Fiat to launch 2012 Punto and Linea with new features on January 3!

 Fiat India will launch the 2012 Punto and Linea on January 3^rd, 2012 in New Delhi. Fiat India has also planned to open exclusive ‘Fiat Caffe’ dealerships where potential buyers can take a closer look at Fiat products.

2012 Fiat Punto

The 2012 Punto is expected to come with a music system even on the base variant, improved ground clearance, an effective cooling system and an exclusive Blue color.

Photo: The 2012 Fita Punto will look the same as the present model but will have many more features

The 2012 Punto will be powered by the same engines found on the outgoing model. At present, the Punto is powered by a 1.2-litre (1,172 cc) FIRE petrol motor that puts out 67 bhp of power and has ARAI-certified mileage of 15.20 kmpl. The Punto is also powered by a 1.4-litre FIRE petrol motor that puts out 88.7 bhp of power and has ARAI-certified mileage of 14.03 kmpl while the Punto diesel is powered by 1.3-litre Multijet motor that makes 75 bhp of power and has ARAI-certified mileage of 19.90 kmpl.

With regard to pricing, expect an announcement of a 2-3% price hike from Fiat in January for the Punto. At present, the Punto petrol has a price range of Rs.4.31 lakh – Rs.6 lakh while the Punto diesel has a price range of Rs.5.17 lakh – Rs.6.84 lakh.

2012 Linea

The 2012 Linea is expected to get changes such as auto on/off headlights, new two-tone beige interiors, music system across all variants, rain sensing wipers, improved air-conditioning, increased ground clearance and a new Blue color.

Photo: The 2012 Fiat Linea will sport features that will make it even more attractive!

There are no changes in the engine or transmission of the 2012 Linea. It will be powered by the same engines as in the current model which includes the 1.4-liter FIRE petrol motor that puts out 88 bhp of power, the 1.4 litre turbocharged T-Jet petrol engine that puts out 113 bhp and the 1.3-litre MULTIJET diesel motor that churns out 92 bhp of power.

With regard to pricing, expect a 2-3% price hike. At present, the Linea petrol has a price range of Rs. 6.51 lakh – 7.75 lakh, the Linea diesel has a price range of Rs. 7.47 lakh – 8.79 lakh while the Linea T-Jet petrol is priced in the range of Rs. 8.56 lakh – 9.06 lakh.

Mercedes benz to showcase A-Class concept at 2012 Delhi Auto Expo

Mercedes-Benz India will showcase the A-Class concept and fuel cell technology at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The company will also launch the SLS AMG Roadster and also provide an opportunity for motorsports enthusiasts to enroll in the Mercedes-Benz JPSI Performance Driving Academy to be launched soon.

Looks

Mercedes-Benz showcased the A-Class concept at the 2010 Shanghai Auto Show (China) in April 2011. The A-Class concept is a low-set, coupe-like vehicle, radically styled as against the tallboy designs of the present A-Class production cars.

The A-Class concept gets design cues from wind, waves and aviation engineering. It’s resemblance to SLS AMG, CLS models is evident from the sporty front grille with a large Benz logo at the centre. The sharp looking headlamps with two rows of LED lights that you see here on the concept may not make it into the production version.

The rear of the A-Class concept gives the impression of a crossover largely because of the thick C-pillar, protruding boot lid and wide-peeled out tail lamps that accentuate the width of the car.

Engine

The A-Class concept is powered by a new range of turbo-charged 4-cylinder petrol engines that are mated to a dual-clutch transmission. The top-of-the-line engine is the 2.0 litre turbo motor that puts out 210 bhp of maximum power. The engine is transversely mounted in order to reduce the car’s nose.

Safety Features

The A-Class concept is equipped with a radar-based collision warning system (first in its segment) and adaptive brake assist. Mercedes-Benz has a detailed analysis of accident related data and thus made the radar-based collision warning system that can help prevent roughly 20% of all rear-end collisions and lessen the severity of a collision by a further 25%.

Expected Price

The A-Class could be priced anywhere around Rs. 15 – 20 lakh and will be the cheapest offering from Mercedes-Benz because at present, the lowest priced model is the C-Class starting at Rs. 25.75 lakh.

Conclusion

Mercedes-Benz India has had a very successful year (2011) with a sales growth of 31% compared to the sales in 2010. The company sold 6,698 units in 2011 as against 5,110 units in 2010 during the January – November period. The unveiling of the A-Class hints that the production version of the car may be launched by end of 2012 or early 2013.

The A-Class has to compete with the BMW 1-series and the Audi A1. Barring the BMW 1-series, these cars are in the concept stage and are yet to hit production lines. Hence, the A-Class, if launched earlier than its rivals, will have a starter advantage!

