2016 Maruti Alto 800 Facelift Launched in India

Maruti Suzuki has finally launched the facelifted version of the popular Alto 800 in the country with prices starting at INR 2.49 lakh for the STD trim, going up to INR 3.76 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the range-topping LXI CNG (O) trim. The updated model was spotted completely undisguised at a stockyard a few days ago. This is the first update the car received since its launch in 2012. The refreshed model gets minor cosmetic and mechanical changes compared to the outgoing model.

Keeping up with the growing competition, the exterior update includes what the automaker calls new Aero Edge Design, following which the front fascia of the Alto 800 has been updated. Maruti Suzuki has reduced the grille to a narrow horizontal slit just below the bonnet. The headlights retain the same shape from the current model while the side indicators now feature an amber colored lens. The Suzuki logo is now positioned between the grille slit and the lower air dam. The front bumper has been completely revised and features a large hexagonal air dam to aid better air flow. The bumper is now 35mm longer measuring at 3430mm, as compared to the outgoing model's 3395mm. The Alto 800 also receives provision for fog lamps that were missed in the current model. The rear of the facelifted model does not receive any updates. Expect the 2016 model of the Alto 800 of come with new fabric design for the upholstery.

Updates to the cabin include new fabric upholstery for the seats and door pads. Interestingly, the new Maruti Alto 800 now gets a passenger side ORVM as standard and the base and mid variants get safety child lock and additional storage space at the rear. The hatchback is available with a driver side airbag as an option from the base variant onwards. Also now standard are a rear spoiler, full wheel covers, front power windows and central locking system. Furthermore, the automaker has added two new colors - Mojito Green and Cerulean Blue, in addition to four existing shades. The 2016 Maruti Alto 800 facelift gets several interesting features upgrades like remote keyless entry, smart storage spaces like rear bottle holder and co-driver side map pocket.

The powertrain continues to remain the same as well with power coming from a 796cc, three-cylinder, petrol engine tuned to produce 47bhp at 6000 rpm and 69Nm of torque 3500rpm. The motor comes paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. Maruti claims that its engineers have developed an improved engine architecture tuned for enhanced driving pleasure and excellent fuel economy, which makes the Alto 800 facelift 9 per cent more fuel efficient helping return an ARAI certified 24.7 km/l. Essentially, the engine provides more torque at low RPMs, allowing lesser gear changes. There are specially coated piston and ring set that reduce frictional losses and increases engine life.

Maruti Suzuki has been the leader in the entry-level four-wheeler segment in India. The company had recently achieved the record of selling 30 lakh Alto 800s, making it the most sold passenger car in the country. The Alto 800 shares the entry-level segment with other cars like the Renault Kwid, Hyundai EON and soon to be launched Datsun redi-GO. Although the Alto 800 is well ahead in terms of figures, the recently launched Kwid is gaining a lot of traction in the market too. With this facelift, Maruti Suzuki aims to reassert its hold in the market. Source

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Mercedes-Benz GLS 350d Launched in India

Mercedes-Benz has launched the new GLS 350d in India priced at INR 80.40 lakh (ex-showroom,Pune). The GLS is essentially the facelifted version of the erstwhile GL-Class of vehicles which were the largest SUVs Merc sold in India. The GLS is no different; it still retains the size and the road presence that the GL was so famous for but also packs quite a bit of new kit. In effect, it is just not the 'S' that has been added to the new GL-Class, but a host of other changes that give a refreshing look to the luxury SUV.

Talking about the exterior, the front fascia has been redesigned to make the GLS look like an aggressive SUV version of the German car maker’s flagship sedan, the S-Class. It now comes with an even more muscular bonnet and a larger tri-star logo which blends into the twin-slat chrome grille. The headlamps too have been redesigned and now feature Mercedes’ signature MultiBeam lamps along with LED DRLs. The air intakes in the bumper are now much larger and give the car a more aggressive appearance. The side profile remains largely the same, whereas the rear gets minor changes in comparison to the front with revised LED tail-lights, revised bumper and tail-gate. The rest of the car is relatively unchanged.

