Courtesy:- ZIGWHEELS

Nissan has been lying low for quite some time; but now, the Japanese carmaker is finally readying new models for India. The next big launch from Nissan will be the Kicks SUV – although it won’t be in showrooms in 2018. Nissan officials have stated to Autocar India that the SUV will only go on sale in “the first quarter of 2019”. We have learnt that the carmaker is working towards a January deadline to bring it to our market.

The Kicks will sit above the Terrano in Nissan’s India line-up. Interestingly, while the Kicks is a global model, the version for India will not come built on Nissan’s V platform. Instead, the car will be built on an updated version of the M0 platform designed by its partner, Renault. The M0 also underpins SUVs like Nissan's Terrano, and Renault’s Duster and India-spec Captur. Note, the Kicks is slightly larger in size to the aforementioned models, and will be a more premium model.

In terms of styling, the Indian Kicks will carry the funky look of the global model with it. Styling is expressive, bold and in line with Nissan's latest models. The ridged bonnet, exaggerated wheel arches and raked rear windscreen give the Kicks a distinct look. Blackened A-, B- and C-pillars give the roof a ‘floating’ effect and a contrast paint scheme for the roof also adds to its wow factor.

The Kicks’ five-seater cabin will also be far removed from all that we’ve seen from Nissan, so far. There’s a youthful vibe to the cabin – and for maximum effect, Nissan could also be adventurous with the interior colour scheme. A touchscreen infotainment system will be part of the package, as will other creature comforts such as auto climate control, which is missing in the Terrano.

Under the hood, it is likely the India-spec Nissan Kicks will share the same engine and gearbox options as the Terrano, Duster and Captur. These would include the tried-and-tested 110hp, 1.5-litre diesel motor and a 106hp, 1.6-litre petrol engine. Gearbox options could include a six-speed manual for the diesel and a five-speed manual for the petrol. The petrol-powered Kicks could also come with a CVT gearbox.

The Kicks looks like it will have the right ingredients, and the buzz says that Nissan is working towards an aggressively competitive price tag, too. If all the pieces fall in place, the Kicks could be just the product Nissan needs to kick-start its long overdue rise up the sales charts.

Is the Nissan Kicks an SUV you’d wait for? Let us know in the comments section below.

Courtesy:- AUTOCAR

Andrea Iannone is set to join the Aprilia MotoGP team in 2019, following official confirmation from Suzuki that they are parting ways with the Italian rider.

Iannone chose to pre-empt a Suzuki statement before last weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, where he revealed he would be leaving the manufacturer at the end of 2018. The announcement follows a troubled 2017 campaign in which the 28-year-old failed to live up to Suzuki's expectations after they signed him to replace Yamaha-bound Maverick Vinales.

Iannone lies 7th in the points after the first six races of the year, having taken back-to-back podium finishes at Austin and Jerez; but his upturn in form this season came too late to rescue his association with Suzuki.

He is expected to join Aleix Espargaro at Aprilia next season, and will become the Spanish rider's third team-mate in as many years, following the departures of Sam Lowes and Scott Redding.

Being a former rider for both Marc VDS and Pramac, Scott Redding's options to remain in MotoGP appear to have run out – a switch to World Superbikes for 2019 being his next most likely option.

Suzuki had initially targeted signing Jorge Lorenzo from Ducati to replace Iannone, but his place is instead likely to be taken by Moto2 star Joan Mir, since Lorenzo decided to join Marc Marquez at Honda.

Courtesy:- AUTOCAR

Tata Motors unveiled the H5X concept SUV at the 2018 Auto Expo. According to a media report, the company is planning to reveal the production version in November 2018.

Earlier this month, Tata Motors had revealed that the H5X was scheduled to be launched in Q1 2019. The 5-seater SUV will be based on a modified Land Rover L550 platform called Omega, while the styling will be based on Tata's Impact Design 2.0 design language featuring a new front and rear fascia, a coupe-like roofline and squared-off wheel arches.

The Tata H5X could be powered by a Fiat-sourced 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine with 140 BHP. It is also rumoured that a 7-seat version is also being developed, which could use a re-tuned version of the same engine with 40 more horsepower. Transmission options might include a 6-speed manual and a 9-speed ZF automatic. According to media reports, the H5X will feature a 4WD system and all-independent suspension developed in-house at Tata Motors.

However, there has been no official word on the same from the carmaker.