While Hyundai (and sister concern Kia) have revamped their worldwide image, the South Korean automaker is looking to go deeper into the luxury sector. The Genesis has won Hyundai several accolades the world over and capitalizing on its premium image, Hyundai has now launched Genesis as a separate, global luxury brand.

Hyundai will launch six new Genesis models by 2020, with the roll out beginning in this December. The Genesis brand will cater to customers who are largely targeted by rival Euro brands. Genesis models will be badged with a new wing-type emblem, redesigned from the version used on the current Genesis luxury saloon. The Genesis brand will also adopt a new alphanumeric naming structure. Future models will be named by combining the letter ‘G’ for Genesis with a number (90, 80 or 70 etc.) representing the segment.

Luc Donckerwolke, who was previously responsible for the design of cars like the Lamborghini Gallardo, Lamborghini Murciélago and Bentley Flying Spur will lead this new division alongside his role as head of the Hyundai Motor Design Center.

Genesis will initially target the Korean, Chinese, North American and Middle Eastern luxury car markets, before expanding its reach to Europe and other parts of Asia as the model range expands. 

The Equus and Genesis have served as market testers for Hyundai, helping the brand understand premium car customers better. Suffices to say that apart from offering technologically loaded products, the brand will focus on its image which will have to fight hard to gain the prestige enjoyed by players like Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Jaguar.

While the Genesis brand is still a long way from entering India, it remains to be see if/when Hyundai will launch the Genesis saloon here. The car has been showcased and spied, but an official launch confirmation is still awaited. 

Courtesy : Team BHP

The Jaguar XE has been spotted at ARAI, signalling the fact that the luxury sedan is undergoing final rounds of evaluation prior to its official launch next year. The XE will be the cheapest car from Jaguar to be sold in India with an estimated pricing of Rs 38 lakh

The upcoming Jaguar XE sedan has been spotted in India prior to its official launch. The Jaguar XE will be the most affordable car from the fake watches sale British luxury brand to be sold in India. The upcoming Jaguar XE was spotted near India which means that the car is undergoing homologation prior to its launch. We expect the Jaguar XE to make its Indian debut at the 2016 Auto Expo and be locally assembled to keep costs low. The entry-luxury offering from Jaguar will take on the likes of the BMW 3-series, new Mercedes-Benz C-class and the Audi A4. The XE will be an important product for Jaguar as it forms bulk of its sales and also help the leaping cat brand spread deeper in the market and be more accessible to consumers. 

The design of the Jaguar XE is truly modern and attractive. It has a good mix of Jaguar family design cues in all its major elements. The interior design of the Jaguar XE boasts of a youthful character; it has a good mix of vibrancy and elegance that is required in this class of car. The Jaguar XE sedan will be offered with petrol and diesel powerplants. The diesel motor will be the 2.0-litre displacement four-pot motor churning out 175PS of power and around 400Nm of torque. Talking about cheap replica watches uk petrol engine options, the Jaguar XE will get a 2.0-litre petrol mill producing 230PS and a 3.0-litre V6 mill pushing out 340PS and 450Nm of torque. The Jaguar XE is expected to be priced around Rs 38 lakh ex-showroom for the base variant.

Courtesy : Zigwheels

Ola Fleet enters into a strategic partnership with Nissan to add over 1 lakh vehicles on its platform through its cab-leasing unit by end of 2016.

Ola cabs announced a first of its kind strategic partnership between Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd. and its wholly owned subsidiary Ola Fleet Technology Pvt Ltd. Ola cabs had recently rolled out a first of its kind cab-leasing program for driver-partners for which cars will now be purchased from both Nissan and Datsun brands. This will create business opportunities for drivers, who can now take a cab on lease and work like entrepreneurs with Ola cabs. 

Speaking at the occasion, Rahul Maroli, Vice President, Strategic Supply Initiatives at Ola cabs said, “We are excited about our partnership with Nissan, which is growing as one of the preferred brands amongst cab drivers in the country. Through this partnership, Ola's subsidiary will make available best in class vehicles to Ola driver partners, creating employment and subsequently entrepreneurial opportunities for hundreds of thousands of them. We are excited about working with Nissan, known for its cutting edge technology and look forward to more such partnerships in the coming months, to creating mobility options customized for the Indian market."

“The growth in the cab industry has been remarkable in the past couple of years in India and Ola, has revolutionized this space, impacting millions of customers and driver partners. Nissan has a strong presence in the fleet segment globally and in India, we see great potential. Our flagship models from both Nissan and Datsun brands are well equipped to cater to the fleet segment offering the much sought after features like space and fuel efficiency. We expect this partnership to further contribute to the growing personal transportation ecosystem in India.” added Arun Malhotra, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India.

About the leasing program, Ola's subsidiary will enable flexibility for drivers to lease a car for a minimal initial deposit and monthly lease rentals that will also include routine maintenance of the vehicle, as against high down payments and monthly instalments for a loan. This gives drivers the comfort of not having to seek any loan or financing of their own and an opportunity to become the car owner after a period of 3 years, while giving them a stable income on the Ola platform.
This program from Ola is seeing keen interest from leading financing and manufacturer partners and is poised to enhance employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for a large segment of drivers across the country.

