The 2016 KTM RC390 gets a few mechanical upgrades; engine and styling remains unchanged.

The updated 2016 KTM RC390 has been launched in India. The updates on the bike include a few mechanical ones, whereas the styling remains unchanged from the older model.

The biggest mechanical change is the introduction of a slipper clutch, making it a more forgiving bike to ride when shifting gears aggressively. Also, the engine and gearbox have received minor tweaks in order to improve smoothness.  The 2016 KTM RC390 doesnt come with an on-off switch for the headlight and hence the headlight stays active when the bike is switched on. 

Internationally, the updated RC390 gets an all-new exhaust system - a new stainless steel underfloor pre-silencer which meets a cylindrical aluminium absorption silencer, and now complies to Euro 4 emission norms making it cleaner to run. However, for India this add-on is not available as it would add to costs. It also skips on the 320mm larger disc brake at the front. 

The updated KTM RC390 continues to be powered by the 373.2cc single-cylinder liquid cooled four-stroke engine developing 42.9bhp and 3.57kgm of torque mated to a six-speed gearbox.

The updated RC390 is priced at Rs 2.13 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi) 

Courtesy : Autocar

The Aprilia SR 150 will share engines with the Vespa 150cc models.

Piaggio Vehicles (PVPL) is aiming to consolidate its position in the premium scooter market in India. While this sub-segment (models priced above Rs 70,000) currently sees only the Vespa brand, the company is now known to have a plan of adding yet another global brand – Aprilia (via its SR 150 scooter model) in this space by August 2016.

Stefano Pelle, managing director, PVPL, confirmed that the Aprilia SR 150 will share its engine with the Vespa 150cc models – the SXL 150 and VXL 150 – launched last year with price tags close to Rs 90,000 and Rs 85,000 respectively. According to the company website, Piaggio currently sells a total of six scooter models under the Vespa brand including four variants in the 125cc segment and two models in the 150cc scooter category.

“Yes, the engine (single-cylinder, 150cc, 11.5bhp) is the same that goes into the Vespa 150s but it is tuned differently. The transmission is also tuned differently. It shares a lot with the Vespa models,” Pelle said.

The Aprilia SR 150 will also come equipped with a 220mm front disc brake (along with a 140mm rear drum brake), which also hints at the possibility of adding a single-channel ABS system if required in the near future.

Pelle added, “We are in the process of setting up an all-new assembly line for the Aprilia SR 150s. The first batch of production scooters will roll out in a couple of weeks from now.”

Aprilia SR 150 vs Vespa SXL 150

While Aprilia will be another brand positioned in the premium segment, how will it fare against the Vespa siblings?

“I don’t see any brand cannibalisation between Aprilia’s SR 150 and Vespa’s existing 150 models. The segments are completely different. Though they both belong to the premium segment, Vespa is more of a style statement and the Aprilia SR 150 is a sporty, stylish scooter which would certainly appeal to the youth. We will target the 18-28 years age group with the Aprilia SR 150. Now although the core target customers remain the same for the Vespa brand, it is also bought by customers into their late 20s or even 30s. That said, the Vespa models are universal and the Aprilia SR 150 is more male. This would also appeal to buyers who today use a bike and might want to use a scooter tomorrow. It’s a slim, stylish scooter with utility space for storage,” answered Pelle, clarifying that the two brands won’t overlap each other in terms of potential buyers.

In the context of pricing, he mentioned that though Aprilia could be perceived as a more premium brand than Vespa by many, the pricing of the SR 150 could be competitive.

 New Motoplex outlets planned in India

The company is planning to soon open at least three new Motoplex outlets across South India in Hyderabad, Kochi and Chennai.

“India is a key growth market for us and to grow here, step one has to be ready with a reasonable distribution network across the country. By the time the Aprilia SR 150 will hit the roads, the network would have considerably grown. At the same time the Motoplex stores will grow. We have three more Motoplex outlets lined up in the next 2-3 months. We will set up new stores across Hyderabad, Kochi and Chennai. The western and southern markets are the best scooter markets and hence as a potential strategy we will cover these two regions first. We will expand to the rest of India as well. Vespa, on the other hand, continues to be a priority for us as that is our main brand,” said Pelle.

Besides the Motoplex stores, the company currently has around 80 retail outlets. It plans to increase this to 100-105 outlets by August 2016, just in time for the Aprilia's commercial rollout.

The new incoming model is said to have received an overwhelming response from visitors at Auto Expo 2016. 

Courtesy : Autocar

Honda Navi was without a shadow of doubt the highlight for two-wheelers at the 2016 Auto Expo that was held in Greater Noida. We list down the top 7 interesting facts and features of the new mini motorcycle from Honda for the Indian market

The Honda Navi isn’t what it was supposed to be. Let us explain it further. The basic guidelines given to Honda engineers were to make the most affordable Honda motorcycle in the India context. With this new product, Honda was planning to tap the rural market with a bare basic motorcycle. But during development stage, the officials came up with a new prospect. An idea of a mini motorcycle for the urban market which will be different from anything the Indian market has ever witnessed. Thus the Honda Navi was born and we are glad that higher rank Honda officials took a brave decision to give the Navi project the green signal. 

What is it?

With the new Honda Navi, the Japanese two-wheeler giant plans to kick-start an all new segment in the Indian market which is a brave move from Honda which is known to be conservative. The Honda Navi is a combination of motorcycle and scooter but in a scaled down avatar. Let us explain it further, the Honda Navi looks like a motorcycle with its riding dynamics similar to a normal commuter motorcycle. But the powerplant is automatic which means that it doesn’t have a manual gearbox similar to a conventional motorcycle. 

