The Q3 is Audi’s best-selling model in India, and it’s not hard to see why. While sedans still, as always, hold a lot of appeal, SUVs are clearly the flavour of the moment. And this is the most affordable of Audi’s SUVs, which has opened the brand up to newer, younger buyers – a fact the company is quite happy about (the tagline for this new Q3 is ‘Start Young’). The outgoing Q3 is also the best-seller in its segment, and even came out on top in our comparison test with its closest rivals, the BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA. Not one to rest on its laurels, however, Audi has been quick to bring the facelifted version of the car to India, and we’ve sampled it on Indian roads to see if it takes the successful formula further.

First off is the exterior design, which introduces Audi’s new family face to the Indian market. The headlamps are slimmer and, as you see on this car, will be full LED units on the top trims. The indicators at the front and rear ‘swipe’ outwards in the direction of the turn, much like in the A8 and R8. There are new 17-inch alloy wheels too, as well as three new paint shades, one of which you see here. But of course the thing you noticed first was the big new chrome-lined grille. Soon to be seen also on the all-new Q7, the wide chrome surround for the single-piece grille gives the nose a lot more presence, and combined with the angular new front bumper, it makes the Q3 look a lot chunkier than before.

On the inside, you can now get a choice of either all-black or black-and-beige upholstery. The basic layout hasn’t changed, but subtle modifications to the formula make it feel altogether more upmarket. The wood trim has been replaced by a nice textured metallic finish, and there are a lot more brushed aluminium inserts all over the cabin too.

The bigger news is the equipment list, which is an area where the outgoing Q3 did lag behind ever so slightly. It’s come in the form of a new top-spec ‘Technology’ variant, although lower trims will likely get a few more goodies too. The Q3 Technology, however, adds satellite navigation, a 20GB onboard hard drive, a second SD card slot, and a new sound system. It also gets a rear-view camera and a panoramic sunroof as standard. A smaller change is the new colour screen between the dials that gives you easier access to a lot of basic functions – like navigation directions and phone call information – without taking your eyes too far off the road. Subtler still is the new cradle for your phone in the cubbyhole between the seats that lets it use the car’s antenna to receive its signal, which saves you precious battery life. It’s the little things, you know.

Courtesy : Autocar

Hyundai has launched the Grand i10X in the Indonesian market. The Hyundai Grand i10X is a crossover based on the standard Hatchback. Hyundai India had given the Elite i20 the same treatment and launched the i20 Active few months back at almost a Rs 1 lakh premium. Crossovers seem to be the new trend with manufacturers and there is a good reason for this trend, the ease of transforming a standard car into rugged looking offering. All that a manufacturer needs to do is add a bit of body cladding, roof rails and aggression in the form of new bumpers, a pinch of change to the cars interior and there’s an all-new car to be had. Volkswagen did it with the Cross Polo, Toyota made theEtios Cross and Fiat went even further by strapping on a spare wheel on the hatch to give its Punto based Avventura even more road presence. First off is the exterior design, Other cosmetic updates on the Hyundai Grand i10X include skid plates LED day light running lamps, redesigned 14-inch alloy wheels and sporty chrome finished exhaust tip. There has been no changes made to the interior of the cars and the Indonesian-spec car gets equipped with features like steering mounted controls, Bluetooth connectivity, cooled glove box etc. Hyundai haven’t fiddled with the Hyundai Grand i10X on the mechanical front as well. Powering the Hyundai Grand i10X is the standard 1.2-litre Kappa petrol motor churning out 87PS at 6,000rpm and 120Nm of peak torque at 4,000rpm. What makes the Hyundai Grand i10X important is the fact that it is the first crossover offering for the Indonesian market. The Hyundai Grand i10X has been priced at Rs 7.5 lakh in Indonesia whether Hyundai India hasn’t confirmed yet whether the crossover be sold in India or not. Subtler still is the new cradle for your phone in the cubbyhole between the seats that lets it use the car’s antenna to receive its signal, which saves you precious battery life. It’s the little things, you know.