Nissan Sunny Diesel Launched @ 7.98 Lakh Today

Nissan India launched the Sunny diesel sedan today starting at Rs. 7.98 lakh. The Sunny diesel has an ARAI-certified mileage of 21.6 kmpl and bookings for the car start today.

Variants and Prices

The Sunny diesel is available in two variants: the XL priced at Rs. 7.98 lakh and the XV priced at Rs. 8.78 lakh. The diesel variants are priced Rs. 1.1 lakh more than the corresponding petrol variants.

The base variant (XL) gets power steering, Auto AC, Dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, BA, integrated audio system with four speakers & Aux-in port and full wheel covers. The top-end variant, Sunny XV gets all the features of the XL and in addition gets get alloy wheels, front fog lamps, B pillar sash black out and electric folding mirrors.

Let’s see how the Nissan Sunny diesel fairs against its chief rival the Maruti Suzuki SX4 diesel:

Look, space and comfort

When viewed together, the SX4 does look bigger than the Sunny and it is in fact taller, slightly longer and wider than it. However, the intelligent packaging of the Sunny is what makes it more spacious despite being smaller of the two. The longer wheelbase of the Sunny also frees up plenty of interior space. Rear seat legroom (at 636 mm) in the Sunny is the best-in-class. Even in terms of luggage space, boot space is almost similar as the Sunny has a 490 litre boot against the SX4 which can accommodate 505 litres of luggage.

Performance and mileage

The engine specifications of both the cars are a close match though the SX4’s engine churns out more power (89 bhp) as against the Sunny engine (85 bhp). Torque is the same in both the cars at 200 Nm. The performance of the Sunny diesel is expected to be slightly better than the SX4 because of the lower kerb weight. The Sunny XL weighs 1092 kg which is a full 133 kg lighter than the SX4 and hence will likely accelerate better.  It will also be as fuel efficient than the SX4 and the official fuel economy of Sunny diesel (21.6 kmpl) is also same as SX4 diesel (21.5 kmpl).

Price and features

The Sunny XL priced at Rs. 7.98 lakh is Rs. 10,000 more than the SX4 VDI priced at Rs. 7.88 lakh. Though slightly pricey, the Sunny XL packs in goodies such as driver airbag, automatic climate control, rear fan, and electric mirrors.

The Sunny XV priced at Rs. 8.78 lakh is Rs. 2,000 more than the SX4 ZDI priced at Rs. 8.76 lakh. With almost same pricing, the Sunny XV electric folding mirrors which is not offered in the SX4 ZDI. Otherwise, both the cars come with same features.

Let see of the Nissan Sunny diesel fairs against the Toyota Etios diesel:

Look, space and comfort

In terms of looks, the Sunny actually has a more premium look compared to the slightly boxy design on the Etios. Space and comfort is one of the highlights of Etios, but the Sunny packs in even more space and comfort. In terms of rear seat comfort and legroom, the Sunny is much better than the Etios. It also has a longer wheelbase which has helped achieve better ride comfort as well. The Etios still boasts of a larger boot (590 litres), while the Sunny’s boot is second-best in category (490 litres).

Performance and mileage

As per specifications, the Sunny diesel may perform better than the Etios diesel because the Sunny’s engine makes 85 bhp and 200 Nm as against the Etios diesel which puts out only 67 bhp and 170 Nm.  Also, the power to weight ratio of Etios is 66 bhp/ton while that of Sunny diesel is 77 bhp/ton. On the other hand, the Etios seems to have an edge in terms of fuel economy. As per ARAI, the mileage of Etios diesel is 23.59 kmpl while that of Sunny diesel is 21.6 kmpl.

Price and features

The Etios diesel has an edge for it comes in a base variant GD priced at Rs. 6.44 lakh where there is no equivalent variant of Sunny. The next comparable variant of Etios is VD priced at Rs. 7.41 lakh which is Rs. 57,000 less than the Sunny diesel. Despite lower price, the Etios VD has more features rear wiper and washer, 12-spoke alloy wheels and rear defogger.

The top-end variant, Etios VXD priced at Rs. 7.87 lakh, is Rs. 91,000 less than the Sunny XV priced at Rs. 8.78 lakh. The Etios VXD comes with body side skirt, DVD audio system, sporty leather wrapped steering wheel and audio controls on steering wheel. On the other hand, the Sunny XV gets more features such as electric folding mirrors,  climate control and driver seat height adjustment.

Let’s see how the Nissan Sunny diesel fares against the Hyundai Verna 1.4 CRDi

Look, space and comfort

In terms of looks, both the Verna and Sunny are good looking cars. Some buyers prefer the curves and sharp lines on the Verna, while more conservative buyers would prefer the simpler lines on the Sunny and the coupe-like styling. With regard to interiors, the Verna has a more glossy finish while the Sunny has plastic which feels hard to touch. Both cars have good quality of fit and finish, with even shut lines and good quality plastics.

