To be the sporty range-topper of the next-gen Tiguan line-up; likely to get 300bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine.

Volkswagen is working on a performance version of its upcoming Tiguan Coupé SUV, the Tiguan Coupé R. The car-like SUV is being developed by the firm’s in-house R division.

As compared to the standard Tiguan, the five-seater Coupé R will have a sloping roofline, a shallower glasshouse and wider C-pillars. Overall appearance will be very similar to the Cross Blue Coupé shown at the Detroit motor show in January. The Tiguan Coupé R is expected to receive a number of upmarket interior appointments, such as an active instrument display, a heads-up display and a full selection of camera-aided safety features, including an emergency braking function.

It is likely to get a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine, similar to the one used by the Golf R, making around 300bhp and 38.7kgm of torque. It will come with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, four-wheel drive and an electronic torque vectoring function, according to insiders. Nothing is official at the moment, but the Tiguan Coupé R could have a claimed 0-100kph time of around 5 seconds.

A specially tuned version of the standard Tiguan Coupé’s MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension with reduced ride height and a four-mode adaptive damping system will aim to provide the necessary traits needed to set the R model apart from the rest of the line-up.

Engine options are likely to include 1.4 and 2.0-litre petrol units, and 1.6 and 2.0-litre diesels. Also planned is a plug-in petrol-electric hybrid-propelled GTE model running a similar set-up to that used by the Golf GTE. While the Tiguan Coupé is planned to go on sale globally in 2017, the range-topping R version will be on sale in 2018.

Volkswagen is in the final phase of testing the next-gen Tiguan in standard form which is likely to be unveiled at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show 2015. The carmaker has also confirmed that this new SUV will come to India in mid-2016.

The Tiguan Coupé R will be Volkswagen’s answer to the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG, Audi RS Q3 and the Range Rover Evoque SVR.

Courtesy : Autocar

Based on the T trim, the Go NXT is priced at Rs 5.16 lakh and gets a few new features but there’s no airbag.

Datsun’s budget hatchback, Go, may not have exactly struck a chord with customers. The car received a lot of flak for its poor crash test results, and although Datsun offered an airbag-equipped version of the top-end Go T on a made-to-order basis, it still couldn’t get away from the fact that the car was sparsely equipped, even by segment standards.

But the brand is now pulling a few stops to keep the Go competitive in the segment. On sale now, across Datsun showrooms, is the Go NXT. The new trim is based on the existing T trim and gets additional features like rear parking sensors, remote locking and a rear parcel tray. Cosmetic changes include side mouldings and a chrome finish for the exhaust tip, while on the inside, the centre console gets a glossy black finish.

The Datsun Go is powered by a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder, petrol motor that makes 67bhp and 10.6kgm of torque. It's mated to a five-speed gearbox.

The Datsun Go NXT is priced at Rs 5.16 lakh (on-road, Mumbai). It sits below the airbag-equipped T trim in the model’s lineup.

Courtesy : Autocar

The new Honda SUV could get uprated engines and new transmissions; expected to be unveiled at the Auto Expo 2016.

Honda’s new small SUV, the BR-V will make its global debut in the coming days. The carmaker will also showcase the model to the Indian audience at the upcoming Auto Expo 2016. 

Although based on the same platform as the Brio, Amaze and the Mobilio, the BR-V will look more angular and rugged. At 2,652mm, the wheelbase is the same as the Mobilio, but there is a possibility of the engines getting an update. There will be the familiar 1.5-litre petrol and the 1.5-litre diesel on offer.  However, the big news is that Honda is likely to offer a six-speed manual gearbox on the BR-V, in place of the five-speed unit seen on the Amaze and the Mobilio. According to our sister magazine, Autocar Indonesia, this new six-speed gearbox will have optimised ratios for better engine response and class-leading fuel efficiency.  