Courtesy : Zigwheels

The facelift of the popular M-class, the GLE-class, is expected to be unveiled in India shortly. The GLE at first, looks almost identical to the M-class, but gets front-end styling in line with the new C and S-class models. Other exterior changes include LED headlamps and tail-lights, along with twin rectangular exhausts at the back.

Inside, the GLE will get a new 7.0-inch free-standing infotainment screen and could be offered with a wide choice of interior trims.

The GLE-class is expected to carry forward the existing engines from the M-class, i.e. the
2.1-litre 203bhp diesel unit in the GLE 250d and the 3.0-litre 255bhp V6 in the GLE 350d.

To prepare for the launch, dealers have started accepting bookings for the facelifted SUV at a booking amount of Rs 3 lakh.

Courtesy : AutocarCourtesy : Zigwheels

BMW has unveiled an all-new 7 Series which will make its way to India by the end of 2015 or early 2016. The new 7 Series, codenamed G11/12 will be available with both petrol and diesel engines. The new BMW 7 Series will make its way to India only in the G12 long wheelbase specification and will be on sale either later this year or early next year with the choice of both petrol and diesel motors. The eDrive hybrid version of the car is unlikely to make it to India anytime soon. Exterior changes include a raked rear window and a heavily sloped bootlid that gives it a sleeker and more aggressive stance. Other details include a reworked kidney grille with flaps that help increase airflow to the engine, large LED headlamps with optional laser lighting options like the i8 and an integrated LED fog lamp. The BMW 7 Series also gets a taller glasshouse and a chrome highlight that runs from the air breather behind the front wheel arches and along the lower edges of the doors. The rear gets a set of traditional L-shaped tail-lights joined by a chrome strip and twin tail pipes adorn the lower half of the bumper. The new BMW 7 Series also gets four styling packages to choose from: Standard, M-Sport, Pure Excellence and of course, Individual. As with the exterior, the interior receives an evolutionary design update with a newly designed dashboard, controls and trims. Among the highlights for the interior are new digital instrument graphics that light up in either white, blue or red depending on the driving mode, a redesigned multi-function steering wheel and new front seats with ventilation and massage functions. The new BMW 7 series also gets a brand new iDrive with a new touch screen infotainment system. The new screen allows you to operate the various functions in a similar style to that of a smart phone with familiar pinch, point and swipe commands, or alternatively in a traditional manner via an updated rotary dial mounted on the car’s broad centre console. In right hand drive markets, BMW will initially offer just two engines, both with 3.0-litre capacities and both with straight six configurations. The diesel will make 265PS of peak power while the petrol makes 325PS of peak power. Both engines will be mated to BMW’s 8-speed gearbox. BMW will also launch a new 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine that will offer 450PS of peak power with all-wheel-drive. Courtesy:Zig Wheels

Worried about getting late for a meeting or a movie due to lack of parking? Here''s a solution - introducing Constapark, an innovative valet service available at two busy locations in Bangalore. Quite simply put, this valet-on-demand concept saves the time and hassle of finding parking for its users. All one has to do is download the smartphone app and select their destination. The complete details of the valet will be available to the user, who will await their arrival at the given location. He will then take the user''s car and park it in a secure, legal parking location which is monitored by a CCTV camera. While returning back, users need to use the same app once again and the valet will bring their car back within 15 minutes. The cost of this service is Rs. 70 per hour. However, this cost may vary depending upon the day, time etc. It is a cashless transaction and users can opt to pay via an online payment gateway or through their Paytm wallet. Constapark also carries a general liability of up to Rs. 50,00,000 to protect the customer''s vehicle too. The company takes full responsibility of the customer''s car while it is in their possession. As of now, the service is available only in areas of Koramangala and Indira Nagar in Bangalore between 10 am and 11 pm. Courtesy: Team bhp