Japanese company is not keen on alliances with other global automakers; banking on Maruti and India for bigger scale. Plans to launch 20 models in five years.

The president of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Toshihiro Suzuki has stated that his company is not keen on striking an alliance with another global automaker in the near future. “We have just come out of a divorce (with VW), so we are not thinking of getting into another marriage immediately. I am not sure whether getting into a collaboration with another automaker is such a good idea anymore,” he said.

Suzuki plans to go at it alone and will explore cooperation with component suppliers for new technologies. “There are various technologies we are developing and our are engineers are investigating whether we should do it on our own or in collaboration with component suppliers,” he said.

The Japanese company currently produces around 3 million cars globally which is far below the scale of top manufacturers like Toyota, GM and VW, each of which produce around 10 million vehicles a year. However, Suzuki doesn’t feel it needs more volumes to survive on its own. “I am not of the view that it is only companies with large volumes that can survive. There are big and small players and both survive so I don’t think that scale is an issue going forward”

However, it is banking on Maruti for future growth. “By 2025 India is expected to become the third-largest market in the world and hence in the overall future strategy of Suzuki, Maruti’s role is becoming increasingly important,” stated Suzuki. But he concedes that fake rolex watches banking so heavily on India “is a risk” but added that “there are lots of bright spots and opportunities for further growth as well”.

Suzuki has tasked Maruti with an ambitious sales target of 2 million cars in India.  “This will be a big achievement for us and Suzuki and Maruti are working together as a team to develop the Indian market further. We will also look at other markets like Africa together,” said the Suzuki president. There is an ambitious plan in place to launch 20 new models in the next five years and most of those could be headed to India. “Except for the kei-jidosha (for the Japanese market only), cars we will bring all our models to India.” He also hinted that with the growing aspiration of consumers in India, he would look at “gradually going upmarket with more premium models”. Currently, the only models that cater to the higher segments are the S-Cross and Ciaz.

Suzuki also has plans to beef up the R&D capabilities of Maruti. The company has invested upwards of Rs. 2,000 crore in a state-of-the-art R&D facility in Rohtak, Haryana, which is geared to design and develop vehicles from the ground up.

“We have started the process of product development in India as we did with Suzuki Motor corporation fifty years ago. Eventually, I want Maruti to build its own R&D expertise and be in a position to eventually develop cars for Suzuki too,” said Toshihiro Suzuki, convinced that it will be Maruti and India that will chart the future of fake rolex watches uk his company.

Courtesy : Autocar

Showcasing advanced aerodynamic technology, the Concept IAA hints at future CLS design.

Not long after Mercedes released teaser images of the Concept IAA, the car has been officially launched at the Frankfurt motor show. IAA stands for Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile, and the concept features an extendable body. At 80kph the elements in the tail section extend, increasing the total length of the car by 390mm.

The IAA concept is 100mm longer than the CLS and with the body fully stretched in aerodynamic mode, is longer than the S-class. The wheelbase too is 100mm longer than the current-gen E and CLS-class which hints at the possibility of larger interior space in future models. The interior of the IAA previews the upcoming E-class and is based on the current S-class.

Mercedes' Concept IAA features a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid system used in the C350e Plug-in Hybrid which pairs a 208bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an 80bhp electric motor and gives out 275bhp and 61.10kgm of torque.

Mercedes is yet to provide any performance claims, although the new concept could be capable of delivering an electric-only range of up to 66km.

Courtesy : Autocar

The 1200 R is the most powerful bike yet in the Monster line-up.

Ducati unveiled the 2016 Monster 1200 R at the Frankfurt motor show. Dubbed the most powerful naked bike from Ducati yet, the launch came as a relief after the Streetfighter was discontinued earlier.

The new 1200 R is in line with the 1200 S, in terms of overall design cues. The chassis of the 1200 R has been revised to make it compact, lightweight and high-slung. The front fairing features the Ducati Corse Stripe graphic pattern with a halogen illumination headlamp, while at the back there's an LED strip for the tail-lamp and brake light.

The engine is powered by the 'R' version of the liquid-cooled 1,198cc Testastretta engine giving out 160bhp at 9,250 rpm and 13.4kgm of torque at 7,750 rpm.

On paper, the 1200 R races from 0-100kph at just 3.2 seconds with a top speed of about 250kph. As with the rest of the Monster family, the signature Trellis frame remains a feature on the Monster 1200 R as well.

Both the front and rear tyres are mounted on 3-spoke Panigale R-inspired forged wheels. Adjustable high-spec Ohlins-made suspensions and a Brembo brake set-up assures control of the bike. The new Monster is well equipped in terms of safety with ABS, traction control and DSP (Ducati Safety Pack). The 1200 R Monster offers three riding modes: Urban, Touring and Track.

The Ducati 1200R Monster will be available in two paint schemes, red and black.

Courtesy : Autocar

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno, the auto giant’s newest product that is aimed straight at the likes of the Hyundai i20, the Honda Jazz and the Volkswagen Polo will be launched on October 26. Expect the Baleno to be priced between Rs 6.5-9.0 lakhs in India.

Suzuki have finally taken the wraps off its much awaited Baleno or the YRA as it was known earlier at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor show. The new Baleno will make its way to India sooner than we expected and will be launched here on October 26, 2015. Although no specifications have been shared yet, expect the car to get the same powertrain as the Swift currently gets with a slim chance of Maruti offering the DDiS320 spec diesel engine in the car too.

On the exterior front, the production car looks exactly like the spy pictures that we have seen in the last year or so. The international version gets a daytime running lamp that is integrated into the headlamps along with the a smaller V-shaped grille that does not extend all the way to the headlamps. At the rear the small LED tail lamps and the large boot opening showcase a sense of restrained style to the Baleno.

This is the first time we are seeing the interiors of the Baleno and the first thing that you do notice is how much is common between it and the likes of the Swift. There is a leather wrapped steering wheel that combined with the large backlit dials does tend to look appealing. There is a ton of brushed silver finish on the centre console though that does look a little strange.

The Baleno gets a large central knob for the climate control and a touchscreen infotainment system similar to the one found in the S-Cross and the Ciaz.

Expect the Suzuki Baleno (YRA) to be priced between Rs 6.5-9 lakhs when it is launched in India. The Baleno will go up against the Honda Jazz, the Hyundai Elite i20 and the Volkswagen Polo.

Courtesy : Zigwheels.