The UV segment records a sharp increase of 21 percent in February sales. Creta bags top spot with 8,196 units.

The character of Indian roads is changing and utility vehicles (UV) are coming back into the spotlight with an increasing number of customers opting for multi-purpose vehicles rather than ones just meant for rudimentary commute, which was evident in the recent sales figures as well.

Even as the passenger cars segment reported de-growth for a second consecutive month in February, the utility vehicle segment grew sharply by almost 21 percent in the month to provide a buffer to the overall passenger vehicles sales. This resurgence of the UV segment in India is thanks to the growing popularity of compact UVs coupled with the introduction of various new products by manufacturers to tap niche segments.

The top sellers in February constitute a mix of urban and rugged SUVs, MPVs and a sub-four metre compact UVs as well. Hyundai’s Creta claimed the top spot in February with sales of 8,196 units, its highest ever in a month since launch in July last year. The Creta has been constantly clocking average sales of around 7,000 units a month and is among the top choices for customers looking for an urban SUV.
 

Mahindra & Mahindra, the country’s largest UV manufacturer, grabbed the second spot on the list with its trusty old workhorse, the Bolero. A favourite of the rural customers, due to its rugged and go- anywhere image, the Bolero has been the most consistent performer for the manufacturer despite being in production for 16 years now. The MUV clocked sales of 7,446 units in February.

Next on the list is the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. A popular fleet and family vehicle, this urban MPV based on the Swift platform has been a game changer for the country’s largest carmaker since its launch in 2012. Offered with a host of engine options ranging from petrol, CNG and diesel variants, Maruti Suzuki recently introduced a SHVS mild hybrid variant of the MPV and has managed to add incremental volumes in February. The carmaker despatched 5,620 units of the model in the month.

The country’s most sold MPV – Toyota Innova – took the fourth spot in the list with sales of 4,945 units.  The Innova, which was brought in India to replace the Qualis, became an instant hit when it was launched in 2005 and became equally popular among fleet and private owners. Now with the-next generation Crysta showcased at Auto Expo 2016 and the last batch of production for the current generation wrapped up on March 14, the Innova is set to be replaced soon.
 

The last spot was taken by another Mahindra, and this time its newest offering – the KUV100. With looks that are more hatchback than SUV, the KUV100 garnered sales of 4,486 units in February. The company is working on ramping up production for the KUV100 and hopes to see consistent demand for the model in the future, which could make it a regular feature in the Top 5 as well.

The UV space is set to see a lot more action in the coming days with a wide range of launches from various manufacturers in the pipeline. The recent launch of the Maruti Vitara Brezza, its first step into the sub-four metre compact SUV segment, has stirred the market with big expectations. Given all the positive feedback for the SUV, we could see a strong contender for the top spot in the form of the Vitara Brezza in the coming months.

Courtesy : Autocar

Jagat Singh and Nagarjuna A have won the inaugural race of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship, organized for Indian truck drivers. The championship, which is in its third edition, for the first time, featured the Super Class - a category for Indian drivers. These drivers were selected through training and selection programs from Tata Motors' fleet customers' operations across the country.

The drivers were trained by race instructors in India over a period of three months. The race attracted a crowd of over 50,000 people. The first place winners of the two Super Class category races were awarded Rs. 10 lakh each.

The Pro Class (which featured international racing drivers) saw David Jenkins, Rick Collett and Graham Powell finish first, second and third respectively.

David Jenkins of Team Tata Technologies, who had finished fourth in the first 8-lap race of the two Pro Class races, managed to take top honours in the final 20-lap race. Rick Collett and Graham Powell, both from Team Tata Cummins, took second and third place respectively.

Matt Summerfield of Team Castrol Vecton, winner of the first 8-lap race, clocked the fastest lap of 1:50:691 seconds in the second race, around the 3.1 kilometer long race track.

