At the launch of the new Maruti Suzuki Ciaz SHVS it was announced that production of the standard diesel variant has been replaced by the Ciaz SHVS mild hybrid

Maruti Suzuki launched the Ciaz SHVS in India today but also announced that standard Maruti Ciaz diesel production has been stopped. The Maruti Ciaz diesel will now be only offered as a mild hybrid or the SHVS as Maruti prefers to call it. All the new Maruti Ciaz diesel variants get idle start/stop and engine recuperation as standard features. This move really doesn’t come as a surprise as Maruti has got various excise benefits on the Diesel Hybrid which means price difference between the standard diesel car and SHVS is marginal despite the addition of features. Also what makes the Maruti Ciaz SHVS even more enticing is the fact that it is the most fuel efficient car on sale (barring the Mahindra e2o) with an ARAI certified mileage of 28.09kmpl! The Maruti Ciaz diesel hybrid has been priced at Rs 8.23 lakh for the base variant.

The Maruti Ciaz SHVS employs automatic start-stop technology to turn off the engine when the car is stationary at stop-lights or otherwise for over a few seconds. This feature would be ideally useful for consumers staying in metro cities or face lots of traffic signals during their commute. The Ciaz SHVS will come with Brake energy recuperation system that sends wasted energy during deceleration and braking into an electrical system for storage. This system takes load off the alternator which improves fuel economy over a period of time. Powering the Maruti Ciaz SHVS is the same 1.3-litre displacement diesel motor with identical power and torque figures. The fact that the new batteries weigh around8 to 10kg, expect acceleration and top speed to be affected marginally. The Maruti Ciaz SHVS also receives Rs 13,000 incentive from the Government and excise duty has also been reduced from 24 per cent to 12.5 per cent.

Courtesy : Zigwheels

Two peppy Vespa 150's join the stylish Italian scooter-makers existing premium India lineup.

Vespa continues to soldier along bravely in the Indian scooter market, carving its own premium niche. The Italians know a thing or two about style, and this is what the young in India company has focused on from day one, manufacturing pleasingly retro looking scooters from their state-of-the-art factory in Baramati, maintaining a premium feel that’s unmatched. Vespa already has in India, the LX 125, the VX 125 which is the same basic scooter with a front disc brake, and the Vespa S, another 125cc scooter with more masculine lines.

Piaggio's India savvy Managing Director, Stefano Pelle along with soccer star and Vespa brand ambassador Alessandro Del Piero have introduced new 150cc scooters to the Indian line-up, the Vespa VXL 150 and SXL 150, offering refreshing new styling, attractive and Vespa typical funky colour schemes, along with a digital instruments console. This duo settle into the envious position of becoming the only 150cc scooters today sold in India.

The button-started new Vespa VXL and SXL scooters offer a four-stroke, 150cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled and carburettor fed, 3-valve engine. Power output is 11.5bhp at 7,000rpm, while maximum torque is 1.17kgm at 5,500rpm. Both the VXL and SXL offer CVT transmission, allowing for hassle free, gearless riding. In addition to these larger capacity powerplants, Vespa is also offering the VXL and SXL in 125cc, signature three-valve engines, as already offered with their existing model lineup.

 

The VXL and SXL are held together by Vespa trademark, monocoque steel frames, tailored to excel in urban India. Riders are seated in a comfortable, upright riding position. There are single-sided, hydraulic shock absorbers as on most Vespa scooters, with coiled-springs in front, as we've experienced on earlier scooters work flawlessly, and scooter typical hydraulic monoshocks at the rear, with engines used as stressed members of the frame. 

Tyres on the VXL and SXL are lower profile than offered on any Indian scooter, tubeless, made by Maxxis with exciting new tread patterns. The new 150s offer a larger diameter, 11 inch front rim for easy manoeuvrability. Both scooters are equipped with 200mm drilled front disc brakes, working together with 140mm drum brake units at rear.  

The Vespa VXL is priced at Rs 84,641, while the SXL will retail for Rs 88,696. Likewise, you can buy the 125cc variants of these scooters for Rs 77,308 (VXL) and Rs 81,967 (SXL), all prices ex-showroom in Pune. In the words of Stefano Pelle, all these new Vespas are "pakka" manufactured in India, with virtually 100 percent localisation achieved at the Baramati facility. 