Power & Performance:

The Honda Navi is powered by the same automatic engine as seen on the popular Honda Activa scooter. The 110cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder motor churns out 7.9PS of power at 7,000rpm and 9Nm of peak torque at 5,500rpm. The motor is mated to a CVT transmission. Given our experience with the Honda Activa we can vouch for a fact that the engine on the Honda Navi will be extremely refined and reliable as well. Talking about performance, Honda claims that the Navi can hit a top speed of 81kmph which we feel is a conservative figure. Given the fact that it would be mostly used in cityscape the top whack of 81kmph will be satisfactory for daily commutes.

The Honda Navi used the same powerplant as seen on the Honda Activa so mileage numbers should be similar. But the Navi is almost 10kg (101kg kerb weight) lighter than the Activa which should help in becoming more fuel efficient than the highest selling scooter in the country. It also gets the mileage enhancing HET tech as seen on the Activa which reduced friction among the mating parts and improves thermal efficiency of the engine. While Honda claims 60kmpl for the Activa we feel the Honda Navi will have a mileage figure of more than 60kmpl but the above number needs to be verified and we shall be test riding the Navi next month. Fuel tank capacity is 3.8 litres which should result in a real world range of above 220km on a full tank. 

Suspension & Cycle parts:

Among the most striking feature of the Honda Navi is the employment of telescopic front forks. The telescopic front forks should result in a more comfortable ride quality on the Navi as compared to the Activa. The popular scooter uses trailing link suspension which has a tendency to judder while going through potholes. At the back a spring loaded hydraulic type suspension setup has been used. The frame is based on the Activa but has been redesigned specifically for the Navi and Honda calls it under born type frame. Tyre specs are 90/90 R12 at front and 90/100 R12 at the rear. Braking is done brakes on both the wheels.

Variants & Colour Options:

Apart from the stock variant, Honda plans to introduce the Navi in various avatars. The Honda Navi will be offered in three forms: Navi Street, Navi Adventure, and Navi off-road. Apart from the above variants, Honda plans to offer many customisation kits so that owners can customise the Navi based on their requirements. The Honda Navi will be available in total of five colour options – Patriot Red, Shasta White, Hooper Green, Sparky Orange and Black.

Price & Deliveries:

Honda has priced the Navi at Rs 39,500 ex-showroom Delhi. The above pricing is for the base variant of the Navi while pricing for the other variants hasn’t been announced yet. The Navi can be booked from the dealership or via an android app. The booking amount for the Navi has been set at Rs 1,000. But prospective owners have to be patient as deliveries for the first lot of Honda Navi will only start by March as Honda will start shipping the two-wheeler by end of February from its factory. 

Courtesy :  Zigwheels

The four-seater FF has been facelifted and reworked in its second generation, and now bears a new name – GTC4Lusso.

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso is essentially a facelifted, retuned and reworked-on-the-inside FF– the only four-seater supercar from Maranello. The new name is in line with Ferrari’s latest trend of borrowing monikers from its glorious past, as seen with the 488GTB and the F12 TDF.

The GTC4Lusso gets several improvements over the FF. It is now more aerodynamic, with Ferrari claiming that its drag coefficient is “substantially lower” than that of its predecessor's. The aerodynamic improvements include a new front grille with integrated air intakes, new air vents on the rear wing, a new rear diffuser and a roof-mounted spoiler.

Though the engine in the GTC4Lusso is the same one that powered the FF, it has been tuned to produce an extra 29bhp, bumping the power output to 680bhp, reached at 8,000rpm. Peak torque of 71kgm is produced at 5,750rpm, but as much as 80 percent of it is available from as early as 1,750rpm. The engine will be mated to the same seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The extra power allows the GTC4Lusso to reach 100kph from a standstill in 3.4 seconds – that is 0.3 seconds faster than what the FF managed; top speed is unchanged at 335kph.

The GTC4Lusso retains the four-wheel-drive layout of the FF, but it also gets rear-wheel steering. The new and improved system has been christened 4RM-S. It has Ferrari’s Slip Slide Control setup integrated within it, and works in conjunction with the car’s electronic differential and dampers to improve handling and control.

The GTC4Lusso's cabin has also received several upgrades. It gets a new infotainment system developed by Delphi that has Apple CarPlay and a 10.25-inch screen. It gets Ferrari’s dual cockpit display, with the addition of a G-force meter in the instrument cluster. The steering wheel is smaller than that on the FF, and features more ergonomic controls. It also receives a recess in the centre console designed specifically to hold the key.

The GTC4Lusso will officially make its debut at the Geneva motor show, which is when we expect the carmaker to reveal information on the price.

Courtesy : Autocar

Force India protege Jehan Daruvala picked up his third victory in the 2016 Toyota Racing Series, going from fourth to first in a four-way battle on the restart to steal the win at Taupo.

The 16-year old Mumbaikar headed M2 teammates Lando Norris and Guan Yu Zhou.

Devlin DeFrancesco’s eighth place in Race 1 gave him reverse-grid pole position for Sunday's first race, but the Canadian's bid was over almost instantaneously – as he dropped behind Brendon Leitch off the line and subsequently slipped to the back of the field.

As Leitch took over out front, Daruvala settled into second, but was deposed by Ferrari junior Zhou on lap three.

By that point, Leitch was firmly in the lead with a three second advantage, but four laps later, the race was neutralised with a safety car for Rodrigo Baptista spinning off and coming to a halt.

The race got back underway with six laps remaining and Daruvala, running in fourth place behind Norris, subsequently sneaked past the trio ahead to take a surprise lead.

The Indian then proceeded to pull away from his chasers and was handed the win when a red flag soon after ended the race prematurely.

Courtesy :  Autocar