The Sunny is far more comfortable than the Hyundai Verna thanks to the longer wheelbase, which frees up far more interior space. The Verna on the other hand provides decent rear-seat comfort, but some find under-thigh support lacking. The Sunny also sports a larger boot than the Verna.

Performance and mileage

The Verna’s 1.4-litre diesel engine puts out 88.77 bhp of power and 220 Nm of torque while the Sunny’s 1.5-litre diesel engine puts out 85 bhp of power and 200 Nm of torque, which means the performance could be similar. However, when it comes to claimed fuel economy, the Verna (23.5 kmpl) has an edge over the Sunny diesel (21.6 kmpl).

Price and features

The Verna 1.4 CRDi is priced at Rs. 8.09 lakh which is Rs. 11,000 more than the Sunny XL priced at Rs. 7.98 lakh. However, the Sunny XL comes with more features such as driver airbag, automatic climate control, rear fan, and electric mirrors while these features are missed out in the Verna 1.4 CRDi.

Summary

The Sunny diesel is slightly better value for money when compared to the SX4 diesel and the Verna 1.4 diesel but has a premium price when compared with the aggressively priced Etios diesel.

Toyota Pruis

Toyota Prius launched in India at the Auto Expo 2010 (New Delhi). Prius car features Toyota Hybrid System II and offers one of the best fuel efficiency in its class.

Toyota Prius can operate in three modes Power, Eco and Electric Mode with improved driving comfort and Eco friendliness.

Toyota Prius Features & Specification:

• 1.8 Litre, 2ZR FXE engine
• Max Power: 136 PS
• Aerodynamic design
• Hybrid Synergy Drive
• Head Up Display
• Electrically controlled CVT
• Push start system
• Built-in Stereo System
• Audio and Bluetooth controls with touch sensor on steering wheel
• ABS with EBD
• Traction Control and 7 airbags

Toyota Prius Price in India: It will be available in limited numbers priced at 26.55 lakh and 27.86 lakh, and bookings start from 7th January 2010

Toyota Camry 2012

Toyota will soon launch the face-lifted avatar of its Camry luxury sedan. The car will look very different from the Camry we know and has the potential to rope in many more buyers for Toyota. The car will likely be launched in India early next year (2012) and will compete primarily with the Honda Accord.

It has lost the aggressive stance of the present Camry and looks much more elegant now but is nothing that will make you stop and take notice, more so as even small cars these days sports much more futuristic designs. At the rear the new Camry will sport a bigger more sorted tail lamp cluster that extends partly into the boot lid. It will also follow what has become a tradition in the Indian market and will sport a chrome slat at the rear.

Will it deliver better than the Accord?

There are no confirmed reports about what the upcoming Camry will be equipped with and hence it is difficult to say how it will stand against the competition. We can however safely say that it will sport much more in terms of features and will take comfort a notch higher as well. That said the present Camry is already considered a very comfortable and planted vehicle.

The current model sold in India, is powered by a 2.4 litre, VVT-i petrol motor that produces 165 bhp of max power and 224 Nm of max torque. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed automatic transmission depending on the variant. For the new Camry, there are speculations that Toyota may use a re-engineered power train that is capable of offering better power and torque as well as improved fuel efficiency.

Features and accessories

The face-lifted Camry will likely sport features like a futuristic optitron meter, a MID (Multi-information display), steering mounted audio controls, cruise control, USB and aux-in ports etc. It will also feature a six CD changer, automatic lights for convenient driving in the dark.

Some advanced features we expect to see in the new Camry are 4-way power passenger seats, 8-way adjustable driver seats, ESP, ABS, EBD and rain sensing wipers. Climate control, brake assist, 6-SRS airbags and other safety features too will be offered.

Expected price

The present Toyota Camry starts at Rs. 21.58 lakh and we expect the new Camry to be priced between 22 lakh- 25 lakh. The top-end Honda Accord AT is priced at Rs. 26.43 lakh and we can expect Toyota to price the new Camry aggressively. Overall the new Camry will take the comfort and convenience of the present model a notch higher and will be better equipped to face the stiff competition it now faces.

Hyundai EON

South Korean car maker Hyundai, claimed to be world’s fastest growing automaker and fourth largest car manufacturer across the globe, has introduce its eight car and fourth hatchback-Hyundai EON in India. Within no time after its incorporation in 1996 in India Hyundai Motor India became the country’s second largest car manufacturer and it offers seven cars in India including three hatchbacks, three sedans and one SUV. The eight addition of a hatchback was earlier known as Hyundai HA and Hyundai 800 in car market. However the company started publicizing the name-EON soon after that. Hyundai EON is blowing trumpet left, right and centre with this three letter name which actually means ‘long period of time’. According to Hyundai ‘India is ON’ now with the advent of this bug-eyed hatchback.

