections and have laid the groundwork. Last year Google’s self-driving car group teamed up with Roush to develop and build a self-driving pod. Roush is building a test fleet of pods in Livonia, which are shipped to California where there is no snow to worry about.

In January, Chris Urmson, director of Self-Driving Cars for Google, said the Internet company's goal is to have driverless cars available on the market within five years. Still, experts say it will be many years before fully self-driving cars are actually available to the general public, with a slew of technology, regulatory and legal issues yet to be ironed out.

Courtesy : Zigwheels