The interior of the car too has been reworked to take the luxury factor up by a notch. The interior is bathed in the finest Napa leather and wood. The COMAND system now gets an 8-inch screen and it also comes with an optional air ionization system which helps improve the cabin air quality. The cabin still retains its 7-seater layout and the Panoramic sliding sunroof. In terms of safety, along with the usual airbags and ESP it also offers collision prevention assist, crosswind assist, attention assist, cruise control and an electronic AWD traction system with 4ETS.

Under the hood, the GLS comes with a 3.0-litre V6 bi-turbocharged diesel engine on the single 350d trim that churns out 258PS of max power and 620Nm of peak torque. The engine comes mated to a 9-speed automatic (9G-Tronic) transmission that sends power to all four wheels via the 4MATIC all-wheel drive system and can be had with an optional low-range configuration and a center differential lock. The top speed of the SUV is electronically limited to 222kmph.

Mercedes-Benz India is offering a ton of safety and electronic aids on the 2017 GLS including collision prevention assist, crosswind assist, attention assist, Pre-Safe, Brake Assist, cruise control, ESP and electronic AWD traction system with 4ETS. The GLS will be locking horns with a host of other luxury SUVs in the segment including the new generation Audi Q7, new Volvo XC90, Land Rover Range Rover and the likes. The automaker has already begun the production of the GLS 350d at it's Chakan based facility. Also, given the engine cubic capacity, the GLS will be yet another offering from Mercedes to not go on sale in Delhi. Source

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Isuzu D-Max V-Cross Launched in India

India's first 'Adventure Utility Vehicle', the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross, by the Japanese automaker, Isuzu, has been launched at INR 12.49 lakh (ex-showroom, Chennai). Isuzu has officially announced that it has started accepting bookings for the D-Max V-Cross with a minimum amount of Rs 50,000. However, deliveries for the utility vehicle are scheduled to commence from July 2016. To remind you, the D-Max V-Cross has been manufactured locally at Isuzu's new manufacturing facility in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh. 

First showcased at the Auto Expo 2016 in February, the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross has been designed to meet the aspirations of India's adventure seekers. The V-Cross brings forth a combination of off-roading capability and passenger car-like comforts, thus allowing it to cater to personal vehicle buyers for not only utility purposes, but also for daily commute.

The Isuzu D-Max V-Cross has been built on the company’s all-new Gravity Response Intelligent Platform (GRIP) for better road handling characteristics. The SUV has a fresh exterior body with an aerodynamic shape, designed by Isuzu in Japan. The front features a wide chrome grille flanked by twin-barrel headlight units. The bumper has a rugged design with fog lamps located on the sides. Moving to the sides of the SUV, the D-MAX V-Cross has flared wheel arches giving it a muscular and aggressive look. The lifestyle SUV has a seating capacity for five occupants and a spacious deck at the rear.

Inside, the SUV will be loaded with numerous features like 6-way adjustable driver seat, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, power windows, central locking, climate control, electrically folding and adjustable OVRMs, 60:40 folding rear seat and most importantly a shift-on-fly 4WD knob. The lifestyle SUV will also be equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen entertainment system with USB input, DVD, AUX, iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, steering mounted audio controls, automatic AC  and electro-luminescent meters with MID (Multi Information Display). Furthermore, the vehicle can also be accessorized with an array of after-market and custom built accessories. For safety, Isuzu is offering dual front airbags, pedestrian friendly front-end, an impact absorbing bonnet design, ABS, EBD, and Brake Assist on the D-Max V-Cross.

