Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) is now working towards rolling out a passenger commercial vehicle based on its Jeeto platform that will be powered by its new diesel powertrain. The automaker recently launched the Jeeto, its all-new small commercial vehicle (SCV) in Mumbai. The Jeeto range will be produced at the company''s recently expanded Zaheerabad plant in Telangana. “We have plans to also have a passenger version on the same platform because we have a powerful engine of 11bhp and 16bhp which is good enough for the sale of products into the passenger commercial vehicle segment,” said Pravin Shah, president and chief executive (Automotive), Mahindra & Mahindra. However, the timeframe for the launch of the Jeeto passenger version is not known as yet. The company has introduced its new m_Dura engine on the Jeeto. It is an all-new direct injection diesel engine from Mahindra’s stable. Once launched, the Jeeto passenger commercial vehicle is likely to rival Tata’s commercial passenger vehicle, Magic Iris, and Ace Magic passenger carrier. Courtesy: Autocar

Chevrolet has unveiled the second-generation Cruze sedan. It features redesigned exterior and interiors and now rides on GM’s new D2 FWD platform. The new Chevrolet Cruze sedan''s exterior styling is different from the one unveiled for the Chinese market last year. The styling draws inspiration from present-day Chevrolet models including the recently-unveiled Chevrolet Volt electric car. On the exterior, it gets projector headlamps and LED daytime running lamps on higher models. Like the current car, the new Chevrolet Cruze’s interior gets a dual-cockpit design and comes with a piano-black or brushed-aluminum finish along with multiple soft-touch surfaces on the dash and other parts. A large screen sits at the centre of the dash and is surrounded by two vertical air-con vents. The new Cruze is longer than its predecessor; it adds 15mm more to its wheelbase and 69mm to its overall length of 4666mm. It also offers more interior room than the earlier model and an additional 51mm of rear knee room. The new Chevrolet Cruze petrol sold in North America is lighter than its predecessor by around 113kg. According to GM, it features one of the most mass-efficient chassis systems currently available in the market. It also gets a 27 percent stiffer body as compared to its predecessor. The all-new Cruze is likely to come to India with two new engine options. The 2-litre diesel will be replaced by a smaller, state-of-the-art 1.6 variable geometry turbo-diesel, which GM’s powertrain engineer claims is whisper-quiet’ and sets a new benchmark for refinement. Featuring the latest injection technology and new low friction components, this 1.6 diesel is expected to be very fuel efficient too. The power and torque for this new engine has not been revealed yet, but company sources hint that figures could be close to that of the earlier 2-litre engine. With demand for petrol coming back, Chevrolet, for the first time in India, will offer the Cruze with a petrol option — the Ecotec 1.4 turbo-petrol with direct-injection developing 153bhp and 24.47kgm of torque. The new Chevrolet Cruze for North America gets MacPherson strut suspension upfront and comes with a torsion beam axle on the lower models and an enhanced Z-link design on higher trims. It gets 15-inch wheels for the lower-specced trims. while the higher variants get 17-inch or 18-inch wheels. Safety features such as 10 airbags, ESP, rollover mitigation and ABS are standard on all trims. It also gets four-wheel disc brakes, a rear-view camera and the GM OnStar with a 4G LTE system along with a Wi-Fi hotspot feature. Available advanced safety features include Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Keep Assist and Forward Collision Alert The new Chevrolet Cruze is equipped with GM’s MyLink Infotainment system that employs a 7-inch touchscreen, compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Also available is the MyLink radio with a larger 8-inch display that also gets navigation and Apple CarPlay.Other features include wireless phone charging, heated rear leather seats, and heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel for higher trims. The new Chevrolet Cruze will be sold in 40 international markets and will be available in both left-hand and right-hand drive configurations. It is expected to reach Indian showrooms in 2017. Courtesy:Autocar