Courtesy : Zigwheels

Here's a look at some of the new car launches and unveilings in the coming months.

We’re approaching the end of the year but the launches are far from over. We’ve already seen the launch of mainstream models like the Celerio diesel and the Ford Figo Aspire and the launches of niche models like the Mercedes AMG S 63 and S 63 Coupe. Here is a look at the launches yet to arrive:

Audi is preparing to launch the all-new Q7 before the end of the year. Audi’s new flagship SUV will initially be brought into the country as CBU units powered by a 268bhp, 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine with the Quattro all-wheel drive and an eight-speed gearbox with paddle shifters. Local assembly is expected to start sometime next year. In terms of features, expect the car to come with electric adjust seats, four-zone climate control and a 19-speaker Bose audio system.

Skoda Superb

Skoda is expected to bring the all-new Superb to India by end of the year. The new Superb is bigger and lighter than before, with aggressive styling and a sleeker profile as compared to the current model. At the time of launch, the new Skoda is expected to carry over the engines of its predecessor mated to six- or seven-speed DSG gearboxes. Skoda is also expected to launch the top-end Laurin & Klement trim which is expected to get features such as 18-inch alloys, umbrellas stowed in the front doors, electric adjust front seats with lumbar support and memory function, three-zone climate control and an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

 

Maruti WagonR AMT

Maruti is expected to launch the AMT-equipped WagonR soon. The gearbox is expected to be offered as an option on WagonR Stingray and could also be launched on the standard WagonR as well. The AMT unit will be the same five-speed unit used on the Celerio.

 

Range Rover Evoque facelift (November 19)

JLR is set to launch the facelifted Range Rover Evoque on November 19, 2015. The facelifted Evoque features mild styling tweaks on its exteriors such as a new front bumper, enlarged air intakes and all-LED adaptive headlamps. The rear gets a new tailgate spoiler and a high-level LED stoplight. In the cabin, the updated SUV features new seats, new soft-touch materials and a new 8.0-inch InControl Touch touchscreen infotainment system. The updated Evoque also gets autonomous braking, All-Terrain Progress Control and Lane Keep Assist systems. The engine will remain unchanged from the current model.

 

 

Ford Endeavour

Ford will be launching its new Endeavour in India sometime this year. The new car gets rugged styling with a large trapezoidal chrome grille, daytime running lamps, scuff plates, large and prominent wheel arches and wheels, along with chrome detailing on door handles and wing mirror covers. The Endeavour will also get an upgrade on the inside. An 8-inch touchscreen system with Ford’s SYNC 2 infotainment along with sat nav and a rear-view camera on the top variant, and a seven seat configuration are offered. Power is expected to be derived from a 2.2-litre 158bhp and a 197bhp 3.2-litre diesel engines and a choice of six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes.

 

Mercedes-AMG GT

Mercedes will be launching the SLS successor, the AMG GT, in India later this year. The AMG GT is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo AMG V8. Internationally, the car is available in two guises — the standard GT developing 456bhp and the GT S developing 503bhp. The version that's heading to India is still unconfirmed.

Ford Mustang

Internationally, the Ford Mustang is available with three engine options  —  a 306bhp 2.3-litre, four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, a 296bhp 3.7-litre V6, and a 429bhp 5.0-litre V8; and in two versions – coupé and drop-top. India is expected to get the coupé version of the iconic car, but sadly we don’t know which engine.

 

 

BMW 3-series facelift

Another facelifted BMW heading to India is the 3-series with prototypes already undergoing testing in the country. For international markets, the facelifted car has been given styling tweaks along with a range of new engines. However, for India the engines are expected to remain unchanged. BMW will also be launching updated versions of the 7-series, 5-series and X1.

Tata Kite

Tata is expected to launch the Kite (Codename) hatchback and sedan siblings soon. The two cars are set to replace the ageing Indica and Indigo eCS and will feature all-new styling from Tata’s European Technical Centre. Powering the two cars will be an all-new 1.5-litre three-cylinder diesel and 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engines.

Courtesy : Autocar

Earlier this week, we reported that Tata Motors has signed up Lionel Messi as the global ambassador for its passenger vehicles across the world. Now the company has released its first television commercial featuring the Argentine football star. The commercial also shows certain part of the upcoming hatchback from the company, which has been codenamed Kite.

The visuals suggest that the Kite sports a different headlamp design compared to any other Tata cars. The grille of the car is black with a Tata logo in the centre. It has a chrome lining along its lower edge. The design of the tail lamp cluster is also new. The door handles are body coloured and the designs of the rear door and hatch also appear unlike anything we've seen on a Tata car so far.

The Kite is likely to be powered by a new 1.05-litre, 3-cylinder, common rail diesel engine that is expected to put out 64 bhp and 140 Nm of torque. A 1.2-litre petrol engine is also likely to be available. LPG, CNG and AMT-equipped variants could be on the cards as well.

The Kite is expected to be positioned against the Maruti Suzuki Celerio and Hyundai i10. It is likely to be rolled out of Tata Motors' Sanand plant.

Courtesy : Zigwheels