The V-Cross comes powered by a 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder CRDi turbocharged diesel engine that develops 134bhp of maximum power at 3600 rpm along with 320Nm of peak torque from 1800-2800rpm. Mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, the vehicle also gets dial-type 4WD (shift-on-fly) mode to select between 2WD, 4WD and 4WD lock configurations depending on the terrain and complies with BS-IV emission norms. Source

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Honda BR-V Compact SUV Launched in India

Honda has finally launched its much-awaited compact SUV, the BR-V, at a starting price of Rs 8.75 lakh for the base petrol variant; going up to Rs 12.90 lakh for the top-spec diesel model. All prices ex-showroom, New Delhi. The BR-V will be available in 9 variants and a total of 6colorr options, namely, Taffeta White, White Orchid Pearl, Carnelian Red Pearl, Alabaster Silver Metallic, Urban Titanium Metallic, and Golden Brown Metallic. There has been no official announcement by the company, but dealerships across the country started taking pre-orders for the Honda BR-V since last month. Expect the Honda BR-V to go up against the likes of the Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano, Mahindra Scorpio, Tata Safari and the extremely popular Hyundai Creta. The car had made its debut in August 2015 but as a concept. Source

Modeled on the automaker's 'Active Solid Motion' design tenet and based on the extended Brio platform and on the CR-V as well, especially the dominating twin split chrome grille with the Honda logo in the centre. The Honda BR-V seems to have taken some of its design cues from the Mobilio MPV. Improved ground clearance of 210mm, black plastic cladding around body, roof rails and 16-inch alloy wheels give the BR-V a compact SUV look. The bumper has been aggressively styled with creases, skid plates and chrome finished fog lamp housing. The flared wheel arches with body cladding also add more muscle to the overall design. The rear of the car comes with small tail lamps, bumper and skid plates. The large alloy wheels add spark to the overall brute design.

The cabin also comes loaded with a myriad of provisions such as a start/stop button, steering-mounted controls, automatic climate control, roof mounted AC vents, Bluetooth connectivity, height-adjustable driver's seat, rear defogger, etc. depending on the selected variant. The Honda BR-V will also get a segment-first standard 7-seat configuration while the second row gets a recline function.

Honda always takes safety very seriously and therefore, has given a comprehensive list of active and passive safety features on the BR-V. All variants of the BR-V get dual SRS airbags as standard. Also, ABS and EBD will be offered as standard fitment on all diesel variants. Extensive use of high tensile strength in making the frame leads to further rigidity and strengthening and energy absorption in case of an accident.

Powering the Honda BR-V could be the same 1.5-litre 4-cylinder i-VTEC petrol engine generating 120PS power along with 145Nm of peak torque and 1.5-litre 4-cylinder i-DTEC diesel powertrain producing 100PS power along with 200Nm of maximum torque. These power units are similar to the ones we find on some of Honda's existing cars including the City. Transmission options on offer is a 6-speed manual gearbox and a CVT automatic (Petrol). Furthermore, Honda BR-V's mileage is rated at 15.4Km/l (MT) and 16Km/l (AT) for the petrol variant, while that for the diesel motor is 21.9Km/l. Production of Honda's 7-seater SUV is likely to commence later this year at Honda's Tapukara plant, where the company has been already manufacturing the City and Amaze. Honda will also offer a 3 years/unlimited km warranty.

Petrol

• E – Rs 8.70 lakh
• S – Rs 9.90 lakh
• V – Rs 10.90 lakh
• VX – Rs 11.84 lakh 
• V CVT  - Rs 11.99 lakh 

Diesel

• E – Rs 9.90 lakh
• S – Rs 10.99 lakh
• V – Rs 11.85 lakh
• VX – Rs 12.90 lakh

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Lamborghini Huracan Spyder LP 610-4 Launched in India

The Italian supercar maker launches it's latest offering the Huracan Spyder LP 610-4 in India priced at INR 3.89 crore (ex-showroom, Mumbai) at the new Lamborghini showroom in Mumbai which was also inaugurated today along with the launch of the car. It is the second Huracan to be launched in the country in the last six months following the launch of the Huracan LP580-2 RWD version in November 2015. Essentially, the convertible iteration of the Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Coupe, the Spyder can drop its hydraulically controlled soft-top roof in just 17 seconds and on up to speeds of 50kmph. The roof is available in three colors – black, brown and red.

