The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, has placed an order to lease 55 Mercedes-Benz E 250 CDI sedans. These cars will be used for ferrying visiting foreign dignitaries comprising Head of States, Presidents and top diplomats, starting with the upcoming India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS).

The E 250 CDI is powered by a 2,143cc, 4-cylinder diesel engine that develops 201 BHP @ 4,200 rpm and 500 Nm pf torque @ 1,600-1,800 rpm. The car uses a 7-speed automatic transmission and has an ECO start/stop function.

The E 250 CDI is equipped with features such as full LED headlamps, electric sunroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, Artico upholstery, ambient interior lighting, cruise control, electrically adjustable seats with memory function, 3-zone automatic climate control, airbags, ABS, ESP and an Audio 20 infotainment system with a 14.7 cm screen, 6 CD changer, USB and Bluetooth connectivity among others.

Mercedes-Benz has sold more than 30,000 units of the E-Class in India since it was introduced in 1995. The company claims that it is the largest-selling luxury car model in the country.

Courtesy : Zigwheels

The Gusto Special Edition has been priced at Rs 49,350, is only available in the VX trim.

With the festive season just around the corner, Mahindra Two Wheelers has launched a special edition of its 109.6cc scooter, the Gusto. The Gusto Special Edition, as it has been called, has been introduced to to boost sales during this period. It comes with new dual paint schemes, however there are no mechanical or functional changes to the scooter.

The special-edition Gusto uses a four-stroke, 109.6cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine with peak power output of 8bhp generated at 7,500rpm, and 0.8kgm of torque coming in at 5,500rpm. The scooter is available only in the VX variant, while the cheaper HX and DX variants are being offered with these dual-tone colour schemes. In addition to introducing a special edition, the manufacturer is also providing free insurance as  part of the festive season offer.

The Mahindra Gusto VX Special Edition is being offered at a slight premium over the standard edition, and has been stickered at Rs 49,350. The Gusto faces stiff competition from the other big players in the market, such as Honda with their popular Activa, and the TVS Jupiter.

Courtesy : Autocar

The updated Evoque is equipped with more features and gets a slightly revised exterior.

The facelifted Evoque features mild styling tweaks on its exteriors such as a new front bumper, enlarged air intakes and a new grill and alloy wheel design. It will also get all-LED adaptive headlamps. The rear gets a new tailgate spoiler and high-level LED stoplight. In the cabin, the updated SUV features new seats, door casings, new soft-touch materials and offers various colour options.

The Evoque gets Land Rover’s new 8.0-inch touchscreen-based infotainment system, InControl Touch, and a new TFT display in the instrument panel. It also benefits from the All-Terrain Progress Control (ATPC), a new technology first seen on the Range Rover. The tech maintains a pre-determined speed off-road to assist the driver while negotiating tricky terrain. New safety features included as standard are lane-keeping assist, autonomous emergency braking and a drowsy driver warning.

For the India-spec Evoque, the manufacturer has confirmed the following functions:

- Hands-free tailgate function
- Head-up display
- Surround camera system
- 17 speakers, 825-watt Meridian Surround Sound System
- Rear seat entertainment 

The Range Rover Evoque currently comes with a 187bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox. Locally assembled, the SUV is priced starting from Rs 49.2 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). 

Courtesy : Autocar

General Motors India, which hasn’t launched an all-new vehicle for quite a long time, is now all set to roll out the much-anticipated Chevrolet Trailblazer today. Though the company already has the Captiva in its SUV lineup, its remains a dud seller. So, to counter rivals like Toyota Fortuner, Hyundai Santa Fe and Ford Endeavour, the company is now betting on this body-on-frame SUV. If you are considering the GM Trailblazer as your next vehicle, here’s a list of 5 things that you should know about it:

1. Though assembling the Trailblazer locally would help the company price it quite aggressively, GM has decided to launch the completely built up units of the SUV. Though there is no official word about its pricing yet, we expect it to cost between Rs 25 lakh – Rs 28 lakh (ex-showroom).

2. Powering the Chevrolet Trailblazer’s off-roading capable SUV is a 2.8-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine that produces 200bhp and the class-leading torque of 500Nm. This makes it way more powerful than its closest rival – Toyota Fortuner – that, powered with a 3.0-litre diesel unit, churns out 170bhp and 343Nm.

3. Transmitting power to the replica omega seamaster rear wheels of the SUV is a 6-speed automatic gearbox. Sadly, the Chevrolet Trailblazer will only be offered with a rear wheel drive system and not the 4×4 like the Toyota Fortuner.

4. With 4,866mm length, 1,902mm width, 1834mm height and a wheelbase of 2,845mm, the Chevrolet Trailblazer is one of the most spacious cars in its league. It also offers an impressive 215mm of ground clearance that, however, is about 5mm less than the Fortuner.

5. Coming to features, the Chevrolet Trailblazer has all the bells and whistles that one expects from premium SUV. Some of the key features are – Chevrolet’s MyLink touch-screen infotainments system with Android and iOS support, 32GB internal memory reverse parking camera with chromatic LCD monitor, ABS (anti-locking braking system) + EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution) and dual airbags.

Courtesy : The Indian Express.

Kawasaki has updated the Ninja ZX-14R with mechanical updates and new list of features and introduced a new Performance Sport. We can expect the 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R to be launched in India by early next year

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R Performance Sport gets equipped with new Brembo M50 monobloc brake callipers which also made its debut on the new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. Other additions include Ohlins TTX39 rear shock and a Akrapovic sourced exhaust muffler that should make it a sweet sounding beast. The 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R has been priced at Rs 12 lakh in the UK market while the Performance Sport version carries a sticker price of Rs 13.4 lakh. We can expect the updated Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R to hit our shores by early 2016. 

Courtesy : Zigwheels