There are a whole bunch of exciting bikes coming your way over the next year. Here's a look at the red-hot two-wheelers due next year.

This motorcycle is distinctively a Pulsar, but its stance suggests that the CS 400’s genetics have mutated from the standard Pulsar fare. The styling is muscular as always but there’s a bit more swarthiness to it. But despite all of that, the CS 400 has a more relaxed air too; the stepped seat looks more substantial and the raked-out forks suggest that steady riding is also something to be enjoyed on this motorcycle. Add all that up and the Cruiser Sport name starts to make perfect sense.

Think Ducati Diavel for the masses and you’ll get the idea. The tail-lamp looks like it's drawn inspiration from Bologna while the rest of the design is from its Chakan facility, expectedly edgy and satisfying. The masked headlamp looks sinister, the chiselled tank is beefy and the rear section looks like it was chopped by a meat cleaver. The CS 400 will be powered by the 373cc engine from the KTM 390 Duke and with the right kind of tweaks, it should continue to boast near 40bhp of power while offering a smoother and more easygoing feel. The CS 400 will be equipped with some premium kit – the steel perimeter frame aside, the CS will get USD forks and a beautiful alloy swingarm.

Going by the styling, it is clear that BMW is playing it safe, which is strange when you consider that quirkiness is a BMW hallmark. Then there are the specs – 313cc of displacement, 33.6bhp of power and a kerb weight of 158kg. Although these figures won't worry the competition or send enthusiasts rushing for their cheque books, if the G310 R can emulate the sophistication and refinement of BMW’s bigger motorcycles, it will be a very interesting proposition indeed. Good ride comfort and everyday rideability should tempt riders who want a well-rounded motorcycle to swing a leg over.

Firstly, Royal Enfield has built a new, smaller capacity engine for the Himalayan. This engine brings RE in line with most other motorcycles as the chain drive is now on the correct side, the left. Its near 400cc of displacement ought to make it lighter, and more free revving too. This air-cooled engine also packs an oil-cooler for consistent performance even when used aggressively. Conventional telescopic forks, albeit with lots of travel and the adoption of a monoshock at the rear, another first for RE, will ensure the Himalayan can roar its way up to Base Camp. The chassis is derived from the dual cradle frame and is kept beautifully displayed on the aft section of the motorcycle.

Super light weight, that’s what this Kawasaki promises. And at about 148kg, the SL is 20kg lighter than its twin-cylinder sibling, though it packs more power than its twin-cylinder sibling at 27bhp! Regular telescopic forks hang off the front of a beautiful tubular trellis frame while the rear uses a monoshock. Kawasaki offers ABS as an option on the SL and hopefully, it will be on the India model as well. In terms of design, the SL is every bit a Kawasaki with plenty of 'sugomi' (which means an ability to inspire awe in Japanese) for a small bike.

Earlier this year, we had reported that the Renault Kwid will also get a 1.0-litre petrol engine and an automated manual transmission (AMT). According to a media report, these versions of the car are likely to be displayed at the Auto Expo, which is scheduled to be held in February 2016.

The Kwid's main rival and the best-selling car in the segment is the Maruti Suzuki Alto, which comes in 0.8-litre (800) and 1.0-litre (K10) versions. The K10 is available with a 5-speed manual gearbox or an AMT. Renault has taken a leaf out of Maruti's book and decided to offer similar engines and transmissions on its entry-level hatchback.

At present, the Kwid is available with an 800cc, 3-cylinder petrol engine mated to a 5-speed gearbox. It is priced at Rs. 2.57 - 3.53 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The 1.0-litre and AMT versions are likely to be more expensive.

The Kwid has received a favourable response in India. The company has received more than 80,000 bookings for the car and is expecting to sell more than 1,00,000 units in 2016.

The waiting period for the Kwid has crossed 6 months and to meet the strong demand, Renault plans to increase production of the car in the coming months.