On the inside, the Lamborghini Huracan Spyder gets swathed in high-quality materials like leather, Alcantara and carbon fiber. The interior is identical to the coupe with a sportily designed cockpit, flat-bottomed steering wheel wrapped in Alcantara and large paddle shifters mounted onto the steering column. To improve the Lamborghini’s aerodynamics and to aid its airflow to the engine, the Spyder comes fitted with two additional fins which rise from the rear of the seats when the roof is folded down. The cabin has in fact been engineered to ensure wind buffeting and noise inside the cabin are low enough for you to hold a conversation with your passenger on the go, even at speeds north of 100kmph.

This topless wonder is powered by the same 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 unit mated to a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox with an all-wheel drive, that is also seen on its hard top sibling. The car makes an impressive 618PS of peak power and 560Nm of maximum torque. With an engine like that, the car can do the 0-100kmph dash in just 3.4 seconds, just 0.2 seconds off the coupe’s time and record a top speed of 324kmph, if you can find the road to do it. It gets the same Strada, Sport and Corsa modes as the Huracan coupe which alter engine performance, steering feel and suspension stiffness depending on the mode. The Spyder is also high on safety and gets a pair of retractable rollover bars behind the seats that will pop in just a few milliseconds in the event of a mishap.

While the Huracan has received a good audience in India, there is no doubting that its topless iteration will also get a warm welcome as well. Considering the Huracan Coupe has been priced at around Rs 3.5 crore, expect the Spyder to cost marginally higher. The launch of the Huracan Spyder will also mark the inauguration of the new Lamborghini dealership in Mumbai. Source

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Nissan Kicks Compact Crossover Revealed

The Japanese car maker has now revealed a lot about its new offering including the interior of the car. Nissan has also finally announced that its Kicks compact crossover will see a global premiere on the opening day of the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil, a teaser of the Kicks compact SUV was released by the Nissan recently. The car, which was first showcased as a concept in 2014 Sao Paolo Auto Show, is based on the 2012 Nissan EXTREM concept as well, is intended to sell primarily in Brazilian and other Latin American automotive markets before being launched internationally.

The Kicks compact crossover isn't a sub-compact SUV but is 31mm shorter in length compared to the Nissan Terrano. The car could underpin the same V-Platform as the Nissan Micra and Nissan Sunny. It's fair to say that the Nissan could potentially consider bringing the Kicks to India. Firstly, given the boom India is facing in the compact SUV segment. Secondly, Nissan would be looking to phase out the Terrano that has failed to generate volumes, leave alone replicate the success of its Renault cousin, Duster.

In terms of design, the car features a sporty stance, angular floating glasshouse, muscular bumpers, roof rails, an attractive V-shaped front grille, high-ground clearance and SUV-like stance. The concept came with dual-tone exteriors while complementing dual-tone alloys, an oblong grille and sleek headlamps further added to the sporty feel of the purported sub-4 meter SUV.

The Kicks' interior is as young looking as its exterior design. The dual-tone dashboard has been designed well with large touchscreen infotainment in the center and the automatic climate control under it. Right above the screen is sleek AC vents, however, it’s the AC louvers towards the edge of the dash that really impress, (do we see a hint of the C-Class there?). Then there’s the semi-digital instrument cluster that has real-time fuel efficiency, trip meters, odometers and more necessary information. The flat bottom steering wheel looks sport and has a neat touch of brushed aluminum on it.