Mercedes will offer a scaled-down version of the G63 AMG 6x6 called the G 500 4x42 on sale. The G 500 is to be powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine, making 416bhp of power and 45.8kgm of torque. This off-roader features a portal axle, which means that the wheel axles are placed above the line passing through the wheels, meaning that the axle is off-centre compared to normal axles. The wheel hubs also contain reduction gearing, meaning that not only has the torque transmission improved, but wheel slip has reduced. The portal axle arrangement has allowed Mercedes Benz to give the G500 4x42 a 450mm ground clearance and the fording depth to 1,000mm. The 4x42 will be equipped with 325/55 off-road tyres on 22-inch rims. The car also features adjustable damping in the Sport mode. This SUV will be priced from approximately Rs.1.62 crores, and will reach Mercedes showrooms internationally in December 2015.

After a disastrous first innings, the Prancing Horse is back in India in full gallop and now has its entire range on offer here except for its hypercar, the LaFerrari. Ferrari’s previous stint in the country was marred by controversy. The Shreyans Group, the brand’s previous Indian distributor, had earned a reputation for duping customers and Ferrari as a result was forced to wind up its operations in India. However, Ferrari has now opened bookings for its models in the country once again. The Italian sports carmaker has revealed prices of its sportscars for the market here and deliveries are likely to start from July onwards.Ferrari returned to the Indian market in January this year when it officially announced two new dealers, Navnit Motors in Mumbai and Select Cars in Delhi. While sales have commenced, both dealerships are only likely to open their showrooms in October this year. Acquiring a car with the Prancing Horse badge will now cost the Indian buyer at least Rs 3.30 crore(ex showroom, Mumbai) for the least expensive California T, with prices going up to Rs 4.72 crorefor the F-12 Berlinetta. However, these are just the base prices. Options and accessories can add upwards of 10 percent to the final price. Apart from the above models, the 488 GTB, a hotly anticipated evolution of the 458 Italia that ushers turbocharging into a modern-day mid-engined V8 Ferrari supercar for the first time, will also find its way to Indian roads. It will retail for a whopping Rs 3.84 crore. Also on the price list is the four seater-Ferrari FF; an all-wheel drive version with the practicability of adding two more passengers. Moreover, there’s also the hard-edged Ferrari 458 Speciale,powered by Ferrari’s classic 4.5-litre V8 naturally aspirated engine. Topping the range is the Italian sports car-maker’s flagship F12, powered by a massive front 6262cc V12 engine developing a powerful 731bhp. Autocar India understands that Ferrari’s sales quota for this year is less than 20 cars. It is most likely that this small number will be mopped up by the initial demand itself. Ferrari India range prices (ex-showroom, Mumbai). Ferrari California T: Rs 3.30 crore Ferrari 488 GTB: Rs 3.84 crore Ferrari 458 Spider: Rs 4.07 crore Ferrari 458 Speciale: 4.25 crore Ferrari FF: Rs 4.57 crore Ferrari F-12 Berlinetta: Rs 4.72 crore Courtesy:Autocar

Toyota has revealed technical details of its new GD-series engines. Introduced first at the Vienna engine symposium, the company said that the new engine series would benefit ‘advanced thermal insulation’, making them more efficient and powerful. The new GD series consists of two diesel engines – a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel, expected to replace the current 2.5-litre diesel unit, and a 2.8-litre that will replace the current 3.0-litre unit. The new 2.4-litre 2GD-FTV motor is rated at 148bhp and 40.78kgm of torque while the larger 2.8-litre 1GD-FTV is rated at 175bhp and 45.9kgm of torque. Toyota says that the new engine uses a Thermo Swing Wall Insulation Technology which features the use of silica-reinforced porous anodized aluminium (SiRPA) on the pistons to reduce cooling loss during combustion. The engine also features a new compact variable geometry turbo that helps the engine to develop its peak torque at low RPMs. Toyota expects to introduce the new GD-series engines in around 90 countries internationally by end-2016, and further expand to over 150 countries towards the end of 2020. Courtesy:Autocar