Finally, Honda is ready to join the compact SUV bandwagon with this: the BR-V. Unveiled at the ongoing Indonesia International Auto Show, the BR-V is the fourth product that Honda has created on the same platform that also forms the basis for the Brio, Amaze and Mobilio. Which is why its likeness to Honda's newest MPV comes as no surprise.

It will be positioned as a rival to the Renault Duster-Nissan Terrano and the Hyundai Creta, but it actually looks a lot like a Mobilio wearing thick-soled boots. The face and the rear section look different, yes, but from the side, it is a plastic-clad Mobilio that appears to be like an SUV. That belief is strengthened when you read what Honda has to say about what the BR-V really is: "This new generation crossover utility vehicle features the combination of an SUV appearance and handling and great utility and the spacious cabin of an MPV". So, potential Renault Lodgy Stepway buyers may just be tempted to do some cross-shopping.

Anyway, the BR-V's heightened stance means there's more ground clearance on offer, and since it is a Mobilio in SUV clothing, it also has seven seats, which will make it the only offering in its class to have three rows of seating. We do not have official interior images yet, but we can tell you the dash design will be noticeably different from the insides of the Mobilio. Honda claims the BR-V's interior space is "class-leading", and also tells us that the car will come with air-conditioning for rear-seat passengers as well.

For the Indonesian market, Honda will sell the BR-V with the 1.5-litre i-VTEC (found in the City) which develops 117 horses and 145Nm of torque. When it comes to India, the BR-V will be sold with the 1.5 petrol, as well as the 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel (99bhp, 200Nm). Sending power to the front wheels is a six-speed manual, and a CVT gearbox is on offer, too. However, for India we think Honda will stick to the existing 5-speeder.

Safety-wise, the BR-V is equipped with dual front airbags, ABS and Vehicle Stability Assist. To compete with a car like the Creta, which is packed to the gills with features, Honda will have to bless the BR-V with sufficient kit. Like it did with the Mobilio, expect a posher 'RS' version to join the ranks some time in the future.

In Indonesia, the BR-V will be priced between Rs 11-12.5 lakh, so you know this one's aiming for the big guns. Expect Honda to first showcase the car at the Delhi Auto Expo in February, and follow it up with a launch in the months that follow.

Courtesy : BBC TopGear.

This is the new Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe. It has two doors, driven wheels at the rear, lots of noise, and a bi-turbo V8 with the option of 470bhp or 503bhp. The latter is the correct option.

The new C63 follows in the footsteps of the regular C-Class Coupe revealed earlier this week, and of course, the C63 Saloon, with which it shares much of its DNA.

So you’ll spot those familiar flared wheel arches, accommodating a 64mm wider track up front and 66mm wider track at the back, and housing wider tyres. Which, of course, are likely to get torched, thanks to the engine from the AMG GT installed under that power-domed bonnet.

Like the C63 Saloon, the Coupe gets the AMG GT supercar’s bi-turbo, 4.0-litre V8 with dynamic engine mounts, in either base 470bhp form - 0-100kph in 4 seconds – or C63 ‘S’. That ‘S’ gets 503bhp and a 0–100kph time of 3.9 seconds. By any metric, that’s seriously quick.

Both versions are quicker than their equivalent C63 saloons by a tenth, and – perhaps more crucially – faster than the BMW M4. Both versions are also capped at 250kph, though you can select the AMG Driver’s Package to liberate up to 290kph.

A new exhaust flap developed specifically for the Coupe ensures many noises are made, too, while you can even option a proper performance exhaust for yet more shouting. Merc’s dual-clutch seven-speed gearbox is the only transmission on offer, of course driving the rear wheels.

AMG has tweaked the coupe’s suspension relative to the C63 Saloon, too: there are new steering knuckles, while the contact surfaces of the wheel bearings were pushed 25mm further out. Yeah, exactly.

The coupe also gets new wheel carriers, stiffer elastikinematic tuning, and a higher negative camber. Naturally, you get AMG’s ‘ride control’ in the shape of adaptive dampers.

The base car comes with a mechanical limited-slip diff, while the C63 ‘S’ gets an electronic version.

Looks the part, too, don’t you think? A new front spoiler, aforementioned twin-dome bonnet and flared arches, new side skirts, rear diffuser and spoiler lip all help distinguish the AMG from the regular C Coupe - though there is a distinct whiff of Mustang about its swooping roofline profile - while inside it is as upmarket as you would expect from an AMG Mercedes.

Prices have yet to be announced, but expect a small premium over the base C63 Saloon’s starting price (which will be out on September 3). Now, here’s the big one: this, or the six-cylinder, 425bhp BMW M4? On paper at least, the Merc has it licked, but we know things are different out there in the ‘real’ world of pumped-up, 250kph coupes…

Courtesy :  BBC TopGear.

