NEW DELHI: Ford India will launch the much-awaited compact sedan Figo Aspire in India in early August, people familiar with the matter told ETAuto. When ETAuto contacted dealers in Delhi, some said they have already started bookings for the car with a minimum amount of Rs 1 lakh. This new car is going to play very crucial role in setting up Ford''s fate in the Indian market. Figo Aspire could be a major game changer for the company after success of Ford EcoSport as Ford India''s sales has started dwindling. The carmaker sold 75138 units in FY14-15 with a decline of 11 percent. The sedan is currently going through 25 cities tour as part of pan-India road show, campaign "What Drives You?" which started on May 6. This 10 week-long campaign is likely to end by third week of July. The Figo Aspire sedan is based on the Ford Figo sedan concept shown by American carmaker during the 2014 Auto Expo and the production version carries a strong resemblance with the concept. Ford will be offering the new Figo Aspire compact sedan in both petrol and diesel engine option, with a 1.5-litre TDCi diesel and a 1.2-litre TiVCT petrol. The Ford Figo Aspire will take on the likes of Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Hyundai Xcent and Honda Amaze and is expected to be priced between Rs 5.2 lakh to 8 lakh.

Audi launched the RS6 Avant in India at Rs 1.35 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi) today. The RS6 Avant is a high-performance version of the luxury carmaker’s A6 Avant estate. This performance estate follows Audi’s recent launches of the new Audi TT and the facelifted RS7 Sportback in the country. The RS6 Avant is part of the carmaker''s 10 new model line-up planned for India this year. The RS6 Avant is powered by a 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 engine churning out 552bhp and 71.4kgm of torque, which is also found in the RS7. The engine comes mated to an eight speed automatic gearbox. Power is channeled to all wheels via Audi''s Quattro all-wheel drive. Incidentally, the all-wheel drive system is one of the RS6''s key differentiators to purely rear-wheel drive rivals as the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and BMW M5.Audi claims the RS6 Avant can scramble from 0-100kph in 3.9 seconds, while going on to hit a top speed of 305kph. Of course, the RS6 also stands out for its estate shape. While estates have met with little success in India in the past, Audi believes the market has matured and buyers are ready to give estates a serious look. Moreover, Audi India head Joe King is of the view the launch of the RS6 gives Audi a crucial first mover advantage in this niche of the luxury car segment. While the appeal of estates in India may be up for debate, there''s no denying the RS6 is a handsome car. On the outside, the RS6 Avant is a sharp-looking performance estate with a sculpted grille bearing the word Quattro in bold lettering, along with sporty air intakes, bumpers and sideskirts. The car features LED headlights with an arrow-style LED running lamp that cuts straight through the center. The RS6 Avant has an adaptive air suspension that lowers the body by 20mm. Audi is offering the RS sport suspension with Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) as an option. Moreover, the RS6 Avant gets 20-inch wheels as standard; 21-inch wheels will be offered as an option. The RS6 Avant will be brought in to India as CBU, and in limited numbers. The premium car manufacturer is keen on increasing efforts to maintain the leadership that it presently holds in the luxury car market in India. In FY 2014-15, Audi posted record sales of 11,292 units, up 11.51 percent from the previous year, beating arch-rival Mercedes to the No. 1 spot by selling just 79 units more. BMW on the other hand, is behind two German automakers in India by a large margin.

1.­ Pay attention to how you use water. The little things can make a big difference. Every time you turn off the water while you''re brushing your teeth, you''re doing something good. Got a leaky toilet? You might be wasting 200 gallons of water a day [source: EPA]. Try drinking tap water instead of bottled water, so you aren''t wasting all that packaging as well. Wash your clothes in cold water when you can. 2. Leave your car at home. If you can stay off the road just two days a week, you will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,590 pounds per year [source: EPA]. Combine your errands == hit the post office, grocery store and shoe repair place in one trip. It will save you gas and time. 3. Walk or ride your bike to work, school and anywhere you can. You can reduce greenhouse gases while burning some calories and improving your health. If you can''t walk or bike, use mass transit or carpool. Every car not on the road makes a difference. 4. Recycle.You can help reduce pollution just by putting that soda can in a different bin. If you''re trying to choose between two products, pick the one with the least packaging. If an office building of 7,000 workers recycled all of its office paper waste for a year, it would be the equivalent of taking almost 400 cars off the road [source: EPA]. 5. Compost. Think about how much trash you make in a year. Reducing the amount of solid waste you produce in a year means taking up less space in landfills, so your tax dollars can work somewhere else. Plus, compost makes a great natural fertilizer. Composting is easier than you think. 6. Change your light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) last 10 times longer than a standard bulb and use at least two-thirds less energy. If you''re shopping for new appliances or even home electronics, look for ENERGY STAR products, which have met EPA and U.S. Department of Energy guidelines for energy efficiency. As of December 2013, ENERGY STAR had helped families and businesses to save an estimated $295 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 2.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from being released over the past two decades [source: ENERGY STAR]. (Learn more about proper disposal of CFLs.) 7. Make your home more energy efficient (and save money). Clean your air filters so your system doesn''t have to work overtime. Get a programmable thermostat so you aren''t wasting energy when you aren''t home. When you go to bed, reduce the thermostat setting -- you won''t miss those extra degrees of heat or air conditioning while you''re asleep. 8. Maintain your car. Underinflated tires decrease fuel economy by up to three percent and lead to increased pollution and higher greenhouse gas emissions [Source: EPA]. Underinflation also increases tire wear, so it will save you money in the long run if you are good about checking your tire pressure. 9. Drive smarter. Slow down -- driving 60 miles per hour instead of 70 mph on the highway will save you up 4 miles per gallon. [Source: Consumer Guide Automotive]. Accelerating and braking too hard can actually reduce your fuel economy, so take it easy on the brakes and gas pedal. 10.Turn off lights when you are not in the room and unplug appliances when you are not using them. It only takes a second to be environmentally conscious.

COIMBATORE: Over 100 riders will compete in the MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship, which begins here on June 6, with Suzuki Gixxer making its debut. The first round of the two-day championship has three classes- group D unmodified up to 130 cc for novice, Group D up to 165 CC also for novice and group C (limited modification) up to 165 cc for open riders. Suzuki Motorcycle India is the new entrant in the One Make Championship with its Suzuki Gixxer Cup 2015 which will feature two categories- Novice for new riders and Open for experienced racers, a release from the organisers said. The Suzuki Gixxer Cup will have special, race prepared Suzuki Gixxer SF150cc, the latest addition to their stable and the most awarded motorcycle in India, it claimed. In order to spread the sport and encourage young talent, riders can take part in only one group/class of race so that there will be a new champion in every class. Likewise, any rider is allowed to take part in only one One Make Championship apart from the National Championship. Thus, when the other One Make Series like the Honda, Yamaha and TVS restart from the next round, there will be fresh crop of riders in various championships, it said. To improve the safety and quality of the championships, all riders should have taken part in any race earlier or attended a professional racing program, the release said. Courtesy : ET Auto

General Motors released the first teaser image of the redesigned Chevrolet Cruze on Wednesday and said the 2016 compact will be larger and lighter than the current version. The styling in the image matches that seen in recent spy photos of the next Cruze. It will feature new technologies and powertrains and additional optional safety equipment designed to bring "a higher level of sophistication to the compact car segment," GM said in a statement. The 2016 Cruze will also be one of the first Chevrolet nameplates to offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone interfaces. It goes on sale in the U.S. in early 2016.