Courtesy : Team BHP

The fifth-gen seven-seat Discovery promises radical new looks, a significant drop in weight and a more upmarket cabin compared to the current SUV.

Land Rover is putting the finishing touches to its fifth-generation Discovery model ahead of its global unveil next year.

The new Discovery will feature a lower, sleeker design inspired by last year’s Discovery Vision concept and a plusher, more upmarket cabin that will be no less practical or versatile than that of the current model. The new model will also be significantly lighter and come packed with new technology when it goes on sale late next year.

The new seven-seat model will crown a family of “a minimum of three” Discovery models, Land Rover design director Gerry McGovern revealed at the recent Los Angeles motor show.

The smaller Discovery Sport is also part of this said family, and McGovern left the door open for another Discovery model below that car in size, as Land Rover looks to explore new classes and body styles in order to cash in on a growing global SUV market that will soon top 20 million sales worldwide.

The new Discovery is set to be underpinned by the same bonded and riveted aluminium monocoque structure used in the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models, two cars alongside which the new Discovery will be built at Jaguar Land Rover’s Solihull plant.

This should contribute to a significant weight saving over the 2,622kg kerb weight of the current car, which is underpinned by the strong but heavy T5 ladder chassis.

For most of the global market, the core engine is set to be an updated version of the 3.0-litre SDV6 diesel found in the current Discovery, as well as the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover models. Hybrid technology would appear ripe for the Discovery, but recent hybrid and electric research projects revealed by Jaguar Land Rover are expected to enter production until the next decade.

In the future, engines from the Ingenium family could find their way into the Discovery – either in current four-cylinder form with mild hybrid systems, or in a V6 guise – if JLR further develops the new modular engine technology, as is widely expected.

Land Rover previewed the next-generation Discovery at the New York motor show in April last year with the Discovery Vision, a concept that McGovern said was “very important in terms of being a benchmark for new-generation Discovery models: the versatility of the car, the seats, the reconfigurability, how you use it inside”. The overall intention is to create a car that’s sportier and more modern-looking than today’s car, but no less practical or versatile.

The production model, prototype versions of which are now regularly spied around JLR’s Midlands base, stays true to the concept on the exterior at least, with only detail changes at the front and rear ends. However, the concept’s radical, pared-back interior is unlikely to be carried over as extensively as the exterior.

Despite the departure from the exterior styling, McGovern said there were still “certain guidelines” in designing any Discovery. He said there would always be a stepped roof to accommodate the “stadium seating” for seven people, a visible pillar in the side to break up the mass and optimum proportions to maximise the volume inside the car.

He said the Discovery was being made more premium and would be brought deliberately closer to the Range Rover. He added: “There will be a premium execution in Discovery, more Range Rover-like. But we need to not confuse and get the balance right.”

About the design McGovern said that, as much as he loved the current car, it was always seen as specialised in its design and ethos, so the new model would be “more universally appealing, without compromises”. He added that he had “no desire to upset traditionalists; the trick is to bring them with you”.

McGovern also spoke of the ever-closer ties between design and engineering and making sure the needs of both were met. He hinted that the Discovery would continue to have class-leading off-road ability but in an altogether more stylish package.

“We won’t back off from that capability, but it has to be appropriate and relevant,” he said. “We need to be about more than that. It’s a killer combination: core engineering technology and truly desirable and bespoke design with our own twist. Design is playing a more fundamental role with engineering.” 

On the subject of a model smaller than the Discovery Sport, McGovern said: “We’re not going to make cars any bigger.” The cars need to be lighter and more sustainable, with the use of lightweight composites and materials. These are “all things we’re developing”, he said.

In addition to its class-leading off-road ability, the Discovery could also become home to new technology in development at JLR. This includes a laser scanning system that can automatically adjust the suspension and transmission based on the road ahead, a ‘transparent bonnet’ that projects an image of what’s underneath the car onto the bonnet and the ability to control the car remotely to park it in tight spaces.

Courtesy : Autocar