CEAT and Pirelli have joined hands to distribute premium motorcycle tyres in India. Through the partnership, Pirelli is looking to take advantage of CEAT's distribution and dealer network. 

Pirelli has already been supplying tyres to Indian brands like Royal Enfield and Mahindra Two-Wheelers and this move has come in to take advantage of the rising demand for premium motorcycles in our sub-continent. This demand is expected to grow by up to 16% over the next five years.

The entire range of tyres will be available from the first week of December at select CEAT 

Courtesy : Team BHP

Last month, KTM unveiled an updated version of the RC 390 motorcycle. Now the bike is reported to have been spotted in India for the first time.

The refreshed RC 390 features redesigned mirrors, a larger front brake disc measuring 320 mm and a full size side mounted aluminium exhaust instead of an underbelly unit, which helps it comply with Euro 4 emission norms. It also gets a slipper clutch, ride by wire technology and adjustable front brake and clutch levers. KTM has also given the bike thicker seat cushion. The bikes brakes are supplied by Brembo.

The updated RC 390 uses the same 373.2cc, single-cylinder, liquid cooled unit as the outgoing model. It makes 43 BHP and 35 Nm of torque and is mated to a 6-speed gearbox.

KTM is expected to manufacture the new RC 390 at the Bajaj plant in Pune. It is expected to be launched in India in 2016. A hike in the price of the motorcycle can be expected as well.

Courtesy : Team BHP

Tata Motors has revealed the specifications of the upcoming Zica hatchback.

The Zica measures 3,746 mm in length, 1,647 mm in width and 1,535 mm in height. It has a wheelbase of 2,400 mm and a ground clearance of 170 mm. The car has a fuel tank capacity of 35 litres and rides on 14-inch alloy wheels shod with 175/65 R14 section tubeless tyres.

To power the Zica, Tata Motors has used two new engines. The first one is a 1,199cc, 3-cylinder petrol unit from the Revotron family of engines. It can produce 84 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 114 Nm of torque @ 3,500 rpm and comes with two driving modes - City and Eco.

The second engine used is a new 1,047, 3-cylinder diesel unit that puts out 69 BHP @ 4,000 rpm and 140 Nm of torque @ 1,800-3,000 rpm. This engine is from the company's new Revotorq family of engines and like the petrol, features two drive modes. Both engines are mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.

The Zica petrol has a kerb weight of 1,012 kg, while the diesel weighs 1,080 kg.

Courtesy :  Team BHP

The facelifted A-class is the carmaker's final launch for 2015; updates on the car will be entirely cosmetic.

Mercedes-Benz is set to launch the facelifted A-class in India on December 8, 2015. Revealed globally earlier this year, the facelifted A-class for international markets got a host of styling and mechanical changes. However, the car headed to India will only receive styling tweaks. This is the last model to be launched as per the carmaker's '15 in 15' strategy which was planned for the year.

The facelifted A-class gets restyled bumpers, optional LED headlamps, tweaked tail-lamps and a new integrated ASME BPVC Code Download
  exhaust. Mercedes' diamond grille will also be offered on the facelifted model.

Inside, the new A-class gets a large 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Mirrorlink software for smartphone integration along with a revised steering and instrument cluster. The cabin also sees the use of new materials and gets interior colour choices. 

When launched in India, the facelifted A-class is likely to get features such as climate control and reverse parking camera as standard, while mood lighting is expected to be an option. Internationally, the new A-class is equipped with Mercedes' Dynamic Select system with three drive modes – Eco, Sport and Comfort. This could be offered on the model headed to India.

The engine line-up for the facelifted A-class will be the same as the previous model's with a choice of a petrol and a diesel engine mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

The A-class facelift will rival the likes of the BMW 1-series and Volvo V40 when it is launched in India.

Courtesy : Autocar

Yamaha has launched the M-Slaz (MT-15 in India), which is a streetbike based on the Yamaha R15 in the Thailand market. The bike has been priced at Rs 1.7 lakh in Thailand while we can expect it to be launched in India by mid-2016

Yamaha launched the M-Slaz at the 32nd Thailand International Motor Expo 2015. The new motorcycle is a 150cc streetfighter based on the Yamaha R15 Version 2.0 that is sold in India. The new bike will be most likely renamed as the Yamaha MT-15 in India and it is expected to be showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo in Delhi early next year. The Yamaha MT-15 or M-Slaz has been priced at Rs 1.7 lakh in the Thai market. Being a streetfighter, the Yamaha MT-15 adopts sharp and edgy styling which should make it a popular offering among youngsters. Also the snazzy decals with bright colours further enhance its visual appeal. The Yamaha MT-15 sports LED headlamp which along with the beefy front forks endows the front with a muscular stance. The chiselled fuel tank, belly pan, LED tail lamp, split seats and fuel tank extensions are the design highlights of the motorcycle. 

The new Yamaha motorcycle employs a full-digital instrument console as opposed to the part-digital unit as seen on the Yamaha R15. Being a naked motorcycle, the riding posture has been tweaked, it sports a flat and wide handle bar which results in an upright riding posture. Power figures hasn’t been revealed yet but expect it to be the same 150cc motor as seen on its faired sibling. The liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine churns out 17PS of peak power and 15Nm of maximum torque. Power will be transmitted to the rear-wheel via a 6-speed gearbox and we can expect the gear ratios to be tuned to suit its streetbike credentials.