In the engine department, Nissan is yet to reveal any powertrain details. The Kicks could be powered by either a 1.6-litre petrol or a 1.5-litre diesel engine unit, both of which are currently doing rounds in the Nissan Sunny and Nissan Terrano although alternative reports have suggested that it could feature the 3- and 4-cylinder petrol engines currently in use on the Nissan Micra and Juke. The Kicks will be built at Nissan's Resende Industrial Complex in Brazil where the March and Versa, which are internationally also known as the Micra and Almera, are produced. The compact crossover SUV will initially be sold exclusively in South American markets before eventually being launched globally. Source

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2016 Toyota Innova Crysta Launched in India

The new 2016 Toyota Innova Crysta, one of the most awaited cars of the year, has been launched today, that is on May 2, 2016. Launched in 6 variants, available in four grades with manual transmission (Zx, Vx, Gx & G) and in two grades with an automatic transmission (Zx & Gx). The Innova Crysta has been priced INR 13.84 lakh for the base variant and INR 20.78 lakh for the top-end trim (Ex-showroom, Mumbai). Although Toyota has announced the prices of the car, it will officially go on sale only after May 12. This Multi-Purpose Vehicle is the highest selling model for Toyota in India. The new Innova is more expensive than the last generation version along with being slightly more spacious and more luxurious than ever before. The new Innova Crysta also offers better performance with a whole range of new power plants. The new Toyota Innova comes with a new style profile which might somewhat look similar to the Corolla Altis 2014 model. The Innova MPV made its world premiere on 23rd November at the 2015 Jakarta Auto Show.

The 2016 Innova Crysta features a brand new front look, completely different from the current model, which includes major changes in the bonnet and the windscreen. It looks much more premium and has a large horizontal chrome grille, swept-back headlamps and a set of large tail lamps at the rear. The side profile too is completely updated with a more refined and current appeal.  Apart from all this, The 2016 Innova flaunts eye-catching chrome bars running through headlights, thereby adding to the style element of the car. Another design change is in the front and second-row windows, which includes, in the front quarter glass ones, seems to be lifted from the current Innova, on the other hand, the last row windows features an unconventional V-shape design. The new Toyota Innova is based on an all-new platform, Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), that, according to the Japanese carmaker, is lighter and yet stiffer as compared to the one that underpinned the exiting model.

On the inside, the Innova Crysta, also gets a completely new dashboard that is modern and has a well-integrated infotainment system with climate control in the central console. The steering wheel, instrument cluster and central tunnel with storage spaces too are new along with a set of new seats. The Innova is also available with the popular 6-seater or a more practical 7-seater layout. The new Innova is also a lot more spacious than its predecessor. The headlight clusters in the new 2016 model gets integrated LED daytime running lights or the LED position lights as Toyota calls them on their new Corolla Altis. Toyota’s designers kept in mind the new version of their IMV platform while designing and the 2016 Innova. Without making major mechanical changes, the new Innova provides a lighter chassis.The Innova Crysta gets a long list of features including a touchscreen infotainment system, electronic climate control, USB, AUX, Bluetooth telephony, ambient lighting and the works.

Under the hood, the Crysta comes with two engine options, the new 2.8-litre GD diesel engine and a 2.4-litre 4-cylinder VVT-i petrol engine. The former produces 150PS of power, an impressive 50PS more than the discontinued Innova. The larger 2.8-litre unit puts out an even impressive 174PS of power. Torque rating for these two engines stands at 343 Nm and 360 Nm, respectively. The Innova Crysta comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission as well a 6-speed autobox. The automatic is said to be the same 6-speed unit that does duty in the Fortuner.

For safety, Toyota Innova Crysta gets three airbags (front driver, front passenger, and driver knee) and ABS with EBD as a standard provision across all trims. Interestingly, the top-end variant gets 7 airbags: driver, front passenger, driver knee, front side and curtain shield airbags. Most importantly it comes with three-point seat belts for all the 7 passengers. The main reason behind Toyota decision of making the Indian bestseller undergo major design changes, and a massive overhaul in style is Toyota's plan to target the emerging private Cab companies which are looking at their Innova as their future taxi. Source

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