Renault is French, and so, it is different. The carmaker thinks differently, plans differently and does things differently too. So, while other manufacturers paid lip service to setting up design and styling studios in India, Renault actually set up two. The Mumbai design studio was started in 2008 and the one in Chennai, along with a full-fledged workshop, went online earlier this year.

The Mumbai outfit’s first job was the Logan prototype, which the company produced with help from Indian designer DC. Dilip Chhabria was also quite heavily involved in the making of several other show cars for Renault and he helped with the Twizzy concepts for the Auto Expo as well. Slowly, the design team started working on larger and larger projects, like full-fledged facelifts, updates and special bits for new cars to be launched in India, like the Lodgy’s new grille.

The Kwid, however, presented a huge challenge. This is because the project was both Indian as well as French. Most of the data collection, however, was done from here, on the ground. It had to be. Renault was keen on an immersive experience for its design team. It wanted the design staff to be drowning in the local culture and local tastes, and there was a special emphasis on what Indian customers disliked too. This is how they discovered what Indian customers really meant when they said they wanted more car for their money. And it’s also why Renault understood what Indian car buyers wanted most of all; to skip a whole class and reach up for that car that would only logically come to them three or four years down the road. And how did the team finally decide on the crossover shape for the Kwid? “When you are in India, and your ears are open, it is just obvious,” emphasises Mumbai studio boss Patrick Lecharpy. 

The actual design process happened really quick after the crossover shape was chosen. “The way we work today, the ‘masala’ is moved back and forth between India and France, so we have the best of both, with lots of India, but plenty of Renault too,” says Lecharpy.

Then, a competition was instituted internally, a few designs were chosen with the help of chief Laurens Van Acker, and then a couple of the best were selected for model-making. Serge Cosenza’s design was then selected and the interior work done by young Indian designer Moneet Chitodra, who managed to create an appealing interior within an exceedingly small budget. 

The engineering and cost control people then thrashed out the details and after just three months, Renault got its ‘convergence’ model. There were a few difficult bits, like the bulging hips that needed a bit of back and forth with production and engineering and the tiny tyre profile demanded by engineers to achieve the fuel economy target drove the designers nuts. But Renault eventually managed to hit all its design objectives. The Kwid, despite being a compact, low-cost car, looks like an SUV. It manages to convey a feeling of size and it really does feel robust. As long as Renault sticks to its promised price range of Rs 3-4 lakh, this could be the most significant low-cost car to be launched here in a decade; all primarily achieved through good design, low-cost engineering and great cooperation.

Courtesy : Autocar

The next-gen Elantra gets coupé-like styling; expected to be unveiled later this year.

Hyundai has released an official rolex replica watches sale sketch of the new Elantra as a build-up to its unveil. It hints at the possible design cues of the next-gen model.

In a previous report, we had showcased the undisguised new Elantra with a similar front-end styling. In the sketch released, the new Elantra appears to feature coupé-like styling with a short rear overhang. At the front, it gets a large hexagonal grille flanked by sleek wrap-around headlamps. The bonnet gets prominent creases running from the grille to the A-pillars while the window-line gets chrome inserts.

Expected to power the new Elantra is a four-cylinder oil-burner alongside Hyundai’s new 174bhp 1.6-litre T-GDI turbo petrol engine from the new Tucson. Transmission options are likely to include a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Hyundai is expected to unveil the new Elantra sometime later this year.

Courtesy  :  Autocar

Honda to get rid of quirky styling seen on current Brio; could give upcoming model a new name.

Honda has started work on the replica breitling watches replacement for its current Brio hatchback. Launched in India in 2011, the Honda Brio received a tepid response from buyers, mainly because of its cheap-looking interiors, small boot and the lack of a diesel engine. 

The new Brio, like the current hatchback, will be slotted below the recently launched Jazz. It is likely to lose out on the quirky rear styling and glass hatch seen on the current car, and will get a conventional tailgate instead.  This means, the new Brio will be based on the outgoing car’s underpinnings but will get an all-new bodyshell and interiors.

There is no news on the engine front yet, but we expect the new Brio to continue with the same 1.2-litre petrol motor mated to manual and automatic gearboxes. Honda will most likely add a diesel engine as well, which could be a 1.1-litre, three-cylinder version of the current i-DTEC family. With the new Brio, the carmaker will aim to hit the sweet spot in the segment that is currently dominated by the likes of the Maruti Swift and the Hyundai Grand i10.

Our sources also tell us that Honda may do away with the 'Brio' badge and give the car a brand new name.

Courtesy : Autocar