Specifications
Vespa VXL 150/ SXL 150

Price                            Rs 84,641-88,696 (ex-showroom, Pune)

On Sale                       Now            

L/W/H                         1770/690/1140mm

Wheelbase                  1290mm

Engine layout                Single-cylinder, air-cooled, four-stroke

Displacement                150cc

Power                                11.5bhp at 7000rpm

Torque                              1.17kgm at 5500rpm

Power to weight          100.9bhp per tonne

Specific output            76.7bhp per litre

Gearbox                           CVT

Front suspension           Single side

Rear suspension            Monoshock, stressed engine

Front brake                  200mm disc

Rear brake                   140mm drum

Wheels                           5-spoke alloy

Rim size (f-r)                11-10 inches

Tyre size (f-r)               110/70 x 11- 120/70 x 10 inches

Courtesy : Autocar

Mahindra is about to enter the competitive compact SUV market with the launch of the TUV300 next week. Here are some of the top features that we will see in the car

1.)  Body on Frame construction: First things first, the Mahindra TUV300 isn’t a Bolero replacement. It is Mahindra iteration of a sub-4 metre SUV which will be based on the all-new body on frame developed for the 2014 Scorpio. Needless to say the TUV300 chassis will be shorter than the one on the Scorpio which will result in reduced weight. Moreover, for the Scorpio, Mahindra had also stiffened and strengthened the chassis, and in the TUV300 it should be no different. In fact even in comparison to the Bolero, the TUV300 is expected to be nimbler, shorter and stiffer. 

2.) Interior and features: So far we have only got a short glimpse of what the interior of the TUV300 would look like. But if the spy shots and the image shared by on the TUV300 twitter handle are anything to go by, it will carry the Mahindra family design. The dashboard is a combination of beige and black. It gets an all new steering wheel with mounted controls for audio and telephony. Just like the previous XUV500, the TUV300 too has lots of tell-tale lights on the instrumentation. Not something we are particularly fond of. In terms of safety it is expected to come with 2 airbags and ABS. Other features would include keyless entry, central locking, parking sensors and more. It will be interesting to see Mahindra installs the TUV300 with the start/stop feature to keep the efficiency in check. 

3.) Seating: Despite being a sub-4 metre SUV, just like the Quanto, Mahindra has fitted the TUV300 with a 5+2 seating arrangement – with bucket seats up front, bench seats in the middle and jump seats for the passengers at the back. The Nashik based car maker had tried the same format when they launched the QUANTO a few years back, but that however didn’t seem to go well with the buyers. It will be interesting to see if they have done things any differently in the TUV300. 

4.) Engine: Mahindra hasn’t shared too much information about the engine of the TUV300 as yet, except that it will come with a mHawk80 series powerplant. This one is a 1.5-litre diesel unit. In the Quanto, the same engine makes power of 100 horses and 240Nm of torque. The Quanto returns an ARAI claimed figure of 17.1kmpl, the TUV300 is expected to return a marginally better figure. 

5.) AMT:  While the compact SUV segment is right down the alley for a lot of buyers, the demand for automatic options in this segment too is rapidly increasing. Hyundai recently brought in the Creta and Mahindra too introduced the Scorpio Automatic. With the launch of the TUV300, Mahindra intends to offer what could be the cheapest automatic SUV on offer in the country. Mahindra is expected to launch the TUV300 with an AMT option. It is expected to undercut the Creta as well as the Scorpio Automatic in terms of price. Aside from the AMT, the TUV300 will also be sold with a manual gearbox.

6.) Accessories: With spy shots of the TUV making its rounds on the internet, there has been a lot of buzz about the TUV300’s design. Mahindra had unveiled the sketches of the car late last month but the production version doesn’t look as meaty. However, the sketches shown were that of the ‘decked up’ version. Mahindra says that most of its SUVs at least go through a small amount of personalisation, the TUV will be no different. Mahindra will offer a long list of customisation extras like bull bars, claddings, additional lights and of course larger wheels. 

Courtesy : Autocar

Models from Renault's budget brand, Dacia to first feature the AMT technology; will be displayed at the Frankfurt motor show.

Renault will soon make its foray into the AMT gearbox club. The carmaker has announced that it will showcase its first set of AMT-equipped vehicles at the upcoming Frankfurt motor show. The AMT technology from Renault is expected to be named 'Easy-R'.

However, while an AMT-equipped Renault could take a while to be actualised, it is the company's budget brand, Dacia, that will first make use of the AMT technology. The new Logan, the Logan MCV, the Dacia Sandero and the Sandero Stepway will be the first models to get the Easy-R in European markets.

For India, Renault is developing an AMT-equipped version of the upcoming Kwid. Expected to be launched in India soon, it will feature an innovative rotary knob on the centre console for the gearbox. This indicates that drivers will not get the option of shifting manually as seen in other AMT-equipped offerings from Maruti and Tata.

Courtesy : Autocar

The Triumph Tiger 800 XCA will have the same mechanicals and cycle parts as the off-road oriented Tiger 800 XCx but will have more standard equipment, including heated rider and passenger seats and LED fog lamps

The Tiger 800 XCA also features aluminium pannier rails making it ready to tour with optional Expedition luggage set. The Tiger 800 XCA will be powered by the same second generation liquid-cooled in-line three 800cc engine, which makes 95PS power and equipped with traction control, switchable ABS, and ride-by-wire throttle with programmable rider modes. The Triumph Tiger 800XCx currently retails for Rs 13.3 lakh (ex-showroom) and we expect the Tiger 800 XCA to be priced around Rs 15-16 lakh (ex-showroom).

Courtesy :  Zigwheels