The new Honda SUV could get uprated engines and new transmissions; expected to be unveiled at the Auto Expo 2016.

Honda’s new small SUV, the BR-V will make its global debut in the coming days. The carmaker will also showcase the model to the Indian audience at the upcoming Auto Expo 2016. 

Although based on the same platform as the Brio, Amaze and the Mobilio, the BR-V will look more angular and rugged. At 2,652mm, the wheelbase is the same as the Mobilio, but there is a possibility of the engines getting an update. There will be the familiar 1.5-litre petrol and the 1.5-litre diesel on offer.  However, the big news is that Honda is likely to offer a six-speed manual gearbox on the BR-V, in place of the five-speed unit seen on the Amaze and the Mobilio. According to our sister magazine, Autocar Indonesia, this new six-speed gearbox will have optimised ratios for better engine response and class-leading fuel efficiency.  

Also, likely to be on offer is a CVT gearbox which could be a segment first. Currently, the Amaze and Brio come with a five-speed automatic gearbox in India. This CVT gearbox mated to the petrol motor, will be an all-new cheap breitling replica watches compact unit developed specifically for the BR-V that uses Honda’s Earth Dreams technology. 

The carmaker has clearly focussed on giving the BR-V SUV-like design cues, and that includes the butch cladding that runs around the entire car, the rising beltline, the pronounced wheel arch flares and the roof rails. The interiors of the BR-V are likely to get updated dashboard designs to attract many car buyers in India. It will come with three rows of seats, and it's safe to expect it to be similar to the ones seen on the Mobilio.

The new Honda BR-V will directly compete with the likes of the Mahindra Scorpio, Renault Duster and the cheap breitling replica watches uk recently-launched Hyundai Creta.

Courtesy : Autocar

The 1200cc Norton superbike will feature carbon fibre fairings as well as wheels, while the frame will use aerospace aluminium. The V4 powered superbike will compete against the Ducati 1299 Panigale and the Superleggera

The fuel-injected, liquid-cooled V4 power plant will pack 1,200cc and will be capable of delivering over 200PS power. It will also incorporate a host of GP-derived engineering solutions aimed at making it as sporty as possible. Ricardo Motorcycles will be in charge of developing the engine.

Norton Head of Design, Simon Skinner says the new Norton bike will be powered by a brand new V4 engine that will employ Britsh racing heritage and knowledge from F1 and other top-drawer names in the automotive industry, such as Aston Martin.

Skinner has been quoted by reports as saying that the bike will have full-carbon fiber fairings because the shapes that are envisioned are hard or impossible to craft from plastic. The wheels will also be made from carbon fiber, while the frame will use aerospace aluminium and billet parts, all welded and polished by hand at Norton.

The V4 powered Norton superbike will compete against the Ducati 1299 Panigale and the Superleggera.

Courtesy : Zigwheels.

The YZF-R3 will be brought in from Indonesia and assembled in India; deliveries to begin within a week

The ever-heating, small-displacement sportsbike segment in the country features some interesting offerings such as the KTM RC390, Kawasaki Ninja 300, and the Honda CBR250R. This segment got another addition today with Yamaha launching the YZF-R3.

Priced at Rs 3.25 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the India-spec Yamaha YZF-R3 borrows plenty of styling cues from its bigger brother, the Yamaha YZF-R6. It has a similar front-biased mass silhouette, albeit with more angular styling, and less muscle. On the front end, it gets a set of twin lights, and the rear end of the bike looks quite similar to the R6. The bike will come in only two colours – Racing Blue (white with blue) and Black Lightning (black with red).

On the performance front, the Yamaha YZF-R3 gets a 321cc, parallel-twin, four-valve engine that is fed by a fuel injection system, and makes for 41bhp of power at 10,750rpm, and 3.0kgm of twisting force at 9,000rpm. Further down the drivetrain is a six-speed gearbox.

Suspending the Yamaha YZF-R3 are hydraulic units on the front, however it misses out on USD forks. At the rear is a hydraulic monoshock unit. It gets 110/70 tubeless tyres on the front, and 140/70 tyres at the rear, each mounted on 17-inch alloys. Ready to ride, the entire set-up weighs 169kg.

Some of the features available on the Yamaha YZF-R3 are current fuel consumption, average fuel consumption and coolant temperature readouts, two trip meters, a fuel trip meter and an oil trip meter. Bringing the motorcycle to a halt is a 298mm single disc brake up front, and a 220mm single disc brake at the rear. Disappointingly, Yamaha has not added the safety net of ABS.

At this sticker price, the YZF-R3 is priced considerably lower than the Kawasaki Ninja 300, but almost Rs 1 lakh above the popular KTM RC390. The motorcycle will be imported from Indonesia, and will not have any local sourcing as of now, says Yamaha. Scheduled to reach showrooms within a week, the manufacturer expects to sell up to 1,000 units a month.

Courtesy : Autocar

The new family of turbocharged V6 and V8 engines will power future models under the Volkswagen Group.

To be based on a common architecture, the engines will feature a displacement of 500cc per cylinder, taking total displacement to 3.0-litre for the V6 and 4.0-litre for the V8. The engines are expected to feature regular gas-driven turbos initially, with a possibility for the introduction of electric turbos at a later stage.

The new family engines are referred to as KoVoMo internally, and are slated to power future Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Volkswagen and possibly Lamborghini models.

Courtesy : Autocar

The AMG S 63 sedan is powered by a 577bhp 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8; is the ninth AMG model in Mercedes’ Indian line-up.

Less than a fortnight after the launch of its coupé counterpart, Mercedes has launched the AMG S 63 sedan at Rs 2.53 crore (ex-showroom, Bengaluru). The AMG limousine gets aggressive styling, all the luxuries of the standard S-class, along with a powerful 577bhp AMG V8 engine.

The Mercedes-AMG S 63’s body kit includes a new front bumper with large air vents and a central air-dam, a new rear bumper with quad chrome tipped exhausts, large AMG alloy wheels and side skirts with chrome inserts.

Inside, the S 63 gets AMG-developed front seats with electric adjust with memory and massage functions, AMG leather upholstery, a panaromic sunroof, a heads up display and AMG badged door. The S63 comes equipped with a 13 speaker Burmester Surround Sound System as standard, but a 24 speaker 3D system is available as an option. Features such as reclining rear seats, individual rear screens and Mercedes COMAND infotainment system are carried forward from the standard S-class.

Mercedes also offers the S 63 with the newly introduced Designo platform. It gives buyers customisation options that include choosing from a wider range of exterior colours, interior trims and upholstery options for the car.

Under the hood is a 577bhp 5.5-litre twin-turbo AMG V8 that develops a massive 91.77kgm of torque, mated to a seven-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters. Mercedes says that’s enough to get this two-tonne limousine to 100kph in a sportscar-beating 4.4 seconds! The AMG S 63 sedan gets a stiffer suspension setup as compared to the regular S-class and is equipped with the company’s revolutionary Magic Body Control system. The system uses a front-facing stereo camera (rather than radar, which is illegal in India) to examine the road for undulations and adjust the suspension in real time to achieve the most comfortable ride possible.

The AMG S 63 is Mercedes’ tenth car launch this year and rivals the likes of the Porsche Panamera Turbo and Maserati Quattroporte GTS and becomes the ninth AMG model in Mercedes’ Indian portfolio.

Courtesy : Autocar