The Activa is the first scooter in the country to reach this milestone.

Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India Pvt. Ltd has announced the record-breaking sales figure achieved by the Activa scooter brand. With cumulative sales crossing one crore units, the Activa is the first scooter in the country to achieve this milestone.

The Activa was launched in 2001, as the first model in Honda’s portfolio. In its first year (FY 2001-02), Honda sold around 55,000 units of the scooter, which increased to 21 lakh units in FY 2014-15. Strong sales of the Activa brand over the years, has been one of the key reason for Honda's 59 percent market share in the scooter segment. Currently, there are three variants of the Activa on sale - the Activa 3G, Activa i and the Activa 125.

Speaking about the occasion, Keita Muramatsu, president and CEO, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd said, “This achievement is more significant since Activa (an automatic scooter) has gained the trust of one crore happy families in India. From reactivating the scooter segment in India in 2001 to leading the 'scooterisation' of industry today, Honda’s iconic Activa has changed the way Indians ride. We thank our valued customers and families who have made Activa the most preferred choice for commuting in India.”

Courtesy : Autocar

A few noticeable changes included, the cabriolet will look quite similar to the coupé version.

Mercedes-Benz has released an official sketch of its upcoming S-class Cabriolet, prior to its debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September 2015. The car will rival Bentley’s Continental GT Convertible and is speculated to cost excess of Rs 1 crore when it goes on sale first in UK early next year.

The S-class Cabriolet will boast the largest folding fabric roof ever seen from the brand. It will also utilise a fairly large rear glass window, to help replicate the dimensions seen on the hard-top S-class Coupe. It will feature a considerably longer boot to accommodate the roof, when folded away.

Other noticeable changes seen from the images are a strengthened windscreen frame up front, an altered belt line, new rear wing panels and a heavily reworked boot lid. Inside, the new open-top Mercedes provides seating for four, with the individual electronically adjustable rear seats separated by a centre console.

Initially, the car is expected to get two petrol engines — a 449bhp, twin-turbocharged 4.6-litre, V8 in the S500 Cabriolet and a 577bhp, twin-turbocharged, 5.5-litre, V8 engine in the S63 AMG Cabriolet. Mercedes-Benz also plans to add a 621bhp twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre, V12 to the line-up in its range-topping S65 AMG cabriolet.

The company plans to equip the car with the advanced tilt function, which will allow it to lean into corners, in a manner similar to a motorcycle. The same system will also feature a suspension management system which will scan the road surface and alter the stiffness to improve ride quality.

Other comfort features include front seats with a massage function and a high-end Burmester audio system. Although not confirmed yet, the S-class Cabriolet could be sold as a standard rear-wheel drive along with the option of Mercedes-Benz’s 4Matic four-wheel-drive system on at least one model.

Courtesy : Autocar

The Benelli TNT 25 faces its toughest competitor, the KTM Duke 200, in the battle of specifications.

The Benelli gets a 249.2cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that puts down 24.1bhp at 9,000rpm. The Duke 200 makes a marginally higher 24.7bhp at 10,000rpm from its 199.5cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine. With the larger engine, the TNT25 generates 2.1kgm of twisting force, while the Duke 200 makes a slightly lower 1.94kgm.

The TNT 25 is slightly longer, measuring 2,080mm, while the KTM measures 2,002mm. Here the KTM is the broader one, at 873mm, while the Benelli measures 805mm. The KTM Duke 200 is also taller at 1,274mm, and the TNT 25 stands at 1,090mm. As one might expect, the KTM is lighter too, weighing 136.4kg on the scale; almost 15kg lighter than the Benelli that weighs 150kg.

Suspension on the motorcycles are in the form of USD forks up front and mono-shock springs at the back. The KTM Duke 200 gets an alloy swingarm, while the Benelli TNT 25 gets a box section one. Both the motorcycles are brought to a halt using disc brakes, and don't get the ABS feature. At the front, both the motorcycles have 280mm disc brakes. While the Benelli gets a 240mm at the back, the KTM gets a 230mm unit.