Results:

Race 1 - Indian Drivers Batch 1

1. Jagat Singh
2. Malkeet Singh
3. Rajkumar Mahato
4. MD Parvez
5. Rabinder Yadav
6. Syed Akram Pasha

Race 2 - International Drivers

1. Matt Summerfield
2. Graham Powell
3. Rick Collett
4. David Jenkins
5. Tony Smith
6. Ben Horne
7. Olly Janes
8. Paul McCumisky
9. Adam Bint
10. Brian Burt
11. Simon Cole
12. Ray Coleman

Race 3 - Indian Drivers Batch 2

1. Nagarjuna A
2. Bhag Chand
3. Anand
4. Jitendra Singh
5. Bacchu Singh
6. MD Iliyas

Race 4 - International Drivers

1. David Jenkins
2. Rick Collett
3. Graham Powell
4. Ben Horne
5. Brian Burt
6. Tony Smith
7. Adam Bint
8. Matt Summerfield
9. Olly Janes
10. Simon Cole
11. Ray Coleman
12. Paul McCumisky

Photos of the next-gen 2017 Suzuki Swift hatchback have surfaced on the internet. These images were first shown to select audience at a dealer conference organised by the manufacturer, and gives a fair of idea of the next-gen car’s interiors as well as exteriors.

Suzuki seems to have played it safe with the new Swift’s design, as its overall shape and silhouette is just like that of the current car.

Up front, the headlights are slightly more angular, and are likely to come standard with LED daytime running lights. Suzuki has added an aggressive-looking, Audi-esque octagonal grille with a two-part setup that merges with the muscular-looking front bumper forming a large air dam.
Moving to the sides, as mentioned earlier, the car carries forward the Swift's trademark design. The car seen in the photos could be the next-gen Swift Sport for international markets. It is a four-door hatchback with a roofline that slopes down in a more pronounced manner than on the current car.

The new Swift will come with a floating roof design, where the top portion of the C-pillar has been blackened out – a trend that's being followed by most modern-day carmakers. Also, the next-gen car will get a pillar-mounted handle on the rear passenger door, as on the Chevrolet Beat and the newly launched Mahindra KUV100. The new car sports large alloy wheels and has subtle body cladding that runs along its wheelbase.

The new Swift’s rear gets slightly angular tail-lamps which will most likely feature LED elements. The rear glass area is almost of the same size as the current Swift's, but has a slightly flatter tailgate with a prominent character line extending to either side. One can also notice a small spoiler which will be seen as standard on the Swift Sport. The rear bumper looks muscular and has a prominent blackened diffuser and integrated dual exhausts.

The pictures leaked of the next-gen Swift's interiors reveal that the car gets an all-new dashboard, steering wheel and instrument cluster. The air con vents are round and the knobs chunky. There’s a prominent band that across the length of the dashboard that dividing it into two halves. The centre console now features a large touchscreen system, which could be an updated version of the SmartPlay infotainment system. The instrument binnacle is a twin pod setup with a largish multi-info display located at its centre.

The next-gen Swift will be based on the new platform that made its debut in the Baleno hatchback. This platform is lighter than the current version and is more structurally rigid. The low weight will surely result in better fuel economy figures as well. As reported earlier, the car will come with a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol Boosterjet engine along with the standard normally aspirated petrol engines. It is also likely to continue with the 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine and may get a slight bump in power.

A global unveil of the new Swift can be expected later this year, with an India launch likely sometime next year.

Courtesy : Autocar

The latest in the series of V6-powered AMG models, the GLC 43 uses the same 362bhp, 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 as the C 43 and SLC 43.

Mercedes has added a new performance model to its GLC SUV line-up. The AMG GLC 43 4Matic, is the latest model in a series of V6-powered AMG models, the GLC 43 shares the same engine that was revealed under the hood of the AMG SLC 43 and the C 43 Coupe and Cabriolet.