Produced at Hyundai’s Chennai plant, the EON car has been conceived, designed and developed over four years, keeping the Indian consumer’s preferences in mind and is not a hurried result. Chennai-based Hyundai’s research and development team in Hyderabad worked in tandem with Hyundai’s R&D engineers in Korea to develop the Eon exclusively for the market in India. The new Hyundai small car is sure to stir competition in the under Rs 3 lakh price range as it is accorded with a starting price of Rs 2.69 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) which goes all the way upto Rs 3.71 lakh(ex-show. It yells to be a close rival of top player Maruti India and homegrown Tata Motors. It will be the arch enemy of Maruti’s bestselling car ‘Maruti Alto’ and will no doubt sit over Tata Nano. Although the car is launched the actual sales and acute competition will be visible after a few months only when the car will be perfectly perceived by the Indian audience. Being priced affordably, it will also prove to be an excellent option of people’s hatchback Maruti 800 which is thinking of a re-launch.

A hatchback by body built-up, EON is the lowest priced car by Hyundai in India running on and on and on at 21.1 kmpl mileage. It is powered by 814cc engine. The mighty petrol engine is packed in all 6 variants released and will manage to deliver maximum power of 56 bhp at 5,500 rpm which is quite enough to power a small hatch. Hyundai EON inherits its looks from Hyundai i10 but it is relatively smaller. At the same time it has some things in common to Hyundai Santro also.

The new Hyundai car is much inspired by the company’s new Fluidic design platform also used in other cars of Hyundai. The front of Hyundai’s small car EON, similar to Hyundai Verna Fluidic, is much satisfactory with hexagonal grille and sweeping headlamps slanting towards back, while it has a side similar to Hyundai i10. It would seem to be too much of boasting but the wheel arches and shoulder line parallels Mercedes CLS Class in appearance. It shows-off an exclusive curvy rear with half-moonlike tail-lights to lure youngsters. The design revolution continues in the roomy interiors also, where there is a comfortable seating option for four persons.

In order to keep pricing in control, not plethora of feature are given on EON but the list is certainly not condemnable. The higher end variants Magna and Sportz house advanced features such as power steering and power windows that can be operated with the touch of a button. Safety features including Anti-lock Braking System, EBD etc are missing from Hyundai EON although driver side airbag on EON Sportz ensures that EON is the safest car in its class. Following its low price, Hyundai has cut some features but surely stands on pedestal in front of Maruti 800 and Tata Nano who can be treated as mere audience in front of EON. The unique digital gear shift indicator helps attain maximum optimum gear usage and best possible fuel efficiency. Alternate Management System allows control of power supply to a battery depending on the load and thus reduces fuel consumption and improves entire performance. Now, what else an Indian buyer wants.

Hyundai i15

Hyundai i15

Price: Not announced

 After the successful launch of i10 and i20, Hyundai is going to launch new- i15. The New Hyundai i15 is better in engine, style, comfort and performance than the i10 and i20

 Full Specification of Hyundai i15

• Hyundai i15 is Hatchback Body type, B+ Segment car.
• 1197cc, 4 Cyl, Petrol engine which provide-

 Maximum Power: 79 Bhp @ 5200 rpm

 Maximum Torque: 114 Nm @ 4000 rpm

• Big interior space of 5 person seating capacity.
• Both side Disk Brakes for easy control on car at high speed.
• Easy 5 mannual gear transmission.
• Body color bumper and Stylish Alloy wheels for extra beauty of car.
• Hyundai i15 has Technometer, ORVM Indicator and two Trip meter.
• Two Airbags, 3 Rear seat belts with EBD and ABS which provide extra safety.
• Brighter Fog lamps which provide better view in foggy days.
• AC with climate control without rear AC vent.
• Fully automatic with- Power Steering and Power Window.
• Remote Centre Locking for security of car.
• Remote: Boot and Fuel Filler.
• Rear wiper and Defogger.
• Rake type Steering adjustment.
• Mannual Driver Seat adjustment with Rear Folding Seats for extra space.
• 2 DIN Player with USB & AUX Music system for fullon entertainment.
• Tinted Glass.
• Easy control Buttons on Steering with Both side Electric Door mirrors.

Varients available for Hyundai i15

Hyundai i15:            Rs. 5,50,000

Hyundai i15 diesal: Rs 6,00,000

More information about Hyundai i15 will be available soon.

Read more: http://hitonnet.com/2011/08/20/hyundai-i15-price-review-full-specification/#ixzz1g0ZzXquD