After recently opening its first Express Service Facility in Coimbatore, Volkswagen India has formally launched a similar service in Gurgaon as well. The Volkswagen Gurgaon dealership is equipped with 29 bays for servicing mechanical parts and conducting body repairs, and the facility can service approximately 1,600 cars a month.

Chennai is next in line to get this facility, though it remains to be seen if the plans have been affected by the recent floods. VW will launch the service in more cities over the next 12 months. The express service program is specific to the periodic / routine maintenance of the cars and is aimed at reducing downtime and increasing the efficiency of the technicians. The express service can be availed of with no additional cost to customers.

Toyota has been offering a similar service, wherein cars are serviced within 1 hour through the express maintenance (EM60) service.

Courtesy : Team BHP

The carmaker is considering altering the XC90's suspension set-up based on feedback from China and US markets.

Swedish-Chinese luxury carmaker Volvo is literally on a roll. Sales are up at around the 440,000 mark, there's a steady stream of all-new models on the way, and the new XC90 is doing so well; orders for the new SUV just keep coming and coming.

What Volvo is also recording, however, is a steady stream of complaints about the ride of the XC90. Customers are very satisfied with the big Volvo SUV, and it scores high marks in almost all areas, but they still want to know why their big SUV doesn't ride in a more luxurious manner. This is understandable. To begin with, Volvos have always been famous for their comfortable ride. And then there's the fact that the XC90 has all the right ingredients. It has plenty of wheel travel, the air suspension and dampers are adjustable and the cushioning provided by the tall tyres should be good too. But the ride on the XC90 at best, can be described as average. It's quite brittle, is often revealing and even crashes over sharp bumps at times. 

However, Volvo seems keen to provide a solution. Vice President, Dr Thomas Muller, is pretty clear. "We are looking to retune the XC90 suspension to make it more comfortable as we are getting feedback from markets like China and the US".

Volvo engineers say they are likely work on an altered set-up for the SUV in 'Comfort' mode, as this is the mode most people use over bad roads. There are a few ways this can be achieved. The rate at which the air springs compress could be altered to help absorb large loads in a more supple manner, it could change the rate of flow inside the dampers to help cushion the shock better and, if needed, the company could also look at 'retuning' the rubber and metal bushes that help locate the suspension. 

If implemented, the retuning is likely to bring the ride of the XC90 in line with other Volvos, many of which historically have been famous for their comfortable ride.

Courtesy : Autocar

Mercedes-Benz will bring the face lifted version of it’s A-Class to India with both petrol and diesel engines and will feature minor updates to the interior and exterior.

Mercedes-Benz India will launch the new facelifted A-Class in India tomorrow. The new car will be the 15th car that the German luxury car manufacturer will launch in India in 2015 in accordance to its ‘15 in 15’ strategy. The A-Class features updates on both the exterior and interior front. Engines though are expected to remain the same.

The new A-Class features the updated diamond grille festooned with a black background with chromed out dots to accentuate the 3D look of the grille. The front bumper also gets a new accent strip that is finished in chrome on the standard package and in black as an optional extra along with a new air intake. The new A-Class also gets an upgraded rear bumper with new tail pipe openings and an upgraded diffuser. The A-Class will also get optional LED headlamps and an upgraded tail lamp cluster.

On the interior front, the A-Class gets a new steering wheel and new trim levels on the dashboard. The new car will also get an upgraded 8-inch central screen and ambient lighting in upto 12 different colors. The updated Mercedes-Benz A-Class will also get a chrome bezel on the central console and added leather interior options. The dials too have been updated with a new bezel and a slightly upgraded design with the higher versions getting a chequered flag pattern.

Expect the engine options on both the A-class petrol and diesel to stay the same. The diesel is a 2.1-litre engine that makes 135PS of peak power and 300Nm of peak torque while the petrol is a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine with 122PS of peak power and 200Nm of peak torque. Both engines are mated to a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox and a front wheel drive drivetrain.

Courtesy : Zigwheels

The 1963 Volkswagen Beetle was seen in the second and third movies of the Herbie franchise.

The Dream Factory auction held in New York by Bonhams and Turner Classic Movies saw the original 1963 Volkswagen Beetle auctioned for $86,250. It is the most expensive VW Beetle to be auctioned yet. The bug earned the fame it enjoys today through a series of Hollywood movies – the Herbie franchise. First introduced in The Love Bug (1968), the car sold at the auction was the original one featured in Herbie Rides Again (1974) and Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977). It is only car in the world to leave its tyre print at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

After disappearing for several years, the famed Beetle was found four years ago in a warehouse in Florida and was sold less than a year ago on eBay for $55,200.

Confirming the authenticity of the car is the steering column installed under the front seat connected by a series of sprockets and pulleys that allowed the stunt driver to drive from the back, making it look like Herbie was driving himself in the movies. The car auctioned also features the iconic livery, with the red, white, and blue racing stripes and the '53' decals on the hood and doors of the car. The buyer's details are unknown and  the car is currently not in pristine condition and will need a proper restoration to get its Hollywood charm back. 

Courtesy : Autocar