Just a couple of days before the Supreme Court’s ruling came into play banning the sale of BS-III vehicles across the country, Yamaha India announced the launch of its 2017 model year fleet which meets BS-IV emissions norms. After this announcement, the company’s all motorcycles and scooters sold in the country will adhere to the more stringent Bharat Stage IV norms and will come with a mild update as well.

Speaking about updated features, all of Yamaha India’s two-wheelers come with AHO (Auto Headlamp On), which is just a fancy term for always-on headlights. This comes in light of a mandate set by a Supreme Court-appointed safety committee which put forth this feature to increase visibility of two-wheelers on Indian roads. With no on-off switch anymore, the headlights will be switched on automatically as soon as the engine starts and will continue to stay on until the engine is killed.

Coming back to Yamaha’s 2017 fleet, the updated models include all of the company’s Blue Core-powered motorcycles such as the FZ series (which features the FZ-S FI, FZ FI and Fazer FI), as well as the SZ-RR. These bikes retain all their features and do not come with any mechanical changes in this update. The FZ series continues to be powered by the 149cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled and fuel-injected SOHC motor that makes 13.2hp of peak power and 12.8Nm of torque. The SZ-RR too continues to be powered by a 149cc carburetted engine good for 12.1hp of power and 12.8Nm of torque. Yamaha’s 110cc Saluto RX, launched last year, was already BS-IV compatible to start with.

The company’s scooters now follow BS-IV norms as well. Again, there are no mechanical changes to the scooters and the Fascino’s and Cygnus Alpha’s 113cc engine and the V-belt variomatic transmission are untouched in any other way. Power and torque figures remain at 7.1hp and 8.1Nm, respectively. However, the Fascino gets a small visual update in the form of a two-tone paint scheme.

Courtesy : Autocar

Chinese carmaker Qoros has joined forced with Koenigsegg to develop a new four-door Super EV concept which will make a debut at the Shanghai motor show later this month. The concept’s also been dubbed 9 Qlectriq. However, its official name will only be announced at the event.buyreplicawatches.co.uk

According to a report by CarNewsChina, the EV concept has a 0-100kph sprint time of 3sec, and a range of 500km. Neither Koenigsegg nor Qoros has clarified the capacity of the battery pack or the power output.

A carbon-fibre monocoque makes up the car’s architecture, with four doors and four seats. The murky teaser images which have been released show a rakish but chunky coupé silhouette, with short overhangs and a similar layer surfacing appearance to the BMW i8.

Qoros showed an electric concept, as well as a cam-less-engined concept at the Guangzhou motor show late last year. But the 500km range of the Super EV dwarf’s that of the Qlectriq concept from the show.

Koenigsegg has previously stated on social media that it plans to look further into electric vehicles, although it’s not yet known if this latest concept is penned for production, or is an exploratory car. 

Courtesy : Autocar

Volkswagen is expected to unveil a new ID electric sedan concept at the Frankfurt motor show in September. The sedan will join an ID SUV, set to be unveiled at the Shanghai show next month, alongside the already revealed ID Buzz MPV and ID hatchback.  Klaus Bischoff, Volkswagen’s design chief, has promised a “surprise” for the sedan. The ID models preview Volkswagen’s EV ambitions, with the brand aiming to sell one million electric cars annually by 2025. The electric concepts represent ‘families’ of models, each of which will have different identities and body styles but a common theme, according to Bischoff, including what he calls “a no-grille” philosophy.  “Volkswagen was born with no grille,” he said. “With ID, we’re looking into the future but have our original identity with a closed front end.”  Bischoff added that each ID model will feature a lower air intake for battery cooling when charging, and each will  watches be identified by its headlights and an illuminated VW badge. MPV models will have a “friendly, positive” demeanour,  http://www.replicasrusdirect.com/ as previewed by the ID Buzz concept, while the upcoming SUV will be “non-aggressive but self-confident”.

Courtesy : Autocar

United Motorcycles (UM) has launched BS-IV variants of its two motorcycles in India – the Renegade Commando and the Renegade Sport S. The two entry-level cruisers have been converted to BS-IV by adding fuel-injection. UM claims that the motorcycles now “produce higher and [more] consistent power as compared to earlier variants”, while also providing “better and [more] accurate throttle response”.

The UM Renegade Commando and Sport S are both powered by a 279.5cc, single-cylinder fuel-injected liquid-cooled engine that produces 24.8hp at 8,500rpm and 21.8Nm of torque at 7,000rpm. The engine comes mated to a six-speed transmission. The bikes ride on 41mm upside-down telescopic forks up front and twin shocks round the back. The differences between the two bikes are purely aesthetic in nature: the Commando is more of a traditional cruiser while the Sport S, as the name suggests, gets sportier styling.

The fuel-injection and BS-IV compliance have pushed the bikes’ prices up, though. The Renegade Commando and the Sport S are now priced at Rs 1.74 lakh and Rs 1.68 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). 

Courtesy : Autocar