The talking point of the GLC 43 is the engine, which is a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 developing 362bhp that can propel the SUV from 0-100kph in 4.9 seconds. Not equipped with a full-blown AMG V8, the GLC 43 comes as a replacement for what would have been the GLC 450 AMG Sportline, a model designed to fill the void between the standard GLC and the range-topping GLC 63 AMG currently under development.

The engine is paired AAA+ Replica Watches UK to the company’s 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic gearbox along with offering a choice of drive modes – Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus and Individual. The gearbox additionally also boasts a double declutch function and holds gears at maximum revs when in Sport Plus mode.

The GLC43’s 4Matic four-wheel drive system has been tuned to deliver a distinctly rear-biased distribution of drive, with 31 percent delivered to the front axle and the remaining sent to the rear.
Underpinning Mercedes-Benz’s new performance SUV is a revised version of the standard GLC’s optional air body control suspension, featuring air springs and adaptive damping across three modes: Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus. It also receives 19-inch alloy wheels as standard.

As with the SLC 43, C 43 Coupe 4Matic, C 43 Convertible 4Matic and the more powerful E 43 4Matic, the GLC 43 4Matic too receives a reworked chassis with new steering knuckles and load-bearing joints up front as well as unique spring, damper and bushing tuning. The brakes have also been upgraded to 360mm discs up front and 320mm discs at the rear.

The GLC 43 comes with an aggressive body Replica Breitling Watches kit and quad exhaust setting it apart from the standard range. On the interior, it gets new sport seats, a revised instrument cluster and a flat-bottomed steering to show its sportier intent.

Mercedes showcased the standard GLC at Auto Expo 2016 in Delhi. The company has plans to bring the SUV to India later this year, and it is likely that the model will get the familiar 2.1-litre diesel engine and will rival the likes of the BMW X3 and Audi Q5.

The automaker has also been testing a coupé variant of the GLC which is expected to make its international debut alongside the GLC 43 at the New York motor show. Currently for India, Mercedes is readying a new entry-level petrol variant for its S-class limousine, the S 400,Replica Cartier Watches with its launch to take place sometime this month.

Courtesy : Autocar

The Range Rover Sport SVR is reportedly set to receive a more powerful engine thanks to Jaguar for the 2017 model year

With around 550 horsepower on tap, nobody would have called out the current Range Rover Sport SVR for being a slowpoke on the road. But there just is no end to our hankering for power, and so, the 2017 Sport SVR is reportedly set to get even more of that, with a little help from Copy Cartier Watches UKsister luxury brand Jaguar.

The engine in question here is the more powerful version of Jaguar Land Rover's signature 5.0-litre supercharged V8 from the Jaguar F-Type SVR that was showcased at the Geneva Motor Show last year. In the new two-door this engine produces 575PS of max power and 700Nm of torque, making it the most powerful F-Type yet. By comparison, the outgoing Range Rover Sport SVR develops 550PS and 680Nm of torque.

Thanks to the extra power, the 2017 Range Rover Sport SVR should be able to sprint from 0-100 kmph in less than 4.5 seconds before hitting a top speed in excess of 260 kmph. Those performance figures should put it in the same league as the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, which  has less power but also weighs around 70kg less than the Sport SVR. The current Sport Panerai Luminor Watches UKSVR sprints to 96 kmph in a claimed 4.5 seconds, slightly behind Porsche's 4.2-second claimed time.

All models will come standard with an eight-speed automatic transmission controlled by shift paddles and all-wheel drive. Although it’s being primarily designed for high-performance driving, 2017 Range Rover Sport SVR will ship with an updated version of Land Rover’s Terrain Response technology, and with an air suspension that can be configured to provide a generous 9.3 inches of ground clearance when the going gets tough.

Autocar reports that there will also be some slight changes to the exterior, with larger intake vents to support the added performance. That ought to put the 2017 range Rover Sport SVR in prime position to do battle with the forthcoming Lamborghini Urus as well in what's shaping up to be a real grudge match among Europe's fastest, most powerful, and most expensive luxury SUVs.

Courtesy : Zigwheels