Also, likely to be on offer is a CVT gearbox which could be a segment first. Currently, the Amaze and Brio come with a five-speed automatic gearbox in India. This CVT gearbox mated to the petrol motor, will be an all-new cheap breitling replica watches compact unit developed specifically for the BR-V that uses Honda’s Earth Dreams technology. 

The carmaker has clearly focussed on giving the BR-V SUV-like design cues, and that includes the butch cladding that runs around the entire car, the rising beltline, the pronounced wheel arch flares and the roof rails. The interiors of the BR-V are likely to get updated dashboard designs to attract many car buyers in India. It will come with three rows of seats, and it's safe to expect it to be similar to the ones seen on the Mobilio.

The new Honda BR-V will directly compete with the likes of the Mahindra Scorpio, Renault Duster and the cheap breitling replica watches uk recently-launched Hyundai Creta.

Courtesy : Autocar

The 1200cc Norton superbike will feature carbon fibre fairings as well as wheels, while the frame will use aerospace aluminium. The V4 powered superbike will compete against the Ducati 1299 Panigale and the Superleggera

The fuel-injected, liquid-cooled V4 power plant will pack 1,200cc and will be capable of delivering over 200PS power. It will also incorporate a host of GP-derived engineering solutions aimed at making it as sporty as possible. Ricardo Motorcycles will be in charge of developing the engine.

Norton Head of Design, Simon Skinner says the new Norton bike will be powered by a brand new V4 engine that will employ Britsh racing heritage and knowledge from F1 and other top-drawer names in the automotive industry, such as Aston Martin.

Skinner has been quoted by reports as saying that the bike will have full-carbon fiber fairings because the shapes that are envisioned are hard or impossible to craft from plastic. The wheels will also be made from carbon fiber, while the frame will use aerospace aluminium and billet parts, all welded and polished by hand at Norton.

The V4 powered Norton superbike will compete against the Ducati 1299 Panigale and the Superleggera.

Courtesy : Zigwheels.

The YZF-R3 will be brought in from Indonesia and assembled in India; deliveries to begin within a week

The ever-heating, small-displacement sportsbike segment in the country features some interesting offerings such as the KTM RC390, Kawasaki Ninja 300, and the Honda CBR250R. This segment got another addition today with Yamaha launching the YZF-R3.

Priced at Rs 3.25 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the India-spec Yamaha YZF-R3 borrows plenty of styling cues from its bigger brother, the Yamaha YZF-R6. It has a similar front-biased mass silhouette, albeit with more angular styling, and less muscle. On the front end, it gets a set of twin lights, and the rear end of the bike looks quite similar to the R6. The bike will come in only two colours – Racing Blue (white with blue) and Black Lightning (black with red).

On the performance front, the Yamaha YZF-R3 gets a 321cc, parallel-twin, four-valve engine that is fed by a fuel injection system, and makes for 41bhp of power at 10,750rpm, and 3.0kgm of twisting force at 9,000rpm. Further down the drivetrain is a six-speed gearbox.

Suspending the Yamaha YZF-R3 are hydraulic units on the front, however it misses out on USD forks. At the rear is a hydraulic monoshock unit. It gets 110/70 tubeless tyres on the front, and 140/70 tyres at the rear, each mounted on 17-inch alloys. Ready to ride, the entire set-up weighs 169kg.

Some of the features available on the Yamaha YZF-R3 are current fuel consumption, average fuel consumption and coolant temperature readouts, two trip meters, a fuel trip meter and an oil trip meter. Bringing the motorcycle to a halt is a 298mm single disc brake up front, and a 220mm single disc brake at the rear. Disappointingly, Yamaha has not added the safety net of ABS.

At this sticker price, the YZF-R3 is priced considerably lower than the Kawasaki Ninja 300, but almost Rs 1 lakh above the popular KTM RC390. The motorcycle will be imported from Indonesia, and will not have any local sourcing as of now, says Yamaha. Scheduled to reach showrooms within a week, the manufacturer expects to sell up to 1,000 units a month.

Courtesy : Autocar