The pricing for the Benelli TNT 25 is not known yet, but it is likely to be anywhere between
Rs 2.5 - Rs 3 lakh. However, the Austrian manufacturer has priced all its products very aggressively, and same is the case with the Duke 200. It retails for Rs. 1.45 lakh in Delhi.

Courtesy : Autocar

The refreshed Land Cruiser gets revised styling inside and out; gets added safety technology.

Toyota has unveiled the facelifted Land Cruiser 200 in Japan. The premium luxury SUV gets styling updates to the exterior and interior along with a host of safety features offered as standard across the model range.

At the front, the Land Cruiser facelift gets a large three-bar chrome grille with chrome surround which extends under the headlamps. The headlamps are new LED units while the bumper has been restyled and the fog lamp housing gets chrome inserts. The bonnet has also been redesigned and features dual power bulges, further accentuating the SUV's muscular look. At the rear, the new tail-lamps are joined by a bar of chrome that comes emblazoned with the 'Land Cruiser' name.

Inside, the dashboard and centre console have been revised. The refreshed Land Cruiser gets a new instrument cluster with a larger multi-information display, and the centre console is dominated by
a larger infotainment screen flanked by large air con vents with chrome surround. The control surfaces along the centre console have also been revised, and the steering wheel is also new. The third row gets a centre headrest to accommodate an additional passenger.

The facelifted Land Cruiser also gets a list of safety features. Part of a package known as Toyota Sense P, the new safety features are standard across the model range. Some of the most notable safety technologies available on the Land Cruiser facelift include:

Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection

The system uses radar and a camera to detect pedestrians and vehicles and alert the driver via audio and visual alerts, in case of a possible impact. The system also features autonomous braking that automatically applies the brakes in case of an imminent impact, from speeds between 10kph and 80kph for pedestrians and 10kph and the vehicle’s top speed in case of other vehicles.

Radar Cruise control

The system uses the radar and a front-facing camera to monitor the traffic around the vehicle and alter the speed of the SUV as per the speed of the vehicle in front.

Lane Departure Alert

The front-facing camera scans for lane markings and alerts the driver if the vehicle deviates from the intended lane.

Automatic High Beam

This technology uses the front camera to scan for approaching headlamps and the tail-lamps of the vehicles in front to switch between high and low beams.

Other safety features offered on the Land Cruiser facelift are: Blind Spot Monitor through the use of radar, Rear Cross Traffic Alert system that makes the driver aware of the presence of a vehicle in the blind spot while reversing, tire pressure monitoring and warning system on the multi-information display and automatic hazard light flashing during hard braking.

The refreshed Land Cruiser uses a 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine with power being channelled through a six-speed automatic gearbox.

After the launch in Japan, Toyota is expected to expand the Land Cruiser's availability to other countries also.

Courtesy : Autocar

Lamborghini to reveal Veneno-like one-off supercar at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show

In a recent conference addressing the media, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann announced that they are working on a one-off supercar that will make its debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. This upcoming supercar from the Italian manufacturer will be a unique and will not see the production line like the other models from the Raging Bull brand. 

While details of the upcoming car are still hazy, rumours suggest it to be a hybrid. This ultra limited edition car will be made to compete against the likes of the Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder. While the official debut is scheduled for Geneva next year, some potential customers are expected to get a sneak peak of the car later this week. Now whether it's a preview of the car or just some rendering and pictures we can't say for sure. What we can say though is that when it is launched the car will demand a seven figure price tag.

While the launch of this new offering is still a few months away, on a more recent basis, Lamborghini revealed the Aventador SuperVeloce Roadster. Needless to say the cars has the typically Lamborghini razor sharp styling and with it an insanely powerful engine. Under the skin it sports a 6.5-litre V12 that makes an insane 750 horses and tips the scale at just a little over 1,500kg which makes it capable of doing the 0-100 dash in less than 3 seconds. Only 500 units of this car will be manufactured and deliveries of the car will start early next year.

Courtesy : Zigwheels